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X-Dazedly Ray – Worst Game Ever
Posted by grunthosbird in Games, Moaning
Extra Deadly Ray, Stained Underpants, Unprecedented Filth, Worst Ever, X-Dazedly Ray, XDR
X-Dazedly Ray (XDR) is the worst game ever made for SEGA's lovely Megadrive. Most agree that it is the very worst shoot'em up of all time. I like shoot'em ups, I do not like this. On normal mode, the game is virtually impossible. On easy mode the game is frustrating, awful to look at, painful for the ears, and basically stupid.
The sound effects (almost thankfully) cut out channels of the main "tune", the explosion sounds of enemies are all the same, the sound of your bullets is dull or shrill (weapon dependant), colours are harsh and can obscure bullets and enemies, the collision is harsh to your ship and loose for your bullets.
The game's best bit; it even chooses "no" for you.
I hate myself for trying this game again when I could have spent the time, more productively, slamming my nuts in a door.
Never I felt such woe when collecting an extra life.
Don't even try it for curiosity.
Why am I quite so bitter?
Because, when coins were few and the Megadrive was new, I purchased this at a London computer show for £36. On returning with my friends, they started laughing at the game and me. 22½ years later they haven't stopped. One of them is Sunteam Paul. It OK though, when the laughing makes him short of breath we can briefly talk.
Laura Robson – Hot Streak
Posted by grunthosbird in Tennis
Kim Clijsters, Laura robson, tennis, US Open, Wimbledon
A little over four years ago I watched Laura Robson's final three victories that she needed before lifting the Wimbledon Junior title. She was fourteen; she was the youngest in the draw. She impressed all with a big game – a strong leftie serve, and a powerful forehand that she'd often run around – much like a certain Steffi Graf. I could never hit my own backhand with any venom, and this trait was one I liked about Steffi, factor in that I'm left-handed and English – I liked Laura immediately.
There was quite a lot of hype around her; people talking big, people saying we should be patient, people saying she'd fail like all other Brits. I was full-on mad. I figured she had a chance of being the best British female for some time. I did acknowledge that it would take time. So I watched, and I waited. I loved it when she played Hopman Cup with Andy Murray.
Her next big (huge) moment was the Olympic Silver Medal, in mixed doubles, with Andy Murray. I hoped that their time together in the Hopman Cup would help them, as the rapport between double-players in tennis is very important. It certainly can't have hurt as they defied the odds together round after round, beating more experienced players and losing out in the final by the smallest of margins. Laura did make a few mistakes at crucial times, and appeared upset with herself – understandable as in any team game you feel you've let others down and not just yourself as in singles.
In round one of the US Open 2012, Laura Robson had the unusual task of playing someone younger than she was. She won, predictably enough, against the lower ranked player – after all "Robbo" is the youngest player in the WTA top 100. Round two she faced Kim Clijsters. Kim Clijsters who was awesome in round one thumping an impressively aggressive young American named Duval (remember her name).
Kim, you should know, has been playing well. She has beaten plenty of good players this year. However, two recent losses were what I would call unexpected: two close sets against Yanina Wickmayer, and a 6-1 6-1 thrashing by Angelique Kerber. Laura clearly has no chance, I surmised. I thought she could, and would, give Kim a scare but her game (usually) features too many unforced errors for her to beat someone as seasoned and high class as Kim. Unless Kim plays badly, I hoped. Seldom am I as happy to be wrong!
In each set, Laura had to fight back from a break down. In each set Kim's retrieval skills were jaw-dropping. In each set Laura won the majority of games that went to deuce … a statistic that Sam Smith says she considers to be vital; and she is a very astute commentator. Laura saved 3 sets points late in the second set. One of these was caused by a smash. Robbo had already won the point (against mortals) three times; Kim though, had other ideas and hit up an OK defensive lob when well out of court. Laura hopelessly miss-timed it and the ball crashed into the bottom of the net – to much hilarity on Twitter. To Laura's immense credit, she dipped her head briefly but showed no other signs of the discontent she must have felt. She won the next three points and forced the tie-break. That was a moment of maturity beyond her years; it's not only winning shots that tell you how good a player is – to be able to cope with disappointment is essential.
So Laura won the second set tie-break too, and now faces Li Na (in great form) in the 3rd round. Can she win that? Well, yes – providing she can play to that level again. One of the hardest things for young players is to be consistent at the highest level; one great scalp is not enough. I know she could win, but no-one yet knows if she will.
A crazy stat that will never change: Laura vs Kim — Head to Head.
"Laura Robson is in full control … of my breathing."
SQL – Looping and Listing
Posted by grunthosbird in Code
Curosr, For Loop, Get Columns, Get Tables, SQL, SQL Server 2008, While Loop
I have done a fair bit of programming, but not a lot of SQL. This new code, discovered today with the help of my colleague, does two very useful things:
How to list all tables and columns in a database (emphasised),
Looping through a results set for processing.
I've seen a few examples of this type of code, and there has nearly always been something wrong. The great thing here is that, assuming you're using SQL Server 2008, it will work with any and every database you have.
I am told that to "DEALLOCATE" your cursor is very important.
DECLARE @aTable nVarChar(100);
DECLARE @aColumn nVarChar(100);
DECLARE ResultList CURSOR FOR
SELECT o.name,c.name FROM sys.columns c
INNER JOIN sys.objects o ON c.object_id=o.object_id
ORDER BY o.name,c.column_id
OPEN ResultList
FETCH NEXT FROM ResultList INTO @aTable, @aColumn
WHILE (@@fetch_status <> -1)
PRINT 'Table & Column :: '+@aTable+' -> '+@aColumn
CLOSE ResultList
DEALLOCATE ResultList
I hope this helps somebody!
CSS Browser Hacks – A Different Way
Posted by grunthosbird in Code, Moaning
android, apple, browser, chrome, css, dom, firefox, hacks, htc, html, html5, ie10, ie8, ie9, javascript, linux, mac, mozilla, msie, opera, smart phone, tablet, windows
Anyone who has ever done any web-page development by themselves will probably have spent some time swearing at Microsoft's Internet Explorer. If they haven't, then they developed on that browser, and then swore at the others.
Problems are spread across HTML, Javascript and CSS. The neatest, most convenient way to resolve this problem varies according to the task, time and skill of those involved; there is not one single best solution. However, due to some very irritating problems with line heights and fixed width font sizes, I discovered a new (to me) method for tacking CSS issues. That is what I will share with you now.
I wanted to create a page with live cricket scores which closely resembled old-school analogue TV "teletext" (or ceefax) used in the UK. Fear not, this blog isn't about cricket, it is about fixed-width fonts and browser issues. Now, to understand my problems, please take 5 seconds to observe my page: http://www.birdfolk.co.uk/cricalltv.php
The problem was that I wanted to fill, as completely as possible, the "TV screens" with text. Now each o/s, and each browser, can have different fixed-width fonts and the way they render them doesn't appear to be as consistent as with other fonts. The default CSS style I use has this font information:
#CONTAIN { font: bold 14px/0.85em "Courier",
"Lucida Console", "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Monaco"; }
It displays perfectly in Firefox, but is a bit too big in Chrome, IE is WAY too large, as it is on my Android phone (HTC Desire). In Javascript we can perform nice simple tests in the "navigator.appVersion" property. I used the following code to make the font a little bigger for Chrome:
if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('Chrome')>=0)
document.styleSheets[0].insertRule("#CONTAIN { line-height:0.9em; }", 0);
For M$'s Internet Explorer, I needed to add three rules, the "addRule" command is different, but that doesn't matter because we've already done a check for IE:
if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=0)
document.styleSheets[0].addRule("#CONTAIN", "font-size: 13px;");
document.styleSheets[0].addRule("#CONTAIN", "line-height:0.95em;");
document.styleSheets[0].addRule(".TopPad", "padding-top: 4px;");
I can even ensure that is works nicely on my phone:
if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('HTC Desire')>=0)
document.styleSheets[0].insertRule("#CONTAIN { font-size: 13px; }", 0);
And this was a guess in case other Android devices are be similar:
else if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('Android')>=0)
So people, please use this code if it suits your needs and feel free to leave any version feedback or compatibility issues below. Thanks for your time.
Ghouls and Ghosts VS
Posted by grunthosbird in Games
Capcom, Genesis, Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins, Megadrive, Retro, Super Grafx
Ghouls'n'Ghosts – Megadrive VS Super Grafx
We've all heard that Super Grafx verison (on a 1024Kb card) has superior graphics and that the Megadrive version (on a 640kb card) has better sound. But let us check out the graphics in more detail and see how they play. Below the Megadrive (MD) screen shot is on the left, and the Super Grafx (SG) is on the right. The TV in the middle annoyed me, so you can share my mild pain.
(If the pictures are too small, please try the old HTML version of this page!)
LEVEL 1 – The Rain
Much better background tree movement on the SG, the rain looks better in screen shots on the MD version, but it mainly flickers on and off, whereas the SG version falls more like rain does. The trees are more detailed on the SG. Oh, even the grass moves in the SG version, a lovely touch.
LEVEL 1 – Rocks and Firey Things
Shots like this really make the MD version look shamefully lazy; next to no detail on the floors and walls. Awful really … one must consider the memory size limitation on the MD cart, and that it was released very early in the life of the MD. Not an excuse; maybe an explanation.
LEVEL 1 – Spear Pigs
The pigs themselves are pretty much identical, but the inferior detail in the background of MD version sticks out like two sore thumbs.
LEVEL 1 – The Boss
The SG version boss kind of smokes into life, the MD one arrives fully assembled. The MD boss has more shades of colour, but both are big, bold, and bloody dangerous. Again there is evidence of background sparcity on the MD.
LEVEL 2 – The Windmills
Level 2 contains the same old story, I'm afraid. The MD sprites are easily the equal to those on the SG, but the wind-mills look like they've been cut out of cardboard and stuck on by a 3 year old. The smoke is nicely animated on the SG version too (missing on the MD) and the floor is nicely detailed; the blue splodge on the MD version looks like a pile of rocks. I really didn't realise just how inferior the background details were. The sound is actually very good on the SG on this level.
For me, playability was identical – fantastic on both. I'm surprised by how much better the details are on the SG, and I think that the difference in sound quality is far smaller and easier to cope with than the graphical blunders of the MD. However, none of that matters unless I can get more than 3 continues on the SG! It is a fantastic game, but totally unforgiving – even when you've played it a lot! Just be sure to have one verion, and if you're lucky enough to have a Super Grafx, you'd better get that one. Megadrive owners needn't grieve though, they'll get to see much more of the game with all of those continues!
Posted by grunthosbird in Cricket, Moaning
Brutal, Flawed, Fly-Slip, Genius, Hero, Legend, Maniac, Muppet, Skunk, Switch-Hit, Tool, Uppish
He's a difficult chap, Mr Pietersen. Let me explain where I'm coming from. When I first saw him rack up a few scores on Teletext, for Nottinghamshire, some 12 years ago, I thought I'd better check him out. I logged on the Cricinfo (yes, it was alive all those years ago) and I viewed his profile. Aw! Shame, he's a South African – that side appears to have another young star in the making.
Months pass and I enviously see him pile on the runs with a first class average of over 50. Scoring rates and match reports make him one of my favourite overseas players. Then, if memory serves, Kevin reported of his childhood ambition to play for England. This puzzled me, but I took it as red, as I'd known a South African who'd long wanted to move to England, and I assumed it may not be that rare … after all, there are well-documented troubled spots in that country. That's not for discussion here, but it explains how I was able to believe him.
Next came the wait. The wait until he was qualified to play for England. He'd be about 24 by then. I watched on as, eventually, he and Ian Bell featured in a notable number of sizeable partnerships for England A – soon for England "proper" I thought.
2005. Bangladesh were touring England, followed by Australia. Obviously England would try a couple of new players against The Tigers, providing form wasn't a problem for the regulars. England sort of did; Bell played, but not KP. Bell averaged about 2000 and Graeme Thorpe something similar. England won. Then came the Oz.
For some reason the final XI came down to a choice between Graeme Thorpe, in form though near the end of his extremely good international career, or the young, brash, and untried, Kevin Pietersen. You know by now who the selectors chose.
In the first test, a low scoring affair, Harmison gave Punter a scar and picked up 5-43, and Australia were 190ao. Australia's most frequent kill-joy wasn't bothered though. McGrath took 5 early wickets, and left England 21-5. Kevin was in no mood to spoil his début however, and smoked 2 sixes on the way to 57, and England's top score of the innings.
Australia batted properly in their 2nd innings, scored 384, and set England a laughable total of 420 to win. McGrath, still steaming for some reason, took 4-29, but KP was cross too. He thwacked another 2 sixes on his way to 64 not out from 79 balls. Not a bad début, against an attack featuring two bowlers from the top 5 that the entire history of cricket has offered us – Glenn McGrath, and Shane Warne.
By the 5th game, Marcus "Marvellous" Trescothick had scored the most runs for England leaving KP second, and he wasn't happy; he thrashed his way to 158 at the Oval to seal the draw for that test, and the Ashes for England. Impressive.
In his first ODI series in South Africa, he hit three hundreds, bringing up one with a six off the last ball of the innings from ~70 balls; to this day England's quickest ODI ton. As you can imagine, I was a big, big fan and talked about him a lot. I loved his "uncoached" style and attacking approach. I was very glad he wasn't a "real" South African.
Various highs and lows followed these overly dramatic events, as one would expect from any gifted and exciting cricketer. Then came Peter Moores. Immediately I didn't like him. No real reason, that kind of thing can just happen. Frequently though, Moores did annoy me at press conferences, speaking like a politician; words came pouring out, but he said nothing. Anyhow, I was delighted when Big Kev took a stand against him which ultimately let to the removal of Moores and the promotion of Andy Flower. Mind you, having said what I have about Moores, he did have the judgement of character to employ Flower as his right-hand man. Kudos for that, at least!
Then there was the captaincy, which I thought was a great idea. It will force him to be more responsible. Be the making of him, it will. Turn him into a real great. I was sure he had a good cricket brain (I'd occasionally hear about how shots, like the switch-hit, were carefully considered and how it is hard, hard practice that makes it all look so effortless).
Well, I was wrong about the captaincy effect! Form that point on, things haven't been smooth sailing for him. He's loved the IPL and clearly wants to play more of it, but is accused of being greedy and selfish etc. How many people accused Flintoff of being selfish and greedy when he nipped off to Dubai in order to pay less tax? I hope you did.
I don't think KP has ever failed to try his best. Sure he has often got out while playing a dumb, or ill-conceived, shot but is that any worse than watching Ian Bell get clean-bowled while playing a "perfect" forward defensive?
KP is a joy to watch when he is batting well. Of that there is no doubt. Unle ss, perhaps, you're 22 yards away. To see him miss a game (at least this one) for reasons like these, is crazy and sad. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Has he been childish? Yes. Does he regret it? Yes. Is he alone in all this mistake-making? No. Obviously.
And also less obviously. He sent "provocative" but private messages to his close friends. These message somehow "got out". That is not KP's fault – other than perhaps an error of judgement regarding who his real friends are. Pat yourself on the back if that's a mistake you've never made.
It may strike you as odd, but KP is human. Massively so. His childlike enjoyment of hitting sixes and fours, his love for IPL, and big crowds, show us one side of his character. The side we don't see, unless we really pay attention, is that of the dedicated sports professional who practices hard, and even thinks long and hard about the game he loves. Also, there is another area of his life in which he appears to be unexpectedly mature. He has a gorgeous pop-star wife and, so far as I know, there hasn't been much talk of his personal life or of any problems within. Well played on that score too Kevin – many, many others have been much more childish in that regard.
As I write this now, the strength of my opinion is changing, I find myself more sympathetic. A twitter friend, Lexi, summed him up very nicely: "He just shoots himself in the foot. I think he just wants to be loved but has no idea how to go about it". I'm also certain he tries too hard at times, it makes me wonder who his advisers are (I hope they are not any type of professional) and why he listens to them. Everyone assumes he has them, I wonder now, is he just naive?
Now, having sent these messages, and possibly accused his team-mates of going too far with jokes, he can't feel very welcome. He didn't even play for Surrey this week – I guess he'd rather have only the ball as his enemy.
Yes, he has been something of a fool, but we've all made mistakes – and now his employers, his team-mates, and his old school friends (the South African team) all appear to be trying to exclude him. You know, it might actually be tough being Kevin Pietersen, but I'd sure love his talent and I hope we see him using it again soon.
Jarka the Hotter
gorgeous, lovely, tennis
Last night I woke up with back pain. It's a new special type of pain – think of nicely buttered scones, then stick that blunt knife in your back, just below your shoulder blade, twist. Works perfectly, assuming you desire consistently poor sleep.
I went downstairs, switched on my laptop, and logged into twitter. Shortly after I had begun reading tweets, a new one from Jarmila Gajdosova popped up:
"Ok guys in the car on my way to the hotel. since I have about 45 min I can talk to you! so ask me whatever you guys want I am here for you :)"
Now this sort of thing is not rare on twitter. Two points usually arrive in my mind:
(1) What can I ask that is a little different?
(2) It doesn't really matter, they don't reply to me.
To my shock, Jarka answered more than one of my daft questions. Consequently I have a new tennis crush. Here, in full, is the tiny conversation:
Me: Do Olympic shot-putters scare you?
JG: no 🙂
Me: What does scare you? Anything? 🙂
JG: snakes, spiders, any bugs, bad plane trips and scary movies!!…
Me: Wow, glad cars are OK!
Me: Why can't lady pole-vaulters go as high as the men? I really have no idea.
JG: no idea sorry
Me: Did you ever play Pokémon?
JG: no I didn't I just never got along with pikachu or how you spell it!!
Me: hehe, no worries and spelling is perfect.
Me: Thanks for your time, I'd better go to bed now, it's after 2am. Only up because of back-pain, but you've helped 😉 Take care!
Me: Can't tear myself away … who's your favourite Aussie? (Not family!)
JG: as athlete or?
Me: anyone at all!
JG: all my fellow Aussie Olympians! they are all awesome and I been honoured to meet them !! hope to see them all again soon
Me: great answer!
Me: (one of my top Aussies has to be Lleyton Hewitt .. didn't like him at first (I'm a pom) but his tenacity wore me down!)
So why is Jarka nice? Is she riding a wave of success? Sadly not, she has struggled a bit this year. Has she lost heart? No! A public tweet from her:
JG: Should I get it or shouldn't I get it?! 🙂 is it true or isn't it?! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/tZYqtz4P
(Yes! It is true!)
So, tennis fans, please support this lovely girl, the WTA benefits hugely from great characters like Jarka!
Totally Recoiled
Posted by grunthosbird in Moaning, Movies
Arnie, Colin Farell, Douglas Quaid, Eroticon 6, Kate Beckensale, Mars, Rekall, Sharon Stone, Total Recall
When I was 17 Total Recall (starring Arnie) was the first "18" movie I saw at the cinema. I was already a sci-fi junkie and I blown away. I saw it three times inside a week. It started my crush on Sharon Stone .. way before everyone else did with that nasty Basic Instinct.
Now I have a crush on Kate Beckensale, but I was still furious when I heard that they were remaking one of my favourite movies. Movie remakes are OK, providing there's a reason.
With King Kong there was a great reason … now they could make one that actually looked good. And, within reason, it was great. Nice job.
What reason is there for remaking Total Recall? Er … not any good ones … greed, lack of original ideas (or inability to read other stories), erm .. OK, not even many of those.
The first movie even has a great sound track, I have no clue about the remake. Obviously I'll hate it. And the movie itself, from what I've heard. There are some movies that should be left alone, and this is one of them. A sequel, I could have understood, but not this. I only hope I'm strong enough never to watch it – I've still not seen Highlander 2 so there is hope.
I had not yet read the Philip K Dick book "We can Remember it for you Wholesale" but I had read some of his other works: Bladerunner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep), and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich.
Shut the up … Rankings Do Not Lie
New ODI rankings were updated to today, and tiny fractions of numbers meant that England emerged on top. My twitter time-line exploded with a wild mixture of hate, resentment, jealousy, disbelief, disdain, and most other types of negativity one could imagine.
Even England fans aren't happy. Rankings are rubbish, they don't show who is truly the best side, England lost to India, blah, blah, blah. OK, for starters, rankings were never meant to show who is the "best" side. That is utterly subjective and takes into account things like flair, character, nationality, and attractive stroke play.
Rankings say one thing only: which team has been the most successful over a period of time. Success is calculated, coldly, by a mathematical procedure that awards more points for away wins than home wins, and against "tougher" opposition. I hope to check the recent maths when next I am mentally agile enough.
In conclusion: over the last two years, England have gained more "ranking points" than the other teams. Nothing more, nothing less. Fact. Stick that up your nose and blow.
ICC Test Rankings:
Murray's Gold is Pointless
What does the Olympics win mean for Murray?
I have this feeling that people, who are not obsessive tennis fans, do not fully appreciate the huge significance of Andy Murray's gold medal win.
Federer is widely regarded as the best tennis player ever.
Federer is widely regarded as the best grass-court player ever.
Federer has won 17 Grand Slams – more than anyone else, ever.
Federer has beaten Murray in 9 out of 10 Grand Slam final sets played (over 3 five set matches).
Murray beat Federer 3 sets to 0.
Murray beat Federer on grass, 3 sets to none.
Murray beat Federer as Wimbledon, three sets to zero.
Murray beat Federer three zip (over five sets) without losing his serve once.
This win has answered many of Murray's critics. I know it isn't a Grand Slam, but Federer was DESPERATE to win. He has won every other tournament, of significance, on the planet. He has won doubles gold at the Olympics, and back then he stated how much he'd like the singles medal. He fought like a man possessed to beat the Giant Argentine 19-17 in the 3rd set. Two years ago Juan Martin Del Potro beat Federer from 2 sets to 1 down at the US Open final. The guy is a serious player, and to prove just that, he beat a slightly demoralised Djokovic (Murray's semi-final victim) for the bronze medal.
Furthermore, Federer hasn't lost a 5 set match to Murray. Certainly not at Grand Slam level, and "double-certainly" not at Wimbledon – his second home. Federer doesn't like Murray, he is normally a very decent man, so when he chose to publicly criticise Murray (a while back) people took note. In short, Federer didn't like Murray's defensive game because it worked well against him. At one stage Murray lead their head-to-head 6-2. After that, Federer went on the attack – supremely. He reeled off several crushing wins against Andy, including one utter thrashing in a Grand Slam final. Needless to say, he would not just "hand over" this gold medal to Andy.
Murray now leads their head-to-head 9-8.
It was a proper thrashing, and as such I believe it will be a massive boost to Murray's mental state regarding "big" matches. Some people are making him favourite for the US Open. I am now one of them, but I bet it won't be without drama. Read carefully what some, very knowledgeable, people have said about him:
Henman: "For Murray to win a best-of-five sets gold medal match against the greatest player that's ever lived is just amazing"
Wilander: "It has to be a huge stepping stone in terms of confidence. We all know that, physically, Andy Murray is a specimen. He is stronger and fitter than any other player. If he takes the ball as early as he did today, he's also got more variation in his game than any other player. We all knew that, but he had to improve on the mental side. Today, he perfected a game plan and then executed it to perfection."
Croft: "I wouldn't say he's got more talent than Federer, but he definitely seems more talented than Djokovic. He can do more with his hands. And as for Nadal, he's certainly lost ground having been off the tour for so long."


Amazon Price: $15.00 $15.00 (as of February 28, 2019 9:59 am – Details). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the Amazon site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.


It's not an uncommon sight to see scuffles break out in football. But rarely do we see teammates in fisticuffs, taking swipes at each other in righteous anger.
One would probably rather watch a mano-a-mano between two opposition players a la the classic Francis Lee vs Normal Hunter free-for-all than witness two teammates duke it out in a bruise-fest. But football's a serious place and some players don't hold back the aggression even if it is their own teammates they punch in the face.
Such incidents might bring a frown to those invested in the team's fortunes, but for the rest of us ordinary folk it's just a bit of sadistic humour to help us get through our otherwise mundane lives.
Here are five classic punch-ups to get us in the mood for more.
It seems that a 5-0 thrashing of Dortmund isn't reason enough to be cheerful at Bayern. An otherwise underwhelming season has plunged further with Lewandowski and Coman coming to blows in a training ground bust-up.
Lewandowski allegedly rebuked Coman during a training exercise. Coman, not one to shy away, replied in equal measure. As the exchange escalated, the pair soon came to blows. Defenders and make-shift bouncers Nikalas Sule and Jerome Boateng had to separate the two.
This had been bubbling for a few weeks. In a League match at Craven Cottage against fellow strugglers Huddersfield, Kamara secured a late penalty only to shove regular taker Mitrovic away from the scene. The pair argued vehemently before the Serb conceded. Kamara's feeble effort was saved easily by Lossl. As Mitrovic fumed, the tension in the ground peaked.
In an awkward turn of events, Mitrovic secured a last gasp victory by finishing off a fine Fulham counter. One would wager that Kamara probably squirmed at the sight of that.
The rabble would rouse itself again a few weeks later in a bust up at the gym. Ironically during a yoga session, things came to a head as the two got involved in a right old scrap. The two were reportedly at each others throats and and a whole posse of teammates had to physically intervene to restore order.
Fresh-faced Rooney made light of Roy Keane's thunderous presence in one of the more bizarre bust-ups between teammates.
During an away game, United's then captain and their latest acquisition came to blows at their hotel. Why? According to their retellings, the Irish international was following the rugby on telly. Rooney would much rather watch X-Factor than football's estranged sibling.
As Keane went out for some grub, the forward taking advantage of his absence, changed over to the reality show and hid the remote.
Matters came to a head when Keane returned or next morning, depending on whose version you believe.
But unlike other instances the peace corps was not required.
0-3 down against Aston Villa at home with 10 minutes to go, bearing the brunt of a miserable season, St. James' Park, Newcastle was a cauldron of devious energy. With torrents of abuse flowing from the stands, sparks were starting to fly.
Bowyer, peripheral throughout the afternoon, already suspected that Dyer was intentionally not passing the ball to him. After one avoided Dyer pass too many, Bowyer accosted his teammate.
Bowyer lost his marbles. The duo grappled to the horror of the home crowd. Punches flew before players from both sides intervened. Both players were sent off but the punch-up continued into the tunnel. This time it was the club masseurs spoiling a good old row.
Newcastle's then manager, hardman Greame Souness, challenged them to settle the issue with a good ol' fight!
The most deranged episode of teammates brawling has to between the then Liverpool teammates, Bellamy and Riise. Before their Champions League tie against Barcelona at Camp Nou, the squad was cooling heels at Algarve. On one fateful, boozy night things got terribly out of hand.
At a private party in a local bar, the players were drinking copiously. The Welshman, among others, got sozzled pretty soon. As a microphone was being passed around the table, Bellamy kept goading Riise to sing. The Norwegian, clearly peeved, squared up to the Welsh forward. Bellamy cooled off but later barged into his teammate's hotel room, swinging wildly with a golf stick. According to Riise, his career could have potentially ended that night as the forward took huge swipes with his golf club. The forward eventually left the room but not without challenging Riise to a fight next morning. The matter was settled privately with the Welshman forced to apologise in addition to an £80,000 fine.
Bellamy would later provide the cross for Riise's headed winner a few days later. But the forward, who was excellent on the night, would celebrate the goal with a cheeky golf swing.


How do you use the built-in organizational features of the Daylight Backpack (https://www.tombihn.com/collections/backpacks/products/daylight-backpack)? Do you use Packing Cubes, Organizer Pouches, Freudian Slips or other accessories to organize your Daylight Backpack? And if so, which ones? Post your organizational strategies, hacks, and advice for using the Daylight Backpack here!
I'm surprised that no-one has replied to this thread as the DLBP is designed to be very flexible (literary and figuratively) and has tons of opportunities to be used in multiple setups.
My favourite organisational strategy is to use it with a S19 Freudian slip. I love the S25 slip with the extra zip pockets at the top (arrrgghhh, why can't the S19FS have these too, rant over!), but it fits the DLBP too 'fully' and you loose a little of the bags suppleness as its stretched to full length.
The S19FS gives it me two mesh punches for holding 2 water bottles upright which is the main reason but can also hold thin items such as an iPad flat in the rear bottom pockets. Wallet and phone can go in the upper pockets (love the rear two upper pockets for phones which hold them nice and secure).
I use a long keystrap in the front zipped pocket of the DLBP for house keys and that's about it.
A super supple and unobtrusive day bag with water, wallet, phone and keys all in their own spot. A great simple setup.
The Daylight Backpack is one of my standbys, though not an EDC. I've used it when I have extra items to bring home from work, on vacations, and while bicycling.
@ilkyway had a great post here (https://forums.tombihn.com/questions-about-bags/8256-daylight-backpack-questions-post77386.html#post77386) describing which smaller pouches, such as the packing cube shoulder bag, fit well inside. I used this strategy on one vacation, so that when I was asked to check my backpack at museums, the packing cube shoulder bag with all my essentials could come right out.
There is a another great post, which I can never find when I need it, explaining how the Pilot (and of course Co-Pilot) fits sideways into the Daylight Backpack. This is a great set-up for bicycling, as my work stuff can be put into backpack form without having to painstakingly transfer all the items from one bag to another. When I stow the bicycle, the Pilot can be worn as a shoulder bag, with the empty Daylight Backpack folded in the back pocket.
I have not owned a cordura version of the Daylight Backpack, but I know for sure that the Halcycon one folds up particularly well.
I'll just comment that you can also fold a Daylight Backpack and put it into a Packing Cube, although it takes up about 60% of the room.
However, she also shows how you can insert the entire Daylight Backpack into a Smart Alec, thereby using this configuration as an organizer for that Backpack, as well. (Again, I won't excerpt any more pictures from that thread -- you should go and read the parent links for the discussion and more pictures).
Just as a slightly off-topic digression, @eWalker's thread also includes his post (https://forums.tombihn.com/photos-videos-and-reviews/8070-daylight-backpack-pilot-perfect-match-post74484.html#post74484) about using Pinterest to create his personal visual index (https://www.pinterest.com/ricardosergio/about-tom-bihn-bags-etc/) scrapbook of Tom Bihn products. He has a lot of nice old pictures from the older web product pages and blogs saved on his wordpress site (https://nomadewalker.wordpress.com/) for those of you who like visual browsing.
I came on here to try and figure out if I could use the DLBP for a toddler bag. The kids need less stuff when out but a change of clothes is always a must. I am also short and bags in general become overpowering very quickly. Thanks so much for the links!
@mmollett -- Absolutely. I love it. See the link below. I'm typing this from the back seat of a minivan after carrying my Daylight Backpack around California for a week. I've been the main support for my three-year-old and had toys, water and stuff for his two friends.
That link is about a diaper bag. But you'd be fine even after diapers. The bag is great for clothes, snacks, etc. I suggest using stuff sacks or something else to organize your stuff. A double organizer pouch makes a great "wallet" where I store some cash, the farm membership card, some lollipops. A small organizer pouch in red has bandaids. They're clipped to the backpack.


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Your insurance policies are being worked on and reviewed regularly by a licensed and knowledgable insurance agents, so you and your policies get personal attention. You can reach us via phone usually under 1 minute; Our agents are highly trained and experienced; Your satisfaction is very important to us.
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Our agents look after each and every client and their policies, provide personalized attention to our clients, re-shopping your policies regularly to make sure you are fully satisfied and make sure you have the least amount of insurance related tasks. You may have completely different experience when you work directly with insurance companies. It's impossible for big insurance companies to touch and review each and every client and their policies individually. Also, loosing a client does not affect them much since they have so many clients, so they may not be able to look after you, your policies and provide you with personalized service like many independent agencies.
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text:
Q: ES6 Aurelia dependency injection confusion according to what I've read on the blogs, here is how you do DI in Aurelia and ES6, but it doesn't work.
diag.js:
export class Diag  {
  constructor(){
      this.test = `success`;
  }
}

testservice.js:
import {inject} from 'aurelia-framework';
import {Diag} from './diag';

@inject(Diag)
export class TestService{
  constructor(diag){
    console.log(diag);
  }
}

>undefined.

In the console I only get 'undefined'. However, if I do it without DI it works fine:
import {Diag} from './diag';

export class TestService{
  constructor(){
    console.log(Diag);
  }
}

So if I import it with no DI it works, but once I try to do DI like I see in the online examples it tells me that the class is undefined. I'm very confused. Any help?

A: make sure you are using dependency injection to get an instance of TestService.
import {inject} from 'aurelia-framework';
import {TestService} from './test-service';

@inject(TestService)
export class App {
  constructor(service) {
    ...
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: get the name of the object calling one of its methods is it possible to get the name of the object which calls one of its methods.
scenario:
I have class A. I instantiate 2 objects of that class. If one object calls a method, is it possible to retrieve the name of the object which called it?
EDIT:
class Property() {
   public function __call($name, $atts) {
      if ($name === 'foo') {
         //I want to differ Between Color and Position
      }
   }
}

$Color = new Property();
$Position = new Property();

$Color->foo();
$Position->foo();

A: Add a name element to your object:
class ObJA {
    $this->name;
    function __construct($name){
         $this->name = $name;
    }

    function getName(){ return $this->name;  }
}

On object create:
$a = new ObJA('a');
$b = new ObJA('is b');

echo $a->getName(); //`a`
echo $b->getName(); //`is b`

A: You can always use get_class(), but the name is not going to change simply by creating two or more instances of the object. Neal's solution will work but it doesn't actually change the name of the class, and begs the question: Why do you need it?


Awesome food for the piper's mind.
Do you ever stop and think about what inspires you as a player and musician? I don't know many active pipers and drummers who are not inspired in some way after watching high-level performances. The desire to expose ourselves more to that which inspires us would then mean more concerts, more attendance at premier events, and more involvement. But is this the case?


Corporate Governance | WEX, Inc.
Melissa began with WEX in 1997 as a financial advisor for the global corporate payments company. She worked her way through numerous roles, including CFO and president of the Americas, and now holds its most senior position. Melissa led the company's IPO in 2005 and has continued to spearhead WEX's dramatic growth, both organically and through acquisitions.
Born and raised in Maine, Melissa was recognized as Mainebiz's 2012 Woman to Watch and won the tribute to Women in Industry Award from the Maine Women's Fund in 2015. She was also named PYMNTS.com's Most Innovative Woman in Payments in 2014 and PaymentsSource's Most Influential Woman in Payments in 2014.
She participates in extensive non-profit work, including co-founding the Executive Women's Forum as well as sponsoring and participating in Tri for a Cure. In 2010, Melissa co-founded sheJAMS, an all-women training club that allows women to train together in a non-competitive spirit. Additionally, Melissa serves on the Maine Health Board of Directors, Dead River Company Board of Directors and is a former board member of the Center for Grieving Children.
Melissa earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Maine.
For 15 years, Roberto Simon has held global, financial leadership roles managing organic and M&A business growth across the Americas, Europe and Africa.
As CFO of WEX, Roberto is leveraging his financial expertise to advance the globalization and diversification of the business. He is responsible for controllership, tax, treasury, financial analysis, investor relations, internal audit, and financial operations.
Prior to joining WEX, Roberto was EVP and Chief Financial Officer for Revlon, Inc. with global oversight of its finance and IT operations. Previously, for more than a decade he served at The Colomer Group, where he took on roles of increasing responsibility. In 2011 he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and led the business's eventual sale to Revlon in 2014. He began his career with the Michael Page International Group.
Roberto holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Barcelona in Spain and a master's degree in business administration from ESADE Business School in Barcelona. He speaks English, Spanish, Italian, and French.
David Cooper joined WEX in 2016, bringing 30 years of experience delivering award-winning software products across a broad spectrum of uses including turnkey systems, enterprise software, software as a service (SAAS), web and mobile products. Cooper has extensive experience working with large banks and their delivery, security, audit and compliance requirements. He has built and maintained mission-critical infrastructures that are used by almost all the largest banks in the country and thousands of smaller ones.
In his role as CTO, Cooper will focus on business-growth strategies, including M&A and global expansion, and will be responsible for platform integration, evolving the platform and globalization. He will work closely with the CEO and other members of the senior management team.
Prior to joining WEX, Cooper held several senior technology positions, including head of global operations at GlobeOne, SVP of technology at Green Dot, and CTO and SVP of product development at both Fiserv and CashEdge.
Cooper has won numerous awards and has secured a patent for streaming geometry in a virtual environment and has several patents pending around payments.
Cooper earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Microprocessor Systems from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Jay joined WEX in 2016, bringing to the company more than 15 years of experience driving strategic growth, marketing and operational performance improvement.
As president of corporate payments, Jay is responsible for WEX's virtual card and other payments solutions. He previously served as WEX's VP of strategy.
Prior to joining WEX in January 2016, Jay was a principal at McKinsey & Company, where he helped private and public organizations set their strategic direction, including technology deployment and process redesign to support long-term growth. Previously, at American Express, Jay was responsible for elements of the merchant marketing organization and corporate strategic planning.
Jay holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He also has a master's degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University's Fletcher School. He is active with FocusMaine, Junior Achievement of Maine and the United Way.
Ken Janosick joined WEX in 2009 and has leveraged his 25-plus years of experience in marketing strategy, new product development and management to grow various segments of WEX's fleet business and support the company's strategic expansion efforts.
As Chief Risk and Operations Officer for WEX Inc., Ken oversees the WEX Bank, fraud, credit risk, collections and other areas of potential enterprise-wide risk that could have significant impact to the company. He also serves on the board of WEX Bank. From an operations perspective, Ken is leading WEX's efforts to deliver a best-in-class, customer-first experience, with responsibility for the customer contact centers within WEX's North America Fleet and OTR businesses.
Prior to joining WEX, Ken spent 17 years at J.P. Morgan Chase, and has broad experience in consumer, commercial, and small business financial solutions across payments, savings, treasury, credit and debit products. He earned a bachelor's degree from The State University of New York at Stony Brook as well as a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University. Ken is a member of the Association of Financial Professionals and serves on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Maine.
Nicola Morris has built a 20-year career helping companies identify and develop new business opportunities. She has broad experience in global business strategy and development, and has spent much of her career overseeing product management and marketing for technology-focused companies in the mobile, cloud computing, security, and telecommunications sectors.
At WEX, Nicola leads the corporate development team and is responsible for corporate strategy, M&A, corporate marketing, and new business ventures, including our businesses in Latin America and Australia. Prior to joining WEX, Nicola held several positions of increasing responsibility at Verizon Communications and predecessor companies. She was most recently vice president, global corporate strategy, where she targeted new business opportunities, identified M&A targets and created senior executive communications related to Verizon's growth strategy. Nicola has also previously worked at Digex, Iridium and the US government.
Nicola is active in the community and currently serves as a Trustee on the Portland Symphony Orchestra Board and as a Director on the Center for Grieving Children's Board. She received bachelor's degrees in economics and Chinese language from Wellesley College and a master's in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Scott oversees WEX's fleet businesses in North America and Europe. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of EFS, a corporate payments company, which he joined in 2011 and WEX acquired in 2016.Scott transformed EFS through M&A, new product innovation and massive organic growth dramatically increasing the company's earnings leading to its successful sale to WEX.
Scott brings more than two decades of senior executive experience in the corporate payments industry to this role and a strong record of growing businesses, introducing strategic and innovative new products, enterinew markets and creating measureable value for customers.
Prior to WEX and EFS, Scott spent 18 years at Comdata Corporation, where he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Corporate Payments and Transflo, where he focused on business development.
Scott has a bachelor's degree from Providence College.
Hilary Rapkin has played a key role in many of WEX's significant milestones over the past two decades through her expert legal oversight. She served as the first general counsel for WEX, helped to create WEX Bank and led the legal team in launching the company's initial public offering. Hilary is responsible for overseeing WEX's global legal, regulatory compliance, government affairs, and human resources functions.
With more than 20 years of experience, Hilary provides the company with a broad and global perspective of legal and regulatory issues. She currently manages WEX's local foreign counsel in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil as well as the in-house counsel at the company's Maine headquarters.
Hilary is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Hilary is a co-chair of the Advisory Committee to the Maine Center for Graduate Professional Studies and a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Maine School of Law.
She began her career at Bennett & Associates and graduated from Bowdoin College and the University of Maine's School of Law.
Melanie joined WEX in 2018, bringing an almost 20-year track record of leading global talent acquisition, talent management, leadership development, and organizational development for large, multi-billion dollar corporations.
As CHRO of WEX, Melanie is responsible for developing and executing human resources strategy in support of the company's overall business plan and strategic direction, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, training and development, and compensation and benefits.
Prior to joining WEX, Melanie served as Medtronic's vice president of talent acquisition, talent management, and its chief learning officer and as Hewlett-Packard's vice president of executive leadership development and organizational development. She also held HR Business Partner, global development, talent acquisition and talent management roles at Walmart, Bank of America and Cigna.
Melanie earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Maine and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Connecticut.
Jeff Young joined WEX in 2014 when the Company acquired Evolution1 to expand its healthcare payments business. Since then, he has helped to lead WEX Health's efforts to simplify the business of consumer-driven healthcare, a high-growth market with complex payments needs.
With more than two decades of leadership experience in the software and financial systems industries, Jeff is responsible for WEX Health's large and growing healthcare market position, industry leading technology, and strong partner network. In this role, he brings an unparalleled level of industry experience and success in sales, marketing, customer service, product development, and partner leadership.
Prior to WEX Health, Jeff was the vice president of business applications at Microsoft Corporation in the United States. Previously, he helped to lead Great Plains Software through its successful IPO and eventual sale to Microsoft for more than $1 billion.
Jeff serves on the board of Bell State Bank & Trust in Fargo, N.D. He graduated from the University of Jamestown, where he studied business, mathematics and computer science.


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It's easy to spot if you know what to look for.
Not sympathetic as in feeling or expressing sympathy, the actual part of your nervous system know as the sympathetic.
There are two parts to the nervous system that we will reference here, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.
These two main parts of your nervous system work like a teeter totter. When one increases in activation, the other gets less active. As stress in our daily lives increases, the sympathetic nervous system responds. When you are in a state of relaxation where you can rest, and things like digestion and healing occur. This is parasympathetic nervous system in action. For some people, the sympathetic response is constantly activated. These people are perpetually always on edge.
The fight, flight, freeze response is a physiological reaction that occurs when something feels threatening, either mentally or physically. The chain of rapidly occurring reactions inside the body help to mobilize the body's resources to deal with the threat.
However, this integral system cannot differentiate between the threat of a rabid dog, the threat of a traffic jam or an angry boss. No matter how you slice it, dice it or try to ignore it acute stress is around us and unresolved or repressed stress causes dis -ease in the body and has detrimental physical repercussions.
Chest tightness? Shortness of breath? Headaches? What does your body tell you when it is getting activated? Do you know? When you are in the throws of a stressful day, stressful month or stressful LIFE are you attuned to the unique language your body speaks? If not, it's time to learn. When you're in a personal state of high alert and the sympathetic nervous system is active, there is more blood delivered to your muscles to prepare you for fight or flight, this means less oxygen is delivered to your brain. Less oxygen equals lower cognitive function which means MORE STRESS.
Ever push yourself to the point of a crash?
You are at work, putting extra hours to get work done before leaving early and finally reach your vacation destination after a week of little sleep and little food only to end up sick as a dog at the hotel.
Your physical body is alert to your discomfort long before your conscious mind catches wind that there is a problem. That means you must attune to it's cues or this cycle will continue on.
How can you tell you are getting activated into that sympathetic? Learn your body.
Your heart rate may increase.
Your vision may narrow (sometimes called 'tunnel vision').
You may notice that your muscles become tense.
You may begin to feel hot or sweat.
Your hearing may become more sensitive.
All the functions of the body necessary to detoxify , cleanse, restore and rest come to a halt since they are not necessary for survival.
Regardless or how it shows up only YOU can learn those more subtle cues that let you know that you are creeping into a state that becomes reactionary and devoid of an ability to choose differently.
Think of it like a tornado…if you get too close, you get sucked it.
Have you ever had a moment when you started saying mean or cruel things in a tone that was very angry and you couldn't stop it? Maybe you said things that you regretted and then felt guilty or ashamed afterwards? The key to evolving and breaking old habits is to become attuned to your body so that you recognize when things begin to escalate and can act according to how you WANT to respond versus falling prey to the reactionary state of a trigger.
What can you do to keep your conscious mind online and steer clear of the rabbit hole of old patterns and habits?
Literally PAUSE from what you are doing and open your awareness of yourself and everything around you. This is the most critical skill you can develop when it comes to learning the unique language your body speaks. It is the only way to allow yourself to learn what your body is trying to tell you before the overwhelming sensations of fight or flight kick in and take over.
Pausing is the first step to help you to attune yourself with what is actually going on within you and can break the habitual nature of your body's past experiences. Working on being present in where you ARE will ensure that you don't get sucked into that tornado that is the fight, flight or freeze part of your nervous system!
Prolonged states of the fight, flight freeze response can cause havoc in your body. Your body is the experiential vehicle in the moment of now and how you experience your body will always impact your life and how you experience EVERYTHING.
We are Tah and Kole Whitty, a husband and wife team who married high above Machu Picchu. With over 25 years in emergency medicine, 17 years in trauma/addiction/keynote speaking, 15 years combined fitness/personal training/group fitness and 13 years shamanic traditions, we have seen a lot and learned a lot.
Every "Body" has a unique language that holds the key to their Freedom and our job is to help you identify what your body is trying to tell you.
The physical manifestation of subconscious thought patterns and stress coupled with the repression of emotion plays a huge roll in physical health.


text:
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Elstree Studios – 2018 Off To A Great Start
2018 is off to a great start at Elstree Studios with stages fully booked, which means the site is always buzzing.
Elstree Studios business aim is to focus on long term client relations, support and empathy for all productions based at Elstree Studios and we have bookings lasting through to 2023.
Ten years ago the local authority was about to sell Elstree Studios because they could not make it work as a successful business. Many thought it was closing. In 2008, Roger Morris was appointed Managing Director of Elstree Studios. He had been a successful owner of Teddington Studios, Cast and other television and film industry businesses.
In almost the 10 years since Roger took over, Elstree Studios has gone from strength to strength providing considerable money to the local authority and local employment. Roger is also the Chairman of a new local college which he co-founded with over 350 students. The college is dedicated to vocational studies in the film, television and theatre industry. Now Elstree Studios has got back their worldwide reputation.
Elstree Studios has a thriving production village, a successful events business and a large number of the top film and television productions all being made or have been made over the last 10 years at Elstree Studios.
Roger Morris says: "As the studios are owned by the local authority, one could consider this is an extremely successful nationalised industry run by successful proven commercial management. But it is not all down to me; most importantly it is my team, a small team who make it all work."
Elstree Studios is proud to be home to a variety of productions such as, The Crown, Humans, Grantchester, The King's Speech, Paddington, The Danish Girl, Suffragette, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Strictly Come Dancing, The Chase, Pointless, The Voice, The Voice Kids, Room 101, Celebrity Juice, A League of their Own, Britain's Got Talent, Top of the Pops Christmas & NYE special, the continuing Big Brother and many more including a long contract with BBC Studioworks who have provided a fantastic and well supported television technical infrastructure in some of the Stages.
2018 will be another successful year for Elstree Studios and there are long term plans to expand.
www.elstreestudios.co.uk
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Epson Expression Premium XP-640 Review
A great choice for someone who prints occasionally but wants a versatile machine for when the need arises
Price: $150 List
Pros: Low initial cost, good text, graphics, and photos
Cons: High operating costs
Manufacturer: Epson
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata ⋅ Feb 28, 2017
Text Quality - 25% 6
Graphics and Photos - 15% 5
Printing Speed - 15% 4
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As of Summer 2019, the Epson Expression Premium XP-60 is no longer available from the manufacturer.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-60 is an inexpensive inkjet multifunction printer that can print, scan, and copy. While not a standout in any of our tests, it offered reasonable performance across the board. This combination of economy and reliability earned the Expression our Best Inkjet for a Tight Budget award. It's great for people who don't print in high volumes but need the full functionality of an all-in-one device. If you're looking for an inexpensive option for printing text in high volume, check out the Brother HL-L2350DW. It offers the text quality and efficiency of a laser printer at a low price.
Here we expound upon the Expression's performance in each one of our individual tests.
Text Quality
The Epson Expression scored a 6 out of 10 in out text quality testing. This made it about average in a metric where scores ranged from 3 to 9.
Like most inkjets, the Expression printed bold and solid characters in our text quality tests. However, when viewed under our microscope those characters also had jagged, irregular edges and some spots where excess ink had seemingly bled outside the lines. This problem was exacerbated when printing at smaller fonts (10 and below). Generally these irregularities wouldn't be completely obvious to the naked eye, and thus won't bother most people, but the text won't stand up to very close scrutiny.
The Expression produced bold text in our testing that had some irregularities around the edges.
In line with most of the other inkjets we tested, the Expression did fairly poorly in our operating cost testing. It earned a 3 out 0f 10, towards the bottom of a metric where scores ranged from 2 to 7.
The Expression's poor score in this metric is largely due to its exorbitant color printing costs. It prints color at a rate of $0.12 a page or $61.67 a ream, which was the highest figure we calculated in our testing. It did a bit better with black and white printing costs, which clocked in at $0.05 per page or $26.00 per ream. This was just above the average in our testing. It was also a bit above average in our estimated lifetime cost calculation, which came out to $635. Despite these above average costs, The Expression still earned our Best Inkjet for a Tight Budget award due to its low initial cost, which still makes it a good value for those that do not print at high volumes, but still need a versatile printing option for when the need arises.
The Expression was again an average performer in our ease of use testing, scoring a 6 out of 10 in a metric with scores ranging from 4 to 9.
The Expression has a fairly nice interface with a large screen that clearly displays menus. It would be easier to navigate through those menus if it were a touchscreen, but alas you must navigate with a set of arrow buttons instead. This isn't a huge deal, but can definitely feel a bit tedious compared to the touchscreen models. The Expression also has a USB port for printing from a flash drive, and is one of the few models we've encountered that also has an SD card slot.
The Expression has a large, clear display.
Where the Expression really lost some points was in its initial setup. It was the only printer we used that forced us to print out multiple test pages (pictured below), and then manually enter feedback based on how those test pages looked. This is a one time process, but we definitely didn't expect to have to sit down with the printer for 35 minutes to get it up and running.
The Expression earned a relatively good score of 5 out of 10, putting it above average in our graphics and photos testing.
The Expression was one of the better performers when it came to printing out photos, which were high resolution and had no visible print lines (small breaks in the image that can appear when printing large photos). However, the colors were just a tad faded when compared to other models.
The Expression produced high quality images in our testing, but colors occasionally looked a little faded.
The Expression also printed crisp bar charts and line graphs, though the color could sometimes look a bit washed out in these as well.
Likewise, the Expression printed high quality business graphics, but the colors were sometimes a bit light.
Printing Speed
The Expression was on the slower side earning a 4 out of 10 in our printing speed testing where scores ranged from 3 to 9.
The Expression is actually fairly slow when printing text. In our testing produced 8 pages per minute when printing single-sided and 4 pages per minute when printing duplex. This is a snail's paced when compared to the HP M402n, which printed 25 and 21 pages per minute, respectively. The Expression salvaged its score in this metric with its fast photo printing abilities. It spit out a full page image in just 23 seconds, which was a quarter of the time of the slowest model and just 10 seconds off the fastest.
Due to its relatively high ink costs it isn't a great value for those who print frequently. However, if you print frequently but need the flexibility of being able to print both decent photos and text then this is a great value.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-60 offer the versatility of inkjet technology in an inexpensive package. Its ink cost makes it a poor choice for those that print in high volumes, but it a great value for occasional printers whose needs include both photo heavy documents and text.
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No More Games
By parkercountyblog on June 13, 2013
From RedState.com, By: Erick Erickson, June 13th, 2013 – So many conservatives have been dancing around the issue of Senator Marco Rubio's collaboration with Chuck Schumer to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
We have blamed his staff. We have blamed Democrats. We all like and respect the Senator, even if we disagree on this issue. We do not want to blame him for the mess the GOP now finds itself in holding a legislative tiger by the tail.
But having, by virtue of my radio show, listened over and over to those awful pro-immigration reform ads between my monologues, I think we need to stop playing games.
I say this because either Marco Rubio is being played the fool or we are being played the fool by Senator Rubio. He has become the face of support for this legislation and much of the support of the legislation from those on the right has come because of the good will so many of us have for Senator Rubio.
I am in the awkward position of being to the left of the Republican base. I support immigration reform that leaves most non-felon illegal aliens in the United States and provides them a path to legal work, though not citizenship. Citizenship is a step too far – as it unjustly rewards illegal aliens who purposefully chose not to follow our immigration laws.
But, I know a number of illegal aliens and represented a good many of them when I was a lawyer. They, having been unfairly treated by others due to their status, relied on me to redress clear wrongs against them.
These were good, hardworking people who wanted to comply with the law, wanted to work, and wanted to send money home to support families in their native countries. They did not want citizenship. They wanted a paycheck. I am to the left of my readers in supporting their right to stay here and earn a paycheck. I am to the left of my readers in that I oppose mandatory E-Verify. In my mind, no employer should ever have to ask the government if it can or cannot hire a worker.
But I am to the right of the Senate Republicans and Senator Rubio. The solution they propose will do nothing to stem the tide of illegal aliens coming into this country. This law will expand bureaucracy and will, claims to the contrary notwithstanding, expand the welfare state.
What's more, Senate Republicans and Democrats are now collaborating on "improvements" to the legislation that do not actually improve the law, but rather provide cover for various Democrats and Republicans to make sure the votes are there for passage while ensuring those in tough spots can still vote against it and claim they opposed what they really, privately support.
Senator John Cornyn, chief among the Republicans now, is playing that game. He is offering up an amendment that supposedly will secure the border before setting up a pathway to citizenship. His amendment really does not do that, but provides a cover for Republicans to claim the amendment, and the law once the amendment passes, would. In truth, all Senator Cornyn has done is take the vast majority of the Gang of 8's Title 1 "Border Security" Section, make a few modest revisions and slightly beef up security on the margins. The result is to follow instant legalization with a false impression of security, while maintaining the path to citizenship. Smoke-and-mirrors.
That brings us back to Senator Rubio. Is he being played or is he playing us?
Contrary to the Americans for Conservative Reform advertisement in which he appears, the law does not prohibit illegals from getting benefits. Sure, some welfare benefits will be excluded as will, though it is debatable, Obamacare, but a sizable portion of entitlement benefits actually flow through tax credits in the tax code that these immigrants would get.
Contrary to the advertisement, the law does not secure the border in any meaningful way, in fact the "border security on steroids" as the ad claims does not begin until after the citizenship push starts, hence the pretend effort of John Cornyn now that this has been exposed.
Contrary to the advertisement, the law will grant amnesty — it is a big play for citizenship even before the pretend efforts to secure the border take place. It is the amnesty Senator Rubio opposed in 2010, though in the advertisement he says we have right now "de facto amnesty".
Senator Rubio, you, and I can agree to disagree on the legislation. He is entitled to change his mind. He does not deserve the invective hurled his way, including words like "traitor," but then neither do those who have opposed this legislation and are cast as modern day eugenicists and racists.
The soundbites used in the Americans for Conservative Reform ads occurred before the markup of the legislation. But now we have the legislation before us as it was amended in committee. We should not have the law misrepresented to us in commercials, press conferences, and floor debates by any Senators on either side of the aisle. Sadly, that is what is happening. Yes, Senator Schumer, you know damn well that this law will not stop, but will encourage continued illegal immigration into this country. But you do not care.
I am just shocked, knowing what we now know, that Senator Rubio would continue to support this legislation and that other conservative Senators would too.
This legislation is not the compromise Republicans should sign on to. Republicans in the Senate should stop playing games and vote against the legislation, vote against the Cornyn amendment, and stop giving the Democrats cover to play their own political games with the hopes, ambitions, and lives of immigrants.
This is bad legislation designed to fix a problem it does not fix. No more games; it must be opposed.
Posted in: National Issues | Tagged: immigration, Marco Rubio, Senate


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Hospital and medical expense policies were introduced during the first half of the 20th century. During the 1920s, individual hospitals began offering services to individuals on a pre-paid basis, eventually leading to the development of Blue Cross organizations in the 1930s.[19] The first employer-sponsored hospitalization plan was created by teachers in Dallas, Texas in 1929.[20] Because the plan only covered members' expenses at a single hospital, it is also the forerunner of today's health maintenance organizations (HMOs).[20][21][22]
An individual with Cerebral Palsy will likely require specialized medical services throughout his or her lifetime. The expense for a chronic disability can greatly exceed the expense for standard care an individual without the condition incurs. Cerebral Palsy results in a chronic, physical impairment, which typically involves routine doctor visits, extended hospital stays, a range of therapies, planned surgeries, drug therapy, and adaptive equipment. Depending on the level of impairment, Cerebral Palsy usually requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary health care team that may include any combination of the following: pediatrician, neurologist, radiologist, orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and vocational therapist. Some individuals also require the assistance of a registered dietician, a speech pathologist, ophthalmologist, urologist, and a cosmetic dentist, amongst others.
(US specific) Provided by an employer-sponsored self-funded ERISA plan. The company generally advertises that they have one of the big insurance companies. However, in an ERISA case, that insurance company "doesn't engage in the act of insurance", they just administer it. Therefore, ERISA plans are not subject to state laws. ERISA plans are governed by federal law under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Labor (USDOL). The specific benefits or coverage details are found in the Summary Plan Description (SPD). An appeal must go through the insurance company, then to the Employer's Plan Fiduciary. If still required, the Fiduciary's decision can be brought to the USDOL to review for ERISA compliance, and then file a lawsuit in federal court.
The Affordable Care Act dramatically expanded Medicaid. The program will now cover everyone with incomes under 133% of the federal poverty level who does not qualify for Medicare, provided this expansion of coverage has been accepted by the state where the person resides. Meanwhile, Medicaid benefits must be the same as the essential benefit in the newly created state exchanges. The federal government will fully fund the expansion of Medicaid initially, with some of the financial responsibility gradually devolving back to the states by 2020.
A number of alternatives to the public option were proposed in the Senate. Instead of creating a network of statewide public plans, Senator Olympia Snowe proposed a "trigger" in which a plan would be put into place at some point in the future in states that do not have more than a certain number of private insurance competitors. Senator Tom Carper has proposed an "opt-in" system in which state governments choose for themselves whether or not to institute a public plan. Senator Chuck Schumer has proposed an "opt-out" system in which state governments would initially be part of the network but could choose to avoid offering a public plan.[35]
According to a 2000 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, Congress passed legislation creating "two new vehicles Association Health Plans (AHPs) and HealthMarts, to facilitate the sale of health insurance coverage to employees of small firms" in response to concerns about the "large and growing number of uninsured people in the United States."[82]
Michael F. Cannon, a senior fellow of the libertarian CATO Institute, has argued that the federal government can hide inefficiencies in its administration and draw away consumers from private insurance even if the government offers an inferior product. A study by the Congressional Budget Office found that profits accounted for only about 4 or 5 percent of private health insurance premiums, and Cannon argued that the lack of a profit motive reduces incentives to eliminate wasteful administrative costs.[38]
In November 2017, President Trump directed "the Department of Labor to investigate ways that would "allow more small businesses to avoid many of the [Affordable Care Act's] costly requirements."[81] Under the ACA, small-employer and individual markets had "gained important consumer protections under the ACA and state health laws — including minimum benefit levels."[81] In a December 28, 2017 interview with the New York Times, Trump explained that, "We've created associations, millions of people are joining associations. ...That were formerly in Obamacare or didn't have insurance. Or didn't have health care. ...It could be as high as 50 percent of the people. So now you have associations, and people don't even talk about the associations. That could be half the people are going to be joining up...So now you have associations and the individual mandate. I believe that because of the individual mandate and the association".[85]
Both before and after passage in the House, significant controversy surrounded the Stupak–Pitts Amendment, added to the bill to prohibit coverage of abortions – with limited exceptions – in the public option or in any of the health insurance exchange's private plans sold to customers receiving federal subsidies. In mid-November, it was reported that 40 House Democrats would not support a final bill containing the Amendment's provisions.[36] The Amendment was abandoned after a deal was struck between Representative Bart Stupak and his voting bloc would vote for the bill as written in exchange for the signing of Executive Order 13535.
With Teladoc, you can talk with a doctor within minutes rather than days or hours. Teladoc doctors can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication (when medically necessary) for non-emergency medications. This includes treatments for the flu, sore throat, allergies, stomach aches, eye infections, bronchitis, and much more. The copay is $10 per consultation. To set up your account now so you can talk with one of Teladoc's board-certified doctors anytime when you don't feel well, call 1-800-Teladoc (1-800-835-2362) or visit Teladoc.com/emblemhealth
The private health system in Australia operates on a "community rating" basis, whereby premiums do not vary solely because of a person's previous medical history, current state of health, or (generally speaking) their age (but see Lifetime Health Cover below). Balancing this are waiting periods, in particular for pre-existing conditions (usually referred to within the industry as PEA, which stands for "pre-existing ailment"). Funds are entitled to impose a waiting period of up to 12 months on benefits for any medical condition the signs and symptoms of which existed during the six months ending on the day the person first took out insurance. They are also entitled to impose a 12-month waiting period for benefits for treatment relating to an obstetric condition, and a 2-month waiting period for all other benefits when a person first takes out private insurance. Funds have the discretion to reduce or remove such waiting periods in individual cases. They are also free not to impose them to begin with, but this would place such a fund at risk of "adverse selection", attracting a disproportionate number of members from other funds, or from the pool of intending members who might otherwise have joined other funds. It would also attract people with existing medical conditions, who might not otherwise have taken out insurance at all because of the denial of benefits for 12 months due to the PEA Rule. The benefits paid out for these conditions would create pressure on premiums for all the fund's members, causing some to drop their membership, which would lead to further rises in premiums, and a vicious cycle of higher premiums-leaving members would ensue.
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is a publicly funded healthcare system that provides coverage to everyone normally resident in the UK. It is not strictly an insurance system because (a) there are no premiums collected, (b) costs are not charged at the patient level and (c) costs are not pre-paid from a pool. However, it does achieve the main aim of insurance which is to spread financial risk arising from ill-health. The costs of running the NHS (est. £104 billion in 2007-8)[39] are met directly from general taxation. The NHS provides the majority of health care in the UK, including primary care, in-patient care, long-term health care, ophthalmology, and dentistry.
Many health insurance plans place dollar limits upon the claims the insurer will pay over the course of a plan year. Beginning September 23, 2010, PPACA phases annual dollar limits will be phased out over the next 3 years until 2014 when they will not be permitted for most plans. There is an exception to this phase out for Grandfathered Plans. Except for Grandfathered Plans, beginning September 23, 2012 annual limits can be no lower than $2 million. Except for Grandfathered Plans, beginning January 1, 2014, all annual dollar limits on coverage of essential health benefits will be prohibited.


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UK convenience sector set to spread while supermarkets shrink
Convenience store space is the only UK retail sector expected to expand, according to a combination of data from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and research by...
By Dominika Piasecka
The convenience sector is forecast to grow as Britons' shopping habits change
Convenience store space is the only UK retail sector expected to expand, according to a combination of data from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and research by the Co-op Group.
The sector is forecast to grow by 2.2%, while supermarket space is anticipated to shrink by 2% in the next three years, it was revealed during the IGD Big Debate.
Fresh produce ranges have seen an increase in sales, especially of prepared products such as chilled potato items, which grew by almost 10% in the year to May, according to research company Kantar.
Co-op Food's commercial director Michael Fletcher said: "This trend of digital enabling people to shop more conveniently, discounters meeting the needs of economically distressed customers and customers leading increasingly unstructured lives means the convenience sector is the only sector growing."
He added that the complexity of the sector requires retailers to tailor individual stores by building product ranges that reflect the needs of the community.
Other speakers at the debate insisted supermarkets can continue to drive sales despite the growth of online and convenience shopping.
"I still believe large stores have a real role to play but they have to change the relationship with the consumer," said IGD president and former Asda chief executive Andy Clarke.
"There has to be this excitement factor that takes somebody to a large store. That in itself is a loyalty factor. It's about the relationship that customer has with that brand."
Co-op Food has also scooped three major gongs at last month's IGD Awards celebrating the food and grocery industries.
It was recognised for its 'food to go' collaboration with convenience food producer Greencore and the 'Service Rocks' learning and development initiative.
Steve Murrells, Co-op Group retail chief executive, won the Grocer Cup, which had a ten-strong shortlist featuring CEOs and senior leaders of national chains including Aldi, Lidl and Tesco.
Mr Murrells said he was "honoured" to receive the cup, and added: "We are the fastest growing non-discounter in the UK and the most frequently visited store."
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