text:
20 Answers & 1 Question With DAN DIDIO 9-14-09
We're back for another 20 Answers and 1 Question with DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio, and your questions really got him talking this time around.Although DiDio couldn't address the questions you were all asking about recent news concerning the creation of DC Entertainment, it was clear that things are business-as-usual at DC, as DiDio discussed everything from the future of second features, to pricing to some specific character concerns.
So without further adieu, we'll turn it over to the DC readers...1) Lost_Daughter wrote:
The Adventure Comics changeover. How did that happen? Was it planned? Will Legion be the stars? Will Levitz continue with Geoff's plans?
Dan DiDio: The change was in the works already before Paul stepped into the mix. And the change started at the moment we decided Francis was going to be the artist on The Flash.
What we're planning to do with The Flash ongoing series, we needed to get Francis and Geoff off the Adventure Comics series so they could concentrate on The Flash ongoing.
So we knew we had a change there. We just weren't sure exactly where and when. And we were going back and forth on which issue it was because Geoff had a really wonderful Superboy story that he wanted to tell that, unfortunately, will have to be pushed to a later date.
But my goal now is to get those guys going on Flash as soon as possible. And then when all the changes started to occur, Paul was our only choice for the series. And to be quite frank with you, before even knowing everything that was taking place, Paul was the person we were thinking about approaching for the series as well, given his association with the Legion, given his association with Adventure Comics, and his love for the title, and his love for those characters. It only made sense for him to be the one to take this and move it to its next incarnation.
Newsarama: There's no doubt that when you think of Paul, you think of Legion of Super-Heroes. But there are Conner Kent fans out there that are wondering - what's going to happen to the Superboy piece of this comic?
DiDio: We're going to see Conner's, probably, gradual leave from that book. But that's not to say Conner won't be joining a team book soon, or appearing in another series of his own at some point.
Nrama: Then as a follow-up to that question, ds69 wrote:
Dan, you now have the GREATEST LSH writer back on the title, you must use an A-list artist. Who will it be?
DiDio: I don't have the artist chosen yet. We have several people in mind. What I really want to do is sit down with Paul to see what his direction, tone and feel is. And to work with him on selecting the proper artist. We want to make sure he's a part of the process as well, in choosing the artist for the book.
But because there are so many things going on now, that's a little on hold for the second. What Paul's been doing is actually getting up to speed on the Legion of Super-Heroes. He's just been going through all the work Geoff has done on the characters lately, as well as James Robinson. And he's looking to build on the foundation we have going right now.
2) RolandGunner wrote:
With Wednesday Comics rapidly coming to a conclusion is there any news about a sequel? WC has been my favorite comic since 52 and I would love to see another edition next year. Also care to share any info on the next weekly? Maybe the creators or characters involved?
DiDio: The next weekly, or I should say the next weeklies, will hit in the second or third quarter of next year. That's when we're planning to launch them. The reason we're holding back on so much information involving anything right now is I'm trying to keep the post-Blackest Night universe under wraps as much as possible at this time.
Both these series that we're talking about, or at least one of the series we're talking right now, weekly-wise, comes directly out of a post-Blackest Night DCU, and therefore I'm trying to be as judicious as possible on the information we give out. And in this case, none at all.
Nrama: I know we've asked about Wednesday Comics before, and the answer is always that if people like it, then it will come back. Do you have a gauge on whether it's got an audience by now?
DiDio: It's a great question because we argue back and forth on this and it's really going to come down to a couple of things. It's going to come down to Mark Chiarello shepherding it through a second time, because realistically, he's so associated with this product that I don't feel comfortable doing a second Wednesday Comics without him.And the second thing too is that we want to go out there and put together a talent pool that equals or betters the one assembled the first time through. And the challenge we're giving ourselves is not to repeat people, but to get a whole new set of creative teams to do a second set of Wednesday Comics.You know what? We were sitting over margaritas the other night discussing this very thing. And we came up with half of a book right off the top of our heads. But until we're able to pull together an issue of Wednesday Comics, it's just a discussion.
But my hope is that we can try to do this again at another time.
3) T Boogie! wrote:
Can you tell us where and when Trinity fits into current continuity (if at all)? Also, can you tell us if or when we'll see any of the characters (Tomorrow Woman, the Dreambound, Konvict, etc) or leftover plot points (the world and the character seen at the end of the last issue) explored again?
DiDio: We will answer the question of the worlds, hopefully, before the year is out. And we're looking at places to use the characters in other places as we speak. We have several events that will be taking place throughout the DC Universe that some of these people will be popping up in. And actually, we're a little hesitant to use any character unless Kurt is involved in those products because he's the one who shepherded some of those characters through, like Konvict.
And as for where the story fits in, I would say somewhere between the end of 52 and the start of Final Crisis.
Nrama: It's interesting that you mention wanting Mark Chiarello being involved with a Wednesday Comics follow-up, and then you talk about preferring that Kurt Busiek be involved with stories following up on Trinity. Sometimes fans get a little frustrated on how long it takes to get some projects rolling. Like the Final Crisis Aftermath stuff, or the Great Ten mini-series. Is that sometimes related to waiting for the creators?
DiDio: What happens is you find yourself with these concepts that certain creators are extremely, extraordinarily passionate about. And they have the belief and understanding on how to make it work. A lot of people could come to you and say, "Yeah, I'm looking for a job, and I could work on character A, B and C," but unless that person who has the most understanding and passion for it is the one behind it, a lot of times, a lot of the more fringe ideas and concepts can fall away very quickly unless the person who's executing it has the clearest understanding of how to make it work.
When I can, I usually hold up and wait for those things. Great Ten was a different situation. We had a couple of creators on board that we were holding the characters for, and that unfortunately did not work out. So when Tony's schedule opened up, we decided to go with Tony. And I'm really glad we did because he's doing some really great things with it.
But in other cases there are certain things I'd wait for people. In some cases, they're not only the best person, but the only person to make that particular idea or character or concept work.
Nrama: Like Grant Morrison on the Multiverse.
DiDio: Yeah. Like the Multiverse. You know what? I almost wish that people could sit in on a conversation with Grant about the multiverse. It's so clear in his mind, what he wants it to be. And the changes are so important, so dramatic, but so subtle, that if not executed properly, it will just feel like more of the same. But executed the way he discusses them can make it feel extraordinarily special. At this point, there's no reason for us to just have more incarnations of our characters floating around in different worlds. We need them to be extraordinarily special. And it's worth the wait for a person like Grant on those things.
Nrama: This is almost like a follow-up, but we'll count it as another question...
4) T Boogie! wrote:
Is the world where Doc Savage is slated to appear part of the 52 or are there now 53 worlds?
DiDio: In reality, we didn't look at it as one of the worlds. But we always had a pulp universe world as one of the 52. So yes, it's one of the 52.
5) dr_anj70 wrote:
How do you reconcile critical acclaim and raw sales numbers? Does a book not selling well but getting good press get more leeway in terms of when the decision gets made to cancel?
More concretely, I think R.E.B.E.L.S. is a great comic and seems to have good buzz but isn't selling very well. I hope that DC gives the book some time to find and cultivate a larger audience.
DiDio: The answer is that we are giving R.E.B.E.L.S. every chance to succeed. The wonderful things about R.E.B.E.L.S. that other books like Jonah Hex do not have, is R.E.B.E.L.S. has the opportunity to cross over into things like Blackest Night. And that's one of the reasons we wanted R.E.B.E.L.S. to be part of Blackest Night. We do believe in the book and I think that people should be reading it. So if this gives us a chance to show people the book, then great, because I don't think they're going to be disappointed.
6) 4thHorseman wrote:
Last year at SDCC there was a mention that some Elseworlds books were already being worked on with Mike Carlin being an editor on them and that they would be released soon (this was last July btw). Were they the Multiversity books that have been discussed in the past or were they something different that we will or will not any longer get?
DiDio: It's a series of Prestige novels that we were creating. We haven't used the Prestige format for awhile, and we were using those stories for off-continuity type stories. One of the first ones out of the gate is going to be a four-part Cary Bates multiverse story featuring Superman, if I'm not mistaken. And I know there might be one or two others in the works right now.
Those books were built primarily because we wanted to work with those creators on those particular stories, without going through trying to build more multiverse worlds.
Nrama: But isn't that what you were doing with All-Star?
DiDio: No, because with All-Star, we were trying to go for a more iconic interpretation of the characters, and this is really where we're twisting the initial concepts of the characters. It's using the base story and then, just like the old Elseworlds used to do, twisting them in a really unique way.
I've said this on several occasions. Where I felt Elseworlds went off track was when it started to become just Batman in the 1800s, Batman in the 1900s, Batman as a British knight, Batman as... well, I can't say caveman anymore. But you know, it just became just slight variations on different time periods.
Here, we want to really explore the lore, the basis of the lore, and then really see what would happen if we changed some of the origin and tell an interesting story with it.
7) darknight11 wrote:
What's going on with Neil Adams's Batman project that he posted on his website?
DiDio: Well, since it's never been officially announced, I can't really say if anything's going on with it.
Nrama: Well, it's on his website!
DiDio: And if I had 80 pages in my drawer of it, right now, I still wouldn't be able to talk about it.
8) darknight11 wrote:
How many members will be on the new JLA team? and..
Lanternfan2814 wrote: I can't remember what convention panel I was reading about, but Ian Sattler had said with respect to the JLA, "you have no idea what we are about to do". Comment? Maybe a new picture with some people that could be joining? Or maybe fill in that one cover with the blacked out people, one every month until James Robinson's League starts?
DiDio: It's interesting, for Justice League, one of the versions everybody seems to refer to is the time when Len Wein was writing the book. That's one of the reasons we just recently went back to Len on the series. Everyone seems to refer to his team as a benchmark, from around Issue #100 to #114. And in those days, what you would have is a team somewhere from 14 to 18 members, but you wouldn't see them all in every issue. You'd see a combination of characters moving in and out depending on the story being told. It wasn't that people were joining or quitting; it was just focusing on who was participating in an event at a particular time.
That's some of what James is going to be doing, so the League seems larger than it has been in the past. It doesn't mean that every single character is going to be in every single issue. But we have expanded the roster to take advantage of former Justice League members, current Titan members, and also characters who will have an important impact on the DC Universe in the very near future. So you really have an interesting mix of characters coming together. And we'll be revealing them slowly over the next few months as we are building toward Mark Bagley and James Robinson taking over the book with Issue #38.
9) marvel_sucker wrote:
Hey Dan. I'm honestly more of a Marvel man, but...
DiDio: Obviously, because of his name.
Nrama: Yeah, but I think you'll like what he says. He wrote:
...the new direction that Superman and Batman have taken is AWESOME! I'm loving every second of it and reading these titles has led to me also getting into the Green Lantern stuff.
Anyhow, I really like the Superman Files one-shot that came out recently. In such a continuity thick comic universe I think this kind of thing is extremely helpful and necessary. Is there any chance that you will be bringing out any more comics these for other titles?
DiDio: We will see a couple more Secret Files in the beginning of next year.
Nrama: Will they be related to Blackest Night? Or are they more related to the ongoing titles?
DiDio: One deals with ongoing titles; one deals with an event.
Didn't anyone ask about Ambush Bug?
Nrama: We honestly only had one person ask about Ambush Bug, I think.
DiDio: I'll give you this one without wasting a question. I got a message directly from someone about Ambush Bug that was hilarious, and so I just want to tell everyone that I wish there was some exciting story about why there is not an Ambush Bug #6, but quite honestly, all the stories that everybody else is coming up with are much better than the truth. So please, keep coming up with your great suggestions on what happens in that book, because you're making me laugh, and Keith as well.
10) t1573 wrote: - are there any plans for Animal Man after his "Last Days" mini?
DiDio: Yes there are. We have a number of team books and a lot of space epic stories, which Animal Man might fit nicely in. That's a character that everybody gets excited about. We'll be seeing more of Animal Man in 2010.
11) Kooster wrote: Legion of 3 Worlds #5 -- Is there a near-future story about how Alan Scott got trapped in Sorcerers World? And can you comment on what George Perez is working on next?
DiDio: There is presently no Alan Scott story that I know about, at least for the moment.
But for George Perez, there's rumors floating around our building that he and Marv are picking up where they left off 20 years ago on the Teen Titans: Games hardcover, original graphic novel. And it sounds like that's something we'd like to see come to completion for a release in 2010.
Nrama: Oh, last time I talked to George about that he had around 50 pages left to draw but didn't know if he'd ever get back to it. It's been a long time coming.
DiDio: It certainly has. But that's why it's still a rumor. We'll believe it when we actually have it in our hands.
12) Pink Peril wrote:
Barbara Gordon hasn't got the best track record for mentoring young heroines. Cassie, Misfit, and now Steph. Will there be any mention of that? Also where is Misfit?
DiDio: Misfit will be seen in the new Batgirl series down the road, if I'm not mistaken. That was one of the discussion we heard in the long-term story plans. As for Barbara's mentoring, I think that's going to be the crux of a lot of what goes on at the early stages in the Batgirl series, as Stephanie takes over the mantle of Batgirl.
Nrama: There are always several people asking about the Birds of Prey characters, but it sounds like we've got more than one showing up in Batgirl?
DiDio: Yeah. We're going to see them in different places. Black Canary is very involved with what's going on in Green Arrow/Black Canary, naturally, and she'll be involved with what's taking place in Justice League of America. Barbara Gordon is front and center in Batgirl. She's a main player in that book.
As for other characters, if there's interest in certain characters, we'll find the right place to do it. But we also want to make sure we have the people with the best sensibilities to tell the stories with those characters. And we want to make sure we put those characters in the best situations for them.
It's about not rushing and putting them in something just because everyone wants to know where they are, but making sure we have real good platform and story before we put them out there.
13) gnarlybole wrote:
We were told, not too long back, that magic in the DCU was in upheaval and going through big changes. How so? ...Is there anything in the works, or are you laying off the spellmakers in favour of spandex?
DiDio: I always prefer spandex over spellmakers, but that's just me personally. But in this particular case, we'll see the reaction to magic once we get into the Zatanna series that Paul Dini's writing. We're also developing a second feature for one of our books right now dealing with some of the younger magic characters.
14) Evil Twin wrote:
In the past you've mentioned that you've always been fond of DC's diversity of material, western, war, horror, etc. And you've backed it up in recent years with revivals of Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock, and Warlord under the DC imprint. However, the DC imprint proper hasn't seen much for new non-superhero material in a while, any thoughts on why that is and what can be done to change it?
DiDio: So obviously that person didn't read Simon Dark, correct?
Nrama: Is Simon Dark still being published?
DiDio: No, but it was just being published last year. We have great challenges introducing new concepts outside the realm of traditional superheroes within the DC Universe. One of the reasons why I go Jonah Hex, Sgt. Rock, and Warlord is they're known entities, so we have one foot up already. To start a brand new Western, to start a brand new war book, or start a brand new sword and sorcery book is very difficult. We have a hard time attracting an audience to characters that don't already have some level of being presold or some kind of awareness.
But my hope is to build a brand from existing characters and maybe one day expand out from there. Right now, I'm trying to keep a foothold in each one of those styles of stories.
Nrama: Is there any chance of something innovative coming up? With Simon Dark, wasn't that because the creator specifically brought something new to the table? Could that happen again?
DiDio: There are several books that we like to take risks on, in regard to creator-owned concepts floating around in the DC Universe. Simon Dark is one of them. The Mighty is another one. We've had a number of things since I've been here, dating back to Monolith. We've tried several interesting things, and we've had a lot of challenges getting that to work. That doesn't mean we'll stop doing it. It just means we'll be judicious in how often we do it.
15) serge0 wrote:
Any news on All Star Wonder Woman?
DiDio: At this time, it's the same message. We're still waiting on the book. It's still with Adam Hughes.
16) KentClark wrote:
Are Michael Green and Mike Johnson off Superman/Batman for good? Do either of them have any future projects with DC? And what is the future of the Superman/Batman series? Will it continue to function out of continuity, or will it be brought into the fold now that Blackest Night is crossing over?
DiDio: We have a Blackest Night crossover taking place. And we have changed teams on the book. Right now, we're putting together other projects for those two as well, because we'd like to have them still involved in the DC Universe for sure. But our plans for Superman/Batman are interesting. Over the next few months, you're going to see Superman/Batman actually reflecting major events of the past of the DC Universe. We're going to be building on other stories, other events, using these characters. So you're going to see an expansion on Superman/Batman's role in the post-"Emperor Joker's" world. So you're going to see effects of "Emperor Joker" in Superman/Batman. As well as "Our Worlds at War". There are going to be events that we're going to be filling out there.
So for folks who had fun and enjoyed these big events of the past, we're going to revisit them in the Superman/Batman book. And expand on the stories of those. And those stories will fit within continuity even more tightly now because they're written with the current DC Universe in mind.
Nrama: Do the stories take place in the past?
DiDio: They take place in the past, in the time period where those events are taking place.
Nrama: But they may tie in to what's going on currently.
DiDio: Exactly.
Nrama: Any idea of creative teams?
DiDio: Absolutely. I have plenty of ideas for creative teams.
Nrama: Any you can share?
DiDio: None whatsoever. [laughs] Not at this moment. I'd like us to get through Blackest Night, and you'll be hearing about this relatively soon. But not at this moment.
Nrama: And this "visiting past events" -- is this a long-term thing?
DiDio: Right now, we have a year's worth of stories figured out for it. I would consider that a long-term plan. And if it succeeds, we'll continue in this fashion. We have a lot of events in the DC Universe that these two characters participated in. So in that case, I want to make sure we expand on those concepts as much as possible.
17) SNW21 wrote: Are there more tie-in issues for Blackest Night in December through February from other DCU titles similar to the DCU titles solicited for November? and...
Emerson_Nickerson wrote: When should we expect to see/hear about the January Event causing the Blackest Night skip?
DiDio: We'll probably talk about the event during the January skip month during the next time we do one of these 20 questions. So anywhere from 2 weeks to a month away.
And you might see a couple more tie-ins after the start of the year, but as the series winds down, the number of books tied into it winds down as well.
18) BKThomson wrote:
In the recently solicited comic Lobo Highway to Hell #1 has a cover price of $6.99. With an unproven writer like Scott Ian and a love him or hate him fan based in Lobo it seems pretty high of a price for consumers to take a chance.
How does a book like this have it's pricing set and will consumers be seeing more $6.99 priced books in the future from D.C?
DiDio: You won't be seeing more $6.99 books. The page count and size and format were the reason for that price point in this particular case. We realized we could not bring this in at any other price point. But because we understand everybody is price sensitive right now, we will shy away from repeating that. It's not someplace we'll be visiting on any level of regularity.
19) SageAdvisor wrote:
What criteria will be used to judge the success or failure of the back-up features now appearing in many of the books? How will you know when one is successful or when one needs to be replaced?
DiDio: We use sales to gauge everything. Right now, sales matter. But we also judge it, in some cases, on whether we feel the second feature is achieving the goals we set for it both creatively and sales-wise. In this particular case, some of them are achieving what I'd hoped they would; some are not. We're looking through our list of second features and we're looking at creating other ones right now that can be what we feel are strong replacements for others if we feel it dropping off. The second features are really built to take advantage of new talent and peripheral characters that would not be able to support their own series. And if we feel certain characters are worthy of this treatment, then we'll put them in the mix. And as we start to develop more of them, we may make replacements where we think it's necessary.
Nrama: If you just completely dropped a second feature, would the price go back down to $2.99?
DiDio: If a second feature is dropped and nothing replaces it, then absolutely, the price would go back to $2.99.
20) CaptainSweatpants wrote:
Dan, do you think the economic indicators support continuing with the big crossovers or the smaller ones? I have really been won over by the Two-For-One approach to the DC books but the $3.99 price point has made it impossible to follow Superman while keeping up with Blackest Night and other DCU titles I am very happy with.
I know the stuff is selling now but it seems to be killing the chances for books like Magog, Vigilante and Booster Gold which I really want to keep buying longer than 12-36 issues.
DiDio: The Superman books are being built so they can be read together. Some of the Batman books are being built so they can be read together. The Blackest Night books are being built that way. But I would feel a little worse if we were saying you had to read 16 Superman books or 20 Batman books every month. But if you look at any publishing line, DC or Marvel or anyone, you always try to build off the successes. And while the Superman stuff is working for us, we'll continue to build on it. Just as, while the Batman stuff is working, we'll build onto that. And in cases like Vigilante and Magog, we hope we're giving them every chance to succeed. I believe in the Magog book. I believe in the Power Girl book. That's a wonderful story. And we're giving it every chance to succeed. We know there are economic pressures on everyone, but we're also trying to mix it up as much as possible and give as many different tastes as possible.
Nrama: One reader, JLAJRC, suggested DC follow the example of Vertigo with Greek Street, when the first issue was a dollar. It may get more people to sample it.
DiDio: The dollar issue is a great example of a way to get someone to sample a book. I can't help thinking that's a Band-Aid, though, because we need the continuing support. But it's something we could discuss. Right now, we put 5-10 pages of issues on our website. We put previews in the back of our issues.
Nrama: I know we're past our 20 answers, but before we get to your question for readers, Jslab425 was curious about what you think of their answers on past questions. Do you read them?
DiDio: Yes! I'm always interested in what they say, and I do read a lot of them. I'm always really pleasantly surprised at the amount of feedback we get from these. And I get emails other places from people giving me feedback.
Last time, when I read through the Blackest Night responses, it was interesting. Obviously, I know where we're going, so I was interested in seeing if we're on the right track with what people want and what the pulse of the fan base is about. And with Blackest Night, I'd say we're pretty damn close to what people are looking for.
But the great thing is when you get those answers, some people just completely catch you off guard, and that's kind of fun too.
Nrama: Okay, then what's your question for them this time?
DiDio: Let's turn it back to you. Would a $1.00 pricing on an initial issue make a difference to you? What else do you see as a way that would encourage you to sample a comic?


text:
Nike+ Kinect Training online service closure
As recently announced, Microsoft and Nike will close the Nike+ Kinect Training service on Xbox 360 on July 21, 2017. After this date, you will still be able to enjoy the Nike+ Kinect Training game locally on your Xbox 360 console but will no longer be able to access certain online features. Previously uploaded workout data may still be available locally on your console, but will not be accessible through the online service after July 21, 2017.
Previously uploaded workout data may still be available locally on your console and on Nike.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why are you closing the Nike+ Kinect Training online service?
A. The online service has reached the end of its lifecycle and we are ending support. While you will be unable to access the service, you will be able to access most of the game's functionality on your local console.
Q. What will happen to the data that I already uploaded to the service?
A. Data uploaded to the Nike+ Kinect Training service is managed by Nike. Visit http://www.nike.com/activity for more details.
Q. I'm actively playing this game. Will it still work?
A. Yes – most of the game will continue to function locally after the service is turned off, and your previously uploaded workout data will still be available locally. Certain online features will not function as expected.
Q. How do I save my workout data to my local console?
A. To automatically save your data locally on your console, sign into Xbox Live on your console and select a location to save before beginning your workout. If you do not sign into Xbox Live first, your progress will not be saved.
Q. What happens if I try to upload data from my game after the service has been turned off, or if I try to start a multiplayer game?
A. If you play the game after the service is closed, you will see a message indicating that the Nike+ online service is offline, with the option to return to the Main Menu. From the Main Menu, you can continue to play or join a session provided that it doesn't require the use of the Nike+ service.
If you do try to access the Nike+ Kinect Training service once closed, you'll see a message indicating that the server is unavailable, with an option to try again later. As the online service has been closed, trying again later will not work, so return to the Main Menu and do not use the Nike+ service.
You will no longer be able to connect with a friend to take part in a multiplayer game – any attempt to launch the "Take on the World" public service will no longer be available, and will result in a "Server Unavailable" error message.
Q. Can I still launch Nike+ Kinect Training and set up a profile?
A. Yes, however you will not be able to link to or create a Nike+ account. Trying to do so will result in a "Service Unavailable" error.
Q. Can I continue to play the game and gather NikeFuel points?
A. NikeFuel will no longer be generated or sync to your Nike+ account. All NikeFuel generated and synced prior to the closure of services will be visible on your Nike+ account. Visit https://www.nike.com/activity to sign in.
Was this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback
Thanks for your feedback!
Provide feedback for this topic
Support resources
Contact Us
Would you like to contact Support regarding the "Nike+ Kinect Training online service closure" issue you were reading about or a different issue?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There have been three editions of Assassin's Creed for PC. Not a one of them released at the same time as the console versions' launch. The closest Ubisoft came was with Revelations, which landed on PC two weeks after it did for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Though Ubisoft told Eurogamer that the PC release date for Assassin's Creed III is still "to be announced," word had it all versions would hit shelves or virtual stores the same day, Oct. 30. Eurogamer on Thursday reported that it will be delayed nearly a month—to Nov. 23 in Europe (which would mean Nov. 20 in North America. Eurogamer cited a "publishing source" and provided a promotional image showing the disparity in release dates.
Joystiq took the bullet and asked Ubisoft what was up in order to receive the obligatory "We do not comment on rumor or speculation," which is sort of a weird reply to this particular matter.
Assassin's Creed 3 PC Delayed [Eurogamer]


text:
Even since we got the Inazuma Antique Gold handles in the store I have been wanting to make a coin purse. There there was just one (big) problem…. the instructions were in Japanese! Usually I pride myself in being able to figure things out from pictures but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make heads or tails of the simple pattern included with the handles. Luckily for me the very talented Mari was willing to help me out. She and her mom translated the pattern and answered my clueless questions.
Once I knew what the pattern was saying the construction of the purse was fun and easy. I can't think of a better quick gift than this fully lined, darling little pouch. I have a feeling I will be making many more! -Molly
The Materials
- One Inazuma Antique Gold Purse Frame #772 (This includes a paper pattern and the paper string you will need.)
- 1/4 yard of lining fabric. I used Shot Cotton in Lemon
- 1/4 yard of exterior fabric. I used Jen's Garden in Black (it's actually more of a dark blue) but it might be a little easier to use a lighter weight fabric.
- One heavy paper bag
- Craft Glue
- A Hera Marker
- A thin knitting needle or awl
- A pair of pliers
These materials will make one 3.5″ X 3.5″ purse. You will have a lot of fabric left over. You could probably six or seven purses out of two quarter yards of fabric.
Above is a picture of the pattern. The littlest piece will be cut out of paper, the piece below that from the lining fabric, and the piece to the right out of the outer fabric. The long dashes represent the fold.
Cut out the pattern pieces.
Cut a rectangle out of the heavy paper bag and fold it in half.
Place the smallest pattern piece on the paper, with it's right hand dashed side lined up with the fold of the paper and trace it. Repeat this once and cut out both pieces.
Iron the lining fabric and fold it in half once.
Pin the lining pattern piece on the fold and cut it out. Repeat this once so you have two lining pieces. As you can see in the picture above I wrote "lining" on the pattern piece so I wouldn't get confused.
Iron and fold the outer fabric and cut two of the outer pattern pieces as you did for the lining pieces.
You should have; 2 paper pieces, 2 lining pieces, and 2 outer fabric pieces.
Gluing and Sewing
Glue a paper piece onto one of the lining pieces along the top only. (My lining fabric doesn't have a wrong side but if your using a print make sure you glue the paper to the wrong side of your lining piece.) Make sure the middle folds and the tops match up well together. Repeat this with the remaining paper and lining piece.
After the glue has dried (it will only take a few minutes) pin both pieces of the lining together, wrong sides out, along the bottom. Using a 1/4″ seam sew this bottom seam. Repeat this for the outer fabric pieces.
Slide the lining inside the outer pieces, wrong sides together.
You will notice that the outer section is larger than the lining. In order to get the outer piece to fit around the lining the outer piece must be pleated.
Line pin together the sides seams of both layers so the notches match up perfectly.
Next, line up the notch you cut from the outer piece to the edge of the paper in the lining and pin it there.
Do that to all four notches and then pin the outside down as neatly as possible to the lining, making a pleat in in the middle of each side. Sew the lining and outer pieces together all the way around along this top seam with a scant 1/8″ seam allowance.
Attaching the Handle
Open up the Inazuma Handle and put glue inside the grooves. Spread the glue around with your Hera Marker so that it's evenly distributed. This is a fairly messy process but the glue cleans up easily and peels right off of the Hera Marker once it's dry.
Now stuff the bag inside the handles using a "poker" (a knitting needle or awl). This it the trickiest part of the whole operation, so be patient. Make sure the pleat is centered on the outside of bag.
Add more glue to the inside rim of the handle and stuff the paper string inside the handle groove using your poker.
Go all the way around the rim in this way. When you get to the end snip your paper string and stuff the end in.
Now, using a pair of pliers, pinch the rim of the handle tightly all the way around to keep the paper string and fabric in. Don't put the pliers directly on the metal handle, use a piece of scrap cloth in-between as shown above.
Once you've crimped it shut you're all done! Next time I think I would use a thinner outer fabric since it was pretty hard to stuff everything into the handle. But over all I'm really happy with my little purse!


text:
Just did a new install of ATA 3.5.3 on a new install of WP version 3.01; no plugins uploaded yet, just some basic styling.
I created my first page, hit publish, and it didn't appear on the site menu; I went to page menu/edit page, and almost all of the page editor is missing. Mostyl a blank white page with the "publish" and "attributes" boxes on the right, and a big blank area where the editing screens should be.
Switching to the default theme fixed the problem - it's only doing this with ATA.
I searched the forum for "page editor", etc - haven't found a thread - anyone encountered this before? Thanks!


text:
Posted 9 years ago
(41 items)
This weekend, I attended the Gatsby Summer Afternoon, hosted by the Art Deco Society of California. The idea is to re-create an elegant afternoon 1920s party like the ones Jay Gatsby would host in F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel. Everything at the party, from the clothing to the cars, had to look or feel like the time between 1920 and the '40s pre-World War II.
Can anyone help me out with identifying these silver and glassware patterns? What about this suitcase?


text:
Life is like riding a bicycle.
To keep your balance you must keep moving.
We would like to inform you that from June 9, 2014, we are shutting down our services of Workgoal.com. However, we will continue to provide support to our existing customers. We take this opportunity to thank all of our customers, partners and developers who have been part of this incredible journey. While it's never so easy to say goodbye, we are eager to move towards our next set of exciting developments happening at DCKAP.
Keep a close watch on www.dckap.com for interesting updates.
Please reach us at firstname.lastname@example.com / 1-877-872-3252, in case you need any assistance.


text:
Gerard graces the cover for Signature LA Direct Magazine with some great pictures and a new interview:
More photos from the Glasgow premiere of Law Abiding Citizen have been added to the gallery:
BBC VIDEO FROM PREMIERE (click image to view)
The explosive, action-packed, thriller LAW ABIDING CITIZEN opens everywhere on November 27th , but we've teamed up with Momentum Pictures to give you the chance to see it first and for free. SEE IT TONIGHT!!!
To claim your free tickets, log onto www.momentumscreenings.co.uk and follow the on-screen instructions by entering your details and the promotional code ODSMP5
Select your chosen cinema and if tickets are available you will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. Please print the confirmation email out and take it along with you to the screening. Screenings will take place at (time and date) nationwide. Tickets are allocated on a first come first served basis, so be quick to avoid disappointment!
The screenings are in Vue cinemas: Shepherd's Bush, Birkenhead, Manchester Lowery, Birmingham, Croydon Grants, Greenwich, Cardiff, Inverness, Aberdeen, Cambridge, North Finchley, Leeds, Kirkstall, Newcastle Under Lyne, Watford, Camberley, Leicester, Northampton, Reading, Staines, Sheffield, Bristol Cribbs Causeway, Edinburgh Ocean, York, Portsmouth and Cheshire Oaks
Gerard will be on Scott Mills' show on BBC Radio 1 this afternoon (4:00pm UK time, 11:00am Eastern US time). Click here to listen live…


text:
Wildlife lovers are being urged to help safeguard one of Northern Ireland's most endangered birds, by getting involved in Ulster Wildlife's annual survey of barn owls this summer.
Over 70 volunteers have taken part in the annual survey, which started in 2014.
The barn owl is one of our most cherished species, but is sadly under serious threat as a result of habitat loss and rodenticide use. It is now thought there are less than 30 to 50 breeding pairs left here.Conor McKinney, Living Landscapes Manager, Ulster Wildlife
Volunteers are needed to record sightings of this iconic farmland bird, check historic and potential nest sites for signs of activity, liaise with landowners to gather information, and raise public awareness of the barn owl's plight.
A series of workshops are being held in Craigavon, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Randalstown, Coleraine, Downpatrick and Bangor, throughout May and June, for anyone interested in taking part.
All training and equipment will be provided.
Conor McKinney, Living Landscapes Manager with Ulster Wildlife said: "The barn owl is one of our most cherished species, but is sadly under serious threat as a result of habitat loss and rodenticide use. It is now thought there are less than 30 to 50 breeding pairs left here.
"Volunteers play a crucial role in helping us to track down these elusive birds and monitor year on year trends in the barn owl population.
"We had a fantastic response to the survey over the last two years and the data collected enables us to target our conservation work to help barn owls thrive.
"We would also encourage people to watch out for barn owls and report any signs or sightings to help with wider survey efforts."
To find out more about the barn owl survey workshops or to report a barn owl sighting, visit www.ulsterwildlife.org/barnowl or email email@example.com.
This initiative is supported by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.


text: Prospects Men lose at Surrey United June 3, 200812:00AM PDT Previous Next Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects Men suffered their second straight defeat to Surrey United after a 3-1 setback on Tuesday evening. Cloverdale Athletic Park was the venue for this midweek Pacific Coast Soccer League Premier Division encounter, with Bart Choufour's youngsters looking to finally get in the win column this season. With Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson in attendance, the Whitecaps applied lots of high pressure on the undefeated PCSL leaders, with the Prospects playing in a 4-3-3 formation. Despite showing lots of energy with their style of play, it was home side Surrey that took the lead midway through the first half, as Whitecaps goalkeeper Michael Branion-Calles failed to deal with a cross into the Prospects box. The loose ball fell for United's Rizal Ganief to tap home for 1-0. Ganief then struck his second goal of the game moments later, as he hit a first-time strike past Branion-Calles following a Surrey cross from the right, as United took a two-goal lead into the halftime break. Following some encouraging words from Choufour and Thordarson to the young Whitecaps players, the Prospects were the far better side in the second half. Their higher tempo of play resulted in as many as 10 corners being award to the visitors, while Harry Lakhan had the pick of the Whitecaps opportunities, but his well-struck effort brought an equally fine save from the United goalkeeper. Though the Prospects had much of the play after the restart, Surrey remained a threat on the counter-attack. It was from such a sequence that United ensured a seventh straight win of the season with a third goal - courtesy of Lucas Barrett. Though a result was out of reach at this stage, the Whitecaps scored a consolation goal with ten minutes remaining, as Ben Hemphill converted Flo Liu's cross from the right at close range. Defeat drops the Whitecaps to a record of 0-6-0 in the PCSL Premier Division. Next up for Choufour's young side is an away encounter with Khalsa Sporting Club on Sunday afternoon. Surrey United, meanwhile, face a top of the table clash on Vancouver Island, as they visit Victoria United at Royal Athletic Park on Sunday. Whitecaps Prospects Men - starting line-up v Surrey United Michael Branion-Calles; Ashley Ankiewicz, Branden McLean, Ben Hemphill, Flo Liu; Lawrence Buchan, Riley Newport, Nat Blaiklock; Gavin Barrett, Ian Clark, Jordan Casoli Subs used: Coady Nett, Jordan Whitehead, Harry Lakhan, Milad Mehrabi Previous Next


text:
Photo: Getty Images
Adele choked up as she accepted the Oscar for Best Song. But if Anne Hathaway earned a statue for her single-shot singing in Les Miserables, then perhaps Adele should have also been in contention for her performance on Sunday. The British crooner said during the red-carpet pre-show that her dress weighs 15 kilograms — or 33 pounds.
The dress was so heavy Adele confessed that she had trouble taking deep breaths while rehearsing her performance. You couldn't tell though.


text:
Soleflex Flexi Sandals
Was £14.00
We're sorry but this item is not in stock.
- Product Information
Designed to keep your feet cool and comfortable, these timeless sandals are perfect for all-day wear. Constructed with a clever flexi outsole, which features a cleated appearance to ensure a sturdy grip, the sandals are finished with white and silver straps and an adjustable buckle fastening.
The Soleflex footwear range has been carefully constructed to deliver all day comfort, performance and value without compromising on quality and design. Each shoe features cushioned and breathable insocks, together with flexible and durable outsoles for premium comfort.Additional DetailsAll Other.CareN/A.Product IDS2712476_C359
- Ratings & Reviews
- Delivery & Returns
Click & Collect: FREE
Your order will arrive in store within 3-5 working days. Use our Store Finder to locate your nearest Matalan.
Next Day Click & Collect:£1.99
Order before 4pm Monday-Friday to collect your item(s) on the next working day. Any orders placed after 4pm on Friday will arrive in store on Tuesday.
Standard Home Delivery: £3.95 or FREE on orders over £50
Your order will arrive within 5 working days. Deliveries are made between Monday-Friday.
Next Working Day Home Delivery: £4.95
Order before 4pm Monday-Friday for home delivery on the next working day. Any orders placed after 4pm on Friday will be delivered on Tuesday. Please note our Next Working Day Home Delivery service is not available on selected items due to their size or weight. Details of exclusions can be found on our dedicated delivery page.
For your peace of mind, we offer a 14 day returns policy.
In store: FREE
By post: A delivery charge is applicable.Delivery Information Returns Information
- Share This Item


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Your shopping cart is empty!
We've been mad about Retro Sweets & Old Fashioned Candy, traditional sweet hampers & gorgeous gift boxes stuffed with your favourite sweets & chocolate ever since we launched way back in 2004.
We love nothing better than preparing and shipping out a quarter of your favourite candy, knowing that the little package of sweetness is going to make someones day. We hope you enjoy browsing our site and that you find something that tickles your fancy - if you can't find what you are looking for please get in touch - we'd love to hear from you.


text:
Learn how to play the improve game charades at your next party in this free video that will keep your party guests entertained and thinking on their feet.
Teri Lynne has been teaching Drama for 7 years for both private and public schools. She often uses "games" with her students as theater exercises. She has co-authored an acting book called The Actor's Vision Workbook.


text:
From Legacy Moment (04/26/2013).
Please join us for future issues,
delivered via email each Friday.
Well, it's permanent until they can change it. The estate tax, that is...
There was a collective sigh of relief, if not surprise, in January when the estate tax exclusion and the gift tax exemption amounts remained at $5 million. In the same measure, the estate tax was permanently set at only 40% in the beginning of 2013. Although not a perfect solution, the law allows farm families to plan for succession, anticipate the effects of the estate tax and create plans to eliminate or mitigate this onerous obligation.
But that was then. President Barack Obama's budget proposal for 2014 now seeks to use the estate tax to raise revenue by increasing the tax rate from 40% to 45%, lowering the exemption amount to $3.5 million and eliminating the inflation index, which currently applies to the exemption/exclusion amounts. Beyond that, the administration's proposal will eliminate other estate or value freeze strategies, ensuring that an assets appreciation will be subject to tax.
Keep in mind that any changes to the estate tax are only proposals at this point. It's prudent to focus on what a farm owner should do to ward off the negative effects of the tax, such as:
1. Commit to planning. Nobody wants to give Uncle Sam any more than is necessary. With enough time and some compromise, a family can minimize or eliminate an estate tax obligation.
2. Be open to options. Each situation is unique. Like matching puzzle pieces, the tools and techniques used in succession planning, especially as it applies to estate tax strategies, are not always off-the-shelf.
3. Remain flexible. Nothing is "once and done." Estate tax law will change; so will your family, your farm, the economy, commodity markets, etc. Annual reviews and continuous improvements are part of a comprehensive planning process.
4. Involve others. Through our respective communities, we have access to many other people, such as family farmers, professional advisers and subject matter experts. Learn from their experience; it might save you time and money.
5. Start now. Too many people might think, "I'll wait until [some triggering event: fill in the blank]." Or, "I'm too young." Or, "It might cost too much money." Or, "They're not ready yet." Or, any other excuse a person might gin up to postpone planning.
News & Resources for You:
Read full article: 2014 Fiscal Year Estate Tax Proposals (WealthManagement.com; 04-22-2013; Miles C. Padgett and Donald D. Kozusko).
Remember: Estate planning is just one component of a comprehensive succession plan.
eLegacyConnect complements the Farm Journal Legacy Project. Have you taken a look?


text:
Menswear includes formal wear sales and rentals, gothic, renaissance, retro 1940's-1980's, rock-n-roll, rockabilly, & Hawaiian.
Women can find the same as well as vintage originals and reproductions from all eras, wigs in many styles & colors, rhinestone jewelry & tiaras, and so much more.
We carry quality fine lines from Stop Staring!, Rock Steady, Pin Up Girl, Bettie Page, Trashy Diva, Esther Williams Swimwear, Burleska, Lip Service, Shrine, Funhouse, Da Vinci, Scully & Rockmount Westerns, & Leg Avenue, to name just a few...
We hope to have something for everyone and with nearly 30 years of experience in costuming and vintage clothing, let us help you!
Please call for seasonal hours.


text:
Druids in WoW tend to:
- Be versatile and adaptable
- Be protective of their comrades
- Be sturdy, dedicated, and determined
- Connect to nature (night elves and tauren alike)
- Be close to and understanding of wildlife and flora
- Seek to emulate the traits of various aspects of nature
- Be willing to teach others of their class how to improve
- Be adaptable
- Be dedicated and determined
- Protect those that are in my care
- Play mother to those that need it
- Guide them into their own independence
- Understand and connect to nature, even the parts that are feared
- Help others to do the same
Though I was a Scout and Camp Counselor before WoW was released, I can't help but take what lessons my druid has taught me and apply them to my work at scout camps. The protective power of the bear, the nurturing and steady limbs of the tree, the seed of rebirth hidden to start life anew, the freedom of the wings of a bird, the joy of just running in the breeze and the sun, and... yes, the nighttime prowly stealth of a panther! I just giggle a bit that at least I don't have to wear "moonscreen" at night to protect from moonfire; it's hard enough remembering when I last put on enough sunscreen (and my arm is still red in painful testiment to my forgetfulness!).
Does my druid fear the night, to walk the paths in only the light of the stars, or is she unwilling to stand drenched in the rain and just laugh about it? Would she not be able to handle 80 screaming kids after raiding through 40-mans, 25's, etc, or just reading through the slosh that is trade chat? Would she not know the value of selflessly helping another, after all of the times that I would stop and heal another, or invite an unknown, lowbie druid to my group to run them on my mammoth over to the saftey of the next flight path in a zone that is way past their ability level? Does she not feel a kinship to fellow druids that crosses boundaries of race and faction, just as a Scout should?
I don't know what parts are just me and what parts are true among most other druids, but this may be why I love my druid so much. She reminds me of my youth in the mountains and rivers, finding family amid strangers, and finding a home among trees. She reminds me to never let that go and that I should continue to share what I've learned with others, so that they too may learn how to love the natural world.
~~ As a note, we're already beginning our plans for the camp next year, where we plan to expand to a week and add more activities! ~~


text:
London Meeting Rooms and Conference Venue
With so many venues in London, there's no excuse for not finding one that's perfect for you. Here at W12 Conferences you'll find a West London conference venue that offers the right combination of everything you need.
View our conference facilities check out our amazing value day delegate rates
Or view our 360 Virtual tour of our popular meeting rooms.
You'll find the flexible conference facilities, qualified and experienced administration team, and the modern, fully equipped environment where great plans and ideas can find their wings – and all just minutes from London's Underground system, close to the arterial A40 and just a few miles from Heathrow Airport.
Our London meeting rooms has been designed specifically for the needs of delegates from the UK and around the world. With 11 comfortable, fully equipped training rooms (many can be combined), and associated breakout and catering facilities, you can plan anything from one-to-one IT training to an international conference with confidence.
Check out our current promotions for great offers at W12 Conferences.
Event management – the positive approach
And of course, for the ultimate in tailored events in the UK or abroad, there's our bespoke event management service – a committed team and every aspect of your event managed with flair, precision and a smile.


text:
This is a tutorial on how to draw a couple of chibi people! You can clothe and personalize them however you wish, and even make one that looks just like you! I modeled the girl after myself. I hope you enjoy this tutorial on "how to draw a chibi person"!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
|Williamsport News 17NOV1949
"Mrs. Bronsavage Faints On Stand In Murder Trial
WILKES-BARRE (AP) - Mrs. Helen E. Bronsavage of West Hazleton fainted Wednesday during her trial on charges of murdering her common-law-husband, Louis Broton.
The 39-year-old woman told the jury Broton beat her "unmercifully" the night before he died from a shotgun blast.
She related how she went to his room and saw a gun beside him. She said he was asleep and she reached for the gun. But then he took hold of it and it went off, killing Broton, Mrs. Bronsavage testified."
Now it sounds a bit more like Roxy Hart Chicago style drama.
As I mentioned last Thriller Thursday, Mrs. Bronsavage is my great-uncle, Anthony Bronsavage's, wife. I don't know exactly when they were married (not my direct line so I didn't shell out the $$ for the record, but this is all pretty interesting so I may have to do that). Sadly, I have discovered since last Thriller Thursday the court records were lost in the flood brought on in 1972 by Hurricane Agnes, and that the courts at that time didn't keep the minutes from the trials.
So Helen is on trial for murder. The man she murdered is referred to as her "common-law-husband". Hmm...I'll have to check into that one since I was fairly certain that she needed to be divorced before that reference could be used. Perhaps it was just easier than to call her a trampy chick that was sleazing about, living with another man while married...anyway, outcome of the trial:
|The Gettysburg Times, 18NOV1949
"Acquit Woman in Murder Case
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Nov. 18 (AP) - Mrs Helen Bronsavage, 39, was acquitted last night in the shot-gun slaying of her common-law husband Louis Broton, 34, in a two-room cabin on the outskirts of Freeland.
A jury of nine women and three men brought in the verdict after receiving the case from Judge Thomas M Lewis shortly after noon.
The commonwealth sought a first degree murder verdict District Attorney Leon Schwartz built the state's case largely on five statements which police claimed Mrs Bronsavage made shortly after Broton was found dead last May 1.
Broton's skull had been shattered by a blast from a shotgun which lay near him in the shack.
Mrs Bronsavage said on the witness stand that Broton beat her "unmercifully" the night before he was slain.
She said she went to Broton's room and saw a gun beside him. She testified Broton was asleep but as she reached for the gun he awakened and took hold of the weapon."
Seriously, I'm waiting to hear Richard Gere sing, "We Both Reached For The Gun"! I'm a bit suspicious of the number of women on the jury as well. I mean 3/4 of the jury was women who would be more empathic to an abusive partner. In my opinion she quite literally got away with murder. Not saying that she wasn't abused, but she's no angel either, which I will touch on in next week's conclusion, because as the title implies, "Some people just can't be good"...and she wasn't...TO BE CONTINUED...


text:
Reviewed by Amanda N. (age 9)
The pictures in this story are black and white and look like they were outlined in pencil and painted in gray, black, and white. I like the pictures in this book because they are not too bright and they look nice. I think that the illustrator is very artistic and draws what is happening in the story. The colors in the story make me feel a little sad because they are black and white ? kind of like, as if I?m dreaming.
I think this is an amazing story. I would recommend this book to kind, loving 8 and 9 year olds because it would teach them that they are never alone and that there are always people with them, they just don?t see them. Whoever likes stories about dreams will enjoy this book. My favorite part was when the little girl?s granddad grew ten mango trees with one seed because that is impossible. I think that part is amazing.
The characters in this story are kind and look like very nice people. I like the way the author made the story because she put a lot of details and information. I think the author is a great storyteller and describes the story by making accents in the story and proper English. I hope that the people that read this story enjoy it.


text:
- About SPU
- Mission, Core Themes, and Vision
- Our History
- Statement of Faith
- Seattle & Pacific Northwest
- The Campus
- SPU Facts
- University Leadership
- Press Room
- Concordia students – Seattle Pacific is here for you.
- News
- Events
Year in Review
- 2018–19 Year in Review Home
- 2017-18
- Year in Review Home
- Year in Review Home
- Year in Review Home
- Home
- Community Resources
- SPU Home
- About SPU
About Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a place where 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students gain a superb education grounded on the gospel of Jesus Christ — and the tools to influence the world for good. Outstanding scholarship and thoughtful faith is a powerful combination that brings about change in the lives of graduates, and in the people and communities they go on to serve.
Mission & Core Themes
SPU's mission is to engage the culture and change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our core themes tell how.
Our History
Now 125 years old, SPU was founded by Free Methodist pioneers in 1891. Today our graduates live and work around the globe.
Seattle & Pacific NW
Seattle is one of the most vibrant cities in the U.S. It's a center of urban opportunity located in the midst of natural wonders.
The Campus
Nestled in the peaceful residential neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill, SPU is just 10 minutes from the heart of downtown Seattle.
Our Core Themes
Seattle Pacific University's adopted three core themes to guide us in the coming years — regarding academics, student experience, identity and purpose, resources, and operations.


text:
College hockey conference realignment
Conference expansion is on its way, folks. Because of the looming demise of College Hockey America, don't be surprised if the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the Atlantic Hockey Association go from 10 to 12 teams, with Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha joining the WCHA and Robert Morris and Niagara going to the AHA.
This isn't just opinon. In true blog form, I can't divulge my sources at this time because things are too political — which is why this issue won't make the paper right now — but this is what is being discussed by conference commissioners. And it makes sense.
CHA currently has Robert Morris, Alabama-Huntsville, Niagara and Bemidji State. It's a joke, because the four-team conference gets an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament for its playoff champion, and judging from history, teams in other conferences with far better numbers in the Pairwise Rankings get left out. That's going to change.
Robert Morris and Niagara have applied for entrance to the AHA. If they are accepted, the AHA will go from 10 to 12 teams.
What we need next — and this is the big one — is for Nebraska-Omaha to apply to the WCHA, and get accepted along with Bemidji State, which previously applied and is a terrific fit. UNO, which currently plays in the CCHA, will be replaced by Alabama-Huntsville.
UNO is a natural fit for the WCHA, with strong state rivalries with Colorado and Minnesota. Alabama-Huntsville isn't a fit for anyone, but … if UAH goes to the CCHA, we would have five conferences with a near equal amount of teams.
The WCHA, CCHA, AHA and ECAC would have 12 teams, and Hockey East 10. Under this plan, there would be five automatic bids to the 16-team national tournament for winning conference titles, leaving 11 at-large berths based solely on the NCAA's version of the Pairwise.
From a Colorado standpoint, I have an alternative scenerio, and this might be easier to get done: upstart Air Force joins the WCHA along with Bemidji State, UNO stays in the CCHA and Alabama-Huntsville replaces AF in the AHA.
Problem is, Air Force can't sign Canadians or Europeans, which might make life in the WCHA extremely difficult, and the Cadet Ice Arena is the kind of venue the WCHA is getting away from. Also, Air Force wouldn't be the kind of revenue team the WCHA seeks, unless the program commits to building a new arena or expands its current barn.
But make no mistake, the Falcons have potential. They are flying these days, proving time and again they can compete with the big boys. And certainly, Air Force's recruiting landscape would grow, and Colorado Springs is a hockey hotbed.


text:
SKF Client Needs Analysis for Food and Beverage Production
Conducted between key members of your organization and SKF, the Client Needs
Analysis begins with a 40-question assessment that provides a snapshot of your beverage and food production plant's maintenance situation. SKF considers several other industry-specific maintenance and reliability benchmarks, to create a unique, needs-based analysis. Once you know how your reliability maintenance processes are currently working, we can together devise a roadmap to meet your foremost challenges.
SKF Client Needs Analysis for Food and Beverage Production (CNA-AM) combines our experience in reliability-focused maintenance and our knowledge of Food and Beverage Industry conditions to provide useful and actionable information for identifying credible opportunity targets for improving your plant's performance.
CNA-AM is directly aligned with the main facets of the Asset Efficiency Optimization (AEO) work management process, which enables a beverage or food plant to produce the same amount for less cost, or to produce more for the same costs. Our asset management through the AEO process provides the basis for applying knowledge, improved practices, and wise deployment of technology to achieve the greatest return on investment.


text:
As noted by Ball Don't Lie, this isn't new—White Chocolate pulled off this perfect bounce-alley-oop in an exhibition game in Taiwan back in June. Doesn't matter. Still ludicrous.
That's streetball legend Anthony "Africa" Pimble on the finish, but this one's all about Jason Williams, two years removed from the NBA, but still finding new ways to make opponents look foolish.


text:
I went through the memberlist at the FW forum and found these rankings. I would like to re-use the same in this forum, just for fun. Can anyone assist with more details?
0..21 = Junior Member
34..93 = Member
99 = eidolon (Note: I have no idea what this is, but user dxtr has this rank.
117 = Reader of FAQs
126 = Despot in Training
132 = Senior Member
219 = Touchpad Fanatic
474 = TS Zealot
(542 = Administrator) (this doesn't count as a rank but I wanted to include it for the sake of completeness.)


text:
Washington (CNN) – One month since December's deadly shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, a new poll shows the percentage of Americans who say they're dissatisfied with America's gun laws has spiked.
The Gallup survey released Monday showed 38% of Americans are dissatisfied with current gun regulations, and want stricter laws put in place. That's a thirteen point jump from one year ago, when 25% expressed that view.
While women were more likely to say they were in favor of stricter gun laws, the change in attitude from 2012 was more apparent in men – the figure jumped seventeen points among men, and ten points among women.
Expectedly, a partisan divide was also evident. Only 18% of Republicans favor tighter gun control laws, a 12 point increase from last year. Sixty-four percent of Democrats (up 22 points from 2012) want more restrictive gun laws.
A plurality of respondents – 43% - remained satisfied with current laws, though that figure was down seven points from the 2012 poll. Another 5% said they were dissatisfied with current laws and wanted regulations that were less strict.
On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden – who has led a White House task force charged with finding ways to reduce gun violence – will present his proposals to President Barack Obama. One of the measures he's expected to put forward is a reinstatement of an assault weapons ban.
On Monday Biden meets with members of a House Democratic task force on guns, along with Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services.
Monday's Gallup poll was conducted by telephone between January 7-10 from 1,011 adults. The sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Stop the madness! 30,000 gun related deaths and over 8,000 homicides due to gun shots each year. This is a disgrace when compared to other highly developed industrialized democratic nations like Japan, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, and Norway.
Less than forty percent want stricter gun control laws? That's still not the majority, and I would wager a good guess that a significant portion of our society has never spent more than five minutes in the federalist papers or examining the reasoning behind the second amendment. Maybe we should call for stricter drone control laws, since we've killed over 100 children overseas (3 -4x as many as Sandy Hook) as "collateral" damage. Does a child overseas matter less than a child here?
More gun laws for what? Bad people break laws. thay could care less about a new gun law. When they fill like breaking into my home and hurting my family,guess what? That new gun law wont stop them. But guess what? My 38snub will.
Some of these survivalist bunker heads remind of Klingons.
How about congress actually doing there jobs n allowing appoints 4 directors 4 ATF, medicare and hundreds of other seats 2 get filled. GOP has always half a'&ed the govt and how its ran. Then they cry govt doesnt work but only b cuz they dont want it 2. As long as they make it look inefficiate then govt gets the blame and not the party. I hope country is now seeing that!
There was a more interesting statistic on NPR this morning. It reported that a gun in the home is 43 times more likely to be used on the owner or a family member than on an intruder. All those weapons packed away in homes as security are in fact killing the very people who live in those homes through suicide and murder. Ironic, no?
So, given that fact, what will happen in schools when the NRA gets its way and we put armed guards in every one of them? More, not less children, will get killed in school.
The same people that say we can never get rid of all the murder weapons also tell us we CAN deport 12 million illegal aliens. But remember: Australia has gotten rid of them, and the gun crime rate has fallen dramatically. Is the US somehow less than Australia?
Any one who has brain backs for GUN-CONTROL LAW. NRA is bunch of idiots sold out to gun lobby and gun companies that greedily make 12 billion dollars a year. Democracy raise your voice. All say "Audi alterum partum". Right of being heard. God bless!!!


text:
Orthopedic Center Clinician Resources
Established in 1903, the Orthopedic Center at Boston Children's Hospital is one of the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary programs in the nation for the care of children and young adults with a wide range of developmental, congenital, neuromuscular and post traumatic conditions of the musculoskeletal system.
With over 96,000 outpatient visits and 6,000 surgical procedures per year, Boston Children's Orthopedic Center leads the nation in the care and treatment of children and young adults with a wide variety of orthopedic conditions.
Our Orthopedic Team Includes
• 27 orthopedic surgeons
• 13 primary care sports medicine physicians
• 1 orthopedists
• 2 sports medicine psychologists
• 2 podiatrists
• 3 physiatrists
• 1 nutritionist
• 11 residents and fellows
• 13 physician assistants
• 12 nurse practitioners
• 10 RNs
• 3 athletic trainers
• a full team of physician/occupational therapists, brace and cast technicians
If you are a pediatrician or general practitioner who would like to refer a patient with an orthopedic condition to Boston Children's Hospital for an appointment or second opinion, please call 617-355-6021.
Resources For Health Professionals Include
Orthopedic training
Ongoing orthopedic research
Orthopedic speaker's bureau
Find a clinical trial
Orthopedic Center Programs
Orthopedic Urgent Care Clinic
A daily clinic staffed by mid-level providers who are dedicated to seeing children with injuries and musculoskeletal problems that require prompt evaluation and care.
Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Program
Combining the expertise of Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to provide medical and surgical care for children and adolescents with benign or malignant bone and soft tissue tumors.
Brachial Plexus Program
Provides comprehensive care for children with acute and chronic brachial plexus palsies.
Cerebral Palsy Program
Provides interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment of children with a variety of neuromuscular conditions, including static encephalopathy, progressive neuromuscular conditions and congenital anomalies.
Child and Adult Hip Preservation Program
Offers internationally recognized expertise for treating hip disorders in children, adolescents, and adults.
General Orthopedic Program
Nationally known as the preeminent center for the care of children and young adults with a wide range of developmental, congenital, neuromuscular and post-traumatic problems of the musculoskeletal system.
Hand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program
Provides comprehensive care to infants, children and young adults with a wide range of congenital, neuromuscular, sports related, traumatic and post-traumatic hand and upper extremity problems.
Lower Extremity Program
Offers comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, non-operative and operative management of complex disorders of the lower extremities.
Myelodysplasia (Spina Bifida) Program
One of the oldest and largest comprehensive, interdisciplinary centers for the care of children with spina bifida in the country. Scheduling: 617-355-7641.
Orthopedic Trauma Program
The Orthopedic Center works closely with the Trauma Program to provide coordinated care for children with musculoskeletal injuries.
Skeletal Growth Disorders Program
Provides an interdisciplinary approach to the medical and surgical management and care of children and young adults with skeletal growth disorders.
Spinal Program
Provides diagnosis, non-operative and surgical treatment of complex and routine spinal deformities and conditions.
Sports Medicine
Provides comprehensive assessment, treatment and follow-up care to children, adolescents and young adults with sports-related orthopedic injuries. Scheduling: 617-355-3501.


text:
Piano Adventures
(Level 2A)Nancy & Randall Faber - Faber Piano Adventures
Piano Adventures
(Level 2A)Nancy & Randall Faber - Faber Piano Adventures
Click to review
Level 2A follows Level 1 and continues an intervallic orientation to reading with a musically appealing multi-key approach. Here the student learns the major and minor 5-finger patterns in C, G, D, and A - not so many as to overwhelm the student's reading or to become tedious, but enough to grasp transposition and basic chord recognition. Eighth notes, transposition, the phrase, half and whole steps, D and A positions, and minor 5-finger positions are all covered. Minor is included this early to tantalize the ear and to offer additional appealing sounds.
Select a Product
My Library
Powered by Rating-System.com


text:
Ryan Costello
Barry Goldwater High Class of 2010
Memories of Ryan Costello
Are you Ryan Costello?
This page means someone is someone is looking for you. Register for free to let other alumni contact you and more:
- Let others find you
- Contact old friends
- Share photos and memories with other registered alumni
Looking for Ryan Costello?
This is a placeholder page for Ryan Costello, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Ryan Costello.
About placeholder profiles
You are visiting the placeholder page for Ryan Costello. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Ryan Costello. We created this page automatically in hopes Ryan Costello would find it. If you are not Ryan Costello, but are an alumni of Barry Goldwater High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
Marissa Gedman scored the game-tying goal against the Bobcats Saturday (Gil Talbot).
Video Highlights: Harvard at Quinnipiac Jan. 7, 2012
HAMDEN, Conn. – Down a pair of goals at the start of the third period, the No. 8/10 Harvard women's hockey team drew even with Quinnipiac on a power-play strike from Marissa Gedman as the Crimson skated away from the TD Bank Sports Center with a 3-3 tie Saturday afternoon. The result is Harvard's first tie of the season, and comes against the first-place team in the ECAC standings.
The Crimson (9-5-1, 6-3-1) dug deep in the third period, facing a two-goal deficit with 20 minutes to play. Harvard found its first quickly, getting to within one just 3:41 into the frame. Jillian Dempsey powered the puck up the ice, drawing multiple defenders, and a soft pass towards the front of the net was touched in by Lyndsey Fry to push the score to 3-2.
While the Harvard power play looked poised through the contest, it had not been able to produce a goal through the first two periods. Just before the halfway mark of the third, the special teams unit finally struck to knot the game at 3-3. Fry carried the puck behind the net and then dished it to Michelle Picard at the right side of the blue line. Picard slid a pass to Gedman who lined up a shot from the left side that weaved through a crowd and past the Bobcat's goalie for the game-tying score at 9:43.
In the extra frame, it was Laura Bellamy to the rescue, as a barrage of shots by the Bobcats was silenced by the Crimson goaltender. The Crimson defense held tight and the final horn sounded to signify the 3-3 tie.
Harvard didn't waste any time coming out of the first break, leveling the score at 1-1 just 47 seconds into the middle stanza. A heavy Harvard push saw Hillary Crowe gain possession right in front of the Quinnipiac net and after her shot was blocked by goalie Victoria Vigilanti, Kaitlin Spurling was there to put home the short-range rebound.
Quinnipiac answered back with its second later in the period however, with Kate Wheeler wristing home the puck from the right side of the net. Harvard earned its first power play of the game in the back half of the second, but Kelly Babstock picked off an errant pass and scored the first shorthanded goal scored against the Crimson this season to give the hosts a 3-1 lead at the second intermission.
The Bobcats came out hungry and the fast-paced pressure resulted in a goal less than four minutes into the contest. Erica Uden Johansson put home a long rebound off a Megan Hagg shot at 3:48 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Harvard upped the pressure in the back half of the period, and despite outshooting Quinnipiac, 12-8, in the frame, was unable to best goalie Victoria Vigilanti in the first.
The Crimson is back in action next weekend when it returns home to face a pair of league opponents. The Crimson welcomes Union to Bright Hockey Center Friday for a 7 p.m., game and will face Rensselaer the following afternoon at 4 p.m.


text:
CougarMarineUSA.com - COPYRIGHT - 2009
CougarMarineUSA.com > Cities > San Benito Boats
Cougar Marine USA services the following areas in Texas!
San Benito boats, Sharyland boats, McAllen boats, Mission boats, Mercedes boats, San Juan boats, Alamo boats, Campo Alto boats, Pharr boats, Palmhurst boats, Donna boats, Weslaco boats, El Gato boats, Harlingen boats, Stuart Place boats, Palm Valley boats, La Feria boats, Avondale boats, Combes boats, Brownsville boats, South Padre Island boats, Port Isabel boats, Laguna Vista boats, Bahia Grande boats, San Martin Lake boats, Brazos boats, Los Fresnos boats, Rio Hondo boats, and the entire Rio Grande Valley. Cougar Marine USA are one of the top Bay Boat Builders and South Texas Boat Builders and are known as experts in building Shallow Water Boats, Bay Boats, Flats Boats, and many others.
Our Cougar Models consists of Cougar ST Tiller Jon Boat, Cougar ST Tiller Work Boat, Cougar Genesis C-17 boat, Cougar SC-17 boat, Cougar S-17 boat, The Payton Scooter boat, Bay Drifter 170 boat, Bay Drifter 180 boat, Challenger 176 Bay boat, Challenger 176 Flats boat, Challenger 176 Pro boat, South Bay 200 boat, South Bay 200 LP boat, South Bay 200 HPD boat, Challenger 200 Bay boat, Challenger 240 Bay boat, Cougar SSC boat, Cougar SSC-24 boat, and many other Cougar boat models available.
Please remember, if your location isn't listed above, no worries, we service the entire State of Texas as well as the United States!
Click here for a list of cities that we service! Contact us for a free quote today!
Cougar Marine USA specializes in building custom boats in and around the entire Rio Grande Valley. Cougar Marine USA looks forward to building any type of boat needed. Building boats for over 50 years!
Cougar Marine USA was established in 2000, by the owner of one of the nation's largest custom fiberglass and composites firms who, for over 40 years, had designed and manufactured everything from 250 mph top fuel drag hydroplanes to F-16 driver safety capsules; from military projects to recreational boats and everything in-between, without ever so much as incurring a single warranty claim! The staff of Marine Cougar USA is one of the most highly trained and factory certified group of fiberglass and composite, and outboard motor technicians to be found anywhere. It's that commitment to the highest degree of excellence, quality and customer service that can be seen in everything they do. And isn't that what you would expect? Cougar Marine USA are specialists in building and designing boats to suit any lifestyle and any budget for the entire San Benito area. Every boat is individually designed to suit your lifestyle and needs. Send us your wish list and we will be happy to give you an estimate, no matter where you live in San Benito. Besides being the leader in building boats for the San Benito area as well as the entire RGV, we have designed and built boats in other cities nationwide.
So San Benito, what are you waiting for? Give Cougar Marine USA a call today and let us build and design your boat within weeks! We are one of the leading boat builders for the entire San Benito area.
Sharyland, McAllen, Mission, Mercedes, San Juan, Alamo, Campo Alto, Pharr, Palmhurst, Donna, Weslaco, El Gato, Harlingen, San Benito, Stuart Place, Palm Valley, La Feria, Avondale, Combes, Brownsville, South Padre Island, Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, Bahia Grande, San Martin Lake, Brazos, Los Fresnos, Rio Hondo, San Benito, and the entire Rio Grande Valley.


text:
Love Food – Logo TemplateThis logo design for all any food and restaurant services business.
Logo Template Features
- EPS and AI file 300PPI
- 100% Scalable Vector Files
- Easy to edit color / text
- Ready to print
font information in the help file
If you buy and like this logo, please remember to rate it. Thanks!


text:
My blog's kinda been on a holiday. Sort of. I was trying to think this morning why I hadn't had time to sit at the computer and type for a couple of months now and then it suddenly dawned on me- no more toddler naps.
Oh, the horror. Just before Christmas my little girl stopped napping during the day. But not only that, she started to get super clingy. Every 5 minutes she says "I want mama" and then clings to my leg like a Koala. I know, I should enjoy this while it lasts. There will come a time when my children won't want to be near me.
Not only has there been some child related distractions, but some crazy spur of the moment decisions being made by Colin and myself. We moved up here after impulsively buying a block of land. The tree-change idea is still going strong, but we decided that we didn't want to shorten our life-span but inflicting the stress of house building upon ourselves. Besides, I was surfin' the web one night in bed and saw THE MOST PERFECT HOME. And so it was done. Saw the house the day before Christmas. Signed the papers on New Year's Eve.
Now that's what you call getting the most out of a year!!!
Oh, there has been a lot more than that going on in the last two months, but I can blog about that later. This blog post is meant to be more about my blog (it's like an Escher picture of blog posts, it just goes round and round).
I have been trying to think of a solution to my toddler/computer time problem. As I type, she is trying to climb on me, crying and hitting me because I am not carrying her around to parts of the house she wants to show me. Just typing that makes me feel terrible. I don't like saying no to her. That could be a problem in the future.
A photographer said to me that's why photo-blogging is good- not so much sitting at computer typing and concentrating. I don't think I will become a photo-blogger. I do admit, I am using my Instagram account a bit like a daily photo-blog, but I don't think you can count the photos off my mobile as proper photography…..can you?
In any case, I have decided to try and make some more organised blog posting habits. On Monday's I will stick with "Monday Made". Last year it turned from a mostly cooking thing to a re-make of my body and soul. My body and soul is still a work in progress (as it should be for everyone always) so there will be a mixture of recipes, exercise and crafty stuff on Mondays.
Wednesdays will be (hopefully) random post day. Mostly typing about whatever I'm thinking about lately and I will devote one other day to photo-blogging. I do love to take photos. It might be from my iPhone, or it might be from my DSLR. Depends on how I'm feeling that day.
So, there it is.
Now, I better go because toddler is now having a full blown tantrum on the floor next to me that sounds like it is going to end in scream-induced vomiting (don't ask).


text:
Event details
- May 18, 2019
- 9:00 am - 10:30 am
- St. Francis Hospital, 355 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201.
- 847-716-2252
For family, partners and close friends of adults living with a mental illness. Share problems you are facing and learn how others have dealt with the same issues. In a confidential environment, share your concerns and ask questions about housing, medications, government programs, therapists, and anything else troubling you. You can talk with no fear of stigma or shame. No registration, just walk in. You will be welcomed.
*Glass House Room in Hospital Cafeteria.
Times and locations subject to change. For more information please call!


text:
Welcome to Coral Obsessions!
Located centrally on the beautiful coast of Southern California, we have local access to the best wholesalers in the country. Yet, as variety is what we crave, we don't limit ourselves to only our area; we have suppliers worldwide who allow us to offer you the best selections of hard to find and collectible coral and fish. Our goal here at Coral Obsessions is to provide Reefers with the quality coral, fish, and dry goods you are looking for at a fair price.
We formed our company in 2011 when two guys that met on Craigslist agreed the prices at local fish stores and most websites were too high. Many times, the products and services left much to be desired. We realize that to succeed in any business, the top priority must be customer satisfaction. Our pledge to you as our Coral Obsessions Customer is to provide the best in coral and customer care. This means you are completely happy with the product you receive when ordering from us every time, no excuses. We also realize that you may be looking for something we don't have listed here at Coral Obsessions. Send us an email and we will do everything possilbe to obtain the piece you are looking for through our extensive network of Reefers and close friends. Have fun shopping!


text:
Details /us/miyabi-black-5000mcd67-9.5-inch-slicing-knife-34400-243/34400-243-0.html
MIYABI Black 5000MCD67 9.5-inch Slicing Knife
- Brown
475.00 $379.99
In Stock Free Shipping for Orders over $59
Ships within 1-2 days
MIYABI Black 5000MCD67 9.5-inch Slicing Knife
$475.00 $379.99
Additional Information
The Miyabi Black 5000MCD is a true work of art. The blade is constructed of micro-carbide powdered MC66 steel, which is ice-hardened to an impressive 66 HRC. This results in an exceptionally sharp and lasting edge. The blade is wrapped in 132 additional layers of steel, resulting in a beautiful flower damascus pattern.
The handle of the Miyabi Black series is made from unique wood, black ash. The grain and color of the black ash contrasts with the damascus of the blade. The handle is crafted in a traditional "D" shape, providing optimal ergonomics for fatigue-free cutting in the kitchen.
Handcrafted in Seki, Japan.
- Blade consists of 133 layers of steel, resulting in a floral damascus pattern
- MC66 MicroCarbide steel is hardened to 66 HRC
- D-shaped handle made from stunning black ash
- Sharpened using a traditional, three step Honbazuke method
- Hand crafted in Seki, Japan
- Country of origin: Japan
- Substance: MC66
- Type of handle: concealed tang
- Type of edge: Fine Edge
- Edge finishing: Honbazuke edge
- Manufacturing method: welded
- Blade hardness (HRC): 65-67 HRC
- Net weight: 0.41 lbs
- Length of product: 15.00 in
- Width of product: 0.87 in
- Height of product: 1.46 in
- Blade length: 9.45 in
- bvseo_sdk, dw_cartridge, 17.1.0, p_sdk_3.2.0
- CLOUD, getContent, 9ms
- reviews, product
- bvseo-msg: Unsuccessful GET. status = ERROR, msg = Not Found.;
- bvseo_sdk, dw_cartridge, 17.1.0, p_sdk_3.2.0
- CLOUD, getContent, 106ms
- questions, product
- bvseo-msg: Unsuccessful GET. status = ERROR, msg = Not Found.;


text:
If you're like me haven't wrapped a single gift yet and have piles of unwrapped presents still in shopping bags stashed under every bed and closet in the house then this post is for you.
Seriously though, I have declared myself the worlds most unorganized gift wrapper. One February a few years back I found an unwrapped present still in the shopping bag with the receipt for Bryan under the bed . I had stashed it and forgot about. Whoops!
Still my unorganized state never stops me from gawking at creatively wrapped gifts topped with the perfectly tied bow. Here's a few of my favorites to get me in the gift wrapping mood.


text:
1956 Ford F-100 - A Bright Creation
Emerges From a Dark Past
Growing up hot rodders, there are certain "rites of passage" we all undertake, and at some point, we all delve into George Lucas' masterpiece about a bunch of kids, cars, and cruising: American Graffiti. Although there are several iconic scenes from the movie, perhaps none is better than when the Pharaohs show up. For any hot rodder, the Pharaohs personified who we wished we could be, and more importantly, what we could get away with! Yet, for guys like Dennis Reeves of Oklahoma City, it was just another reminder of a chance encounter more than 50 years ago.
Dennis Reeves credits the beginning of his love affair with hot rods to the first time he crossed paths with a club out of Wellington, Kansas, some 56 years ago. The wording spread across plaques and jackets was like nothing his teenage eyes had seen before. Those words sprawled across the backs of members represented so much more than an arachnid—it was an attitude, a statement, and most importantly a way of life. He knew that at that time "The Black Widows" had ignited something that couldn't be put out.
As Dennis ventured into the hot rod forum he saw himself gravitating toward the curvaceous lines and bold presence of the '56 F-100. For that reason, he has owned a handful of them, and when his friend Don Harris noticed this '56 up for grabs, Dennis didn't hesitate to jump into another 1956 Ford F-100.
From the get go, Dennis knew he wanted to go above and beyond the '56s he had owned before, so he spared nothing to achieve his goals. He began by stripping the truck down and having it blasted. With help from his buddy Don, along with other friends, they began outfitting the truck with a chassis that could handle all Dennis had to throw at it.
The rear of the chassis received a flipped 9-inch with new leaf springs and blocks to set the stance. Up front, the chassis was cut and altered to accept a Volare front clip, which updated the truck with disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and torsion bars. This gives Dennis the ability to dial in the ride height.
From there, a 302 powerplant was plucked from a '67 Mustang and handed over to American Street Rods. ASR began by dropping the block off at Harold's Machine Shop to get bored .60 over. Next, a set of JE pistons and a mild Comp Cams camshaft were stuffed in the block. Atop the overhauled motor sits a chromed Edelbrock intake manifold coupled with an Edelbrock 650 carburetor. Adding some "show" to the "go" is the addition of numerous chrome and polished dress-up parts, including Cobra valve covers and an Edelbrock air cleaner. Rounding out the drivetrain package is a C4 transmission and a complete Flowmaster exhaust system coupled to Edelbrock headers.
When Dennis picked up the '56 it seemed like a solid truck, but as luck would have it, filler hides a lot of sin! Once Reeves got the truck back from the blasters it was apparent there was more than what met the eye. So much that Dennis and Don had no choice but to replace the doors, fenders, and roof cap.
With rust repair out of the way Dennis moved onto pancaking the hood and various other custom touches he had in mind. He then picked the most outlandish orange he could find in the PPG book, Lamborghini Orange, and took it one step further by adding more orange pearl to it. Don and Keith Smith then laid down the brilliant paintjob. As if the color wasn't enough, the addition of new stainless, chrome, tucked bumpers, and a set of steelies (7x15 up front and 8x15 in the rear) with rings and caps is sure to stop even the most innocent of bystanders. The finishing touch to the Ford's appearance is the BFGoodrich 235/60/15 wide whites nestled at each corner.
The home stretch of the build included wiring the '56 with a Ron Francis harness from front to back. At that point, the vital signs and interior ornamentation of the Ford, such as the chromed dash insert, new VDO gauges, Lecarra steering wheel, and a Vintage Air A/C system could be installed.
Peeb's Auto Trim then stepped in and handled stitching the bench seat and Rod Doors door inserts in beige vinyl with orange piping and inlays. Lastly, various billet and chromed adornments were thrown into the mix to complement the freshly stitched upholstery.
With the truck finished, Dennis hit the road in just enough time to make it to the show that started it all—for him at least—The Black Widows car club reunion. Things really came full circle when Dennis was handed an honorary member Black Widows plaque, which now makes its permanent residence in the all-so-revealing big window of the '56.


text:
Comedies, perhaps more than any other genre, are subjective. While all can agree that a drama about the loss of a child is inherently sad, not everyone will agree on what is funny. Our senses of humor have been shaped by our upbringing and the various life events we've experienced. Some may find humor in blacker than black comedies about death while others simply want their comedies to be lighthearted and goofy.
However, there's a subgenre that of comedy that can only be described as cruel comedy. This cruel humor is what fuels the new Seth Rogen and Zac Efron film, "Neighbors." If you're averse to comedy that stems from unlikable characters doing bad things to each other, as I am, this film won't do much for you. Despite some legitimate laughs, the pervading savagery on display is enough to make "Neighbors" little more than a waste of time.
The story is simple. Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) move into a nice neighborhood with their infant child. They've poured nearly everything they have into their new house and are hoping that this will give them the opportunity to raise their kid in a peaceful, happy environment. Their hopes are dashed, however, when a fraternity moves in next door. Despite some initial kind words, a feud eventually breaks out between the couple and the frat, led by President Teddy Sanders (Efron), after a late night party that prevents them from getting a good night's rest. Mac and Kelly's only goal from there on out is to get them to leave, no matter what the cost.
The movie tries to set this story up with Teddy as the antagonist, the evil, unruly hellion turning Mac and Kelly's lives into a waking nightmare, while Mac and Kelly are the heroes we're supposed to root for. However, Mac and Kelly are no better than Teddy. They manipulate Teddy and his crew while they facilitate many acts of sabotage. Frankly, nobody in this movie handles themselves in a way befitting an actual person and their actions only prove to make things worse. It's lucky they're in a movie because in a real world context, they would all be thrown in jail.
Prior to their feud, Mac and Kelly join Teddy and his frat during a party. Their hope is that it will make them seem cool to the kids and, in return, they'll respect them when they ask them to keep it down, but the night leads to debauchery. They leave their infant child alone in their house while they dance next door abusing any harmful substance they can get their hands on. These people, regardless of their initial intentions, aren't fit to be parents and the only appropriate following scene would be for child services to show up and take their kid away.
Teddy is even worse and actually goes out of his way to cause harm to the others. At one point, he steals the airbags out of Mac and Kelly's car and hides them around their house. This leads to some of the dumbest slapstick humor one can imagine, where a slight burst of air sends them flying all the way across the room like an explosion just went off.
After Teddy falls prey to a couple of these hidden objects, he begins to search around, poking his furniture with a wooden pole to see if it contains an airbag. He hesitates before poking his child's bed and lets out a thankful sigh when nothing happens, which is supposed to show that Teddy, as ruthless as he can be, would never sink so low.
Unfortunately, that pesky thing called logic rears its ugly head when you consider that Teddy could have very easily been holding his child when he fell culprit to the other hidden airbags, potentially killing it. Teddy, in a very real sense, puts their lives in danger. This, along with so many more violent and abrasive shenanigans, makes the cheery ending seem forced and very, very unlikely.
I imagine many will wonder why this matters in a comedy-as long as you're laughing, who cares-but there's more to it than that. "Neighbors" does indeed have some legitimate laughs. Rogen is just as funny as ever, despite a considerable lack of help from Rose Byrne, who just doesn't have the comedic chops to pull off rolls like this, and Efron plays his character well. The problem is that his character, along with Rogen's, is cruel, leading to unlikable situations and making many of those potential laughs moot.
If what I've written sounds to you like a curmudgeon stupidly complaining about morality in a silly movie that shouldn't be taken seriously, then you'll likely enjoy "Neighbors," and there's nothing wrong with that, but it rubbed me the wrong way. I'd love to see a movie with these two paired up again, one that doesn't rely on cruelty to garner laughs, but if one must go in that direction, there's a fine line between a mean spirit and a silly one. Sadly, "Neighbors" leans a tad too far to the former.