text:
Perhaps they had a change of heart. Actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have put a Pacific Palisades property they bought two years ago on the market at $6.5 million -- minus the house.
The couple purchased the lot in early 2011 for $5.7 million, public records show, and razed the existing house and swimming pool. The graded lot of more than half an acre is level and has views of the Getty, Century City and the mountains.
Russell, 61, starred in "Touchback" (2011) and will star in the upcoming films "The Fix" and "Bone Tomahawk."
Hawn, 67, gained recognition among television viewers in the late 1960s for her role as a regular and dancer on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In." Among her film roles is "Cactus Flower" (1969), for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. She was nominated for best actress for "Private Benjamin" (1980).
Kimberley Pfeiffer of Coldwell Banker's Malibu Colony office is the listing agent.
Builders offer up deluxe demonstration home
California's million-dollar home sales hit five-year high
Estate in Woodside, a Silicon Valley haven, sells for $117.5 million


text:
NBA Capsules
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) David West scored 21 points and Lance Stephenson had his league-best fifth triple-double of the season, leading Indiana past Oklahoma City 102-97 Sunday – putting the Pacers one win away from clinching the Eastern Conference's top seed.
The Pacers (55-26) lead two-time defending champion Miami by a half game with one to play and hold the tiebreaker based on conference record.
Kevin Durant finished with 38 points for Oklahoma City (58-22) on a day it could have locked up the second seed in the West.
Oklahoma City rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, tying the score at 89 with 2:46 to go. But Paul George hit a 3 and Stephenson made one with 34.2 seconds to go to make it 97-91.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and Toronto tied a franchise record for victories with a win over Detroit.
The Raptors (47-33) had already clinched the Atlantic Division, and the victory over Detroit was their 10th in 14 games. Toronto has reached the 47-win mark for the third time. The Raptors went 47-35 in 2001 and 2007.
Kyle Lowry scored 28 points for Toronto before fouling out with 5:51 remaining.
Andre Drummond had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons in the final home game of their dismal season. Detroit's Josh Smith missed a fourth straight game with tendinitis in his left knee.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Mike Conley scored 24 points and Memphis pulled away in the third quarter to beat Los Angeles, moving the Grizzlies a game ahead of idle Phoenix in the race for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
Marc Gasol added 18 points and 15 rebounds and Mike Miller had 13 points for the Grizzlies, who head to Phoenix for a showdown with the Suns on Monday night. Gasol hugged his brother Pau after the game; Pau has been out for the Lakers with vertigo.
Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 20 points in their last home game of a miserable season that has included a franchise-worst 55 losses with two games remaining.
They lost their seventh in a row overall and fifth straight at Staples Center. Wesley Johnson added 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Jordan Hill added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jumper in overtime, and Portland defeated the Warriors despite a season-high 47 points from Golden State's Stephen Curry.
Aldridge's jumper with 39.9 seconds to go gave the Blazers a 118-117 lead. Damian Lillard added a free throw for Portland before Andre Iguodala missed a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left and Wesley Matthews grabbed the rebound for the Blazers.
Matthews added 24 points for Portland, which has won four straight and eight of its past nine games.
Both teams are jockeying for final position in the Western Conference. Portland is in fifth place behind Houston and Golden State sits behind the Blazers in sixth.
With the victory, Portland (53-28) was assured of at least the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Blazers close out the season Wednesday against the Clippers.
The Blazers also are assured of facing the Rockets in the first round. Houston can clinch home-court with a victory in one of its last two games.
The Warriors (49-31) missed out on reaching 50 wins for the first time since 1993-94, but they also have two games to go in the regular season.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Ray McCallum hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a pivotal stretch midway through the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins had 35 points and 15 rebounds, and Sacramento beat Minnesota.
The Kings trailed by 11 in the third quarter and were down 82-81 before going on an 11-2 run to go in front for good. Cousins, who had his eighth straight double-double, started the surge with a thunderous dunk and McCallum followed with his 3s, one from the left corner and the other from the right.
Cousins was hit with a technical foul with less than 2 minutes remaining, his 16th of the season. By NBA rules, he must sit out Sacramento's final regular season game.
Kevin Love had 43 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota after sitting out Friday's 112-110 win over Houston because of a hyperextended right elbow.
NEW YORK (AP) – Mirza Teletovic scored a team-high 20 points and Joe Johnson and Mason Plumlee each added 17 and Brooklyn beat Orlando.
Deron Williams had 16 points, five assists and four steals for the Nets, who have a two-game lead for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race over the idle Washington Wizards.
Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Magic, who have lost their past two games.
Trailing 59-55 with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter, Brooklyn went on a 15-0 run, highlighted by five points from Teletovic, to take a 70-59 lead with 3:23 left in the quarter before Ronnie Price then hit a 3-pointer to end the run.
NEW YORK (AP) – Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points and New York, a night after being eliminated from playoff contention, beat Chicago.
No longer with any hopes of their own, the Knicks snapped the Bulls' seven-game winning streak and dropped them back into a tie with Toronto for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with two to play.
Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith each had 17 points for the Knicks, who were eliminated Saturday when Atlanta beat Miami, ending New York's run of three straight postseason berths.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
mtc bat 186 {nm} on Jul 16, 18:25
Tagging MTC: [BATM3] 186 {nm} on Jul 16, 18:26
rs 180 {nm} on Jul 16, 18:42
yay! {nm} on Jul 16, 18:43
Don't get too excited, it would need to beat the MTC number by over 20 million to get the record. on Jul 16, 21:09
It will. $212MM is my number. {nm} on Jul 16, 21:17
$205 and not a penny more, odds are some huge movie has to fail to get the record at some point, and I think it's this one. {nm} on Jul 16, 21:24
For it to achieve that number, it would have to have a per-theatre average of $48,457, which would be more than AVNGR's $47,698. on Jul 16, 21:44
Gentleman's wager? {nm} on Jul 16, 23:20
No thank you, I don't gamble. {nm} on Jul 16, 23:26
I don't gamble either but I make bets on just about anything. Got an over/under outstanding at $175mm on Jul 16, 23:32
Who in their right mind would take the under at $175M? on Jul 17, 04:38
Ironically, it's a friend involved in the industry. That said he tends to be more involved with independent flicks. {nm} on Jul 17, 07:28
"I don't gamble either but I make bets on just about anything."<--- classic. {nm} on Jul 17, 20:40
Make Mine Marvel! on Jul 16, 21:25
Tagging RS: [BATM3] 180 {nm} on Jul 16, 18:50
well remember what the rule says!! {nm} on Jul 18, 18:06
Thank you notfabio. How'z bat doing at usual? {nm} on Jul 16, 19:21
thx, nf {nm} on Jul 16, 19:36
Mid to high 180's is good enough for me. ;-) {nm} on Jul 16, 21:50


text:
Main Page
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There are so many great platforms for creating digitally enabled devices that it has become hard to figure out which one to use. Arduino is maybe one of the most famous but it is based on ATMEL Microcontrollers. The goal of this project is to bring the simplicity of Arduino language to the Microchip PIC® microcontrollers with built-in USB hardware. Read more...
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|Meet the new Pinguino 47J53 (model B) also known as the Pinguino Torda !
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Actual supported version : 12
The Pinguino IDE is a rolling release (with some milestones) which supports both 8- and 32-bit Pinguino boards, SDCC, XC8 and P32-GCC compilers. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
You can get the latest release from :
- Download page (automatic installer, highly recommended method)
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Older versions are deprecated and no more supported.
- How to install a bootloader on your Pinguino board: if you made your own Pinguino or damaged the bootloader, you need to install a bootloader. Commercial Pinguino boards already have a bootloader installed, but you might want to update it.
- How to install the Pinguino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on your Windows, Linux or OS X computer.
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- Programming your Pinguino using the SDCC compiler toolchain or the MikroElektronika toolchain (without using the Pinguino IDE).
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Hardware and Software Interfacing, Examples, Tutorials
- Hardware: Bluetooth | DHTxx Sensors | DS1307 RTCC | Ethernet | PCF8593 Low Power RTCC | PCF8574 I/O Expander | Pinguino Debugger | RTCC PIC18F2550 | Servos | SHT7 Temperature & Humidity | Ultrasonic Sensor | Wii Nunchuck | Wii Motion Plus | Zigbee-MRF24J40MA
- Software: Python | LUA | Processing | Pure Data | Minicom (Debug) | PHP


text:
Richard Cobbett looks back at one of Lucasarts' worst ever games, and one of Indy's most unfortunate misadventures this side of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Shudder.
Where to begin? Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a godawful mess of a game by anyone's standards. It's ugly. It's boring. It's barely playable. What little plot there is gets buried instantly under the bad controls and embarrassingly poor puzzles. The interesting idea of being able to control two characters at once is utterly squandered by the fact that you won't want to spend a single second more than you have to in their company. And yet despite all this, when you mention Fate of Atlantis, you'll struggle to find anyone who doesn't have warm memories of it. They'll tell you it's one of Lucasarts' best adventures, with a great story and characters that deserved to be immortalised in an actual movie.
So what's going on? Simple. We're not thinking of that Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis , which is indeed fantastic. No, we're playing Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis: The Action Game.
Fate of Atlantis: The Action Game is an odd one - a cheap movie cash-in, only without the movie. It does owe its existence to one though: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which was also split into two games - a SCUMM based adventure by Noah Falstein, David Fox and Ron Gilbert that wasn't great but did some interesting things, and a fairly generic cash-in platformer that didn't.
The Fate of Atlantis version took the form of an isometric action-adventure hybrid, but otherwise stuck to the stripped down (read: lazy) nature of movie ports at the time. The original adventure version was huge. The Action Game offered just six levels. The adventure featured a fun plot, with three paths designed around wits, fists, and Indy's new partner, feisty psychic Sophia Hapgood. The action game relies on the manual to tell you what you're doing and why. Most notably of all, at least on first glance, the adventure game actually has Harrison Ford's face on the cover , while the action game had to make do with a random guy in a fedora, plus a huge INDY logo to draw your eye away from the hideous artwork . It's quite clear which of the two games Lucasarts gave a damn about. And in case you're wondering, yes, the Action Game does admit that it's based on the adventure, rather than pretending the two were equals.
You know you're in trouble from the start of the first level, which drops you into a Monte Carlo casino and promptly washes its hands of you. A few enemies wander around, occasionally shuffling over to punch you in the face for a bit, but just as quickly losing interest and getting back to more important daydreaming. If you punch them, sometimes they drop sweets. You can switch between Indy and Sophia at will, with the other in either 'stop' or 'go' mode, which lets them amble around on their own random walking and face-punching adventures. Indy starts off with his whip and his fists, while Sophia gets to gently kick people in the shins until they feign death in the hope that she goes away. If either character runs out of health, they get transported into a cell without even a door to stop them simply walking out, but of course they don't do that because that would be naughty and the Nazis might tell on them.
The best part of the game comes when a character talks to you. Instead of a line of dialogue, it just shows you a symbol - which you then have to look up on the grounds that Indiana Jones doesn't speak the local language and has no idea what they're saying to him. Hit a hotel guest for instance, and they scream "/" You promptly reach for your travel guide, flip to the relevant page, run your finger down the translations provided and discover to your amazement that "/" means "Do not hit the hotel guests." Genius.
Want to learn more Lazy Programmer Language? Here are some other handy phrases:
Circle Three-Bars - You can't leave without both a map and the Lost Dialogue
Triangle Hourglass - Tread not upon the Great Machine!
Circle Hourglass - Enough haggling! I have lost patience with you; go away for now
If you both survive and stay awake throughout the casino level, the next levels take you to a naval base, a submarine bay and an actual submarine. As with many arcade games of the era, the manual completely gives away everything that happens in the game. My favourite bit is this section, taken verbatim from the submarine level's description. Fun fact: the developers were called "Attention To Detail"...
"Find the periscope so you can steer the submarine to the islands... one of them has to be Atlantis!"
The greatest irony of Fate of Atlantis: The Action Game is that it's a million times duller than its supposedly non-exciting adventure version. What the real Fate of Atlantis lacked in tedious isometric face punching, it more than made up for with snarling enemies, its own arcade style fighting, funny situations, death defying escapes and more. Its casino level involved tracking down your contact and having Indy dress up as a ghost to scare his pants off during a fake seance. Doesn't that sound like much more fun than punching easily distracted goons until they poo chocolate? The answer is yes.
Many of the problems with the game can no doubt be attributed to the number of platforms it was aimed at. The adventure game was fairly advanced for its time, and restricted to PC and Amiga. The Action Game on the other hand was ported over to Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum as well, with the lack of text strings (not to mention capital letters) and input buttons smacking of developing for the lowest common denominator. That's still no excuse though. It's one thing to make a bad game to sucker people into spending money on something crap, but so much worse to distract them from the genuinely good game of the same name sitting only a couple of spaces away on the next shelf.
Needless to say, Lucasarts learned its lesson. Fate of Atlantis put an end to the "The Action Game" idea before it could infect the likes of Monkey Island or Grim Fandango, with future adventure games simply containing their own arcade sequences where necessary - from Full Throttle's fighting to Sam and Max's gimmicky asides. The real Fate of Atlantis went on to become a genuine classic of the genre, as well as the last dedicated Indiana Jones adventure. Future games took the Tomb Raider route instead, which seems only fair, even if they weren't necessarily what the original fans wanted.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is available on Steam.
The Action Game, oddly enough, is not.


text:
January 25, 2018, 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Missouri Job Center - Jefferson City, 1716 Four Season Dr, Suite 101, Jefferson City, MO
Work Keys Assessment Businesses want qualified applicants…and a National Career Readiness Certificate is one way to show you are ready to get back to work! Call the Job Center to schedule your test and obtain a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum certificate. YOU MUST CALL TO SCHEDULE A TEST
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(573) 526-8115


text: MikeinDenver wrote:Thanks for the replies. I will be staying and working in the NE part just North of the 270 71 interchange. If things work out the way I am currently planning I actually will only be driving about 8-9 miles round trip a day so I can probably just charge it up on the weekends. I noticed there is a L3 near the campus on Plugshare. Kind of confusing though as to if it is a pay to park or what?


text:
BFT II Analyzer
High-performance analyzer for the low-volume lab
The BFT II Analyzer is a dual-channel coagulometer designed for the lowest volume lab. It combines the advantages of mechanical and photo-optical clot detecting principles.
Total efficiency
- Stores reference curves
- Automatic result calculation, e.g., PT in sec, % of norm/ PR/ INR, Fibrinogen in mg/dL or g/L
- Temperature controlled incubation block for reagents and samples
- Sample mixing during measurement
- Light protection cap reduces the risk of user errors by keeping the pipetting channel closed unless a cuvette has been inserted
- Built-in timer for incubation
- Membrane keypad for easy handling of test processing
- Pre-programmed methods
Labor and cost savings
- Half-volume and single cuvette testing require minimal sample volume
- Memory function for reference curves
- As a back-up analyzer, the BFT II provides data comparable to those obtained with other Siemens hemostasis analyzers
Related Products, Services & Resources
The products/features (mentioned herein) are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their future availability cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for further details.


text:
Steve McCurry (American, b. 1950)
McCurry is recognized universally as one of today's finest image-makers, has won many of photography's top awards. Best known for his evocative color photography, McCurry captures the essence of human struggle and joy. Member of Magnum Photos since 1986, he has sought and found the unforgettable; many of his images have become modern icons. Born in Philadelphia, McCurry graduated cum laude from the College of Arts and Architecture at the Pennsylvania State University. After working at a newspaper for two years, he left for India to freelance. It was in India that McCurry learned to watch and wait on life. "If you wait," he realized, "people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view." His career was launched when he disguised in native garb and crossed the Pakistan border into rebel-controlled Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. When he emerged, he had rolls of film sewn into his clothes and images that would be published around the world which were among the first to show the conflict there. His coverage won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad, and award dedicated to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. Steve McCurry has covered many areas of international and civil conflict, including Burma, Sri Lanka, Beirut, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Gulf War, the former Yugoslavia, and continuing coverage of Afghanistan and Tibet. He focuses on the human consequences of war, not only showing what war impresses on the landscape, but rather, on the human face.


text:
My Scn Story
When I was 5 I did my first Purif, I know this was a stat push; there was no reason that a five year old who had never had so much as a baby Tylenol would need a Purif. It was hell, I felt exhausted and sick the whole time I was on it. Eventually I figured out what to say to make them decide I was done.
My parents split up when my father started sleeping with their Scientology marriage counselor, who later became my stepmother. My mom packed us up and moved to LA and I moved back and forth every year or two between LA and San Francisco.
When I was 6 my step-father (who was ex-SO) told his auditor (out of session) that he had been molesting me when I was asleep. No one did anything. He did conditions from Treason. I found out later that he had done this to his girlfriend's daughter while in the SO and that was why he was kicked out of the SO. (I'm not sure why he was never declared, but he is now a Kha-Kahn).
At some point (can't remember exactly how old I was)my step-father told me a story about Scientology. I believe I asked him what we, as Scientologists were supposed to believe in as far as how human beings came to be. He told me that three billion years ago, in a galaxy far far away where thetans roamed free without their meat bodies, there lived a galactic overlord. The Galactic overlord was not nice. He was a BIIIG SP. He had an overpopulation problem in his galaxy, and one day he was deciding how to solve this problem when suddenly..YES! the perfect Evil-Genius idea struck him! So he gathered up all the criminals, and artists and free thinkers and such and shipped them all of to Earth where he put them all into volcanoes and blew them up. But he didn't stop there! THEN he put all the stunned and confused thetans into implant stations and flashed pictures and spun them around (that's why I wasn't allowed to ride the merry-go-round at the park) until they were so confused and brainwashed that they thought nothing of being put into meat bodies and left on Earth.
It was not until much later, after I left Scientology and started looking online that I realized that that story was OT3! The Wall of Fire, which at one time had seemed like an amazing, wonderful, mysterious & slightly scary thing was really just an episode of The Outer Limits that was too bad to air.
I was told I needed another Purif when I was 10. I managed to get out in two weeks this time.
When I was living in San Francisco with my dad and stepmother things were very different. Life revolved around Scientology and staff. The church has fully supported this, even threatening my mother with a declare if she continued to write reports or seek any ethics action. You see, my mother had (and has) a tendency to stir things up and cause a fuss when things are unjust or incorrect, and so she wasn't very well liked by the Org.
My dad and step-mom got along perfectly, had a squeaky-clean image at the church and were admired by most of the public and church members as well as all of the staff. I tried very hard to be a good scientologist kid, but wasn't very good at it. The kids my age who had parents on staff were creepy. I secretly hated going on course or in session. There was a lot about Scientology that I liked and agreed with, but there was this whole other part to it that to me, just seemed off. I felt like, some of the ways that people were treated were unfair.
To this day, I feel like certain aspects of my upbringing have been ingrained to the point that they have stunted my emotional development. For example, Scientologists believe that sympathy is low on the tone scale. Because of this, I never received any sympathy growing up, and was taught that sympathy was a very bad thing to feel for someone else. Now, as an adult I have a very hard time feeling sympathetic for others. I dread any situation where an expression of sympathy is required because the concept is alien to me. I am slightly disgusted when others show sympathy toward me. I cannot interject myself into a conversation, until all other parties have completed their statements, because I cannot "cut comm.". The list goes on, but I've been brought up not to think too much, or I'll go "out lists" and get sick.
When I was 9 or 10 I got very sick. I had a fever of 105 and was hallucinating. My parents left me home alone all day because they had to be on post at the org. I was given no medicine, just some herbal tinctures and vitamins prescribed by the MLO (who had no medical training other than LRH's highly questionable medical theories). I pulled through after about three weeks luckily.
When I was 15 a Sea Org recruit mission came to our org armed with (of course) a very charming super hot recruiter. He tried desperately for two weeks to recruit me, as I was one of the few eligible people around. The night before the mission was supposed to leave he called me at home and told me that if I came to LA with them he could request time off and he and I could hang out, plus I could visit my mom and brother. So being and incredibly naive 15 year old with a crush, I went.
On the way we picked up another girl who was about 17. When we got there we got a tour and had some lunch and it was all good, then we were taken into an office and told to sign our contracts, we both refused. Then we were talked to for 6 more hours with no food or rest from our trip. Finally around midnight we were taken to a really seedy hotel on Sunset and left to our own devices. We went to bed, and they came and got us the next morning. This time they separated us and divided into teams. I was hard sold and flat out lied to for the entire rest of the day. I hadn't been allowed to call my mother and had hardly even eaten and was starting to freak out a little. Finally we returned to our hotel around 11 at night. The same thing happened the next day, and I finally crumbled, signed the contract and took all my tests.
But thankfully, being 15 they needed both of my parents consent. My mom wouldn't allow it. She came to the base and threw a shit-fit. Only when she threatened them with legal action (my mother was a pariah to the church already by then) did they release me to her, or even let me see her.
Life went on, I moved back with my dad when I was 16. All was good, I went on course to please them, and my dad audited me(this was very awkward to say the least, I remember having the question "Recall sex" on my ARC SW, and having to tell him in extreme detail all of my sexual escapades).The rest of the time I got to have a normal life and normal friends. I had gotten them to let me go to public school. Then they caught me smoking pot with my boyfriend (whom they had forbidden me to see due to the fact that he was a WOG) and cut me off from all of my friends. I was never allowed at home alone. This meant being at the org with them all of the time. I was pulled out of school and put on independent study so I wouldn't come into contact with any "WOGS" (non-Scientologists).
When I was 18 I joined staff at the Org my father and stepmother worked at along with my best friend who had been sent by her mother from out of state to stay with relatives and be saved by Scientology, so we were in pretty much the same boat. (We made a "if you jump, I'll jump" agreement). I didn't want to join until I had gotten my GED (I had been pulled off independent study so that I could focus on taking courses all the time). Unfortunately I was convinced that no, they needed staff members NOW. I wanted to placate my parents, and I was promised that I would be given time off to study and to take my GED. I was never allowed time off for this, and thus never got my GED.
I was the basic courses admin (which isn't actually a real post) for a few months until the OES blew staff. He had been holding Treasury from above, and all of a sudden, I was re-posted as the Treasury Secretary. I had no idea what I was doing and had no one under me. I tried my damnedest to put in policy and clean up Treasury, which had been basically non-existent other than payroll for about 8 years.
I actually did okay. I got it under control and operating, but now that I had all of the confusion out of the way I started noticing some HUGE pink elephants, red flags, and odd discrepancies. I started trying to fix them; eventually I was told by several of my senior execs to basically stop sniffing around or else. I started getting bogus Knowledge Reports and so was distracted from my sniffing out of BS by having to spend all my time in ethics, which, of course, kept me from doing my post and lead to, (any guesses?) YES! More KR's !!
While all of this was going on a mission came to our org and we were told we were going to raise millions of dollars, buy a new building and have an "Ideal Org" we were one of the pilot orgs for the project.
This project was an inhumane torturous nightmare. We had to stay all day on our posts then all night to work until the wee hours of the morning; a lot of this was extremely physically demanding work. We had to work double shift (day and foundation hours) through our lunch break, and on the weekends, if we asked for a day or a few hours off we were often refused, or at least guilt tripped and shamed for it.
I was making about $25 per week, sharing a tiny studio with 4 other staff members and trying to live in one of the most expensive cities in the country. My rent was $250…to this day I'm not sure how I managed to stay alive.
All along there had been fundraising going on which consisted of repeatedly harassing the wealthier public to make donations, hard selling them for hours at a time.
I got some money from a car accident settlement that I had intended to use for college. The building fund reg convinced me that, as a staff member my investment would return to me because in the new building we'll be able to get more people in and I'll get more pay. We were supposed to go Saint Hill Size and we'd all be rich, but not without the money to get us there. Plus I would be considered very upstat and not only would I please my dad and step mom, but I would be more able to get time off. So I donated $5,000. I spent another $4,000 on 25 hours of auditing (I got a staff discount) because I was convinced that I was totally FUBAR mentally.
While I was on staff I went on a date with a staff member in the TTC. We were in my apartment and he raped me. I wrote a report about what happened and gave it to the Ethics officer. Later that day I was called into the SSO's office. She got very angry and told me I was lying and that I had to be handled in ethics or kicked off of staff before I started to spread STD's around the org. I was very confused and hurt by this at first, this person had known me since I was a baby and I felt like she was almost family. Then I realized that the org was on a big phase in the SO mission to get auditors so we could go Saint Hill Size. The guy was one of their most promising trainees. Somehow a twisted version of the story got spread all over the org (this should have been an extremely confidential HCO matter) Suddenly my friends and family and everyone that I had known my whole life started turning against me.
So I left staff.
*NOTE: I later had a boyfriend who was the D of P. He looked back on the meter check done on the guy and found that he had had a dirty needle through the entire thing (a dirty needle means you're hiding something). I was told at the time that he had passed this meter check with flying colors. Perhaps his still very close to him ex-girlfriend who administered the meter check had something to do with this.
I moved back to LA and wasn't involved with the church. For a year or so. Then I got a call from someone on staff in SF that had been a very close friend of mine. She wanted me to come look at joining staff again. I was going to be in the area anyway for a visit so I agreed to come by the org and say hi. I had another nightmare recruiting session when I got there. I was apologized to profusely by all those who had wronged me in the past. I joined staff again; supposedly to just finish the six months I had left on my 2-½ year contract. I really just didn't want a freeloader debt and I missed my old friends.
I had walked into another staff nightmare. We were now in the new "Ideal Org" and I was given the post of D/ED's O/O (a pretty high-on-the-totem-pole post). However there was no hatting to be found. There had never been an O/O in the org before. No one really knew what I was supposed to do. I scoured policies but couldn't find much. I started getting written up for being idle on post…even though no one could tell me what it was I was supposed to do on post anyway. I was depressed, and felt sick all the time. I had developed some sort of respiratory condition. I was in the middle of an auditing action on ARC SW that I had been in the middle of for two years; I couldn't get into session to handle it though because I was technically downstat. Then they decided I needed another Purif (despite being mid another action). We were trying to get to SHS and desperately needed more purifs. This one took me two months. I felt awful and lethargic the whole time, I also developed horrible cystic acne of some kind (I'm an esthetician now and still don't know exactly what it was and have never seen anything like it since) That stayed for years after and when I finally got rid of it, left scars all over my face. I had been getting into modeling before this and was with a notable agency that had to drop me because I couldn't get jobs because of this. It has taken months of intensive skin treatments that, were I not an esthetician, would have cost me thousands of dollars to get my face almost back to normal.
All the while I was getting more and more fed up. I had started to not care anymore whether I got into trouble, or got declared. When something was wrong, or unjust I raised a huge fuss about it. I spent all of my time in ethics screaming at and bullbaiting the EO to do his job and handle all the weird stuff that was going on, and he spent all his time giving me sec checks (nothing ever came up) and threatening to declare me. I got sick of it all and decided my time could be better spent, so I left staff again, this time for good. I had started a leaving staff routing form months before, but no one was willing to put me through the RF, so one day I just didn't go back. The EO came to my house every day for weeks and I simply didn't answer the door. He even sat outside on several separate occasions for hours at a time waiting for me to come out and telling me that he could hear me and knew I was home. Eventually he got tired of going to my house everyday, and I was finally free.
A little while after I left staff, my dad called out of the blue (I hadn't been in contact with him for at least six months, and had moved back to So. Cal). He told me that he had injured his back and that after talking it over with the HAS (also my step-mom) had decided that it was best if he disconnect from me as I was making him PTS. I don't exactly know what the real reason was. I hadn't been in contact with him, so I couldn't be his PTS item. We got along well, and had good conversations when we did talk to one another. I can only assume it had something to do with me leaving staff, although as far as I know I'm still not declared.
Now I live across the country. I haven't spoken to any of my family or any of my old friends in over two years. At first it was extremely awkward adjusting to a normal life after being immersed in Scientology my whole life. I'm still realizing that certain things that I always assumed to be correct or true, don't actually really make any sense, I just never questioned them because it was what I had been taught my whole life. It's like living in a whole different world sometimes. I'm so used to everyone working the Scientology way that now I'm lost a lot of the time, it's like I don't really know how to be a regular person around regular people. This has gotten much easier with time, and continues to get easier every day.
There is a lot more to this story, but it would be impossible for me to go over every incident and fucked up thing that happened along the way without writing a book. Which I might do eventually.


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FIR presents Linked Conversations with Chuck Hester, Episode 18: June 25, 2014
Welcome to the latest episode of Linked Conversations with Chuck Hester.
This episode is devoted entirely to a very special guest: Craig Johnson, the author the Walt Longmire mystery series. Craig's books are the basis for the hit A&E drama, Longmire, starring Robert Taylor, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Katee Sackoff. His latest novel in the series – By Any Other Name – just published in May and rose to number six on the New York Time Best Seller list.
Popular in the US and Europe, The Cold Dish was a Dilys Award finalist and the French edition won Le Prix du Polar Nouvel Observateur/BibliObs. He has been honored with the Wyoming State Historical Association's Book of the Year, France's Le Prix 813. He's a Western Writers of America's Spur Award winner and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers' Book of the Year. The Dark Horse, the fifth in the Walt Longmire series, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Hell Is Empty, selected by Library Journal as the Best Mystery of the Year, was a New York Times best seller, as was As the Crow Flies.
Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population 25.
For fans of the series who have not read the books I highly recommend you do so!
Craig Johnson is active on social media with a Facebook fan page with more than 10,000 likes, and a Twitter account (he participates in Twitter chats on occasion). You can connect with Craig on social media through his Facebook page. His Twitter handle is @ucrosspop25. For more information on Craig, check out his website.
It's an amazing interview and a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out LinkedConversations' Google+ community and our LinkedIn Group: "The Podcast I Can't Name Due to the Rules Group!"
So thanks for listening and if you like what you hear, spread the word!
Get this podcast:
- Download the MP3 file (21.3Mb, 51:59)
- Get the show on iTunes
- Subscribe to the FIR presents LinkedConversations with Chuck Hester RSS feed
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Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future podcasts, in the online FIR Podcast Community on Google+.
Check the FIR website for information about other FIR podcasts. To receive all podcasts in the FIR Podcast Network, subscribe to the "everything" RSS feed.
FIR presents LinkedConversations with Chuck Hester is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.
Next entry: Thought Leadership with Mitchell Levy and Michael Procopio, Episode 28: June 25, 2014
Previous entry: The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #761: June 23, 2014


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Chris Steward had never been to Washington, D.C., so his first trip will be one he won't soon forget.
Steward and Nate Moore, officers assigned to Kentucky State Police Post 6 in Dry Ridge had the opportunity to work security during the Inauguration of Pres. Barack Obama on Jan. 20.
"There were a lot of people, but I was surprised how good a mood they were all in," Steward said.
Steward said he was impressed by the way the crowd took to Obama and referred to him by his first name.
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Where's everyone at? After about 2 years of not making time to shoot any 3-d, I made it a point to shoot some this year. So far I've shot 3 tournaments. I forgot how much I enjoy it. Who else has been shoot some 3-d?
Where's everyone at? After about 2 years of not making time to shoot any 3-d, I made it a point to shoot some this year. So far I've shot 3 tournaments. I forgot how much I enjoy it. Who else has been shoot some 3-d?
I've shot 3 so far myself. I saw where you have done well. Me....not so much! I'm shooting the indoor league at Keowee again this year and have been getting over to Saluda River Archery for their indoor money shoots on Thursday evenings. Vegas State Championship this weekend.
You can have your own opinion but you can't make up your own facts !
I've been shooting the 50 yard known class with my 30" ATA hunting set up, so I'm at a disadvantage before I even hit the range. Lol. I just do it for fun though. If I mess around and win a few here or there that's just a bonus. I'm rolling around the idea of getting me a dedicated 3-d/target bow, but not sure I want to sink the money in one. Ive never shot one with bars and lens, so I'm not sure how much of a difference I would see over just my hunting setup. I've never shot indoor, but I'm sure it's fun.
I switched to an open class rig this year but still without a lens. My scores are about the same as with my bowhunter stuff for 3-D and the indoor games. The single pin helps more than the front bar.
You should try a few of the indoor shoots. Mostly a mental game but it will show any flaws in your shot process.
You can have your own opinion but you can't make up your own facts !
I switched to a single pin for hunting several years ago. After missing a few deer, then thinking back and not knowing what pin I even used, I made the switch. I love the single pin. I always had problems focusing on a pin with my multi pin sight. Everything was just a blur. I'll look in to the indoor stuff. I'm not free again until the next shoot at Keowee the 11th I think.
Do these 3Ds have a "for fun" class? I'd like to shoot but will not be competitive due to not practicing like I should. Maybe a class I can show up with a hunting rig and not get laughed off the property? If so, anyway I can view a schedule??
I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
What's insane is people who think the Goverment removing rights from responsible people will somehow keep them safe.
Yes they do. They have all different kinds of classes. There is a 30 and a 40 yards max class just for hunting set ups. Don't sell yourself short thought, you'd be surprised how many people can talk about how good they can shoot, but not many can back it up. There are a few others I have found that are not on this schedule, not sure about in your beck of the woods.
I am interested in getting into these too. How many arrows do you get to shoot. What is an appropriate amount of arrows to have. By known I am guessing that the target distance is known and not for 3d. Sorry for all the silly questions I have been on the scarchery.com web sight. I see keowee bow men has a membership. Would I be better off showing up on a shoot date or going to Saluda river shoot.
Check out the SCAA schedule and see whats coming up. There is a 3-D or Field shoot almost every weekend. There should be a class for everyone regardless of ability. The known yardage classes are the most popular now days and a rangefinder is used in these classes.
A few arrows should get you through a 3-D range. Most 3-D courses are set up with 25 targets, 1 arrow per target so 25 arrows are scored. For the Field games, a 900 round is a total of 90 arrows for the entire game. Field and Hunter round is 28 stations with 4 arrows at each station for a 112 arrow total in those games. The international is 20 stations, 3 arrows each for a total of 60 arrows. The max arrows from one position would be 6 in the 900 Round, 4 in the Field and hunter rounds and 3 in the international round. A few extra will not hurt.
Last edited by NP Archery; 03-10-2017 at 09:04 AM.
You can have your own opinion but you can't make up your own facts !


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I would like to thank Jensan Louis, "Anti-cockfighters seek to take away rights" in the Feb. 17 edition of The Lancaster News, for bringing up some good points and pointing out how God still had a place 200 years ago. God has a place right here and now and creatures of all kinds belong to him. It is our place to make sure they are cared for. That is exactly what I intend to keep doing.
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Real estate and infrastructure
Our approach
Real estate is not the place for off-the-shelf solutions. At Deloitte we recognise this, and our approach is to understand the requirements of your business and to develop solutions that address these directly and practically.
Our team brings together experts with many years of industry and professional experience in tackling the complex issues surrounding construction, property ownership and leasing.
How we can help
- Audit and assurance
- Debt advisory
- Infrastructure
- NAMA related services
- Pension planning for property executives
- Property investment - Ireland
- Succession and wealth protection planning
- Talent management in the property industry
- Tax depreciation
Audit and assurance
Our team brings together experts with many years of industry and professional experience. Our approach is to understand the requirements of your business and develop solutions that address these directly and practically.
Our services include:
- Audit assurance on financial statements and non-financial information
- Assurance on business processes and controls
- Assurance on regulatory compliance
- Management of business risks that can affect performance and financial results
- Advice on accounting for complex property transactions
- Advise on different reporting frameworks, be it Irish/UK GAAP, US GAAP or IFRS
- Advice on assumptions used to perform property valuations
Debt advisory
Our dedicated debt advisory team (part of our corporate finance group) has an established track record and extensive experience in providing debt advisory services to clients both in Ireland and internationally.
- We deliver a solid diagnosis with an in-depth understanding of the company's financing requirements, conducting a careful review of the business plan and evaluating stakeholder positions
- We provide a comprehensive options analysis with an appraisal of achievable alternatives and advise on alternative funding sources with the support of the wider corporate finance advisory team
- We lead robust negotiations to agree alternative solutions for the company
Our specialist team provides a wealth of services, including corporate finance advisory services on infrastructure (such as public private partnership) transactions, financial model build and review services, debt advisory services and project management, as well as audit, accounting and taxation advisory services.
The team has in-depth experience of advising the public sector on the procurement and funding of these public assets and of advising the private sector on its tender for the provision of these assets.
NAMA related services
Deloitte has provided services to the real estate sector in Ireland and internationally for many years. Given recent events in Ireland our work has involved working closely with clients since the establishment of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). NAMA has become a large force within the Irish Real Estate market and it is important that our clients find a way of developing a strong working relationship with NAMA into the future.
The Deloitte real estate team can assist borrowers, lenders and investors across a variety of services including:
- Business plan development
- Business plan review
- Negotiation with existing funders
- Refinancing (accessing new funds)
- Acquisitions/disposals
- Sourcing assets
- Taxation advice
- Restructuring
Pension planning for property executives
There are three key pension issues for CEOs and other directors to consider as they approach retirement:
- Is my pension pot fully funded?
While the earnings cap against which tax relieved Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) contributions can be made is reducing in 2009 by over €125,000 to €150,000, there is still significant scope for employer contributions to be made into executive and other occupational schemes. It is important that you examine your potential funding options closely in the final five years before retirement so that you can maximise this opportunity fully.
- Will my investment strategy hold up in the current uncertain economic climate?
It is vital that a low risk investment approach is adopted by anyone seeking to achieve maximum post retirement benefit from a pension pot within the next five years. A strategic decision to adopt either a bond based or absolute return investment strategy may be appropriate for you and should be explored with a qualified adviser
- Am I able to choose from the maximum available range of post retirement income options?
On retirement you will be given several options by the trustees of your pension scheme. These will include the option of accessing tax free cash from a portion of your pension pot, and converting the balance into either an annuity based income stream for life – which offers certainty of income but allows you to retain no access to the cash, or what is known as an Approved Retirement Fund (ARF) based approach. This approach is available to a restricted number of individuals in respect of their main pension scheme, and to everyone in respect of AVC holdings, and facilitates both the provision of an income at a level dictated by the retiree and the possibility of capital retention as part of an estate planning exercises. There are several possible routes by which a CEO or executive can achieve eligibility for ARF post retirement income treatment and these should be explored with your tax adviser.
Our pension planning service
At Deloitte Pensions and Investments Limited, our team of Pensions specialists advises CEOs and other directors on these and many other issues. Our solution-based pension consulting service seeks to eliminate the conflict of interest issues that tend to muddy the waters when employer, trustees and scheme members are all being advised by the same advisers. This service includes:
- Pension scheme design
- Defined benefit scheme restructuring
- Executive benefit restructuring
- Ongoing pension scheme consultancy
- Member communication projects
- Pension scheme investment advisory
Property investment - Ireland
After the handsome returns that have been generated from the Irish commercial property market in the recent past, the transactional activity in the Irish property market continues to be slow: the number of commercial property deals are a fraction from the peak. The main cause has been the difficulty of potential buyers in securing debt financing. Investors have and continue to experience extremely challenging times.
From a tax viewpoint, the recent reduction in stamp duty from 6% to 2% on commercial property and the introduction of the Capital Gains Tax incentive, which will apply to property bought by the end of 2013 and kept for more than seven years, will somewhat contribute to stimulate the Irish Property Market. Further reductions in interest rates combined with increased stability in the debt markets and availability of credit will hopefully influence activity in this sector. However, it will still be a difficult market.
Investors are seeking to limit exposures by focusing on disposals, reorganising their structures to minimise costs, generate cash and potentially boost balance sheets where possible to show strength where needed.
All such transactions will have a stamp duty and Value Added Tax consequence and potentially capital gains tax will need to be addressed. We can help our clients minimise the tax impact of their strategies for maximising value from property portfolios and help them put in place strategies to reorganise their portfolio and to dispose of property tax efficiently, raise finance and reduce property costs.
Succession and wealth protection planning
Succession and wealth protection planning are vital to ensure that wealth is maintained for the next generation and, where possible, that value accumulates in the hands of the next generation from the earliest possible opportunity. With capital acquisitions tax and capital gains tax rates of 30%, effective estate planning and the use of available tax reliefs can often times minimise these taxes to 3%.
Deloitte has a team of expert advisers who practice specifically in the area of wealth protection and estate planning. Our aim is to ensure that clients can transfer their assets to the next generation in the most tax efficient manner while at the same time allowing them to retain control over these assets should they so wish.
Planning alternatives we would consider and examine in structuring your affairs include:
- Review of wills from a tax perspective
- Establishment of family partnerships for asset holding purposes
- The use of trusts (both domestic and foreign)
- Use of corporate structures for future acquisition of property involving the next generation
- Examining and restructuring shareholdings to achieve commercial and tax objectives of the shareholders
- Reorganising companies and groups of companies to facilitate a transfer of ownership or segregation of different assets or to maximise reliefs for capital gains tax and capital acquisitions tax purposes
- International tax planning, using the expertise of the international Deloitte firm to ensure the transfer or acquisition of foreign assets is achieved in a tax efficient manner for all parties to the transaction
- Facilitating meetings among family members/shareholders to create a forum for open discussion on how family interests should be passed to the next generation
Talent management in the property industry
Performance is powered by the effective use of financial, technological and human capital. Of the three, human capital is proving to be the most challenging to secure, the most elusive to quantify and the most critical for success.
We provide an unrivalled breadth and depth of services to help our clients maximise the value of investments made in, and by, their people. We differentiate ourselves by providing integrated Human Resources (HR), Transformation, Technology and Tax solutions to support business improvement and change. Deloitte has the largest integrated HR capacity in Ireland and UK, with more than 700 consultants covering the spectrum of Strategic HR and Change Management. Globally, Deloitte is one of the world's largest HR Consulting firms, with over 6,000 staff in 145 locations.
Clients seek our assistance with a range of people management issues. Our Strategic HR Solutions range from helping companies align their people and business strategies to reorganising their service delivery models and architectures.
- HR operations and technology
- Organisation and people performance
- Executive selection
- Total rewards
- Change leadership and learning
Tax depreciation
Tax depreciation is all about maximising the capital allowance potential of a property. Buildings themselves (unless they are industrial buildings or certain specified buildings) do not qualify for capital allowances. However, every building does contain items of plant and machinery that qualify for the normal plant and machinery allowance. Our Tax Depreciation service line aims to maximise the capital allowance claims in respect of such items.


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Nov. 3, 2009
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UCSB cross country's Crystal Reed has been named the UCSBgauchos.com Athlete of the Week after leading the Gauchos to their fifth Big West team championship in the last seven years.
Reed's time of 20:43.5 on the six-kilometer UC Riverside Agricultural Operations course earned her fourth place and All-Conference honors. It marked the first time that Reed had competed in the Conference Championships.
She finished five seconds ahead of Amanda Moreno, who was also competing in the Championships for the first time. Breanne Strenkowski took ninth with a time of 21:06.9 and Katie Voigtlander rounded out the top-ten in 21:07.7. All three also picked up All-Conference honors.
Reed, a junior college transfer out of Fountain Valley, won two consecutive California State Championships while at Orange Coast College, and was also a two-time conference champion.
Reed returns to the racetrack at the NCAA West Regional in Eugene, Ore. on Nov. 14th, hosted by the University of Oregon.
Earlier this year UCSB Athletics unveiled the BE Great initiative. BE Great is dedicated to maximizing leadership ability, strong on-campus interaction, and general welfare for all 450 student-athletes and Intercollegiate Athletics staff at UC Santa Barbara. BE Great also focuses on personal and career development, diversity, and social awareness, along with ensuring academic success. UCSB has a 92% student-athlete graduation rate.
With the arrival of Mark Massari as Athletics Director in October, UCSB Athletics launched the Gauchos Give community outreach initiative for all 450 athletes and 20 sports. Gaucho athletes give back to their community through free clinics, helping families during the holidays, providing financial and emotional support during tragedies, and touching the lives of youth groups.


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Analog Network
An analog Network or a Country Phone Network is basically a telecommunications network based on analog signal transmission. With the appearance of much more advanced technologies such as cellular and Voice over IP, it is now known also as a basic traditional network, mainly used by residential and small business users. The technology has been available since the introduction of the public telephone system in the late 19th century, being upgraded only by the introduction of Touch-Tone dialling, electronic telephone exchanges and fiber-optic communication into the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Answering Rules
This Hosted PBX feature will allow businesses to set up different time patterns for call handling. You can configure your call routing policies according to your business hours and route calls to different onsite and remote employees. The available options are: by hours, by weekday, by date, by week time, by Caller ID or extension status.
Asterisk is a popular free open-source platform allowing businesses to build communications applications such as IP PBX and conferencing solutions.
Automatic Call Distribution
Automatic Call Distribution, also known as Automated Call Distribution or ACD, is a telephony system that takes incoming calls and distributes them to users or user groups according to predefined criteria.
Bandwidth is a measurement of available or consumed data communication resources. Is often used as a synonym for data transfer rate – the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second).
Black List
This Virtual PBX feature allows you to block calls from selected telephone numbers. The caller will receive a fast busy tone, like from a number that has been disconnected.
Call Campaigns
Call Campaigns is a service that enables your Hosted PBX group administrator to select a list of phone numbers for a call campaign. Once the call is picked up, the receiver can be connected to a certain extension, queue or played a pre-recorded announcement. Once the list of numbers and the audio file are uploaded, the system starts calling the numbers automatically, according to the configured schedule.
Call Forwarding
Call Forwarding provides the capability to automatically redirect incoming calls to your Hosted PBX to another destination (another phone number or extension). You can set different actions and forwarding destinations depending on the state of your line: unconditional (always), on no answer and on extension busy.
Caller ID
The Caller ID is a Hosted PBX feature that allows the called party to see your number, provided that the hardware has this capability.
Call Identifiers
Call Identifiers enable Hosted PBX users to identify incoming calls from the AstraQom line when their line is forwarded or Find me/ Follow me is active. A prefix entry will be added at the beginning of the actual Caller ID of the calling party to inform the user that the call was intended for the AstraQom line. Also, you have the option to set identifiers for your internal use. For example, if you have extensions grouped by departments, you can have the name of the department precede the Caller ID (i.e.: Sales: John Doe).
Caller ID Name
The Caller ID Name feature allows you to see the name of the person calling. This Virtual PBX feature retrieves the name of the calling party stored from public phone records.
Call Logs
AstraQom Hosted PBX, Call Manager and Virtual Call Center customers have the possibility to access their call logs online, in real time. The list contains complete records of calls (inbound and outbound), as well as call status, and, if enabled, access the recording associated with the call. An extension user will only have access to records related to their extension, while administrator rights offer complete access to records for all the extensions in a group. If the listed calls have been recorded, a link is available to download the corresponding sound file. All your call lists are available to export in .xls or .csv format.
Call Park
When a call is received and you are not at your usual extension, or you wish to find out to whom the call should be directed, the call can be sent to a 'virtual parking lot' in the business phone system. You can pick up the call once you're back at your desk, or indicate the user of another extension that the call is parked and can be picked up. The caller will be placed on hold until the call will be picked up.
Call Queuing
Call Queuing provides advanced call routing and handling capabilities, indispensable for businesses with a high incoming call flow, especially Call Centers. When all users are busy, incoming calls can be queued until they can be presented to an available agent. The Hosted PBX administrator can configure the maximum queue length (number of calls), queue timeout (seconds), action on timeout (send call to voicemail or to a certain extension).
Call Recording
The Call Recording is a Hosted PBX service that allows the administrator of the group to record calls using the AstraQom Webcare. AstraQom eliminated the need of maintaining dedicated storage servers, by offering a complete recording solution accessible by a simple click. Call Recording can be set as default for a specific extension, conference or queue, or manually on a per-call basis.
Call Transfer
Call Transfer allows transferring calls from your hosted phone system to a specified destination number.
Call Waiting
This well-known service informs you that another call is being received on your business phone system while already engaged in a call, and offers you the possibility to switch to the second call.
CLI delivery or Calling Line Identification
CLI delivery or Calling Line Identification is a service that allows the person receiving a call to see the number and/or the name of the person calling.
Company Directory
Updated contact lists are difficult to maintain, especially for large businesses. AstraQom's Company Directory provides a full list of all the active extensions and their users, facilitating internal communication; once an extension user name changes or a new extension is added, the information is updated in the directory without any additional actions. Users no longer need to search the contact information in other systems and dial numbers manually. Also, the Company Directory will ease the access for the callers, as they will be able to reach an extension by entering a part of the user's name.
Does your company have multiple locations, each with its own PBX? Calling company employees does not require calling a 10-digit number anymore. With AstraQom's Conduit feature, employees from different offices can call each other just by using the extension number together with a code set for each of your offices. For example, your Ottawa office can have the "10" code and one of your employees can call an extension by dialing 10456, where 456 is the extension of the destination user.
Conference Room
Conferencing allows multiple users to meet in the same call, no matter their location. Your Conference Room can be an option in your IVR menu, or can be configured with a different number on demand. You can even have different local, Toll Free Numbers or international numbers assigned to your conference room, so that each attendee calls a local number.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are software applications businesses use in order to record and track the interactions with current and future customers. Depending on the type of CRM system used, the capabilities may also include inventory management, billing, ticketing, mass marketing, social media monitoring, etc.
Data Center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. For medium or large businesses, running the IT infrastructure in a data center is preferred for its stability (redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmental controls e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression) and for information security.
Data Center Colocation
Data Center Colocation means hosting your servers off-site, in a data center where server space and expenses are shared with other companies. Companies choose Colocation Data Center in order to lower their hosting expenses, while benefitting from the advantages of a data center: security, large bandwidth, controlled environment etc.
Direct Inward Dial (DID)
Direct Inward Dial (DID) is an individual number that is used to reach a PBX or an extension. Due to its use for inbound calls, it is also known as a Virtual Number, or Inbound Only Number. In today's VoIP industry the term is generally used to describe a phone number associated with a SIP Trunk.
Direct Inward System Access (DISA)
DISA stands for Direct Inward System Access and is a way to let inbound callers to reach any internal extension. Once answered, the office phone system will play a message inviting the caller to enter the extension number to be connected to. The system allows also dialing outbound numbers, usually protected by a PIN code.
Distinctive Ring
A Hosted PBX user can receive calls from internal sources, external sources, transferred calls or calls coming to the company or department queue. All these calls can be identified easily by setting a different ringtone for each type of incoming calls.
Do Not Disturb
When active, the Do Not Disturb service determines the PBX system to treat the incoming call just like the user is on another call.
Emergency Redirect
This Virtual PBX feature provides the capability to automatically redirect your incoming calls to another destination (another phone number or extension) when your extension/ number is offline. This feature is crucial to ensure that no calls are missed even in the event of an Internet or power outage.
E999, or Enhanced 999, is an advanced emergency call service that provides the caller information automatically when calling the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).Provided that VoIP services are by default independent of location, using the emergency services has had its limitations.
With the AstraQom e999 service, the emergency services are as available and reliable as they would be with traditional fixed telephone lines. The address on file will be automatically sent during a 9-9-9 call, all users need to do is provide AstraQom with the address where the service is used and ensure that this is updated every time the phone is used in another location.
Fax to email
AstraQom's Fax-to-Email service, or E-fax, provides a fast, mobile and cost effective alternative to traditional fax machines, enabling the user to receive faxes sent to his number directly in his email account. The expenses for fax machines, paper, toner and storage are completely eliminated. Faxes can be accessed and stored locally on a computer or Smartphone anywhere where an Internet connection is available, with no complex configuration or expensive equipment.
Find me / Follow me
This business phone service allows you to define a phone number which is alerted sequentially or simultaneously with your main AstraQom number upon receiving an incoming call. If you do not answer, the call is released and the service moves on to calling the next number.
In general, a gateway allows two networks that are using different protocols to connect and communicate. A residential gateway allows the connection of a local area network (LAN) to a wide area network (WAN). The WAN can be a larger computer network (such as a municipal WAN that provides connectivity to the residences within the municipality) or the Internet.
HD Voice
High Definition Voice, or Wideband audio, describes the high quality audio during a phone call conversation. If the two parties are using supported devices, the conversation can have twice the audio fidelity, especially for on-network calls. The highly improved quality compared to the standard telephone quality is due to the expanded frequency range of audio signals transmitted over the telephone line.
Hide My Number
Allows the Hosted PBX user to restrict his number from showing when he calls out. The calls are thus sent as anonymous.
Hosted PBX
PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange, which is a type of private telephone network. The users of the PBX phone system share a single telephone number and a pool of allocated lines for making external phone calls. Each user has an extension which is usually 2, 3 or 4 digits long and can also be assigned a direct number. A Hosted PBX, also known as an IP PBX, is a software-based PBX phone system solution using the VoIP technology to connect the internal private network with other telephone networks. The Hosted PBX is managed remotely, its major advantages being the elimination of premise-based equipment and much more advanced capabilities and features.
Hosted Phone
Is an IP Phone connecting to an IP PBX system. The IP Phone is specially designed for VoIP services, thus it can be connected directly to the Internet without the need of an adapter. The IP Phone uses the Internet to connect to the main PBX system which is hosted on a remote server and from there to all the other telephone networks.
Hunt Groups
The Hunt Group distributes a call coming on one number to multiple devices, ringing all idle users, until the call is picked up. The office phone system can be configured to ring simultaneously (all users at the same time), sequentially (if the first user is not available, ring the next available agent) or in a cycle (in a loop).
The feature also allows the user to choose whether to accept a call or reject it, using the Call Prompt option. Once a call comes in, the user is prompted to enter 1 to accept the call or 2 to reject it; this option is available for the Cycle and Sequence modes.
Interactive Voice Response
Interactive Voice Response, also known as the Auto Attendant feature, provides the caller with a list of choices designed to connect to the desired extension much faster. As such, the Auto Attendant decreases pressure on the company's receptionist by eliminating the need to filter and distribute calls. Multiple IVR trees are available at no additional charge.
AstraQom can set up a paging extension that will send intercom calls over the speaker system integrated in your IP Phones. If you want to relay a message to some or all employees in your company, you only need to dial the paging extension and the other parties will hear your voice on their speakerphones without the need to pick up a call. You may choose between two-way audio, so that the other party can respond, and one-way audio, when your voice is sent to the devices without the possibility of receiving an answer.
iNum stands for International Number and represents a non-geographic global dial code ("country" code). It is used by international organizations such as NGOs and institutions, but also by global enterprises, allowing their callers to call without incurring international call costs.
IP Network
All the computing devices (computers/ hosts) communicating between them using the same protocol form a network. An IP network is a group of devices that share a common connection, all using Internet Protocol as their communication protocol.
IP Phone
An IP Phone, or a VoIP Phone, is a telephone set designed specifically for use in a Voice over IP (VoIP) system by converting standard telephone audio into a digital format that can be transmitted over the Internet and by converting incoming digital phone signals from the Internet to standard telephone audio. A VoIP phone allows the user to take advantage of VoIP technology without involving a personal computer, although an Internet connection is required.
IP Restriction
IP restriction is a feature that allows you to restrict the access to the hosted phone service to only one IP address. This option is crucial if you wish to increase the security of your lines and ensure that they are not used by anyone outside your network.
Local Virtual Phone Numbers
Is an inexpensive solution allowing businesses to have a local presence anywhere, just by adding numbers from different area codes to their main phone number. The Local Virtual Numbers enable callers to contact businesses at only a local cost and attend to conference calls from any location.
Long Distance Provider
Is an alternative to an existing subscription that routes long distance calls through its network instead of a user's default one. Long distance providers are not only used for long distance calling, but also for international calling. The service is normally used through access numbers that the businesses dial and enter a PIN number; once the identification number is entered, the call is sent to the destination and it will appear on the long distance provider's phone bill.
Managed Phone System
A managed phone system refers to a Hosted phone system that is managed and administered remotely. Traditional PBX systems usually require businesses to have a dedicated employee to handle the addition/ removal/ reconfiguration of users, updates and upgrades and feature allocation. With a remotely managed system, all the users need to do is plug their phones and connect them to the Internet (plug and play). All the maintenance works and configurations are handled by the Hosted PBX provider, making the system more flexible and scalable with minimum of resources allocated to its administration.
Manager Call Monitoring
The Manager Call Monitoring feature allows you to listen to an ongoing conversation taking place between one of your company's lines and an outside line or between two internal lines. You may access the call with two-way audio (call participants can hear you), use the Whisper option to communicate with one of the parties or the Spy option, without those persons being aware they are being listened to.
Mobile App
Short for mobile application or just app, it is an application software designed to run on Smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. Apps are usually available through application distribution platforms which are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry App World. Some apps are free, while others must be bought. Usually, they are downloaded from the platform to a target device, such as an iPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone or Windows Phone.
A telecommunications network is a collection of links, switches and computers (nodes) which are connected to enable data transfer and exchange (audio, video) among multiple users between the terminals. The signal is sent through the links and nodes and use switches to reach their correct destination. A network between computers, a telephone network and even the Internet are all considered telecommunications networks.
PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange which is a type of private telephone network. These are usually used within a company. The users of the PBX phone system share a number of outside lines for making external phone calls. A PBX connects the internal telephones within a business and also connects them to the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
PRI (Primary Rate Interface)
PRI (Primary Rate Interface) is a telecommunications service used for carrying multiple DS0 voice and data transmissions between a network and a user. PRI is mostly used for providing telecommunications services to offices and it consists of 24 channels in North America.
PSTN or Public Switched Telephone Network
PSTN or Public Switched Telephone Network is the international telephone system and consists of telephone lines, fiber optic cables, microwave transmission links, cellular networks, communications satellites and undersea telephone cables. PSTN allows us to communicate world-wide. It was originally a network of fixed-line analog telephone systems but now is almost entirely digital in technology except for the final link from the central (local) telephone office to the user.
Quality of Service (QoS)
Quality of Service (QoS) – is the overall performance of a telephony or computer network, particularly the performance seen by the users of the network. To quantitatively measure quality of service several related aspects of the network service are often considered, such as error rates, bandwidth, throughput, transmission delay, availability, jitter, etc. Quality of service is particularly important for the transport of traffic with special requirements. In particular, much technology has been developed to allow computer networks to become as useful as telephone networks for audio conversations, as well as supporting new applications with even stricter service demands.
Rack is a frame or enclosure for mounting multiple equipment modules. The height of the rack-mounted equipment is standardized as multiples of 1.75 inches (44.50 mm) or one rack unit or U (less commonly RU).The industry standard rack cabinet is 42U tall.
Remote Office
The telecommunication meaning of a Remote Office is that of a feature that enables users to connect multiple IP Phones across multiple locations into one unified network. Thanks to the VoIP technology, a telephone line is no longer physically tied to one location but can be used anywhere in the world where there is the possibility to connect to the Internet.
This feature is a website script which can be used by customers on their websites. Your website will ask the user to enter his call-back number and will connect to your Hosted PBX in order to make an outgoing call to the specified number.
Selective Outbound Destinations
This feature allows you to restrict an extension from placing calls permanently or to certain destinations. You can choose between having all destinations allowed, all restricted, allowed if matching certain prefix criteria or restricted if matching prefix criteria.
SIP Trunking
SIP Trunking or Session Initiation Protocol Trunking connects a PBX to the Internet using VoIP. SIP Trunking is a service used by the Internet Telephony Service Providers to deliver telephone services.
A Softphone is a software application that uses a computer for making telephone calls over the Internet.The software uses the computer's sound card, microphone and speakers or a headset, and they are designed to contain contact lists, dial pads, call logs and often have IM & presence.
Speed Dial
This feature allows you to set up short numbers to call your favourite numbers easier.
Telecommunication is the general term that describes communication at a distance, through electrical signals or electromagnetic waves. Electrical and electromagnetic telecommunication technologies include telegraph, telephone, networks, radio, microwave transmission, fiber optics, communications satellites and the Internet.
3-Way Call
This service enables you to connect with two other parties in the same call through your Hosted PBX system.
Toll Free Number (1800 Numbers)
Toll Free Numbers (widely known as 1800 numbers) are telephone numbers that enable businesses to take over the costs of incoming calls, allowing their callers to reach the company at no cost. As such, customers and business partners can call the same number from anywhere in Singapore and the US, all charges being supported by the recipient of their call. Toll Free numbers are configured on top of an existing telephone line, whether it's an AstraQom line or provided by another phone carrier.
Vanity Phone Numbers
In a nutshell, Vanity Numbers are Toll Free Numbers or regular local numbers that spell a word when replacing the digits in the phone number with the corresponding numbers or a telephone's dial pad.
Vanity numbers are an excellent choice for all businesses, providing the callers with a simplified way of memorizing a number. Vanity numbers are configured on top of an existing telephone line, whether it's an AstraQom line or provided by another phone carrier.
Virtual Call Center
As opposed to the traditional call centers, virtual call center platforms are deployed on the provider's premises or a third party's hosted site instead of the client's premises.A Call Center can be set up so all the equipment except for the agent terminals are on the hosted platform. Virtual call centers provide all the features and benefits of traditional ones with less cost and without the user having to handle the technical side.
Virtual Phone Number
A Virtual Phone Number is considered to be a number that does not allow two-way communication, and cannot function on its own. Virtual Numbers are numbers that allow only incoming calls and need to be configured as "attached" or forwarded to a main line. Toll Free Numbers, Virtual Local Numbers and International Numbers are considered to be Virtual Numbers.
Virtual Receptionist
Virtual Receptionist will take calls in the name of a customer. Small businesses use this answering service because their call flow is too low for full time reception employees or they require only a part of their calls to be taken by an assistant (during meetings, after hours, etc.). The virtual answering service will respond to phone calls, take messages that are later on forwarded to the customer or distribute calls to the members of the organization.
This service enables your callers to record messages in case you are not answering, are busy or not reachable, as well as press a key to reach an emergency number of your choice. A copy of the message is sent by email to the address(es) of your choice in audio format (wav) and with a text header showing source of the call and is also available for download on the AstraQom WebCare portal. This unique feature allows you to retrieve, listen, read and store your messages at any time and in any place
Voice Over Internet (VoIP) is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made over computer networks like the Internet. VoIP converts analog voice signals into digital data packets and instead of being transmitted over a circuit-switched network the digital information is packetized, and transmission occurs as Internet Protocol (IP) packets over a packet-switched network..
VoIP Termination
VoIP Termination is the process of routing calls from one Internet Telephone Service Provider to another, across the globe.
VPS Hosting
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a virtual machine sold as a service. A Virtual Machine is a software which behaves exactly like a physical computer, by running its own copy of an operating system, and can be accessed and managed remotely by each user. The use of a Virtual Machine – Virtualization allows the users to share the costs of a server, it saves rack space on premise and provides a higher level of security. The Virtual Machines save resources as well, as they enable several operating systems to run concurrently on a single computer, and allocate resources dynamically when they are required by one of the components.


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Womp Wednesday
A lot of hot tracks coming your way. Love all unique sounds coming out, it really amazes me how far electronic music has come in the past years. The sky is the limit.
Starting off with an incredible remix of "Limelight" by NGHTMRE. Followed up with several more super-charged tracks. Hope y'all enjoy. Cheers
Also tagged 20syl, ATTLAS, Big Wild, Charity Strike, CRNKN, DATHAN, Good Intent, k. flay, Kasbo, King Henry, lucian, major lazer, Martin Garrix, nghtmre, oshi, PLS&TY, Snakehips, vanic, Wave Racer
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April 27, 2013
Game 1 Box Score l Game 2 Box Score
ATLANTA, Ga. (seminoles.com) – The 22nd-ranked Florida State softball team made some personal history on Saturday afternoon by setting the school record for ACC wins after defeating Georgia Tech in both games of a doubleheader at Shirley Clements Mewborn Field in Atlanta, Ga.
The Seminoles (39-15, 18-2) defeated the Yellow Jackets (22-29, 7-10) 4-1 in eight innings in game one before winning in six innings by an 8-0 score in game two. The victories give Florida State 18 conference wins, the most it has had in ACC play. The 18 wins break the previous school record of 17 (17-4) held by the 2009 team, which was head coach Lonni Alameda's first season at Florida State.
With a win on Sunday against Georgia Tech, which ends the regular season, Florida State would tie the ACC record for most conference wins in a regular season. Georgia Tech in 2010 holds the current mark of 19 victories (19-2).
"We've been able to accomplish quite a bit in our conference this season. The main thing is to finish strong," Alameda said. "Today, our pitching was outstanding and once we found our offensive rhythm in the eighth inning in game one things took off. We want to get to that 40-win mark so tomorrow's game is very important."
Florida State's two wins over Georgia Tech mean the Seminoles have won all seven of their conference series this season, the first time they have accomplished the feat since the ACC schedule expanded to 21 games in 2006. Last season, Florida State won six of seven ACC series, meaning it has won 13 of its last 14 conference series overall.
Also, Florida State has won its first road series against the Yellow Jackets since 2003.
The combination of pitchers Lacey Waldrop (20-7) and Monica Perry (18-8) dominated on Saturday, teaming up to hold Georgia Tech to just 6-for-47 at the plate. Waldrop pitched eight innings in game one and nearly notched a shutout, allowing four hits and an unearned run. Waldrop's 20th win eclipses her 19 wins from her freshman season.
Perry rung up seven in game two and allowed just two hits, hitting her spots and overpowering Georgia Tech. She owns four shutouts in seven games started in conference play, and is now 6-0 with a 1.14 ERA against ACC foes this year. Her two hits allowed in game two marked the 16th time Florida State has surrendered two hits or less to an opponent this season.
Senior Kirstin Austin led Florida State by going 4-for-7 with four RBIs. All four runs driven in came off a big grand slam in game two that put the game out of reach. Senior Morgan Bullock extended her hitting streak to 12 games and her streak of reaching base safely to 18 games. She recorded the go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie in game one.
For the day, the Seminoles finished 22-for-58 (.379), raising their batting average to .309. Florida State was 6-for-19 with two outs and provided some momentum-swinging hits when it was down to its final out in several frames. Florida State had 11 base hits in each game, giving it 20 games this season with double-digit hits.
Junior Courtney Senas was 2-for-6 with a solo home run in game two, tying her with former player Yuruby Alicart for the top spot on the school's home run list with 14.
Florida State managed to put a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings in game one, but were unable to convert. In the third frame, Alex Kossoff led off with an infield single and then advanced to second base on a passed ball. Victoria East then grounded out, but Senas advanced Kossoff to third base on a flyout to centerfield. Georgia Tech's Hope Rush then struck out Maddie O'Brien on an off-speed pitch to end the inning.
Junior Kelly Hensley's two-out single to right field kept alive another scoring chance in the sixth inning, as she allowed O'Brien to reach second base and put two runners on for Bullock. The senior from Dacula, Ga. nearly got a ball through the infield but her hard chopper to the right side was fielded well by Georgia Tech first baseman Karly Fullem to keep the game scoreless.
The Noles loaded the bases in the top of the eighth when O'Brien's opposite-field single gave Florida State a tremendous scoring opportunity. With one out, Bullock provided the big base hit on her high-chopping slap single to right field to plate East and Senas, making it 2-0. A few insurance runs were added when sophomore Bailey Schinella fisted a single to centerfield to bring in two more Noles and create a 4-0 lead.
Waldrop came back in the circle in the bottom of the eighth. She began the inning allowing a leadoff walk to Caitlyn Coffey, but was able to force a groundout by Ashley Thomas as she was hit after leaving the batter's box. Hayley Downs then singled to second base, and an errant fielding attempt pushed pinch runner Chelsie Thomas to third base. Waldrop came back to force a sacrifice fly to centerfield, and a lineout by Hope Rush gave Florida State its second extra-inning win of the year.
In game two, Florida State put up two runs in the second inning. With Bullock on second base, Schinella delivered a single to centerfield that was bobbled by Downs and allowed Bullock to score, making it 1-0. Celeste Gomez then recorded a long sacrifice fly to extend the Seminole lead to 2-0.
Another big two-out hit occurred in the fourth inning for the Seminoles. On a 2-2 offering, Gomez cranked her ninth home run of the season off the scoreboard in left center to give Florida State a 3-0 advantage.
Four runs on three hits were the story in the fifth, as Austin unleashed a grand slam to centerfield on an 0-1 pitch to take the Florida State lead to 7-0. Senas started the inning with a double to right center, then eventually went to third base with one out on a single from Bullock, which loaded the bases and set up Austin's big blast.
Senas' solo home run was Florida State's third of the game in the sixth inning, taking an 0-1 pitch and putting it over the centerfield wall for her 14th home run of the season.
The Seminoles go for their 40th win on Sunday afternoon, which would be the 30th 40-win season in school history. Florida State and Georgia Tech square off at 1 p.m. at Mewborn Field, with the game shown on ESPN3.


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Grandfather and Grandson Set Record for Sleepovers main content.
by AMNH on
When Gregory Cox was a teenager attending the Food and Maritime Trades School in the 1960s, he sometimes took advantage of a midday switch from the East Side campus to the West Side to skip school and head to the American Museum of Natural History.
"I didn't take the [school] bus, I took the subway," he recalls over the phone from his home in Brooklyn. "They never caught me!"
Cox, who lives in Brooklyn, went on to a career in ship repair, like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him. Now retired and a Family-level Member, he loves sharing his longstanding affection for the Museum with his grandchildren, Shannon Concalves and Shane and Shamus Drucker of Staten Island.
Contrary to Cox's playing hooky, Shane, who is 11, uses extra schoolwork as an excuse to get his grandfather to take him to the Museum. "Every time he has a school project, he has to go there to research it first," Cox says. "He loves it."
Moreover, since the Museum inaugurated its Night at the Museum Sleepover program four years ago, it is a matter of special pride for Cox that he and Shane have spent six nights camping out under the blue whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
"My grandson is bound and determined to have the record for most times," Cox says. So far, he has succeeded. "No one has come close," says Leslie Martinez, who manages the program.
Cox is so keen on the sleepover experience that he carries around descriptions of the program he printed from the Museum's website to hand out in doctors' offices and elsewhere, encouraging others to experience the sleepovers for themselves. "I appreciate that he tells everyone about it," says Martinez. "He's a great support."
At age 3, Cox's youngest grandchild Shamus is still too young for a sleepover. Shannon, 16, was too old when the program began four years ago for kids 8 to 12 (the age range has since been expanded to 7 to 13), and although Cox says he saw her through an avid dinosaur phase when she was younger, she is now more likely to visit the Museum with a boyfriend. "She outgrew me," he says, noting that, on the other hand, at Shane's age "grandparents are everything."
And even though Shane will outgrow the program in a few years, Cox still foresees many, many years of Museum visits and even sleepovers ahead. "By the time Shane outgrows me, I'll have the little guy!" he says.
A version of this story originally appeared in the Winter issue of Rotunda, the magazine for Museum Members.
The next sleepover date is Saturday, April 16. For more details, visit amnh.org/sleepovers.


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mp4 | 3gp |3g2 | iTunes | blip.tv
This week on the best of Weekend Projects with Bre Pettis, we join him in arms and learn how to make a trebuchet. With a trebuchet, you can smash your enemy's castle or at least fling the heads of enemy spies into their courtyard. In the old days, the most important metric of a trebuchet is that it can fire farther than your enemy's archers can shoot their arrows!
In this podcast you'll see how to build a paperclip trebuchet and a medium sized trebuchet. The paperclip trebuchet can be made in under an hour and it teaches you a lot about how they work.
The medium sized trebuchet took a little longer to cut, drill, and screw together, but it's not hard.
Download the pdf for more instructions to make your own seige weapon!