On a broad level 'culture' is defined by Ferrante as, "the way of life of a people." But through the paradigm of sociology, the term is multi-faceted with many different interpretations and applications. In this essay I will discuss how my understanding of the concept of culture has deepened and apply it to analyze contemporary American culture.
As an aspiring nomad with dreams of traveling the world and seeing it all, 'culture' is a commonplace term in my vocabulary. Prior to giving the concept of culture any reflection, I considered the term to be fairly one-dimensional and static. As the picture below illustrates, I only saw culture as generalized behaviors and actions that reflected the customs of a country.
Like Ferrante, I hold that culture is best defined through core concepts. Drawing from her work and my experiences as a traveler there are two concepts I find to be the most true. The first concept is that culture consists of material and non-material components. Ferrante defines material culture as physical objects or things to which people have attached meaning (61). Nonmaterial culture, on the other hand, is comprised of norms, beliefs, values, symbols and language. The second concept is that geographic and historical forces shape culture.
In addition to Ferrante's two concepts, my definition of culture includes a third, which has directly contributed to my deeper understanding of the concept of culture. Professor Miles Richardson of Louisiana State University notes that culture is more than a blueprint or something we learn as humans. It is also an active process that invites creativity and innovation. Similarly, Professor Warren J. Samuels of Michigan State University adds that culture is an artifact subject to continuos social reconstruction.
With a newfound grasp and revolutionized outlook on culture, I will now use the three concepts listed above to analyze contemporary American culture. It is important to note that for the sake of space I have excluded material components from my analysis.
What makes me American besides evidence of citizenship? Avoid the distraction of random road trip scenery featured in this video and listen to the questions posed by the narrator.
As a nation that refers to ourselves as "The Melting Pot," what ties us together? Some might say that our cultural values are reflected in founding documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Conversely, some Americans argue that such documents are outdated and irrelevant in our society today.
The Pledge of Allegiance refers to America as "one nation under God," but 15% of Americans don't value religion in their lives. America is regarded as an English-speaking country, but it is not uncommon to overhear French or Spanish in New York City, or even East Burlington. And as the video mentioned, with over 300 million people in our country, do we actually have norms reflective of American culture as a whole? Combining norms and patriotism, some American citizens find it extremely disrespectful if one does not put his hand on his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, yet there are still many who do so and do not see it as an issue.
Although America is a heterogeneous society abundant with subcultures created by class, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and education, there are two dominant values that define American culture: individualism and exceptionalism.
While individualism is a value that has emerged over the course of American history, which will be discussed in the next section, exceptionalism is a value that has been with this country from the beginning. Like 'culture' the term 'American exceptionalism' can be examined in many ways. As the comic illustrates, it can be associated with foreign policy.
In the scope of the world, American exceptionalism is a parallel to ethnocentrism. As we discussed in class, American exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is the best country in the world and has a notch above any other nation. But what makes us think we have the right to control other countries and dictate what they should believe?
Edgerton's intriguing comment alludes to the function of cultural relativity in our contemporary society. Time and time again Americans become outraged at international headlines that detail acts we deem inhumane. The challenging question in this regard is how should Americans engage in international cultural beliefs? Should we remain passive agents in this cultural exchange by simply learning about cruel and violent acts? If we examined such acts through a combination of functionalism and cultural relativity would we discover the perspective that justifies such acts in said country's society? Or as "the greatest country in the world" is it America's duty to be an active agent of culture as described by Miles Richardson and call for innovation and change?
In the previous section, I noted that contemporary American culture is largely defined as heterogeneous. In smaller-sized countries like Bhutan and Iceland, the culture is homogenous. America is comprised of many different geographic regions that function as subcultures, such as the Bible Belt and the Northeast. Thomas C. Wilson of Gannon University conducted a study that found an independent size-heterogenity relationship for political and sexual attitudes, which are representative of attidunal elements of subcultures.The country is so full of cultural diversity, subcultures can be broken down to states, or even towns. For example, the non-material culture of Charlotte and Raleigh residents would be completely different than that of Eustace Conway and other Boone residents.
While American exceptionalism has long been a cultural value for our nation, historical forces have shaped the more widespread and prevalent value of individualism. Studies and research show that the origins of individualism in America began in the 1960s.
In his textbook, American Society, Robin M. Williams Jr. presents the idea that American individualism is not a "lone cowboy" culture, but rather an emphasis on "individual personality rather than group identity and responsibility." Individualism constitutes that self comes before others. But can this value apply to individuals others consider to be 'selfless?' How does charity relate to individualism? Consider the social exchange theory, which states there's no such thing as a gift. In other words, people involved in volunteer work or charity are still acting on behalf of self. Their actions are self-motivated because although they are helping others, they are doing so because they enjoy it and it makes them happy.
I've included this concept as part of my analyzation because it explains all of the above content. In life we go through different stages in terms of how we interact with culture. As toddlers, we observe our surroundings and absorb them. As we grow older, our environment grows with us. We exit out of the house and enter school, sports teams, and jobs. We begin to question things rather than merely accept them. We develop viewpoints and interests that serve as filters on our intake of culture. Essentially, our interaction with culture starts as passive and evolves into an active process.
Arcaro, Thomas. "Culture." Introduction to Sociology. North Carolina, Elon. 19 and 21 Feb 2013. Lecture.
Ferrante, Joan. Sociology: A Global Perspective. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2008.
Fischer, Claude S. "Paradoxes Of American Individualism." Sociological Forum 23.2 (2008): 363-372. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Huntington, Samuel P., and Lawrence E. Harrison. Culture Matters : How Values Shape Human Progress. n.p.: Basic Books, 2000. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Richardson, Miles. "Culture and the Struggle to be Human." Anthropology and Humanism Quarterly 1.3 (1976): 2-4. Web. 27 Feb 2013.
Samuels, Warren J. "Dynamics Of Cultural Change." Society 29.1 (1991): 23-26. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Stewart, Alan E. "Explorations In The Meanings Of Excellence And Its Importance For Counselors: The Culture Of Excellence In The United States." Journal Of Counseling & Development 88.2 (2010): 189-195. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Wilson, Thomas C. "Population Size and Social Heterogeneity: A Empirical Test." American Journal of Sociology 91.5 (1986): 1154-1169. Web 27 Feb. 2013.


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The SPHERICAL Podcast: Bombing scares in New York & New Jersey / Weekly NYCFC update
Sam and Calvin share the host's desk this week to discuss the frightening events in the region over the weekend, plus a rundown of Frank Lampard's injury, the race for a first-round playoff bye, and Khiry Shelton's rising star.
By Sam Dunn and Calvin Daniel Sep 22, 2016, 4:01pm EDT
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Autumn Hutchins
It happened during the early stages of the second half of New York City FC's thrilling comeback draw against first-place FC Dallas.
A terrorist asshole tried to kill people in our city.
At least 30 were hurt. But ultimately, this terrorist asshole failed-- nobody lost their lives.
Not a one.
We had to touch on this dark, dark topic on this week's edition of the SPHERICAL Podcast. Had to. But this episode of the show has a happy ending, we promise.
Plenty of City soccerings to cover, too: Frank Lampard's new calf injury (not the same muscle as before!), finding a new central attacking midfielder, the race for a first-round playoff bye, and the mystical abilities of Khiry Shelton are all on the docket today.
You can follow the SPHERICAL Podcast on Twitter @THISisSPHERICAL. And be sure to subscribe on iTunes! DO IT!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Annitsford
Backworth
Benton, Newcastle
Burradon, North Tyneside
Camperdown, North Tyneside
Cullercoats
Dudley, North Tyneside
Earsdon
Forest Hall
Holystone, North Tyneside
Howdon
Listed Buildings in North Tyneside
Longbenton
Meadow Well, North Tyneside
Monkseaton
Murton Village, North Tyneside
New York, North Tyneside
Northumberland Park (area), North Tyneside
Palmersville
Preston, North Tyneside
Seaton Burn
Shiremoor
Weetslade
Wellfield, North Tyneside
West Allotment
West Monkseaton
West Moor
Wideopen
Willington Quay
Willington, North Tyneside
About North Tyneside
Backworth Benton Cullercoats Earsdon Killingworth
Longbenton North Shields Tynemouth Wallsend Whitley Bay
A Annitsford
B Backworth, Battle Hill, Benton, Billy Mill, Brunswick Village, Burradon
C Camperdown, Chirton, Cullercoats
D Dudley
E Earsdon
F Forest Hall
H Holystone, Howdon
K Killingworth
L Longbenton
M Meadow Well, Monkseaton, Moorside, Murton Village
N New York, North Shields, Northumberland Park
P Palmersville, Percy Main, Preston
R Rosehill
S Seaton Burn, Shiremoor
T Tynemouth
W Wallsend, Wellfield, West Allotment, West Moor, Whitley Bay, Wideopen, Willington Quay
The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, and is part of the Tyneside conurbation. The borough council's main office is at Cobalt Business Park in Wallsend.
North Tyneside is bounded by Newcastle upon Tyne to the west, the North Sea to the east, the River Tyne to the south and Northumberland to the north. Within its bounds are the towns of Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth and Whitley Bay, which form a continuously built-up area contiguous with Newcastle.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the county borough of Tynemouth, with the borough of Wallsend, part of the borough of Whitley Bay, the urban district of Longbenton and part of the urban district of Seaton Valley, all of which were in Northumberland.
The following places are located in North Tyneside:
Burradon
Meadow Well
Moorside
Murton
Northumberland Park
Percy Main
Wellfield
Administration and elections
Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Labour's Norma Redfearn. , the council is Labour led, Labour having 51 councillors, the Conservatives 7 and the Lib Dems 2.
The council is elected "in thirds", with one councillor from each three-member ward elected each year for the first three years, the mayoral election being held on the fourth year. With three councillors elected from each of 20 wards, there are 60 councillors in total.
North Tyneside lies in the coalfield that covers the South-East of the historic county of Northumberland. It has traditionally been a centre of heavy industry along with the rest of Tyneside, with for example the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, and export of coal. Today most of the heavy industry has gone, leaving high unemployment in some areas (over the borough, 3.2% compared to 2.7% for the UK). The borough is the 69th most deprived in England, out of 354. However some parts function as wealthy dormitory suburbs of Newcastle, such as Tynemouth. Recent growth has come in the A19 corridor with new industrial estates and retail parks.
Two key roads serve North Tyneside:
The A19 which leaves the A1 north of Newcastle and runs through the borough and then through the Tyne Tunnel to South Tyneside, Teesside and towards the South.
The Coast Road (A1058) runs from Newcastle to the coast. For most of its length it is grade-separated.
North Tyneside is served by 17 stations on the Tyne & Wear Metro on a loop from Newcastle through Wallsend, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Benton and back to Newcastle. Trains operate at least every 15 minutes, with extra services in the peak hours. Most of the stations serving North Tyneside fall into fare zones B and C.
There are no National Rail stations in the borough, despite the East Coast Main Line and Blyth and Tyne routes passing through. The nearest National Rail station is Newcastle Central, which is also served by the Tyne and Wear Metro.
North Tyneside has an extensive bus network, with most areas benefiting from direct services to Newcastle. Many areas have direct bus services to Cramlington, Blyth or Morpeth. The principle bus operators in the area are Arriva (all areas), Go North-East (most areas) and Stagecoach in Newcastle (Benton, Forest Hall, Killingworth and Wallsend).
The Shields Ferry links North Shields to South Shields, in South Tyneside.
There is an international ferry terminal at Royal Quays in North Shields, with a service to Amsterdam (IJmuiden).
Segedunum Roman fort is in Wallsend (at the end of Hadrian's wall).
The Stephenson Railway Museum in New York, named after George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson who hailed from Tyneside and lived in West Moor in North Tyneside 1802–1824.
Tynemouth Castle and Priory
North Tyneside includes a vast coastline covering Tynemouth, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay
Blue Reef Aquarium in Tynemouth
St. Mary's Island in Whitley Bay
North Shields Fish Quay, Clifford's Fort and the High and Low Lights of North Shields
Twinned towns
Frederikshavn in Denmark
Mönchengladbach in Germany
Oer-Erkenschwick in Germany
Halluin in France
Klaipėda in Lithuania
Coatzacoalcos in Mexico
Text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (accessed: 22/12/2016).
Visit the page: North Tyneside for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.
from http://www.memoriesnorthtyn...
Remembering the Past, Resourcing the Future
- An initiative of North Shields Library Club. The website chronicles the life and times of the 20th Century in North Tyneside and its surrounding areas, as told by those who ...
Simon Cotterill
from https://commons.wikimedia.o...
Coat of arms of North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
- Image c/o Wikimedia Commons. Seek permission from North Tyneside Council to reuse.
Added by: Co-Curate Team , Edited by: Simon Cotterill Last modified: 1 month ago, Viewed:3200 times,


Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 9781479138753, 256pp.
Attending Tivedon should have been the most exciting time in Jayl's young life. Along with his sister Myah, they journey to Tivedon and are quickly caught up in the excitement and eccentricities of the school and its teaching elders known collectively as 'The Circle of Tivedon'. Enemies and alliances are swiftly established between the other students that come from across the realm of Tiertyn. Yet, as they begin the next level of their scholastic study in the finer points of diplomacy and governance, grim tidings reach the castle walls. An ancient evil is on the rise threatening to plunge the land into darkness once again. Tensions begin to rise within the walls of Tivedon as unexplainable, dreadful events occur forcing the 'Circle of Tivedon' to act. The situation worsens as accusations of a traitorous plot involving friends of Jayl and Myah's from back home and a fellow student's sovereign land arrive at Tivedon. This development ensnares Myah in a conspiratorial and secretive undertaking at the behest of 'The Circle of Tivedon'. Jayl, who discovers a temperamental magical source within himself, becomes the unwitting focal point of Tivedon's elders' plans to defend Tiertyn against the army of the resurrected evil Lord Rimyaroth. Unfortunately, before plans are complete, the suspicious death of one of Tivedon's elders followed by the murder of the befriended Captain of the Guard lands an unjustly accused Jayl into Tivedon's cells. It is here that Jayl learns of a long ago hidden talisman which will aid in their fight, which he must find and return. A hasty and harrowing escape from the school, which has fallen under the sway of the enemy, follows under the cover of darkness. With foes now swelling on all fronts, the elders must split the students into three groups to have any hope of stemming the tide that threatens them. Myah, along with one of the two remaining Tivedon elders, make their way to the city of Sieli. Their hope is to vindicate her captured and accused friends as well as turn the favour of an opportunistic King to their cause. The second group, led by the other Tivedon elder, races to join defenders that are hastily forming the first line of defence against the massing army of Lord Rimyaroth. Lastly, and much to Jayl's chagrin, he is paired with two menacing and determined school rivals on his quest to find the talisman. A perilous mission, it remains the last vestige of hope to battle against the dark magic of Lord Rimyaroth. With the unlikely heroes and heroines heading in separate directions, three diverse journeys begin.
Ryan Shorten, having been a fan of all things magical since he was young, turned a love of reading into a passion for writing. The Circle of Tivedon is his debut novel and the first book of The Circle of Tivedon series. Written for a Young Adult audience, the story explores building relationships and adolescent responsibility in the face of adversity. Engaging characters that reflect the diverse backdrop of the realm of Tiertyn will all be forced to make the toughest decisions of their lives.


Directional highs: the future of marijuana?
Directional highs: the future of marijuana? The scientific publishing business, social cooling, and an inflatable balloon to help the world lose weight.
Recreational marijuana use has been legalised in 8 US states and there's a boom in consumer pot products. From digital vaporizers that run off an app to Eaze, a San Francisco company hailed as the UBER of weed, there's a growing range of choices for the consumer looking for a good buzz.
Now you can even choose how you want to feel. Directed, bespoke highs allow you to select the specific effects of what you're inhaling. Sold under names like Sleep, Bliss, Relief and Passion, producers are selling precisely measured dosages in carefully calibrated formulas inhaled through a vape pen, giving you control over how alert, active, and sociable you want to be.
Mary H. K. Choi has been sampling the products of one producer in this high end, bespoke end of the marijuana market.
While the rest of the mainstream media and publishing is grappling with the challenges posed by an increasingly digital future, the hugely profitable business of scientific publishing seems to be going from strength to strength.
Publishing more than 28,000 science journals from The International Journal Of Fuzzy Systems to one dealing with Nordic reindeer husbandry- the industry brings in total global revenues of more than 30 billion dollars. That puts it between the music and film industries in size!
About 2 and a half million new scientific papers are published each year and profit margins at some of the big scientific publishers outstrip those of tech giants like Apple, Google and Amazon.
The irony is that government-funded universities have to pay millions of dollars a year in annual subscriptions for journals that they are the primary contributors to. And there are question marks over whether the current commercial model is the best approach for getting the latest research into the hands of students, academics and others who want to see it.
Stephen Buranyi has written about the business of science publishing for The Guardian.
When the world wide web spread it's tendrils into our homes a few decades ago, observers and sociologists noticed people becoming disinhibited in these virtual spaces: you could say and do what you wanted, stuff you probably wouldn't do in real life.
Fast forward to today, and technology critic Tijmen Schep reckons we're seeing another online phonomenon - he calls it 'social cooling'.
Social cooling means we sanitise and self-censor our views, and avoid saying the wrong thing or offending anyone, because we're obsessed with how we're perceived and rated online.
Surgeries designed to promote weight loss by restricting the stomach's capacity, like a gastric bypass or gastric banding, have become a common treatment to help chronically obese patients lose weight fast.
But they don't come cheap with a typical price tag of around $20,000 and up.Surgery and administering anaesthetic to patients can also be risky. And an increasing number of these surgeries are getting funded under the public health system; the Ministry of Health has spent more than $30 million on bariatric surgery on almost 2000 patients over the past 5 years.
So could there be a safer, cheaper alternative?
One new idea is a temporary gastric balloon called the Elipse that gets swallowed in pill form and then filled up with water in the stomach. No surgery, no anaesthetic, and it deflates after 16 weeks and gets excreted out - and all for less than a quarter of the cost of most types of bariatric surgery.
Shantanu Gaur is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Allurion Technologies, makers of the Elipse balloon.


Today, Wednesday 29 September, is the 246th birthday of Lord Horatio Nelson – one of Britain's finest captains of the Royal Navy. And to mark the occasion, SeaBritain 2005 has announced what's in store for the year-long festival celebrating Britain's long love affair with the sea.
Next year is the bicentenary of Nelson's famous victory onVictoryitself at Trafalgar on 21 October 1805 – the battle that established Britain's naval supremacy for over a hundred years, clearing the seas for the growth of Britain's trade and empire.
David Quarmby, Chairman of SeaBritain 2005 announced a programme that includes events and commemorations throughout the year, including the Trafalgar Festival. Mr Quarmby said: "We want to raise awareness of the importance of the sea today." SeaBritain is joined in collaboration with the National Maritime Museum, VisitBritian, the National Trust, RYA, British Marine Federation and many more.
The Royal Navy, after concerns over the ability to fund the Trafalgar 200 programme, said their plans are supported by a mixture of funds from the private and public sectors.
Rear Admiral James Rapp, Director General of Trafalgar 200, said: "The event begins on Tuesday 28 June with the International Fleet review in the Solent. We are expecting 40 nations to attend." The 600-year tradition will continue with a line-up of naval vessels from around the world including tall ships, merchant ships, small craft and yachts.
A four-day international festival will then continue from 30 June to 3 July in Portsmouth where visitors will be able to go aboard vessels.
Another highlight is the Race around the Isle of Wight on the 13 June. And from 4 August to 11 September will be a recreation of the voyage ofPicklebringing news of Nelson's death involving the procession of a new Trafalgar Dispatch to Spain, France and the English counties from Falmouth to London. The National Maritime Museum will also have an exhibition called Nelson & Napoleon.
Find out more information about the events for SeaBritain 2005 in the up and coming issues of Yachting World magazine.


Maxworth Tours and Travels strives to make your travel a memorable one. We at Maxworth Tours and Travels are committed to customer satisfaction.
If you are opting for round trip, please fill-in the return date.


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Kailee Nelson graduated with a BA in Spanish and a BA in Theatre as Susquehanna University closed its 159th academic year with annual commencement exercises on May 17.
Kailee has not added any Education updates yet.
Kailee has not added any Awards & Recognition updates yet.
Kailee has not added any Activities & Affiliations updates yet.


Last Sunday, I said that I would think over and make a decision. Well, I thought about my conundrum on my Alien Journal, and I have decided that there are other projects I want to complete first. I still may work on it some.
I have made it through another year of life and looking forward to see what my 51st year will bring me. I am getting close to complete my first book but I still have times that I run away from it. I just have to force myself into work mode to get it done.
Now, in a couple weeks, I will be going to Des Moines, Iowa with a friend. This is a shindig that involves my martial arts that happens every four years. Plans are to enjoy myself and learn what I can. The networking is similar to that of writer's groups. One comes away fired up for the marital arts.
There are other events I would like to get into that are coming up. I have a Nola Stars meeting that I will attending. I hope to come away fired up about my writing. That way, I hope I can get this first novel completed.
One other event I would like to attend is one involving my alma mater: Bossier High School. They are going to have a Fall Flashback in about two weeks. This is where the alumni from the years 1970 through 1990 get together to socialize. I only heard about it two days ago.
Well, I have things I want to do this year and plan to enjoy it the best I can.


text:
Home » Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Paperback)
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Paperback)
By Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen, Roger Fisher (Foreword by)
Not on hand. Usually Ships in 2-5 Days
The 10th-anniversary edition of the New York Times business bestseller-now updated with "Answers to Ten Questions People Ask"
We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you'll learn how to:
· Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation
· Start a conversation without defensiveness
· Listen for the meaning of what is not said
· Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations
· Move from emotion to productive problem solving
Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen teach at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Negotiation Project. They have been consultants to businesspeople, governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world, and have written on negotiation and communication in publications ranging from the New York Times to Parents magazine. Bruce Patton is also a co-author of Getting to Yes. Each of them lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
Stone and Heen are the authors of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It Is Off Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered, and Frankly, You're Not in the Mood) (Viking/Penguin, 2014)
Roger Fisher is the Samuel Williston Professor of Law Emeritus, Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, and the founder of two consulting organizations devoted to strategic advice and negotiation training.
"Does this book deliver on its promise of an effective way through sticky situations, whether 'with your babysitter or your biggest client'? It does."
"These talented communicators blend a daunting array of disciplines into highly readable and practical advice."
"I'm on my third reading. Half the pages are dog-eared. This is a mind-bogglingly powerful book. For life."
—Tom Peters
"A user-friendly guide to mastering the talks we dread . . . a keeper."
"Emotional intelligence applied to life's toughest moments."
—Daniel Goleman, bestselling author of Working with Emotional Intelligence
"The only people who shouldn't read Difficult Conversations are those who never work with people, anywhere."
—Peter M. Senge, bestselling author of The Fifth Discipline
"How do you confront your ex-spouse who's late picking up the kids? How do you tell a client their project took longer than expected and the bill is twice as high? How do you say 'I'm sorry'? Start by picking up Difficult Conversations."
"Difficult Conversations will be appreciated by readers who wish to improve oral communication in all aspects of their daily lives."
"Stone, Patton, and Heen illustrate their points with anecdotes, scripted conversations and familiar examples in a clear, easy-to-browse format."
"The central insights of Difficult Conversations so resonate with common sense that it is easy to overlook just how remarkable of a book it is . . . a must-read."
—Harvard Negotiation Law Review
"Examples more clear-headed and advice more precise than we've seen before."
—Dallas Morning News
"Stone, Patton, and Heen have written an extremely clear and unpretentious exposition of how to develop effective communication skills and a guide to achieving openness and constructive outcomes in dialogue . . . this book is, and probably for some time to come will be definitive."
—Southern Communication Journal
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2010
Maximum Age: UP
Minimum Grade Level: UP
Maximum Grade Level: UP
Psychology / Interpersonal Relations
Business & Economics / Management Science
Self-help / Personal Growth / Success
Kobo eBook (November 2nd, 2010): $12.99
Paperback (Chinese) (October 1st, 2014): $32.00
Paperback (February 1st, 2011): $24.70
CD-Audio, Abridged (April 6th, 1999): $30.00


Last week, with very little fanfare, Dominique Ansel Bakery released a new holiday item that might prove to be very popular, especially for those who enjoy sugary American breakfast cereal. Dominique Ansel's Christmas Morning Cereal ($15) is the bakery's first foray into the cold cereal market.
The base consists of crunchy clusters of puffed rice covered in Valrhona Caramelia chocolate. If you're not familiar with Caramelia, it's a caramelized milk chocolate with a distinct dulce de leche flavor. There's also a plentiful amount of smoked cinnamon flavored Mini-Me meringue kisses (Though now overshadowed by the Cronut, Mini-Me's were one of Dominique Ansel's first signature products). Spiced hazelnuts, in a sugar brittle, complete the mix.
It's clear that a fair amount of cereal-research went into this product. For one thing, the chocolate rice clusters stay crunchy in milk for quite some time. And the Mini-Mes are like marshmallows in Lucky Charms—their edges get slippery but they keep their crunch. Their smoked cinnamon flavor is noticeable when in milk but is much more pronounced when eaten plain. The hazelnuts have a subtle spiciness and also stay crunchy in milk.
So eating this cereal is all about grades of satisfying crunch. If you enjoy sweet, crunchy breakfast cereal (and dulce de leche!) and you're intrigued by the idea of meringue kisses in your breakfast, get yourself a box. You'll love it.


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Identify sound HR talent for the Organization, monitor and develop them.
In either of the above two Engagement Models, Tvarita Consulting will also, if the Client desires, provide Senior HR presence for significant business activities viz. M&A Due Diligence activities, IPO Road- Shows etc. or business development activities.


Solid file book box secures your books for transport from classroom to classroom. Two models are available. One with Internal rails and one without (pictured here).
The Portable Library is also available for grades 3- 5 and middle school.
The books can also be ordered separately.


Day 48 certainly sounds better than day 1.
Yesssss!!! Keep pulling me along!
Day 48 is awesome. Keep doing what you are doing!
That's great! And now as I'm responding it's Day 50! Time flies!
Next Next post: Still here, just quiet.


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Mörshausen ist ein Stadtteil der Stadt Spangenberg im nordhessischen Schwalm-Eder-Kreis.

Geographie
Mörshausen liegt etwa 2 km westlich der Kernstadt an der B 487 und wird von der Pfieffe durchflossen. Die Gemarkung von Mörshausen grenzt an den Malsberg, eine Erhebung nahe Spangenberg. Ebenso grenzt die Gemarkung an die der Gemeinde Morschen und die der Stadt Melsungen (beide Schwalm-Eder-Kreis). Durch die Gemarkung führt auch die Pfieffetalbrücke der Schnellfahrstrecke Hannover–Würzburg. Nachbardörfer sind Adelshausen (zu Melsungen) und die Kernstadt.

Geschichte
Die älteste bekannte urkundliche Erwähnung  des Ortes erfolgte unter dem Namen "Meinbrateshusen" im Jahre 920 im Codex Eberhardi, wahrscheinlich handelt es sich um Mörshausen. Das heute bekannte Mörshausen wurde jedoch erst 1209 in einer Urkunde des Fritzlar Petersstiftes erwähnt.

Die bis dahin selbständige Gemeinde Mörshausen wurde zum 1. April 1971 im Zuge der Gebietsreform in Hessen auf freiwilliger Basis in die Stadt Spangenberg eingemeindet. Für Mörshausen wurde ein Ortsbezirk mit Ortsbeirat und Ortsvorsteher nach der Hessischen Gemeindeordnung gebildet.

Bevölkerung
Einwohnerstruktur 2011

Nach den Erhebungen des Zensus 2011 lebten am Stichtag dem 9. Mai 2011 in Mörshausen 360 Einwohner. Darunter waren 9 (2,5 %) Ausländer.
Nach dem Lebensalter waren 60 Einwohner unter 18 Jahren, 168 zwischen 18 und 49, 72 zwischen 50 und 64 und 60 Einwohner waren älter. Die Einwohner lebten in 168 Haushalten. Davon waren 60 Singlehaushalte, 39 Paare ohne Kinder und 51 Paare mit Kindern, sowie 18 Alleinerziehende und 3 Wohngemeinschaften. In 15 Haushalten lebten ausschließlich Senioren und in 129 Haushaltungen lebten keine Senioren.

Einwohnerentwicklung
 1585: 40 Haushaltungen
 1747: 44 Haushaltungen

Historische Religionszugehörigkeit

Politik
Der Ortsbeirat besteht aus fünf Personen, davon gehören drei der SPD und zwei der Gemeinschaftsliste Mörshausen an. Bei der Kommunalwahl 2021 lag die Wahlbeteiligung bei 54,82 %. Ortsvorsteherin ist Annelie Deist.

Kultur und Infrastruktur
Wie in jedem anderen Stadtteil Spangenbergs gibt es auch in Mörshausen eine Freiwillige Feuerwehr. Außerdem findet man in Mörshausen einen Landfrauenverein. Im Umland ist Mörshausen vor allem für das alljährlich stattfindende Lindenfest bekannt.

Die Mörshäuser nennt man auch die "Rewwester". Ein "Rewwester" ist ein Tontopf mit zwei Griffen und einem Ausgießer, in dem man früher Milch aufbewahrte. Da um Mörshausen herum saftige Wiesen zu finden sind, benötigte man im Ort aufgrund der Viehbestände viele "Rewwester".

Der gut ausgebaute Radweg R 12 führt direkt durch den Ort.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks
 Mörshausen In: Webauftritt der Stadt Spangenberg.

Stadtteil von Spangenberg
Ehemalige Gemeinde (Schwalm-Eder-Kreis)
Ersterwähnung 1209
Gemeindeauflösung 1971

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Student microscopes at the College level typically include higher quality optics and construction. We offer a range of Meiji Techno, Motic Microscopes and our house brand, Omano Microscopes all at discounted prices and backed by our free post-sale customer service.
All these microscopes fit the criteria required for Medical School.


Materials Science | Chemicals & Materials Now!
From the very first wheel, the process of engineering has always been deeply inspired by nature. The Wright brothers, for example, spent hours studying the flight of birds before designing their airplane.


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NASA Shows Off Mars Flying Saucer Technology
A flying saucer could one day help a manned mission to Mars make a gentle landing on the surface of the Red Planet.
NASA showed off its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator today during a live broadcast from its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Weighing in at 7,000 pounds and measuring 15 feet wide, the spacecraft underwent a spin test on a table to show off its capability.
Spinning an object keeps it pointed in one direction, and the saucer is equipped with a rocket to slow it down.
The technology could be crucial for Mars exploration since it will decelerate heavy landers traveling at supersonic speeds through Mars' thin atmosphere. The drag device could one day help humans, their cargo and their return rockets safely reach the Red Planet.
After today's test, the next step for the vehicle will be in June when it will blast off on a test into near-space from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, NASA officials said.
Testing the vehicle in the thin air of Earth's stratosphere this summer is the nearest "local" test to see how the flying saucer fares in Martian-like conditions.
http://abcnews.go.com/
Half of all marine life lost in 40 years: WWF report


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Huśtawka to urządzenie rekreacyjne z ruchomym elementem, poruszającym się wahadłowo, na którym znajduje się miejsce do siedzenia dla jednej lub kilku osób. Urządzenie jest wprawiane w ruch przez użytkownika, który w odpowiednim rytmie zmienia swoje położenie lub odpycha się od nieruchomych elementów.

Odmiany huśtawki

Huśtawka występuje w wielu różnych odmianach. Ze względu na konstrukcję można wyróżnić następujące typy:
 huśtawka na desce / równoważna, działająca na zasadzie dźwigni o równych ramionach, na końcach których umieszczone są siedziska, przeznaczona dla dwóch osób
 huśtawki wahadłowe, z wiszącym elementem ruchomym:
 z pojedynczym siedziskiem, "krzesełkiem"
 z siedziskiem w postaci "ławeczki" dla kilku osób, tzw. huśtawka ogrodowa
 z dwoma siedziskami umieszczonymi naprzeciw siebie, tzw. huśtawka parkowa
 najprostsza konstrukcja, zawieszona na jednej lub dwóch linach lub łańcuchach, z siedziskiem zrobionym z deski lub opony

Huśtawki najczęściej montowane są na osiedlowych placach zabaw, w ogrodach jordanowskich i parkach.

Zobacz też

linowe place zabaw
plac zabaw
piaskownica
karuzela
bujak sprężynowy
park linowy

Elementy placu zabaw


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Conference Chair
Leszek Maciaszek
Wroclaw University of Economics, Poland and Macquarie University, Sydney
http://www.leszek.maciaszek.ue.wroc.pl/
Brief Bio
Prof. Leszek A. Maciaszek is the Director of Institute of Business Informatics and Head of Department of Information Systems at Wroclaw University of Economics. He holds Honorary Fellow position at Macquarie University ~ Sydney, Australia. He has worked as a Visiting Professor/Scientist in more than 20 universities/research centres in countries on four continents; has authored about 180 publications (including Prentice-Hall and Addison-Wesley books, some translated from English to Chinese, Russian and Italian); has been Editor or Co-Editor of about 40 volumes published by Springer and IEEE; has served as an exp ert, reviewer and advisor to international corporations, government bodies and ministries; has been a reviewer and evaluator to European Commission of FP7 and H2020 projects. ... More >>
Martina Ziefle
RWTH-Aachen University
Martina Ziefle is professor for Communication Science at RWTH Aachen University and head of the eHealth Research group at the Human Technology Centre at RWTH Aachen University. Martina Ziefle studied psychology at the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg, Germany, where she finished her studies with honors. From the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, she received her Ph.D. in psychology summa cum laude. After her habilitation at RWTH, in which she examined reading processes in electronic media, Martina Ziefle took up positions as assistant professor at the University of Münster and, subsequently, at the RWTH Aachen. The research of Prof. Ziefle addresses the human factor in different technology types and using contexts. Technology acceptance decisively depends on the extent to which user diversity is considered and implemented in technological design. A special research focus is directed to the design of medical technologies. Here, the identification of users' specific needs as well as affective barriers towards new technologies is essential in this sensitive field. In addition to teaching and directing research in HumTec, Prof. Ziefle leads various projects funded by industrial and public authorities, dealing with the interaction and communication of humans with technology. ... More >>
Last update: 17-07-2019 · © INSTICC


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AeroGauge é um jogo de corrida futurístico lançado para Nintendo 64 em 1998 (1997 no Japão).

AeroGauge funciona basicamente nas mesmas linhas conceituais do jogo como Wipeout XL ou Extreme-G. A diferença principal é que os veículos no jogo voam ao invés de estarem alguns metros sobre a pista, então é possível manobrá-los no ar (diferentemente dos jogos mencionados anteriormente).

Visão Global

AeroGauge ocorre na Ásia durante o ano de 2065. O jogo tem quatro faixas e cinco veículos desde o início com faixas e veículos mais adicionais que podem ser desbloqueados através do Grandprix ou modos Time Attack. O jogo inclui danos em veículo que é mostrado através de um medidor no fundo de um HUD do jogador. Quanto o dano do jogador ganha seu veículo começará a acender e fumaçar. Se um jogador adquire muito dano ao seu veículo ele vai parar, lentamente pousar no chão e a tela irá desaparecer ficando preta e será retirado. Isto pode ser evitado, porém, como todas as faixas no jogo têm áreas em regeneração de escudo, que se o jogador voa sobre com uma baixa altitude irá corrigir os danos.

Modos do Jogo
O jogo tem quatro tipos modos diferentes para escolher no menu.

Grandprix:
Este é o modo singleplayer. É um campeonato de base, tendo a corrida contra o jogador veículos de controlados por computador em cada mapa do jogo. Antes de cada corrida o jogador é obrigado a tomar duas voltas de qualificação, que, dependendo do melhor tempo do jogador e como ele se compara ao computador , irá determinar qual a sua posição de partida será para a corrida real. A corrida real é de três voltas ao redor do curso, contra sete adversários os quais sopram fora da linha de partida rapidamente, geralmente deixando o jogador para trás para apanhar. Depois de uma corrida, o jogador será recompensado pontos em função da sua posição final na última corrida. Quanto mais o jogador vencer , mais pontos ele recebe. Estes pontos se somam ao longo de todo o Grandprix e vai determinar o vencedor do tal evento.

Singlematch:
Este modo é apenas para um único jogador. É uma única corrida contra o computador A.I. em uma pista escolhida pelo jogador. Como o Grandprix, também exige duas voltas de qualificação para determinar a posição de partida do jogador.

VS:
Este modo é uma corrida em uma pista de dados contra um outro jogador humano. Não há voltas de qualificação e não há adversários controlados pelo computador.

Time Attack:
Este é modo singleplayer único. É um timetrial, numa pista escolhida pelo jogador. O jogador pode escolher em fazer três ou um número infinito de voltas. Se o jogador escolhe a fazer pode ser usado de três voltas "fantasmas" que são salvos em um cartão de memória.

Jogos eletrônicos de 1997
Jogos eletrônicos de corrida
Jogos para Nintendo 64
Jogos eletrônicos ambientados na década de 2060


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Chemistry Articles
Chemistry Syllabus
Chemical Compound Formulae
Difference Between in Chemistry
Elements of the Periodic Table
Periodicity in Properties of Elements
Mendeleev's Periodic Table
Modern Periodic Table and Law
Table of Elements
Electronic Configuration of Elements
Periodic Trends in Ionization Enthalpy
Trends in Electron Gain Enthalpy
Newland's Octaves & Dobereiner Triads
Named Reactions
Aldol Condensation
Cannizzaro Reaction
Finkelstien Reaction
Friedel-Crafts Alkylation & Acylation
Hoffmann Bromamide Reaction
Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky Reaction
Perkin Reaction
Diels-Alder Reaction
Avogadro's Law
Law of Constant Proportions
Law of Mass Action
Laws of Chemical Combination
Kohlrausch law
Gay-Lussac's Law
Aufbau Principle
Markovnikov Rule
Chemistry Important Questions
Important Questions For Class 11 Chemistry
CBSE Chemistry Important Questions
Chemistry Marks-Wise Questions
Common Ion Effect
The common ion effect is an effect that suppresses the ionization of an electrolyte when another electrolyte (which contains an ion which is also present in the first electrolyte, i.e. a common ion) is added. It is considered to be a consequence of Le Chatlier's principle (or the Equilibrium Law).
What is the Common Ion Effect?
The statement of the common ion effect can be written as follows – in a solution wherein there are several species associating with each other via a chemical equilibrium process, an increase in the concentration of one of the ions dissociated in the solution by the addition of another species containing the same ion will lead to an increase in the degree of association of ions.
An example of the common ion effect can be observed when gaseous hydrogen chloride is passed through a sodium chloride solution, leading to the precipitation of the NaCl due to the excess of chloride ions in the solution (brought on by the dissociation of HCl).
This effect cannot be observed in the compounds of transition metals. This is because the d-block elements have a tendency to form complex ions. This can be observed in the compound cuprous chloride, which is insoluble in water. This compound can be dissolved in water by the addition of chloride ions leading to the formation of the CuCl2– complex ion, which is soluble in water.
Effect on Solubility
The way in which the solubility of a salt in a solution is affected by the addition of a common ion is discussed in this subsection.
The common ion effect can be used to obtain drinking water from aquifers (underground layer of water mixed with permeable rocks or other unconsolidated materials) containing chalk or limestone. Sodium carbonate (chemical formula Na2CO3) is added to the water in order to decrease the hardness of the water.
In the treatment of water, the common ion effect is used to precipitate out the calcium carbonate (which is sparingly soluble) from the water via the addition of sodium carbonate, which is highly soluble.
A finely divided calcium carbonate precipitate of a very pure composition is obtained from this addition of sodium carbonate. The CaCO3 precipitate is, therefore, a valuable by-product which can be used in the process of manufacturing toothpaste.
Since soaps are the sodium salts of carboxylic acids containing a long aliphatic chain (fatty acids), the common ion effect can be observed in the salting-out process which is used in the manufacturing of soaps. The soaps are precipitated out by adding sodium chloride to the soap solution in order to reduce its solubility.
However, it can be noted that water containing a respectable amount of Na+ ions, such as seawater and brackish water, can hinder the action of soaps by reducing their solubility and therefore their effectiveness.
pH and the Common-Ion Effect
When the conjugate ion of a buffer solution (solution containing a base and its conjugate acid, or acid and its conjugate base) is added to it, the pH of the buffer solution changes due to the common ion effect.
An example of such an effect can be observed when acetic acid and sodium acetate are both dissolved in a given solution, generating acetate ions. However, sodium acetate completely dissociates but the acetic acid only partly ionizes. This is because acetic acid is a weak acid whereas sodium acetate is a strong electrolyte.
As per Le Chatelier's principle, the new acetate ions put forth by sodium acetate facilitate the suppression of the ionization of acetic acid, thereby shifting the equilibrium to the left. Since the dissociation of acetic acid is reduced, the pH of the solution is increased.
Therefore, the common ion solution containing acetic acid and sodium acetate will have an increased pH and will, therefore, be less acidic when compared to an acetic acid solution.
Thus, the common ion effect, its effect on the solubility of a salt in a solution, and its effect on the pH of a solution are discussed in this article. For more engaging content on this concept and other related topics, register with BYJU'S and download the mobile application on your smartphone.
CHEMISTRY Related Links
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What Are Hydrogen Bond Reversible Changes
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Electrochemical Cell


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Don't miss our newly posted ATRA 2012 Client Letters
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Court Rejects Attempt to Use QSub Election to Increase S Corp Stock Basis
(Parker's Federal Tax Bulletin: February 14, 2013)
In a recent Tax Court case, a group of S corporation shareholders used a novel argument in attempting to justify an increase in the basis of their S stock before selling it. The shareholders in R Ball for R Ball III By Appt., Et Al v. Comm'r, T.C. Memo. 2013-39 (2/6/13), argued that they were entitled to increase the adjusted bases in their S stock after the S corporation made a qualified subchapter S subsidiary (QSub) election for a subsidiary. Where a parent S corporation elects to treat a wholly owned domestic corporation as a QSub, the subsidiary is no longer treated as a separate corporation. Instead, Code Sec. 1361(b)(3)(A) treats all assets, liabilities, items of income, deductions, and credits of the QSub as the assets, liabilities, items of income, deductions, and credits of the parent S corporation. The subsidiary for which the election is made is deemed to have liquidated into the parent S corporation.
According to the shareholders, the QSub election resulted in a gain derived from dealings in property and, therefore, created an item of income that justified their increasing the basis of their S stock. Unfortunately for the shareholders, the IRS and the Tax Court rejected this argument. As the Tax Court noted, the shareholders overlooked the role of realization and recognition of income in determining what constitutes gain from the sale or disposition of property.
In June 1997, nine members of the Ball family and another person directly owned 100 percent of American Insurance Service, Inc. (AIS). The S shareholders had an aggregate adjusted basis of approximately $5.6 million in their shares of AIS.
In 1999, the S shareholders organized Wind River Investment Corp. (WRIC). They contributed 100 percent of their shares of AIS to WRIC in exchange for 100 percent of the stock in WRIC. After completing the transaction, the shareholders directly owned 100 percent of WRIC, and WRIC directly owned 100 percent of AIS. In 2003, the nine Ball family members owned 99.01 percent of WRIC.
Effective June 4, 1999, WRIC elected to be taxed as an S corporation. From June 4, 1999, through September 4, 2003, WRIC continued to own 100 percent of AIS. During WRIC's tax year ended September 4, 2003, WRIC made a QSub election under Code Sec. 1361(b)(3)(B) with respect to AIS, effective February 28, 2003.
About five months later, all the S shareholders sold their WRIC shares to an unaffiliated third party. Before transaction costs, they received over $230 million. The Ball family members claimed losses on the transaction as a result of having increased their S stock basis after the QSub election.
The IRS disallowed the claimed bases adjustments following the QSub election and assessed a deficiency.
Adjusting S Corporation Stock Basis
Under Code Sec. 1367(a)(1), the basis of each S shareholder's stock in an S corporation is increased for any period by the sum of certain items. Code Sec. 1367(a)(1)(A) provides that those items include items of income described in Code Sec. 1366(a)(1)(A). Code Sec. 1366(a)(1)(A) provides that, in determining an S shareholder's tax for the year, there is taken into account the shareholder's pro rata share of the corporation's items of income (including tax-exempt income), loss, deduction, or credit the separate treatment of which could affect the liability for tax of any shareholder.
Taxpayers' Position
The S shareholders argued that they properly adjusted their bases in the WRIC shares after the QSub election pursuant to Code Sec. 1367(a)(1)(A) and that they properly claimed losses from the sale of WRIC on their 2003 income tax returns. According to the shareholders, the QSub election resulted in a gain derived from dealings in property and, therefore, created an item of income under Code Sec. 61(a). Code Sec. 61(a) defines gross income as all income from whatever source derived, which includes gains derived from dealings in property. The family members claimed that the exchange of the S corporation's shares of stock in the subsidiary for the subsidiary's assets resulted in gains derived from dealings in property.
The Tax Court held that the unrecognized gain resulting from the QSub election did not create an item of income or tax-exempt income pursuant to Code Sec. 1366(a)(1)(A). As a result, the court concluded that the shareholders improperly adjusted their bases in their WRIC stock following the QSub election.
According to the Tax Court, the shareholders' position would create noneconomic basis adjustments that would reduce or eliminate tax at the shareholder level. This would not only convert the single-level taxation of S corporations into a zero-level taxation of S corporations; it would also undermine the double-level taxation of C corporations, as preserved in Code Sec. 1374 (relating to the built-in gains tax), and circumvent the repeal of the General Utilities doctrine.
Observation: Before 1986, the General Utilities doctrine so named for the Supreme Court's decision in General Utilities & Operating Co. v. Helvering, 296 U.S. 200 (1935) permitted a C corporation to escape corporate-level tax on certain distributions of appreciated property to its shareholders. Congress repealed the General Utilities doctrine in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, thus ensuring a corporate-level tax on the distribution of appreciated property. Congress noted that the General Utilities doctrine undermined the corporate income tax. Congress further cemented the repeal of the General Utilities doctrine by enacting Code Sec. 1374 in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Code Sec. 1374 prevents a C corporation from avoiding corporate-level taxation on the sale of appreciated assets by converting to an S corporation.
The court noted that the shareholders' position would produce absurd results and would open the door to a myriad of abusive transactions. Using these noneconomic basis adjustments, the court noted that the shareholders attempted to turn what should have been a $202 million aggregate taxable gain into a $12 million aggregate loss. Had WRIC sold any of AIS' appreciated assets at a gain after the QSub election, the shareholders would have increased their adjusted bases in WRIC a second time, thus reducing or eliminating more tax.
(Staff Editor at Parker Tax Publishing)


Former Manchester United right-back Rafael da Silva took to Instagram to bid an emotional farewell to the club's fans before completing a move Lyon for a fee thought to be in the region of £2.5million.
The 25-year-old Brazil international leaves Old Trafford after eight seasons and has agreed a four-year-contract with the Ligue 1 giants.
Rafael had found his first-team opportunities limited under the management of Louis van Gaal and the summer signing of Italian right-back Matteo Darmian made it clear that his place in the United squad was far from assured.
Rafael was signed for United in 2008 from Fluminense along with his twin brother Fabio, who now plays for Cardiff City.
He went on to make over 150 appearances for the Red Devils and won multiple honours, including three Premier League titles.


Advances in artificial intelligence have changed the ways in which computers create "original" work. Analogies that may have worked sufficiently well in the past, when the technology had few if any commercially viable applications, are now reaching the limit of their usefulness. This paper considers particularly radical thought experiment in relation to computer generated art, challenging the legal responses to computer generated works and discussing their similarity to works by animals.


One guy who had slept the whole night had other plans… he took a gun loaded it and aimed at the unseen enemy and shot…. They belonged to a world that understood that mistakes happen… and the guy knew that one will not be blamed for other's mistakes …. More over the enemy was unseen.
They were dreaming but the bullet was real.. It found its destination…. She let out a small sound and fell backwards with a Thud and he woke up….


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Compliance, Safety and Verification
Survey Technician Position in Brookshire, Texas
Railroad News
Norfolk Southern reports environmental, economic growth
RITD
Rail News Home Norfolk Southern Railway 10/17/2019 Rail News: Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern achieved an all-time best operations ratio of 65 percent in 2018.Photo – Norfolk Southern Railway
During 2018, Norfolk Southern Corp. decreased its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.6 percent year over year and achieved an all-time best operating ratio of 65 percent, according to the Class I's 12th annual Corporate Social Responsibility report.
Released yesterday, the report details NS' environmental, economic and social impacts during 2018 and early 2019.
© © Trade Press Media Group, Inc.
Norfolk Southern EVP, CFO Earhart to retire, George named successor
Norfolk Southern Corp. announced yesterday that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Earhart will retire on Nov. 1. She will be succeeded by Mark George.
Earhart joined NS in 1985 in the accounting department, where she held positions of increasing responsibility, including assistant VP, before transitioning to information technology.
NS names Allen Sutherland, Farrell to new exec roles
Norfolk Southern Corp.'s board yesterday approved new responsibilities for Michael Farrell and Vanessa Allen Sutherland effective tomorrow.
As senior vice president of operations and mechanical, Farrell will assume responsibility for the railroad's transportation and mechanical functions.
For Norfolk Southern, growth is predicated on a new TOP21 operating plan
Last year, NS' network planning and optimization group began developing TOP21 using computer modeling and simulation tools to analyze data and train flows, and to determine optimum network fluidity and velocity.Photo – Norfolk Southern Railway
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
NS posts record Q2 earnings, operating income
Rail News Home Norfolk Southern Railway 7/24/2019 Rail News: Norfolk Southern Railway
NS Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires noted that the company's "strong financial and operational performance" in the quarter was achieved while the railroad finalized its preparations for its new operating plan known as TOP21.Photo – nscorp.com
Norfolk Southern Corp. today reported second-quarter 2019 net income rose 2 percent year-over-year to $722 million as the result of a 4 percent increase in railway operations income.
NS posted diluted earnings per share of $2.70, up 8 percent over the same period a year ago and a second-quarter record, the company announced in a press release.
Transition to new operating plan was 'smooth,' NS says
Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced the transition to its new TOP21 operating plan earlier this month went smoothly.
The phase one roll out in July's first week in the merchandise network resulted in a seamless changeover with minimal impacts to customer service and network operations, NS officials said in a press release. The first phase focuses on the carload and automotive networks.
Norfolk Southern kicks off TOP21 operating plan
The new plan is designed to improve service performance for customers and provide network efficiencies.Photo – nscorp.com
Today, Norfolk Southern Railway will begin rolling out its new precision scheduled railroad operating plan known as TOP21, the Class I announced yesterday in a customer service alert.
The new plan is designed to improve service performance for customers and provide network efficiencies, NS officials said in the alert.
NS recognizes 58 chemical customers for safe hazmat practices
The award is part of an NS initiative to promote safe rail-shipping practices.Photo – nscorp.com
Norfolk Southern Railway has recognized 58 of its chemical shipper customers with the Class I's 2018 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award.
The award is part of an NS initiative to promote safe rail-shipping practices in communities the railroad services, according to an NS press release.
Norfolk Southern's strategic plan is producing results, Squires says
Norfolk Southern Railway in 2019 is "reimagining possible" in all aspects of its business to improve customer service, increase efficiency, drive growth and create shareholder value, President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires Squires said today at the company's annual shareholders meeting.
"We are moving full speed ahead with a new plan for the future that provides a clear path to continued success — success that benefits our customers, our employees, and our shareholders," said Squires in a press release.
Norfolk Southern serves new rail transfer facility in New York
Norfolk Southern Railway and the Wyoming County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) recently marked the opening of a new multimodal transfer facility in Gainesville, New York.
The Wyoming Transfer Station will serve companies interested in shipping by rail. It represents the final stage of Wyoming County's rail initiative, which began in 2008 and represents a nearly $1 million investment from the New York State Department of Transportation's (NYSDOT) multimodal program, the Wyoming County IDA, Wyoming County and private site work provided by Marquart Cos., according to an IDA press release.
Norfolk Southern sets multiple records in Q1, announces new appointments
Norfolk Southern Corp. today reported first-quarter 2019 net income rose 23 percent year over year to $677 million, as a result of a 16 percent increase in income from railway operations and a boost in other income.
Diluted earnings per share jumped 30 percent to $2.51 compared with Q1 2018. The Class I logged operating revenue of $2.8 billion, a first-quarter record and a 5 percent year over year increase. NS attributed the revenue growth to a rise in revenue per unit, resulting from higher rates and fuel surcharges.
NS introduces new mobile app for shippers
Norfolk Southern Corp. has unveiled NS Trax, a mobile app designed to make it easier for the Class I's customers to conduct business with the railroad no matter where they are.The app leverages data available in AccessNS, the railroad's desktop e-commerce portal. NS Trax enables customers in the field to manage inventory, view transit exceptions and track real-time movements using a mobile device, according to an NS press release.Also, shippers can use the app to add shipments to a watchlist for priority visibility, search for specific shipments on the NS network, submit local service requests and view waybills for shipments. NS expects to add other features and enhancements to NS Trax throughout the year and beyond, said Ed Elkins, NS' vice president of industrial products.Planned updates include expanding capabilities for local service and unit trains.
Original link
NS diverts Missouri traffic due to flooding
Norfolk Southern Railway is continuing to address service interruptions due to flooding conditions in Hannibal, Missouri, the Class I announced yesterday.
The situation is requiring NS traffic between Decatur, Illinois, and Kansas City, Missouri, to be diverted and operated via St. Louis, NS officials said in an operations alert to customers. Conditions along the route are expected to improve by April 14.
Norfolk Southern touts growth, operating results in 2018 annual report
Norfolk Southern Corp. posted strong growth and best-ever operating results for operating ratio and income from railway operations last week, the Class I reported late last week in releasing its 2018 annual report online.
For the year, the company achieved an all-time-best operating ratio of 65.4 percent, the third consecutive year of improvement; grew total railway operating revenue 9 percent year-over-year to $11.5 billion; and increased income from railway operations 12 percent to $4 billion, a record.
Norfolk Southern breaks ground on Atlanta HQ, names three new execs
Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday broke ground on its new Atlanta headquarters and named three company officers to executive positions.
NS Chairman President and Chief Executive Officer James Squires was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms at a groundbreaking ceremony held in Atlanta's Midtown area.
NS, unions differ on merits of brake test simulator for hands-on training
Norfolk Southern Railway has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration for a waiver of compliance from certain provisions of federal rail safety regulations regarding refresher training for mechanical inspectors.
NS proposes to create a 3D simulation using web-based software to comply with the hands-on portion of required periodic refresher training. The railroad would use a simulator for refresher training on Class I air brake tests instead of hands-on training. The brake test simulator also would be used to enhance training for supervisors and employees in other crafts, including freight-car repair workers and conductors.
Norfolk Southern to aim for 60 operating ratio by 2021
The Class I's financial targets include a full-year OR improvement in 2019 of at least 100 basis points from the 2018 OR of 65.4 percent.Photo – nscorp.com
Norfolk Southern Corp. officials today will provide details of the Class I's latest strategic plan, which includes targeting an operating ratio (OR) of 60 percent by 2021.
The details — which will be revealed at the railroad's Investor and Financial Analyst Conference being held today in Atlanta — will cover ways to increase productivity, efficiency and growth.
NS: New records for Q4 operating income, full-year operating ratio
Norfolk Southern Corp. yesterday reported record fourth-quarter income from operations of $1.1 billion, up 27 percent compared with fourth-quarter 2017 and up 9 percent on an adjusted basis.
Net income shot up 44 percent to $702 million, earnings per share jumped 52 percent to $2.57, revenue rose 9 percent to $2.9 billion, volume increased 3 percent to 1.98 million units, railway operating expenses climbed 9 percent to $1.8 billion and the operating ratio improved 5.5 points to 62.8.
NS appoints Cox to succeed Kesler as VP-taxation
Norfolk Southern Corp. has named Michael Cox vice president of taxation, effective March 1. He will succeed Robert Kesler, who is retiring.
Cox has held positions of increasing responsibility since he joined NS as assistant tax counsel in 2000. Prior to joining the company, he spent more than a decade in private industry and with the federal government, including serving as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's tax division.
NS fills board seat with Morgan Stanley's Kelleher
Thomas KelleherPhoto – NS
Norfolk Southern Corp. has elected Thomas Kelleher as a board member, effective yesterday. He will serve as an independent director and join the board's finance and risk management committee.
Kelleher, 61, is president of global financial services and investment management firm Morgan Stanley. He also is chairman and chief executive officer of Morgan Stanley Bank N.A. Kelleher is responsible for Morgan Stanley's institutional securities business and wealth management.
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Although she opens with a summary overview of the military history of ancient Egypt.Dean, a specialist in the interdisciplinary study of Egyptian military practice and women at war, does not give us a comprehensive history of 2,500 years of military campaigns. Rather, in a series of chapters, she looks at various aspects of the evolving nature of warfare, arms, and soldiering under the pharaohs.
Dean devotes a chapter to Egyptian weaponry and military technology, including fortresses, and follows this with a discussion of policy and strategy. We then get a look at the surprisingly active role women had in Egyptian warfare.
The two final chapters are perhaps the most important in the book. Dean devotes a chapter to evaluating the evidence about Egyptian weaponry that can be garnered from experimental archaeology, including re-enactments. She then follows this with one dicussing the nature of the damage that these weapons were capable of inflicting, using modern forensic examination of experimental results and ancient mummies, with some grim illustrations.
Despite a sometimes disjointed narrative, Warfare and Weaponry in Dynastic Egypt is necessarily useful for someone new to Egyptian history, and particularly valuable work for the more experienced student of the subject.


We invite you to be a part of our online Church family! My team of Pastors and I are here to pray for you, pray with you, believe the best for you and celebrating your victory stories. Our desire is help you grow in revelation and knowledge of Jesus Christ and will provide you with the resources to grow in Christ.
If you are here, then we are delighted that you are taking the step towards joining the Kingdom Covenant Ministries Church family.
Yes, I am committed to the Vision and Mission of the ministry.
To advance the Kingdom of God in every nation and society, establishing the Church as the greatest entity on Earth. Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 11:15.
To save souls, impact generations, influence society to advance the Kingdom of God in our community, city and globally through the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. Matt. 28:18-20; Matt. 16:18, 19; Matt. 24:14; Gen. 1:28; Rev. 11:15.
We would love to have a photo of you on file for our new members.
We welcome you into the family of Kingdom Covenant Ministries.
Once we receive your form, we will contact you with more information about your membership and send you your eMembership Certificate.


A Knitting Pattern for a fashionable jumper. Brand New. Icy Shimmer DK Wool.
Sweater. Size 10 - 20.
Actual Size 40- 48 1/2. Finished length 25 inches.
11 - 50 balls needed for largest size.
Pattern written in British English.
This item will be posted to you by VioletsandLaceCrafts within 3 days of receiving payment.


Oppo has launched a new smartphone model with 48 MP camera to compete with Redmi Note 7 Pro: Oppo F11 Pro. Oppo F11 Pro comes with dual rear camera and one pop-up front camera, 6+64 GB memory and 4000 mAh battery with super fast charging and is priced at ₹24,990. This smartphone is powered by MediaTek Helio P70 Octa Core processor. Oppo F11 Pro with no cost EMI (0% interest) starting at ₹2083 per month with zero down payment online on Amazon and Flipkart.


text:
Ander Vidorreta Larrumbe (born 12 July 1997) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Real Avilés CF.

Club career
Born in Soria, Castile and León, Vidorreta represented CD Numancia as a youth. He made his senior debut with the reserves on 27 August 2016, starting in a 7–0 Tercera División home routing of SD Almazán.

Vidorreta scored his senior goal on 17 December 2016, netting the opener in a 2–0 home defeat of CD Bupolsa. On 25 June 2019, after being an ever-present figure for the B-side, he was definitely promoted to the main squad after agreeing to a one-year deal.

On 8 December 2019, Vidorreta made his first team debut by starting in a 1–3 away loss against UD Las Palmas in the Segunda División championship. On 3 October of the following year, he moved to Segunda División B side SD Tarazona on a free transfer.

References

External links

1997 births
Living people
People from Soria
Sportspeople from the Province of Soria
Spanish footballers
Footballers from Castile and León
Association football midfielders
Segunda División players
Segunda División B players
Segunda Federación players
Tercera División players
CD Numancia B players
CD Numancia players
SD Tarazona footballers
Real Avilés CF footballers


Two new quorums of the Seventy — the Seventh and Eighth quorums — have been created, the First Presidency announced April 19 by letter to priesthood leaders.
The Seventh Quorum was created from a division of the Fourth Quorum, which includes Latin American areas and had reached 72 members. The Eighth Quorum was created by dividing the Third Quorum, which covered Asia and the Pacific, "a large geographic area" that "made it advisable to create the Eighth Quorum of the Seventy," the letter stated.
The new Seventh Quorum will consist of Area Seventies in the Brazil North, Brazil South, Chile and South America South areas.
The new Eighth Quorum will include Area Seventies in the Asia, Asia North, Australia, New Zealand/Pacific Islands, and the Philippines areas.
The revised Third Quorum will include Area Seventies in the Europe Central, Europe West, Europe East, Africa West, and Africa Southeast areas.
The revised Fourth Quorum will include Area Seventies in the Mexico North, Mexico South, Central America, South America North and South America West areas.
The First and Second quorums, comprised of General Authorities, and the Fifth and Sixth quorums, made up of Area Seventies in the United States and Canada, remain unchanged. A total of 195 Area Seventies comprise the membership of the Third through Eighth quorums.
The creation of the additional quorums of the Seventy are in response to the two greatest challenges of the Church — growth, and the training of leadership to take care of that growth, as identified by President Gordon B. Hinckley at a press conference held on the 10th anniversary of the First Presidency on March 11.
Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy quoted Doctrine and Covenants Section 107, which states: "The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve or the traveling high council, in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations . . . (verse 34).
"It is the duty of the traveling high council to call upon the Seventy, when they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel, instead of any others . . . . (verse 38).
"And also other seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor in the vineyard of necessity requires it" (verse 96).
Elder Tingey noted that area presidencies in North America were eliminated about a year ago and the Presidency of the Seventy were assigned to supervise those areas. These changes are in harmony with revelation and continuing headquarters efforts to simplify and unify Church administration by improving training, enhancing accountability, and strengthening priesthood leaders and magnifying stake presidents.
He also cited a revelation referring to the organization of the Seventies given in 1883 to President John Taylor, which states: "Fear me and observe my laws and I will reveal unto you, from time to time, through the channels that I have appointed, everything that shall be necessary for the future development and perfection of my Church, for the adjustment and rolling forth of my kingdom, and for the building up and establishment of my Zion. For ye are my priesthood and I am your God" (Messages of the First Presidency, 2:354).
"As Elder Neal A. Maxwell used to counsel us, there is no elasticity in the ranks of the Twelve," said Elder Tingey. "It is fixed at twelve. The elasticity is in the ranks of the Seventy. We have seen the Seventy increase from 137 in 1997 to 195 today. We have seen the number of quorums increase from one in 1976, from two in 1986, and from five in 1997 to eight today."
The additional Area Seventies were called to meet the needs of growth which, combined with retention and activation efforts, has brought the Church to 2,676 stakes and 338 missions, with a membership of some 12.4 million.
"This is a reflection of the Lord inspiring the prophet, from time to time, on how to organize the Seventies.
"The beauty of it is that the organization is in place to add Seventies to a quorum," he said. "You don't have to create a new structure. If there is a lot of growth in one part of the world, you can add three or four. It is flexible, it has elasticity to fit whatever situation is out there, based on the growth of the Church."
Using Area Seventies has allowed the numbers in the First and Second quorums to remain stable for the past 10 years, with many area presidencies that include one Area Seventy.
He said that generally each April, the Area Seventies are brought to Salt Lake City where they receive exactly the same training that the General Authorities receive. "We get to meet them and get to know them all. During the year, we will hold seven quorum meetings in various parts of the world — Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and Lima, Peru. There will also be two quorum meetings in the United States. Additionally, each of the seven presidents, who supervise the North America areas, will meet with the Area Seventies in his area several times a year for additional training."
When a need arises for assistance in a stake, a nearby Area Seventy is called to meet with a stake president and help resolve a situation.
In the quorums are "many outstanding men. These are really powerful men; most have been presidents of missions and stakes. They are seasoned people who know the local area well — the customs, languages and carry the office of Seventy to preside. Once we have a Seventy, we can convene groups of stake presidents and let the Seventy train them as needed by direction of the seven presidents or the area presidency.
He said the Seventy have been counseled to make sure the stake presidencies are properly trained, and then to "leave them alone to be a stake presidency."
"Stake presidents can rely more on inspiration and revelation," Elder Tingey said. "We cannot be out there as much as we used to. This also magnifies Area Seventies, because through area coordinating councils, they are responsible for training stake presidencies.
"We have streamlined a lot of procedures that used to be in place . . . and a lot of correspondence has been eliminated.
"Every week the seven presidents meet with the Twelve," said Elder Tingey. "We present to them our reports of supervision. We have specific questions on things we are not sure of and they counsel us. What we get is the counsel of the Twelve."
He said the relationships between areas and headquarters "has never been better."


Discussion in 'Junkie Fantasy Fighting' started by BigSexyVreeland, Oct 3, 2017.
So, I hate posting things in multiple places, but some of you A-holes yelled at me last time for not advertising over here. Last year I did a Prospect Fantasy League over on Gen MMA and it was a lot of fun and ran really smoothly. I'm going to run it again for 2018 thanks to overwhelming support. Below are links to the sign up thread in Gen MMA, the website that we run it off of, and the thread of last years league.
smcdonald5, maggotbrain and CD816 like this.
Is that awesome game over in Gen.that CD is leading at the moment but M0tives is about to win ?
Cuz that game is flucking badass.
BlairBones and M0TIVES like this.
Can I get you some pom poms ?
Have only heard great things. Gonna try to get in.
Rookies compete in the lower tier.
@ILL BILL hit up the thread/site and let me know if you have any questions.


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text:
The personal rantings of Seraphina Brennan on life, MMOs, and games
« Oh my god, it's full of lulz!
Gaming Journalism vs. Real Journalism vs. Media Journalism »
The Story Behind Black Clover
Concept art for the Black Clover character, "The Organist." Yes, that's a mechanized arm.
So, for many of you, I've talked about this random game — Black Clover — and you're confused as to what it is. You may have seen it on my Twitter background, you may have heard me talk about it in tweets, and you may have read some of my random descriptions in my blog. You've been introduced to one of my characters — Xavier Guldstein — but you don't really know much about this world or what this game really is.
Well, now that Black Clover is coming closer and closer to being a reality instead of one of my ludicrous fantasies, I feel that I can talk a bit more freely about this project, this pen and paper roleplaying game.
Black Clover is my first professional attempt at a pen and paper roleplaying system. For a while, the game was going to be nothing more than a modification of Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition, running off of Wizard's new open gaming license. However, when that brand new OGL never came through with the release of 4th Edition, I turned away from using the new D&D as a base and began experimenting with my own, deciding to take advantage of the moment and really craft a game that suits my world.
Black Clover is set in what I like to call Gothic fantasy steampunk, where it's really a dark mishmash of steampunk values with punk/rock/emo/Victorian fashion. It's a bloody world full of the wonder of invention, the intrigue of a fledgling nation recovering after the destruction caused by a great plague, and a society where heroes barely exist. It's luscious, it's twisted, it's dark, it's gory, and it flirts with the inappropriate constantly. While it's one of my newer fantasy worlds, it's quickly risen to be one of my favorites.
The world took off centered around two thoughts in my head one day when I was eating lunch: One question was, "What would a world that was obsessed with death be like?" while the other one was, "What would be the most powerful weapon in existence?" The answers came quickly — the world would be dark, corrupted, and the center stage for a few heroes taking on all of the wrongs in the world in a bitter, weak struggle to make things right while the most powerful weapon would be the human soul.
So created was the Black Clover Rifle, a mythical wonder of technology that had the power to distill the essence of the human spirit by siphoning it out of the person through six sharp, wicked hooks attached to the back of the gun. The energy would be routed through a central chamber containing an odd, onyx gem shaped like a four-leaved clover, where the energy was then dispersed into the barrel of the gun. Black Clover had two firing options: pulse the trigger quickly to only fire a part of your soul, or hold the trigger down to siphon your soul until you let go… letting the whole thing fire in one gigantic burst.
This was the weapon that finished a war by creating a two-mile wide canyon down the center of the continent for four hundred miles. This was the gun that destroyed an entire army for the cost of one human life. This was my world's atomic bomb. Of course, after firing the gun, the weapon and it's holder disappeared. Some say that he and the gun were consumed by the force of the blast, while others still believe the gun survived… hidden out there in Clover Canyon. If a full burst could obliterate an army, then how powerful could a person be if they only pulled the trigger for a fraction of a second?
So, with this world had to come a brand new way to play roleplaying games. Carbon copying rules wouldn't cut it for this universe (in addition to being illegal.) However, I did not want to innovate for the sake of innovation (and legal reasons.) Innovating to be innovative gets you nowhere fast — this system had to solve a problem in roleplaying. Lo and behold, after just one brainstorming session and a suggestion from a few friends, I stumbled over the idea of dynamic statistics instead of the usual static physical characteristics, like strength, dexterity, etc. With that, the Personality Drive system was born.
Personality Drive is how Black Clover solves a fundamental flaw of pen and paper roleplaying games: rewarding roleplay in a truly meaningful way. While many games support roleplaying, and we all know how great D&D can be when the people sitting at the table are dedicated to not dicking over the game… some people like to dick over the game. It's hard to roleplay when power gamers are being jerks at the table, rules lawyers are shoving errata down the GM's throat, and some people refuse to roleplay — preferring to play the whole game as one giant statistics fest.
How does Black Clover fix this? Quite simply — it ties your statistics to your roleplay. Each stat represents one of the aspects of the personality of your character. Utilize these aspects in positive ways that your GM believes to be true to your character, and your stats rise. Act like a dick… and well… you get statistics worthy of being a dick. The only person you can blame is yourself. Black Clover rewards you greatly for playing your character by offering you new abilities, new weapon upgrades (yes, you heard me, you build your weapon from the ground up), and better dice rolls. Character improvement isn't measured by scores of experience or level — character improvement is measured by character improvement. As you explore who you are as a character, your abilities increase as you become more sure of what and who you are. Act in contradicting manners, you'll have memories that will haunt you.
This system, while it sounds limiting, really offers a more unique experience by making the player understand that some choices ARE hard decisions. Heroes don't make cavalier decisions when lives are on the line. Or, will you break your morals to do the right thing, even if it means doing the wrong thing initially? Will this power in personality lift you up or smack you down?
That's just one aspect of how this game is very different from your standard roleplaying experience. Hopefully I've made some of you excited or curious to see more. Some of you… well you might be a little miffed right now, or baffled as to why I'd do such a thing with my core statistics. Trust me when I say that it works out. 🙂 But, I won't be completely sure of that until I enter playtesting… which isn't for a bit yet. But, in my initial runs… things look dandy. 😀
Posted in Black Clover, Game Theory Discussion, Steampunk, Uncategorized | Tagged Black Clover, dungeons and dragons, game, gothic, pen and paper roleplaying, pnp, roleplaying, rpg, Steampunk, vampire, white wolf |
While I'm not particularly interested in an emo steampunk setting, it sounds like you've found something that really scratches an itch for you and your group. Especially regarding the connection of personality and statistics.
There are other games that do this in varying degrees. Variations on the Fate system (Spirit of the Century, Houses of the Blooded, Diaspora), all include variations on Aspects, which are personality traits that provide statistical benefits as well as weaknesses.
Burning Wheel and its offspring are similar. Your character's lifepaths determine your age, stats, available skills, and available character traits. Pursuing your beliefs and achieving your character's personal goals gives you Artha, which you can spend to momentarily boost your rolls, or you can save it up to improve your character. Also, as your character evolves in-game, other players vote on and off different traits, which provide both roleplaying and mechanical impact.
I don't say this to show that you're late to the party – on the contrary, I really dig games like this. But you should be aware of games that cover the same realm of experience you seek. That way you can borrow or avoid similarity at your discretion.
I'll also note that I'm not sure if it's best to require players to be heroes and then punish them for acting otherwise. If your goal is to embrace roleplaying, allowing players to pursue any ethical path they like is a lot more interesting. I understand the desire to have players working together instead of against one another, but characters can have wildly different ethos while sharing a common interest or goal. Mechanize that. Make the players write goals that include each other's characters. And reward them as they pursue or achieve those goals. "Everybody is a hero" is often a bigger obstacle to what I think you're pursuing than roleplaying and raw stats being disconnected.
Playtest a lot! Keep at it!
by Paul January 14, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I really love the concept art that's surrounding Black Clover. In fact it might even be fitting for the final product, instead of just concept art! It looks gorgeous and well suited to the atmosphere of the world you've been describing.
I think that another steampunk/Victoriana setting can only be a good thing, personally. I absolutely adore high fantasy but steampunk needs some fleshing out; more diverse worlds and canons to create a bewildering variety that'll leave fans of the genre as happy as high fantasy freaks like me are with the variety that spreads before us. So kudos to you for doing your part, it sounds awesome. 🙂
This Black Clover Rifle is an interesting concept as well. Sounds like it could be your world's Frostmourne? 😉
I'd love to see some details about the cities and such that you're putting into this world- it sounds like you have a campaign setting and canon/lore in the works for Black Clover. I like the Personality Drive system and with Paul's caveat in mind (ensure that players are allowed to pursue all ethical paths) I think it's an excellent idea. I'd love to see how it all works and I look forward to more detailed explanations of it in the future.
Pen and paper RPGs are ideally suited to rewarding roleplay, which has always been the advantage of D&D and games like Neverwinter Nights where DMs and players could materially alter the game world rather than the perpetually static environs that predominate in MMOs. I like this idea of tying *stats* directly to RP, though. While we are used to roleplaying our stats (like how I often RP sage-like characters if they have high Wisdom) I sense you're taking it to the next level here. As I said I can't wait to see it fleshed out further. 😀
by Quinnae Moongazer January 18, 2010 at 7:59 pm
The Author's Space
Why the Sailor Moon RPG is pretty awesome… because you want to know.
Infinity Corporation Sneak Preview
Revitalized, updated, and ready to rock
Avarice Industries: Gameplay Reveal
Using gameplay mechanics to support/tell your story
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Why the Sailor Moon RPG is pretty awesome... because you want to know.


text:
A União Cristã e Democrata – Partido Popular Checoslovaco (), mais conhecida pelo acrónimo KDU-ČSL, é um partido político checo de ideologia democrata-cristã fundado oficialmente em , ainda durante a existência da antiga Checoslováquia. Esteve na ilegalidade durante a vigência da República Socialista da Tchecoslováquia entre 1945 e 1989, ressurgindo após a queda do regime comunista no país.

Desde a dissolução da Checoslováquia e consequente formação da Chéquia e da Eslováquia como países independentes, o partido tem desempenhado um papel político relevante ao atuar como parceiro minoritário de coalizões governistas, tendo já dado sustentação política tanto para os governos mais à direita liderados pelo Partido Democrático Cívico (ODS) quanto para os governos mais à esquerda liderados pelo Partido Social-Democrata Tcheco (ČSSD).

Resultados eleitorais

Eleições legislativas

Eleições europeias

KDU-ČSL
KDU-ČSL
KDU-ČSL


text:
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Ink;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.IO.IsolatedStorage;
using System.IO;

namespace RemoteMediaControl
{
	public static class DataManager
	{
		static string deviceName, ip;

		public static string DeviceName
		{
			get { return deviceName; }
			set { deviceName = value; }
		}

		public static string IP
		{
			get { return ip; }
			set { ip = value; }
		}

		public static bool LoadDatas ()
		{
			try
			{
				using ( IsolatedStorageFileStream fs = new IsolatedStorageFileStream ( "remoteMediaControlConfigures.cfg",
					FileMode.Open, IsolatedStorageFile.GetUserStoreForApplication () ) )
				{
					BinaryReader br = new BinaryReader ( fs );
					deviceName = br.ReadString ();
					ip = br.ReadString ();
				}
			}
			catch { return false; }
			return true;
		}

		public static bool SaveDatas ()
		{
			try
			{
				using ( IsolatedStorageFileStream fs = new IsolatedStorageFileStream ( "remoteMediaControlConfigures.cfg",
					FileMode.Create, IsolatedStorageFile.GetUserStoreForApplication () ) )
				{
					BinaryWriter bw = new BinaryWriter ( fs );
					bw.Write ( deviceName );
					bw.Write ( ip );
				}
			}
			catch { return false; }
			return true;
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Wyndham City Council engaged Datalink to build a microsite for Werribee South Caravan Park as their first step into the world of web, however it is more than just a microsite, its a huge step into the world of user experience.
Datalink employed a user-centred design approach for the site which had its origins as far back as 2009 analysing the requirements for the site and planning as optimised a design interface as possible. Screen flows were layed out and thoroughly tested before the construction of the site. Customer experience principles were utilised with the aim of integrating as many customer service functions into the website and fulfil customer needs. Additionally, the site needed to meet the council's strict guidelines for web accessibility.
As a result of the ambitious brief, the site uses a number of Web 2.0 technologies which provide for a smooth user experience combined with graphics from Datalink's most experienced designer ensured an attractive site.
A visitor can type in their home address anywhere in Australia and get specific step by step directions via Google maps. By extensively employing the Google Maps API throughout the site, it makes it easy for anyone to find.
Virtual tours of each area and facilities, booking form, guest book, events calendar, blog and mailing list ensure further enhance the engagement model.
Ajax is used to minimise page refresh and keep loading times down. The site abounds in attention to detail with templates, stylesheets and typography achieving a smooth look.
Content including image galleries is shared with the council website's central image respository for featuring local visitor attractions.