text:
BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT grabbed a late equaliser to secure a hard-earned point at Enfield Town.
The sides drew 2-2 in an eventful BetVictor Isthmian League premier division contest, with the R's building on last week's encouraging stalemate against then-leaders Folkestone Invicta.
Jake Turner gave them an early lead, firing home an 11th-minute penalty, but the hosts turned the match on its head thanks to goals in either half from Sam Youngs and Lyle Della-Verde.
Their second came just over ten minutes from time and looked like it could prove the winner.
However, Regent showed their resolve and Romario Dunne equalised in the 83rd minute.
Kem Izzet's men climbed to fourth from bottom in the table, dragging themselves out of the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS climbed to second in division north after securing a narrow 1-0 victory at home to promotion rivals Bury Town.
In a crunch match between two sides with aspirations of going up, it took a goal from Evans Kouassi, three minutes into the second half, to bank maximum points for Karl Duguid's side.
Swifts leapfrogged third-placed Aveley, who, coincidentally, entertain Bury on Monday night.
However, they remain four points behind leaders and rivals MALDON AND TIPTREE, who were also 1-0 winners, at Great Wakering Rovers.
Lance Akins scored their all-important goal just after the hour-mark.
The Jammers have played five games less than Heybridge and, amazingly, they have now won 14 of their 15 matches.
The other game was a draw so they are still unbeaten.
COGGESHALL TOWN are sixth, just outside the play-offs, after drawing 0-0 at Basildon United.
And in the other game of note, Oliver Emsden came up trumps with a winning goal just before half-time as WITHAM TOWN notched a 1-0 victory against Grays Athletic.
BRAINTREE TOWN were in Vanarama National League South action at home to Tonbridge Angels but suffered a 1-0 defeat.
The Iron had five new players in their line-up.


text:
I've turned a warm, comfy Mexican blanket into a warm, comfy Mexican scarf.
Made from an authentic Mexican serape blanket, each scarf wrap is 72 inches long and 12 inches wide. Each end is finished with 3.5 inch long fringe.
It can be wrapped around your neck several times for added warmth. It can be draped across your shoulders, tied at your throat or held in place with a simple knot.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Technical muscle and a history of innovation made Sun a Silicon Valley standard-bearer. It also blinded famously combative Scott McNealy to the coming Linux wars. Now he's fighting to survive.
|Company Profiles
|The Unlucky 13
|Bill Gates, Entertainment God
|McNealy's Last Stand
|Linus Torvalds: The Peacemaker
Stiff-legged and hunched over, Scott McNealy limps slowly to a wheat-colored couch in the corner of his office. His eyes are bleary, and a wrinkly wattle is forming about his neck. In his semi-exhausted state, McNealy looks almost frail. There was a time not that long ago when the smash-mouthed, overamped CEO of Sun Microsystems would have been shuffling along like this because of a nasty collision during a no-holds-barred intramural hockey game. Instead, the culprit is a long international flight home two days ago following a week-and-a-half swing through Asia. "I'm getting old," groans the 48-year-old McNealy.
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact email@example.com to report an issue.
Age may be one explanation for his woes, but there are others: his company's stock price, slumping sales, and customer defections, not to mention threats posed by a burgeoning list of competitors. Share prices of nearly every publicly traded Silicon Valley firm have plummeted since 2000, of course, but few have fallen as precipitously as Sun's. As of early May, its stock, down 94 percent from a 2000 high, was trading pretty much exactly where it was in 1996, when the computer maker was in the early arc of its dotcom-fueled rocket ride. In its heyday, Sun sometimes sold as much as $5 billion worth of computer equipment, software, and services in a single quarter, but over the past few years quarterly revenue has dropped to nearly half that. Revenue fell an additional 10 percent in the first three months of 2003, marking the eighth consecutive quarterly decline.
The problem is that Sun specializes in the kind of top-end systems – super-sleek servers running on scores of expensive, high-performance chips yoked together by Solaris, Sun's well-regarded operating system – that have fallen out of favor. Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse First Boston, Pixar, and the E*Trade Group are among the major companies that have swapped out Sun machines in recent months for so-called Lintel boxes: cheaper servers running the Linux operating system on Intel-compatible microprocessors. Even Google, headed up by former Sun star Eric Schmidt, uses Lintel machines to run one of the world's busiest Web sites. Of the 20 Wall Street analysts who cover Sun, only one rates the company a buy. This month, Wired drops Sun from its list of the 40 most forward-looking companies, a group it has been part of since the list debuted in 1998.
Not long ago, Sun was celebrated as one of the Four Horsemen of the Internet. Companies looking to make their mark on the Web knew exactly which vendors to seek out: Cisco for routers, EMC for storage equipment, Oracle for database software, and Sun for servers – those centralized computers that pump out every page on the Web and every piece of email. And while Cisco, Oracle, and EMC have struggled through the downturn, none of the three has suffered nearly as much as Sun. Like all great rise and fall stories, Sun's saga is one replete with hubris, missed opportunities, and outright mistakes. But the story reduces down to this: McNealy spent the second half of the 1990s monomaniacally obsessed with everything having to do with Microsoft, from its monopoly-like practices to the general unreliability of the Windows operating system. Meanwhile, stalwarts like Hewlett-Packard and IBM began selling servers on par with Sun's most powerful and expensive machines. Dell and Intel, propelled by Linux, started cutting into Sun's core business at the low end. By the time Sun woke up to this new reality, the smart-guy pundits were asking if the company would be the first big casualty of Linux.
Now that Sun recognizes the problem, its response is familiar. The company is busily spinning out new products while simultaneously going on the attack. Sun's executives have a history of turning competitors into enemies, as if the company can remain truly focused only if at war. In the 1980s, IBM and HP were singled out as foes after they muscled into a market that had been Sun's specialty: powerful workstations favored by engineers, scientists, and designers. In the mid-1990s, McNealy declared war on Microsoft. These days, Sun's enemy seems to be conventional wisdom as propagated by Wall Street analysts and the press. More than a few people are declaring Sun yet another once-great technology company destined to become a niche player.
"Given the financial situation that Sun finds itself in," says Jonathan Eunice, an analyst with Illuminata, a Nashua, New Hampshire-based IT research firm, "customers have to be a little bit frightened of partnering up with them." Eunice, who has followed Sun for over a decade, is more bullish on the company than many of his cohorts, but he also argues that, for better or worse, perception matters. "Customers have to wonder how significant a player it'll be in five years," he says.
McNealy ridicules the prevailing view. "If it was wisdom," he scoffs, "they wouldn't call it conventional wisdom." Forget the stock price and flagging sales, he argues, and focus on Sun's record of innovation. Technology, he insists, will turn the company around. He talks up a next-generation chip potentially 30 times faster than the microprocessors currently running Sun's most powerful machines. He and his team also point to a pair of software initiatives, N1 and Project Orion, that some of the company's biggest brains are hard at work on. "With all we've got up our sleeves, mate," declares Andy Lark, the New Zealand-born marketing chief, "we've got the competition quaking in their boots." That's quintessential Sun: The tech industry is ready to write off the computer maker, but McNealy and company are smugly imagining future glory.
After nearly 20 years as Sun's CEO, Scott McNealy seems genuinely baffled by the notion that his company is doomed. Back in the mid-1980s, when Sun was still a startup, it had neither reputation nor intellectual property, and it faced a murderer's row of competitors. One quarter it even needed to borrow $50 million to make payroll. By comparison, says McNealy, Sun today is robust. And yet, "I look at the skepticism now and it's way higher than it was then," he says, incredulous. He argues that Sun is much stronger because of the past. The enormous profits it was able to generate in the second half of the 1990s mean that the company now has on hand $5.5 billion in cash and convertible securities. Those years also burnished Sun's reputation as an industry innovator. Millions of developers code in Java, the programming language Sun invented that cleverly dealt with the limitations of then-dominant C++ and at the same time allowed disparate computer systems to communicate more easily with one another. That era also showcased Solaris, the company's version of Unix, which proved to be reliable even when harnessing a hundred or more microprocessors simultaneously. Even rivals at IBM and HP, which sell their own proprietary forms of Unix, acknowledge that Solaris is the yardstick by which their operating systems are measured.
Yet during these boom times, Sun made a series of blunders the effects of which are still felt today. Illuminata's Eunice ticks off what he dubs "significant" tech glitches that were revealed once the bubble had burst, including memory problems with Sun's top-selling server that were aggravated by the company's insistence that customers sign a nondisclosure agreement if they wanted a patch. Bugs might be common in the computer industry, but Sun has always placed itself a cut above the rest, and attaching a price of silence to a fix didn't endear it to customers. The company also proved too aggressive in hiring, bringing on thousands of employees in the last quarter of 2000, when Nasdaq was deep into its swan dive. Sun eventually laid off 20 percent of its 43,300-person workforce, long after outfits like Oracle and Intel right-sized themselves for tough times.
Then there was the big boss's preoccupation with Microsoft. Until recently, it was not uncommon for McNealy to squander more than half a speech taunting Bill Gates and company, ridiculing their technology as inferior and their tactics as unsavory. In 1997, Sun filed suit, charging Microsoft with attempting to sabotage Java. (Sun has won some preliminary rounds of this protracted legal battle, which is currently before a federal appeals court.) In contrast, HP and IBM chose to make peace with Gates, since Microsoft represents a critical component in nearly any network.
Sun's costliest mistakes during the late '90s, however, were its failure to embrace Linux and its tardiness in recognizing Intel as a serious threat to its core server business. The server market comprises two general categories, low-end systems that lash together up to eight computer chips and sell for less than $100,000, and the high-end fire-breathers that connect scores of microprocessors and can cost into the millions. It's in the low-end market once dominated by Sun that Linux and Intel pose a threat. Linux, the open source operating system derived from Unix and branded by the well-recognized penguin mascot, has been a favorite of hardcore software developers since the late-1990s. Sun, home to some of the brighter, more creative minds in tech, would have been a natural place for Linux to take hold – and in a way it did. Back then, Eunice would regularly see Sun programmers at Linux user group meetings, but they stopped coming, he says, "because they got the message that the top execs at Sun weren't interested." Solaris was the superior product, and Linux was a threat to the company's bottom line. "We could've owned the Linux story," says one former Sun exec, if not for intransigence at the top. It wasn't until 2002 that McNealy literally donned a penguin suit at a Sun conference to announce that the company would begin offering customers who bought its low-end servers a choice between Solaris and Linux.
Sun's belated adoption of Linux was a major mistake for an outfit that has long characterized itself as an industry thought-leader quick to recognize crucial technologies. For instance, Sun was an early advocate of TCP/IP, the protocols that today are to the Internet what zip codes and street addresses are to the postal service. By the time McNealy put on his penguin suit, though, Linux had already caught the imaginations of CIOs inside even the richest corporate behemoths. Potential new customers might call on a Sun salesperson if contemplating a strategy based partly on Java, but few customers will think of Sun if seeking to work with Linux. And most are.
"You recognize the world's changing," says Michael Fay, who works in IBM's server group, "but it's just too easy to keep cashing checks." Just as IBM's attachment to its lucrative mainframe business meant Big Blue was late to enter the server market, Fay says, Sun's success blinded it to Linux.
McNealy's dismissive attitude toward Intel has also hurt the company. Sun's executives tend to scorn Intel's chips as slow, energy inefficient, and generally inferior to their own. Since the mid-1990s, Sun and IBM have used 64-bit microprocessors, which would seem inherently superior to the Intel-designed 32-bit chips installed on cheaper, low-end Lintel or Wintel (running Windows) boxes stamped out by companies like Dell. A 64-bit processor, after all, can gulp down information in bites twice as large as those of a 32-bit chip. Yet boxes running on 32-bit processors can handle most common applications as efficiently as a more expensive Sun server. Users running simulations for scientific study, for example, would find great advantage in 64-bit processors. But nowadays, those seeking a machine to handle simple database searches or Web-page delivery tend to buy servers based on 32-bit chips and mass-produced at a fraction of the cost of those Sun was selling at the start of this decade.
Last year, 88 percent of the servers sold worldwide were rigged with Intel-designed chips, according to research firm IDC, accounting for nearly half of all spending on servers. Meanwhile, the overall server market has shrunk, from $61 billion in 2000 to $44 billion in 2002. And the giant lead Sun once enjoyed over both IBM and HP in high-end systems has evaporated as both competitors have introduced lines that more or less match Sun spec for spec.
Sun finally cried uncle in August, unveiling a server powered by a 32-bit Intel chip that gave users a choice between Linux and an older version of Solaris. Then, in February, the company slashed prices on several of its low-end servers. Sun execs acknowledge that Dell is still better equipped to mass-produce machines at a lower price, but they also claim Sun's offerings have technical advantages and are more energy efficient.
"No one can deny that Sun was slow" to realize its machines were no longer superior, says Jean Bozman, an IDC analyst who specializes in server research. But, she also argues, the company "proved itself very nimble" once it recognized its mistake.
Phil Hester, a former IBM executive who is now the CEO of Newisys, a server-design firm, agrees, to a point. "There are a lot of very smart people at Sun who have proven themselves very good at diagnosing a problem and then figuring out a solution. They'll figure out how to reinvent themselves. How long it takes them to do that, though, and how deep the hole gets in the interim, and how big they are when they come out – that's a different discussion."
Inside the company, it's an article of faith that innovation will chart Sun's course through an uncertain future. In the early 1990s, tech's chattering class declared the company a goner because HP, IBM, and Silicon Graphics all had aggressively entered the workstation market, then Sun's specialty. Innovations like Java returned Sun to the spotlight, helping it beat back the competition. Today, Sun's leadership assumes the company's technical prowess will again propel them past their foes. "We like it," says Greg Papadopoulos, the chief technology officer, "when people underestimate us."
Sun's road map to a successful future relies on faster chips, automation software, and a scheme for its operating system more or less borrowed from the Microsoft playbook. Mark Tolliver, who as chief strategy officer occupies the office next to McNealy's, singles out the company's "throughput computing" microprocessors as the most compelling of the three approaches. When finally ready for market, he says, these new chips will process information at a rate 15 to 30 times greater than the outfit's current leader, the UltraSparc III.
Throughput seems ingenious. One of the major challenges for chip designers is what's called memory latency. That's when a semiconductor sits idly while awaiting bits from a computer's memory needed to complete a given task. "We decided to stop fighting memory latency and learn how to live with it," says David Yen, the executive VP in charge of Sun's microprocessor division. As Yen describes it, a throughput chip constantly initiates new tasks, so it never sits idle. For example, while it awaits the information needed to complete a complex database search, it might launch a second and maybe a third and a fourth database query. Juggling tasks simultaneously rather than serially is known as multithreading, and Sun execs contend it's possible on systems running its machines but not on Wintel or Lintel boxes.
"Multithreading isn't something you can cook up in a day," says Sun cofounder and chief scientist Bill Joy, who worked closely with Yen and his team during development of the throughput idea. "Basically, you get traffic jams inside the operating system if it hasn't all been engineered from the start to avoid bottlenecks." Sun also plans to improve chip performance by placing several processors on a single chip, an innovation its rivals are also hard at work on.
Tech analysts remain cautious about throughput. For one thing, says IDC's Bozman, Sun chips have run slower than those designed by rivals since at least the mid-1990s, so in part it's playing catch-up. For another, they're still a long way from release. "At this point, all I've heard is a lot of words," Bozman says.
Moreover, Intel already offers a simplified version of throughput, dubbed hyperthreading. Its chips can process two distinct tasks simultaneously by tricking the operating system into thinking it's working with two processors rather than one. Karl Freund, the VP of marketing for IBM's server division, questions the utility of throughput. "So you can handle 16 threads at once," Freund says. "It's not clear to us what kinds of applications can take advantage of that kind of multithreading." In response, Sun execs only shake their heads at the shortsightedness of their foes. "It's preposterous to think that we're not going to keep innovating to take advantage of new technologies," says CTO Papadopoulos.
Sun loyalists pin their hopes on two other big initiatives: N1 and Project Orion. Both fall under the purview of Jonathan Schwartz, the 38-year-old, ponytail-wearing executive VP who oversees Sun's 4,500-person software development group. Schwartz is part of a new team that's taken charge since the exodus of Sun's top brass in 2002 after McNealy demanded a five-year commitment to see the company through hard times.
The idea behind Project Orion is to fold into Solaris a long list of products that Sun now sells separately, such as software that allows a customer to offer instant messaging or to create an easy-to-manage portal. Unlike Microsoft Windows, which includes any number of bundled applications (a browser, a media player, games), Orion allows Solaris users to replace Sun's offering with a competitor's at the click of a button. As Schwartz explains it, Orion is largely about combating Linux, which he casts as a fine solution for linking low-end servers – assuming you have the personnel to integrate a mess of products from various vendors. He estimates that Sun will charge somewhere between $100 and $200 per license for the Orion stack, a fraction of what third-party vendors would charge for a similar array of products. McNealy jokingly refers to Orion as Sun's version of the Ginsu knife.
N1 may be even more important to Sun's future. The software is designed to let administrators more efficiently allocate the resources of large and complex systems at the touch of a button – even automatically. For example, if traffic on a company's server in a Topeka facility suddenly spikes, N1 will immediately rejigger the hub routers to send the spillover to its underused servers in Wichita. And, Sun promises, N1 will be compatible with software other than its own. "With N1," McNealy says, "the one application, one server model is over."
For now, Orion is nothing but a work in progress. And following through on it will be risky for Sun. Bundling a passel of expensive products into an operating system at bargain prices might generate more server sales, but it's also likely to cut into Sun's software revenue at a time when analysts are clamoring for the outfit to earn more in that category. Observers have long rapped Sun for the lack of cash generated from its software. There are some 100 million Java-enabled cell phones worldwide, but the amount Sun earns from licensing the software – somewhere in the tens of millions, according to strategist Tolliver – barely helps its bottom line.
N1 is also more an idea on paper than an actual product, shipping only on Sun's cheapest servers. IBM, HP, and Microsoft are touting similar products. McNealy claims that Sun has at least a one-year jump on the competition, but representatives from IBM and HP argue that they have a one-year lead over Sun. The truth is, it's still early on in what promises to be the next big battle in the server wars.
Sun thinks it has one other great strength that will carry it through tough times: the fighting spirit woven into its DNA and exemplified by its CEO. "Scott wakes up every morning thinking of ways to kill the competition," says Ed Zander, Sun's former president and chief operating officer. It's routine for large corporations to assign a team to study its competitors, but Sun is one of the few that actually employ a full-time chief competitive officer.
That zeal should serve Sun well as it takes part in what people there are inclined to call the "ground wars" – the often nasty competition for deep-pocketed customers. "The ground wars for the high end have been even more fierce than we had initially anticipated," says Shahin Khan, Sun's chief competitive officer until April, when he took over a unit working on machines geared for intensive scientific study. "The down economy has made everyone a bit more desperate."
The once mild-mannered HP has signs posted in its server division offices ordering: Flatten, pummel the competition. A VP for starched-shirt IBM casts Sun as "desperate" for making overhyped announcements about upcoming products long before their release so that customers will wait for the launch. All three companies have armed their salespeople with slide presentations chockablock with dubious and spurious assertions – the corporate equivalent of going negative in a political campaign. Sun's version is titled "Slides That IBM and HP-Compaq Do Not Want You to See."
To fight the ground wars, every Sun executive, whether longtime vet or young blood, has sharpened his version of what James Gosling, the Sun programmer who invented Java, calls "Scott's rant." John Gage, who has been with Sun almost since its start, gives his rendition over dinner one night in Palo Alto. Jonathan Schwartz offers a variation in his office days later. Both men focus more on why Sun should regain its rightful place among the tech world's elite rather than why it will.
Gage, who bears the title of chief science officer, is a cerebral presence inside Sun. A dapper man with droopy blue eyes and a well-trimmed gray beard, he talks at great length about the risk disgruntled employees pose to computer networks and the constant threat of server attacks from the outside. He ticks off the names of businesses recently disabled by temporary system failures and contrasts that with Sun systems, so reliable and secure that during the US attack on Iraq, the systems that enabled the generals to communicate with commanders in the field were running atop a customized version of Solaris. And yet, mystifying to Gage, big corporations still turn to outfits other than his own when making large system purchases. "To me, any CIO who makes their organization vulnerable to these trivial events should be fired," he says.
Schwartz, too, has a hard time understanding why a customer would do business with any company other than Sun. For him, it boils down to Sun's Apple-like insistence that it sell complete systems. Wall Street analysts may look askance at this strategy; after all, while Apple's technology is highly regarded, the company is a niche player with a 3 percent market share. But Schwartz believes they fail to recognize the "magical things" a company can do when it can tweak its own microprocessors to optimize the operating system it's been selling for 20 years. Sun will help customers implement Linux on low-end servers if that's their wish, Schwartz says, but only begrudgingly, because at Sun they believe in Sun, period.
So the same hardheaded pride that got Sun into trouble with Linux is alive and well. Nowhere is this clearer than in the office of Scott McNealy, where he keeps what he calls a "decapitated penguin" on a shelf (it's the head from last year's costume). He admits to tactical errors "too numerous to discuss," and then singles out just one: Sun was late jumping into the market for a cheaper set of offerings on the lower rungs of the server world.
Yet when talk turns to Linux, it's as if McNealy can't help himself: He knows he should be courting the world's Linux devotees, but instead he pokes fun at them. He points out that Red Hat, the leading purveyor of Linux systems, announced revenue of $24 million for its last quarter of 2002. "I don't know where this multibillion-dollar Linux business is," he says. "There's IBM math going on here somewhere."
It's a gratuitous dig that reveals what is perhaps Sun's greatest weakness: an obstinate CEO whose most basic instincts spur him to fight rather than accommodate a new landscape. Of course no one is earning billions packaging an operating system a key selling point of which is that it's free. It isn't a matter of the riches Linux will generate but the billions it's siphoning off a server market that shows no sign of rebounding anytime soon. Instead, Sun's top people are inclined to snicker over Solaris' superiority to Linux even as it – and, to a lesser extent, Windows – increasingly appeals to the world's best-endowed corporate customers. It's all so unfair, and at the same time it must feel entirely comfortable to McNealy: Sun is an outsider again, at war with the world.
The Eclipse of Sun
The rise of cheap servers running Linux has overshadowed Solaris, Sun's high-end version of Unix. McNealy and company have yet to recover.
Unix vs. Linux
Over three years, Unix's market share declined, Windows' crept up, and Linux's soared, as measured by sales of servers running those systems. Still, Unix holds 42 percent of the market, Windows 27 percent, and Linux just 5 percent.
Server Prices
Even after a recent price cut, Sun servers cost more than comparable products from competitors Dell and IBM.
Sun Fire V480
Four 900-MHz UltraSparc III Cu processors,16 Gbytes RAM, Solaris 8: $46,995
IBM eServer pSeries 630 Model 6C4
2 x 2-way 1.2-GHz Power4+ processor, 8 Gbytes RAM, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8: $35,944
Dell PowerEdge 6650
Four 1.5-GHz Intel Xeon processors, 16 Gbytes RAM, Red Hat Linux 8 Professional: $24,421


text:
List of linguistic resources
Linguistic resources are available in the form of modules or single resources.
To install a module (e.g. "fr.zip"), download it, unzip it and install it in the My Documents/NooJ/ folder (e.g. My Documents/NooJ/fr)
To install a single resource (e.g. "Firstnames.dic"), downloat it, unzip it in the correct folder (e.g. My Documents/en/Lexical Analysis).
Contact the author of the resources for any question.


text:
Don't miss out on the 2019 summer clinic.
Click here to sign up today!
Hoppin' Hawks Team Members will work with jumpers to learn various skill in jump rope such as single rope, long rope, partner skills, and double dutch. All ages welcome and no experience needed. Jump rope is a wonderful way to cross train for other sports your child may participate in. Included in your registration fee is daily instruction, a snack the first day, and a commemorative t-shirt.
When: July 15-19 2019
Where: Churchville Recreation Center
Who: All ages, no experience required


text:
I wanted to let you know how thrilled I was with my first purchase. Not only was it delivered promptly~but the quality of your fabrics is superb~and your customer service is outstanding! I will be placing many orders with you from now on~the hardest part is just deciding what to order~I want everything! Thank you
Maryann H. - Caledonia, New York
Our goal is for QuiltHome.com to become one of your valued sources of quality quilting supplies, information, and inspiration. We welcome your comments, suggestions, observations, and bug reports.
Please leave your Comments HERE.
Based on the small prints that Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, Ivy, and other house staff wear. These are classic designs, and although they existed for some time prior, they became popular in the late 19th century. They're unassuming prints, which add a little color to what would otherwise be a life of uniformed servitude, which is otherwise so monochromatic. Tiny prints, Little plaids, stripes. Not overly bold; the colors reflect the Downstairs lifestyle in that they have their own somewhat muted sensibility.
0 items


text:
Church Resources partners with industry leaders OfficeMax together with Diversey and Eco-Lab to bring you top quality, environmentally sound chemicals that meet accreditation requirements and provide comprehensive solutions for kitchen, laundry, environmental cleaning, infection control and floor care in your NFP.
Call 1300 248 724 now to talk with an Chemicals Procurement Specialist.
Or contact us hereEnquire now
"CR is one of our largest accounts at OfficeMax. Together we want the best outcomes for CR Members as this enables student learning and delivers comfort for Aged Care residents. This is achieved by sustainable best pricing and exceptional service."
Check out our solutions guide.


text:
Restoration Village
Restoring Lives of Women and Children in Crisis
Since Restoration Village opened in June 1989, hundreds have been given refuge, support and hope in a home environment. Our residents come to us from a variety of circumstances: homeless, often with children or pregnant, needing security, hope and encouragement to overcome the traumas of sexual, emotional or physical abuse.
The first priority of the Village is to provide women and their children with a safe, abuse-free environment while meeting their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing, but a long-term approach is essential to accomplish lasting change and restoration.
We believe a long-term approach is necessary to address the obstacles faced by the women and children who come to us seeking assistance. To facilitate this we evaluate and track each individual situation to determine length of residency. Our average stay is six months to a year.
Goals include life skills – such as driving, budgeting, meal planning and self-care. Goals extend on to include continuing education, job skills, resume and interview preparation. And ultimately, the final goal is for residents to become self-sufficient, productive and whole individuals able to support themselves and their children and be productive members of our community.
88% of funding for Restoration Village comes from private donations from individuals, businesses and groups. 5% from the United Way and the balance from grants. They receive no tax payer assistance from the local, state or federal level.
Visit the official Restoration Village website


text: TV TV Guide Network to Rebrand as POP 9:30 AM PDT 9/18/2014 by Philiana Ng FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Eyeing an early 2015 rollout, the new network will have a focus on fandom TVGN is about to get a new look — and a new name. The joint venture between Lionsgate and CBS Corp. will be relaunching as POP, and will have a renewed focus on fandom. It's a big move for the channel, formerly known as TV Guide Network, as it severs any lingering ties to unaffiliated companies TVGuide.com and TV Guide Magazine, and marks the end of an in-depth yearlong internal review. Brad Schwartz, who was appointed president of TVGN in April 2013, will stay on and oversee POP as its president of entertainment and media. The rebranded channel is eyeing an early 2015 rollout, with January as their current target. When it debuts, POP will feature an aggressive slate of more than 400 hours of programming, made up of syndication acquisitions (Beverly Hills, 90210; 7th Heaven), new projects and current series (Rock the Boat: New Kids on the Block, The Story Behind, Big Brother: After Dark). "Whether you have a passion for Comic-Con or Coachella or Scandal, whatever it is, there's a spirit behind what's causing you to be that fan. We want to take inspiration from the way fans and talent speak, and celebrate it," Schwartz tells The Hollywood Reporter. A development slate of forthcoming projects, which he says could include entertainment news and aftershows, will be unveiled in the coming weeks. It's not yet clear whether POP will veer into scripted. As far as the new network's target viewer, Schwartz labels them "the modern grown-up," someone within the advertiser-desired 18-49 and 25-54 demographics, who is socially engaged and connected and who has a thirst for pop culture. Settling on POP as the name to lure them was the result of a lengthy process that began last year. "We spent a lot of time reflecting and figuring out who we are and what our personality is," Schwartz says, explaining that a name like Fan TV felt "too on-the-nose." "We liked a short word — a word everyone has a relationship with. If you're younger, you might think of pop music. If you're older, you might think of it as the pop generation. Whatever it is, there's a positive connotation with the word 'pop.' " The decision to actively cater to properties and brands that have cult audiences — think Twilight (Twihards), New Kids on the Block (Blockheads) and Community (Human Beings) — reflects Schwartz's belief that there's significant value in creating room on the TV dial for such a destination. To be sure, TVGN previously dedicated parts of its schedule to fan-centric content, with series like inFanity (2005-10), a behind-the-scenes look at top scripted shows; TV Watercooler (2006-09), a weekly recap show highlighting buzzworthy moments; and Reality Chat (2006-09), exclusively spotlighting popular unscripted TV programs. The unveiling of POP comes at a time of substantial ratings growth for the still-niche network, which has seen its viewership hit five-year highs. Year-over-year, primetime viewership is up 24 percent. Like TVGN, which CBS acquired a 50 percent stake in in early 2013, POP will be available in more than 80 million U.S. households. Noted CBS CEO Leslie Moonves and Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer in a joint statement: "POP is an exciting new chapter for a cable network that has made great progress and generated significant ratings momentum over the past year. Our new brand not only positions the channel for continued growth but reflects its identity, focus and fan base." Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @insidethetube FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Philiana Ng email@example.com insidethetube


text:
My seat...Attachment 6296
Last edited by KittyDuran; 04-07-2013 at 06:36 PM.
2019 Reds record when I'm attending: 16-12 FINAL2019 Dragons record when I'm attending:1-0 FINAL
"We want to be the band to dance to when the bomb drops." - Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran
Stubbs strikes out looking.
Well that was certainly surprising... not.
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
Paul strikes out swinging. 0-0 after 2.
I'm just getting in and was listening to 700 on the way in.... Can't believe Marty isn't in the booth tonight.....
You think you got what it takes to play a real fantasy game? Join me at Jockstocks. You can play Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Nascar and even Hockey!
Jockstocks Homepage
Do you have your shirt on? - Adam Dunn to Marty on the Bananna Phone.
Wow. What a play by Phillips. He makes the impossible seem easy.
Ethier flies out to left.
Kemp grounds out to short. 1-0 Dodgers mid 3rd.
Hanigan grounds out to the pitcher.
Arroyo grounds out to short.
Phillips flies out to right. 1-0 Dodgers after 3.
Through 3 : Arroyo 34 pitches, Blanton 31 pitches
Gonzalez flies out to the track in center. His 2nd deep fly out tonight.
Ramirez strikes out swinging. 2 Ks. 2 outs.
Cruz pops out to short. 1-0 Dodgers mid 4th.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
- she's a lovely ship
I know I'm a bit late to this party, as far as reviewing goes, but as I've just come back from seeing the new Star Trek movie for the third time, I wanted to share a few of my comments . I will warn you right now that I'm not going to sound my usually intellectual self in these remarks…
Firstly– All of the hubbub and worry from the old-time fans before the movie came out was for naught. It's a lovely, beautiful movie (granted, with more lens flash and camera shake than I care for, but those are ignorable). The characters we all know and love are updated a bit and the back stories are tweaked to make them more interesting, but as it's set in an alternate universe, die-hard original series fans needn't worry too much.
I came into Star Trek during the Next Generation run and stayed with the shows religiously through Voyager, until I entered college and simply got too busy. I haven't seen much of Enterprise, though I wanted to, but I know Next Gen like the back of my hand.
Because other people have already written solid reviews of this movie, I'm just going to jot down some of my questions/ theories about the plot and characters. (Keep in mind, I've already admitted to being a sad fan, ok.)
Point 1– Since when are Romulans allowed to have cool ships? I know that they are from 150 years in the future, but really?? They used to literally have a bird painted on the bottom of their ships. They improved a bit after that, but still. Here's a war ship from the Next Gen era:
- ok– remember this is a WARSHIP
Now, here's a MINING SHIP from the new movie– you tell me why the miners get the cool ships.
a mining ship?


text:
For sale is a slightly used but perfect condition Gary Fong Lightsphere Collapsible Inverted Dome Flash Diffuser (LSC-01).
I bought this new a couple years back and have used it maybe 10 times.
This is not the current 5th generation one, but works perfectly fine. I believe it is universal size- I was using it with a Canon 580EXII flash but the bottom grip area seems tight and flexible enough for any common external flash head. It works great and diffuses the flash well. You can switch the dome around both ways for different ceiling situations.
Located in CT and will ship within 1 day via USPS with tracking.
Verified PayPal in US only.
Looking to get $35 shipped/PayPal'd. PM me if interested.
Check my feedback on here and on eBay (guts311).


text:
As much as I hate to admit it, it is sparkling wine season once again. It starts right around Thanksgiving and continues on through New Year's Eve. In fact, by most accounts, roughly 30-40% of all sparking wine sold in the U.S. is sold during this 5-6 week period.
The reason I "hate to admit it" is rather simple—I think sparkling wine is the most versatile style of wine and people should be consuming it all year-long (I certainly try to lead by example here—we have 2-3 bottles of the bubbles every week on average). I have long resisted writing yet another "Sparkling Wine Post" that are ubiquitous this time of year, but last year I finally caved and joined the masses.
One answer is that I am weak of character and easily swayed by the vagaries of public opinion.
Another answer is that producers of sparkling wine tend to send out samples this time of year with the expectation that you post about the wine sometime before the holidays.
That one does not make me look all that better, come to think of it…
Regardless, I invited a few members of my cycling team to meet up at a local restaurant to taste through the nine bottles of sparkling wine that I had accrued as we tasted some of the restaurant's appetizers.
I had a few goals in opting to sample these wines this way: 1. Nine bottles of wine is a bunch to go through on your own and since I am loath to pour wine down the drain, I enlisted some help. 2. I wanted to highlight that sparkling wine is a fantastic meal accompaniment—it should not be viewed strictly as a celebratory drink or as an apéritif. 3. I wanted to expose a few people to the restaurant in question, Fare.
[Full disclosure: I have been helping Fare revamp their wine program for the past few months and may host additional tastings there, but I am not getting paid either for my help or this post.]
A quick note on the restaurant: Fare opened a few years ago and we were excited to have another restaurant option in the neighborhood. We went right after it opened (and again about a year later), and, well, the whole experience was fair–the food and the service were slightly above average–it was fair. I have been several times now in the last few months and I can safely say that they have turned it around, and the food and service are both very good and I now recommend it without hesitation.
On to the wines. All of the following I received as samples for review. I served them blind to the tasting attendees who took notes and scored the wines as well.
2007 Ferrari Perlé Trento DOC: Italy. Retail $35. 100% Chardonnay. Some stone fruit on the nose, along with some lemon, but there was also a slight sulfur component that blew off after a bit of time in the glass. Nicely balanced acidity leads to a lingering nutty finish. Very Good. 87-89 Points.
N.V. Freixenet Cordon Rosado Cava: Spain. Retail $12. Initially very tight—not much in the way of bouquet, but eventually coaxed some red berry fruit out. On the palate, quite fruity, with cherry and strawberry coming through. This would be fantastic with a hearty meal. The other tasters really liked this wine, and so did I, particularly for the price. Very Good to Outstanding. 88-90 Points.
NV J Vineyards & Winery Cuvée 20 Sonoma County: U.S. Retail $28. Once this was poured, almost all took immediate notice. Creamy and yeasty on the nose with baked bread and apricots dominant. Spry and elegant on the palate, this was the wine of the night for most of those in attendance. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.
NV J Vineyards & Winery Brut Rosé Russian River Valley: U.S. Retail $38. 66% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 1% Pinot Meunier. We tasted the J rosé several bottles after the Cuvée 20, but this wine caused most in attendance to "ooh" and "aah" as well. Brioche and strawberry in abundance followed by the most impressive finish of the night. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.
N.V. Laetitia Brut Cuvée: Retail $25. 53% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay & 17% Pinot Blanc. The nose of this wine was all freshly baked bread with a side of cantaloupe. Lemon tart on the palate with a lively sparkle and a hint of pear. Another fabulous domestic sparkling wine. Outstanding. 89-91 Points.
N.V. Mumm Napa Brut Reserve Rosé: Retail $38. 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. I was perhaps most looking forward to this wine as I was once a long time member of the wine club. It did not disappoint: A strawberry and rhubarb nose lead to strawberry muffin on the palate as the yeasty aspect really came through. Lovely, lingering finish. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.
Segura Viudas Brut Cava: Retail $10. Blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo. Another wine that is tough to beat given the price. Almonds and a bit of grapefruit with a touch of sweetness lead to a very good finish. $10? No brainer here. Very Good. 86-88 Points.
Voveti Prosecco: Retail $12. 100% Prosecco (Glera). I was surprised by how closed up this wine was initially. Even after a couple of minutes in the glass, virtually no nose. After it warmed a bit, there was a floral aspect followed by a distinct creaminess. Very active mousse. Good to Very Good. 85-87 Points.
There were three other wines that I would like to include in this review of sparkling wines. Unfortunately, I received them the after the above tasting, and so I tasted them without the help of my cycling buddies, but they are some of my favorite domestic sparklers and should be on everyone's radar:
Breathless Brut: Retail $25. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged 12 months on the lees. A nice gold color in the glass with an impressive sparkle. Pear and peach with a bit of nuttiness on the nose with great balance on the palate. I could drink this for a very long time. Outstanding. 89-91 Points.
Breathless Brut Rosé: Retail $32. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged 18 months. A toasted almond and strawberry nose, very creamy on the palate with red berries and a refreshing tartness on the finish. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.
Breathless Blanc de Noirs: Retail $30. 100% Pinot Noir, aged 30 months on the lees. I knew the first time that I tasted this wine over the summer that this would be dangerous. I am a sucker for a good Blanc de Noirs, and this is a great Blanc de Noirs. Yeah, I said great. Great body and depth, this would be fantastic with nearly any meal. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.


text:
Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil is an ideal product for styling hair and taming even the most unruly wisps. If you like wearing buns, braids, weaves or invent complicated hairdos, this oil is for you. It will help you in your daily styling.
Try it and you will see its brilliant performance.
What are the effects and properties of ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil?
Thanks to the consistency of the cosmetic, it can be used as an intensive treatment or a styling product. The best effects will be visible on thin and medium length hair. ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil prevents static and frizz. It makes hair smooth, silky and shiny. Moreover, oil protects the strands from the heat and facilitates styling, drying and brushing. Additionally, it restores split ends of hair, deeply nourishes and strengthens. Protects against harmful sun radiation, humid air. It has a very lightweight formula that does not burden the strands and does not cause oily scalp.
ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil contains bamboo and kendi oil. The first one has regenerating and reinforcing properties. Prevents hair loss, provides flexibility, moisturises and nourishes. It contains substances with antioxidant and protective effects. While kendi oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. They are nourishing, soothing and regenerating. What is more, they protect against UV rays and other harmful factors coming from the external environment.
How to use ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil?
ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil can be used as a cosmetic designed for intensive treatment or as a base for styling. Oil has the form of a mist, its texture is very delicate and lightweight. All you have to do is to spray your hair from a distance of about 10 cm. You can as well apply the product on the palms of your hands and rub in damp or even wet hair. This way you will smooth out your wisps, and ensure their shine. Be careful, do not let the oil get into your eyes, because it could cause irritation.
Do you know where to buy ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil?
You can find ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oili in major drugstores and perfumeries. Oil is also available online. You will definitely not have any troubles with purchasing this product. If you have not made your decision yet, find out what other girls say about the cosmetic. Simply browse forums and blogs and read reviews. ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil is a relatively expensive cosmetic, therefore, not every one of you might be convinced to purchase it.
What is the best about this oil is the original composition. Bamboo and kendi oil work really well on both hair and scalp. At the beginning of the treatment you will notice that your hair is stronger and less prone to mechanical and chemical damage, as well as more nourished and moisturised. Moreover, the use of ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil is so easy that you will not be able to wait for the next application. After all, using a pump spray is very convenient for each of us. Shine, reconstruction and facilitated styling are the basic properties of this oil. If you are a fan of extravagant hairdos and at the same time you want to have healthy hair, then try out ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil. The amazing results of the product are confirmed by many, very good reviews. If you know where to buy this cosmetic, do not hesitate; only the price may discourage you to purchase it.
- the formula of a mist facilitates application
- includes bamboo and kendi oil
- provides glow
- regenerates destroyed strands
- helps in hair styling
- protects from sun radiation
- can irritate very sensitive eyes and the skin around them


text:
Okay hotels, let's talk
Okay, hotels in India. Let's talk. To be fair, I've been fortunate enough to stay in some beautiful places; warm, welcoming, with great food
Okay, hotels in India. Let's talk. To be fair, I've been fortunate enough to stay in some beautiful places; warm, welcoming, with great food. But I can't always stay at a friend's house when I travel, so sometimes I have to put up with your establishments. And at this point, I should mention that I'm speaking directly to you, five-stars.
Your crimes are numerous, of this there is little doubt. You charge for Wi-Fi, keep trying to get at my contact information, and an omelette at your establishment costs as much as an entire chicken farm. However, we'll let all that slide in the name of luxury (from the latin luxurus, meaning "Arre rich people will pay for anything if you serve it while bowing").
Why is it that when I enter a bathroom, I find only the cold uninviting stare of toilet paper roll, and not the friendly embrace of the bum-spray? Why would you do this to your homies, oh hotels of India? Why? Representation pic/Thinkstock
I'd rather focus on the stuff that I can't let slide, the stuff that just won't do. For starters, do yourselves a favour and download Google Maps. Make sure you're sitting down when you open the app though, because you may be shocked and horrified to learn that you're in India; the land of IT, and cows in the street, and snake charmers and yoga, but most importantly, the land of cleaning your bum with water, not paper.
So explain to me why an establishment in which a magic invisible gnome leaves a sweet on my pillow whenever I'm not looking, cannot cater to the most fundamental basics of Indian rectal care? Why is it that when I enter a bathroom (more on those in a minute), I find only the cold uninviting stare of toilet paper roll, and not the friendly embrace of the bum-spray? Why would you do this to your homies, oh hotels of India? Why?
I get it. Water weirds out foreigners, who don't quite know what to do with it. But you can give them toilet paper and give us water. Unless you're saying that your hotels cater exclusively to foreigners, and our habits don't matter, which is understandable given how high the percentage of foreign patrons is at your establishment. But come on. You already overcharge foreigners for other mediocre Indian experiences; terribly cooked kabab platters, dosas that cost an arm, and whoever-was-available-that-evening dance recitals. So why not give them this Indian experience for no extra charge?
In fact, here's an idea; overcharge them for this too! Promise them "The authentic Indian Ayurvedic Yogic Maanglik Bathroom Experience" for an extra 1,000 rupees, and every morning, have an attendant come in and pray to the bum-spray for five minutes before leaving.
Is that really so much to ask, fancy hotels? Is it? I mean, I'm not even asking about the fact that your bathrooms have doors that just slide shut, with no locks. I'm not complaining about the fact that you seem to now build your bathrooms exclusively from leftover glass panes from the building's construction. I'm not even whining about the fact that I have had to see parts of my friends' bodies that no man should have to because, apparently, blinds are better than walls for a bathroom. I'm just a boy, standing in front of a hotel, asking it to spray me. Is there so little good left in the world that I can't even get that?
Rohan Joshi is a writer and stand-up comedian who likes reading, films and people who do not use the SMS lingo. You can also contact him on www.facebook.com/therohanjoshi
Sign up for all the latest news, top galleries and trending videos from Mid-day.comSubscribe


text:
Shariq Textiles introduces latest latest winter designs. The winter collection by Shariq Textiles titled "Shariq Textiles Zainab Chottani Winter Collection 2014-15" that is especially designed for women and girls. The collection by Zainab Chottani fashion designer is in stores on December 15, 2014.
Shariq Textiles new winter collection comprises three piece unstitched suits that includes printed and embroidered shirt piece, embroidered patterns are added on shirt necklines, sleeves and borders; dyed shalwar piece and printed dupatta piece. Price range of Zainab Chottani by Shariq Textiles Winter Collection 2014 is reasonable. Pakistani models elegantly presents Shariq Textiles Zainab Chottani Winter Collection that is the blend of natural and dark colors palette, including brown, purple, orange, yellow, parrot, majenta, pink, green, jet black, purple, blue and red.
Shariq Textiles is top famous and emerging textile manufacturer in Pakistan. They always co-operate with Pakistani designers and introduced some unique and beautiful dresses range for every season. Now Shariq Textiles collaborate with Pakistani fashion designer Zainab Chottani and introduce latest winter collection that is titled Zainab Chottani by Shariq Textiles Winter Collection 2014.
Zainab Chottani by Shariq Textiles Winter Collection 2014
Let's have a look on Shariq Textiles latest Zainab Chottani Winter Collection 2014-15 for girls and women.
Shariq Textiles Zainab Chottani Winter Dresses 2014 is now available in stores for sale. You can also place your order online through Shariq Textiles website. Here below find complete detail of Pakistani designer Zainab Chottani studio who is the designer and complete idea of collection designing and style. You can send your queries on following email address or call on given numbers.
Email: For online orders and inquiry, just email now at firstname.lastname@example.com
Address: Zainab Chottani Studio, D-124, Rojhan Street, Block-5, Clifton Karachi, Pakistan.
Phone: + 92-322-8222278
For further details make a call to these numbers.
For Appointment Call: @ +92 322 8222278
For Business inquiries Call: @ +92 321 2013000


text: Santa Claus in California Posted August 24th, 2012 by Liv & filed under Blogroll, Fun Time, Photos. Err…. enough said methinks 🙂 In the middle of summer!?!? More from my siteXmas Tree — the Californian VersionXmas 2014Santa's Magical KingdomChristmas in the Park — San JoseChristmas 2013 — Heavenly VillagePiccadilly Circus this Xmas « Previous Post Next Post »


text:
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Steven Peeler
Depths of Peril, Kivi's Underworld, Din's Curse, Drox Operative, Zombasite, Din's Legacy, & Drox Operative 2
I think the multiple town idea works better for Depths II than the dungeon crawl, although we are improving from Depths I which only has one town ever. Each game starting in a different town with many various problems to solve is going to be fun. Unless there were underground towns, I don't know how to work multiple towns in one game???
It will be like Depths I where you continue on with your character after winning a world. Another different thing will be the quest line. Instead of one straight line with random stuff thrown in, there'll be a grab bag of quest lines. Each game will get one main line plus some of the random stuff.
I can't tell you how excited I am for this new game. Steven talks about his ideas all the time and they are AWESOME. If I could be playing the game right now, I would! You are going to have more influence on the world than I've ever seen in any other game. Depths barely touched the surface of what the dungeon crawl is going to do.
I'm wracking my brain for a name for this game. There isn't one big bad guy, there isn't one main quest line, there isn't one town or starting scenario. Ahhhhhg! What to do!
Delilah Rehm
Writer for Soldak
I've played many dungeon crawls. The things I liked most about Depths of Peril were the unique faction elements that made it seem more dynamic. I'd like the combat to be more complex and faster paced. I'd like the combat to have more physics with magic and blows that have force to them. More story in the combat areas like dialog, scripted events, and music cues for bosses. If you are still making randomly generated areas have some random odd areas in them. Like caves and vaults in Angband.
OK, I may have a novelty idea
How about indirect control mechanisms?
As an example, take a look at this game called Gish. It has 4 control functions: sticky, glide, heavy (also expands) and move. But by combining these simple controls, you can do more. Sticky can help you move across a ceiling, but you can also stick objects to yourself, by combining it with the move and heavy function, you can throw objects, and with some skill, control very precisely with what force and under what angle the object is thrown.
A direct "throw" function wouldn't be able to have such level of control, at least not without a very complex control scheme, with separate controls for the angle and force.
Just play the demo to see what I mean, or watch a YouTube playthrough video about the game instead.
Maybe in your new game, you can give the character the functions:
walk-movement, charge, jump, swing, hold, let go.
The swing control can swing a sword, but also throw objects (including that sword, regardless of whether that is a wise thing to do with your sword)
The swing animation takes a certain amount of time, by pressing the "let go" function at the right time, the player can control the force an object is throw. Combine it with walk, and the object is throw with even more force, combine it with a short charge, and even more.
Hold, move and let go, without swinging will just move object. (that don't fit into your backpack) Even heavier objects can be dragged or pushed this way.
Walk into a door, and it will just open, unless it is locked, charge into a door, and you can attempt to break it. Drink a speed elixir, then charge, and you break with more force (useful for higher quality doors) A player can decide to either look for the key somewhere in the dungeon, or beak in, and sometimes even using up a speed elixir to do so.
Combine jump with swing, and your character will hit the enemy with more force in one blow. Combine charge, jump, and swing, and, well, you get the idea. The amount of time you hold charge, and jump determine the exact force of the blow.
Combine it with an environment where many objects are lose (destroyable)... Charge into a lose staple, and the staple will tumble, maybe even into an enemy.
Using indirect controls, the player gains a great amount of freedom, and very precise controls with a simple control scheme.
It also puts playing skill into the equation, instead of just helping the player with the most uber items.
Indirect control isn't a new invention (after all, Gish has it) but I know no Action RPG game that uses it, so it would certainly set the game apart from the already existing ones. And gives people more reason to play it instead of just playing DiabloII.
Power to (the) MAS(ses)
Last edited by SevenMass : 06-22-2009 at 10:21 AM.
I am thinking of adding some more physics type things. Probably not a real physics system, but that you can effect more of the world than you could in past games.
I'm seriously considering things like vaults and some other similar ideas. I think they will end up in the game, it's just a matter of will they show up directly in the map or will they be like secret areas in DoP and are separate.
Steven Peeler
Depths of Peril, Kivi's Underworld, Din's Curse, Drox Operative, Zombasite, Din's Legacy, & Drox Operative 2
First off, I love it when devs look to the community that supports them for their ideas. Thanks for giving us a chance at some input!
I definitely feel the need to echo others in this thread in relation to Titan Quest's skill system. It's easily my favorite system thus far, with the possibility for multiple character builds in each mastery, and even more when mixing them together. I'm certainly not advising you copy it, but I do believe some time trying it out and experimenting with builds in that game might give you some ideas for yours.
Unique items. I know they're normally in these sorts of games but I feel they ought to be more... well, unique. Angband has some of my favorite uniques. They'll usually be better than other items of their type in the typical ways, but then have effects like double or triple damage against certain enemy types, the ability to cast spells with a cooldown, special immunities not normally granted by any other items and fancy abilities like being able to see enemies through walls. Oftentimes they'll also have minor downsides, which i feel really helps balance them out. "I like this bonus regeneration, but do I want enemies to notice me half a screen sooner than usual?"
Another source of fantastic item design is King's Bounty. Artifacts have Keepers the player needs to defeat to improve the item to its next level. This gives some incentive to pick a favorite artifact and lug it with you throughout the game, eventually upgrading it when you feel you're strong enough to take on its Keepers. Another way of improving certain items is to perform actions the item likes. An Elven bow might be improved by having elves in your party, and by killing orcs. A dwarven axe, on the other hand, might become weaker because you've just used it to kill some dwarves.
Hm. Seems I've rambled on with what other games have done already... well, anyways, those are some item related elements in other RPGs I've truly admired recently. Maybe they can offer you some inspiration as well.
I would like to see a really robust character creation and advancement system- stats are good. If you are afraid of scaring off casual gamers with a "stat-heavy" game, then just make a "simple" and "advanced" tab to accommodate both types of player.
Bought Depth of Peril ,the time quest are what I dislike. I like exploring maps and taking my time and not having to worry that I missed getting a shot at the second companion or missing a quest. While I may not be your perfect target market at least I bought the game.
Steven Peeler
Depths of Peril, Kivi's Underworld, Din's Curse, Drox Operative, Zombasite, Din's Legacy, & Drox Operative 2
Usually my most desired feature to be included into a dungeon crawler would be: lore, lore, and tons of discovered lore. It could just be a bit here and there picked up as you go through the areas, but it would add quite a bit. The little Diablo 2 had offered some detail, but I think others could do far better. Titan Quest had some, but it seemed to be isolated mostly in cities. Hack and slash dungeon crawlers seem to get a little stale after playing the dozenth or so one. I always feel I gotta have some reason to want to poke around besides loot and constantly kicking butt.
As for the hybrid class system in Titan Quest, it was fun and seemed to lend a bit of more flavor towards having something other than a set template of classes. I felt it allowed a player to better determine what kind of role in a group they could play. Even if it were in solo play, I think it offers a bit more variety to suit a player's desired playstyle.
As for weapons or other items gaining experience and the like, I'm having a few Daikatana flashbacks.
A vampiric blade, which starts out mediocre and possible less than other items, which you "feed" by taking the life of monsters. That sounds like one decent example, while adding in some challenge. Wait, it gets better, and for reasons of game balance. Undead, mechanicals, or similar, it could be useless against, preventing it from being a "macro weapon" of being able to kill anything if you leveled it high enough. That way you would have to keep alternative weapons around for those situations.
Last edited by The Roshambo Warrior : 06-24-2009 at 02:40 PM.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
i (PRWEB) January 08, 2014
Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawai' The Children's Film & Music Festival at Ko Olina, Saturday, January 18, will feature a collection of Hawai'i's newest, up-and-coming musical talents and a selection of Hawai'i-inspired films. Paralleling the festival's running theme of creativity and imagination, the live performance set list includes youthful artists who have wonderful, inspirational stories to share.
Performance highlights include:
- Honolulu Theatre For Youth (HTY): Inspiring our local communities to dream and dare, HTY produces thoughtful, animated and entertaining professional theatre and drama programs, always with a positive message. HTY will be presenting their "Sort-It-Out" musical focusing on the importance of understanding recycling.
- Performing Arts Center of Kapolei (PACK): uses the power of theater to unite and educate local communities. From musical favorites like School of Rock to educational productions like How To Succeed In High School, PACK will perform a selection of Disney tunes.
- Samadhi Hawaii: Centered in mental concentration and self-collectedness, Samadhi's keiki performers of Samadhi aerial dance troupe will present a Cirque-style aerial program.
- Sistah Robi Kahakalau: With musical experience that ranges from soft Hawaiian melodies to soulful blues renditions, Sistah Robi has been engaging Hawaii audiences for years. Thrilled to be a part of such a collection of creative artists, Sistah Robi will lead sing-a-longs for both children and parents to enjoy.
- Awol A. Owen: Dynamic violinist Awol A. Owen's musical journey was inspired interestingly enough by a television commercial he saw when he was 12. For the last ten years Owen — who resides on Kauai and founded Treehouse Melodies — has been expanding his ability while sharing his passion, story and natural gift of music.
- Also featured at the festival, rising ukulele stars, the duo "Keiki Wahine" Honoka Katayama and Azita Ganjali, a dynamic duo with an amazing repertoire.
Selected film features include:
- Disney's Oceans focuses on the vanishing living wonders from below our ocean's surfaces.
- Disney's Morning Light takes viewers on an intense journey following fifteen young men and women training to become high-speed open ocean sailors.
Hawaiian Culture:
- Pacific Resources for Education & Learning (PREL) presents locally produced animated Hawaiian short films How Maui Snared the Sun, The Menehune and The Birds and Pele Searches for a Home.
- The Haumana depicts the resurrection of Jonny Kealoha, a once great Waikiki lounge performer as he and a group of young boys prepare for competition in the Royal Hula Festival.
Teen Flicks:
- Race The Sun is a comedy/drama filmed on Oahu featuring a science teacher (Halle Berry) who pushes and inspires a group of misfits to follow through on their goal to create a solar powered car.
- Soul Surfer highlights the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who, at 13, lost her arm in a shark attack. Through godly inspiration and faith, Hamilton adapts to her circumstances returning to the top of the professional surfing circuit.
Animated Kids:
- Disney favorites include Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid and the festival's sunset film finale viewing of The Lion King on the beach.
Festivities will be held beachfront at the resort's Kohola Lagoon and throughout the Aulani and JW Marriott Ihilani properties from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults ($15 pre-sale through January 17); $10 for kids ages 4-12. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.koolinachildrensfestival.com. or call (808) 671-2752. (Entertainment, activities and schedule subject to change.)
Special room rates start at $229 per night at JW Marriott Ihilani, $269 per night at Aulani and $350 per night (seven-night minimum) at Ko Olina Beach Villas. Validated flat-rate parking is also available for Festival guests. Seating will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Ko Olina Children's Film & Music Festival is a benefit for Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children (KMCWC), Hawaii's leader in the care of women, infants and children. KMCWC is an affiliate of Hawai'i Pacific Health, the state of Hawaii's largest health care provider (http://www.kapiolani.org).
About Ko Olina
Ko Olina is a 642-acre master-planned resort community on the western shoreline of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Resort partners include the iconic J.W. Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa; Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, Marriott's most successful vacation club product in the world; Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Disney's first family destination resort in HawaiiI; the Ko Olina Beach Villas luxury condominium residences; Ko Olina Golf Club and the state-of-the-art Ko Olina Marina. The resort, known as Oahu's most engaging visitor destination, also features four pristine oceanfront lagoons connected by 1.5 miles of shoreline pathways, access to a diverse selection of ocean and outdoor activities and the island's best weather. For more information, visit http://www.koolina.com.


text:
Clean- Household Cleaning Product
Clean is a multi-purpose, all-natural cleaner, as the essential oils within it can be used for most household cleaning tasks. However, Clean's primary purpose is as a disinfectant. Technically, you can clean dishes with it, but it will not create soap suds or lather.
Other purposes of which you may not be aware include: spraying the bin to absorb 'rubbish' smells or to rid of bacteria; use as a garden-pesticide; add to a bowl of water outside to enjoy your garden mosquito-free; or even spray mouse holes or their trails to deter mice for up to 6 weeks.
Clean is a concentrate and makes up to 20 litres.


text:
Barter system make the exchanges process
Barter system makes the exchange process very difficult and highly inefficient. Money has overcome the drawbacks of barter system in the following manner: 1. Medium of Exchange: As a medium of exchange, money has removed the major difficulty of lack of double coincidence of wants in barter system. It separates the acts of sale and… Continue reading Barter system make the exchanges process


text:
Deaths from the hospital infection Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are continuing to fall, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The government agency revealed that the number of death certificates mentioning MRSA dropped by 20 per cent between 2011 and 2012, from 364 to 292. Of these cases, 38 - or 13 per cent - named MRSA as the underlying cause of death.
Rates of death from the infection have been falling consistently over recent years, with the latest figures showing that they declined by 79 per cent in men and 76 per cent in women between 2008 and 2012.
Over the same period, death rates were found to increase with age, and were also higher for males than females. MRSA represented 0.2 per cent of hospital deaths and just 0.1 per cent of total deaths.
The figures come in the wake of recent research from Edinburgh University's Roslin Institute, published in the journal mBio, which discovered that a type of MRSA found in humans originated in cattle at least 40 years ago.


text:
WHEREAS: the stability and success of the family unit is threatened by domestic violence as it victimizes the entire family, including the children, who learn through example that violence is an acceptable mode of coping with problems, dealing with stress, and asserting control over others;
WHEREAS: domestic violence has a negative impact on society in general, necessitating that millions of dollars be annually expended due to absenteeism and a loss of productivity at work and school, mental health and medical expenses, and the prosecution and/or administrative costs of criminal, quasi-criminal, and civil cases;
WHEREAS: the goal of eradicating domestic violence throughout Louisiana may only be achieved by increasing public awareness about the prevalence and harmfulness of domestic violence, implementing a firm public policy against domestic violence, and instituting an effective means of enforcement that encompasses law enforcement, social service agencies, and the courts; and
WHEREAS: to obtain this goal, the State of Louisiana must implement consistent, coordinated, and nonvictim blaming responses to incidents of domestic violence throughout the response process, beginning with law enforcement and continuing through victim protection and assistance services and the administration of justice process; therefore, the leadership of the State of Louisiana, including members of the Louisiana Legislature, the Executive Branch, and the Louisiana Supreme Court, together with representatives from law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, and special interest organizations that deal with domestic violence, must join together to develop a comprehensive coordinated response to domestic violence within the State of Louisiana;
NOW THEREFORE I, M.J. "MIKE" FOSTER, JR., Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:
SECTION 1: The Louisiana Coordinating Council on Domestic Violence (hereafter" council") is established within the Executive Department, Office of the Governor.
SECTION 2: The duties of the council shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
SECTION 3: The council shall submit to the Governor a detailed written report containing the council's findings and recommendations on or before December 31, 1998.
SECTION 4: The council shall consist of 20 members who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The membership of the council shall be selected as follows:
SECTION 5: The chair shall be selected by the Governor from its membership.
SECTION 6: The council shall meet at regularly scheduled intervals and at the call of the chair. A majority of the membership present shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 7: Support staff for the council shall be provided by the Department of Social Services.
SECTION 8: Council members shall not receive compensation or a per diem. Nonetheless, contingent upon the availability of funds, members who are not an employee of the State of Louisiana or one of its political subdivisions, or an elected or appointed public official, may receive reimbursement from the Office of the Governor for actual travel expenses incurred, in accordance with state guidelines and procedures, and upon the approval of the commissioner of Administration.
SECTION 9: All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, and officers of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, are authorized and directed to cooperate in the implementation of this Order.
SECTION 10: This Order is effective upon signature of the Governor and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the City of Baton Rouge, on this 26th of August, 1997.
M.J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
Fox McKeithen
Secretary of State


text:
I thought I'd use today's post to share a few quick updates… Thank you for all of you who sent me pictures of your adorable little guys! I have already selected the little boy that will be doing the railroad photo shoot. He happens to have a cute little brother, so lucky me! I promise to update the blog with those pictures once we get them done. I'll be trying to squeeze in something new every month, so check back for more opportunities!
In other news, this week is going to be CRAZY! I have two more photo-sessions coming up at Rascals to Rebels. This time we're spreading the love to the Huntington Beach store! I'll be wrapping up all the details on that today, so more to come soon. I'm also doing an Easter event in Ladera Ranch, hosted by the lovely Arlene, so I'm off to location scout for that today. So, if you're in that area, let me know if you're interested in some super cute spring photos!
Finally, a post just isn't a post without a picture, so I'll share what has been a top secret project for my photographer friend Shannon. She has rocked out the new catalog for Matilda Jane. A month or so ago she asked if Jillian and I would like to model for her. I'm not normally up for being photographed, but I knew I was in good hands, so I said yes! Of course Jillian and her good friend Madison know how to work the camera, but Shannon made an average girl like me look somewhat cute. Thanks friend! So, here we are…
Hope you all have a fabulous Monday!


text: Need to find a software to keep track of the user log in. To monitor the actions done with the computer of another user (non administrative). Basically log in\off times etc. I tried Event viewer in Windows 7, but cant find what I was looking for. A third party app will help. Thanks!


text:
I found a cute plain shirt at Target on the clearance rack & decided it needed to be jazzed up a bit.
Cutting fabric with the Silhouette really is simple. The most important thing to remember is have a new blade & a new mat.
Using No Sew Heat Bond, iron onto the back side of your fabric. Let cool & peel off the backing.
Position sticky side down on your Silhouette mat & cut using the indicated blade settings shown in the SIL program.
Peel the negative cuts from the mat just as you would with cutting paper.
Note: You will want a designated blade for cutting fabric. They do sell a blue fabric blade, but come to find out, it is the exact same blade as the normal one just in blue so you know that difference. Same price as well. So, rather than having my LSS order in a special "fabric blade" I was able to just purchase "regular" blade they already had in stock. I just marked the packaging so I would remember which was which.
This weekend we are having a SURPRISE BABY SHOWER for my youngest sis and we will be decorating onesies with fabric cuts made by my Silhouette. It's going to be such a fun activity and gift for the baby!
Let me know if you have cut fabric with your Silhouette and if you have any suggests or ideas to add!


text:
All's Not as Well as It Seems
All's well in America. GDP was revised 0.2% higher. Yellen assured us the economy can handle a rate increase this year and that inflation will proceed at 2% in the years ahead. The pope's here. Things are great!
Except, things are actually still crazy. A CEO just stepped down. A major U.S. politician just resigned. Europe has a major refugee crisis. Civil war is heating up in the Middle East. Homelessness has sent Los Angeles into a state of emergency. Volatility is still swinging the markets around wildly.
I can't help but find the symbolism in Yellen's coughing fit during her speech at the University of Amherst Thursday night. It seems the world is breaking down. But the markets clung to her words and rallied higher Friday mornrning, only to fall later that day.
We remain diligent in our view of the market. Harry released an important market update yesterday explaining the two likely scenarios he sees the market taking in the next few weeks. In one scenario, the market drops. In the other, the market also drops – just a lot more.
He explained that three signs have likely confirmed we've seen a top. One was a series of major tops the market's been forming since November. The next was the selloff in August. And the third was Adam's broad sell signal, which he received and sent to our monthly Boom & Bust subscribers, ominously, on September 11.
On that note, we just put out the latest edition of the monthly newsletter yesterday. We actually inverted this one – normally we have Harry or Rodney go first, followed by Adam and Charles' update. But we had Adam start it off so he could have a little more space to explain what his broad sell signal means. And it turnrns out there's an important technical indicator illustrating very bearish behavior.
This means that now is not the time to buy-and-hold. It means sticking to short-term strategies that actually thrive in this environment.
To that end, Adam just released a new trade on Thursday to both of his trading services – Cycle 9 Alert and Max Profit Alert. Each received the same trade. Normally they get something different. But as he said, the stars aligned. Both algorithms pointed to the same trade.
As he put it, this new trade is a pure bet against the stock market.
That said, both he and Harry agree that until we see the overall U.S. stock market fall a bit more than 20% off its highs, we won't know for sure that we're in an extended bear market. But it's looking more and more likely that we have seen a top, which is why I want you to read the note Harry sent yesterday if you haven't already.
There was a lot of other great editorial this week…
Charles explained on Monday why he believes REITs will beat the overall stock market, and he makes his case…
Rodney discussed in Boom & Bust five critical changes today's presidential candidates should get on-board with if they want to be taken seriously on economic policy…
John continued with his bearish message which he's been hammering away at since we brought him into our fold earlier this year, and he detailed two shorting candidates for his Forensic Investor readers…
And Ben explained how Hillary Clinton single-handedly cost the biotech sector $40 billion in market cap in a single day ON TWITTER – making a case for the social media-based strategy he uses in his trading service…
I'll wrap it up there. We'll continue to bring you our unfiltered, original insight into the economy & markets every day. I know this market environment is challenging. It seems like there's no break. I for one have two weeks of vacation saved up, but recall that when Adam last took a vacation, the market tanked (I blame him)!
That is to say, we never know what will happen from day to day… we're all a little bit anxious… but we're here to help guide you through this particularly troubling period in the markets. Stay vigilant.
Chris Cimorelli
Managing Editor, Economy & Markets


text:
It's a light week this episode as Simon and Kate skip the spotlight in favor of an extended DVD Shelf. After talking through the week's TV, with particular focus on Justified, Awake, the Spartacus finale, Mad Men, and, once again, Smash, we welcome Eric Mendoza from Sound on Sight's Doctor Who podcast on to talk about that seminal sci-fi relaunch, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Other shows discussed this week include New Girl, Happy Endings, Community, 30 Rock, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Fringe, Bob's Burgers, Lost Girl, the first live round of The Voice, and Werner Herzog's On Death Row.
Download m4a — Download mp3 — m4a RSS feed — mp3 RSS feed
Follow Kate on Twitter
Like The Televerse on Facebook
Rate/Review The Televerse on iTunes: m4a — mp3


text:
Paul Polak is the founder of the Colorado-based non-profit International Development Enterprises (IDE), which develops practical solutions that attack poverty at its roots. For the past 25 years, Paul has worked with farmers around the world—in countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe—to help design and produce low-cost, income-generating products.
His innovative solutions, such as the $25 treadle pump and small farm drip–irrigation systems starting at $3, have helped IDE increase poor farmers' net income by $288 million annually. Paul and was named one of the Scientific American Top 50 for his leadership in agriculture policy in 2003, and in 2004 received Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in the social responsibility category.


text:
Recipient of the 2003 Dr. Betty Shabazz Award
Born in 1924, Ruby Dee has been an actress for over 50 years, and she has also been a long-time civil rights activist and writer.
She is a recipient of several awards, including the Emmy, and the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award, which she received with her husband, Ossie Davis. She has appeared in films such as A Raisin in the Sun, Roots: The Next Generation and Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. She has also appeared in television series, movies, musicals, and performed in plays such as Athol Fugard's Boesman and Lena. She was the first African American woman to play lead roles at the American Shakespeare Festival and she turned her own stories, folktales and poetry into the 1998 one-woman show, One Good Nerve.
Ruby Dee has worked with dedication and passion in support of equal rights for all, and played a leading role in challenging McCarthyism. She and her husband were close friends of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and they served as masters of ceremonies for the 1963 March on Washington. They were also friends and supporters of Malcolm X and the Shabbazz family.
Ruby Dee represents a model for us in how she has lived her family life: she and her husband have collaborated closely in all their work. They have raised three children together and they are authors of the book, With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together. A collection of Ruby Dee's and Ossie Davis's papers is housed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.


text:
October came early this year! It's time to once again get down with the baddest witch this side of Massachusetts. As you know from my previous reviews of this show, I'm a bit biased: I am a fan. In fact, I was looking forward to this next installment since October. Well, I can say without a doubt that the Season 2 Premiere of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, "Epiphany", was an episode that was made.
A lot of shows go through a Sophomore Slump- the underwhelming return of a beloved show. By the end of the episode, all the characters that were the most interesting were diminished. It was still fun to watch and is very entertaining and it's not Season 2 Stranger Things terrible, but I hold this show to a higher standard: and I mean it!!!!
Season 1 was all about failure and corruption. Sabrina set out to save her town and herself. Not only did she endanger her town, she became so corrupted by ego and hubris that the price was her very soul. It was Shakespearean with a David Lynch vibe. Season 2 was less than, not to say it can't or won't get back on track because it likely will, but this was not great.
The episode was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Showrunner) and directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan who did ….. okay. The direction had the suspense of wet toast. Not everyone can do suspense and horror and this was sub-awesome. It sufficed as a recap episode, but not much more.
The plot is that Sabrina wanted to become the "Top Boy" of the witch academy and her love interest Nick is the favorite because he's a dude. Suzie who is now Theo wanted to try out for the all-boys basketball team. I was excited to see them fight the patriarchy and all that, but they did so in the weakest way possible: they cheated. Sabrina needed to complete three trials versus Nick. The first one: she won because the Weird Sisters (including Zelda) who for no reason at all like Sabrina now and gave her the answers. This really bugged because it was not fair to her character. She's Sabrina! She's supposed to be this badass; anyone can win by cheating.
This theme is further reinforced by Sabrina fixing a basketball game so Suzie could win. Suzie wanted to get on the boy's team, which is a fair challenge and a good one for this show to tackle, but she was legit terrible at the sport and could only win because Sabrina cheated for her. This is not empowering. It showed that Sabrina had no faith in Suzie and most importantly it made Suzie look stupid because she never noticed that she went from the beginning of the game from being the Generals to the Globetrotters?! Suzie was diminished, Sabrina was diminished, and I was insulted by it. It would have been so much better if Suzie was like WTF?! Why am I so great all of a sudden and then saw that Sabrina was cheating for her, the smile fades from her face, and then Suzie walks off the court. This would have set up some good conflict with Sabrina, especially since she doesn't really have any foes right now.
Roberto Sacasa needs to understand the characters he created. Suzie, Ros, and even Harvey to a MUCH lesser degree were very aware of what was going on around them throughout season 1, making Sabrina's unnoticed intervention on Suzie's behalf a lot tougher sell.
There was a subplot of Evil Three King Demons trying to mess with Sabrina because they were afraid she would ascend. This could get interesting. My hopes are high on that one. This series is still fun, but if it continues down this lazy path it will be more of a guilty pleasure that I watch on the elliptical or something on while I fold the laundry.


text:
The Roman Church makes the Station today in the basilica of Holy-Cross-in-Jerusalem. It was in this venerable church that Constantine deposited a large piece of the true Cross, together with the title which was fastened to it by Pilate's order, and which proclaimed the kingly character of the Saviour of the world. These precious relics are still kept there; and, thus enriched with such a treasure, the basilica of Holy-Cross-in-Jerusalem is looked upon, in the Roman liturgy, as Jerusalem itself, as is evident from the allusions made in the several Masses of the Stations held in that basilica. In the language of the sacred Scriptures and of the Church, Jerusalem is the image of the faithful soul; and the Office and Mass of this Sunday have been drawn up on this idea, as the one of the day. We regret not to be able here to develop the sublime beauty of this figure; and must proceed at once to the passage, which the Church has selected from the prophet Isaias. There she tells her children how well founded are her hopes in the merciful and peaceful reign of the Messias. But first let us adore this Divine Messias:
Come, let us adore the King, our Lord, Who is to come.
Wrestle Fear with Fortitude
4 hours ago


text:
Steps to delivering ultimate Website Design
Understanding your business needs
We spend time getting to know everything about what makes your business tick and what your target customer looks like. We will work with you to understand the functionalities your site requires
Design and build your brand
This is where we get inside the heads of your customers & create a website design they will love using. We ensure that your site is user-friendly with all the functionalities your customers need.
Test and Launch
We rigorously test your site, so it delivers a consistent experience on every type of mobile device and browsers. Once we are satisfied, we will launch your site on the world wide web.
Maintenance and optimisation
It's no longer enough to just set and forget your website. You always need to keep your site up to date. Regular maintenance will ensure your website continues to reach its full potential.
Tailored, affordable digital solutions
We are not just web design Brisbane, we are a one stop digital shop who offer a wide range of digital services to businesses of all sizes. Our areas of expertise are web design, digital marketing and app development. Do you need to find a SEO Company Brisbane? Whatever you need to attract customers to your business online, we can help you find the best way. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, and will be transparent with you about our services, results and costs. We share your goal of providing a digital solution that will work for your business.
How can we help you?
Impressive Website Design
Our team are fanatical about keeping up with the latest digital trends to ensure your website has the WOW factor. Spending time getting to know your business means we can deliver a smart design that is a home for your brand. Our strong focus on user experience (UX) helps ensure your site offers user-friendly functionalities to keep your customers coming back.
It's time to open your new digital shopfront so you are open 24/7. Get more sales and increase your repeat customers with one of our ecommerce websites. We offer complete project management from start to finish and can even help set up stock control and point of sale systems if you need them.
WordPress Experts
Need a WordPress Developer Brisbane? Contact us to benefit from our high level of expertise creating customised websites using WordPress. WordPress is an intuitive, user-friendly platform you can use to create a site that can grow and evolve with your business. WordPress delivers great benefits for your SEO rankings on Google.
Digital Marketing
Our digital marketing strategies are data driven to increase traffic, sales, engagement and sales. We can help you find the best combination of online marketing channels (paid and free) to promote your business online. Using digital marketing helps to get a better return from your site and for your web design Brisbane site to work harder for you.
Application development
We offer tailored app development solutions for both iPhones and Androids. Whether you want to bring a novel concept to life, improve productivity or increase customer engagement. Apps are an important way to capitalise on the growing mobile market and allow you to reach your customers no matter where they are.
Server Administration
We provide IT support and assistance with your servers, networking, and system security. We offer server maintenance, installation, recovery, rebuilds, migrations and terminal server configurations. We can also help manage your users and file access, security, anti-spam software, backups, and cloud solutions.
Check out our portfolio of completed work to give you an idea of our quality web design Brisbane businesses keep coming back for.
The Science behind our success
Our clients recommend us because we use our extensive technical knowledge to make their digital journey as easy as possible. We are committed to delivering an effective web solution that will achieve the results we promise. Let's take a more scientific approach and check out the numbers.
Years experience in web design & digital marketing
Web development projects successfully completed


text:
Information Service
Courtley (Health & Safety) Ltd's information service will keep you up-to-date with any relevant changes to legislation and advise you of any action you may need to take.
Since health and safety legislation is subject to continuous amendments, in order to keep up with the changes, the techniques of health and safety management are also in a constant state of modification. It is therefore very important to keep abreast of these changes and judge what, if any, potential impact there will be upon your business activities.