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Joe and I in the same squad is basically the virtual equivalent of us plowing a rape van through an elementary school playground at recess.
Quote from: TioJorge on September 09, 2014, 05:05:26 PMI'm just here to say how much I love emulators.That's why PC is the Master Race
I'm just here to say how much I love emulators.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.
I'm just here to say how much I love emulators. I'd much rather the real thing obviously, but my god is it awesome to be able to play foreign games that I wouldn't be able to play even if I owned the systems. I just started a game in Final Fantasy XII Zodiac International Version and it's friggin' awesome to relive the experience I had with one of my favorite RPGs (even if the latter-half was a bit lackluster) but with all these awesome improvements and extras.It took me a while to get the emulator working optimally but with all the right plug-ins, filters, sound and graphics cards, I've got the emulator looking better than the original. That was my main issue with emulators is usually the gaming experience wasn't as good but with the set up I have now...it's officially better than the real thing considering I'd never be able to play games like these. Final Fantasy X International Version is next and I expect I'll have nostalgiagasm when I get to it. Woot woooooot!
Lynxo cured my bad breath with his penis.
I agree, and even then I don't love it nearly as much as X or some of the others, but it's still up there for me. I just didn't enjoy the latter-half of the game as much as I'd hoped and it dragged a little. But overall still a wonderfully enjoyable FF and I still love the meshing of the amazingly customizable Gambit system along with the integration of player control across all characters. It was so fluid and smooth with the automated commands but still very much kept you on your toes, especially with tougher and more enemies at once. I love it!I'm enjoying the Zodiac system but it is odd not being able to just max out my characters with everything. That made the game so very easy. Definitely think this way should have been the main, original version.
Orion....that's the one with a bunch of power chords and boringly harsh vocals, isn't it?
Quote from: Outcrier on September 09, 2014, 06:09:41 PMQuote from: TioJorge on September 09, 2014, 05:05:26 PMI'm just here to say how much I love emulators.That's why PC is the Master Race Have fun playing GTA V yet? Oh wait........
Outcrier: Toughest cop on the force.
Well, would be level 20 by now, but I ended up sleeping till almost noon due to the 2 hour power nap I had between 7am Monday and 2am yoday (Wednesday). As is my Warlock has just crested level 19. Right now my regular CoD Clan is keeping me busy, but Dimi, I certainly hope to play with you in the coming weeks. And TOX, feel free to add me, Rush3737. Same goes for any others who want to get some games in down the line.
Apology accepted.I am really starting to consider buying an xbox1 now. I was going to wait until November/December for a Christmas bundle (and Halo), but I dont know, Destiny is tempting me.
Quote from: cramx3 on September 11, 2014, 06:20:02 AMApology accepted.I am really starting to consider buying an xbox1 now. I was going to wait until November/December for a Christmas bundle (and Halo), but I dont know, Destiny is tempting me.You should consider a PS4 instead.
Titanfall is pretty fantastic as well *and the graphics aren't lacking one bit if you ask me*I wish every time I saw somebody talk about getting an Xbox One, it wasn't followed by people saying "Bruh just get a PS4". We get it, for reasons that are your own, the PS4 is superior, neat, some people would rather get an Xbox One, and they have their reasons sooooooooo eyeh. *minor annoyance because I literally see it anytime an Xbox One is mentioned anywhere on the internet*
I can complain about one thing: Where's Alan Wake?!?!
https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/20/the-top-25-xbox-360-games-4A top 25 that I actually cant complain about. Now opinions are the basis for this so obviously my order woulld be different, but they seem to have made a solid top 25. I think putting the Orange Box so high is what made me happy.


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UPDATE: The milk carton is the creation of the ever-creative Harold Cook — my mistake. I thought Williams had done it because I got it from a Tommy symp.
Original post:
The House probably won't find this funny, but Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, has weighed in on its delay in considering Senate Joint Resolution 1, a water proposal that's a key componenet of a budget deal.
The House on Tuesday delayed considering the measure because leaders said members want certainty on what's going into a supplemental spending bill that's in the Senate's hands, House Bill 1025.
We'll let you know if HB1025 shows up on a billboard.

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Scofield and his Überjam band: Avi Bortnick (left), Louis Cato (second from right), and Andy Hess (right).
Photo by Nick Suttle
What as the compositional process like?
More than half of the tunes were composed by me and Avi together. But the way we composed was he had all these tracks that he'd been working on where he overdubbed and put down some grooves and stuff. He gave me 30 of these home demos and then I just messed with them. The songs are basically his kind of grooves and then I put bridges to them or created "A" sections. Turns out some of the stuff I put in was actually material I'd written earlier, but never really found a place for. He just let me take his tunes and manhandle them.
Was most of the tracking done live? Samples and everything?
We play along to the samples. There may be something where we mess up and have to stick a sample in after because the sampler didn't work, but that's kind of hard to do. We aren't playing to a click all the time. On some of the tunes where we stop playing along with the groove and just play as a band, then when we come back in he can click the sample in with his foot in tempo. Hopefully there's no train wreck and the sample comes in at the same tempo.
On a few tunes there's a definite Afrobeat influence coming through. Where did that come from?
Avi brought that in. There's an older song called "Thikhathali" on Up All Night and that's a real Afrobeat thing. Avi played for many years in a band of guys from Nigeria while he was in San Francisco. He's quite knowledgeable about Afrobeat music. Two of the tunes on the new album, "Camelus" and "Snake Dance," are coming out of Fela and all that.
Rhythm guitarist Avi Bortnick kicks things off with some samples before drummer Adam Deitch takes over with a hip hop-meets-disco groove. Bortnick's "solo" at 2:02 is the perfect foil to Scofield's angular lines.
What is it about this style of electronic-influenced, vamp-oriented music that keeps drawing you in?
I love to play bebop and will continue, probably all my life, to play modern jazz. But when we play in this area, I like the fact that it's not as developed, that I don't have Miles and Mingus and Mulligan and Monk looking over my shoulder. Even though it's very related to that, it's not that. We're rocking out and I like that.
You could almost draw a parallel to what those guys were doing in the '30s and '40s.
I guess. On one hand, everybody is in love with the history of the music they are passionate about, but is also weighted down by the music of their idols. When you are able to free yourself from that a little bit, it's a good thing.
Do you approach improvising within this group differently from your trio?
Yeah, I do approach it differently. In a trio, I'm going to play more chords and fill it up more. In this group, I can paint a little bit more and take my time. There are sections where I don't play. I think in order for this music—or any music really—everybody just can't jam their stuff in there. That becomes amateurish. I probably play fewer notes than I used to because I'm trying to make them work—and hopefully they are more to the point.
What were your first experiences with vamp-based music?
I started with vamp- and groove-based music when I started playing guitar. In that the music that fusion came from, the James Brown things that original fusion guys were into, is the music that I grew up with in the '60s. I got better at it and more into it, but it's funny because I was learning jazz music in the immediate post-fusion era. I got good at playing "Billie's Bounce"—well, good enough at playing that style of jazz guitar—in the early '70s. At the same time, fusion reigned, so when I got to play with good jazz players they were always playing some vamps. That was just part of it. The other thing was studying Coltrane and his music with McCoy Tyner. A lot of that music was just vamps. Music coming out of that era of jazz is very applicable to everything Überjam is doing.
Did the first wave of what we now consider jam bands—like the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers—influence you when you were younger?
Well, I consider Hendrix and Cream jazz-influenced. They were rock groups that took the idea of jazz, in that they played extended solos and improvised together. I see that as an extension of the jazz music from the '60s and really jazz in general. Labeling these different genres gets pretty confusing and it gets hard to do. Even when the labels are right, there's always something wrong about it. [Laughs.] I've thought about it a lot and I trace the early jam band stuff back to the groups in the rock era that would stretch out like the Grateful Dead. I'm pretty sure all those groups got that idea from modern jazz. Even if they weren't jazz musicians and couldn't play the chords to "Stella by Starlight," they took that concept and used it.


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Swimming! Camp! Pool food! Sunburn! Magazines! This week, Biz and Theresa reminisce about our own childhood summers and make excuses for not giving our kids perfect summertime experiences. Plus, Biz fesses up to co-sleeping with her baby and Theresa is grateful for city parks because she is losing her mother-loving MIND at home with her babies. And, we chat with Amy Vansant about her new book, the best-selling humor anthology Moms Are Nuts, which is entertaining and cathartic for moms and non-moms alike!
Moms Are Nuts (But Don't Tell Them We Said So), by Amy Vansant
Follow Amy on twitter @AmyVansant
Amy's Blog, Books and more are at AmyVansant.com!
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Opening theme: Summon the Rawk, Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Ones and Zeros, Awesome, Beehive Sessions (http://awesomeinquotes.com, also avail on iTunes)
Mom Song, Adira Amran, Hot Jams For Teens (www.adiraamram.com, available on iTunes)
"But You Love Me, Daddy (with Jim Reeves)" by R. Stevie Moore (http://www.rsteviemoore.com/)


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That is some heavy handed GMing there. Which works for some groups. Does your groups fall more on the Game side or the Collective Story Telling Side?
I don't suggest that. Have them all attack and actually DIE. Kill them. TPK!!!! Total Party Kill. Make it epic and make it close but beat them fair and square (by faking rolls and making stuff up if you need to). Spin them up and piss them off. Make them write 0 on their character sheets and tease them.Then stop them when they start to get too far gone and roll the dice a couple times and have one of them open their eyes in whatever scenario you want.
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Experts' forecasts about gold prices. Is it possible an increase to $ 1,450?
According to LBMA's annual survey of the gold market, the situation seems stable. Many experts give a positive evaluation of the prices of gold.
For instance, Ross Norman, CEO of Sharps Pixley believes that the average price of gold will be $ 1,321 per ounce, while the maximum could reach $ 1,450 per ounce. Norman weighs up the following arguments: the state of the world economy, inflationary risks and the demand for gold.
Other positive forecast was made by Torsten Prettel (LBBW). To his mind, average price could be $1,312, while the range of prices could vary from $1180 to $1525. The reason why he believes this is the right range, is the increasing demand for physical gold in China
Banks, in their turn, also expressed their opinions about the increase in prices of yellow metal.
Namely, the investing firm Morgan Stanley has based its assessment on the low interest rates, the pressure of dollar, the increasing demand for gold in Asia, and the difficult situation on the euro zone. Having taken into account both positive and negative factors , the firm Morgan Stanley stated that in 2015 gold price could be $1185.
HSBC is rather optimistic. According to it, gold prices will mostly depend on the FED interest rates. The longer interest rates are on a low level, the higher gold prices will be. Also, a possible weakening of the dollar would contribute to an increase in prices. The forecast by HSBC is as follows: a range from $1120 to $1305.
Next, according to the opinion of one of the analysts of the Bank of America, dollar rate corrections and low interest rates will stimulate an increase in gold prices. Earlier the analyst also expressed confidence in the fact that buying gold keeps being profitable. To his mind, the minimal price of yellow metal had already been reached, and now there is a growing trend. The up-to-date forecast from Bank of America is $1230 per ounce.
Additionally, ETF Securities' surveys have shown that the range of gold prices is expected to be from $1250 to $1400. According to experts' observations, gold is included in the list of favorite assets in 2015, and around 40% of London investors are positive regarding their forecasts for gold.
Thus, after centuries gold is still a trend. The current geopolitical situation, economical instability and other factors of our changeable world, influence these processes. Only gold is an eternal source of stability, because it has shown itself as a safe-haven asset since long ago.
The clients of Emgoldex are aware of the great benefits of this precious metal. They have been running their own gold business buying investment gold bars in the Emgoldex online store, and recommending it to other people. Gold bars ensure stability during unstable times and helps people increase their capital, and that's exactly what Emgoldex clients did. They have achieved financial independence, receiving a stable and high level of income and prosperity!
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Category: Gold news Publication date: 2015-04-09 08:04
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Moderate GOP Sen. Collins says she'll oppose Hagel, as Reid sets up final vote
WASHINGTON – A moderate Republican senator said Wednesday she'll oppose the confirmation of Chuck Hagel to become President Barack Obama's secretary of defense, while other GOP senators signaled they may delay a floor vote on the nomination unless the White House provides more information about the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, had been viewed as a possible supporter of Hagel, but she said Wednesday that his views on the most critical threats facing the United States are "unsettling."
In a four-page statement, Collins said Hagel was unwilling to ask the European Union to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 2006, and he has been hesitant to back the use of all non-military options, such as unilateral sanctions, to pressure Iran into ceasing its nuclear program.
As Collins voiced her opposition, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., set the stage on Wednesday for a full Senate vote on Hagel's nomination. Reid filed a motion to limit debate and force a vote, which is expected to be held on Friday. Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate and have the numbers to confirm Hagel on a majority vote, but would need the support of five Republicans to clear the way for an up-or-down vote on Hagel.
A bitterly divided Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday voted to approve Hagel by a 14-11 vote, with all the panel's Democrats backing him to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The committee's Republicans were unified in their opposition to their onetime colleague, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska and twice-wounded Vietnam combat veteran.
"I am unable to support Senator Hagel to be the next secretary of defense because I do not believe his past positions, votes, and statements match the challenges of our time, and his presentations at his (confirmation) hearing did nothing to ease my doubts," Collins said. "I regret having to reach that conclusion given our personal relationship and my admiration for Senator Hagel's military service. But I have concluded that he is not well-suited for the tremendous challenges our country faces during this dangerous era in our history."
Collins said she would not join in a filibuster to block a final vote.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday that he would vote against ending debate on Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary because he wants more information on Obama's actions on the night of the Sept. 11 raid on the mission in Benghazi. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died in the Sept. 11 raid.
Graham, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., wrote to Obama on Tuesday and asked whether he spoke to any Libyan government official during the assault.
"There seems to not be much interest to hold this president accountable for a national security breakdown that led to the first ambassador being killed in the line of duty in over 30 years," Graham said. "No, the debate on Chuck Hagel is not over. It has not been serious. We don't have the information we need. And I'm going to fight the idea of jamming somebody through until we get answers about what the president did personally when it came to the Benghazi debacle."
McCain declined to say Wednesday whether he would try to filibuster or delay Hagel's confirmation if Obama did not provide an answer. "My position right now is I want an answer to the question," he said.
After the committee vote, McCain said he did not want a filibuster of Hagel's nomination. "We have not filibustered a Cabinet appointee in the past and I believe that we should move forward with his nomination, bring it to the floor and vote up or down," he said.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he's confident the White House will supply the information and that Hagel will be confirmed.


text: 2018_HS: Cardiovascular System Review Please answer the following questions about you: This survey functions as the post-test and evaluation for the TCHP Cardiovascular Critical Care home study. Question Title * 1. Please let us know a little bit about you. Starred items are required. *First and Last Name Address: Address 2: City/Town: State: -- select state -- AL AlabamaAK AlaskaAS American SamoaAZ ArizonaAR ArkansasCA CaliforniaCO ColoradoCT ConnecticutDE DelawareDC District of ColumbiaFM Federated States of MicronesiaFL FloridaGA GeorgiaGU GuamHI HawaiiID IdahoIL IllinoisIN IndianaIA IowaKS KansasKY KentuckyLA LouisianaME MaineMH Marshall IslandsMD MarylandMA MassachusettsMI MichiganMN MinnesotaMS MississippiMO MissouriMT MontanaNE NebraskaNV NevadaNH New HampshireNJ New JerseyNM New MexicoNY New YorkNC North CarolinaND North DakotaMP Northern Mariana IslandsOH OhioOK OklahomaOR OregonPW PalauPA PennsylvaniaPR Puerto RicoRI Rhode IslandSC South CarolinaSD South DakotaTN TennesseeTX TexasUT UtahVT VermontVI Virgin IslandsVA VirginiaWA WashingtonWV West VirginiaWI WisconsinWY Wyoming ZIP: Country: *Email Address:(use work email if from a TCHP Organization) Phone : Question Title * 2. Please indicate which organization you work for: Hennepin County Medical Center Minneapolis VA Health Care System Northfield Hospital I am not working right now. Other Organization (please specify) Question Title * 3. Please indicate your unit or work area. If you are not currently working, enter "not working." Question Title * 4. Please select the situation listed below that best describes you. I am a nurse and do not have a special certification. I am a nurse with a special certification such as a CCRN, PCCN, etc. I am not a nurse. If you are not a nurse, please specify your profession Question Title * 5. I verify that I have read this home study. Yes No (not eligible for contact hours) Next


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During an ITP Camp session run by the folks from littleBits, one pair of campers designed and made this fantastic sound-triggered bubble maker. Toshitaka Amaoka and Chris Mansfield made it using a fan, a 9 volt battery, some wood, a plastic cup, and the upcoming sound trigger module from littleBits. Not only did they design and make this fun project in under two hours, but the documentation for their project is already posted to the littleBits community site. Now that's what I call rapid prototyping!
Don't Blow Bubbles, Clap Them


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Valentine's Day, Two Weeks Late
I'm late with a post on love. Sorry. Didn't have anything to share back on Valentine's Day. But today I do. It's a passage from Robert Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, which is one of those treasure-chest classics you keep by … Read more


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Hello all. I'm a college grad and a former missionary who once was quite convinced God was real and was helping me. After I got back, as I thought about what I really believed and what I'd experienced, I saw that, while God could be there, I had never seen anything happen differently from what would happen if there was no God. Since then, I spent a lot of time keeping to myself, and not really researching the issue because I was afraid what I would find.
It's been a slow process of reading more atheist blogs, coming to terms with what I really believe, and now posting on a forum for the first time. I want so badly to talk to someone in real life, but everyone I know would try to help me back into the faith. I don't really have many friends and I'm very shy so it's hard to meet people.
I have all these reasons that I say I turned away from my faith -- I've never seen evidence of a god, the bible is illogical and inconsistent, religious people don't seem more moral or more happy than anyone else, prayer doesn't work, what about creationism and biblical anti-gay teaching? But I'm not necessarily happy at getting free, or angry at what I used to believe. I feel like other atheists I've read about who called their deconversion "like getting a painful divorce."I still don't know what I believe. I'm half afraid that if I come out to my real-life friends, all these good reasons will sound dumb when I say them out loud. Most of them really believe in miracles, you know. I'm just looking for some support. I'm in the middle of Iowa about two hours away from the nearest good atheist group, from what I can tell. I want to know that what I'm going through is normal and expected, or hear how others have made it through this same kind of issue.
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I totally agree. I definitely grieved. And, sometimes, I still do because it's like my family has that dead loved one stuffed and sitting in his old chair in the living room. They can't accept he's gone! lol
For me it was frightening because part of my deconversion process involved temporarily suspecting Jesus himself was the anti-Christ... but believing that, if I was wrong, was like tempting God to strike me dead with lightening. HA!
When I began reading 'Who Wrote the Bible' I actually hid in the back of the library, fearing someone might see me with it. I got this sick feeling as I realized the bible was a book, that it had been edited, and also that no one I knew ever questioned whence it came. A few times I felt like I was being transported to another earth, and maybe when I walked out of the back of the library everyone would be gone and I would find my curse was to be left completely alone.
<hugs to both of you>
" I believe that loss of faith requires conscious mourning for healing to occur."
While not universally true, this seems to be the case most of the time. I was devout. Honest!! So I don't know why I never went through any mourning. My deconversion was gradual. I couldn't even say when I definitively accepted that God was a delusion.
But I'm realizing that I need to be more sensitive to people like Physeter. My glib, "it's easy", while it was meant to minimize pain, may not be particularly helpful.
I remember when I checked "God is not Great" out of the library. I held the book upside down so no one could see the title.
Why is it that we think and feal this way? Is it because we have been so conditioned to belief that anything you do that goes against others religion is something to be ashamed of. Is it because of the fear of what others are going to think of us? Is it the fear of being ridiculed? Is all these things so deeply ingrained in our lives? I know that for the first 3 years I told nobody, now my family know and one of the things I had to deal with in comming from a conservative small town is that I would actually loos bussiness if people had to know what I belief or not belief in. At home I get the comments from time to time, my man just told me that I should tell the guys on the blog to start praying and stop talkin sh@t. What is it with the fear of knowledge!
For me it was because I was 15 years old and everyone I knew thought the bible was 'the word of Gawd'. I had no idea that there were people who viewed it as a book and critiqued it as a book.
When I finally stopped believing the god of the Bible was real, I was excited that I'd get to leave behind the notion of an impending apocalypse. It was such a relief to not have to worry about the Tribulation, or the Rapture, or the Second coming, or my friends burning in Hell forever... and what's been disappointing is how shitty things are even without all that nonsense. I thought I was walking out into the sunshine after a really bad, long nightmare, but now we have to deal with all these people who are still sleep-walking and think all of the above is true; who deny climate-change, women's rights, evolution, vaccine's, and personal responsibility.
Sure, I don't have to worry about seven years of natural disasters that destroy 1/3 of the world... just people overfishing the ocean and killing 80% of its sea life, or killing elephants within an inch of extinction because they think their tusks are magic, or refusing Africans access to condoms to reduce the spread of HIV & AIDs, or giant super-hurricanes caused by climate change. Wow. So much better! O_o
I don't know exactly what it was that triggered your change of mind about religion, and what I have to say may not be relevant to your life, but I identify greatly with the idea of going abroad providing clarity.
I was raised in the church and was very active all through high-school, going to church every week and such. Though I was never super into it, I accepted it because it was all I knew.
Once I spent a year abroad, I was surrounded by "christians" yet I realized how different something that was supposed to be the same religion actually was, and that it really only depended on where you were. The religion you follow is directly related to where you grow up, nothing else. This made me realize that there was no way there was any truth to religion: that it was all created by man.
This fits well with one of my favorite books: Shogun. The idea of going abroad and experiencing a different culture. To me, the book is all about finding connections and truths that remain true for all humanity, while learning to filter out the cultural truths that keep us apart. Religious truths, like cultural truths, will be different with every person you meet, and you have to be able to let go of these in order to truly understand people from other backgrounds. The most exciting part of these experiences however is when you discover those human truths: the things that will be true for all people, no matter their religion or culture...like compassion, laughter, love, etc.
I love learning more and more about different cultures and customs, and I want to have the knowledge of as many of them as I can, yet ironically, by doing so, culture loses its power over me and cultural truths are replaced by human truths.
I hope this all makes sense and isn't just me blabbering away, and you may be wondering what this has to do with your post, but I wanted to share with you because this part of my own journey is what has allowed me personally to not struggle with the things you talk about having a hard time with. I am at peace with my rejection of everything I once so genuinely believed because accepting atheism has been a rational discovery. The more I learned, the less compelling religion became.
The ultimate way to discover what life is really all about: immerse yourself in as many different cultures as possible and you will see the patterns...these patterns will make it clear to you why things have become the way they are, and you will clearly see that religion, like culture, is man-made. When it becomes so clear to you in this way, you have all the closure you need because it has been a logical and experimental discovery.
Many of us often say atheism is embracing realism, and this is what happened with me. If your experience has been anything like mine, it is likely at the core of your own transformation, and the more knowledge you obtain, the more at peace with atheism you will be, and it will hopefully start to feel less like a "painful divorce' and more like an exciting discovery.
Thanks. I don't know if going abroad made me doubt, if anything I saw God at work there. I miss that feeling. I really thought I saw that God was working in the world, however subtly, that he was speaking to me, and that the biggest doubts I had could never cover up faith.
I went through an intense training program where we prayed and talked about God every day with limited alone time, access to internet/news, and even freedom. Then I went to a country very far from where I grew up, with no outside contact, where people believe in spirits and stuff. Once I got back home into familiar settings, I started to see all the problems we'd had on our trip, how they could be explained without god just as well as with god. I started to read all these atheist blogs and ways of thinking, and not liking how much I agreed with it.
As I write this part of me still wonders if I just let my faith die out. Maybe if I hadn't gone into my old "familiar" habits. Maybe if I had kept reading the bible regularly (I gave it up). Maybe if I prayed more (I still pray, but it's usually 'God let me know if your real' or 'God forgive me if I'm wrong here'). Maybe if I had immediately sought out a group of my peers that I could worship with and talk about faith (it's hard to find a good Christian group and even harder to find an atheist group now that I want that). Part of me still says Chstianity is true, I just walked away from it.
I want to embrace realism. I want to become fully assured of what's true, without constantly worrying or looking back. I hope I can find my way.
Thanks for the reply.
As I said before, going abroad gave me the closure and confidence in being atheist, but I also had moments of doubt as you describe, probably during my senior year, the months leading up to my year abroad. I often said to myself 'no matter how much I want to believe, I can't anymore', and I hoped it was a phase one moment, the next moment ready to embrace it, and back and forth. This was because I had let those doubts creep just deep enough that I couldn't shake them. I didn't spend too much time dwelling on it, because religion had never been more to me than an hour or two once a week, but I see now that this is the phase you are in and I agree this is a difficult place to be.
Especially with the large part of your life you have dedicated to Christianity I can imagine your struggle is much more significant than my own. I was lucky that my trip abroad took me from the confusing setting and placed me somewhere where I could evaluate things with fresh eyes. You are doing just the right thing by seeking support, advice, and knowledge, because one day you will have your aha moment like I did by going abroad!
I know that everyone is different, but I'll try once again to share part of my own journey in hopes of helping you with yours: the one thing that really started to plant the seeds of doubt in my own faith when I was growing up was when I learned about other religions, or hearing about the history of Christianity, roman and Greek gods, and such in history class. I remember the first time I had ever come across the idea of religions being man made in 6th grade learning about ancient cultures and it blew my mind. It made so much sense and I immediately began applying it to all religions I knew of...I got to Christianity and just kind of got confused and backed off because it was..."true?" I didn't notice anything at the time, but looking back, it was the first time I really had a reason to question what everyone had always taught me my whole life.
Maybe you are already very learned when it comes to other religions, but if you aren't, it could be a great place to research...maybe you will see the patterns that helped me to place Christianity into the same category as all other religions. If you can understand what it is about other religions that allows you to truly believe they are false, then you may find your way to believe one religion further.
On a separate note, the one thing that kept me connected to religion for so long was the people I was around. Once I went to any other church, it became clear that church hadn't been such a good experience because of the religion, but because of the people there. Look back at those religious experiences that you continue to hold on to...that make it the hardest for you to let go...figure out what about that experience was so powerful, but in a non-religious context, and you may find your closure.
@Physeter - Welcome - I think you could feel 'obliged' to come out, because you find it difficult to keep things hidden, because you are basically a 'good' person, and not because you were a 'christian'.
You don't 'have' to tell anybody. Sort stuff out in your own mind, ask any questions you want here, no question is too silly, read other peoples 'journey' to get rid of the 'fear' of hell, it could take a while, don't rush it, and you too will see the light :)
Everybody has a different reason for leaving religion behind, and they come from all parts of the world - that in itself is an education. My reason for leaving catholicism, was first , hypocrisy of organised religion, then I just couldn't believe that a god made everything, the universe, stars, planets, suns, then, humans born with sin, and then, concerns himself with who is begetting who, and then, perpetrates some of the most evil acts. The more one reads, the more the bible doesn't make sense. The bible is actually what finally convinced me, it wasn't' true. It could well be a very enjoyable journey getting rid of the yoke you have around your neck, to be a good person, just because you are :)
If you have the time or the inclination, have a look at this - http://www.clergyproject.org/


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GALAX, Va. - About 75 vehicles crashed Sunday along a mountainous, foggy stretch of interstate near the Virginia-North Carolina border, killing three people and injuring more than 20 others, police said.
Traffic backed up for about 8 miles in the southbound lanes of I-77 in southwest Virginia. Authorities closed the northbound lanes so that fire trucks, ambulances and police could get to the wreck.
A series of crashes began around 1:15 p.m. Sunday in the area of Fancy Gap Mountain. There was heavy fog at the time and photos of the scene after the accident showed poor visibility.
Several vehicles caught fire in the wreck, but the blaze was put out, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.
It wasn't immediately clear how bad the injuries were or how long the interstate would be closed. Tow trucks worked to clear some of the wrecked cars and trucks.
Motorists were advised to seek alternate routes.


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MTD - Campbell Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Tiny Tots, 138 Railway Ave., Campbell, CA 95008
Wondering what a doula is? Join other new and expectant parents at Meet the Doulas to learn the answers to questions about birth and postpartum doula services.
Doulas working in the Greater South Bay Area will be on hand to answer your questions, offer personalized referrals, and represent some of the wonderful variety of personalities, ages, backgrounds, and skills you can find in a birth or postpartum doula. Time is also provided for parents to meet individual doulas in brief "get acquainted" interviews. Meet the Doulas is a monthly event, sponsored by BABI.
We would appreciate you coming a few minutes early for the check-in before the event starts at 3pm.


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With the focus on health and positive thinking, these days there are number of sites that offer online counseling therapy. Today life is too busy, and does not allow people to spare time of their own personal issues and take to resolve those. The result is the problem mounts from a small mole to mountain sized and males it difficult to contain and co-exist with.
Thus, the issue become larger and needs attention. Many people are quite embossed to open up about their issues, and prefer to keep to themselves rather than seeking help. Even facing a counselor talking about it is many times not agreeable. Sometimes it is the lack of time that dissuades people to approach for help. Taking an appointment, driving down to the place, and waiting in queue is all time taking. Eventually health takes the back seat.
Understanding the practical and the mental difficulties, today there are a few counseling sites that offer all that the real clinical psychologist offers. Focusing on therapy that allows the client to help their lives healthier, these are gaining more importance in the society. Some of the online counseling sessions take weeks to touch the real core issue.
Most people find it easy to open up, since they do not come face to face with the human counselor. Since here they are by themselves, and speaking to an unknown person, whose face is not seen, they open up quite easily. The counselor has to tackle the issues taking care that this is a sensitive person who is unable to put up with the disturbance. Thus each session has to be handled with thorough professionalism.
If you have a degree in psychology, you are most applicable for this job. Off lately there are many courses for online counseling where these training programs teach how to deal with people, and the most common issues. There are many people who have suicidal tendencies, or family members of people with suicidal tendencies. Some are troubled by broken relationships and some are mentally disturbed due o illness. These are just a few of the possible clients that you may have to tackle as a counselor.
Online counseling job allows you to have a practice as a practitioner from home with no investment. Having a clinic, paying the rent, waiting for patients etc can be very exhausting, and asking for a long waiting period to succeed. But if you opt to counsel online, there is no investment and one will be surprised at the real count of people who shy away from really approaching a shrink. The income in this field is very attractive, and it works per session which is usually an hour. Most of the clients need more than one session, and some even need weeks before you reach the real core of the issue.
Once you gain confidence, you can also start your own counseling service by yourself. Online jobs give you the flexibility to be at home and work at your own convenience.


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Oct. 23, 2008
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale hasn't played in the friendly confines of Reese Stadium since a 2-0 victory over Bryant on Oct. 1. That will change on Saturday when defending Ivy League champion Penn comes to New Haven. Kickoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. and fans can follow live stats of the game from GameTracker. In addition, free audio is available at wybc.com.
The Bulldogs (7-5-1, 2-2 Ivy) have been tough to beat at home, winning 13 of their last 15 games at Reese. Yale stayed in the Ivy race by going 2-1 on a three-game road stretch, including a 3-1 victory at Cornell last Saturday.
A pair of Bulldogs - Emma Whitfield and Miyuki Hino - were named to the Ivy League Honor Roll on Monday. Whitfield had two goals in the win over the Big Red, and Hino scored once. Hino has three goals in her last two games.
The Quakers (8-4-2, 2-1-1 Ivy) are coming off a 3-0 victory over Rider on Wednesday. Sarah Friedman leads the Ivy League in assists with 14. Kristin Kaiser and Natalie Capuano share the team lead with five goals apiece. Sara Rose has seen a majority of the action in goal and has a 1.08 goals against average. The Quakers have outscored their opponents 32-15 on the season.
Last year in Philadelphia, Penn edged the Bulldogs 2-1. Jessica Fuccello scored both goals for the Quakers. Natalia Mann scored for Yale on a penalty kick.
Related Links
- GameTracker Live Stats
- Free Audio From WYBC
- Yale Statistics
- Penn Statistics
- Ivy League Standings
- Reese Stadium Information
- NewsChannel 8 New Haven Weather Forecast
Report filed by Tim Bennett, Yale Sports Publicity


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How to Make Millions
This story appears in the September 2007 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Making a million is a milestone--the defining moment of success for many entrepreneurs and an attainable goal for those tapped into today's hottest trends. Entrepreneurs are keeping their fingers on the pulse of what's hot in today's marketplace. They are the trendsetters, the pioneers, the ones to watch as they lead the pack, followed closely by franchisors poised to capitalize on winning ideas and spread concepts nationwide.
Already dreaming about living the good life as a millionaire? We've compiled the most lucrative trends across seven industries. But keep in mind that regardless of the route you choose--whether it's going solo or buying a franchise--arriving at your first million in sales will require persistence, strategy and, in most cases, multiple locations. And in case you doubt it's doable, we got the scoop from savvy entrepreneurs who went from zero to a million.
Fountain of Youth
With the first baby boomers starting to hit 60, America is fighting tooth and nail to stave off the signs of time. In 2004, Americans spent about $44.6 billion on anti-aging products and services, according to Business Communications Co. Inc., an information resource company. But that's nothing compared to the $72 billion market it's expected to mature into by 2009.
Why the sense of urgency? Vanity is part of it, and the fact that we're living longer adds to the need for enduring youth. But there's also the fact that many baby boomers won't be financially able to leave the work force as early as their parents did and will have no choice but to stay vital and active, says Maddy Dychtwald, co-founder of Age Wave, a think tank focused on boomers and the aging of the population. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, the median age at which baby boomers expect to stop working is 70, but 27 percent say they never intend to stop working. Dychtwald predicts that this will open up all kinds of opportunities to entrepreneurs--such as those who can create wellness centers and bring together a variety of health and nutrition specialists under one roof.
Jeni Garrett is one of those entrepreneurs providing a mind and body oasis to baby boomers desperate for rejuvenation. In 2001, after enjoying the benefits of spa visits herself, Garrett, now 28, founded The Woodhouse Day Spa, a luxury spa in Victoria, Texas. A year and a half later, she set her sights on turning the brand into a household name. She first planned to open more company-owned locations, but Garrett soon turned to franchising to spread the concept. "With our business model, you really need an owner/operator present because of the staffing issues and to do the marketing initiative," she says. "Franchising lent itself very well to that."
To move forward, Garrett knew the foundation had to be solid. She chose a top-notch franchise lawyer and streamlined operations, even ordering the fixtures for the franchisees. With her franchise system in place, she has positioned herself perfectly to accommodate the growing clientele of baby boomers. To further meet the needs of this segment, she added a menu of services that boasts 15 holistic, all-natural treatments that focus more on wellness than pampering. She is enjoying success with a multimillion-dollar business as more boomer women--and men--make the spa experience part of their lifestyles. Says Garrett, "We're seeing [spas] move from a level of luxury to a level of necessity for wellness."
The Sweet Life
The nation's sweet tooth is becoming more insatiable, driving everything from the franchising industry, where cookies and ice cream concepts are growing categories, to the fine-dining industry, where diners are staying more often for the grand finale.
Dessert has become such a significant portion of the food industry that it's warranted its own annual trade show since 2003. Meanwhile, according to Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association, almost 1 in 3 fine-dining operators reported that consumers bought more desserts last year than in the two previous years. In an increasing number of cases, high-end desserts are stealing the spotlight, as entire independent restaurant concepts are being founded on the premise of tasty, upscale indulgence.
Paul Conforti and Kim Moore, 36 and 40, respectively, researched the restaurant industry for a year while attending Harvard Business School before they opened the doors to their first upscale, dessert-focused restaurant, Finale Desserterie & Bakery, in Boston in 1998. Offering an exquisite menu featuring Valrhona chocolate, honey caramel gelato, nougat mousse and cherry almond Florentines, they are often credited with the distinction of starting the first high-end dessert concept. Their focus is as much on high-quality ingredients as it is on the overall experience. Says Conforti, "Making sure [customers] have the best dessert of their life is important, but it's also about the atmosphere, service, background music [and] cleanliness of the restaurant."
They have since grown their restaurant concept into a $6 million-plus business and are about to open their fourth location this month. Planning to open three more locations in Massachusetts next year and to reach Washington, DC, by 2009, they are working toward their ultimate goal of going nationwide. With an idea as divine as upscale desserts, $1 million in sales can be achieved with only one location, and the proof is in the pudding: One of Conforti and Moore's locations makes twice that much annually.
Starbucks revolutionized the coffee industry by transforming the beverage into the most necessary of luxuries, but numerous independents and ambitious franchisors have profited from coffee's popularity and are riding on their own caffeine high. According to Rob Stephen, immediate past president of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, a coffee trade association, opportunities in the industry abound. In fact, according to the SCAA and Mintel Group, the industry grew to an estimated $12.27 billion last year. So if you thought Starbucks had the market locked down, think again--many are drinking in their own share of the profits.
Eric Schmidt, 43, is the owner of a Dunn Bros Coffee franchise in Lawrence, Kansas, and although he just opened his coffee drive-thru in March, he's already working on opening two more coffee kiosks and estimating total year-end sales to be in the low seven figures. While he believes he could have reached this point with his own coffee concept, he has no doubt that buying a franchise helped him avoid many of the initial difficulties. The wealth of information available to him and the one-on-one assistance with finding the right location enabled Schmidt to get off to an impressive start.
But in moving forward, the defining strategy for success has simply been Schmidt's own commitment and constant presence in the business and his community. From personally making sure that customers' needs are met to being involved in local civic organizations and the nearby university, Schmidt makes sure all his bases are covered. "That's probably the single biggest thing about it," he says. "You have got to be completely involved in it from the day you open [your] doors."
For those looking to establish their niche, Stephen identifies two trends taking place in the industry: product differentiation and point of view. In a market once defined by regular or decaf, coffee consumers now pay attention to the very farm where the beans are grown. Says Stephen, "You're seeing coffee labels growing to three lines."
Customers are also looking to retailers for opinions and overall expertise, so it is important for coffee entrepreneurs to be knowledgeable about the products they're selling. Stephen believes that quality products, knowledge, point of view and a good location are the defining factors of success for both independent coffee entrepreneurs and franchisees.
So what's ahead for the industry? Says Stephen, "We're seeing a renaissance in iced and frozen beverages as a way to get to a part of the market that's interested in soda or energy drinks."
While the industry to preserve vitality and youth among baby boomers is thriving, so are the businesses one generation ahead in the senior-care industry. Millions of Americans currently make up the "Sandwich Generation," a generation of people raising their children while taking care of their aging parents. This is already creating a demand for assistance, both medical and nonmedical, but that need will skyrocket as the baby boomers approach an age in which they, too, will need outside help. "People 65 and over will increase from 12 percent of the U.S. population to 20 percent by 2030," says J. Kevin Eckert, dean of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Erickson School of Aging Services. "It's almost a no-brainer that the whole need for senior housing, for adaptive housing, for all kinds of services, businesses and products will be burgeoning."
Topping things off, a large number of baby boomers won't have their own families to turn to for assistance. According to a 2004 U.S. Census report, 19 percent of women aged 40 to 44 were childless--twice the percentage reported in 1976.
Having watched his father struggle to care for his own brother, his aging grandmother and himself, Adam Brown was inspired to purchase a Home Helpers franchise. Getting the word out about his nonmedical and personal-care business was the most crucial step to securing his success. He did so by advertising, visiting local businesses and hospitals, and joining networking groups to educate the community about his services. Says Brown, 28, "This is a referral-based business, particularly because you're working with people's family members, so there has to be trust."
With 170 employees, Brown has positioned his franchise as a strong competitor in the Philadelphia area. After two years, he purchased a second territory and has since secured the "right of first refusal" for two other territories, which gives him first dibs before any other buyers. After working from home for two years, Brown has moved his business into an office, has just opened a satellite office and plans to open additional satellites in the future. Although having a physical presence isn't required, it has paid off: His franchise looks more established, and the neighborhood where the office is located is bringing in even more business. By reaching out to the community and expanding his territory, he has successfully grown his franchise to 350 clients and is projecting year-end sales of approximately $3.5 million.
Eckert sees a bright future on the horizon with the development of new homegrown communities where baby boomers can "age in place," as well as new services and technological products to help individuals remain at home. Says Eckert, "We're in for an exciting array of possibilities and real opportunities for people who are creative, innovative and have entrepreneurial sense."
Calling all geeks: Have you got a mind for technology and a passion for business? This could be the industry for you. If franchising is your tech dream, consider starting a tech support or consulting company--industrywide, franchise units in our most recent Franchise 500 grew 13 percent in 2006 over the year before. If you're a true maverick, though, you can jump into the exciting world of Web 2.0--where advances like social networks, blogs, podcasts, wikis, RSS feeds and the like have turned the dotcom business model on its head. Today, web innovators are coming up with better ways for end-users to share information and are creating applications and websites where shared video or user-generated content is king. Just a glimpse of the marketplace: The web gained a record 30.9 million sites in 2006--a 41.5 percent jump from a year earlier, according to data from research firm Netcraft. And according to data from Hitwise, in early 2007, visits to the top 20 social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook grew 11.5 percent in one month alone.
Although a lot of hugely successful companies are already out there, a startup can get in with the right niche. "The web is the great equalizer," says Jeff Stibel, CEO of Web.com, a provider of websites and services that has created over 4 million websites for small businesses. "It's the only place where a small business can compete nationally." He suggests starting a company with a great Web 1.0 foundation--a solid web address with an appealing design that works well for customers and first-rate search engine optimization to point users to your site.
Most important, though--fill a need. "If you say, 'I'm going to do what Facebook or YouTube does,' it won't work," says Stibel. "But if you solve a market need, you conquer that niche and expand from there."
Conquering a niche is precisely what Greg Demetriades did when he founded WhiteBlox, an IPTV software suite, in 2005. The company sells IP video solutions so businesses can broadcast interactive IPTV content under the banner of their own brands. It's a subsidiary of his parent company, Continental Vista Broadcasting Group Inc., an IPTV provider that delivers interactive broadband TV content globally, started in 2003. Demetriades, 46, sells his WhiteBlox technologies to media, entertainment and sports-related companies--even contracting with the Indy Racing League to broadcast all its races online through 2009, including the famous Indy 500. "We allow [customers] to mix and match and build their own broadcast networks," he says. WhiteBlox also enables interactivity with tools for polls, contests, chats, forums, blogging and even sending live messages to the announcers at an event. Located in The Woodlands, Texas, the company projects 2007 sales of $16 million.
To make your mark in the tech space, be on the lookout for trends. Says Stibel, "It's a matter of keeping your eyes wide open."
Pampered Pets
If you're a pet lover, consider getting into the fast-growing pet products and services industry. Pets are a part of the family in 63 percent of U.S. households. In fact, in 2006, Americans spent $38.5 billion on pet products and services--a figure expected to rise to over $40 billion in 2007, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. Traditional pet lovers might consider a pet franchise business like pet grooming, pet products, pet walking or training. In fact, in our 2007 Franchise 500, the number of pet-related franchise units grew 23 percent from 2005 to 2006.
There are many niches in which to start your profitable pet business, according to APPMA president Bob Vetere. Natural and organic pet food is a particularly hot area, he notes. Much like in the human world, where green products are all the rage, green pet products are quickly gaining in popularity. "Any trend you see in human foods, about six months later, it pops up on the pet food side of the ledger," says Vetere. "This is what's happening with organics and naturals. It's finally dawned on marketers that the same person who's buying food for the family is buying food for the pet."
Convenience products are heating up as well--from automatic feeding devices and timed watering devices to automatic pet doors--anything that allows owners to have a busy lifestyle while still taking care of their pets is hot, notes Vetere. On the same convenience trend, consider pet services--pooper scoopers, for instance--to do the dirty work that many pet owners would rather pay someone else to do.
And just as moms buy top-notch products for their children, many pet owners are all about luxury for their precious pets. If it's high-end or a treat, pet parents will want it. That's what Janet McCulley, 39, and Georgia Goldberg, 44, found when they started Muttropolis, a chain of upscale pet boutiques based in Solana Beach, California. Janet McCulley, a proud pet parent herself to dogs Lulu, Sepia and Zoltan, knew she wasn't alone in wanting to pamper her dogs. She researched the market and opened the doors to her first store in 2002; four more locations and an online store have followed.
McCulley describes the business as "retail meets the dog park." Aside from offering upscale products such as Swarovski crystal dog collars and eco-friendly chew toys, McCulley designed special fixtures in her stores to appeal to the discerning pet lover. Photographic tiles on the ground look like grass, a fountain in the center is full of dog toys, and tree graphics on the walls complete the look.
Winning the "Hottest Retail Concept of 2006" award from the International Council of Shopping Centers was a coup, but it's at the monthly Mutt Meet-Up events, where owners bring in their pets for fun and mingling, that McCulley sees the fruits of her success. "We have created a brand that resonates emotionally with the pet parent," she says. With 2007 sales projected at more than $4.5 million and plans to open 150 more locations within the next five years, Muttropolis is sure to become a household name among the two- and four-legged alike.
Marketing and Advertsising
Companies always need new clients, so if you've got a knack for getting customers to buy, think about starting a marketing and advertising business. Aspiring marketers can go the franchise route with diverse opportunities ranging from direct mail and coupons to promotional products and outdoor media.
But if you want to be a trendsetter, check out the online ad marketplace. It's a booming market--online ad spending alone hit $16.9 billion in 2006, a 35 percent leap from 2005, according to a joint report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Trends shaping the industry include the use of audio and video technology in online marketing campaigns as well as integrating online and offline marketing for clients, notes Chip Cummings, a marketing consultant and author of Stop Selling and Start Listening! Marketing Strategies That Create Top Producers. "It's not just being on top of the technology, because the technology itself isn't going to sell anybody products or services," Cummings says. "It's the creative use of that technology."
Finding a creative use of technology is exactly what has catapulted Blue Lithium Inc., an online advertising network in San Jose, California. Founded by Gurbaksh Chahal in 2005, the company provides specifically targeted marketing for clients, using data from 145 million consumers worldwide. "That [online] advertising model is focused on display media--banner ads, [etc.]. The model I wanted to recreate was using different ways to add data and using data to create sophistication around individual users," says Chahal. "So when you're serving an ad, it's actually relevant to that user--because you know they're male or female or you know something about their lifestyle through different data sources you can aggregate over time."
Chahal's expertise in providing targeted online ads has grown his startup at least 100 percent per year, pushing 2007 sales projections to nearly $100 million. Working with clients like Anheuser-Busch, Best Buy and Verizon, Chahal, 25, is looking to grow his company into international markets such as Germany, Italy and Spain in the near future. Staying ahead of this rapidly changing market is the order of the day. "You've got to make sure you continue to evolve with it and [that] you're evolving faster than the industry is evolving," says Chahal. "Every couple of years there's a bigger company out there. Before it was Yahoo!; now it's Google. There's a trend going on, and whoever is creating the trend ends up being the winner."
For more franchise opportunities you can start now, visit the Franchise Zone.


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Anderson Silva, more than any other fighter ever, had—or has, who knows—a gift for timing, so that his career played out as a sequence of essentially perfect moments. The best may have been a Chaplinesque performance in a loss this summer that was so unimprovable that he should have said he was done right there, but there were probably a dozen nearly as good.
A lot of fighters could have won a title by catching a clinch and drilling the champion with knees to the face; only Silva would have won the rematch by using the exact same technique in the exact same position on an opponent clearly intent on avoiding it at any cost. Dodging Forrest Griffin's punches by leaning back at a 45-degree angle and then dropping him with a playful little flick of the wrist, or lacing Vitor Belfort with a straight and effortless front kick, or trapping Chael Sonnen in a triangle as he was riding out the last two minutes of a certain victory, Silva seemed less interested in winning than the possibility of doing so memorably.
It's fitting, then, that what may well have been the final moment of his career was the most memorable of all. In the second round of the most anticipated title fight of the year, against Chris Weidman, Silva threw a perfectly ordinary left kick, the kind he's thrown thousands of times before. Then he collapsed to the ground, screaming and using his hands as a brace against his leg; he'd snapped it clean in half, not too far up from the ankle.
The break—it's floating around online, if you have to see it—had nothing on the truly low moments in the history of sports broadcasting, like fatal motorsport wrecks and boxers all but dying in the ring, but as more or less normal injuries go, it was almost uniquely awful. This was partly due to the moment's visual intimacy—Silva wasn't a distant figure at the bottom of a pile-up or on a far edge of a court like Joe Theismann or Kevin Ware, but fully in the center of the frame as his leg was shown fracturing from various angles—and partly because the image was so dissonant.
Silva, more than anything else, is known for his control: his precise Muay Thai, his ability to dictate pace and rhythm, and his gamesmanship. There aren't many ways to look less in control of a situation than to lay on the ground screaming and holding your leg together while your opponent struts and vaunts.
Up to the point where it ended, this was a great bout, a faster and more sophisticated version of one Silva has been having for years. Weidman clearly won the first round, running a clean takedown and seamlessly moving between submission attempts and brutal shots from top control. Surviving an early barrage and then taking control after his opponent has worn himself down trying to finish is pretty much what Silva does against wrestlers, though, and nothing suggested that Weidman had a uniquely impenetrable stand-up defense. When Silva collapsed, it was anyone's fight.
These two have now gone at it twice, resulting in the only two knockouts of Silva's career, and yet you couldn't say anything decisive happened. It's a perverse outcome, given that the entire sport is structured to avoid any kind of ambiguity. Under the rules, fighters are rewarded for, among other things, effective aggressiveness and threatening submission attempts; less formally, finishing your opponents is by far the surest way to make good money and get good fights, and promoters will go out of their way to rematch, and sometimes rematch again, important bouts that end with any kind of uncertainty. (The promotional tagline for this one was "Leave No Doubt.")
The key to Silva's claim to being the best ever is basically the way he responded to this structure. It isn't just that he won, or did so beautifully, but that he did so convincingly, setting records for the most knockouts and the most total finishes, which essentially made him the athlete the sport was designed to produce. For such a figure to go out on such an inconclusive note is an affront to the whole system, a bit like seeing a Super Bowl end in a tie.
It was a strange, sad scene with which to end a strange, sad year in fighting. At its best, the sport offered more than it ever had before: Jon Jones's title defense against Alexander Gustafsson, Demetrious Johnson's three title defenses, Johny Hendricks's fights with Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre, and Gilbert Melendez's fights with Benson Henderson and Diego Sanchez were astonishing displays of refined technique and sheer balls, and even if no one offered her much of a challenge, Ronda Rousey emerged as one of the most compelling personalities in sports.
Rousey possibly excepted, though, none of this seemed to impress the public all that much, and the two fighters who did so reliably—Silva and St-Pierre—are now gone, at least for a while. They left without clear successors, in ways that were much less than they deserved and which pointed up all the things you have to not think about if you want to enjoy a contact sport.
Those things are always right there, though. One of the fighters on the Silva vs. Weidman undercard was a shot middleweight named Chris Leben, who was a star once, and Anderson Silva's first opponent in the UFC. Against Uriah Hall, like him a product of a reality show, he took a terrible beating in the first round, bad enough that the referee could, and perhaps should, have stopped it. Showing an uncharacteristic instinct for self-preservation in what was almost certainly the last fight of a long career, Leben took himself out of it between rounds. It was surprisingly simple. All he had to do was say he was done.
Photo via Associated Press


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Gather 'round, gather 'round! Come win tickets to the spectacular World's Fair of 1893! Okay, you don't need an actual ticket to purchase the game, but if you're playing it you will want to go ticket happy. A forty minute play experience for two to four players, World's Fair 1893 has players collecting stacks cards from different regions of the game board. Each region correlates with a different exhibition, so choose wisely and make sure you don't pollute your hand.
When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. That's the conceit of the first expansion for Asmodee's Abyss, Kraken! Intended to be added to the base game, this expansion contains a new rule book, over forty new cards and tokens, and adds black pearls to the game. These black pearls come with a strategic decision: do you corrupt yourself for greater power or stay pure to avoid possible destruction. Beware, though, if you choose not take the black pearls from the Kraken, your opponents may not be as cautious.
One of the Dice Tower Essential games, Onitama acts as a variant form of chess for head-to-head play. In the game, players have a miniature playmat, featuring a 5×5 grid. They also have five pawns that are moved by a variety of cards. On each turn, players use a card to move a pawn, discard that card, then draw another one from a community discard pile. Thus, players will be sharing movement cards. The goal is to move your pawn onto the same space as an opponent in order to conquer that space and eliminate that pawn.
Even though the film's release was delayed, Asmodee has produced a board game for The Little Prince, based off of the popular children's book. The Little Prince: Rising to the Stars is a simple family gaming experience for two to six players that relies on various racing elements. Players control planes that are charting a course to the planet of the Little Prince. Using movement cards, players jockey for prime position on the gameboard in order to make it to the planet first, but also to collect stars and more movement cards.
You've beamed aboard, hopefully not wearing a red shirt, and now you and your crew mates have to solve the worst problems of the universe. Star Trek: Five-Year Mission is a cooperative experience for three to seven players set in either the original Star Trek or Next Generation time periods. Each player receives a crew member role, with its own unique abilities, then must work together to solve various threats that arise. Finding solutions gains the whole crew points, leading to victory, but if any crew member parishes, everyone loses.
Building on the world of Krosmaster, Krosmaster Quest is a tactical adventure game that expands not only on the world, but the mechanics. For two to six players, Krosmaster Quest uses a modular game board to expand the play space of the game, but still uses chibi-style figurines (including two exclusive figures only found here) in the gameplay. Players travel around the world of the gameboard, vanquishing monsters, acquiring treasures, and allying with others to increase their power. Even though Krosmaster Quest is a stand-alone experience, figures and other components from previous Krosmaster games can be combined with it.
The show must go on in the Histrio board game! For two to five players, Histrio is all about assembling the best cast for your play. Each player represents a touring troupe of performers on the cusp of presenting a new play in front of the kings of various realms. You will need to recruit actors for your play, but make sure to balance tragedy and comedy in order to provide the fullest experience. Your casting will result in better financial return and the respect of the kingdom!
Building off of the popular films, IDW's Back to the Future board game does not have to reach 88mph to be fun! Using elements of the Chrononauts game, Back to the Future requires players to competitively transport Doc Brown and Marty through three time periods in order to maintain the proper timeline. Whoever repairs time the quickest, gets to joyride in the DeLorean whenever they wish!
The growing popularity of the fluctuating storytelling adventure game series, T.I.M.E. Stories, means more expansions. Like the previous expansions for the game, Under the Mask, adds new cards and environments to progress the stories of the various adventurers participating in the game. Under the Mask sends the participants far back in time the age of the pharaoh's in order to uncover an ancient secret.


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It began with a dizzy spell. Before long, though, what really had my head spinning was the inscrutable way that healthcare providers and insurers put a dollar value on medical services -- and how that leaves patients unable to determine a fair price for any treatment.
I woke up about a month ago with my bedroom feeling like the Mad Hatter's teacup ride at Disneyland. The sensation left me sick to my stomach and basically useless for hours.
My endocrinologist at UCLA's Gonda (Goldschmied) Diabetes Center advised me to speak with an ear, nose and throat specialist, and I booked an appointment with a physician whose office was down the hall.
The consultation went like this: We chatted for a few minutes, then he held me at awkward angles several times and promptly diagnosed me with benign positional vertigo -- a tendency to get dizzy if my head is in a certain position.
This took 20 minutes. The doctor performed no fancy tests or procedures. He prescribed no medication.
Last week I received a statement from my insurer, Blue Cross of Illinois, informing me that the doctor had billed $975 for the visit. The statement also said Blue Cross was paying just $243.64.
I contacted Anthem Blue Cross, which handles its Illinois counterpart's business in California, and asked if I was responsible for the outstanding $731.36.
"Oh, don't worry about that," a service rep cheerfully replied. "Because of our contract with them, the provider is writing that off."
So, was the treatment I received worth nearly $1,000, as the doctor apparently believed, or just a quarter of that amount, as Blue Cross had concluded? How can the provider and the insurer be so far apart in pricing a fairly routine medical service?
"It's a Byzantine system," said Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Assn. of Southern California. "There's no question about that."
Peggy Hinz, a spokeswoman for Anthem Blue Cross, said the insurer "relies on the latest medical pricing data and experts in the field" to determine how much it will pay for specific services.
"We always strive to reimburse a fair amount based on a provider's cost and based on what is reimbursed to other providers for like services," she said.
The ear, nose and throat specialist declined to discuss specifics of his billing. He said only that he had nothing to do with setting prices for his practice or negotiating contract terms with insurers.
Lott at the hospital association, which represents UCLA and about 170 other medical facilities, said patients are wrong to think that the charge on their bill reflects the actual cost of treatment.
Rather, he said, hospitals use a "cost-plus" system by which charges include both the cost of a service and a portion of general overhead, including treatment of uninsured people who can't afford the provider's cost-plus prices.
At the same time, insurance companies, along with state and federal authorities representing Medi-Cal and Medicare members, negotiate lower rates in return for delivering thousands of patients to a particular clinic or hospital.
The upshot is that providers are overcharging insured patients because they have no other way of meeting total expenses, while insurers are paying significantly less than the billed amount because they know they're being hit up for unrelated costs.
Insurers' underpayments, in turn, only force providers to increase bills even more. It's a system that both condones and perpetuates inflation while all but eliminating transparency in the marketplace.
It also spells doom for the 45 million Americans lacking health coverage, who have no choice but to pay the full amount of a hospital's cost-plus charges and thus can be wiped out financially by a major medical problem.
"Healthcare is the one sector where market mechanisms work least," said Peter Lindert, an economics professor at UC Davis who specializes in public-health issues. "Prices are whatever you can get away with."
last week, state lawmakers managed to pass some bills in the latest session that address healthcare problems but came up well short of their goal of reforming the system to make it friendlier -- and more accessible -- to patients.
Among legislation torpedoed by lobbyists for doctors and hospitals was a bill that would have given the state new powers to collect information on prices charged by healthcare providers.
Support for the bill dwindled after lobbyists managed to exempt doctors from the reporting requirement and inserted language recognizing the "tremendous burden" that revealing actual costs would be for providers.
Score that a win for the status quo and a setback for anyone who thinks healthcare costs are out of control.
"We are rapidly approaching a time where important policy discussions are going to have to be had on this issue," said Santiago Munoz, associate vice president of clinical services development in the UC president's office.
No, we're there already. What's needed is a massive infusion of political courage to tackle genuine healthcare reform.
No telling what that would cost, though.
Consumer Confidential runs Wednesday and Sundays. Send your tips or feedback to


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HALF MOON BAY — A Richmond runaway girl whose body washed onto a Peninsula beach last month killed herself, the San Mateo County coroner said Tuesday.
However, because 16-year-old Cathy Qiu's corpse was partially decomposed, investigators could not determine how she took her life, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.
Cathy was in the water for up to five days before she was spotted Oct. 21 in the surf off San Gregorio State Beach, which is about 11 miles south of Half Moon Bay. The honor student at Albany High School was reported missing Sept. 27.
Sheriff's investigators concluded that she killed herself, Foucrault said. No information was immediately available on the basis for their conclusion.
Contact Joshua Melvin at 650-348-4335. Follow him at Twitter.com/melvinreport.