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This item may be available in multiple fabrics and colors. Prices may vary from price listed online.
Durable, cozy, or both? No matter the demands of your household, we've got a solid body fabric or durable choice of Elements QC performance fabric or leather match that works for you. Come into the store to see and touch the cover options in person before you make your final decision on your custom recliner covering. Hand-picked by you, custom made for you.
We'll specially make a sofa or chair in the fabrics you want, and get it to you faster than those other suppliers. We're always working to reduce lead times and bring the product to to your home faster, usually in as few as 21 days. Check with the store to find a lead time adjusted for your location.
Make this piece less cumbersome by removing the back(s) when you are moving in or out of your home.
Whether you're rocking the new baby or lounging in front of the TV at the end of a long day, this recliner provides you with the pleasing comfort and casual look that embodies your cozy home. Lay back and relax in our resilient, sink-in seat cushion, bolstered by a plump, button-tufted back and fiber-filled pillow arms. Adjustable back tension lets you customize the chair, making the recliner respond to stronger or more gentle motion, depending on the strength and size of the person using the chair.
The Petite Recliners Felicia Rocker Recliner with Button-Tufted Back by Best Home Furnishings at Conlin's Furniture in the Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wyoming area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
Enjoy a relaxing evening in a these fabulous rocker reclining chairs. These decorative chairs are upholstered in the finest fabrics and leathers. For extra strength sinuous wire springs are cross-wired to prevent sagging. Spring clips are coated with polypropylene to prevent squeaks.Shaped with curves and soft edges Accompany these chairs with a variety of ottomans, sofas and loveseats to complete your living room setting. These motion chairs are perfect for relaxing after a busy day. Customize your home and choose from over 700 different fabrics, leathers and color styles.
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This seems fun. But seeing I'm 12, I can't help.
Every Christmas/Halloween I host an event, does that mean that someone has to take that job away from me?
I think I do it pretty darn good, and everyone always has fun.
But anyways, goodluck guys! Can't wait to see what comes out of this.
No one will be taking your job deary :)

subset: commoncrawl


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Seoul assesses the F-15SE, F-35A and Typhoon against regional, not just North Korean, threats
If there is one misconception about South Korea's F-X Phase 3 fighter competition, due to be decided this month, it is that the requirement is aimed mainly at bolstering defense against North Korea. On the contrary, say senior government officials in Seoul, at least as strong a reason for buying 60 advanced fighters is South Korea's perceived strategic competition with Japan, China and Russia—probably in that order.
"Our neighbors are upgrading their fighter technology, so we must do so, too," says one government official. A second official, with deep insight into the country's defense requirements, goes further: The 60 Boeing F-15Ks that South Korea has from the F-X Phase 1 and 2 programs last decade already offer enough aerial strike power for dealing with North Korea. While more big fighters would be useful if war on the peninsula broke out, the real point of the Phase 3 competition is that Japan is buying Lockheed Martin F-35As, China is developing the J-20, and Russia is working on the Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA), says that official. Even in F-X Phases 1 and 2, North Korea was considered only part of the problem, he adds.
That is why South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Agency is giving equal importance to air-to-air and strike missions in F-X Phase 3, even though defeating North Korea's modest fighter force would hardly be a challenge. Slightly contradicting that, an F-X Phase 3 program official told Aviation Week two years ago that excellent strike capability was valued above excellent air-to-air capability. Still, the difference in weight given to the two capabilities is evidently not great.
It is not known whether North Korean bellicosity this year has changed F-X Phase 3 priorities, but Pyongyang's aggression has probably helped the two U.S. contenders—the F-35A and F-15SE—in competing against the Eurofighter Typhoon. The argument is simply that the U.S. contributes greatly to the defense of South Korea, which should partly repay the favor by giving its largest defense import contracts to U.S. suppliers, especially when, as in this case, it has at least two to chose from.
At least until North Korea made blood-curdling threats recently, reminding everyone of the importance of U.S. backing for South Korea, one view was that, although Seoul should generally place such a big order with the U.S., it could make an exception. "Just this once" it could import a non-U.S. fighter, above all because Eurofighter could offer greater technical help for the proposed indigenous KF-X program. Bids for F-X Phase 3 will be judged partly on prospective contributions to KF-X.
But South Korea is not sure it wants to build the KF-X. What if a supplier wins F-X Phase 3 with a generous technology transfer package, and then never has to transfer the technology? That, in the view of some South Korean aerospace officials, is a key fault in the import competition. All of the bidders are offering fighter technology, with the Eurofighter consortium unconstrained by U.S. government regulations. Going further, Eurofighter shareholder EADS is offering to invest $2 billion in the program if South Korea buys the Typhoon. And that only deepens the F-X contradiction: If EADS won and KF-X died, the obligation to invest would die with it. For that reason, the importance of offers to help develop the KF-X is questionable. The indigenous fighter is encountering strong domestic opposition, criticized as unaffordable or unviable (AW&ST April 29, p. 49).
The EADS offer further includes an aircraft maintenance facility and an aerospace software center, says Yonhap news agency. South Korea could build, or at least assemble, most of its Typhoons, say industry officials. The U.S. bidders are also offering industrial benefits (AW&ST April 15, p. 52). Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), already building major assemblies of the F-15, could step up its involvement in that program, while for the F-35 the industry would receive advanced manufacturing work on a project with a long prospective production life. Crucially, South Korean F-35As would not rely on a Japanese maintenance base, says an industry official. Lockheed Martin's offer of technology transfer had better match what the company has given Japan, says a government official. "South Korea won't put up with second-best anymore," he says.
As part of its offset deal, Lockheed Martin may have offered to buy two KAI T-50 trainers (unrelated to the Sukhoi T-50) in support of its bid for the U.S. Air Force's T-X program, South Korean officials say. In the opinion of some, the best offset deal that EADS could offer would be a Spanish order for 20 KAI T-50s. EADS's proposal to invest in KF-X suggests that the idea will not be taken up.
The Typhoon, designed less for air-to-ground than the U.S. aircraft, is a viable bidder because air-to-air is important. Like the F-15SE and F-35, it meets a key range requirement to maintain a patrol over the Liancourt Rocks, islets whose ownership is disputed by South Korea and Japan. That requirement underlines the importance of perceived threats other than North Korea. The radar signature of the Typhoon is low enough for South Korea's purposes, says a local official, pointing out that it is Britain's premier fighter. "That aircraft is the leading fighter of the Royal Air Force, which is one of the most advanced air forces in the world," he says. "It is good enough for us."
This official does not specifically recommend the type but also notes that the Typhoon is a ready design, whereas the F-35A remains in a protracted development program and the F-15SE, an upgrade of the F-15 whose features are intended to control radar reflections, also needs considerable engineering work—though some of that work would be welcomed by South Korean industry. Technical maturity of the F-15K was a key reason for choosing it for the Phase 1 and 2 orders.
To some extent, the relative competitiveness of the F-15SE and F-35A depends on exactly what strike missions South Korea has in mind. At the outset of a war with North Korea, it is unlikely that any aircraft would fly far into North Korea, demanding all-aspect stealth, says an industry official. Rather, the priority would be attacking North Korean forces close to the front, especially artillery that would by then be raining destruction on Seoul. South Korean fighters, especially the heavy fighters bought under the F-X orders, would repeatedly sprint northward toward the front, pulling up well before it to toss guided bombs beyond the line. The bombs would reverse course to hit artillery emplaced on the far side of the mountains north of Seoul.
For that mission, sheer thrust and bomb-trucking capacity would be key, and the big F-15SE would offer the most among the three contenders. Despite the air-to-ground strengths of its design, the F-35A would be somewhat disadvantaged, especially early in its service life, when it would be unavailable with external ordnance. The F-35A would surely be the aircraft of choice for deep-penetration missions, but South Korea has bought the German-Swedish Taurus air-to-surface cruise missile and is fielding a wide variety of indigenous surface-to-surface cruise and ballistic missiles (AW&ST May 21, 2012, p. 27). None of those weapons has any known ability to deal with moving targets, notably transporter-erector-launchers for ballistic missiles. But it seems doubtful that even F-35As would be tasked with loitering over North Korea, awaiting detection of such targets, until after the enemy air-defense system was shut down. Yet if it had to be done, South Korea would want a stealth fighter to do it.
The importance of those considerations depends on the prominence of the North Korean threat in F-X Phase 3. To the extent that South Korea is worried more about Japan, the F-35A is strongly placed in the competition. A simple example illustrates why: It would be intolerable to South Koreans to hear that their F-15SEs or Typhoons while patrolling near the Liancourt Rocks had been bounced by Japanese F-35As that they had failed to detect. The age of the F-15 basic design is also noted in South Korea. It first flew in 1972 but would be expected to serve in the country until about 2060. South Korea's big old F-4 Phantoms, among the aircraft that the F-X Phase 3 fighters will replace, will leave service about 60 years after that type's first flight.
A mark against the F-35A is that it is probably the most costly of the three types on offer, yet it is also the one that the air force most wants, officials say. The government is budgeting 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion) for F-X Phase 3; one official believes the cost could easily rise to 10 trillion won. Indeed, Lockheed Martin says its aircraft is $10.8 billion. The F-15SE would surely be the cheapest choice, since South Korea has the support infrastructure for the F-15Ks. A reasonable approach might be to buy it for only 20 years of service, so it did not have to fly until around the 90th birthday of its design, but officials say no such policy is being considered.
With Bill Sweetman in Washington.


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Your clues, from the listing:
- Someone who played not only on the 2005 World-Series-winning White Sox, but also at least one other team that made the World Series
- In fact, since the listing describes the player as "a multi time world series participant," it seems fairly safe to say that he won the lone ring, and lost every other time his team advanced to the World Series
- "Legend of the game"
- Needs $24,999 more than a World Series ring (or realizes the futility of object fetishization and understands that possessions are fleeting)
- Ring size: 12
Any guesses? We'd have thought the guy who stole Kenny Williams' World Series ring, but that guy stole a frozen pizza, too, so what does he need with money? The buyer is willing to take offers (free shipping, too!) and it is a handsome ring, so if you buy it, let us know who sold it to you.
h/t Joseph


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Tips for Surviving Broken Ice
(NEW YORK) -- A crack in the ice can lead to a fight for survival.
Just this month, two Arizona teens found themselves standing on a dead tree to escape broken ice surrounding them, and a man in northern California was taped flailing in icy waters, scrambling for a rescue. Two New Jersey teenagers died earlier this week after falling through ice on Budd Lake in Mount Olive Township in Morris County.
Here are some survival tips for when you get caught in an icy situation.
1. Swim towards the direction from which you came, because it's likely the strongest ice, and try to hoist yourself up, kicking as though you're swimming.
2. Carry simple ice picks. They could be a vital lifeline as you wait for the Coast Guard or fire department.
3. Don't remove your clothing, including your boots. It actually will help you to stay afloat and keep you warm against freezing temperatures.
4. Normalize your breathing. Gasping and hyperventilating will set in immediately, so start controlling your breathing so you don't go into cardiac arrest.
5. Know the weather and ice conditions. You should also know where you're going and how to call for help.
6. Have proper clothing to prevent hypothermia. Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature.
7. Have proper equipment, including marine radio, life jackets, screw drivers, ice picks, etc.
8. Know that new ice is usually stronger ice.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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The Nasdaq stock market tests the waters for trading in dollars and cents by switching 15 securities over to the new decimal system on Monday, March 12, Nasdaq said in a statement. On March 26, the 15 securities will be joined by those of 177 other companies—including Amazon.com, Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems.
Nasdaq's entire list of nearly 4,700 companies is set to begin trading in decimals by April 9. Until now, Nasdaq's shares have been traded in fractions—listed, for example, at $5-1/4 instead of $5.25. Nasdaq's main rival, the New York Stock Exchange, moved to full decimalization on January 29. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversees the US stock market, set the April 9 deadline for abolishing the antiquated system. Analysts say the shift from the unwieldy eighths and sixteenths of a dollar to plain dollars and cents should especially benefit private investors by making pricing easier and cutting trading costs.
Stocks are traded at a point between the "bid" and the "ask" value, and the decimals will make it easier to find a midpoint. Under the current fractions system, the price per share generally rises or falls by at least 1/16, or $0.0625. The system of trading in fractions harks back to 17th-century America, when one of the coins circulated, the "piece of eight," was regularly broken into eight pieces with a hammer and chisel.
Using this stable currency as a basis for their operations, early stockbrokers used fractions when they began trading shares. —(AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)


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Able rank
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 10:21, April 22, 2007 by Missylou2who (Talk | contribs)
Help us by adding to this area.
The Able rank builds upon the Ordinary rank and is the final step before the Quartermaster Award.
Requiring extraordinary leadership both on and off the water, the Able rank is awarded for great skills.


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Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protests Continue in Port Said
One of this week's protests in Port Said in Egypt
See also Syria Live Coverage: Multiple Bombings in Damascus br>
Wednesday's Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Clashes Continue as Regime Claims Arrest of "Iran-Iraq-Lebanon Terror Cell"
1910 GMT:Egypt. President Morsi will call a Parliamentary election, to be held in three or four stages, starting in April.
"The president will issue a decree soon, it could be tonight, calling for elections to start in April," a source in his office told Reuters.
1900 GMT:Morocco. Reporters Without Borders has condemned the 10-month prison sentence handed down last week to citizen journalist Mohamed Attaoui on the charge of "working as a local official despite being suspended".
Attaoui was arrested on 21 January in town of Tounfite north-central Morocco while photographing homes that are unfit for habitation for a report he intended to publish.
The president and general secretary of the Tounfite Group, a grass-roots association to which Attaoui belongs, were also arrested and have been sentenced to a year and eight months in prison, respectively.
Following his arrest, Attaoui was placed in solitary confinement and was not allowed a visit from his wife until 18 February.


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MILPITAS, Calif., March 26, 2014 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced the recipients of the 2013-2014 SanDisk Scholars Program. Over $1 million in scholarships and grants were awarded to nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate university students in the United States to support their pursuit of degrees in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline. SanDisk also announced it is expanding the program to China and Japan to students pursuing STEM-related studies.
The SanDisk Scholars Program grants scholarships to students based upon their prior academic achievements and meaningful levels of community engagement, as well as financial need. Of the $1.5 million committed for 2013-2014, scholarships have been awarded to undergraduate and graduate students attending 28 universities across 12 states including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California.
"SanDisk's generous support offers Cal students pursuing a STEM-related degree critical resources to fulfill their academic goals, which may have otherwise not been possible," said S. Shankar Sastry, Dean of the College of Engineering and Roy W. Carlson Professor, University of California, Berkeley. "STEM-related studies are a key element of UC Berkeley's leading curriculum, and the SanDisk Scholars Program further enables us to offer these important fields of study to the innovators of tomorrow."
"The education our students receive prepares them to solve some of the most pressing engineering challenges in the world," said Dr. James D. Plummer, Dean of the School of Engineering at Stanford University. "Our ability to offer graduate fellowship packages is one of the things that helps us attract these top students to Stanford University, and we're very grateful for SanDisk's support and commitment to our efforts."
"SanDisk is passionate about helping the next generation of technology leaders pursue their dreams in STEM-related careers," said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief executive officer, SanDisk. "Not only does our support better position them for future success, but it also helps foster a greater pool of qualified talent, which will benefit the technology industry in years to come."
In addition to continuing to provide scholarships to students pursuing STEM-related studies in the U.S., SanDisk is expanding the program to China and Japan in 2014. Thirty scholarships will be awarded in each country to students participating in engineering and computer science programs at the following universities:
For more information on the SanDisk Scholars Fund or to submit an application for 2014, visit:
"Receiving a scholarship from SanDisk will allow me to pursue a Master of Science degree from one of the best programs in the country," said Chris Almodovar, student at Stanford University. "With this scholarship, I am able to explore my research interests within mechanical engineering and focus on acquiring the right skills that will help me make a difference in the world one day. Thank you!"
"I am a materials science and engineering major, with an interest in becoming a doctor," said Grace Tuyiringire, student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Thank you, SanDisk, for this opportunity. With this scholarship, I will be able to focus on my goal of becoming a MD and a bigger leader in the MIT community."
"It is an honor to be acknowledged for my efforts by a company like SanDisk," said Claire Lochner, student at the University of California, Berkeley. "I'm currently working on a research project that aims to bring real-time physical health visibility through something as simple as a Band-Aid. I'm excited about my work and how it could potentially improve many lives."
SanDisk's mission as a philanthropic company is to support programs and organizations that address the needs of communities where our company has a significant presence. SanDisk strives to be an exemplary corporate citizen within the global community. The SanDisk Foundation, a corporate advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, helps carry out this mission by making donations to non-profit organizations and community groups within our key focus areas: K-12 education, promoting STEM-focused programs, and children's health and well-being. Since 2003, the SanDisk Foundation has awarded more than $25 million to almost 1,000 charitable organizations worldwide.
The SanDisk Scholars Program, created in 2012, utilizes a $1.5 million annual budget to award scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing education and university research in STEM fields.
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 25 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk's quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world's largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smart phones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk's consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
© 2014 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
Media Contact:
Lee Garvin Flanagin
SanDisk Corporation


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BOSTON (AP) -- Puma has ended its relationship with Aaron Hernandez.
BOSTON (AP) -- Puma has ended its relationship with Aaron Hernandez.
The sportswear company made the move Thursday to end the two-year contract it agreed to in April with Hernandez, Puma spokesperson Katie Sheptyck said.
On Wednesday, the former New England Patriots tight end was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a friend. The Patriots released him after his arrest and before his court appearance. A judge denied bail Thursday.
Hernandez "was going to be involved with our men's training program" but had not started working with Puma and his role wasn't specifically defined, Sheptyck said. The agreement didn't involve product endorsements, she said.


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What began as a quest to create a place for friends and family to congregate has evolved into an idyllic boutique resort just off the beaten path in the Pacific coastal hills of Nicaragua.
With great intention, we've made a home for the modern traveler, for thinkers and doers and all of their interesting associates. In fully recognizing that it's always the individuals that make an experience, we take great pride in our ability to attract and cultivate a community of characters, of movers and shakers, creative professionals, students, travelers, business savants, entrepreneurs, and everyone else in between.


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Let me show you a few of the most popular pins from last week.
It's a very Scandinavian living room that is ticking all the right boxes:
very white and very natural, with generous trows and sheepskins
plus the odd twig, antler and skull...
Hanne and Søren Berzant's turn-of-the-century apartment near Copenhagen,
really sums up Scandinavian style - classic and modern in a relaxed mix.
The living room coffee table and the armchair (above), are by Hans Wegner,
the rug and printed cushions are from By Nord,
and the white standing lamp is from Artemide.
Beautiful whitewashed floorboards.
The dining room table by SUP Design,
with Arne Jacobsen's Grand Prix chairs.
The smoky vase is from By Nord,
and the birch pendant by Cathrine Kullberg.
The Maskros pendant in the work space is from Ikea PS.
All images from the Guardian, via my Pinterest.WABI SABI Lisbeth Williams @ Williams Design


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It's hard to argue for the $575,000 contract that 17-year-old South Korean pitching prospect Seong-Min Kim signed with the Orioles in January. But it's easier to understand when viewed as part of Dan Duquette's strange, long-running scouting strategy in South Korea.
The $575,000 contract Seong-Min Kim signed with the Orioles in January wound up being the worst thing that ever happened to the 17-year-old South Korean pitcher. Strange as the whole affair was, though, the way it fit into a series of misadventures in South Korea by new Orioles boss Dan Duquette was stranger still.


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WALTHAM, Mass. – University of Rochester senior forward Ellen Coleman (Wauwatosa, Wisc./Wauwatosa West) tallied a goal and an assist in the second half today as the Yellowjackets knocked off host Brandeis, 2-0, in the 2011 University Athletic Association season opener for both teams. With the loss, the Judges fall to 4-6 on the season, 0-1 in the UAA, while UR improves to 6-2, 1-0 UAA.
After a sedate first half in which Rochester outshot Brandeis, 4-3, and each team put one shot on goal, the contest opened up in the second stanza. Coleman had her first good chance 1:55 after the intermission, when her shot was cleared off the line by Brandeis senior back Jessica Schulman (Redwood City, Calif./Woodside). The 'Jackets had two more shots, one saved by Brandeis junior Francine Kofinas (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) before the game-winner in the 54th minute. Junior forward Rachel Wesley (Millwood, N.Y./Horace Greeley) sent a nice cross through the box and Coleman shot it back across the goal mouth and into the right corner for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Brandeis's pressure increased after the goal, as the Judges took five of the game's next six shots. Their best chance for an equalizer came in the 66th minute, when senior Alanna Torre (Weston, Fla./American Heritage School) headed a corner kick wide of the net. The Judges kept the ball in play, and rookie forward Alec Spivack (Miami, Fla/Miami Palmetto Senior) followed with a shot that was stopped by UR junior netminder Bridget Lang (Chesterfield, N.J./Peddie School).
Ten minutes later, the visitors got an insurance goal. Coleman played a ball into the far right corner of the field. Senior Elizabeth Martens (Hughesville, Pa./Blair Acad.) ran it down and shot at a tough angle, slipping the ball just under the crossbar and out of the reach of Brandeis rookie Michelle Savuto (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood). It was Martens' fourth goal of the season.
Brandeis again intensified its pressure, earning a couple of additional corner kicks, and nearly found the back of the net in the 86th minute. Following a delay because of an injury to a Brandeis player, shortly after the restart, sophomore forward Hilary Andrews (New Bedford, Mass./Dartmouth) hit the crossbar, and Torre pushed the ensuing rebound wide, giving the Yellowjackets a chance to run out the clock.
Brandeis finished the game outshooting UR, 13-11, thanks to a 10-7 advantage in the second half. The Judges also had six corner kicks to five. Lang made three saves to post her second shutout of the season. Kofinas finished with two saves and Savuto had one.
Brandeis returns to action with a non-conference tilt on Thursday afternoon at Babson College at 4 p.m., while Rochester hosts Nazareth in a nonleague game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.


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City Directory
Contact Cranston by Phone, Fax, and E-mail
To view the contact information for a department, choose the desired department from the drop-down box and click the "View" button. An asterisk (*) indicates that the person is the main contact for the department.
If you cannot find the exact department/person you are looking for, the main City Hall telephone number is (401) 461-1000.


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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Media Day Stars Stop At "NASCAR Now"
The starts of The Chase were right down the road from ESPN in New York City for NASCAR's media tour. Host Nicole Manske brought the first guest onto NASCAR Now for Wednesday and surprisingly it was Jeff Gordon.
Almost the forgotten man in The Chase, Gordon was polite but seemed to have a tough time with Manske's questions. She focused on the negative, but finally let him have a moment in the sun before moving him off for the next interview. Gordon was certainly an interesting first selection for The Chase media tour show.
It was Mike Massaro on-site in New York who interviewed Kyle Busch. Massaro tried, but Busch was not going to be rattled or give anything away. He appeared relaxed and never gave a hint that his incident with Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on his mind. With Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing behind him, it was clear Busch was confident.
Various "soundbites" from drivers like Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were their only participation in the show. Jeff Burton seemed thoughtful, but he was speaking to a group of reporters and what question he had been asked was not very clear. Manske also talked to Matt Kenseth, again an interesting choice. Kenseth was quiet and polite and said all the right things.
Massaro never appeared on the show live, instead it was Brad Daugherty who was clearly not in New York. Daugherty tried to put into perspective the mindset of the other teams still in the Cup Series but outside of The Chase. His focus was on staying or trying to get into the Top 35. "They will be racing their guts out," said Daugherty. He says that a lot.
Manske never played Letterman's Top Ten list read by the drivers. She never replayed any portions of the morning show appearances or let TV viewers see what went on behind the scenes. NASCAR Now was just in the media line like everyone else.
On Tuesday's show, Manske re-aired a long feature from the E:60 news magazine on Joey Logano. Later, she re-aired parts of a segment from the Monday version of NASCAR Now. It seems as if the program is suddenly having a tough time with content.
This season, NASCAR Now has been nothing short of fantastic. Every show has minor issues that need attention, but this TV series has been the one fans turn to for information on a regular basis.
Hopefully, now with the current on-air team heading into The Chase for the first time, the show will continue to work hard to go get the real news stories that live behind the PR fluff and the promotions. Manske will be back on Thursday at 5PM with another edition of NASCAR Now on ESPN2.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
10 comments:
- Anonymous said...
I reduced the amount of times I watch shows like NASCAR Now, because frankly, its information overload. I mean honestly, what different things are these drivers going to say that they haven't said before?
- September 10, 2008 at 8:58 PM
- Newracefan said...
Tuesday was a waste of time, as far as Wed goes you would think they would show an interview with MM from everyone instead of the long distance thing along with sound bites, strange show.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:43 PM
- majorshouse said...
I thought that show tonight was a total waste of my time. I thought it was really boring and even thought the chase is big news to the media and to NASCAR, it doesn't really mean a thing to some of us long time NASCAR fans that really care about the racing and not the personalities that are trying to milk the media for all it is worth.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:22 PM
- Sophia said...
There is that word 'milk' again! :)
I caught just a few minutes of Jeff Gordon and then turned off the tv. I thought I might accidentally see Hinton.
Thanks for telling us what we missed, JD. Nothing.
I also agree it's information overload and as somebody who has only been watching NASCAR since 2004, the "Chase" does nothing but irritate me.
The sound bites and interviews are all alike these days.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
- September 10, 2008 at 11:00 PM
- Anonymous said...
You constantly use distance as your major evidence as why Charlotte is too far from Mooresville for it to be a legitimate solution to ESPN having a studio down in NC. Yet whenever NASCAR is in NYC you say it's "Right down the road from ESPN." Midtown New York City is over 100 miles from ESPN and over a two hour drive. Just saying, it's not "Down the road."
Anyway, all geographical kidding aside, isn't there a chance that ESPN couldn't get the rights to the Letterman or morning show stuff as it might have been from CBS, NBC, or Fox? I know Fox and ESPN have an awful relationship, as evidenced by ESPN never being allowed to show any footage from BCS bowl games aside from the Rose Bowl. I imagine most of those networks aren't too giving when it comes to approving their footage for air on ESPN.
- September 11, 2008 at 12:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
Seems to be almost unanimous . The PR blitz thru New York was a complete waste of time , did nothing to really increase excitement in the Chase or in NASCAR , and there are way too many people and tv shows spitting out way too little new information and stories . But what do you want to bet NASCAR will call it an overwhelming success and begin planning next years trip to the Big Apple immediatly .
- September 11, 2008 at 8:54 AM
- majorshouse said...
I really would like to see this stupid nonsense called the chase done away with. It really does nothing to make racing in the highest division of NASCAR exciting. It does nothing to promote good racing, but racing to get into the chase and I would rather see a lesser amount of races and have no chase rather than this crap that we have now. If you look at the truck series, they have no chase and look how exciting those races are because they race. I would make some really serious changes to the COT and make it look more like a stock car. DJ is right, that wing needs to go and I am not so sure that the splitter doesn't need to go too. I just wish that there was a way that the average fan could contact both NASCAR and ESPN to really voice our displeasure with the car and the racing that we have been forced to endure lately.
- September 11, 2008 at 9:57 AM
- GinaV24 said...
majorshouse -- excellent post! I taped most of the media stuff so I could see my driver (since he's part of the frenzy) but otherwise, I fast forwarded through all of the rest of the stuff cuz I don't care. I would like to see good racing again, however, I'm not holding my breath since NASCAR has forgotten that's the point of all of this. It's not just about ratings and attention -- its about the actual thing that made people excited to spend their time and money on.
- September 11, 2008 at 12:58 PM
- Aven said...
I think NY, TV shows and the chase are a waste of time. I would not use a points system For the first three spots and the chanpionship, I would award those places based on the number of wins. All positions after that, I would base on the average finish and not count the 3 worst finishes of the driver. That way, a driver could miss up to 3 races due to illness, injury or other reason and not be punished in the championship race.
- September 11, 2008 at 2:56 PM
- Anonymous said...
My FF button was humming last night. The show gave me no reason to sit through the whole thing. NN daily shows are starting to bore me altogether.
- September 11, 2008 at 3:25 PM


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E M E R A L D Hero Harbingers of Ares Friday 16/07/2010, 00:52
I used to have all of the Rescue cards except Alec and I wanted to quickly gain clintz to buy him so I sold all of my Rescue to get Kolos and other Nightmare for some easy wins in Deathmatch to level up quickly so I can sell Ambre.
I notice now that it takes me so long to get 100 points to ensure I get a credit. I often get less than 15 points for each match that I win. When I had low star rescue both for T1 and T2 I would get 20+ for each win and one time I got 32+. Even losing I would sometimes get more points than I am now for winning!
I would say my budget is around 50k and I would like to try a clan other than Rescue until I can get Alec. My first clan was Freaks so something other than them would be fun too.
ManWithBeard Guru TRiNiTY Sunday 18/07/2010, 09:50
26* uppers is the way to go make it 9 cards and its even better because less stared hand means more points kolos is banned so less points there to
Spag(great splash card)
Frankie high
27* not bad try something along thoese line for a good DT result
Ariakan WMD Eternal Wise Men Distracted Sunday 18/07/2010, 17:18
All star/Junkz works well for me in t1. Gil (the biggest cost of the whole deck) Dreen, Tremorh, Veenyle, Randy, Robb, Jessie, Stacy.
19 stars will give you consistent draws of low star value with big hitting cards that can amass a lot of points very quick even when losing. Around 20k for the deck though if you wanted to lower the cost you could beef it up a little with Gibson (excellent value for the power he brings) or Onik if you are concerned about keeping the star count low. Keanew or Otakool are both good replacements too as one gives a cheap soa and the other some great attack manipulation.
I find in 15 mins I can easily get enough points to get a credit with this deck as the low star count means it does not draw against as many big hitting cards.


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What if We Leveled Backwards?!
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Would work well in stalker. Exoskeleton and gauss rifle when fighting mercs, by the time you get to NPP just a makarov and no armour. That'd show skill.
Wasn't really meant for emphasis, just to set it apart from the rest of the post, but if it's that troubling to the eyes I'll change it to Italic. Thanks.
It's an interesting idea to be sure and the general idea is worth looking into, but doubt it would work for most kinds of games, especially MMO's.
One reason why you start off a game weak and with the bare minimum of tools is so players can learn the basics and gradually learn new skills as they are introduced. For example in WoW the game started you off at level 85 and dumped the whole collection of spells on you at once, I would think most people would feel overwhelmed and just give up after a few min...especially newcomers to a genre.
Honestly I think that the problem of a game becoming too easy toward the end is a sign of poor game/level design than with the leveling system. If the player gets stronger, faster, smarter, etc. then game designers need to make the enemies and levels grow as stronger, faster, smarter, etc. as well so they are always ahead of the player.
Ooooh! If I ran a video game company, I'd "borrow" this idea for further evaluation.
It's interesting but I doubt it could work as an MMO, at least not currently.
I actually DO play some games to make my character get stronger as I go, I enjoy defining him and his abilities. A game like this would have to be more based around the story, which while WoW certainly has some, it isn't exactly the prime focus.
It's interesting but it wouldn't be easy to do. I spent like 10 minutes thinking how to phrase this and that one boring sentence is what I finished with... sigh
This idea seems like, for the most part, it's too contrived.
There's a lot to be said for games where you start off with all your powers, via preview or "soon to be lost," but even that would get tiresome. This would need to be heavily orchestrated every time, and it would get old fast.
Sounds good.
However...I see a bit of a contradiction in that at the very end of the game....the Final boss will essentially have to be the weakest enemy you fought throughout the entire game. Which kinda takes away from his status as being the King Pin of the entire games complication.
However, Perhaps this could be explained by writing the story around the fact that every enemy of his you dispose of lessens his power as well as your own...
Im sure there are a number of ways to explain this through story
Who knows...you could chuck an Ichigo from Bleach and even though you cant stand and have lost an oceans worth of bodily fluids, you still manage to fill up your angst meter and blow the surrounding terrain into grains of sand and clumps of boss meat.
Hey! Found my local copy.
I like the concept and think it could work well, but the reason for giving up spells seems a bit contrived. If you had tasks ahead of you that you knew would weaken you once they are completed, you would be at the very least hesitant when choosing the next task to go after.
What it needs is something else that takes the abilities away. With the tasks no longer being the catalyst for losing abilities, the player is far more likely to want to do them.
I'd have a story where some sort of intangible evil has spread over the land and is sucking up all the magic, and no matter what you do it starts draining your abilities. The player is made to understand that if they do not act, and act fast to find this evil and rid the world of it, they will be reduced to a helpless wreck. Now the player will want to blaze through their tasks with gusto, and the story remains a tense race against time as they seek out the source of evil, knowing that the spell they love to use the most could disappear at any moment. Game saving would need a careful think too.
Oh, and good luck with Mana Bar Melbourne- we're all counting on you...
Man, this is a fantastic idea. I don't mean this sarcastically either.
What if new players started out as a big bald man with so much power that all he needed to do was button mash to win. A blank slate. Then the villain shows up and curses you, which explains the gradual loss of power.
There DOES have to be a trade-off however. I'm thinking better customization and traits with cooler combination moves. A world that admires your power loss with and finishes with an epic ending.
Like say in the end, you've become an old, weak man. The villain that cursed you now has all your power and looks exactly like how you started out. You beat him with all your acquired moves and timing and maybe die or something. The world you've helped in your quest builds a statue of you in your honor or something.
Unfortunately the school legally owns the game because it was produced using their equipment, and it was just a school project and not intended to be sold. I tried to look for it online, but unfortunately I couldn't even find a Youtube video of it! Sorry!
Actually, here's a simple idea for making it, or something like it work: just treat wounds like real-life wounds. No automatic healing up, no magic potions, none of that. You could still have all these skills and items at the end of the day, but you can also have bad knees, repetitive stress injuries, fucked-up hips or tendons. Given the ultra-violent lifestyle led by the average game character, that'd compel a pretty interesting change in style of play.
...Up until the point where you beat the bad guy, and then you're back to Godhood.
And the badguys will never change...in fact they're going to have to get weaker...or you'll be grinding.
In fact, if you give away your powers to enter new realms, and then have to fight hugely massive creatures with your DPS going down and down and down...
Then that's exactly what happens anyway...the levelling is just an illusion, up or down.
I like the concept for something like SoTC, where you don't really level up anyways so you could simply slightly weaken each time to up the difficulty, but for any type of RPG it would fail for one main reason: Sidequests.
I'm one of those players who likes to do every little thing in a game and max out characters and such and take the side paths whenever possible. This means usually I end up overpowered but I'm still enjoying the experience and I get rewarded by feeling like I'm stronger because of it. If I'm leveling negatively then it basically punishes those who like to stray from the main path and will make the main quests more difficult (or even possibly impossible to accomplish since you can't grind to make it easier since it will simply get even harder) so it will discourage exploration and instead encourage a player to simply rush through the main story and not enjoy any of the rest of the game. THAT is a HUGE downside for me and anyone else who enjoys exploring the game world whenever we want.
I think this is an interesting discussion to have in order for us to fully understand why we have the concept of levels and characters gaining power, but it speaks more to pacing and overall gameplay. You mentioned the hero's journey, and I think that can still happen while the character gets more powerful, as the character still has plenty to lose other than his abilities. Friends and family can die, old beliefs can be shown to be false, the longtime enemy can turn out to be a friend and the trusted advisor a vile traitor, and so on and so forth. You can strip someone down from who they were, weakening and destroying the old self while still allowing them to throw a mean punch, cast a better spell or shoot a gun better.
The hero's journey isn't about growing weaker, but about being cast away from anything and everyone the hero knew or cared about, being brought to the very edge of doubting who and maybe even what he is, and then emerging into the new identity of the hero (or failing and falling into darkness and death).
It would best be handled in a single-player game, as your own discussion shows how ultimately ridiculous it would feel in an MMO setting, at least the way we understand MMOs today. It risks feeling very gimmicky and forced, and the more I think about it the more I wonder if it would really be properly handled as a game or if such concepts really only work in a more traditional narrative structure, as opposed to something interactive.
This article made me think of Desktop Dungeons.
This is an interesting idea, but it's kind of hard for me to imagine a game like that. If there was one I'd certainly try it, give me something different.
Hmm... perhaps instead of leveling down skills and what not maybe your drained of your equipment and resources, maybe your character is exhausted and you progessively slow down and do less _________.
The idea that leveling down seems to be an interesting one, i will admit that. But one of the reasons i believe people play games is to feel empowered. Stripping a god-king of his powers until he's nothing but an insignificant bug, may be a good story, but it falls flat unless the entirety of the game is flawless. What i think is that the spells you do use level up, but PAINFULLY slowly (based on number of enemies killed(no hold down spell button infinite experience)). In this way you still give the player a way to feel more powerful,but still give them a feeling of powerlessness at the same time.
I do like this idea, like you said it needs a good story element to make it work. I dont care what it is, a curse, a disease, anything just to make it acceptable. I recently completed Demon's Souls, great game by the way, and once I got the demonbrandt, I believe, in world 1-1 after defeating Old King Doran I was able to breeze through the entire world 5. World 2 was challenging, 3 was confusing in the jail but the bosses were easier than most, 4 was fun with a good final boss, and World 1 especially 1-3 and 1-4 were a good challenge. However with new sword in hand world 5 was to easy the bosses were jokes and the only problem was the poison and slow effect of the swamp of 5-2. This can be changed with limiting grinding and such but thats not the point. The point is balance, this sword I had gave me such an advantage it was ridiculous. And the problem with open-world games is balance, sure 3-1 has easier enemies than 3-2 but they need to me equivalent to the 4-1 and 4-2 respectively. So in addition to having a reason the game must also be fairly linear so a player does not jump to a harder area with near max abilities and slowly works down by jumping around. The balance and pacing need to be spot on for this idea to work, but if it were to succeed the game could be great. Great idea!
I wouldn't mind seeing a game, maybe a series, based on this idea, but I think the standard for RPGs should always be facing stronger enemies, not becoming weaker as you progress.
While compelling from a story point of view, I prefer having more access to gameplay options over time. The opposite kills replay value immensely, something I treasure a lot in a game.
In terms of gameplay, too late. This idea has been done in a Rogue-like called A Quest Too Far. Which was made in 7 days as part of the "7 Day Rogue-Like" event.
It's not fantastic though. Although for a game made in a week it's understandable.
These ideas work in a single player world, never in a MMORPG.
I really like this idea, in a way. If nothing else, more developers should spend some time thinking outside of the box.
I see this failing as an MMO idea, but fitting very well into a tragic story. I liked the idea you pitched of starting as a revered and respected champion of your kingdom, having to fight an ongoing war of phyrrhic victories against the villain, reaching the final battle with you on your last leg and only your strength of will keeping you going.
I sure couldn't see a happy ending coming out of such a story, though.
In Diane Duane's "So You Want to Be a Wizard" series, younger wizards have more power, while older wizards have skill. It works well (and makes sense) in a fictional universe populated by fictional people, and it might even work in a real universe populated by real people. It wouldn't, however, work in a fictional universe populated by real people, because it assumes that no one will ever go back and start a new character. I don't know anyone who has only one character in WoW.
ahhh brilliant
I think it would work better in a shorter game, centred around one aspect of a larger story.
For example, a downloadable game about the Battle of Helms Deep from Lord of the Rings, wherein you'd start off with a full set of well-maintained equipment and ample Stamina/Mana and Health, but it gradually wore down along with the battle. Eventually you'd need to start making use of rocks, Orc/Uruk weapons, or use the dregs of Potions lying about just to survive a one-on-one encounter.
It would probably be better for a sidestory to say, Red Dead or Dragon Age, as we know how Helms Deep ended.
That can be an interesting element, but I think it would be a serious downer for a gamer to play the first level and know that he'll never have more fun than that.
Why not a bell curve? Why not a game that follows the rise into your prime, and then the fall afterwards? If the first half manages to get the player invested in the character he or she is playing and the world they inhabit, then hopefully they'll stick with it once the stats start to ebb, the equipment starts to degrade, and the super powers are lost.
As an aside-- what distinguishes this from the "degrading equipment" mechanic, which Yahtzee hates?
This would work best as a puzzle game. Think if you played legend of zelda and started with the claw hook and boomerang and all that stuff from the beginning, but each level whatever you used the most to get through it was broken during the boss encounter. it would mean every level had 50 different ways to get through and be really re playable, as well as making it so each thing you lose means the next location will take that much longer to complete
"I couldn't help noticing that the bottom and sides of my screen had gradually become wallpapered with miscellaneous spells, some of which I never used at all. If the player started with all of those, they could decide straight away (well, after some experimentation) which ones best complimented their play style, making the choices of what skills and spells to get rid of initially easy and increasingly heart-rending."
Excellent point, Yahtzee!
So, basically, Lord of the Rings. Start out with armour, weapons, food, sanity etc., and end up having to fight tooth and nail to even get up a mountainside.
Sounds pretty good, actually.
While I wouldn't want all my stuff to be lost/useless, I'd appreciate gaining the strength and powers to even BE ABLE to combat the later stuff, rather than gaining them to walk over the enemies with ease.
This may be just nucking futs enough to actually work! Yahtzee, you mad genius!
If done correctly, this concept would work very well. But you would have to walk a very fine line for a game made using these mechanics. My idea would be to start with a variety of magical powers, but a limited combat ability; so as you progress through the game, at certain critical points and battles you are forced to expend large amounts of magic, growing weaker and losing many of your starting powers, but gaining combat ability to show that while your character loses his initial powers, he is still learning and growing, gainging powers of a different nature. I see a lot of potential, specially from a story telling point of view, but also in game mechanics. While your initial powers are mighty, the progress of the game gives you more range in combat, unlocking more moves and weapon choices as your magic withers away.
The concept would work well with a god-like character, who comes down to a fantasy land to stem the tide of some dark foe intent on bringing about total destruction of the world. The idea is that the longer you spend in this world has a side effect of making you more and more mortal, and by the time you reach the end of the game, you have lost all divine power, and must now fight to save the world as a mortal against godlike beings, the inverse of the beginning, where you were a godlike being fighting against mortals.
It works well as a game play mechanic and for character growth as well. When the protagonist first arrives he is haughty and self righteous, acting like a god among mortals, simply assuming that with his mighty powers he can set right all that is wrong with ease. But as things progress, and he is forced to become more and more human, coming to terms with shades of gray and making moral choices that a god has never had to contemplate before.
How about you start at these godlike levels and you lose the gradually until about halfway through the storyline and then when your at rock bottom, you have an intervention and begin building back up to your godlike status reclaiming your powers? Kinda like the beginning of God of War 2 but more gradual.
You might want to look into The Void. It's got that tense race against time, as your Color (health) constantly ticks away and you need to keep seeking out new sources to feed on.
Anyway, for this idea to work, you need to make sure you don't remove any game mechanics entirely, since an experienced player wants a more complex game. So I think that you should make each power harder to use, so that the player needs to be more inventive with limited resources, but keep it essentially the same. So your Generic Powered-Armor Space Marine starts out in a big sandbox full of dudes to shoot with a BFG and a jetpack and super strength and a gravity gun and his own theme music. But as the battle wears on, he gets limits on each of his abilities. His BFG runs out of batteries so it now has limited ammo and he has to scavenge. His jetpack is damaged and it can only fly for 10 seconds at a time. His super-strength is weaker and he can only throw bricks instead of cars at his foes.
So you still have all the abilities, but you can't abuse them to obliterate everything in your path. You have to think carefully about how to use them. What if you have to line up your enemies so you can get them in a single shot? Your jetpack will let you leap across the chasm, but can you find a safe place to rest while it recharges?
It also lends itself to a bunch of other design benefits. Giving them all the abilities at the start lets you train the player in more clever uses that they'll need. For example, you could put a bunch of enemies in a clump to let the player see how to get them all with one BFG shot. You could also give the player a breather by giving them a temporary boost back to full strength, so they can relax and go on a rampage. Or you could force the player to redo an earlier section with their limited abilities, so they can see how much stronger they've become.
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Chatting with someone who never reads blogsPosted by Mark White, Blog Consultant in Blogging News , Small Business Blogging , Social Media
I had the pleasure of having some friends over this weekend – it was great to see them, as it seems so long since we hosted at home following the arrival of our first born aka "he who shall be obeyed"!
After dinner, I was chatting with one of my friends and we touched on something that I wanted to share with you because it's just so relevant to what we are doing.
He kindly asked how my "blogging business" was going and I replied that at the moment there seemed to be a growing interest in both social media and blogging which meant that things looked positive for the coming year. He was very pleased for me but he went on to tell me that the while he knew of my interest in blogging, he had never actually read a blog himself.
"Bollocks," I thought. I said that I'd be surprised if he hadn't, as I knew he was someone who liked to keep up to date with the news in general and the financial news in particular.
So I asked him if he read the Business section of the BBC news website. "Everyday", he replied. "I particularly like Peston's Picks – it's the best bit of the whole site." (That's written by the BBC's Business editor, Robert Peston).
"Yep, one of my favourites too", I replied. "What do you like about it?"
"Well, he always seems to have written it that day so it's got the latest news – exactly what I'm looking for – and you know that he's got the inside track on the stories because of his reputation from the TV. I also like that fact you can also leave your own opinion at the end of the article and, to honest, some of those are really interesting too."
Well, if those all sound to you like key characteristics of a blog then you'd be spot on and indeed Peston's Picks is one of the most read blogs on the BBC site, particularly in the current economic climate, for exactly the reason my friend cited. But the fact is that although there are references to it being a blog, it just comes across as the place on the site where you can read what Robert writes. The fact that the technology he uses happens to be called a blog is frankly immaterial – it's just the name we currently give to it.
So, in fact my friend is an avid reader of a blog (and no doubt others) without even knowing it. Perhaps he's also exactly the sort of person that we should be seeking out and listening to as we start blogs for our own businesses. Rather than focusing on creating a widely read "blog", I believe that he reminds us that instead we should be looking to write widely read articles or to engage in conversations or create connections with people we want to associate with. The fact that we do so through something called a blog happens to be because it's the perfect tool for the job.
So when we plan our blogs, let's put ourselves in the place of my friend and look at what matters to him – that's all about content, authenticity, discussion and relevance. And it's very little about the technology that we choose to use to supply him with those things.
Tags: Business Blogging, Peston, Robert, Social Media
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Rep. Paul Ryan – with his mother at his side – dove into the Medicare issue Saturday before an audience that was made to order: Florida's Republican-heavy retirement community known as The Villages.
The Republican vice presidential candidate pledged to "preserve and protect" federal health benefits for those at or near retirement, and reform the system for the next generation. But Congressman Ryan was light on the details of a Romney-Ryan reform, choosing instead to attack President Obama.
"Medicare should not be used as a piggy bank for Obamacare," the youthful Wisconsin Republican told the outdoor crowd, mostly aged 55 and above. "Medicare should be the promise that it made to our current seniors, period end of story."
Ryan's focus on seniors reflects their crucial role in the nation's biggest battleground state, where polls show the presidential race deadlocked. In Florida, 26 percent of the electorate is 65 or older.
IN PICTURES: On the campaign trail with the Romney/Ryan ticket
Mitt Romney's selection of Ryan to the ticket a week ago reignited debate over entitlements, particularly Medicare, because of Ryan's controversial proposal as chairman of the House Budget Committee to turn it into a voucher-like system. Team Romney has clearly decided that the best defense is a good offense, as it pounds hard on the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
Obama "raids" Medicare to the tune of $716 billion, and his board of "unelected bureaucrats will lead to denying care for current seniors," Ryan told the crowd.
The $716 billion figure comes from a July estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which found that the health-care law slows the growth of Medicare by that amount over the next 10 years. The new Independent Payment Advisory Board is tasked with making Medicare more cost-effective without affecting coverage or quality.
Ryan's 2011 and 2012 budgets, in fact, also included some $700 billion in reduced Medicare spending, though Ryan says his savings would go toward extending the life of Medicare. In his remarks Saturday, Ryan avoided wonky explanations and instead went for heart-warming imagery surrounding the care of elders.
So suddenly, it's not Ryan who is throwing Grandma over the cliff – as a liberal interest group's ad portrayed last year – it's Obama. And Ryan brought Grandma herself – a.k.a his mother, Betty Douglas – to reinforce his image as a caring son. For good measure, he also talked about his grandmother, and the care he and his mother provided her when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and came to live with them.
"Medicare was there for our family, for my grandma, when we needed it then," Ryan said. "Medicare is there for my mom while she needs it now. And we have to keep that guarantee."
Ryan called his 70-something mom a "snowbird" – she spends her winters in the southeastern Florida coastal town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and the rest of the time in Wisconsin.
For Ryan, appearing in The Villages was a warm bath, aside from a few hecklers along the edges. Some 50 percent of voters here are Republicans, 25 percent are Democrats, and the rest are independents. Before Ryan's speech, a few blocks away, Villages' Democrats held a demonstration, holding signs like "Keep your voucher, I'll keep my Medicare." An airplane flew overhead pulling a banner that read "Paul Ryan keep your hands off our Medicare."
So far, polls show Ryan's choice for the GOP presidential ticket is not hurting Romney in Florida as some Republicans had feared. In fact, seniors are his strongest age group in the state. A SurveyUSA poll for WFLA-TV in Tampa showed 53 percent of registered voters in Florida over age 65 have a favorable opinion of Ryan, versus 43 percent of Florida voters overall. A Rasmussen poll got an almost identical result: 43 percent of the Florida electorate sees him favorably, as do 54 percent of Florida seniors.
"That was smart for Ryan to debut in Florida at The Villages," says Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. "They will give him a lot of confidence."
Across the state, the airwaves are already awash with ads from both sides trying to scare voters into thinking the other guy will destroy the health care system.
Looking at the senior vote statewide, Ms. MacManus predicts it will be "very divided." But, she adds, seniors tend to come back to their "home party" on Election Day. "They see the ads going back and forth, and in the end, they say, 'I'll believe my guy.' "
She also points out that seniors in Florida, many of whom have moved here from out of state, tend to be wealthier, healthier, and better educated than seniors in other parts of the country.
At the Villages, many in the crowd knew that Romney and Ryan weren't proposing changes to Medicare that would affect them. "Mediscare" tactics, the GOP term for Obama's message, wouldn't work here, they said.
"I'm in complete agreement with everything Paul Ryan said," said Denis Pecjak, a retired builder who lives here. "It's nice to see someone from the younger generation who can think ahead."
Mr. Pecjak doesn't buy the Democratic argument that the Ryan plan for Medicare would eventually underfund the system and leave seniors paying for more and more of their care themselves.
Eve Eekhof, another Villager, echoed the idea that the Ryan model would add longevity to the system, not kill it. "I want it to be there for our kids and grandkids."
But not everyone was sold. "My fear is for the 50-year-olds who have worked and paid into the system," says Bob Weigel, who owns a home here but still votes in Ohio, another crucial battleground state. "Are they going to be thrown under the bus?"
Mr. Weigel came out of the Ryan event still undecided on his vote.
"I'm a lot higher on Romney than I am on Ryan," he says. And even though he voted for John McCain four years ago, he says he could go for Obama this time.
IN PICTURES: On the campaign trail with the Romney/Ryan ticket


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A former Eastpointe court security officer who was one of more than 240 people charged in connection with an international probe of child pornography has entered into a plea bargain agreement with federal prosecutors, according to court documents.
Michael Wioskowski, 54, will plead guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in exchange for the U.S. Attorney's Office agreeing to dismiss a charge of possession of child pornography, records with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan show. He faces between 11 and 14 years in prison.
Wioskowski was indicted in November as part of a child porn probe dubbed Operation Sunflower by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which had identified 123 victims across the country who were depicted in photographs or videos.
'The crux of Operation Sunflower was for cases in which we could identify the victims, and his case, we're able to accomplish that,' said Khaalid Walls, an ICE public affairs officer.
Federal agents raided his home on Jan. 31, 2012, and seized his home computer. A forensic exam of the computer revealed one image and four videos of child pornography that he had downloaded to his computer from the Internet.
When agents arrived at Wioskowski's residence, they found him burning videotape reels in a fire pit in the backyard, which were recovered by law enforcement officers.
The tapes contained footage of a hidden camera that he had secretly placed in the bathroom of his home to videotape a minor female relative and two foreign exchange students, ages 12 and 14, who were staying with the family. The footage showed the girls entering and exiting the shower, according to court records.
Eastpointe officials said Wioskowski had served as a reserve police officer about 10 years ago in Hamtramck and worked for two years as a court officer in the 38th District Court in Eastpointe. He was terminated in 2012 after the federal raid of his house, which is a few blocks from the police department.
Wioskowski is free on an unsecured $10,000 bond pending his sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood on Aug. 8.
Under the plea agreement, sentencing guidelines will range between 135 and 168 months, but the judge must sentence him to at least five years imprisonment. He also will serve five years of supervised release and will have to register as a sex offender for at least 20 years.
His attorney, Robert Harrison of Bloomfield Hills, declined to comment.


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Henry Simmons: Sneaking out of the office and into Hollywood
Fresh out of college in 1992, Henry Simmons seemed destined for a life of board meetings, business suits and Excel spreadsheets.
He studied accounting in college and after graduation, got a job as a financial management trainee at GE Capital in Stamford.
But Simmons wasn't cut out for the corporate world. He wanted to be in Hollywood. And while his co-workers were stepping out to lunch, he was stepping onto a train to Manhattan.
"I would sneak out for acting auditions and then come back later in the day," Simmons said. "Every time I came back, I got ready to be fired. But no one even noticed I was gone."
He did get noticed by film and TV producers, however. At 22, Simmons landed his first acting gig, a small part in the Tupac Shakur-starring basketball drama, "Above The Rim." Then, after scrounging for bit parts over the next six years, he got his big break: a starring role as Detective Baldwin Jones on the ABC crime drama, "NYPD Blue."
His latest film is "From The Rough," an indie sports drama that tells the true story of the first-ever African-American woman to lead an all-men's team at the collegiate level.
If you haven't already guessed, Simmons' career in finance didn't last long; he quit his job after a week. But for the former high school and college basketball star, sitting on the sidelines of life -- in this case, inside a cubicle -- was never really an option.
"For me, this whole experience has been just a great lesson that you have to pursue your passion at all costs," the Stamford native said in a phone interview last week. "And it will be rewarding, one way or another."
For the 43-year-old actor, working in front of a camera has paid dividends. His credits include the TV shows "Another World" and "Man Up," comedy blockbusters "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Are We There Yet?" and indie films "On The Q.T." and "The Insurgents."
Simmons' latest project, the independently financed "From The Rough," isn't expected to make a huge splash at the box office. But for the office worker-turned-actor, its success-against-all-odds story hits close to home. Now in theaters, the film centers on Catana Starks (Taraji. P. Henson), a coach who, in her effort to build Tennessee State University's newly minted men's golf team, goes beyond the school's mostly black student body to recruit underprivileged kids from around the world.
She meets resistance from Kendrick Paulsen Jr. (Simmons), the school's tough-minded athletic director. He isn't comfortable with the idea of opening up the roster to non-black students, nor with letting a woman coach a men's team.
"And that creates a huge conflict," Simmons said.
He said that while he works "as hard as I can in every role," Simmons really stepped up his game in "From The Rough." The presence of co-stars Henson and the late Michael Clark Duncan, both Academy Award nominees, was a motivating factor. But it was the message of the film that really inspired him.
"It doesn't matter where you're from, the color of your skin, your gender, class or economic level, what matters most is your heart," Simmons said.
Simmons benefitted from coaches like Starks -- as much teachers as they were friends and mentors. Ironically enough, it was Simmons' college basketball coach who encouraged him to take his first acting class. As a student at Stamford Catholic (now Trinity Catholic) High School, Simmons met Jack Smyth, a volunteer basketball coach "who helped me become a better basketball player, and a better person."
Smyth, a longtime Stamford resident, had never envisioned Simmons becoming an actor. But after seeing the young athlete on the court, he said, "I knew he would be successful at whatever profession he chose.
"He was very, very adept at what he was doing, and he always gave 100 percent," Smyth said. "Whenever we had an important game, he rose to the front."
Simmons will never forget the advice Smyth passed to him in high school -- advice that pushed him to pursue a career in acting, to sneak out of the office and onto the big screen.
"He said, `If you want to get better at basketball, you have to become a student of your game,' " Simmons said. "You can't just look at a game and enjoy it. I took that advice and applied it to acting."
"From The Rough" is playing at Landmark Square 9 Theaters, 5 Landmark Square, Stamford, and Regent 8 Theaters, 64 N. Main St., Norwalk.
email@example.com; Twitter: @scottgarg


text: Electrical engineers in Colorado Springs design digital and analogue circuits similar to the ones on the dashboard of an automobile, and the control circuitry of the Space Shuttle. They also write programs to simulate the operation of these circuits on a computer. Another specialty is the hardware and microcode design of state-of-the-art microprocessors. They deal with the study and application of electricity, electronics, electromagnetism; they also cover a range of subtopics like power, control systems, signal processing and telecommunications. They are usually concerned with using electricity to transmit energy and deal with problems associated with large-scale electrical systems such as power transmission and motor control.


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So many people snore, everyone thinks it's normal.
However, sleeping should be a silent activity. Snoring is not natural and unless you are suffering from a cold or congestion, you should breathe effortlessly when you are awake or asleep. Yet night after night, 1 in 3 adults snore on a regular basis and up to 50% snore occasionally. This comes out to 80 million regularly snoring adults in the United States.
Snoring can be indicative of a more serious health problem called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that can increase your risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. Sleep apnea is defined as a cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more, occurring more than 4 times per hour during sleep.
It is usually characterized by loud snoring sounds interrupted by periods of silence in which no air passes into the lungs. This lack of oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide will alert the person to partially awaken, forcing the airway to open with a loud gasp. This harmful pattern can occur dozens of times per hour, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness and feelings of unrefreshed sleep upon awakening.
Take our brief sleep apnea test and contact a trained dentist near you for more information.
Snoring may be more than a nuisance. The sound you hear when someone snores is a vibration caused by an obstruction of the airway.
The snoring sound comes from the uvula, the back of the tongue or the other soft tissues of the throat flapping as air passes over them when you breathe during sleep.
When you snore, your airway is being partially blocked by the soft tissues in the back of the throat including the tongue and soft palate.
If the obstruction is great enough, it decreases air flow to the lungs, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Prolonged suffering from obstructive sleep apnea often results in higher blood pressure and may cause enlargement of the heart, with higher risks of heart attack and stroke.
Poor night's sleep leads to drowsiness during the day and can interfere with your quality of life and increase risk for car accident.
Airway obstruction caused by snoring blocks you from getting oxygen. When you don't have enough oxygen, the body releases stress hormones. Stress increases insulin resistance and blood sugar.
Sleep apnea can affect your mental well-being, leading to issues from crankiness from a lack of sleep to serious depression.
Many people are so affected by their snoring that they don't have the desire for intimate relations with their spouse. Treatment for sleep disorders can usually get you back into the game.
Blocked airway doesn't allow you to breath at night. Because of lack of oxygen your brain wakes you up temporarily to take a deep breath. The cycle repeats all night long but you may not know about it!
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If you have these symptoms, it is advisable to make an appointment with a doctor.
Timely advice will prevent negative consequences for your health.
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BEIJING, China - A former Chinese banking official accused of amassing a real estate empire of at least 45 properties under multiple fake identities stood trial Tuesday for forgery, state media said, in a case that has revealed privileges of the powerful in China.
The trial opened in Jingbian County People's Court in the northern province of Shaanxi against Gong Ai'ai, a former vice-president of a local rural bank, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Four former government employees also went on trial for their role in the wrongdoing. Calls to the court went unanswered.
Gong denied the charges of forging, buying and selling state identification papers, arguing that all her identification documents were processed by police authorities, state media said. A verdict was expected at a later date. If convicted, Gong would face time in jail.
Gong, who allegedly bought at least 45 properties worth $160 million, came to be known as "Sister House" among the Chinese public and fueled public demands that officials declare their assets. The prosecution against Gong is one of several high-profile anti-graft cases since Xi Jinping became China's leader last fall with calls for renewed efforts to fight corruption.
After the case surfaced earlier this year, people were shocked by the size of Gong's real estate holdings — including 41 properties in the ultra-pricy housing market of Beijing — in a country where an average family struggles to afford one apartment.
They also were alarmed that Gong was able to acquire multiple identities despite China's tightly controlled regulations on identification documents.
Multiple IDs can not only give a person access to additional benefits in areas of housing and education but also can hide one's assets and circumvent property limits in Beijing and other cities that are meant to deter real estate speculation.
Gong's ability to get multiple identifications is central to the case, suggesting corruption among the police who register residences and issue identification cards, as well as highlighting the cozy trade of power for money.
Also on HuffPost


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Did China Just Restart the Space Race?
China just landed on the moon. Is the U.S. losing its edge?
You might have missed it amid all the political folderol and holiday good cheer, but last weekend, China crossed a major milestone when it landed an unmanned spacecraft, the Chang'e 3, on the surface of the moon. Wall-to-wall coverage in the Chinese and global press followed. " China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe amazes world," reads one headline in Xinhua, the state news agency. China's leaders hailed the mission as a " new glory" for the Chinese people.
Never mind that the United States put Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon way back in 1969—the landing of the Chang'e 3 and the deployment of its rover, the Yutu ("Jade Rabbit"), are impressive achievements. And they are one more very visible indication that Beijing is pursuing a modestly paced but ambitious long-term space program aimed at making China a major spacefaring country.
Story Continued Below
China's space ambitions date back to more than two decades ago, when Chinese leaders calculated that becoming a leading player in space would support the country's claim to top geopolitical status. This latest success should come as no surprise; when I first visited Beijing in 2007, China was already talking about its three-stage lunar exploration program, first with an orbiter, which was launched later that year, then with a second orbiter following in 2010. Now come the lander and rover, with a round-trip mission planned for later in this decade, this time to bring back a lunar sample.
China's space success, coupled with recent flights of taikonauts in the Chinese Shenzou spacecraft and announced plans for developing a Chinese space station in the early 2020s, are inevitably raising questions about the comparable status of the U.S. space effort. Is the United States in danger of losing the space leadership it has worked so hard to attain over the past half century? And is China quickly catching up?
As someone who has closely followed U.S. space policy for nearly four decades, my answer to these questions is yes and no, respectively. There are indeed threats to continued U.S. space leadership—but not particularly because of what China is doing in space. The threats come from questions of U.S. political will. The United States is without doubt the current leader in space; the issue is whether it has the determination to maintain that leadership.
After all, just under 18 months ago, NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars, a much more difficult feat than the Chang'e 3 mission by any measure. Curiosity is almost an order of magnitude heavier than Yutu and technologically much more advanced. So if there is a "planetary rover race," the United States is the clear leader. While China talks about a future space station, the United States is the managing partner of the multinational International Space Station, in full operation since 2011 and with six astronauts and cosmonauts in orbit today.
The same holds true in almost every area of space activity—the United States has a clear technological and operational advantage over other countries. It's just not clear America has the determination to sustain that edge. Right now, due to the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, the United States has no independent capacity to transport astronauts to orbit. That gap is being filled by a private sector-led effort called the Commercial Crew Program, which has been funded at such a miserly pace that it will only lead to crew-carrying operations in 2017 or 2018. This is embarrassing, and at this point there is no alternative but to hope that at least one of the three entrants in the program is successful.
Other auspicious efforts are hard to find. While there is talk about extending International Space Station operations past 2020, it will take some significant scientific or other payoffs from research aboard the station to justify the costs. The astrophysics community has set its hopes on the success of the James Webb Space Telescope, now scheduled for a 2018 launch after being years behind schedule and billions over budget. Planetary scientists have exciting plans for missions to Jupiter's moon Europa to explore its ice-covered oceans and for bringing samples of Mars to Earth to learn whether there was once life there. The White House, however, has not supplied the funds needed to carry out these ambitious missions.


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Many areas of the country don't just deal with cold temperatures during the winter, they also have to deal with snow, ice and slush. While some of us may choose to hunker down indoors and enjoy the warmth and comfort of our radiant heat systems, when mother nature brings snow, it must be cleared.
But shoveling snow, even small amounts of it, can be dangerous. In fact, The Wall Street Journal reports a 2011 study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine found that an average of about 11,500 people are treated in U.S. hospitals each year due to injuries and medical emergencies caused by shoveling snow. Common injuries include muscle aches and strains, back injuries and heart attacks. Additionally, the cold weather can put you at risk for hypothermia and frostbite.
"Slips and falls make up one of the biggest reasons we end up seeing people," physical therapist Aaron Swalberg recently told The Deseret News.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce your risk of getting hurt while clearing snow from your driveway, sidewalk and walkway.
Outdoor heating
A driveway heating system is the best way to ensure you won't have to shovel. These products are installed under the driveway, walkway or sidewalk and allow the paving material to absorb heat and melt the snow and ice that falls. The best part is that you can control it from inside!
Approach shoveling as exercise
Shoveling is hard work, and should be proceeded by a warm-up and some stretching.
Know your limitations
If you're out of shape, or have a chronic heart of respiratory condition, you should leave the heavy lifting to someone else. Hire someone to plow or shovel your driveway to help ensure your health.
"If you cannot work out for 20 minutes, you can't shovel snow for 20 minutes and that is just the way to gage it," Charles Emerman, M.D., told Fox News.
Focus on technique
Experts suggest pushing snow rather than lifting it to reduce the risk of getting hurt. The Deseret News reports that the average shovel weighs about 16 pounds when loaded with snow. Shoveling for 10 minutes could account may mean you have shoveled as much as 2,000 pounds.
"Bend your knees, step in the direction that you are shoveling, and don't forget to breathe," advised Phil Campagna, Ph.D. former professor of Kinesiology at Dalhousie University. "You should never feel winded or short of breath. If you do, take a break."
Experts also suggest staying hydrated, dressing in layers and pacing yourself. Removing snow as soon as it has fallen can also help, as fresh snow is the lightest.
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So, I read many different blogs over the course of the week. Some are strictly gluten-free, others are based on healthy living (eating & exercising). I have run across many bloggers making "Overnight Oats" a lot recently and it really piqued my curiousity. I have been in a breakfast rut for quite a while. Eating what is familiar and what I know can get me through the better part of the morning without having to snack. I have been eating 2 brown rice cakes, 2 TBSP peanut butter or Barney Butter, 2 egg whites mixed in with 1 Roma tomato & fresh basil. I also have a couple cups of coffee and sometimes some tomato juice. I eat around 7:00 AM and am hungry by 9:30 AM. I am sure some of this is due to the fact that I go to the gym 5 mornings a week, before breakfast. So, I need something with more staying power. Whole grains are tough to get when you are gluten-free, as so many contain gluten. So, this is one reason the Overnight Oats appealed to me. I have had Lara's GF Oats (Cream Hill Estates) before, but just a small simple bowl topped with berries. I believe I talked about it here. Tina at Carrots N Cake posted not too long ago about Overnight Oats. I decided that today was the day to try them. Last night I readied up my bowl and put it in the fridge. Here is the play by play:
Overnight Oats
1/2 cup oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Certified GF Oats)
1/2 cup milk (could use soy, almond, rice milk or water)
pinch of salt
Cover & stick in fridge overnight. Mine were in for about 12 hours, maybe a little less.
This AM….
Added 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
cinnamon ~ dash
vanilla ~ dash
Cooked for 1 minute, then stirred & covered again. Cooked for another minute, then stirred & covered again. Cooked for 30 seconds more.
Then I topped with 1 TBSP White Chocolate PB and 1 TBSP PB and 1 TBSP Boysenberry preserves.
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. So creamy and all the flavors….WOW! I am going to play with the toppings the next few times. Maybe some walnuts, cocoa or carob powder, chocolate chips, coconut. I also am going to add in some ground flax seed meal next time for the extra fiber boost. Wish I could do fruit….banana would ROCK in this!
BTW, if you find the the mixture to thick after sitting overnight, you can add more milk before micro-waving.
I was full a little over half way through the bowl, but finished it because it was so darn good. I stayed "satisfied" for over 4.5 hours!!! I wasn't really "hungry" for lunch until about 12:30. WOW! Now, today was my day "off" from the gym and I only did yoga this AM, so the real test will be having this to eat after a good workout and how long it holds me over. I don't have anything against eating snacks, and enjoy eating them, but I don't always have time and if I know I have a super busy day, I can eat this instead and not be starving by the time I can get to eat. I am one cranky person when I am hungry.
Sorry I didn't get a picture. It was a big bowl of goop that tasted amazing. One of those "ugly" foods they talk about on Tina's site in the comments.
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