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Wheelchair Seating &
Mobility Services
More than 1.6 million Americans use some type of wheelchair to improve their mobility and increase their independence. Most people use manual equipment, but there is a wide range of seating and high-tech options available to meet the different lifestyle needs of active individuals.
The Wheelchair Seating & Mobility Clinic at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation provides for the evaluation and determination of appropriate wheelchairs for individuals with disabilities and physical functional challenges resulting from spinal cord injury, brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis and other neurological injuries or illnesses, as well as orthopedic conditions. Our goal is to maximize the comfort, posture, breathing, pressure distribution and the overall independent functioning of the individuals we treat.
Our Approach
Kessler's team of wheelchair specialists – RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Practitioners (ATPs) — offer individuals the opportunity to examine and trial a variety of mobility and seating products at our West Orange center. This comprehensive approach and range of services help to ensure that the goals of our clients are achieved.
Comprehensive Program
Assessment begins with an in-depth interview to determine an individual's functional abilities, personal preferences and any lifestyle issues. A mat evaluation is then performed to determine if an individual has the flexibility and range of motion to sit with optimal postural alignment. This information will guide us in selecting the most appropriate seating system products.
Equipment Trial
Individuals are able to select from a vast array of commercial seating and mobility products and test them out in our clinic. By having our clients try a number of different off-the-shelf and custom products, we can recommend the best fit for their specific needs. We have the latest developments in wheelchair technology, including new lighter weight materials that offer greater performance, new assistive devices that can be incorporated into the system and advanced power chairs.
Pressure Mapping
To ensure skin integrity, comfort and safety, we assess the pressure distribution along the individual's seated body surface. This pressure mapping system enables us to compare cushions and back support, and to determine the best method of pressure relief.
Seating Selection
We work closely with our vendors as well as the client's medical doctor, family members/caregivers and other clinicians as warranted to recommend the best possible seating system. For those individuals with progressive medical conditions, we seek a system that offers flexibility to meet changing needs.
A Custom-Tailored Fit
Following the specific wheelchair and seating recommendations made by our team of rehabilitation professionals, we work with each client to ensure that the system is fitted properly to minimize the risk of pressure sores and secondary musculoskeletal complications. We also perform any necessary electronic adjustments to customize the performance of power chairs to meet individual preferences.
Finally, we strive to maximize independence and safety both indoors and outdoors by educating the client and his or her family members/caregiver on wheelchair mobility skills.
Getting Started
A referral from the client's medical doctor is required to participate in our Wheelchair Seating & Mobility Clinic.
For More Information
For more information about Kessler's Wheelchair Seating & Mobility Services, you can contact one of the following campuses:
West Orange Campus
1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052
973.731.3900 x2285
Contact us by email
Saddle Brook Campus
300 Market Street
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
Contact us by email


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War novels, are you interested?
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:38 pm
Do you enjoy war novels? My favourite is 'A farewell to arms' by Ernest Hemingway. I suppose 'The English patient' is quite like 'A farewell to arms'. Some Russian ones are good too but I read them when I was so small so not remembering much. Reading those novels, I think we can understand history more easily. However, most novels I've read have pessimistic ends and death is always exploited as the nature of wars. Sometimes, it's like in a impasse to read them.

subset: commoncrawl


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Joy And Pain - Snap #503
Because even the best relationships have a breaking point, Snap Judgment proudly presents "Joy and Pain" (from PRX and NPR).
The Unwedding
Some couples break up harder than others.
Produced by the dynamic duo Sharon Mashihi and Rachel James (originally for the KCRW program "Unfictional.") For more of Sharon and Rachel's work, check this out.
Producers: Sharon Mashihi and Rachel James with assistance from Mooj Zadie
Henry and Jane
A husband and wife think they have problems. Then they enter the storm.
Produced by Lea Thau, check out Lea's amazing podcast Strangers here (part of the new Radiotopia network of award winning programs.)
The Last Resort
We all sometimes ask ourselves, if we had a day, a week, a year left to live, what would we do with that time. Hear what one couple did when they faced that dark fantasy in real life.
Producer: Julia Dewitt
Just Us
One woman's experience as a death row inmate leaves her unable to trust after her release... until she finds just the right partner.
Producer: Anna Sussman


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90 Frank E. Allen '48
|HOF Class of '90
Frank Allen was a letterwinner in football, track, and swimming, and served as a captain of the 1947 football team. He won the 1948 Stedman trophy and later went on to star at Rice University for three seasons. After his senior year at Rice, he was invited to play in the East-West All-Star game in 1950.


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Visit our new blog
Small Groups,
Deep Connections
Welcome to the UU Small Group Ministry Network. Our network is dedicated to creating healthy congregations and a vital Unitarian Universalist movement by supporting and promoting Small Group Ministry. We invite you to enjoy the resources on this site, subscribe to our Covenant Group News e-newsletter, and join us as a member. Members receive print copies of our journal, the SGM Journal. Online archives of the Journal and CGNews are available to all. Your membership makes our support of small group ministry and covenant groups possible.
News and Web Updates July 5, 2019


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As their Bandcamp page so boldly proclaims, 'September Girls are a Dublin-based five piece, playing fuzzy and reverb-soaked garage pop with heaps of harmonies'. I don't think it'd be especially controversial of me to suggest that none of what's on offer there is in short supply at the minute; neither, for that matter, are bands with 'Girls' as their titular suffix, or stylised, all-female outfits with guitars (there's actually quite a bit of overlap between the two). Consider, also, that Cursing the Sea arrives in an early January release wasteland that will effectively render it ineligible for end-of-year lists, and it's quickly apparent that September Girls are up against it with this debut full-length.
It's interesting to note that one of the band's early efforts was released through Haus of Pins, the imprint of their one-time tourmates PINS, because Cursing the Sea sounds a lot like how I'd expected Girls Like Us, last year's PINS record, would. That album surprised me, for better or worse, with its not-quite-lo-fi production style and lack of ferocity relative to their live shows. Neither such feature is fairly applicable to Cursing the Sea, though; it is the polar opposite of polish, and the pace at which it zips along is perhaps its biggest strength.
There's a uniformity to both of those things, too, a consistency to the nods the band make to their influences; as cliched as it might be to make reference to them where reverb-happy sound is concerned, it's impossible to ignore the sheer weight of the bearing that The Jesus and Mary Chain clearly had on September Girls. It's crucial, then, that there's something about their sound that sets them apart in an overcrowded market; on that front, they can point to the sheer atmosphere of Cursing the Sea.
As nicely varied as the guitar work is - the intros to 'Left Behind' and 'Ships' feature blistering riffs, whilst 'Heartbeats' moves much closer to jangle-pop territory - there's a common urgency underscoring it that lends the record some genuine menace. The heavily distorted vocals play a part, too; just clear enough to carry the melody, but usually too foggy for the actual lyrics to be properly discerned, they're a big part of the genuinely enigmatic air that the album's scored through with. There's a sprinkling of sparse, nervy keys, too, particularly on 'Talking' and the excellent 'Green Eyed'; their organ-like sound brings a touch of something gothic to the table, and marks out the record, in certain places, as the brattier, moodier cousin of Veronica Falls' debut.
There's still nothing very original here; even if this particular musical seam wasn't already one currently being excavated to exhaustion, September Girls wear their influences so boldly they might as well have them tattooed. There's a difference between original and interesting, though, and there's plenty of the band's own identity on Cursing the Sea, which marks the start of what could yet be a tremendous 2014 for the quintet in deliciously dark fashion.
7Joe Goggins's Score
8User Score


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The Los Angeles Clippers recently signed Jason Williams to a one-year contract.
I must admit that I'm a fan of Williams but I'm not sure about this move. This signing tells us that Elgin Baylor is more than a little skeptical of Baron Davis' durability. Or is he just Isiah 2.0?
With Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman on the roster, no problems will arise from their center position. I would have used the money spent on Williams to pursue a consistent, dynamic forward to complement the stable, workman-like forces of Camby and Kaman.
The Clippers have an awful lot of players on their roster but let's focus on the signed guards. It's kind of a mess and it seems like they'll just throw some line-ups against the wall and see what sticks:
Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Eric Gordon, Jason Hart, Cuttino Mobley and Mike Taylor will join Williams as contracted players.
Taylor will most certainly spend time in the D-League.
Hart is a solid journeyman who averages 16.6 minutes in his career. He can push for time and be a solid contributor if an injury hits higher on the depth chart.
It's Baron Davis' team, so he'll start at the point but who will they have at the off guard?
Cuttino Mobley was the starter last year until an injury hit and Quinton Ross stepped into the limelight. Ricky Davis is available and can also see time at the small forward position.
Mike Dunleavy didn't shy away from playing Thornton as a rookie; he won't let Eric Gordon rot on the bench. And on the small chance that the Clippers — gasp — lose early, youth will be served. It will be interesting to see how Dunleavy juggles the me-first Davis, the proud veteran Mobley and the instant-offense Gordon.
We may see Baron playing off the ball while Williams handles the playmaking responsibilities but I just don't see how they can squeeze 25+ minutes for Williams.
If Dan Dickau (15.5 minutes last year), Smush Parker (21.5 minutes) and Quinton Ross (19.8 minutes) return, it will further muddle the guard situation. Someone's ego will be bruised. On the Clippers, that's as predictable as a Tim Thomas three in transition.
The most important question is this: Is Baron Davis running in the mountains?
Photo credit: Sports Hub


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Food & Drink
How fashion is saving Italy's monuments
By Qin Xie, for CNN • Updated 24th May 2013
Italy is famed for fashion, food and, of course, history.
In fact, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country in the world.
As other social needs have taken priority in economically turbulent times, however, the country's budget for maintaining and restoring some of its greatest tourist attractions has been drastically reduced. While the Italian State Tourist Board said it couldn't supply statistics,
as much as a third of culture budgets (€1.42 billion/$1.83 billion) have been cut over the past three years,
according to a September 2012 report in The Daily Beast.
Restoration of historic monuments has instead been left largely to the generosity of private donors.
Step forward Italian fashion industry.
Over the past two years, several Italian fashion brands have pledged substantial amounts of money for the restoration of well known heritage sites.
In 2011, luxury leather goods company Tod's pledged €25 million ($32 million) toward the
restoration of the Colosseum
In May 2013, Diesel agreed to restore the Rialto Bridge in Venice to the tune of €5 million ($6.4 million).
In Solomeo, Umbria, cashmere brand Brunello Cucinelli is
helping to restore
the town that it's based in, one building at a time. The Prada Foundation, the brand's charitable art branch, has helped restore the Venetian palazzo Ca' Corner Della Regina for use as an
exhibition space
The latest to pledge funds is Fendi. The maker of high-end leather handbags has pledged €2.5 million ($3.2 million) for the restoration of Trevi Fountain, as well as Le Quattro Fontane, both in Rome.
Fendi to finance Trevi Fountain makeover
What brands get back
In addition to the PR value of maintaining a heritage site, some brands also gain substantial marketing advantages.
During the restoration of Trevi fountain, Fendi will be allowed to display its logo at the site.
A plaque dedicated to the brand will be displayed at the site for four years after completion of the restoration.
Diesel is reportedly allowed to place advertising billboards over a part of the Rialto Bridge during that restoration.
Advertisements on some of their most cherished monuments don't seem to bother locals.
"If someone or a company is spending money to renovate a public building, which will be covered in scaffolding, green netting or white sheeting anyway, why shouldn't they be allowed to brand their contribution?" says Primo Franco of Nino Franco Winery, speaking about the Rialto Bridge renovations.
Restoration is another way to advertise. Diesel will place billboards over 30% of the Rialto Bridge during restoration.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
"It is a temporary situation and renovation and restoration requires a huge amount of financing and shouldn't this investment be recognized? Funding large scale projects via the private sector is a way to protect the future of the cultural monuments
in Italy."
"We were delighted to learn of Diesel's generosity in contributing to the restoration of the Rialto Bridge," said Jane da Mosto, environmental scientist, activist and co-founder of
, an organization that seeks to preserve Venice's unique heritage.
"Each time I walk over it, I notice another facet of the incredible construction and it is an eternal reminder of the ingeniousness of Venetian architects and craftsmanship. It is also appropriate that the shop benefiting from a strategic position at the foot of the bridge is contributing to safeguarding the heritage of the city that brings it so many customers."
12 alternative Italian destinations
Private donation scandals
The marriage of corporate donors and restoration projects isn't always so warm.
In 2011, the UK-based Art Newspaper reported that the Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo in Naples signed a contract in 2009 with restoration firm Grandi Progetti that allowed the firm to
sell advertising space
on its scaffolding in exchange for free restoration work.
While Grandi Progetti profited with €3 million ($3.8 million) in advertising revenue, none of the contracted restoration work was done. The article cited similar cases in at least 22 other Italian cities.
There are, of course, alternative sources of funding.
According to the Italian State Tourism Board, some restoration projects are funded by the Italian National Lottery. Private charitable trusts such as
Venice in Peril
have raised funds in partnership with restaurant chain Pizza Express to support restoration projects.
For now, however, cash infusions from big brands, with commercial images strongly tied to their Italian roots, seem to be just the prescription for the problems ailing various monuments. Especially with traditional entities of public maintenance lacking the necessary resources.
"The city administration is being remarkably inefficient in managing Venice and should not be allowed to become too reliant on the private sector to mop up the mess of its own messy housekeeping," says activist da Mosto.
For now, though, most locals seem happy that at least someone is around to clean up the mess, even if it means identifying history with commercial promotion.
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Feb 11, 2014
Machias, ME- The University of Maine at Machias men's basketball team lost to Eastern Maine Community College in a Tuesday night game in the Reynolds Center. The lose drops the Clippers to 14-9 overall and 10-6 in the Yankee Small College Conference standings.
EMCC was led by Jared Gregory with 18 points, Bryan Candelario 17 points and 9 rebounds and De'Anthony McCormick 16 points. The Clippers saw four players score double figures: Floyd Higgins 13, Elias Gutierrez 12, Aaron Van Buren and AC Ford 11.


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Los Angeles Area News and Finds aka The Elite Circle of the Assassins Guild
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O'Kane, Paula, Hargie, Owen and Tourish, Dennis (2009) Auditing the virtual workplace. In: Auditing Organizational Communication: A Handbook of Research, Theory and Practice. (Eds: Hargie, Owen and Tourish, Dennis), Routledge, London., pp. 195-223. ISBN 9780415414456 (hbk); 9780415414463 (pbk) [Book section]
Full text not available from this repository.
|Item Type:
|Book section
|Faculties and Schools:
|Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Communication
|Research Institutes and Groups:
|Institute for Research in Social Sciences > Communication
Psychology Research Institute > Peace, Conflict and Equality
Institute for Research in Social Sciences
|ID Code:
|Deposited By:
|Professor Owen Hargie
|Deposited On:
|12 Jan 2010 09:22
|Last Modified:
|15 Jun 2011 09:56
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Privacy Practices
This document describes the Sonova AG policy regarding information received about you during visits to our web site. Sonova recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of information we may collect from our online visitors. The amount and type of information received depends on how you use our site.
We use general, not personally identifiable collected information to generate statistics and measure site activity to improve the usefulness of customer visits. During normal web site usage we do not collect or store personally identifiable information such as name, mailing address, e-mail address or phone number. There are instances where Sonova
requests personally identifiable information to provide the web site visitor a service or correspondence (e.g. mailed brochures). This information, such as name, mailing address, e-mail address, type of request and possibly additional information is collected to fulfil your request. The information is used by Sonova only to improve the services we provide you. It is never provided to any other company.
Internet users may decide to send Sonova personally identifying information. Sonova will use this information only to determine how to respond to the electronic mail. We will not use this information other than to resolve the matter identified in the e-mail.
We reserve the right to change our Privacy Policy. A revised Privacy Policy will apply only to data collected subsequent to its effective date. Any revisions will be posted at least 10 days prior to its effective date.
When you visit our site, we may send one or more cookies – a small file containing a string of characters – to your computer that uniquely identifies your browser.
Cookies are small text files that websites often store on computer hard drives or mobile devices of visitors to their sites. They are used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.
A cookie contains a unique number, which is used to recognize your computer when a user of your computer or mobile device returns to a website that it has visited previously. We use cookies to enhance the online experience of our visitors and to better understand how the website is used. We also use cookies to enable our and third-party advertising both on and off the website.
This website serves the following cookies to your browser:
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You have the right to choose whether or not to accept cookies. You can block cookies by changing your browser settings so that cookies from the website cannot be placed on your computer or mobile device. However, please note that if you choose to refuse cookies you may not be able to use the full functionality of the website.
We use cookies to improve the quality of our service by storing user preferences and tracking user trends, and to customize your experience including for advertising purposes. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some services may not function properly if your cookies are disabled.


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Christopher Dorner Autopsy: Cause of Death Was Single Gunshot to Head
(LOS ANGELES) -- Christopher Dorner, the former Los Angeles police officer who went on a killing rampage appeared to have killed himself, authorities said.
The autopsy showed that Dorner's cause of death was a single gunshot to the head.
"The information that we have right now seems to indicate that the wound that took Dorner's life was self inflicted," said Capt. Kevin Lacy of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in a press conference Friday.
Dorner, 33, was found dead after a standoff with police. The cabin where Dorner barricaded himself in went up in flames on Feb. 12.
Authorities said police made "numerous PA announcements identifying [Dorner] by name, asking him to surrender," before firing pyrotechnic tear gas inside the cabin Dorner had holed up in, causing the building to go up in flames.
"We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out," San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told reporters on Feb. 13.
Dorner's charred remains were found inside the cabin. His body was positively identified during the autopsy through dental examination, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Office said in a written statement.
Authorities said that Dorner had been hiding out in an unoccupied cabin in Big Bear, Calif., for most of the manhunt, in close proximity to where they had set up command center in the area.
Karen and Jim Reynolds said they found Dorner in their cabin on Feb. 12. They said he may have been hiding out there since Feb. 8.
"He said four or five times that he didn't have a problem with us, he just wanted to clear his name," Jim Reynolds said. "He said, 'I don't have a problem with you, so I'm not going to hurt you.'"
Dorner tied the couple up, and put pillowcases over their heads before driving off in their purple Nissan. They managed to untie themselves once Dorner drove off and call the police, triggering the standoff at another cabin in the area that led to the building going up in flames.
Dorner outlined his anger at the Los Angeles Police Department for firing him in his 6,000 word "manifesto," and made threats against individuals he believed were responsible for ending his career with the police force five years ago.
Dorner is suspected of killing Monica Quan and her fiancé, who were found shot to death in a car in their apartment complex on Feb. 3. Quan was the daughter of former LAPD Capt. Randal Quan, who Dorner had targeted in his "manifesto."
Dorner is also suspected of killing Riverside, Calif., Police Officer Michael Crain.
San Bernardino Sheriff's Deputy Jeremiah MacKay, 35, a 15-year veteran and the father of two children, was killed in the Feb. 12 standoff.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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KIEV, Ukraine - Fears that Ukraine could split in two mounted Saturday as regional lawmakers in the pro-Russian east questioned the authority of the national parliament. Parliament sought to oust President Viktor Yanukovych and he left the capital and protesters took control.
After a tumultuous few days that are changing Ukraine's political destiny, Yanukovych left Kiev for the city of Kharkiv, his support base in the country's Russian-speaking east. A presidential aide said he has no intention of abandoning power.
Attention shifted Saturday from the sprawling Kiev protest camp to Kharkiv, where governors, provincial officials and legislators gathered. Top Russian lawmakers joined the meeting, too, while thousands of angry protesters gathered outside, chanting "Ukraine is not Russia!"
Russia, the United States and the European Union are deeply worried about the future of Ukraine, a nation of 46 million whose loyalties and economy are divided between Europe and longtime ruler Moscow.
The leaders gathered in Kharkiv approved a statement calling on regional authorities to take full responsibility for the constitutional order on their territory.
Some called for forming volunteer units to protect against force by protesters from western regions. The assembly urged army units to maintain neutrality and protect ammunition depots.
"The events of recent days in the capital Kiev have brought central authorities to paralysis, and destabilized the situation of the government," lawmaker Vadim Kolesnichenko said at the congress, according to Russian news agencies.
He accused the opposition of not upholding its side of a breakthrough agreement Friday with Yanukovych to order protesters to give up weapons and abandon protest camps.
Yanukovych is in Kharkiv to meet with voters and appear on local television, his aide said.
Also in Kharkiv is his main foe, jailed ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko's arrest in 2011 and conviction on charges of abuse of office were widely seen as a case of political revenge.
After a European-mediated deal between the president and the opposition Friday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to decriminalize the charge on which Tymoshenko was convicted.
A spokeswoman for Tymoshenko, Natasha Lysova, told The Associated Press that a decision taken by parliament Saturday means Tymoshenko must be freed immediately. Earlier Lysova had said Tymoshenko had already been freed.
Tymoshenko's reappearance on the political scene could shake things up even more.
Dalton Bennett in Kharkiv, Ukraine contributed to this report.
Ukraine: East-west tensions; protesters take Kiev
KIEV, Ukraine - Fears that Ukraine could split in two mounted Saturday as regional lawmakers in the pro-Russian east questioned the authority of the national parliament. Parliament sought to oust President Viktor Yanukovych and he left the capital and protesters took control.


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Aspire People are the UK's leading
Education Recruitment Agency.
1,268,230 Teachers placed
Register with us and we will find you exciting education roles
Male PE TeacherRegister with us
Job Reference: 0000108237
Date Added: 29.08.19
£ £110 - £150 per hour
Job Type: Education and Training
Sector: Secondary
Duration: Contract
Interviewing: N/A
PE Teaching Job
Temporary PE Teaching Role
GBP105 to GBP145 per day, dependent on Teaching experience.
Aspire People currently have a vacancy for a qualified PE teacher for a high performing Secondary school based in Stafford
to start January 2018
The school is looking for a dynamic PE Teacher that has a real passion for PE This PE teaching role is to start in as soon as possible and will be full time, it could go permanent for the right candidate. The school is located central to Stafford and has good access to local transport.
The successful PE teacher will essentially have:-
– QTS or equivalent
– Experience of teaching PE for KS3 and KS4, A Level PE teaching would be desirable
-Have a real passion for PE that you can instil in to your pupils.
-Be based local to Stafford
-NQT PE teachers are welcome to apply
This PE teaching job is a great opportunity for any teacher looking to get their teeth stuck in to an art department that needs support. You will get paid to scale after you have worked at the school for 12 weeks and you will not only get lots of training and support from the school but Aspire People also.
So if you are interested in this PE teaching job in Stafford and you have bags of enthusiasm, please get in touch or head to our website, facebook or twitter pages for more information
Aspire People Limited provides services as an Education Agency and an Education Employment Business. Aspire People is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and expects every candidate to share this commitment. Placements are subject, to appropriate Child Protection screening, including checks with former employers and the Disclosure and Barring Checks.


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Graphics Cards Guide
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ATI's new Radeon HD 3870 X2 has restored some faith among enthusiasts that the company could produce a decent high-end product that is competitive with NVIDIA's best. Even if it took two Radeon HD 3870 cores to beat the top G80, end-users did not need a CrossFire capable board (just like the GeForce 7950 GX2) and the CrossFire implementation was invisible and hassle free (though we would like the option to disable it when CrossFire stumbles.) Add to that the somewhat competitive pricing which matches the present retail price of a GeForce 8800 GTX and one has the making of a rather decent product.
It ain't a graphics card launch if it was free of controversy and debate however, with the performance of the X2 highly dependent on CrossFire working perfectly and with new drivers made available on ATI's FTP on its launch date that claim to improve performance. Unfortunately, the problem is that we have yet to see significant benchmark improvements on our system with these new drivers. We have also seen some discussions about its PCIe 2.0 status. Reading the fine print on ATI's website quickly clears it up. All Radeon HD 3870 X2 are supposed to be PCIe 2.0 compatible if they follow strictly to ATI's design specifications but the board partners' retail products may not conform fully. Hence, one should check the manufacturer's specifications and box packaging carefully to ensure that it has the proper support.
Of course, this point is moot for us at the moment, since we can't really test this out on our non-PCIe 2.0 test system but regardless of whether it is PCIe 1.1 (as its internal 48-lane PCIe 1.1 PLX switch seems to suggest) or 2.0, we believe that the difference should be minimal. What's more relevant to consumers is that there are quite a few vendors offering the Radeon HD 3870 X2, which is always a good sign of its prospects. Not only that, there are also a couple of interesting, custom boards that includes non standard features. One of these, is GeCube's Radeon HD 3870 X-2 X-Turbo Dual O.C Edition, which besides being slightly overclocked, comes with its X-Turbo Dual cooler with two 75mm fans and quad heatpipes. It even offers four dual-link DVI outputs and a tweaked PCB design. Details after the specifications below:
- ‹ Prev
- Next ›


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Who is Eden Wood's publicist? She keeps landing all these big deal interviews since announcing that she's retiring from beauty pageants at age 6. Today she was on The View, where she and her mother Mickie were grilled about their aspirations for her career. Eden, while cute, doesn't seem to have much to say for herself aside from what she was coached on beforehand (she couldn't even articulate what she wanted to do now that she's "retiring" other than express this vague idea about "superstardom" — which, for a young child, is totally understandable). Her mother Mickie, however, came off a little better as this is the first time we've ever heard a stage/pageant mom talk about saving money for her child's college education. That said, Joy Behar was still not having it.
Toddlers & Tiara Star Continues Her Retirement Publicity Tour


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Physicians Who Treat Uterine Leiomyoma Who Accept CIGNA HMO Near Latrobe, PA
Uterine Leiomyoma
Uterine fibroids (uterine leiomyoma) are common, benign growths of smooth muscle tissue in the womb (uterus). These fibroids grow under the influence of estrogen and shrink when estrogen levels dip. They are a common cause of abnormal uterine bleeding.


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The Legend of Zelda games have been rendered in 2D and 3D. Is one better than the other?
The 2D Zelda games include the original Legend of Zelda as well as those Capcom-developed Zelda games on the Game Boy and the Game Boy Advance. With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the games were rendered using 3D character models.
"Until Ocarina of Time, we had only episodes in two dimensions," says Zelda series developer Eiji Aonuma in a recent interview. "In this sense, this episode was for us a huge challenge since it was made entirely in 3D."
"The traditional 2D is limited in terms of display and the range of emotions expressed by a character is quite limited," Aonuma continues. "But with the 3D and the many opportunities it offered, it was possible to imagine them tons of expressing feelings."
Until the end of the title's development, Nintendo continually asked themselves whether or not players found it convincing.
But does that mean Aonuma thinks 3D rendering is better than 2D?
"Normally, 3D offers many more possibilities," he adds. "But should that mean we always prefer the 3D over 2D? I do not think like that, quite the opposite. The 2D possesses qualities and a charm that is not found necessarily in 3D."
Both 2D and 3D have their pluses and minuses, Aonuma concludes, and it's up to the developers to pick one depending on what they want to express.
So which do you prefer: 2D Zelda games or 3D Zelda games?
The Legend of Zelda Manga Interview Translated [Zelda Informer via GoNintendo][Pic]


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The constant power cuts in sanctions-hit Baghdad have proved a windfall for a handful of entrepreneurs who use huge generators to sell electricity to homes.
"My power generation project is proving a great success as people prepare to face hours of cuts in the coming hot season," Ahmad Abdullah, who serves a residential district of Baghdad, told AFP.
His generator has been running at full capacity from its third day of service, despite a recent easing of daily power cuts from six to four hours.
The government gave the green light in July 1999 for private firms to generate and distribute electricity, breaking the monopoly of Iraq's rundown state facilities.
The private companies charge between 2,500 and 3,000 dinars (less than two dollars due to the collapse of the local currency) a month and per amp, a far higher tariff than Iraq's electricity department.
Consumers must also pay the connection fee.
For Baghdadis who can afford it, the extra expenses are a must to run air conditioners during the summer months when the mercury rises close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).
"I pay 15,000 dinars (eight dollars) a month, a large chunk of my monthly salary, for five amps of electricity to use the air conditioner and a few lamps," said Mustafa Hamid, a pensioner who doubles as a taxi-driver to make ends meet.
Yussef Haidar, a shop-owner in central Baghdad, pays the equivalent of 30 dollars a month for his supplies. "My children are taking their exams soon and I have to make it comfortable enough for them to study," he said.
Another electricity merchant, Yassin Shaker, said it was not easy work and needed a large injection of capital to buy a generator. "You also have to service the generators regularly to ensure an uninterrupted supply," he said.
Baghdad's electricity department chief, meanwhile, warned that authorities have mounted a campaign against power "thieves" and consumers who violate Iraq's rationing system.
"These people will be brought to justice and could have their supply cut off if they continue with these violations which harm fellow citizens," Sahban Mahjoub told the government daily Al-Jumhuriya.
Iraq's electricity installations were battered in the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait and repair work has been hampered by a lack of spare parts due to the sanctions in force since the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
In the provinces, electricity is cut 12 hours a day.
Spare parts, however, are being delivered under the oil-for-food program which authorizes Iraq to export crude to finance imports of food, medicine and other essential supplies under UN supervision -- BAGHDAD (AFP).
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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Lifesaving and Meritorious Action awards
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
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*[http://www.scouting.org/factsheets/02-521.html Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards] - A BSA Fact Sheet
*[http://www.scouting.org/factsheets/02-521.html Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards] - A BSA Fact Sheet
Revision as of 13:17, June 26, 2007
Award requirements
National awards for lifesaving and meritorious action are made only for outstanding and unusual acts that demonstrate unusual heroism, skill, or bravery and reflect Scouting ideals, based on the following criteria:
- 1. Honor Medal with Crossed Palms. Has demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at extreme risk to self.
- 2. Honor Medal. Has demonstrated unusual heroism and skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at considerable risk to self.
- 3. Heroism Award. Has demonstrated heroism and skill in averting serious injury or saving or attempting to save life at minimum risk to self.
- 4. Medal of Merit. Has performed an act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others.
- 5. National Certificate of Merit. Has performed a significant act of service that is deserving of special national recognition. Note: If the action is deserving of merit but does not qualify for a national award, the Scout may be eligible for the Local Council Certificate of Merit, No. 33732.
Heroism is defined as conduct exhibiting courage and daring, skill, and self-sacrifice.
Skill is defined as the ability to use one's knowledge effectively in execution or performance. Special attention is given to skills earned in Scouting.
Source: 2007 Boy Scout Requirements (33215)
Help with these requirements
External links
- Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards - A BSA Fact Sheet


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Digital Recorders
Olympus Digital Recorders provide superior sound, convenient file management and longer recordable time. Many models have the ability to quickly transfer audio files to a computer via USB, PC connection or removable media. With an extensive battery life, your Olympus recorder will out live your smart phone hands down!
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Looking at the latest release of the OECD economic indicators for China, it appears that the massive jump in economic activity seen since the panicky period of late 2008 may be drawing to a close.
China's leading economic indicator has now declined for five consecutive months with the latest April period showing a notable month-to-month slump of 0.19%.
Looking at past recessionary periods, it's important to note that while China's economy may be slowing, it will take some time to determine the severity.
We may be seeing the beginnings of an abrupt pullback of equal and opposite force to that of the government sponsored propping applied during 2009 or simply a slowing of a more durable overall recovery as was seen during the periods following the 1990s and early 2000s recessionary periods.
Add/view comments on this post.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.


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CoboCards API - Sample Source Code
CoboCards is an online and mobile application for flashcards. Users can create flashcards, study the flashcards, share flashcards, and study online with other people. Flashcards can also be exported and printed from the site. The CoboCards API allows developers to access and integrate the functionality of CoboCards with other applications and to create new applications. Some example API methods include retrieving cards and cardsets, adding, deleting, and managing flashcards, and managing account and user information.


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Method for Ladder Ranking in a Game
Methods for creating an interactive gaming environment are provided. In various embodiments, methods of the present invention may include initializing an interactive game application at a game server which is then characterized as having an active status, notifying a lobby server concerning the active status of the game server, registering the application with a universe management server via the lobby server, and allowing users to join the interactive gaming environment. The users joining the interactive gaming environment may be identified by a server key obtained from the game server.
This application is a continuation and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/218,581, filed Jul. 15, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. ______ and entitled "Creating and Interactive Gaming Environment," which is a divisional and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/359,359, filed Feb. 4, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,847 and entitled "Managing Users in a Multi-User Network Game Environment." U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/359,359 claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/376,115, filed Apr. 26, 2002 and entitled "Multi-User Application Program Interface." The disclosure of each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer networks and, more particularly, to creating an interactive gaming environment over a computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer networks, such as local area networks and the Internet, are increasingly being used as the backbone for various transactions and interactions between parties. From online banking, where bank customers can initiate financial transactions over a computer network, to online gaming, where garners can participate in real-time gaming over the Internet, service providers are increasingly supporting a variety of services over computer networks. There are currently a variety of different computer network configurations that facilitate the transactions and interactions that take place.
Many of the online applications involve multi-user applications, which are computer programs that are executed on a computer system and which allow multiple geographically separated participants to interact with the computer program and other participating users in an application environment. For example, gaming is a popular multi-user application that is increasing in popularity. An aircraft simulation game can enable multiple participants to pilot their respective virtual aircraft within an airspace, and can enable the participants to interact with other participants in their aircraft in the same airspace. Thus, the online gaming application provides a single application environment or universe in which multiple participants maneuver.
To support multi-user applications, such as online gaming, with geographically dispersed application users, such as game participants, and to support real-time interaction among the users in the application environment, it has been necessary to share information about every participant in the environment. For example, in an aircraft simulation application, it becomes necessary to share information about the airplanes for each of the participants, including aircraft size, speed, altitude in three-dimensional space, appearance details, virtual environment details (such as buildings and terrain), and the like. Such information permits the computer at each participant to properly keep track of game developments and determine the actions being performed by each of the participants. This permits each participant to obtain properly rendered visual images on the participant's viewing display.
The amount of information that must be shared among all of the participants can become daunting and can result in bandwidth difficulties. The amount of information that must be shared among participants is so great that it has inhibited the development of online gaming and other online multi-user applications. A technique for distributing the management of online applications is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,980 to R. Waters et al. entitled Distributed System for Communication Networks in Multi-User Applications.
The '980 patent describes a system configuration in which the functionality of a monolithic server is distributed across multiple servers, each of which services a number of local users. Thus, whereas a single server previously served as the source of all application information, such as game state, the '980 patent describes a situation in which the game server functionality is distributed across multiple computers. Users (on-line participants) are free to login to their most convenient server. In this way, there is no single "choke point" that might inhibit game play, and the bandwidth requirements for the online game community are reduced. Even with the reduction in overall bandwidth demands, the sheer volume of data that must be transmitted between users to support the online environment can result in local pockets of strained bandwidth capacity.
Other multi-user applications provide a somewhat cumbersome user interface and can be inefficient for operation of the application server. For example, some online gaming portals provide links to game sites of interest. The server that provides the gaming portal Web site only provides links to game pages or game Web sites. Thus, the gaming portal will redirect a user to the appropriate game server or host for information about ongoing games. This places additional operational burdens on the game servers.
Unfortunately, current multi-user applications are not configured for maximum efficiency of operation and cannot support a number of application users to make online gaming a viable opportunity. Thus, there is a need for an improved, more efficient online multi-user application environment. The present invention satisfies this need.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for creating an interactive gaming environment. In various embodiments, methods of the present invention may include initializing an interactive game application at a game server which is then characterized as having an active status, notifying a lobby server concerning the active status of the game server, registering the application with a universe management server via the lobby server, and allowing users to join the interactive gaming environment. The users joining the interactive gaming environment may be identified by a server key obtained from the game server.
After an authentication server 104 authorizes a user 102 to continue, the user can participate in an online multi-user application by first communicating with lobby servers 110 to obtain application-level information. The application-level information can include information about an application and its participating users. In the context of an online game application, for example, the lobby server 110 can provide information about the game and about currently participating users. After selection of an online multi-user application, the user is redirected to an appropriate application server 112, from which the user receives information sufficient to permit the user to join the online environment of the multi-user application. Thus, application level information is maintained at a lobby server 110, rather than at each individual application server or host machine 112. Users can therefore learn about and select a desired application, such as an aircraft online game, through communication with the lobby server, leaving the application servers free to host their particular applications.
Thus, the functionality of the game server is split between the lobby server and the application server. The lobby server can therefore reduce the bandwidth requirements and other operating demands on the application server. The application can comprise, for example, a multi-user interactive gaming application. This improves efficiency of operation.
In accordance with the invention, cross-user communications as well as cross-application communications in real-time are facilitated through the lobby server concept. A user who is participating with one application can communicate with a user who is participating with a different application. Thus, a first user can be logged in to lobby server and can be participating in an aircraft online game environment through an application server, while a second user can be logged in to the same lobby server, but can be participating with a different application in a different programming environment, such as a financial package or a different online game. The first user and the second user can communicate with each other, if they wish, or they can choose to participate in their respective environments, isolated from each other in terms of communications.
The universe manager 108 acts in an overall supervisory role, maintaining information about the users (clients) 102 who are registered with the system and logged on, communicating with the users via the authorization servers 104, lobby servers 110, and application servers 112. The lobby servers 110 provide application level information to the users, thereby acting as an application portal and source of application information to the clients 102. For example, unlike typical game portal servers that merely provide links to game sites, the lobby servers provide information about games in progress and can provide game-level information, such as information about the players who are actively participating in a game. The application servers 112 provide the actual application environment. For example, in the situation where the online application is a game, the application servers provide the actual game play environment comprising player participants, audio and graphics information, and other data necessary for a client 102 to fully participate in the online gaming experience for the game administered by the particular application server 112. In this way, many tasks that must be performed to support system operation can be performed according to the most appropriate machine to perform the task.
As noted above, the authentication servers 104 communicate with database servers 106 for authentication, application information, and the like.
System Operation
In the first operation, represented by the flow diagram block 301, a user connects to a network domain name, such as a game portal or other Internet site to attempt access and login to a multi-user application, such as an online game. In the next operation, the user is redirected to one of the authentication servers. This operation (represented by block 302) can include operation through a load balancer or similar configuration for server workload management. At the next block 303, the user is assigned a session key by an authentication server. The session key will remain active during the current online session by the user and will be associated with a privilege level, thereby providing a means for the various system components (illustrated in
At the next block 307, the authentication data server communicates directly with the authentication database to determine whether the user's login should be accepted. This operation can involve, for example, checking the user's account history to ensure all appropriate fees have been paid and to ensure the user has all authorizations or qualifications to proceed. To maintain the user's history, this operation 307 also involves sending the transaction record (login attempt) to the transaction data server for non-volatile storage. This recording operation also can involve a load balancing operation.
The success or failure of the login attempt is reported back to the authentication server, at the next block 308. The login result is forwarded back to the user and also to the transaction data server. At the next block 309, similar processing operations are repeated for the user name login procedure. Yet another similar login sequence occurs for the user's screen name, along with an application identification, as indicated at the block 310. If the screen name login is successful, then the authentication server will assign the user to a lobby server and will also promote the session privilege level to the Universe Manager, so that the user will be granted all appropriate access during the session. It should be noted that the authentication server is aware of the lobby servers that are available corresponding to the application ID provided by the user, by requesting an appropriate application server from the Universe Manager. The Universe Manager keeps track of the available lobby servers via "heartbeat" reports that are sent by lobby servers to the Universe Manager continuously while the lobby servers are operational. This processing is represented by the next block 310.
Next, at the block 311, the user disconnects from the authentication server and establishes communication with the assigned lobby server. At the block 312, the user verifies the session key that was obtained from the authentication server at block 303 and also verifies the application ID with the assigned lobby server. The lobby server verifies the data, as well as the privilege level, with the Universe Manager. The user's privilege is upgraded upon successful verification.
In the next phase of system operation, at block 313, the user has successfully completed login with a lobby server and therefore is entitled to participate in system-wide functions. These functions can include, for example, chat, group or community management, player-matching activities such as team or clan tasks, and outcome or competitive standings and ladder progress. Any requests from the user for information regarding available chat channels, available games, location of other users, messaging functions, and the like, the request is forwarded from the lobby server to the Universe Manager. If a request for information involves the non-volatile storage, then the request is forwarded to the appropriate database server (
One of the system-wide functions that a user might want to participate in following successful connection with a lobby server can comprise using an application. In the context of an online gaming environment, that application is a game. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other online multi-user applications can be involved. As noted above, the clients can participate in online gaming as either part of a client-server configuration or peer-to-peer configuration, or as part of an integrated application server and client configuration.
In the next block 416, the user is connected with the assigned application server, providing it with the server-specific key it received from block 415. The user will be disconnected from the application server if the server-specific key does not match the records at the application server. If there is a match, the user is allowed to remain connected with the application server. It should be noted that the user remains connected to a lobby server throughout use of the application, such as during a game playing session. At block 417, periodic user reports are sent from an application-participating user back to the user's lobby server. In addition, the application server who is hosting the application for all participants (such as the game host) sends periodic reports on the status of the application to the application host. The lobby server and application server do not directly communicate, thereby better managing the processing load on the lobby server.
At the conclusion of the application session (block 418), the user disconnects from the application server and returns to normal activities, including all available lobby functions through the lobby server. As noted, these functions can include chat, group or community management, messaging, and the like. It should be noted that these functions are available to the user at all times when the user is connected to the lobby server, including during application use (e.g., during game play).
If the user performs a logout procedure, or if the user is timed out from an active connection because of inactivity, the user's session is cleared from the active records of the Universe Manager. This is indicated at the next block, 419. If the user wishes to participate in another application, the user must go through the authentication process once again, including the login process.
Rather than operate in a network configuration in which applications are provided by dedicated application servers, the network can also operate in a configuration in which the multi-user application is provided by integrated servers. An integrated server refers to a user (client) machine that has been configured with an integrated server application that provides the user machine with application server functionality. A system that implements this method of operation is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/704,514 by C. Guy, G. Van Datta, and J. Fernandes entitled "Application Development Interface for Multi-User Applications Executable Over Communication Networks" filed Nov. 1, 2000. The disclosure of this application is hereby incorporated by reference. As noted above, when a user wants to join a game, the system operation moves from the description of
Turning now to
Upon successful authentication with the authentication server, the hosting user's integrated server application causes periodic server reports to be transmitted to a proxy application server. As noted above, the proxy application server is included within the application server cloud 112 of
In the next operation, block 516, the user notifies its assigned lobby server of its status as an active application server. This new executing application will now be available over the network. The lobby server then registers this new application with the Universe Manager, which adds the appropriate application information to its data collection. This operation is performed by the Universe Manager in a manner similar to what it would perform in response to any other server becoming available with a network application.
After the new application has been registered with the Universe Manager, the network nodes will become aware of the application through respective lobby servers. Therefore, the application becomes available for network users, who can join the program environment established by the integrated server. For example, if the application is a multi-user game, then other network users can join the on-going game, as managed by the hosting user's integrated server. The process of joining a game in progress involves the same operations as described above in conjunction with blocks 414, 415, 416, and 417 of
At the conclusion of the application session (block 518), a participating user can disconnect from the integrated server and return to normal activities, including all available lobby functions through the lobby server. As noted, these functions can include chat, group or community management, messaging, and the like. As noted above, these functions are available to the user at all times when the user is connected to the lobby server, including during application use (e.g., during game play). If a hosting user (the integrated server) wishes to withdraw from hosting the application, the network system (
If the user performs a logout procedure, or if the user is timed out from an active connection because of inactivity, the user's session is cleared from the active records of the Universe Manager. This is indicated at the next block, 519. If the user wishes to participate in another application, the user must go through the authentication process once again, including the login process.
Ladder Ranking
The application program interface that is shared in common with all the components illustrated in
The ladder ranking information is collected via functionality in each multi-user application that periodically reports the application status to the corresponding application server. The status can include information such as progress of players in the game. The application servers then store the information to a system database that is indexed according to a user's account information and application currently being used. This information is managed by a ladder engine that can operate at any location of the network, for example, at the Universe Manager, and the data can be stored at data storage of the Universe Manager or in the database servers (
The system interface preferably provides for any registered user to request a ladder ranking, which will be provided through the ladder ranking engine. The request can come from a user via an application with which the user is currently participating. This ensures that non-participants cannot falsely obtain the ladder ranking information. The ladder ranking requests can be received by a lobby server or application server from a user, and the request can be forwarded to the ladder ranking engine at the Universe Manager or whatever other network entity that manages the ladder rankings. When a ladder ranking list is requested, all of the user accounts for the specified application are sorted based on the stored user performance data. The application status information preferably includes multiple statistics, which can be stored simultaneously in the database. For example, a gaming application can track wins, losses, points scored, points allowed, and other performance statistics of interest. Each metric can be sorted on, thus generating a ladder ranking according to the metric chosen by the user who requests the ladder ranking. Moreover, the ladder ranking engine provides sorting and retrieving of a ladder ranking in ascending or descending order. For example, a ladder ranking can be provided in order from most points to least points, or from least points to most points.
The various servers and databases of the system have no knowledge about the nature of the statistics. That is, the servers do not examine the underlying data to understand the difference between wins and losses or points and goals. Rather, the various applications define the data set to be collected for that application, and the servers and databases simply store the collected data in the database. Thus, each application will define its own data collection format, which will be supported by the database servers.
The data can be included in a 256-byte data field that is assigned to each user's account for each application with which the system interfaces. For example, the application code can execute the ladder ranking function by specifying data parameters of sort order, start byte, end byte. Upon receiving a ladder ranking message with these parameters, a server or database of the system will retrieve all data fields for all accounts associated with the calling application. The data in each data record between the start byte location and the end byte location will be treated as an integer value. The sort operation will then be performed on the retrieved data, in ascending or descending order depending on the value of a user-supplied sort order parameter. The sorted integer numbers can then be displayed to a user in accordance with known headings for the integer data. For example, a particular application might store performance data as number of wins, followed by number of losses, followed by points scored, followed by points allowed. When the performance data is retrieved, the data can be parsed to extract the requested data for proper display. Other applications can store different performance parameters in a different order, which will be known to the corresponding application server. In this way, the ladder ranking engine provides a powerful generic, cross-application ladder rankings system.
Clans Engine
Another feature of the system described herein is a clans engine that allows a designated user of any trusted application, a user referred to as a "leader", to name and create a clan. The leader can then issue invitations to other users for joining the clan. The system will queue up any invitations sent to registered users who are not online at the time the invitation is sent, for delivery at the invitee's next login. A user who receives a clan invitation can respond affirmatively or negatively and, if desired, can become a member of the clan.
The system supports a variety of clan features. Members of a clan can send private electronic messages to the members of the clan. The clan messages can be stored on the servers of the system until delivery, which occurs as each member completes the next login process. The system permits clans to elect new leaders and set up various organizational structures for their clan. Examples of organizational structures include dictatorships, where one leader is in charge of all decisions of the clan, or a democracy, where all members and the leader have equal votes in the clan decision making. The leader who initiates the clan can select which of these, or other, configurations will be utilized.
All of the various clan data, including the clan membership list, clan activity tracking, clan electronic messaging, and the like are saved by database servers of the system. The clan functionality is accessed through the program interface in accordance with the present invention, in a manner similar to that described above for the ladder ranking data. This permits many discrete functions to be provided and specified or deleted for each clan, making the composition rules and operation of each clan potentially exclusive. Moreover, the program interface permits the clan functionality to be used in a generic way for multiple applications. For example, in a gaming context, the same team or clan functionality can be applied whether the application is a flight simulator, car racing game, or action-shooter game.
In addition, multiple applications can share the same clans and membership servers and databases at the same time, without interfering with each other. User accounts can be associated with more than one clan in the same application or in clans that extend across multiple applications, without any impact to the user account or to the clan functionality.
The clan engine in accordance with the present invention manages the clan data using server-side processing, rather than relying on offline, Web-based clan management techniques or client-side arbitration, with nothing built into the actual application itself. Thus, any application developed for the program interface described herein can utilize the clan processing that is built into the interface specification, servers, and databases of the
Network Device Construction
The network computer devices (clients and servers) shown in the block diagram of
Each computer 600 can communicate with the others over a computer network 620 (such as the Internet or an intranet) through a network interface 618 that enables communication over a connection 622 between the network 620 and the computer. The network interface 618 typically comprises, for example, a Network Interface Card (NIC) or a modem that permits communications over a variety of networks.
The CPU 602 operates under control of programming steps that are temporarily stored in the memory 610 of the computer 600. When the programming steps are executed, the computer performs its functions. Thus, the programming steps implement the functionality of the respective client or server. The programming steps can be received from the DASD 608, through the program product storage device 614, or through the network connection 622. The program product storage drive 612 can receive a program product 614, read programming steps recorded thereon, and transfer the programming steps into the memory 610 for execution by the CPU 602. As noted above, the program product storage device can comprise any one of multiple removable media having recorded computer-readable instructions, including magnetic floppy disks and CD-ROM storage discs. Other suitable program product storage devices can include magnetic tape and semiconductor memory chips. In this way, the processing steps necessary for operation in accordance with the invention can be embodied on a program product.
Alternatively, the program steps can be received into the operating memory 610 over the network 620. In the network method, the computer receives data including program steps into the memory 610 through the network interface 618 after network communication has been established over the network connection 622 by well-known methods that will be understood by those skilled in the art without further explanation. The program steps are then executed by the CPU 602 thereby comprising a computer process.
It should be understood that all of the network computers of the network system 100 illustrated in
For example, with reference to
The video game console system 700 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 701 that is associated with a main memory 705. The CPU 701 operates under control of programming steps that are stored in the OS-ROM 760 or transferred from a game program storage medium to the main memory 705. The CPU 701 is configured to process information and execute instructions in accordance with the programming steps.
The CPU 701 is communicatively coupled to an input/output processor (IOP) 720 via a dedicated bus 725. The IOP 720 couples the CPU 701 to an OS ROM 760 comprised of a non-volatile memory that stores program instructions, such as an operating system. The instructions are preferably transferred to the CPU via the IOP 720 at start-up of the main unit 700.
The CPU 701 is communicatively coupled to a graphics processing unit (GPU) 710 via a dedicated bus 715. The GPU 710 is a drawing processor that is configured to perform drawing processes and formulate images in accordance with instructions received from the CPU 701. For example, the GPU 710 can render a graphics image based on display lists that are generated by and received from the CPU 701. The GPU can include a buffer for storing graphics data. The GPU 710 outputs images to an AV output device 790 that is connected to the console system 700.
The IOP 720 controls the exchange of data among the CPU 700 and a plurality of peripheral components in accordance with instructions that are stored in an IOP memory 730. The peripheral components can include one or more input controllers 722, a memory card 740, a USB 745, and an IEEE 1394 serial bus 750. Additionally, a bus 755 is communicatively coupled to the IOP 720. The bus 755 is linked to several additional components, including the OS ROM 760, a sound processor unit (SPU) 765, an optical disc control unit 775, and a hard disk drive (HDD) 780.
The SPU 765 is configured to generate sounds, such as music, sound effects, and voices, in accordance with commands received from the CPU 701 and the IOP 720. The SPU 765 can include a sound buffer in which waveform data is stored. The SPU 765 generates sound signals and transmits the signals to speakers.
The disc control unit 775 is configured to control a program reader, which can comprise, for example, an optical disk drive that accepts removable storage media such as a magnetic floppy disk, an optical CD-ROM disc, a CD-R disc, a CD-RW disc, a DVD disk, or the like.
The memory card 740 can comprise a storage medium to which the CPU 701 can write and store data. Preferably, the memory card 740 can be inserted and removed from the IOP 720. A user can store or save data using the memory card 740. In addition, the video game system 700 is preferably provided with at least one hard disk drive (HDD) 780 to which data can be written and stored.
A data I/O interface, such as an IEEE 1394 serial bus 750 or a universal serial bus (USB) 745 interface, is preferably communicatively coupled to the IOP 720 in order to allow data to be transferred into and out of the video game system 700, such as to the network illustrated in
The present invention has been described above in terms of a presently preferred embodiment so that an understanding of the present invention can be conveyed. There are, however, many configurations for the system and application not specifically described herein but with which the present invention is applicable. The present invention should therefore not be seen as limited to the particular embodiment described herein, but rather, it should be understood that the present invention has wide applicability with respect to multi-user applications generally. All modifications, variations, or equivalent arrangements and implementations that are within the scope of the attached claims should therefore be considered within the scope of the invention.
1. A method for ladder ranking in a game application, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for a ladder ranking report from a user registered with the game application;
- retrieving all user accounts for the game application associated with the request;
- sorting all performance data for all the retrieved user accounts for the game application associated with the request, wherein the performance data is sorted based on one or more metrics of stored performance data;
- displaying the sorted performance data for all of the retrieved user accounts based on the one or more metrics, wherein the one or more metrics are identified in the request for the ladder ranking report
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 19, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 4, 2010
Patent Grant number: 7962549
Inventors: Shekhar V. Dhupelia (San Diego, CA), Glen Van Datta (San Diego, CA), Brian Fernandes (San Diego, CA), Eiko Erika Kato (San Diego, CA), William McCarroll (San Diego, CA)
Application Number: 12/839,311
International Classification: A63F 9/24 (20060101);


text:
This double satin ribbon is available in 6 widths and all prices are listed per metre next to each available width for you.
25mm now sold out.
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Model: 9229 678
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text:
ROCHESTER — It was overtime of a tied game and Brent Phillips was thinking he was tired and he didn't want to have to skate to the other end of the ice.
It wasn't exactly a dream come true, but when a Dover clearing pass hit off a skate and came right to Phillips all alone in front of the net, it certainly wasn't a bad thing. Phillips stuck the puck from the slot low far side for the game-winner 31 seconds into the extra session to lift the Spaulding High School hockey team past rival Dover, 3-2, Wednesday at a packed Rochester Ice Arena.
"I was wide open and the puck came right to me," said a surprised Phillips. "I was dreading having to skate all the way down the other end, that's for sure. I was a little tired."
Instead, Phillips found his legs and nearly climbed the glass in front of the wild Spaulding student section.
Phillips' goal, his second of the night, capped a big comeback for the Red Raiders (10-1-1) who fell behind 2-0 less than seven minutes into the game.
"(Dover) played with a ton of emotion and once they scored that first goal they could smell blood in the water I'm sure," said Spaulding coach Paul George. "They amped it up and all we tried to do was handle the wave and let it subside a little bit."
The Green Wave (7-3-1), who went 3-0 against Spaulding last year, scored at 1:45 and again at 6:46 on goals by Cam Crowley and Joe Johnston to take a 2-0 lead. It could have been more, but the Red Raiders successfully killed back-to-back minors late in the frame, and then hit a crossbar and a post in the final 90 seconds as they started to push back Dover's early momentum.
"The third (goal) was big," said Dover coach Steve Riker. "That's exactly what I told our guys. After the first period, we need to get the third. We didn't. … I was happy to have a lead there going into the third. We bent there, but didn't break."
Drew Pepin scored on the power play in the second period, a nifty shot from the high slot, to cut Dover's lead to 2-1 and Phillips tied it up at 8:05 of the third from Justin Jewell and Zander Allen.
"I got left alone out front and Justin made a great pass and I just tucked it away," Phillips said. "I was all alone, I never felt like I've had that much time."
After a Red Raider turnover, Dover's Robert Markusic had a short-handed breakaway, but Spaulding's Jewell (two assists) caught him and broke down the breakaway.
Spaulding was on the power play for four of the final six minutes of regulation, but could not score. Dover was just fighting to keep the puck out of the net.
"It's tough to build momentum when you're killing penalties," Riker said.
Dover was still a man down to start OT, but that ended 22 seconds in. But then they turned the puck over in their own zone and worse still to the last guy they wanted with it in that situation.
"We kind of coughed it up, turned it over and put it on their best player's stick and he put it home," Riker added.
Dover came out flying with two quick goals as the Green Wave pushed the Red Raiders around and threatened to blow the game open.
"We got that first one and I came out of the corner and was able to get that second one," Dover's Johnston said. "We knew we had to get that third one and knew it wasn't going to be easy."
Derek Scott came up big in Spaulding's goal with 26 saves, including 13 int he first period where he kept it a 2-0 game, when Dover had chances to blow it open.
Luc Ravenelle made 20 saves for the Green Wave, and played a strong game as well.
Spaulding plays at Winnacunnet in Exeter Saturday night, while Dover is off until next Wednesday at Bedford.
Spaulding, 3-2 OT
Dover (7-3-1) 2 0 0 0 - 2
Spaulding (10-1-1) 0 1 1 1 - 3
Scoring: First period: D-Crowley (Ibechem, Welch) 1:45; D-Johnston (K. Lombard, Parmer) 6:46;
Second period: S-Pepin (Jewell, Chick) 6:41 pp; Third period: S-Phillips (Jewell, Allen); Overtime: S-Phillips (unassisted) :31.
Goalies: D-Raven Elle (23 shots, 20 saves); S-Scott (28, 26).


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text:
Alexander Education necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 144 diseños de 13 diseñadores freelance.
Alexander Education
We teach Alexander Technique to men, women, teenagers and children. We help people recover their natural poise and grace in posture and movement. We work with musicians, singers, actors, injured, the stressed out and chronically ill or just the regular person who is run down by the pace of life these days. We teach a specialist form of Yoga and meditation designed to help recover strength and flexibility and a clear mind. We also run groups and courses designed to enhance the performance of the professional singer or actor. So we are looking to express our two main functions "human movement" and "performance enhancement".
We teach a method for reorganising your approach to life and your human body. In order to help people make change we offer a safe non-threatening environment. We honour peoples individuality and we encourage people to explore different approaches to movement. We teach people that it is okay to make mistakes as they learn. So we are well organised, methodical, friendly and honour the potential of all human beings. One of the things we have always felt is that as our potential is uncovered we begin to see our connection to nature and the beauty of nature more clearly. We would quite like to incorporate this into the logo in a subtle way if possible.
1.We would like to appeal to those looking for help with injury or chronic illness, those who might seek the services of a physiotherapist or osteopath for example.
2. Those looking for a stress management approach
3.Actors and muscians
4.Health professionals
5. Universities and music schools
Our preference is for a logo:
* that combines the colours blue and green
* that looks good (and is legible) in smaller (and larger) sizes
* that works as black and white / grayscale, as well as colour
* that works on different colored backgrounds
* that works in both landscape and portrait formats
* that can be positioned anywhere on a page (left, right, top, bottom)
* provision for the tagline: specialists in human movement and performance
* the logo should relate in someway to the potential of flowing and easy human movement & mental clarity.
Logo required in editable Illustrator vector format with each design element on a separate layer.
and fonts (for windows) included.
final artwork needs to be supplied with fonts included (editable, NOT outlined, for PC).
artwork needs to be in Adobe Illustrator format, with separate layers for each element. (and also, if possible, as an editable Fireworks PNG)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
hat is that?" A ghost village appears on a drive through northeast Georgia. The collection of gray buildings with red tin roofs of peculiar sizes and shapes beckons. Should you stop and read more about the Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm, you may imagine the ghost fields of cotton that once grew around these abandoned buildings. You may conjure the click of wagons, coming along the same road you drove, bringing cotton to the gin. You may even think you smell sausage being cooked after hog butchering. This was once a sharecropper's village, where the seasons of planting and ginning cotton determined the way of life for fifty years.
The story of this place is the story of Ira Washington Ethridge, an entrepreneur who guided the farm through an agricultural revolution. It is also the story of sharecroppers, who in exchange for a house, cotton seed, and fertilizer, planted and picked cotton and paid the Ethridges a share of their crop. Today the cotton gin is quiet. The commissary, where sharecroppers could buy supplies, looks as if someone just closed and locked the door. Hoes, oxen yoke, and ploughs rust in the blacksmith's shop.What froze this place in time? What clues tell the history of this place? Let's begin the story. Never mind the din of the helicopter overhead. Those are land prospectors, looking for green space to buy and subdivide. But we have time to explore. The history of a harsh and sometimes heroic existence can be read from the buildings and landscape on the Shields-Ethridge Farm.
About This Lesson
Getting Started: Inquiry Question
Setting the Stage: Historical ContextLocating the Site: Maps
Determining the Facts: Readings
Visual Evidence: Images
Putting It All Together: Activities
How the National Register
This lesson is based on the historic Shields-Ethridge Farm in Jackson County, Georgia. It is among the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.


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Software like Find My Phone will help you locate a stolen phone, and a complex password will deter hooligans from trying to steal the information kept within. However, it'd certainly be better to protect your phone from getting stolen in the first place, rather than having to take precautions for after it has already been liberated from your possession. You can maybe bulk up and wear tank tops in an attempt to dissuade potential phone pilferers, or you can just stick your iPhone inside this weaponized case that features a working stun gun.
Dubbed the Yellow Jacket and funded through Indiegogo, the case will cost a hefty $139, but to be fair, it's an actual stun gun that can pump out 650,000 volts. While it may at first seem excessive to encase your phone in a weapon, it actually makes a bit of sense. Since this is the year 2013, you're likely using your phone in some way in just about any scenario where you're more likely to get mugged — listening to music on a long walk home, or catching up on your Pocket or Instapaper archive while waiting for a bus or train. In a mugging situation, you might have to put your phone down and reach for your separate stun gun. However, if the gun was a part of the device that was already in your hand, that increases the likelihood of actually getting a chance to defend yourself with it.
Currently, the Yellow Jacket comes in black, pink, white, and yellow colors, and fits the iPhone 4 and 4S. New colors, as well as iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 cases are also on the way, and are available for pre-order through the company's website. They do run rather pricey at $139 just for a 650,000 volt stun gun — considering you can grab a 12 million volt stun gun off Amazon for around $10 — but again, the convenience of it already being in your hand might actually save the day.
If you're into the Yellow Jacket and want to grab one, make sure you look up the laws where you live, as certain areas do not permit them.


text:
Consensus Report
A Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Strategic Plan (2012)Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
"Global change research" engages agencies and departments across the federal government in many diverse activities, coordinated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The USGCRP is developing a 10-year Strategic Plan to strengthen the Program's role in sustaining a strategically-driven, coordinated national effort. As independent advisor to the Program, a National Research Council committee has reviewed the draft Plan. The committee encourages the Program's intent to broaden its focus, to address not only climate change, but also "climate-related global changes," and the committee identifies a number of key issues regarding the Program's scope, goals, and capacity to meet those goals over the coming 10 years.
Key Messages
- Although budget realities and practical challenges may constrain the proposed expansion of the USGCRP's scope, the committee encourages sustained efforts to expand the Program over time, along with efforts to better define what specific topics fall within the bounds of global change research.
- An effective global change research enterprise requires an integrated observational system that fully integrates the social and ecological sciences.
- Phasing in the newer elements of the Program will require identifying initial steps to develop critical science capacity that is currently lacking and to improve linkages between the production of knowledge and its use.
- The Program needs an overall governance structure with the responsibility and resources to broaden the Program as proposed in the Strategic Plan.
About this Report
Authoring Body:Committee to Advise the U.S. Global Change Research Program
Primary Board:Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
Sponsor(s):National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Collaborating Unit(s):Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Other Report(s) in this series:Enhancing Participation in the U.S. Global Change Research Program (2015)
Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Update to the Strategic Plan Document (2016)
Accomplishments of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (2017)


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Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.
Running it back:
A pair of unlikely heroes -- Robert Andino and Mark Hendrickson -- spurred the Orioles over the Indians, 8-3, on Sunday. ... The Orioles and shortstop J.J. Hardy agreed to terms Saturday on a three-year extension worth around $22 million. ... Each day seemingly brings more uncertainty to the Orioles roster. ... Brian Matusz pitched seven scoreless innings for Norfolk on Saturday, allowing just three hits and two walks. ... Japan won the sixth Women's World Cup, defeating the United States, 3-1 on penalty kicks, after a 2-2 tie in extra time.
Hitting the links:
1. Peter Schmuck says that different roles might be coming for Buck Showalter and Andy MacPhail [Baltimore Sun]
2. The Orioles' anger at the Red Sox hasn't cooled [Baltimore Sun]
3. Will there be any ejections during this series? [NESN]
4. For Hardy, signing may have been about loyalty [Orioles Insider]
5. Can Hardy's new deal send a message to free agents? [MASN]
6. On J.J. Hardy and how to build the Orioles [The Loss Column]
7. Keith Law says that Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop are two of the best prospects in baseball [ESPN]
8. There is no other cavalry on the way [Carroll County Times]
9. The Harbaugh family will be the focus of HBO's "Real Sports" on Tuesday night [Ravens Insider]
10. Pernell McPhee is a "relentless" pass rusher [Baltimore Sun]
11. Steve Smith wants to play in Baltimore? [Charlotte Observer]
12. Another Ravens wedding [Ravens Insider]
13. The salaries of Mark Turgeon and Randy Edsall rank in the top half of ACC coaches [Washington Post]
You said it:
"Last night I switched off the O's and watched Franklin and Bash on Tivo." -- a comment from reader Fromthemax shows just how unwatchable the Orioles have become in recent weeks
Video of the morning:
I wanted to post a highlight of Alex Morgan's goal in Sunday's World Cup Final, but since the United States couldn't hold the lead, here is former NHL star Joe Sakic hitting a hole-in-one
Send me your funny and/or interesting links, photos, YouTube videos, blogs, Tweets, comments, emails, ideas, etc. If I deem them to be worthy for the blog, I'll give you a plug. You can reach me at firstname.lastname@example.com and twitter.com/mattvensel.


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The Tonium Pacemaker 666 is, in a word, dope.
It has its drawbacks sure, but not many, and it's big on fun.
What is it, you say?
This stylish little black device is basically two turntables (no microphone) and a DAT machine crammed into an mp3 player the size of a (relatively large) cell phone.
The first draw back is the price. The "TP 666" is the 60 gig, less-expensive update to the older 120 GB model, but at $499 it's still going to dent your wallet quite a bit to rock a party. But, arguably not as much as two Technics 1200s, a mixer and a sampler.
The second drawback is that everyone and their mother is going to ask, "Oooh, does it scratch?"
This is because it literally looks like two turntables (even though only one is a touchpad and the other is display screen) and the best way to describe it is the aforementioned "two turntables and a DAT machine."
The answer to the question is "yes and no." You can scratch, in a way, but it doesn't really sound like scratching (very digitized).
That being said, you can do everything else: create loops and samples on the fly, automatically or manually beatmatch two tracks, cross fade, bring down vocals, bring up basslines, echo, reverb, almost anything you can think of as long as you can get your fingers to cooperate.
Which shouldn't be too hard: The interface seems dauntingly clunky at first, but just a few minutes out of the box and you'll realize the genius of its touch-sensitive Swedish engineering.
It links up with any PC or Mac so your entire mp3 collection becomes fodder for mixmastery.
And best of all you can plug it into both headphones and any speaker/amplifier output at the same time so you can set up your loops and drops before making the crowd go wild -- this is a professional toy, not just something for you to tool around with at home.
The Pacemaker was initially only available in America at Amazon.com, but is slowly being brought to finer DJ/Electronic stores across the country this summer. Check Tonium's page for availability.


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Do you really need to conduct estate planning if you are only in your 30s, don't have many assets and don't have a lot of money to spend on legal and planning services? Absolutely.
Do you really need to conduct estate planning if you are only in your 30s, don't have many assets and don't have a lot of money to spend on legal and planning services? Absolutely.
The specific costs of planning efforts can always be arranged to meet your resources. And it is critical not to forget that the planning includes components that apply to all, regardless of how old or how wealthy they might be. For one thing, an estate plan includes preparations related to long-term health and extreme medical care wishes. Serious accidents affect people of all ages, and it is critical to have legal documentation in place to explain how you'd like things handled in the event you are seriously incapacitated or disabled. These directions and provisions are set forth in a power of attorney, health care proxy and living will.
The need for these documents is even more paramount if children are involved. It goes without saying that parents usually devote their lives to ensuring their children are cared for, protected and secure in their future. Yet far too many young mothers and fathers forget to take a simple step to prolong that security indefinitely — that is, to use legal documents to identify child care issues in the event of their passing.
There is no way to fully prepare for the impact the death of young parents may have on a child. But dealing with the tragedy is always made a bit easier when the parent or parents had taken time to identify clear successor guardian wishes in the event of their own death or disability. It is critical that all parents, no matter how old, have clear plans in place for alternative caregiving.
Informal plans, however, are often of little use. Telling a relative or a friend that you'd like them to take care of your child in the event of a tragedy is nowhere near enough. There has to be actual legal effect to one's wishes. Otherwise, the long-term care of your child may be left to decisions made by the court and agents of the court who have no personal connection to you or your family. It is critical for parents to name their children's guardians in a last will and testament.
Many young parents assume that there is no need for this legal planning because there is an obvious choice for alternative guardian, and the court will clearly see things that way. However, relationships are often frayed in the aftermath of a death. Family members may begin feuding over the guardianship of children. This fighting will obviously leave real scars on family relationships and will have serious impacts on the child's long-term well-being. Avoiding this uncertainty should be a high priority for all parents, and it is only fully accomplished as part of an estate plan that puts legal effects to your wishes, no matter what the future holds.
Bonnie Kraham is an attorney practicing elder law estate planning with Ettinger Law Firm, 75 Crystal Run Road, Town of Wallkill. She can be reached at 692-8700, ext. 119 or at email@example.com. This column is intended to provide general information, not legal advice.