text:
noun, plural e·con·o·mies.
- the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude.
- the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race.
Origin of economy
SYNONYMS FOR economy
ANTONYMS FOR economy
OTHER WORDS FROM economynon·e·con·o·my, noun, plural non·e·con·o·mies.sub·e·con·o·my, noun, plural sub·e·con·o·mies.su·per·e·con·o·my, noun, plural su·per·e·con·o·mies.
Words nearby economy
Example sentences from the Web for economy
Unlike the Soviet Union at a certain period in history, the Russian economy does not hold a candle to that of the United States.Oliver Stone's Latest Dictator Suckup|James Kirchick|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The economy has begun to add jobs, but the quality of those jobs is an increasing concern.Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes a column has the economy and rhythm of a short story.The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Improving an economy is a lot harder with only half the population working.The Women Battling an Islamist Strongman|Christina Asquith|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The irony has thinned with the economy, perhaps: Who can really afford just to pretend to DIY today?Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.|Ana Marie Cox|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I am satisfied now that my duties do not lie here, though the dear creatures here will be a constant motive for work and economy.George Eliot's Life, Vol. I (of 3)|George Eliot
And it is because they serve necessary uses in their own economy that they are found so necessary in the economy of man.The Quiver 3/1900|Anonymous
Man thirsted and nature satisfied; the economy of the world was thus balanced and all was well.The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
One of the street sweepers used to teach in the school until it was shut up for the sake of economy.Augustus Does His Bit|George Bernard Shaw
In an economy of complete abundance, there is little reason for repair of basic commodities.Mercenary|Dallas McCord Reynolds
British Dictionary definitions for economy
noun plural -mies
- the complex of human activities concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
- a particular type or branch of such production, distribution, and consumptiona socialist economy; an agricultural economy
- a class of travel in aircraft, providing less luxurious accommodation than first class at a lower fare
- (as modifier)economy class


text:
Interaxon, the company best known for its "brain sensing" headband Muse that helps wearers meditate, released the second generation of the device this morning.
The latest product, called Muse 2, is worn across the user's forehead and connects to a smartphone app that providing meditation data. Like the previous version of the tool, it is able to measure brain signals through an EEG sensor, similar to how a heart rate monitor can sense a person's heartbeat.
This latest upgrade means the technology can also track breathing patterns and heart rate during meditation, and then send those results to the user's smartphone. One of the more nuanced features of the technology is a component that tracks the user's heart beat, and then turns that beat into a "soothing drumbeat" of various sounds to promote meditation. The idea is to help the user get in touch with their inner state, and similarly the company claims that it translates the user's brain activity into the "guiding sounds of weather."
Why it matters
Meditation has been around for more than millennia but more recently the world of modern medicine is starting to take note. According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation can be used to help reduce stress and tension. In the past the practice has helped manage symptoms of anxiety, cancer, chronic pain, depression and high blood pressure, according to the clinic.
There are a myriad of ways that people can participate in mediation from breathing exercising to pray and walking. Some have even turned to the digital space and tools like Muse and or various apps.
What's the trend
Muse officially launched the brain sensing headband in 2014, two years after its initial kick starter raised $287,000. Beyond consumer meditation, Muse has been used in brain research at more than a hundred hospitals and universities for studies of pain, PTSD, fatigue and more — as well as mindfulness and meditation. In September the company announced the acquisition of Meditation Studio, a company known for its meditation app which provides guidance from 40 experts.
Headspace, another major player in the digital mediation field, announced in June that it was conducting a slew of randomized control trials on its own meditation app, with the goal of eventually getting FDA clearance for some of its apps. This platform also had a recent acquisition in September — voice-enabled AI system Alpine.AI, which Headspace picked up to further its personalization and conversational products.

subset: commoncrawl


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Happier Hour is the happiest storytime!
Adults get 1/2 off wine and kids meals for participants (starting at 4) and kids get storytime (starting at 4:30) then cookies!
This storytime will feature great Valentine's Day crafts, cookies, and stories. Please bring 10-15 valentines to share with everyone!


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You cannot trust the first roofer you find to give you a quality service and a fair price. If you want it completed right, you must know the proper procedure and know to ask the proper questions. Read this article to learn all about roofing.
Leaks come from having damaged shingles, but you should also inspect your roof's foundation. If there's dry rot, water may be able to enter a home. It is important to examine every potential water entry point, like rotting wood, so that you are really resolving all the problem areas.
Wear rubber boots when you work on your roof. This is necessary to ensure that you have good footing, even in dry conditions. You never know what you will encounter on the roof, and what you will have to do, so good footwear is essential.
If you intend to complete work on your roof, you must do so securely. If you end up slipping, this could save your life.
Always take the time to check the references and credentials of any roofing contractor you want to hire. Once you have their references, give them a call and ask them about the value and quality of the work. Take a drive to the homes, if possible. Also, you can drive by to check out the work that was done.
Always research contractors you are considering. Don't just accept the cheapest repairman who comes to call. Instead, find out about the roofers and their reputation. You may utilize online resources or seek recommendations from those you know and trust.
Don't pay for the job in full before it's even started. Try not to give the contractor more than 25 percent upfront. You would not want to find yourself on the receiving end of poor or incomplete work.
When you have a short list of contractors you want to contact, find out what kind of warranties are available. You want one that is about 3 to 5 years, and longer is preferable. Ideally, look for warranties that cover any issues caused by human error and defective materials. Ask for copies of each warranty.
Any roofer you are considering using must have the proper license to do business. If you do not know the proper licenses a contractor should have, never trust your contractor's word on the matter. Contact the local building department and inquire about what is necessary.
Discuss warranty options with any potential contractor. You may be able to get a better deal if you talk to certain companies. Additionally, you should be sure you get a written copy of the warranty at the same time you receive the estimate so that you'll have the documentation on-hand. This will allow you to clear up any disagreements that may occur at a later time.
As stated above, when you are trying to get work done on your roof, it is important to do your research before committing. This is important if you hope to get the best deal on a job that is done right. Use the helpful information listed above to help seal and repair your roof to get a good price on the work and materials.


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Texas is in the midst of a crisis that, if not addressed with the highest urgency, will create lasting damage for generations to come. Children removed from their homes are placed in a structurally unsound system that is meant to protect them, but in reality often subjects them to further trauma, abuse and neglect.
News articles continue to expose the failings of our state's child protection system, and the system shows little indication of improvement. From excessive caseworker turnover and management flaws, to a shortage of placements due to increased removals, the system has reached a breaking point that is already resulting in more harm to children, and more tragic child fatalities.
In December, a federal judge ruled that the Texas foster care system violates the constitutional rights of many children in its care by failing to protect them from harm. Whether you agree with this ruling or not, the poor conditions described in the opinion are undeniable and heartbreaking.
As if this is not enough, the Department of Family and Protective Services, which oversees the child protection system, has experienced wholesale turnover among its top leadership. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed a new team to lead DFPS in the hope that they can begin to address the system's failings. Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) welcomes this new leadership, but we also recognize they face a difficult job as many problems are seemingly intractable.
We understand the issues are not all clear cut, but want to underscore several key shortcomings, urging the new DFPS leadership team and state leaders to concentrate on these areas which have not been successfully addressed through previous reforms:
Targeted Prevention – We must use data more effectively to predict which families may need help and provide intervention and services to these children and families.
Additional Resources – Repairing the system will require additional resources to better enhance recruitment, training, manageable caseloads and adequate compensation for caseworkers in order to decrease the devastating turnover.
Trauma-informed Approach – Understanding the needs and challenges of children in the system requires an understanding of how the trauma they have experienced impacts their behaviors and outcomes. We believe, based on years of research, that a system based on trauma-informed care is the best way to improve outcomes for children.
Increased Capacity – In addition to the well-documented shortage of foster care homes, we face a critical problem of placing many children far from their home communities and schools, away from their families and friends, creating unnecessary trauma for children and decreasing the likelihood of restoring families.
Equal Accountability – Abuse or neglect allegations in state-licensed foster care homes and facilities receive inferior investigations compared with similar allegations made outside of the system. It is necessary to investigate all such allegations by well-trained CPS investigators, not regulatory personnel, and paid caregivers should be held to the same standards as biological families.
In the midst of this turmoil, Texas CASA will continue to work with DFPS and state leadership as well as partner organizations to advocate for policies in the best interest of Texas' children.
During any crisis, it is natural to wonder: What can I possibly do to make a difference?\ You can help the vulnerable children caught in the middle of this catastrophe by becoming a CASA volunteer. A CASA volunteer gets to know a specific child or sibling group in the foster care system and speaks up for the child's best interests in court and other settings, helping move the child out of the system and into a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.
Vicki Spriggs is chief executive of Texas CASA. Twitter: @TexasCASA


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19 November, 2009
There's a lot of discussion about how easy games should be. On one hand, an easy game makes people feel powerful, and allows a wider variety of people to play the game to completion. On the other hand, a harder game challenges the player and can engage them more. So, what is the correct answer?
As usual, one size does not fit all.
A sinner recants his heresy
Jeff Vogel wrote a blog post entitled "Make Your Game Easy. Then Make It Easier." In the post, he laments is wasted youth where he thought that challenging games were more fun. "People will forgive a game for being too hard. They will never forgive it for being too easy," he writes that his old philosophy was. But, in this age of "casual" games, he feels the need to recant this heresy and say that he now believes exactly the opposite to be true.
It's easy to show that this is not a universal truth by an absurd example: assuming you like chess, is it more fun to play against someone who is playing well or someone who is intentionally throwing the game? It's easier to win against someone who is trying to lose, but it's less satisfying and therefore generally less fun. I'll also mention that this was 3DO's philosophy on how to design good games, and we've seen where that lead them.
What does the player want?
There is also a question of what the player wants out of a game. Sometimes you just want to pleasantly pass the time. A game like Solitaire is good for that because you can play it distractedly. A lot of casual games are like this; I didn't play Plants vs. Zombies (a game Jeff mentions as being "easy") necessarily to challenge myself, but more to pass the time and have fun. That said, I did play until I got one of the rarer Steam achievements (China Shop, streak of 15 in Vasebreaker, only 6.9% of people completed it) as a challenge because I wanted to do something hard in the game instead of just mindlessly enjoying the gameplay.
On the other hand, a person might go into a game looking for a challenge. If I fire up a game that has white outlined mazes, I'm going to be sorely disappointed if I can just steamroll through the game with sloppy play. I often play old-school games because I want to be challenged, something that seems to be rare in many current mainstream games.
Failure fails to be fun?
I think the issue of "failure" that Jeff touched upon is another, separate issue. He says:
If your game is actually fun, killing the player won't make it more fun. But nothing sucks all of the fun out of a good game faster than repeated failure.
This misses an important design point: if failure is part of the game, then it's important that the failure have meaning. Failure needs to be part of the feedback cycle and not just a point of frustration. In action games, like the Ninja Gaiden series Jeff referenced, failure tends to not give very good feedback since most failure is based on reactions. In RPGs, failure is based on something the player has more control over: either better preparation, better strategy, or even just a higher level party. Failure in RPGs tells the player he or she needs to be smarter or more clever. Failure in an action game tells the player they need faster reactions (which may not be possible for some older players).
The possibility of failure is also a necessary element of risk. If you realize that there is no chance for failure, then there is no risk to the game. In many games the element of risk can enhance the game.
The solution
The best solution is probably to allow people to set their own difficulty level. If a player wants a serious challenge, they can crank the difficulty up. If they want to pass the time or want to just pay attention to the story, they can bring the difficulty down.
The main problem here is that it may not be clear what the difficulty means in a game. Is Medium intended to provide a bit of challenge? Or is it the default setting allowing someone to faceroll to victory? Does setting the difficulty higher give monsters additional hit points, allow them to cheat the rules, make them better tacticians, or some combination of these?
In an online setting, especially one with competition, setting difficulty may be more difficult if not impossible. Achievers who want to race up the power curve faster will want low difficulty. Giving more rewards with higher difficulty will make players feel "forced" to increase the difficulty in order to get the better rewards. One possibility is to have certain classes be easier or harder to play, but that certainly won't cause any complaints, right? ;)
No magic spell
Unfortunately, like many design topics, there is no single answer to this question. Some games should be easy to help pass the time; however, these games won't be able to provide the deeper experience some game players are looking for. You need to take a look at your game, who you want the audience to be and what that audience expects. Making a game easier, especially in a genre like RPG where the audience might expect some difficulty, may not be a good idea.
What do you think? Do you only enjoy easy games? Or do you like a bit of challenge?
19 Comments »
One other developer-focused issue with difficulty levels is that doing it properly could require a lot more content. While a slider that just adds or removes hit points from enemies in an RPG may change difficulty, this increases the amount of work that goes into testing. Actually making difficulty meaningful beyond just adjusting hit points will require more work in addition to more testing. This can add a lot more work to the developer, especially an indie who lives or dies by the ability to get more games released. Will adding a difficulty slider bring in more revenue than you lose from releasing games on a slower cycle, or from the customers you lose because you didn't test the difficulty setting they picked?
Comment by Psychochild — 19 November, 2009 @ 10:54 PM
The real problems have come in with games that are intended for solo play (or coop) I think. If you look at a game like Scrabble, no one says that it's easy (although it's fairly straight forwards) because you can always choose to play against a better opponent.
And I like the board game model of a game that's easy to learn, hard to master, and has unending possibilities (partly because of different opponents). But as a social player, I don't want a game that's so full-on that I don't have time to talk to people.
From my view of things the fundamental problem revolves around the goal of the player. Different players tend to have different goals, often because the goals of play are implicit within the design. A hard challenge which rewards the player with advancement towards the "wrong goal" is something akin to a bug in the design.
The problem becomes to identify the relevant goals of the player. Perhaps by making several ones explicit within the design. I guess this would break a whole lot of our conventional genres, which means its not a realistic option for most designers. What we see in single player games which have a difficulty setting is a plump example of allowing the player to inversely change the goals of play.
"Tiny Grasshopper" setting in practice means the goal is about seeing what is within the game and previewing challenges. Or perhaps considering the input system and how to access game verbs to be difficult enough.
"Nightmare" mode is for the player who has the goal of creating proof of complete mastery. This goal require the setting to be so hard that anyone who is not a complete master needs to be weeded out by the game.
At the center is as already mentioned the feedback cycle which needs to provide relevant feedback to the player. For a typical mmorpg I guess you have a great lof of different goals that different players take on, hundreds or thousands of them and they are mostly implicit within the social fabric of the game world.
I would like a reasonable challenge. Far more specific then any amount of levels that can be created to accommodate all, it should be difficult enough to challenge me, but not difficult to the point where I would punch my screen in frustration (NFS:Underground and its blasted taxis would be an example).
It would be impossible to craft a preset difficulty to suit everyone's tastes, and a difficulty that truly scales with the player well would be the way to go.
Perhaps then, it is not so much the need of a specific level of challenge, but the want of something else in conjunction to a reasonable challenge, which would determine the desire to continue playing.
What would be the 'something else' that I just mentioned? That would be a whole other debate. What do you expect, and what do you want to see after getting pass a challenging game?
Comment by CalebG — 20 November, 2009 @ 3:43 AM
"While a slider that just adds or removes hit points from enemies in an RPG may change difficulty, this increases the amount of work that goes into testing."
Can't you just let the players test?
Suppose you had a slider that went from 1 hit point to infinite hit points and scaled loot up too.
Players would try various settings until they found one that suited them. When they beat it on 61% they'd try 62%.
I think it would avoid a lot of the "it's tuned too hard" and "it's tuned too easy" forum drama since players know they are on a level playing field and it's simply a matter of the effectiveness of their raid group.
I think it would also add a lot of replayability.
A couple more thoughts:
If your slider controls loot in an additive manner and difficulty in a multiplicative manner people would know what to expect and have control. If moving from 61% to 62% meant your weapon looted from the last boss increased from 0.61X to 0.62X where X is your upper range for damage but it also meant the boss had 50% extra life and damage people would know what to expect and how to rate other players.
"OMG your Betrayer of Humanity has 679 max damage, what was your slider at for that dude?"
The second thought is that item stats don't have to be whole numbers. It's a legacy that weapons have damage ranges like 345-678. You could give people 345.67 to 678.12 and no one would have a problem because players are used to seeing decimal points ever since calculated dps began to be displayed on items.
Enabling a wider range of people to play a game to completion is a nonsense benchmark for online competitive games. For other games, design the game for the audience. Jeff Vogel writes games primarily for Mac users. If I was making games for Mac users, I'd make them as easy as possible too.
Making players feel powerful is a far more interesting design goal to discuss. There is no power without struggle. There is no power without constraint. You can't make someone feel powerful without them perceiving difficulty. The player can't perceive difficulty without understanding that what is, is not what they desire. Players can not feel powerful, without previously feeling powerless in some sense.
You can make a player ultimately powerful, but the feeling of ultimate power is a short-lived feeling. In a casual game, trying to convey the feeling of power to the player seems like a poor design goal if you want replayability. Have you had the urge to get the China Shop achievement again? There are lots of other emotions that would produce more "fun" for a casual player.
In an online RPG setting that aims to please a wide range of audiences, I think the best solution is simply not to try and design the same content primarily for relative player difficulty at all. WoW of course does this, and they have ended up with a game that requires them to completely change the goalposts every year.
One solution that comes to mind is allowing people to choose their difficulty by tiering content. Tier 1 content only allows players level 1-10 to achieve any progression through completing it. Players could play on tier 1 for as long as they want and continue to gain as much power vs tier 1 content as they desire. Given sufficient depth of progression, this kind of advancement could allow players to progress at the challenge level and speed they desire.
Whew…wall of text. For the record, the harder the game the better for me. I think Eve is too easy.
Comment by required — 20 November, 2009 @ 5:54 AM
"The best solution is probably to allow people to set their own difficulty level." — I will say that in Dragon Age (the only game I've played for any length of time lately), I'm on the easy setting intentionally. To me, the fighty bits are mere interludes between the story and exploration bits, and they're already getting pretty repetitive. I *could* make the fights harder, but then I'd have to sit through more repetitive bits in order to get back to what I'm enjoying.
You're right, though I'm sure player-set difficulty isn't always (or even often) easy to achieve in something non-solo. There are many different kinds of challenges, too — players tend to think about fight difficulty, but being the crafting junkie I am I would value greater challenge for other stuff that revolves around non-fighty stuff. That said, since the fighting paradigm ends up being used for any "harder" crafting system (e.g. Vanguard's basic ideas), I end up finding it tedious as well. I'm not interested in complex button mashing. Most people who play MMOs, however, probably are.
And that's not even touching on the endless "risk/reward" debate, where the people who bust a gut getting UselessLeetItem001 get all pissy when there's even the remote chance that non-gutbusters might have a chance at the same thing. I can see where they're coming from, but it's still a pretty blinkered debate in that most slackers (like me) aren't interested in uber raiding (or whatever) items to begin with. Those who want something for nothing can be discounted, since we live in Protestant Work Ethic-built games. ;)
I am a huge fan of difficulty and failure when it comes to my MMO game play. I like having an encounter destroy my group and essentially say, "You need to think about this harder." That is just my sort of thing. I realize that isn't for everyone though.
My only concern with difficulty settings is that you might get the situation WoW is in now. On "regular mode" virtually anyone can achieve the raids out there. I'm we're talking three toed sloths can win here! Yet on the other hand as soon as you turn on hard mode you go from "anyone" to "incredibly small minority" for some raids. We're talking old school EverQuest less than 5% minority. Which again works for a guy like me but really misses the non-hardcore but not sloppy demographic. I think there needs to be a middle ground.
I've actually quit a good number of games because I found them insultingly easy, but them I accept that I'm in the minority, at least in the MMO space today. The sad part of this though, in the context of the MMO genre, is that difficulty should be player-based, not NPC based. It should be that if you want a tougher challenge, compete against better players. If things are too tough, find weaker players. Too many MMOs today however are based around pitting a single player against an AI script, and hence so many issues with difficulty.
Strictly in single player space, I'm a huge fan of multiple difficulty levels. This is because I play games for a variety of reasons (relaxation, entertainment, etc) and what I'm looking for in a given gaming session varies from One game to the next and even from one session to the next in the same game.
For example, if I've had a hard, challenging day at work, I'm not looking for more challenges at home, I just want to play some games and have light hearted fun. On the other hand, on my day off I may want a tough challenge to really engage my gray matter.
Further, every player is different. Difficulty is highly subjective, and so you can't really test for this via small group playtesting. This applies both to intellectual challenges in games and physical reaction challenges. A FPS on Nightmare may be a reasonable challenge to one player, but that same game on Normal may be virtually impossible for another who simply does not have the physical reaction time or movement precision.
This point is the biggest stumbling block for a lot of players discussing difficulty (particularly in MMO space), and sadly many developers too. They're often unable to come to grips with the concept that what is easy for them can be very difficult for someone else – and that that may not be fixable by 'learning to play'. Some people simply have better reflexes than others, some are simply smarter than others, and some just think in patterns that are more applicable to a specific game.
In a competetive game, that's fine. In a non competetive setting however it's definitely something that needs to be considered.
Comment by Derrick — 20 November, 2009 @ 12:40 PM
I generally like a good challenge, but I also enjoy being able to trivialize content over time. So e.g. in LotRO I used to love doing wacky stuff like taking 3 people to clear 6-man instances, or in Champions Online (which is far easier by and large than LotRO) trying to clear content designed for a full group when solo. But there are days when I don't want to push myself that hard and sometimes it's nice to be able to see that your power level has risen relative to the world at large – so on those days I might go out and grind easy monsters for a bit, for cash or reputation. So I swing between liking really difficult challenges that push my limits, and liking to feel godlike for brief periods.
In single-player games, or in instances in MMOs, I think allowing the player to set the difficulty level is definitely desirable. In the public areas of MMOs, I think it's good to offer a range of difficulties and let players seek out their own challenge level.
Games that are trivially easy bore me quickly. Games that are impossible (i.e. in which I cannot see a way to complete them with the resources available to me, and in which I lack a way to acquire the resources I think I need) are frustrating. Like Goldilocks I seek the game that's "just right". I like failing from time to time; if my characters never die then I start to lose interest because the game just isn't challenging enough. If I die over and over and over again, I'll usually move on to something else, unless the game is highly tactical and I have more options for success I haven't yet explored. In those cases I can be very patient indeed, and very difficult challenges can be great fun.
Having just read this article: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4171/staying_power_rethinking_feedback_.php today, I no longer think that "easy or hard" is even the right question to ask.
"Failure" is just a name we slap on some of the game states; there is nothing inherently bad or good about them. What a designer should do to ensure that the game is fun – regardless of "difficulty" – is make all game states give useful feedback to the player. It is not failure if you have learned something, or otherwise improved.
Comment by Nevermind — 20 November, 2009 @ 1:58 PM
To me it's all about choices, and having them.
I love RoM because of choices. Many players have complained the world search, and quest tracking, and other helpers make the game easy and less challenging, but never do they mention that all of that stuff can be fully customized in Runes of Magics built-in features.
I think a large percent of MMORPG players don't know what they want. I know I don't know half of what I want. I've been playing 2+ years and I only know a tiny bit of what I really gravitate towards and know actually what I want.
But I digress. Choice is a wonderful thing. RoM also doesn't tie char level to craft level. I've seen players complain about this too, but you have a choice with it untied. You can level all you want, and besides there is a little "real" world restriction. The higher your craft level, the higher the mats, and those are in higher leveled areas. BUT, you can still take a longer route to craft level cap doing the low level stuff.
I agree that perhaps the best option is letting the player choose the difficulty. They do that in instances in WoW, D&D online, and probably others that I can't remember right now.
If you've ever designed a story-based game, you'll find out very quickly that you get two types of players. Some players just want to experience the story and aren't interested in difficulty or failure at all. More traditional players want to overcome challenges and experience a sense of mastery. In a single-player game, difficulty settings work pretty well, but the "easy" setting needs to be really easy.
Will adding a difficulty slider bring in more revenue than you lose from releasing games on a slower cycle, or from the customers you lose because you didn't test the difficulty setting they picked?
I suspect that difficulty settings pick up enough players to make up for development time. It's really as though you're designing two different games: One for the story lovers and one for the gamers. Without difficulty settings it's hard to appeal to both groups.
Take Dragon Age, for example. It's obviously meant to appeal to tactical RPG players who want a challenge. At the same time, many people play Bioware games mostly for the stories, and an easy setting helps capture that market.
The harder the game, the less I tend to play it, because the difficulty gives stopping points. Call it the "retry rule." Even with the best games, there are so many retries before a player puts it down and goes to do something easier for a bit. Too many forced stopping points and a player will shelve your game for good.
Difficult games also give players more temptation to cheat. The sad thing about chess online is that a lot of players cheat by using bots. I've played people who move multiple pieces in one minute blitz chess and manage to force a mate in under 30 seconds. Yet with all that brainpower they can't spell correctly. Make a MMO hard enough and you will see the players try and make it easier.
I don't think difficulty is an issue if segregated by type. I know in FFXI einjerhar and Salvage were considered the hardcore raids, and people dodn't bitch much about them. That was because there were easier raids for people to do as well, with nice, but lesser rewards.
My tastes vary wildly, and there are different types of difficulty. Some days I want brain-busting mental challenges, some days I want to work on my sense of spatial awareness or body kinesthetics. Some days I just want the blingy graphics to make me happy, even as I zone out mentally.
Key to that to date has been a wide variety of games to play. If one game wants to cater to all of my moods and whims, as well as those of other players, it needs to give players control to tailor the experience. There is simply no other way to make everyone happy.
To be real honest with you these talks are getting a bit old but I will just throw my 2cents in by saying that it doesn't matter.
If you're making another casual bubble popping game then it should be easy… if you're recreating a hardcore mmorpg then it should be very hard.
All depends upon the game design <3, keep it up though. Great read =]
Comment by CodeJustin — 24 November, 2009 @ 1:05 AM
CodeJustin wrote:
All depends upon the game design
Exactly my point. It makes me despair when someone like Jeff Vogel, a noted RPG designer, starts saying that everything has to be easy in order for it to be appealing. There is room for a wide variety of options. As Tesh says, there are lot of games out there, and trying to make one size fit all (or making the largest size possible so that everyone can wear it even though it will fit terrible) isn't a very good option.
Thoughtful discussion all around.
Comment by Psychochild — 24 November, 2009 @ 1:16 AM


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Trying to display tool as 2D Circle by changing setting :
Surfcam 2020.1 > Tools > Options > Display > Toolpath > Display Tool > 2D Circles
but not having any luck retaining this parameter, or seeing the resultant 2D Circle when the toolpath is displayed.
Thank You!
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Communi-c8 is a full-service creative marketing firm based in Central Texas.
Each business is unique. We work lock step with clients to develop strategic marketing programs catered to compliment our client's business sales goals and objectives.
The Communi-c8 team are experts in multi-channel communication and digital optimization. Our specialties include branding, public relations, SEO, website + design and full scale product/service marketing campaigns.
From concept to completion, Communi-c8 will serve as vital extension to your company's business development. Find out how Communi-c8 can help you leverage your sales and achieve your business goals!


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There are factors that need to be considered by every homeowner who is seeking to remodel either the kitchen or the bathroom by installation of new cabinets. There are many companies today that are noted to offer different cabinet designs from which homeowners can pick from to ensure they get their house in order. Installation of the cabinets identified to be expensive, it takes about 40% of the total kitchen of bathroom makeover, thus it is critical to ensure the homeowner is able to have sufficient budget that takes care of the cost and ensure the homeowner is able to get the desired cabinets.To get more info, click cabinets. In order to have a smooth and transformative kitchen or bathroom there is need for the owner to ensure the cabinets chosen are a perfect illustration of the desired tone of the bathroom or kitchen for excellent results. Branded companies are noted to be able to represent different cabinets to the fullest of the different personalities with individuals, thus when selecting a cabinet there is need to check if the personality is best reflected on the selected cabinet.
There are different manufacturers that have recently availed different cabinets thus the homeowners are able to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, the homeowners have an opportunity to ensure the cabinets selected demonstrate the best of the individual personality. The basic style cabinets are noted to be least expensive as they have been constructed to meet the standard shapes and size, hence for an individual who has limited budget this is the best way to get affordable cabinets. To get more info, visit Huntsville Cabinets. There is need to consider the space that is available before making any installations, studies indicate that the last thing a homeowner needs is to make purchases of a cabinet and not use it for a very long time as the size was not right. Thus it is critical to have professional come and take measurements of the space and advises the homeowner on the kind of cabinets to pick from in order to get the desired functionality in the house of bathroom where the cabinets are installed.
For individuals who are seeking to live in a house for a short while maybe less than one year may choose to select basic style of cabinets as they are not so expensive. Hence for the individual who are seeking to stay for a longer time in a house there is need to settle for the best quality cabinets that would be a little more expensive but has the best value. In summary, emphasize been placed on the need not to compromise on the quality of the cabinet, this is because the cabinets are often opened and closed many times during the day thus cannot be compromised on the quality.Learn more from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3zh2cMmsNM.


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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Henry Rollins on Pug-A-Day!!!
Henry has made it onto Pug-A-Day! Check this out: http://www.pugaday.com/
October 28, 2008
Henry Rollins from Van Nuys, California
He is currently the second highest rated pug today. Go check him out and vote for him!!!!
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text: Christina Corbaci, Esq. Founder and Managing Attorney. Over 12 years of experience working in immigration, Attorney Corbaci is known for her commitment, drive, and compassion in defending her clients. Fluent in Spanish and learning Turkish and Portuguese.View More Crystal Morillo, Esq.Associate Attorney. Constantly seeking creative solutions to our clients' problems and is focused on presenting our cases in a compelling and human way. She collaborates with Attorney Corbaci daily. Fluent in Spanish.View More Tiago RamosParalegal. A compassionate individual and seasoned translator and interpreter, he supports the attorneys at Corbaci Law, P.C. in preparing our clients' cases. Fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. View More


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I was raised to dress modestly. We girls weren't allowed to wear pants, or skirts above our knees, or shirts more than two fingers below the collarbone, etc, etc, etc. Until I reached tenth grade, I honestly didn't know any better. Then I was confronted (gently) with the "whys" of it all, and after searching for a Biblical reason and consulting with some godly people, I decided that all those rules from childhood were a good thing, and instead of blindly clinging to the strict standards of my parents, I adopted those same rules as Biblical standards for my life.
Every so often, I revisit those reasons.
And every time I remember why, I am so glad I listened to my inner self and put the offending piece of clothing back. I renew my resolve to dress modestly and be my son's first role model of what to look for in a mate.
The reminders come in various ways. Most of the time, I don't even look for them; they just pop up. Last month, I saw the news article about the Duggars wearing modest clothing when they went snorkeling. (There were lots of articles about it, I just chose People magazine because it was the first one in my search results.) People (generic people, not just People mag.) went on and on about how the Duggars actually practice what they preach. It was such an encouragement to me! A couple days ago, I listened to this youtube clip about why Christian ladies shouldn't wear bikinis. It just strengthened that resolve again to wear modest clothing.


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VOV.VN - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 6 received Chairman of the RoK-based CJ Corporation Sohn Kyung-shik in Hanoi during which, he pledged favourable conditions for foreign investors, including those from the Republic of Korea (RoK).
The cabinet member praised CJ Corporation for investing in diverse fields in Vietnam, including food production research, logistics and film production for export, while asking the company to support Vietnam in developing organic agriculture.
PM Phuc appreciated the RoK's success in promoting its culture in other countries, saying he hopes that it will share its experience with Vietnam in this regard.
He said he believes that more than 150,000 Koreans living and working in Vietnam along with leading Korean enterprises investing in the country such as Samsung, LG, Lotte and CJ will help create a new wave of Korean investment into Vietnam in the near future.
The Korean guest told his host that CJ is investing in a research centre on food safety in Ho Chi Minh City in order to manufacture safe products using Vietnamese materials for export. Its affiliate CJ Logistics – the largest logistics provider in the RoK, has recently established a joint venture with Vietnam's Gemadept Corporation.
He said CJ also ventured in film production in Vietnam which are set to be broadcast in many countries and it is investing in agricultural production in the southern province of Ninh Thuan.


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TNI Bureau: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met the family members of Lance Naik Hemraj Singh, who was brutally killed at LoC by the Pakistani troops on January 8 to condole the death of the martyr. The family is on a hunger strike demanding the head of the soldier to be returned to them.
Even President Nitin Gadkari also visited the martyr's family in Shernagar, UP, along with senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh. Gadkari said that the government should take strong action and put pressure on Pakistan to stop the act. He said that India should take the issue with the United Nations, and the international community. He said that the party will raise the issue in the parliament.
Meanwhile, the commanders from India and Pakistan today met in a flag meeting at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district at 1 pm. The Brigadier-level flag meet might have ended with positive note. However, nothing is clear. Prior to the meeting, India's Army Chief Bikram Singh had talked tough against Pakistan over the killing of two Indian soldiers.
He expected that Indian army to be very aggressive if Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire. He sent out a tough message today saying, India will retaliate if Pakistan attacks.


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My newest obsession.
It's Christmas season, and everyone's going around giving gifts and candy canes. The time where everyone gets jolly and fat like Santa. So my friend gives me some "Lumpy Fudge", and I'm all excited and can't wait until lunch when I can eat it. Little did I know that this would be the start of my obsession.
She tells me it's made of marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate. My
three two favorite things (Marshmallows aren't that great). And low and behold, I open the thing, and it's all there. The lumpy, overly sweet treat. It's so sweet, it's almost disgusting how sweet it is. You'll feel the saturated fats creep in on you. But anyway, the fudge came with a note, saying that she had gotten the recipe from a podcast site known as "What You Ought To Know", and also adding that she will, and I quote, "make all of you WYOTK fans!!!! :P".
And as I stared at those letters and realized what they stood for, I checked out the website.
Needless to say, I'm hooked like I am on "Heroes" in Netflix. I love the humor, and I can tell that I'm going to be quoting quite a lot. It's just another way to add to my library of random knowledge, I guess.


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'ak-74'.
Found 4 results
WTS Combloc Customs Firearm Furniture Custom Finishing Services & Sets
kalash1947 posted a topic in Parts and Accessories Market BoardCombloc Customs is dedicated to providing firearm enthusiasts and collectors with custom finished firearm furniture. We specialize in Kalashnikov furniture. We take great pride in our work and provide added value to our customers' firearms with custom finished firearm furniture and finishing services. Each piece of firearm furniture is hand finished and undergoes a multi-step process that ensures the highest quality finish. We strive to provide our customers with an authentic reproduction of the original Cold War era factory finishes. We also provide a variety of custom finishes. Whether you want to give your rifle an heirloom quality finish, are looking for something unique or just want a great looking rifle to shoot, Combloc Customs is the source for top quality firearm furniture custom finishing. Visit us online today! Combloc Customs Site Instagram Facebook
WTB: Parts kits RPD,RPK,AK,1919 other kits ? what do you have ?
blacktalon posted a topic in Parts and Accessories Market BoardTitle says it all please Message me with what you have to sell and the price you want.
AK-74 SAR-2 Romanian 5.45x39 with Slidefire $650
Mike85220 posted a topic in Semi-Auto Market BoardThis is a very lightly used SAR-2 by Cugir in Romania. It has 4/ 30 round magazines which of one is a bakelite orange magazine. The others are black but are military, not aftermarket. The Slidefire is installed and runs perfect. No light primer strikes and runs like a top. Very controllable and sighted in. Very accurate too. It is the post ban non-threaded barrel model AK-74, and no bayonet lug. The thing is, you do not want a muzzle brake on this. Also you don't want to add weight with a bayonet. If you do, the recoil would be too light to work the Slidefire. It has very minimal recoil and groups tight on rapid fire. Very smooth operation. Anyways, it is a great gun and has no issues. Looks new. Can send pics.
WTS: SAR-2 Romanian AK-74 with Slidefire stock $750
Mike85220 posted a topic in Semi-Auto Market BoardThis is a low mileage rifle in 5.45x39, made in Romania. Runs perfect, it is sighted in and the Sildefire stock is a lot of fun and very controllable in this caliber. I have the rifle, the Slidefire stock installed with upgraded rubber butt-pad. The pad makes the stock not only now the correct length and not stubby, but it also feels a lot better against the shoulder than plastic. Yes, it absorbs recoil too, but it doesn't have much in the first place. It also includes 4/ 30 round magazines. One is an original orange Bakelite and the other 3 are black and I pretty sure they are all Russian. Will come with original stock and grip too. I can send pics, please be a serious buyer though. The gun is in like new condition, but remember what a new Romanian AK looks like. No dings or dents, just the typical Romanian level of quality finish. These are shooters, not showcase guns. I want an out of state sale so it will have to be shipped to your FFL/ background check. One owner gun, bought this many years ago.


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Compiled and Edited by Rocky Lang & Barbara Hall
This is, quite simply, one of the finest books I've ever read about Hollywood.
Leonard Maltin
Letters from Hollywood
"Have you ever wondered what Humphrey Bogart's Snapchat account would've looked like? Neither have I. Instead, Letters from Hollywood offers us a unique behind the scenes look at the women and men who created Hollywood. And not with tawdry tales of backstage romances or underhanded deals, but with the creative prose of the filmmakers themselves, often in their most unguarded moments. From Bergman and Brando to Fonda and Flynn (with a little Mankiewicz included), this book is a treasure map inside the hearts and minds of the artists we treasure."
Ben Mankiewicz - Host, Turner Classic Movies
Raves from Hollywood
Book Trailer
August 29 - September 1, 2019 - Cinecon - Loews Hotel, Hollywood CA
September 8, 2019 - Book Launch - Private Event in Beverly Hills 5:00-7:00 pm.
September 11, 2019 - Chevalier's Books - 126 Larchmont Blvd. L.A. - 7:00 pm.
September 16, 2019 - The Cutting Room - 44 E. 32nd St. - New York City - 5:30-7:30 pm.
September 20, 2019 - Vroman's Books - 695 Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA 7:00 pm.
September 24, 2019 - Motion Picture and Television Fund 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
September 26, 2019 - Act Like an Author, Think Like A Business Convention - Las Vegas NV
October 2, 2019 - Warwick's Books - 712 Girard Ave, La Jolla CA 7:30p
October 5, 2019 - Private event - The Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch Foundation
October 11, 2019 - Braemar Country Club - Conversation with Bruce Ferber (author The Way We Work,) and Rocky Lang as they talk about their books and working in Hollywood.
October 13, 2019 - Special musical evening inspired by the letters in the book and the music from the movies. Email email@example.com for information.
October 19, 2019 - Flintridge Bookstore - 1010 Foothill Blvd. La Canada, CA 5:00 pm. Special Guest: Bela Lugosi Jr. will read his father's letter.
October 27, 2019 - The Hollywood Heritage Museum - 2:00 pm.
November 18, 2019 - Maison de Golub - Private Event - Sarasota Fl.
November 20, 2019 - Bookstore1 - 12 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. Book signing and presentation. 5:00 pm.
November 23/24, 2019 - Books & Books and panel appearance at The Miami Book Fair
December 7, 2019 - Just Fabulous Books - 515 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs CA. 12:00 - 2:00 pm.
February 15, 2020 -The San Francisco Writers Conference.
The AUTHORS
Photo: Christopher S. Nibley
Photo: Erin Jurgensen Hansen
Rocky Lang was born and raised in Hollywood. As a thirty-five-year veteran of the motion picture and television industries, he has produced, written, and directed numerous movies, documentaries, and television programs, including White Squall, directed by Ridley Scott. He is also the author of eight books. His father, Jennings Lang, was an agent for Joan Crawford and Humphrey Bogart before becoming an MCA/Universal executive and producer of thirty-five films. He lives in Toluca Lake. www.rockylang.com
Barbara Hall is a film historian, researcher, and writer. A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the University of Iowa, she was an archivist and oral historian at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for more than twenty years. She has also worked as an archivist for Warner Bros., the Writers Guild Foundation, and the Art Directors Guild. She lives in Los Angeles.


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Hi, my name is Desiree Winkel, owner and founder of Fitness Coaching. I've been working for years now with Martijn Steffens, a manual therapist who runs his office in the same studio as mine. We work with clients, who are in pain, need to exercise and want to get healthy.
Why promote healthy work environments? Sint Maarten workers spend an average of 8.5 hours a day at work and commuting to and from work! The workplace is an ideal setting for promoting healthy behaviors and preventing disability and disease through healthy, safe work environments. Moreover, healthy workplaces are good for business. Healthy work environments improve productivity and reduce costs related to absenteeism, lost productivity, turnover, workers' compensation, and medical and disability claims.
We at Fitness Coaching by Desiree Winkel give advice, inform and enable the creation of healthier workplaces. Fitness Coaching can design a wellness program for your company that offers businesses and organizations the support they need to create healthy workplaces. We can come to your business; inspect the work situation and help make healthy changes or design a program for your employees to learn how to prepare their day at the office. If your company is in need of a teambuilding event, we can do so for you too – a fun event where employers and employees can do some teambuilding.
I don't need to explain to you how important it is to have happy employees. But even more important is the fact that your employees will like their job more and thus will give their 100% during the day.
Here are some examples of the benefits:
1. Think positively
Positive psychology shows that when you think positively, you're happier and more productive. Alternatively, if you're thinking negatively, you will attract negativity into your life. This is also known as the law of attraction. The benefits of positive thinking go beyond just being happy, and can actually rewire your brain to develop new skills.
2. Give feedback to the manager
Employees aren't the only ones that need feedback. Managers often need to hear how they're doing, and how they can improve. If you think your manager is not as attentive as they should be, call them out on it in a polite way of course. The manager will appreciate your honesty, and you'll both feel better.
3. Drink water instead of cola
The effects of soda to your body are almost too scary to think about. The damage done is so severe, and even the diet versions don't work. Also, there is so much sugar in cola, that you will end up crashing mid-afternoon. If you want to be productive and healthier, choose water over cola. Your stomach will thank you for it.
4. Solve a situation
You should be recognized and rewarded if you solve an issue inside your organization. Not only that, but you should feel proud of yourself. That sense of pride will end up leading to higher productivity, because you'll be more confident about your work moving forward.
5. Refer a new candidate
If you like where you work, then you should help your friends out, and refer them to the company. Your friend will thank you, and your HR manager at your company will thank you as well, since you'll be helping them with their job.
6. Water the plants at the office
If there are some plants in your office, give them water to live. Don't assume that someone else will do it for you, it's a nice gesture to make sure your work environment is healthy and alive. It can be a little de-motivating to look over from your desk and see a dying plant. You can also water a colleague's plant for them, it's a very nice gesture.
7. Praise your colleague
Everyone loves praise. Take some time out of your day to show some love to a co-worker, to keep them motivated and encouraged to do more good. You'd be surprised at how meaningful a simple praise like "good job" can be to someone. We never know what's going on in other people's lives, and it might just be the thing they need to help them have a good day. If you're a manager, then praise your employees all the time; remember, they look up to you.
8. Suggest an improvement
Don't be shy to suggest a new idea, or new process improvement. You'll earn points in the eyes of your manager, even if the company doesn't implement the idea. If the company does end up implementing your idea, it will be a huge boost to your productivity because it will boost your confidence.
9. Eat fruits and veggies
Eating fruits and vegetables is important for your health, and to maintain good energy levels at work. You need to be productive all day long; and learning to increase your energy, and manage your energy levels will be crucial for optimal productivity. 10. Bring meals from home I would argue that bringing a meal from home is good for the environment, since there is no need to drive anywhere to pick up food, or no delivery car coming to you, which reduces greenhouse emissions. Also, chances are that whatever you're bringing from home will be healthier than whatever you would end up buying, which is another good reason to bring food from home.
What is team-building?
Team-building activities are a way to provide high impact learning, increase team skills and communications, and improve morale and productivity. Employees benefit through experiencing a sense of accomplishment in working as a group to complete a challenging task and learning ways to improve communication skills. Teambuilding allows employees to return to the office reinvigorated and with a new set of problem-solving skills.
1. Improved communication
Team building is useful for breaking down barriers between individuals through group participation in activities. People who are not used to working together get a chance to participate and work as a team. By working through a task, the multiplicity of skills within the team is highlighted and the group learns new ways of working together. Team-building activities that highlight communication allow participants to experience for themselves the importance of good communication and develop new ways of accomplishing this.
2. Time to develop skills
In a busy office environment, it can be difficult for employees to find time to develop new skills. Managers often do not have time to discover what additional skills employees possess. Team-building activities can allow each member of the team a chance to take charge and develop leadership skills, as well as skills in other areas of the business.
3. Long-term benefits
Team experts have found that a strong team can lead to major gains for every small business. These include the ability to maximize profitability by allowing individuals to better combine their skills to achieve more; meeting cross functional challenges and being able to respond quicker to rapid change; retaining the best people by giving everyone a greater sense of involvement and belonging; and empowering teams to become more mission focused and to achieve more with fewer directions and saving time and money.
4. Better relationships
Team-building provides a chance for the team to participate together in an experience where everyone starts with an equal level of knowledge about the given task. The novelty requires people to draw on and create team process skills to complete the task successfully. The challenge of a new experience also requires employees to collaborate and work together in close proximity, which helps to develop relationships quickly. These are just a couple of tips for you. If you think your company needs some help or wants to organize a family day, teambuilding event, contact us.
We will reopen our EVENT office again August 15. Our training facility is open regular hours during the summer months. Conclusion: Spend time, change habits and live happy for you, your work environment and your child. Let me help you!
If you have questions or need more information about Fitness Training, call me, Desiree Winkel, at 524-7700. We are located on Welfare Road, next to Blast and North Eastern Insurance on the first level of the building


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Haiti Requires Additional Trained Nurses, Doctors To Address Cholera Epidemic, U.N. Official Says
Haiti needs about 1,000 additional trained nurses and at least 100 more physicians to control the cholera epidemic, Valerie Amos, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said during a recent visit to the capital of Port-au-Prince, Reuters reports. "We clearly need to do more," Amos said of the global response to the cholera outbreak. "But it's not just money, it's crucially people, in terms of getting more doctors, nurses, more people who can help with the awareness-raising and getting information out there," she said. The U.N. plans to work with countries and aid groups that have the capacity to quickly provide more health workers, according to Amos.


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It is not possible to work with Virtual Surveyor on a Mac.
Running Virtual Surveyor on Mac Print
Created by: Tom Op 't Eyndt
Modified on: Tue, 9 Jul, 2019 at 4:40 PM
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MCE123 offers affordable services to create new, rich, coded websites that work on all types of mobile devices, and we have the tools to convert an existing website into newer standardized code. i.e.:
- Conversion of static HTML websites to Responsive Websites
- Conversion of Adobe Flash to JavaScript and HTML5 animated graphics
- Conversion of Flash Videos to newer video and streaming formats
- Conversion of slow Java applets to newer source code
- Conversion of other types of website content such as HTML4 to HTML5
MCE123 can provide any form of design and development work that your organization needs, and do it cost-effectively. This includes the conversion of older non-mobile compliant websites to responsive website code that allows the pages to be displayed easily on tablets and phones, as well as desktops and laptops. Responsiveness is what allows the page to be navigated easily on any screen size - including scrolling and reading - without having to zoom in to see the text. We are website design and development experts, with over 20 years of industry experience in our company alone.
Importance of Your Website
We never hesitate after we receive a deposit for work to be done. You can expect a quick turnaround, even for larger websites. Your website is instrumental in your organization's overall marketing plan, and we take every project seriously. We have cost-effective ways of producing unique websites using custom templates, modules, and components that are reusable bits of source code. These allow us to reproduce common features of websites that you like looking at while keeping your overall investment in the project low. We'll never take a public template and change a couple of things on it and present it as a finished project. You can bet that we'll spend hundreds of combined hours working on your website, but without the need to produce everything from scratch. If you do want us to produce everything from scratch, we can do that. However, the investment cost will be much greater than the processes that we're used to providing to organizations that are happy with our work.
Reusable Code for Affordable Websites
MCE123 has already made all of the mistakes that start-up companies make due to not having enough experience designing and building websites. Because we're experts in both marketing and information technology services, you're not going to be dealing with 15 different businesses to get an expert-grade website. We use open-source code that is licensed for commercial use, in addition to custom code that we have developed ourselves over the past 20+ years. This allows us to build websites at an accelerated speed, lowering overall costs, and increasing your return on investment.
Customized Modules and Components
Modules and components bring custom software architectures into our reusable website platforms, including Content Management Systems (CMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Document and File Management Systems, and Web Server Management Systems. An example of these custom modules and components would be a piece of software that connects a real estate software application to a content management system, which allows the customer to make changes to the website using custom software that can integrate into their existing software. Therefore, the information flows directly from your employees' computers to the website, allowing your employees to interact with the website using a form and graphical-based user interface.
These custom system packages, put together by MCE123SM allow any size business to have a website that trumps a Fortune 500 company. In the global economy, you need to be competitive with the companies that are already out there, or you're not going to make a dent in the market. We have experience creating niche markets with websites and other marketing products and services, so you can truly achieve the goal of listing your company on a publicly-traded Stock Exchange. The only limitation is your own business, and whether you can handle the amount of clientele that we're going to be sending your way.
W3C Certified Code
We design websites in HTML W3C Compliant code, regardless of how big or how small your website project is. We've learned the importance of designing and developing websites that conform to the highest industry standards, and you can bet our competition is checking our public code all the time to try and find a reason to take business away from us. It's a serious business, and one wrong bit of information and the entire website can be structurally ruined. When you're shopping for a website developer, make sure they certify their code with the latest W3C standards.
Contact us today to learn more about our Responsive Website Design and Development services.


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Welcome to WIPpet Wednesday, a weekly blog hop which encourages writers to move WIPs (works-in-progress) to publication by posting excerpts related to the date. It is hosted by the lovely K.L. Schwengel, maven of bad boys, stock dogs, and flying monkeys!
I've been a little – remote- here, the last few weeks, as the new story devoured me whole. It's not done yet, but NaNo is, so I'm stepping back a bit. I've got comments galore to answer from my lovely fellow WIPpeteers, and I intend to get back to visiting everyone, because I kinda haven't been, and I want to see what all of your characters are up to, too!
NaNo is a wonderful form of madness….
I'm sharing a snippet from The IDIC Romance, my Story A Day May Challenge project. This is a Star Trek: Enterprise fan fiction, exploring the interspecies relationship of T'Pol and Trip. Oh, and the word "Kill" appears especially for our WIPpet Mistress, who earned it! =D
Disclaimers: T'Pol, Trip, and all the rest of Star Trek are property of CBS/Paramount; no copyright infringement intended. I just want to play with them, and I'm careful!
Last week, we time-traveled from the Suliban cell to the future. This week, we come back, to find Trip hiding in the corner, so that T'Pol can't play with his hair…because that seems to get them both all hot and bothered (OK, at this point, pretty much everything does, but…).
Does it work? Does she follow him? Read on!
WIPpet Math:
- Today is December 3, 2014.
- My simple math: 16 mostly short paragraphs: 12+3=15, and one added as a December treat (one shabbos candle; one star; one snowflake; one month to go till 2015, one confused human in a cell….your choice!)
- You also get the last paragraph from "About a Thousand Years Ago..", bolded, for context.
This story is an add-on scene for the pilot episode: "Broken Bow Part 1". I've done my best to extrapolate without violating series canon.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and through my hair – damn, please don't let her decide she needs to fix it again! Before she could, I whirled around and paced the three steps to the corner she'd gone to after that first kiss, about a thousand years ago, now…
It didn't stop me wanting her, but it did mean I couldn't touch her. I squeezed my eyes closed, as if that could help with the imprint she'd left on my brain, my body – my damned imagination..
I could almost feel her quivering, and her scent was thick in the little room, Her taste still lingered on my tongue, clean and spicily sweet, a little like honeyed ginger tea. "Gimme a minute or two….please."
"Certainly, Commander."
How the hell did she manage to be formal and sultry at the same time….? I gave up trying not to see her, and watched as she moved to the front of the cell. I remembered too late how much I enjoyed the rear view…damn, and damn again. This was a damn torture chamber – and torture had never felt so damned good…"Hey, T'Pol?
"Yes, Commander Tucker?"
"You don't happen to be carrying a lockable door and a nice big comfy bed in one of your jacket pockets, do you?"
"That query is illogical." She turned around to look at me, that little frown saying I'd confused her again.
"I know it is," I told her. "I needed to think of something else. So, I can assume you're not hiding a bed, right?"
"You may make that assumption, if you wish." Her voice was as measured as if she was talking about the composition of water. But her eyes – those gorgeous eyes, their hazel hidden by dilated pupils – made a slow, sensual journey from the top of my head, where I swore I could feel her fingers in my hair and on my ears, to my throat, with her about to tug down my zipper, to – well – the part of my she'd ground herself against as though there was nothing else that mattered, in all the universe.
And, dammit, I was responding again, as if she was actually pressed against me – and her eyes glowed as she bit her lip. She looked straight into my eyes, and it was as intimate as though she was in my arms. "You're an engineer," she whispered huskily. "Couldn't you- adapt – something that would – suffice?"
My body – or parts of it, anyway – sure as hell wanted me to tell her I could. So did most of my brain. I swallowed a whole damned Vulcan desert's worth of parched air, and muttered under my breath, "If we've gotta stay in here much longer, it's gonna kill me, I just know it."
"Then perhaps, Commander, we should abandon the attempt to fashion a bed or a door, and instead focus on escape. It would be – most unfortunate, if you were to meet your demise before the end of your inaugural mission."
I blushed, and tried to get something out – anything- but nothing came. How the hell had she heard me? What other stupid things had I said, and how many of those had she heard?
T'Pol began feeling along the edge of the force field, standing up on her toes and reaching high, emphasizing the strong lines and curves of her body, and I itched to pull her close, forget everything but how we felt together…
Sexy as hell. She was definitely gonna be the death of me.
And I didn't think I was going to mind, at all.
After all this, are they really going to stage a jailbreak? Is there a comfy bed and a lockable door in their future? And just how good are T'Pol's ears, anyway? Come back next week to find out more!


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In the amusement park industry, the roller coaster is king. But during the hot summer months, these classic attractions get some tough competition from water slides. In the past 30 years, the world of water slides has exploded. They've transformed from simple poolside slopes to intricate attractions that dominate entire parks. According to the World Waterpark Association, there are more than 1,000 water parks in North America, and about 78 million people visited them in the summer of 2006.
Water parks boast slides with dozens of loops, incredible speeds and exhilarating drops. The tallest free-fall water slide on record is the 120-foot (37-meter) "Summit Plummet" in Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach. If you'd rather ride down on a raft, you can take a plunge on the similarly record-breaking "Insane," an 11-story-tall water slide in Brazil [source: World Waterpark Association]. Whether you're on a mat, a raft or your bare skin, you're at the mercy of gravity as you make your way down -- and sometimes up -- the slippery slope.
A water slide is like a wet roller coaster with no seat and no safety harness, and it uses the same principles a roller coaster does to work. In this article, we'll peek behind the scenes to find out what's involved in operating a water slide, from pumping the water to cleaning it after the ride. We'll also see how the pieces of a water slide fit together and find out what keeps you from flying off into the air as you whip around corners.
The Physics of Falling
At its most basic level, a water slide is a relatively tame roller coaster with no track and no car. If you've read How Roller Coasters Work, then you know that coaster cars are driven by gravity.
At the beginning of the ride, the coaster car is pulled up the lift hill. As the coaster rises higher in the air, its potential energy, or energy of position, increases. Simply put, it has farther to fall. When the coaster is released at the top of the hill, gravity pulls it down the track, converting potential energy to kinetic energy, or energy of motion.
Water slides work on exactly the same principle. But instead of a lift hill, you have a stairway. Climbing the stairs builds up a certain amount of potential energy, which turns into kinetic energy as you head down the slide. A taller slide has more potential energy to work with than a shorter slide.
On a water slide, your body, sometimes combined with a mat or raft, takes the place of the roller-coaster car. Coaster cars have wheels that roll along the track. This reduces the friction between the car and the track, so the car can keep moving. Water slides have a constant stream of water flowing from the top to the bottom. The water lubricates the slide to reduce the friction between the slide and your body.
Apart from total height, the main difference between particular water slides is the way they put the potential energy to work. This is determined by the shape of the slide. We'll look at how a slide's shape affects how fast you fly and how far you move in the next section.
Types of Water Slides, from Sleds to Serpentines
The slide applies a force working against gravity. The balance of these two forces depends on the angle of the slide. When you are sliding along on a nearly level slope, gravity pulls you directly into the slide, and the slide pushes you upward. The upward force of the slide pushes nearly opposite the downward force of gravity, slowing your downward acceleration. When the slope drops sharply, gravity is still pulling you straight down, but the slanted slide is no longer pushing you straight up; it's pushing you at an angle between upward and forward. Since the slide isn't working directly against gravity, you accelerate downward more rapidly.
Speed slides and sled slides focus only on these up-and-down forces. On a speed slide, you plummet straight down a steep slope and launch into an exit flume, a long canal of water that slows you down gradually. In a sled slide (also called a toboggan slide), you glide over a series of bumps and dips. In both of these slide designs, you move forward in a straight line.
Serpentine slides add something new to the mix: curves. The slide snakes around on its way to the bottom, whipping you in different directions all the while. In this sort of ride, the slide structure is not only working against the force of gravity, it's working against your own inertia. When you speed toward a curve, your body naturally wants to keep going forward. If the slide were flat, you would be launched into the air at the first sharp turn. The slide has to curve up at these turns to keep you on the ride.
When you hit these curves, you feel a strong force acting on your body. This is the slide accelerating you -- changing your forward velocity -- so you move in a different direction. (See How Roller Coasters Work to find out more about these forces.)
For everything to work correctly in a water slide, you need a sturdy, smooth surface to glide on. In the next section, we'll look at the structural elements of a water slide.
Water Slide Construction: Bits and Pieces
A small water slide, the sort you might find in somebody's backyard, has a very simple construction. It's a single piece of smooth fiberglass material, cast in the shape of a slide, supported by a metal frame.
Most water park slides have a similar structure, but on a much larger scale. Obviously, it's not feasible to use a single piece of fiberglass for a giant, curving slide. Water park slides are formed from dozens of fiberglass segments fastened together with heavy-duty bolts. Typically, the individual segments fit together like sections of a toy race track.
Each segment has one end with a raised lip and one end with a sunken step. When you fit two segments together, the lip of segment A rests on the step of segment B. This ensures that the segments hold together, with a smooth seam between them. Ideally, the slide feels like a single unit to the rider. Slides typically use completely enclosed tubes for the sharpest turns, to make sure everyone stays in.
These segments rest on a framework of steel girders. The girders may be positioned directly below the slide, or they may sit adjacent to the slide, supporting it with sturdy cantilevers.
Water parks generally buy new slides from an outside manufacturer. The manufacturer designs the slide and builds all of the individual pieces. The water park hires a local contractor to take these pieces and put the whole thing together according to the manufacturer's directions. It's just like building a toy race track or model train, but on a massive scale. The actual slide structure is only half of the ride, of course. Next, we'll take a look at how water lets you slip from the top to the bottom.
Putting the Water in Water Slides
In order to zip down the slide, you need a constant stream of water to reduce friction between you and the fiberglass surface. To maintain this stream, the water park has to get a supply of water to the top of the slide. Most water slides do this with a pump, housed in a building near the base of the slide. In the standard design, the pump motor turns a drive shaft, which is attached to a propeller. The spinning propeller drives water forward, in the same way an airplane propeller moves air particles.
The pump draws water from a collection sump, typically the pool at the base of the slide, and pushes it up through a narrow pipe to the top of the slide. In this way, the water running down the slide is constantly recycled. In some parks, the water is cycled through several connected pools before it is pumped back up to the top of a slide.
In a typical set-up, the water line has a check valve, also called a one-way valve, positioned between the pump and the top of the slide. Water can only flow upward through this valve. This makes things easier for the water park facilitators. When they shut off the pump at night, all of the water from the check valve to the top of the slide sits in the pipe. When they turn the pump on again in the morning, they don't have to wait for the pipes to refill; the water starts flowing immediately.
To keep everything sanitary, the water in the collection pool is also pumped through a strainer and a filter system. The typical filter is a large container filled with sand, which sits on top of a layer of gravel. Water is pumped from the top of the container to the bottom, through the sand and gravel layers. The sharp edges of the fine sand particles trap the bits of dirt in the passing water.
At night, the park managers reverse the flow of water through the filter. As water moves up through the sand, it dislodges the bits of dirt, cleaning the filter. This backwash is pumped out to the sewer line. In a typical collecting pool, all of the water is passed through the filter several times a day. Any swimming pool is constantly losing water -- through filtering, evaporation and people carrying water away in their swim suits. To keep the pools filled, the park has to pump in more water, either from a well or the city line.
Water slides continue to advance at a breakneck pace. One of the most interesting advancements on the horizon is the so-called "water coaster." In the past, water slides have been gravity-driven rides; the water doesn't do much more than help you along on your descent. But some newer designs actually use water to push you uphill. In these rides, the pump system drives high-pressure water to several points along the slide. When the slide dips, the water jets propel you up the next hill. With this element, designers can make slides that carry you in a complete circle, like a roller coaster. It's really amazing what you can do with only water, plastic, fiberglass and gravity.
Related HowStuffWorks Links
- 10 Classic Amusement Park Rides
- 12 of the World's Greatest Roller Coasters
- How Roller Coasters Work
- How Wave Pools Work
- How Water Blasters Work
- How Rip Currents Work
- How Water Towers Work
- How Force, Power, Torque and Energy Work
- How does gravity work?
- What makes a roller coaster a 'mega coaster'?
- What makes you dizzy when you spin around?
- What is the "heat index" that the weatherperson talks about during the summer?


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But seriously, if you knew how much time my kids really spent goofing around with candles, melting crayons, then you would be shocked that I'm this restrained with my posting.
One Saturday morning, while Syd and Matt were at ballet (and picking up holds at the public library, and interlibrary loans at the university library, and dropping off summer camp forms at the Humane Association, etc.--you know the drill!), Will asked to play with the candles and the matches again, the candles and the matches that she and her sister and their friend had just played with last night after their candlelit dinner (turkey bologna and cheese sandwiches with apples and carrots, if you must know how poorly I feed my children's company).
I set her up with the glass plate that we use as a candleholder, but when I saw that she was really more interested in holding crayons to the candle to watch them melt--another common pursuit over here--I moved her to a big mat board left over from Matt's art school days:
Here's the thing, though--as Willow is working, intently and with full concentration, I'm sitting next to her at the table, making sure she doesn't catch her hair on fire and working on a smash book that I'm making Matt for our anniversary (more on that later). So I'm working on my stuff and watching her do her stuff, and suddenly I'm noticing all those nice puddles and pools of crayon wax, and I'm thinking that they look like those old-timey beeswax seals that you see people put on their envelopes to seal them in the movies, and I'm thinking that I'd love to have some sealing wax and those special stamps to play with, and then I'm thinking that, you know, I've actually got some clay stamps that I bet would work pretty much the same as that...
A few minutes later, and now Will and I are BOTH goofing around with candles and wax. At first, my experiments don't go so well--
But after a while, I do believe that I've got that perfect method figured out:
And that's what I mean when I'm always telling you that my children inspire my craft.
P.S. I've got that crayon sealing wax tutorial up over at Crafting a Green World.


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With Brits working some of the longest hours in Europe, and technology creating a round-the-clock workplace, the notion of leisure time is fading fast.
Pursuing work that you are passionate about is well-worn career advice. But quitting a job to do this is unachievable for most workers, who need the financial security of a salary and employment benefits.
Despite the risks involved, there are countless examples of people who have taken the leap of faith and found a way turn their hobbies into reliable sources of income. Technology makes it easier than ever to set up businesses, work flexibly, or have money making side-hustles based on these hobbies.
According to a study, more than one in 10 British workers have quit their jobs to pursue something they are passionate about. The study also found that people who pursue their passions have increased productivity and job satisfaction.
Whether it's a passion for food, craft, fitness or design, do you dream about turning your hobby into a career? Join us on Wednesday 12 April from 1pm–2.30pm BST for a live chat with our expert panel. We'll be discussing:
- Advice on making money from your hobbies and managing your income.
- How to know whether it is a good idea to quit a job.
- Ways to build your brand and reputation when entering your new field as a professional, rather than amateur.
The Q&A takes place in the comments section below. Taking part is easier than ever: to comment, create a free Guardian account or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profile. Alternatively, tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to email@example.com who can post them for you.
The panel
June Angelides is the founder of Mums in Technology, the first child-friendly coding school in the UK. She champions diversity in tech and helps parents gain confidence with digital skills, start new business ventures and grow their networks.
Alison Battisby is an experienced social media consultant and founder of Avocado Social. She has been involved with social media projects for brands including Nokia, Tesco and Pringles, as well as a range of UK start-ups and growing enterprises.
Denise Beedell is a development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses, supporting members in the Greater London area through advocacy, research and in the media. She used to run her own clothing design business, for children with physical challenges and disabilities.
Nicola Bird left her corporate job after the birth of her first child and trained as a transformative coach. She then created and sold an online coaching software business. Her latest venture, A Little Peace of Mind is on online platform to help people with stress and anxiety.
Lydia Fairman is an HR and resourcing specialist, who owns recruitment consultancy, Fairman Consulting. She offers free CV advice, interview guidance and writes careers blogs to help job seekers stand out and succeed. She also works with a variety of clients and is currently consulting for Network Rail.
Andrew Fennell is an experienced recruiter across multiple industries, founder of CV writing service StandOut CV and author of How to write a CV.
Leyla Kazim is a London-based freelance writer, photographer, blogger, and digital influencer, specialising in food and travel. She shares her stories through her blog The Cutlery Chronicles, social media and a number of online and print publications. She is also the founder of London Cheap Eats, the online food guide.
Martha Keith is the founder and managing director of stationery business Love Give Ink. In 2013 Martha left a corporate job in healthcare. Love Give Ink has grown rapidly over the last three years and now employs an eight person team in its West London office.
Sam O'Connor is co-founder and chief executive of Coconut, a bank account for freelancers, which aims to make it easier to work for yourself. He started out at PwC and became a freelancer after selling his first business.
Looking for a job? Browse Guardian Jobs or sign up to Guardian Careers for the latest job vacancies and career advice


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Based on a specific requirement for automated PAT in a high containment facility ExpoPharma were tasked to provide a calibration rig that was capable of automatically performing all of the pharmacopoeial tests for an NIR spectrophotometer.
The calibration rig was designed by our engineers to be capable of being handled by an automated guided vehicle fork truck that was used for handling tote bins within the facility. As such the rig designed to match this form factor eliminating the need to modification of the existing AGV handling system.
All required spectrophotometric reference materials were mounted on a circular plate (as shown) which was actuated by means of a pneumatic motor to meet any local ATEX zone requirements. This was then linked up to the computer system in the safe area to allow remote operation of the test system outside the hazardous area.