tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29657218644426459302024-03-08T03:34:33.572-08:00Design Refine Be MineAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-70982011984852302732014-07-03T22:21:00.000-07:002014-07-03T22:22:06.629-07:00Things That Are Not Allowed in Dorm Rooms <p>Dorm life gives students a bit of home on campus, but not all items you use at home should make the trek to college. The housing department at your future college sets the standards for items that are allowed and prohibited in the dorms. Most of the restrictions are based on the protection of all students living in communal housing. Reviewing the specific restrictions for your college helps you avoid breaking any rules.</p>
<h4>Fire Hazards</h4>
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<p>With so many people living in one building, colleges need to ban items that present a fire hazard. Incense, candles and any other items with open flames are not allowed in dormitories. Smoking cigarettes or cigars is another activity banned in and around dorms. Halogen lamps are generally considered a fire hazard and are not allowed on campus. Some colleges prohibit certain types of curtains because they may not meet fire safety requirements.</p>
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<h4>Restricted Appliances</h4>
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<p>Many appliances are banned in dorm rooms due the potential for overloaded circuits or fires. A small dorm refrigerator and microwave are usually allowed, but other cooking implements are prohibited. Leave appliances such as hot plates, toasters, electric skillets, toaster ovens and indoor grills at home. Window air conditioners and space heaters are also commonly found on prohibited item lists. These appliances use a lot of power and can overwork the electrical system. Check on the use of extension cords, as colleges often ban them as another way to prevent a heavy load on the circuits.</p>
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<h4>Pets</h4>
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<p>Pets are generally not allowed in college dorms. Animals make messes and often cause damage that colleges don't want to deal with. Pets also make noises that may disrupt your dorm neighbors. It's tough to leave a favorite pet behind, but college students are often too busy to take care of pets anyway. Some colleges do allow small fish tanks in the dorms. You still have pet-care responsibilities with fish, including remembering to feed the fish and cleaning the tank. Decide if you want that responsibility before setting up an aquarium in your room.</p>
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<h4>Certain Furniture</h4>
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<p>Colleges vary on the furniture allowed in the dorms. Some colleges provide all of the furniture necessary for you and don't want additional furniture in the rooms. Most dormitories lack excess space, so a full-sized couch or other large furniture may not fit even if they aren't prohibited by the college. Loft beds are also restricted by some colleges. You may need to purchase the lofting kit from the college or meet requirements on the maximum height. Homemade lofts are sometimes prohibited to reduce the risk of a falling bed.</p>
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</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-62190491547871556002014-07-03T22:19:00.000-07:002014-07-03T22:25:22.521-07:00Non-Drinkers Vs. Drinkers in College<p>Drinking alcohol and alcohol abuse is a rising problem on college campuses. Binge drinking is detrimental to academic performance, as well as health and personal relationships. In an effort to curb this problem, many college campuses have instituted alcohol treatment programs. Students also commonly have access to psychological counseling on campus. However, statistics show that the students who consume the most alcohol may be the least likely to seek treatment.</p>
<h4>Drinking on College Campuses</h4>
<p><a href="http://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2011/04/21/728d5d83-8ba1-11e2-9400-029118418759/thumbnail/620x350/927a5e3ba8df7259f5cc04f23fcbb68f/woman_drinker.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhDgvIsnJ-WEjuJS8S7OMIXeeZXnG3NKHdpKwdV4AhFgWuK-FOPKo5pa3ATW8xYgm_KlyIwWNPVEhdI4R4ayEmxxj3x4E03OHwGRfAEb_7v6_9zAmM82obqgoyND7X_EiHKOErOsknH_NrZ4fTqy7Xpg4nfAPKXvmg41tCI_coSt_4UzfJUojuxSO64w2P94gpFZ1U5YY-M9rmYwEuoE2_wEYIq_tP-X9tlY75ibr8fFGVGZVvrxevG1j8YORD7BTrvIEmZX1kVlO6IoliqAi-p0m34mwDQUumHyopgsg=" /></a></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><img alt="Alcohol is part of the social scene." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiqctTQjstqY1CxsZVh1FiV9REnLR29hWsO73PmK3pplWg_SkPmyaSlU0fuFf7wxPpJHmgu_riT0tIteB-fDfmJlSUPORUP3RouNvnWipC5dQZpPLg2BVWYQezcH95GHpkHtRKLyHPnmpJQ4jr-_dP5NP8M_bEZlCfKGuI3f8Z9cx_Xmh1zU3cms0dZYNxs_nc5mhRZjNkjjZDG7Qd7P2PpW-c43D4F9IITF-66bYFXkNo=" width="98" height="73" /></a></p>
<p>Some statistics suggest that the number of non-drinkers on campuses nationally is increasing. Some college campuses provide activities that do not involve alcohol, but not all students take advantage of these. In fact, in 2005, 44 percent of students attending four-year college drank at the binge level.</p>
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</ul>
<h4>Consequences of Binge Drinking</h4>
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<p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><img alt="Underage drinking is common on college campuses." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi790IzRmsui8JKfwTdc0z4Pnqy9wqNZ3rX6baNP2DM_GIE6ZjEUSne1FKRdnWSEzzNRa2lJoB-QlkBsDv9309sHdU9iKZVxz3_IJd9x8VYjrvxtn07yugFEb96dR25T6oKvdLaWVk-RzdDjUujouIzACjP-kOk01pa0oa4iL09CdJdtCOn9XDvU0xoupCIYXakG3mpOK-0FE-v1nOohE3UHTXgbhoKL0ptUP6ci4x3EtY=" width="98" height="73" /></a></p>
<p>The health consequences of binge drinking are obvious. Besides the risk of being injured or injuring others while driving under the influence of alcohol, it is estimated that 30,000 students annually seek medical attention after overdosing on alcohol. Alcohol abuse is highly correlated with unsafe sexual practices, such as having unprotected sex, or engaging in non-consensual sex.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Community Influences on College Drinking</h4>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Some colleges and universities ban alcohol on campus. Even so, alcohol is often easily accessible at low prices at nearby nightclubs and bars.Statistics show that binge-drinking among college students correlates positively with binge-drinking among adults in the community. Also, states with stricter alcohol control policies have lower incidences of binge-drinking among college students.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Solutions to the Problem</h4>
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<p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><img alt="Alcohol abuse in college can lead to alcohol abuse as an adult." src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgXhab0yGcf974Ahz4U25UIdLFyMO9P6-aUXOhpOHCn05hco3ecay3jt1aSJLH1b5wGNvnD_MVEnQw-ycBwcDN6XOuMMlaz2P-voD9fhL-2CO2zIZENg8-r0VKN9WfIFM1IBepWDiTkTYZAkKnsxma_V2BGqE_hgkYCZcV4eGlW10sQgibZvFEznSFVucP1nsZaKi9_eOgEuP8hFSDfdie1tmnTnvPM_5iL3jhuUqfQ8Po=" width="98" height="73" /></a></p>
<p>The most widely proposed solutions to the problem of binge-drinking on college campuses include strengthening the penalties for alcohol and campus, and providing activities that do not include alcohol. Some people suggest that 'destigmatizing alcohol' is an important first step. These people maintain that it is vital to stress to young adults that alcohol is not the problem, but the abuse of alcohol that leads to detrimental consequences.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cool-kids-rooms.com/images/dorm-rooms-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cool-kids-rooms.com/images/dorm-rooms-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Bedding</b>
The most fundamental way to decorate your half of your dorm room is with your bedding. Make sure you purchase bedding in the correct size: most dorm room beds are twin size. If your college dorm rooms have extra long beds, make sure you purchase extra long sheets. Look for reversible comforters to allow you to change the look of your bed every few weeks so you don't get bored with the same pattern or color. Throw pillows make the bed comfortable daytime use as a couch, and throws and blankets add an extra splash of color or pattern to your bed.
<b>Painting</b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://talknerdy2me.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Pink-Roxy-Dorm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://talknerdy2me.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Pink-Roxy-Dorm.jpg" /></a></div>
Some colleges allow students to paint their dorm rooms while others forbid it. Find out if painting is an option before going ahead. Paint the walls in a solid color for a more classic feel. If you're creative, try painting a mural on the wall next to your bed. For a funky look, purchase cans of spray paint and decorate the walls with graffiti.
<b>Posters</b>
Posters are a great way of expressing yourself, especially if your college does not allow wall painting. Check to find out your college's policies on hanging posters and painting, because some might not allow nails or tape on the walls. Choose posters of your favorite movies or bands, or pick out prints of your favorite paintings. Frames add extra style to posters, or you could just tack them to the wall as is.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://homesickdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Dottie-Twin-Bed-Dorm-Room-Design-Idea-for-Decorating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://homesickdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Dottie-Twin-Bed-Dorm-Room-Design-Idea-for-Decorating.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Work Desk</b>
Your dorm room might also double as your study space. If your dorm room has a work desk or area, find some fun, small decorations to brighten up its appearance. A single stem plastic flower in a small vase next to your computer screen gives you something attractive to look at when you need a short break. Your mouse pad is a good way of expressing yourself---look for one featuring your favorite band or a pattern that you like. Organizational devices such as paper trays and pen holders can double as decorations. Look for them in similar colors to your bedding, or find a clashing pattern if you prefer.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-31360885401098550322014-03-29T04:00:00.001-07:002014-07-03T22:26:35.006-07:00Gap Outlet: $25 off $75 purchase, printable or mobile coupon<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK3VUXS12qPCQYdz9WTm_-WUyZ31nBNrAPGjfeI81FvfQowNVx5favlvmpfOe8-ZCcSpvhuxINjyrDP27DHOT6jejYn0dbVAhuVEoawWS4H89O5cIq7mOGKdQU0lUX-xRHV-ozq2lNUQ1/s1600/gap1_MKMetz_03-13-2012.jpg"></p> <p><a href="http://view.email.gap.com/?j=fec411727267007b&m=fe9713707564037c7c&ls=fe8a10717c6707757c&l=ff66107575&s=fe901071716d077870&jb=ff3415717161&ju=fe61167476630579741c&r=0">Go here to get a</a> new coupon from Gap Factory Outlet good for $25 off $75 purchase for four days only.</p> <p>$25 off $75: Offer valid from 3/27/14 through 3/30/14 at Gap Outlet, Gap Outlet Kids & Baby, or Gap Factory Store in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) only. Not valid in Gap stores, online, or in our clearance center. Discount is allocated across items. GiftCards, packaging, taxes and prior purchases do not qualify toward the minimum purchase requirement and coupon cannot be applied to such items. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Limit one coupon per customer per transaction. Copies not accepted. Not responsible for lost or stolen coupons. Cannot be combined with other offers or coupons, including Gap Inc. employee discount. Cashiers use coupon code: SAVE25 </p>
<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Review</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-39560571802234570992014-03-27T15:00:00.001-07:002014-07-03T22:31:25.021-07:00Razer's Student Discount Shaves 20 Percent Off 2013 Blade Gaming Laptops <h3> <img src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/razer_blade_school.jpg">A sweet deal for students</h3> <p>Razer gave thin and light gaming a major kick in the pants when it introduced its Blade laptop last year. It earned a 9 verdict (and our respect) in <a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/razer_blade_review_2013">our review</a> of the $2,000 model, which offered up impressive gaming performance in a package measuring just 13.6 inches by 9.3 inches by 0.66 inches (that's 0.05 inches thinner than a dime when you stand it up) and weighing 4.1 pounds. This year's refresh upgrades the 14-inch QHD+ territory (3200x1800), so what do you do with 'old' models? Apparently you try offloading them on students for a 20 percent <a title="discount" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promotional Code</a>.</p> <p>For a limited time, K-12 and higher education students can receive a discount code good for 20 percent off the purchase of one <a href="http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blade-2013">Razer Blade 2013</a> laptop. The code doesn't apply to the Pro model, nor does it work with the 2014 model Razer Blades.</p> <p>Last year's Razer Blade laptops start at $1,800 and include a 14-inch display with a 1600x900 resolution, Intel Core i7 4702HQ processor, 8GB of DDR3L-1600 memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M graphics, 128GB hard drive, 1.3MP webcam, built-in stereo speakers, backlit anti-ghosting keyboard, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output, Killer Wireless-N 1202 (802.11n + Bluetooth 4.0), 70Wh battery, and Windows 8.1 64-bit.</p> <p>There's also a $2,000 model with a 256GB SSD and a $2,300 SKU with a 512GB SSD. The 20 percent discount should work with any of the three configurations.</p> <p>If you're interested, you can register for your discount code on <a href="http://www.razerzone.com/students-rejoice">Razer's website</a>.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-7428342016385841742014-03-25T10:00:00.001-07:002014-07-03T22:32:35.514-07:00New developments in case of injured League of Legends playerCheon "Promise" Min-ki, a Korean League of Legends player who attempted suicide by leaping out of a 12th story window, was moved to a general ward yesterday after a remarkable recovery. This is according to a report from the Twitter user @insideKLoL, who was one of the very first people to report the incident:<br />
According to his friend ReSEt, Promise moved to a general ward as his condition had improved considerably.<br />
- insideKLoL (@insideKLoL) <a href="https://twitter.com/insideKLoL/statuses/445657367674232832">March 17, 2014</a><br />
Min-ki was admitted to the hospital on March 12 with multiple fractures and internal bleeding after he landed in a recycling bin. He remained in critical condition until recently. A charity event was started by Inven, a Korean e-sports association. The League of Legends community raised over $20,000 for Min-ki's medical bills in its first day (check out our coverage of that <a href="http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/03/over-20000-raised-on-the-first-day-of-fundraiser-to-aid-seriously-injured-league-of-legends-pro/">here</a>).<br />
Min-ki left a suicide note that outlined an elaborate scam orchestrated by his team's manager, Noh Dae Chul. Chul allegedly bet against his team and forced Min-ki and his teammates to intentionally lose professional League of Legends matches. Min-ki also alleges that Chul stole prize money, sold off the team's computers and evicted them ( <a href="http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/03/report-korean-league-of-legends-pro-in-critical-condition-after-a-suicide-attempt-due-to-sponsorship-scam/">here</a> is our detailed report of the initial incident).<br />
This prompted an investigation by KeSPA, Korea's state-run e-sports association. KeSPA released its findings yesterday. The original report can be found <a href="http://www.inven.co.kr/webzine/news/?news=106241&site=lol">here</a> and a full translation can be found on <a href="http://onlinecards.org/" reddit="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank">reddit league of legends</a>.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/20m5c0/kespa_has_released_the_ahq_incidents/">Reddit<br />
.<a href="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/757/417/0ad81201b5a395b585055682fa4a6c41_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/757/417/0ad81201b5a395b585055682fa4a6c41_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" /></a>
The report backs up most of Min-ki's allegations. KeSPA interviewed Casper, Hoon, Trace, and Actscene (Min-ki's teammates' League of Legends code names), and they vouched for Min-ki.<br />
The report translation notes that Chul told his players "OGN (OnGameNet, Korea's e-sports television network) has a tradition of receiving money from big company teams that join the league as an "Advertisement fee. However, because our company is from Taiwan, the company couldn't understand and refused to pay. When I told OGN that AHQ (the team's Taiwanese sponsor) does not want to pay, OGN said if you cannot pay the fee, you must lose the game against the big company teams."<br />
<a href="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/757/417/0ad81201b5a395b585055682fa4a6c41_crop_north.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/757/417/0ad81201b5a395b585055682fa4a6c41_crop_north.jpg" /></a><br />
Various details of the thrown games are shared in the statement.<br />
The only two parts of Min-ki's account that KeSPA deemed inaccurate were as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>Min-ki stated that his team had given up first blood (the first kill for either side in a League of Legends match) in each thrown game. Review of the OnGameNet footage showed that this wasn't true.</li>
<li>Min-ki indicated that Actscene was also participating in the throwing of games, but KeSPA found that, while Actscene had agreed to the fix before the matches, he didn't actually go through with it in the games.</li>
</ul>
A spokesman for KeSPA said that the organization has filed a lawsuit against Chul, and the findings of this report will be used as evidence in the case against him. No criminal charges have been filed at this point, but the lawsuit could have a serious impact on whether or not criminal charges are filed at a later date. Chul has not been found yet.<br />
The spokesman also mentioned that KeSPA will be monitoring its teams more closely to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again.<br />
To donate to the fundraiser for Min-ki, go <a href="http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/fundraiser-for-promise/149909">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-39718569146700803052014-03-17T12:45:00.001-07:002014-07-03T22:34:13.274-07:00GDC 2014: 'Sneaky Sneaky', a Stealth-based, Puzzle-filled Dungeon Crawler<a href="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TouchArcade-iPad-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TouchArcade-iPad-1.jpg" /></a>
GDC has officially kicked off for us at TouchArcade, and one of the first games we've seen is Naiad Entertainment's Sneaky Sneaky. It's something of a dungeon crawler with stealth elements, as well as some light puzzle solving and enemy battles. Here's a video where Naiad explains the game by going through a few demo levels they built just for GDC.</p> <p>The demo I was shown of Sneaky Sneaky was quite cool, and it sounds like Naiad has a lot more content planned for it, including implementing some more RPG type elements. They're shooting for a summer release, so we'll keep tabs on its development and let you know when it's available.</p> <a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Discount</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-38964339187774128712014-03-14T13:15:00.001-07:002014-03-14T13:15:04.712-07:00What New Jersey's Tesla Motors Sales Ban Means for Motorists <p>Efforts to expand Tesla Motors sales were dealt a blow this week when New Jersey officials decided to ban the premium electric car manufacturer from selling directly to consumers.</p> <p>Tesla is now forced to sell through independent franchise dealerships like mainstream automakers, essentially barring all sales in the state for now. But the loss or benefit to consumers has been lost in finger-pointing between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the administration of Gov. Chris Christie.</p> <p>The bulk of new car sales in the United States go through independently owned dealerships, which act as a middle man between the big manufacturers and the consumer. Most states have regulations restricting direct sales, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), though New Jersey is now one of the few that ban the practice outright.</p> <p>The relatively tiny Tesla pursued a different model. Tesla "stores" are small, sometimes fitting inside a shopping mall, with only a handful of cars. Buyers order their cars direct from the factory and have maintenance performed at regional service centers. The strategy keeps overhead costs down for Tesla. But as Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book explained, it is not necessarily a benefit to the consumer.</p> <p>"The current franchise system helps maintain consistent selling practices for dealers while it contributes to the local economies, so there are definite upsides to the franchise system," he told ABC News.</p> <p>"However, a direct-to-buyer system would allow manufacturers greater control over the entire process while making it more efficient, meaning automakers wouldn't just design, engineer and price the cars but also control the sales atmosphere and the specific transaction pricing," Brauer added.</p> <p>In theory this could reduce sticker prices <a title="on" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promo Codes</a> vehicles, Brauer noted, but it is equally likely a manufacturer would simply pocket the difference.</p> <p>"Neither system is necessarily better than the other. They just have different upsides and downsides," he said.</p> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/03/chris-christies-tesla-problem/">RELATED: Christie's Tesla Problem - How it Could Impact 2016 Race</a> <p>For roughly a year, Tesla has operated two stores in New Jersey that will likely be forced to close when the decision takes effect April 1. Company officials raged against the ruling and in a <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/defending-innovation-and-consumer-choice-new-jersey">blog post</a> accused Christie, whose office is under a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fired-chris-christie-aide-suggests-immunity-release-emails/story?id=22863934">high-profile investigation</a> for alleged abuses of power, of using his state's Motor Vehicle Commission as another political cudgel and yielding to the powerful car dealers lobby in the Garden State. Tesla also accused the administration of reneging on a previous agreement to delay the ruling until the state legislature could address the debate publicly.</p> <p>Christie's office has largely distanced itself from the issue, however, only stating that Tesla saw the decision coming and motor vehicle officials were strengthening existing law.</p> <p>Neither Tesla nor Gov. Christie's office responded to requests for comment by ABC News.</p> <p>But the leader of the car dealers lobby said the debate is not purely about protecting auto dealers' livelihoods, but consumer protection as well.</p> <p>Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, said in an interview with ABC News that warranty and safety recall issues would place manufacturer-owned lots in a conflict of interest.</p> <p>"The fox is in charge of the chicken coop [in a direct-to-buyer model]. The manufacturers sees a warranty as headache and expense, while a retailer sees the warranty and safety recall claims as an opportunity," he said, pointing out that since dealers gets paid by manufacturers to service warranties and recalls they have a natural incentive to report them.</p> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2014/03/gm-rebuts-claim-that-303-people-die-in-recalled-cars/">RELATED: GM Rebuts Claim that 303 People Died in Recalled Cars</a> <p>Appleton pointed to the<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/business/auto-regulators-dismissed-defect-tied-to-13-deaths.html"> recent scandal involving General Motors recalls</a> as evidence that manufacturers could not be trusted to run large lots. As for the potential savings from the distribution model, he argued that even if Tesla or other manufacturers attempted to lower sticker prices, the difference would be negligible.</p> <p>"They talk about eliminating the middle man but they don't eliminate the middle cost," he said. "They have the expense of employees, the expense of advertising. The cost of retailing is the cost of retailing."</p> <p>New Jersey is a booming luxury car market and its Newark-Elizabeth seaport, the largest in the US, imported and exported up to 700,000 vehicles in 2012, according to the Port Authority.</p> <p>So where do the big manufacturers, who also hold a big interest in this debate, stand? They've been relatively mum. Kelley Blue Book's Brauer said it's because for them, this fight is a win-win scenario.</p> <p>"If Tesla is successful at changing these laws, it will encourage the big automakers to consider following Tesla's lead," Brauer said. "Of course, the dealers, the NADA and their lobbyists all know this, which is why they will fight to keep the current laws in place. If Tesla is forced to follow conventional retailing practices, which means using a local dealer to sell its cars, that will cut into Tesla's control and cost structure, making it more difficult for the fledgling automaker to succeed. In either scenario there's an upside for conventional automakers, so this is really a no-lose situation of them. They can just sit back and enjoy the show."</p> <p>The split between Tesla's popularity and the entrenched dealership model means neither side may win outright, however.</p> <p>"It would take a lot of time and a lot of dedicated money from Tesla to break through that system, and I don't see Tesla expending those resources," Brauer added. "We'll likely see a compromise situation where Tesla will get some very limited latitude to continue operating the stores [Musk has] already opened while also requiring him to work with NADA on future stores."</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-33257810059285496402014-03-09T03:45:00.001-07:002014-03-09T03:45:06.727-07:00NC, Cong strike alliance deal, will announce today <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Best Deals</a>p>The ruling National Conference (NC) and the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir have forged an electoral alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. A formal announcement is likely to be made on Saturday.</p> <p>While the NC will be contesting from all the three seats in the valley, the Congress will take on the BJP in the two seats in Jammu and one in Ladakh.</p> <p>"Yes, we have formed a pre-poll alliance," state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz told HT, adding that the decision was taken in a meeting held by the high command in Delhi.</p> <p>The meeting, headed by Sonia Gandhi, was attended by Union ministers Ambika Soni, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmad Patel and M L Fotedar, among others.</p> <p>While the NC has repeated Farooq Abdullah from Srinagar, Mehboob Beg from Anantnag and Sharief Din Shariq from Baramulla, the Congress is likely to repeat Madan Lal Sharma from Jammu and Chowdhary Lal Singh from Udhampur. </p> <p>Also, a Congress candidate will contest from the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat with the support of the NC. That will split the six Lok Sabha seats from the state equally between the two alliance partners.</p> <p>While National conference wanted an alliance due to the inroads made by the PDP and the BJP in the Valley and in Jammu, respectively, a certain section of the Congress leaders wanted to contest from the Valley as well.</p> <p>"We should have gotten at least one seat in the Valley, the Jammu region seats seem difficult as the BJP is very strong there,'' one of the Congress leaders said on condition of anonymity. Sources said state Congress leaders wanted to contest from two Jammu seats and from Baramulla in the valley.</p> <p>bjd ties up with jmm</p> <p>Though Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik had refused tie-up with Left parties for 2014 polls, he has entered into a seat sharing agreement with a relatively smaller party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).</p> <p>Patnaik announced the arrangement on Friday after meeting JMM's Odisha president Sudam Marandi.</p> <p>JMM has a presence in two tribal districts of Odisha, Mayurbhanj and Sundergarh, which together have 16 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats.</p> <p>"The alliance with the Biju Janata Dal will help us ushering in development in both the backward districts," Marandi said.</p> <p>BJD vice president and panchayati raj minister Kalpataru Das said both the parties would be working out seat adjustment in few constituencies of both the districts. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-17705531717027963482014-03-05T03:00:00.001-08:002014-03-05T03:00:21.904-08:00Famous Smoke Shop Releases New Cigar Promo Codes <i><a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com">Famous Smoke Shop</a> is the Internet's leading online distributor of discounted premium cigars. The company has currently launched a new slate of cigar <a title="promo" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Printable Coupons</a> codes to help save customers money when they buy from Famous Smoke Shop.</i> <p>Easton, PA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014 </p> <p> Famous Smoke Shop is an online distributor of discount premium <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com">cigars</a> specializing in offering the web's widest cigar selection, best prices, and expert customer service. The company has just announced its release of <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com/sale/coupons">new cigar promo codes</a> they will offer. Each coupon is applicable to any order made through Famous-Smoke.com or over the phone at 1-800-564-2486</p> <p>Starting now, <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com">Famous Smoke Shop</a> will be extending coupon offers to all of it's customers to take advantage of free products and instant cash back off their order through the middle of this month. Some of the coupons available are $20 instant cash back on any order over $200, free 6 pack samplers and 5 packs with an order of $125 or more. There are also bonus 5-packs, bonus ashtrays, and even free boxes of cigars with an order, as well as other bonus items. No matter what a customer wants to order, they are able to use a coupon on it to either save money or get free product ranging from La Floridita to Arturo Fuente.</p> <p>Each order allows customers an opportunity to receive instant cash back of bonus items and every order may be able to include a coupon. This allows customers to customize their orders and get more for the money they spend. </p> <p>Since the coupons were released, there has been a big splash at Famous Smoke Shop by customers rushing to take advantage of the deals. All of these deals and coupons are available not only on the web but through phone orders as well. People interested in learning more about Famous Smoke Shop's cigar promo codes can call 1-800-564-2486 or log on to Famous-Smoke.com. Customers should be advised that restrictions may apply on particular items. Full restrictions can be easily viewed on the company's website.</p> <p>About Famous Smoke Shop <br>Famous Smoke Shop is the nation's #1 discount retailer of premium cigars online, offering one of the largest selections of handmade cigars, machine-made cigars, cigar humidors and accessories. Famous offers the web's lowest prices on a wide selection of cigar brands including Acid, Davidoff, Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta, Ashton, Padron, Oliva and Perdomo cigars, and many more. Famous offers their customers the best prices on all premium cigars as well as friendly and knowledgeable customer service.</p> <p>For the original version on PRWeb visit: <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/famous-smoke-shop/cigar-discount-codes/prweb11635426.htm">http://www.prweb.com/releases/famous-smoke-shop/cigar-discount-codes/prweb11635426.htm</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-82157317715384138232014-03-01T14:00:00.001-08:002014-03-01T14:00:19.769-08:00The Dallas Morning News | Options <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">pandora charms</a>p> </p> <h2>Try The Dallas Morning News premium site free for 4 weeks!</h2> <p>Sign up with your email address and start using our<br>newly designed experience optimized for tablet and desktop.</p> <img src="https://sres.dallasnews.com/img/lead.png"> <h2>Try the premium site, risk-free, for 4 weeks!</h2> <img src="https://sres.dallasnews.com/img/options-beta.jpg"> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-27930074993992983942014-02-26T16:45:00.001-08:002014-02-26T16:45:05.197-08:00'Infinity Blade III', 'The Room Two', 'Final Fantasy IV', 'XCOM: Enemy Unknown' and More All On Sale <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Discount</a>p><a href="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Sale.jpg"><img src="http://toucharcade.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"><img src="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Sale.jpg"></a>I'm not exactly sure what the occasion is, but there's a pretty crazy number of high profile iOS games on sale at the moment. Well, I guess being the App Store and all, you don't really need a reason to have a sale. Still, something seems up with all these games going on sale today of all days. Perhaps an Apple feature or something? Whatever the case, if you've been waiting to pick any or all of these title up, now is a good time to do so.</p> <p>If you spot any other noteworthy sales, feel free to fire off in the comments and let everyone know.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-40364081337184285882014-02-06T12:15:00.001-08:002014-02-06T12:15:14.703-08:00Elder Scrolls Online & Imperial Edition preorder nets a 20% off coupon Update 2/3: New coupon! Get the <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/buy/elder-scrolls-online-imperial-edition?drc=gamesbeat">Digital Imperial Edition for $64</a> after using <a title="coupon code" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Super Sale</a>: PH4V4F-33PTVI-5HXNWG - the Standard Edition without Imperial race <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/buy/elder-scrolls-online?drc=gamesbeat">is $48 after coupon.</a> <p>Yesterday's big scoop from Bethesda was the announced details of the "Imperial Edition" to the <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/cheap-elder-scrolls-online?drc=gamesbeat">upcoming MMO Elder Scrolls Online</a>. Shortly after the news, several PC digital retailers slotted up on the digital shelves Standard and Imperial Editions for preorder. Not only do the preorders come with preorder bonus incentives, but there's also a 20% (update: now 25% off) coupon code slashing a huge chunk out of the listed price.</p> <p>Accordingly, The Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Edition drops to $64.00 $60 from $80, while the Standard Edition drops to $48 $45 from the $60 list price. Since the announcement, the Imperial Edition preorders has been outselling the Standard by a significant margin. This may have to do with what's included in each editions. Judge for yourself below:</p> <p><img src="http://images2.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32182/large/the-elder-scrolls-online-imperial-edition-pc-download.jpg?1391091350"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/cheap-elder-scrolls-online?drc=gamesbeat:elder-scrolls-online-imperial-edition">The Elder Scrolls Online: Digital Imperial Edition</a> (PC Download) - $60 at Green Man Gaming after coupon. List is $80. The official release will be April 4th, 2014. In addition to the discount, the Imperial Edition includes:</p> <p> </p><ul><li>5 day early access (begins March 30th)</li> <li>30 days of included game time</li> <li>"Explorer Pack" DLC, which is actually 3 bonuses in one, allowing you to play any race in any Alliance (except Imperial), bonus treasure maps, and a Scuttler vanity pet</li> <li>Ability to play the Imperial race</li> <li>Ability to craft Imperial equipment</li> <li>Ability to transform into Imperial equipment</li> <li>Rings of Mara (quest)</li> <li>Mudcrab vanity pet</li> </ul><p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32181/large/the-elder-scrolls-online-pc-download.jpg?1391017307"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/cheap-elder-scrolls-online?drc=gamesbeat:elder-scrolls-online">The Elder Scrolls Online</a> (PC Download) - $45 at Green Man Gaming after coupon. List is $60. The official release will be April 4th, 2014. In addition to the discount, the Standard Edition includes:</p> <p> </p><ul><li>3 day early access (begins April 1st)</li> <li>30 days of included game time</li> <li>"Explorer Pack" DLC, which will allow you to play any race in any Alliance (except Imperial). The Explorer Pack also includes bonus treasure maps and a Scuttler vanity pet.</li> </ul><p>In other gaming deal news this week, there are quite a few good PC gaming deals, especially with GameFly's 25% off coupon (GFDJAN25) on select Ubisoft titles. The FPS PC shooter finally made its way to Steam on January 28th. The game still carries its $4.50 off preorder bonus at GameFly, and you can use the previously mentioned coupon to drop the price to $7.87 - nearly half off the game's $14.99 list price.</p> <p>NewEgg has an instant savings + coupon code discount for Borderlands 2, dropping the hit 2012 title to only $5.39, a new low price for the game. Lastly, GameFly's running an " <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/gamefly-sale?drc=gamesbeat:gamefly-sale-ubisoft-hits">Ubisoft Hits</a> " sale on five Ubisoft titles. All are at or near their all time lows, including Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag for only $22.50 - a new low by $7.50.</p> <h3>More Hot Deals</h3> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32165/large/gamefly-sale-ubisoft-hits.jpg?1390932848"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/gamefly-sale?drc=gamesbeat:gamefly-sale-ubisoft-hits">Ubisoft Hits</a> - up to 75% off instantly at GameFly and up to 80% off after coupon. All the titles below are at or near their all-time lows.</p> <p><img src="http://images3.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/31003/large/rekoil-pc-download.jpg?1383757089">Tuesday's release: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/rekoil?drc=gamesbeat">Rekoil</a> (PC Download) - $7.87 at GameFly after coupon. List is $15.<br></p> <p><img src="http://images0.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/19768/large/borderlands-2-pc-download-.jpg?1373740939"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/borderlands?drc=gamesbeat:borderlands-2-pc">Borderlands 2</a> (PC Download) - $5.39 at NewEgg after coupon. List is $20.<br></p> <h3>Upcoming Releases</h3> <p><img src="http://images3.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32007/large/men-of-war-assault-squad-2-pc-download.jpg?1389803818">Feb. 20: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/men-of-war-collection-pc-download?drc=gamesbeat:men-of-war-assault-squad-2">Men of War: Assault Squad 2</a> (PC Download) - $22.40 at Green Man Gaming after coupon. List is $40.<br></p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/30413/large/thief-pc-download.jpg?1380303261">Feb. 25: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/thief-2014?drc=gamesbeat:thief-pc-2014">Thief</a> (PC Download) - $31.50 at Green Man Gaming after coupon. List is $50. GMG's 30% off coupon for this title ends tomorrow, January 31st at 8AM Pacific.<br></p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32133/large/resident-evil-4-hd-pc-download.jpg?1390593343">Feb. 27: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/resident-evil-4-hd?drc=gamesbeat">Resident Evil 4 HD</a> (PC Download) - $14.99 at GameFly after coupon. List is $20. Preorders also get a 60+ track digital music album and a 80+ page digital archive.<br></p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32157/large/metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-ps4.jpg?1390913209">Mar. 18: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/metal-gear-solid?drc=gamesbeat:metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-ps4">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> (PS4, Xbox One) - $35.99 at NewEgg after coupon. List is $40. This is the first Metal Gear Solid title to offer open world gameplay with a new FOX game engine.</p> <p><img src="http://images0.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32156/large/metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-xbox-360.jpg?1390913141">Mar. 18: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/metal-gear-solid?drc=gamesbeat:metal-gear-solid-v-ground-zeroes-xbox-360">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> (Xbox 360, PS3) - $26.99 at NewEgg after coupon. List is $30. A little less expensive than its next gen big brother release. It's a wonder how long Sony and Microsoft will roll out new titles for the Xbox 360 and PS3.</p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/31893/large/alien-isolation-pc-download.jpg?1389203070">Summer 2014: <a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/alien-isolation?drc=gamesbeat">Alien: Isolation</a> (PC Download) - $37.49 at GameFly after coupon. List is $50.</p> <h3>Gaming Capable Laptop Discounts</h3> <p><img src="http://images2.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/28790/large/alineware-m18x-haswell-core-i7-4700mq-1080p-display-geforce-gtx-765m-8gb-ram.jpg?1370975863"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/alienware-m18x-coupon-code?drc=gamesbeat:haswell-base">Alienware 18 Haswell Core i7-4700MQ, Full HD 1080p, Dual GeForce GTX 765M SLI, 8GB RAM</a> - $1,949 at Dell Home after coupon. List is $2,099.</p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/28793/large/alienware-17-haswell-core-i7-4700mq-1080p-display-geforce-gtx-770m-3gb-16gb-ram.jpg?1370976561"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/alienware-m17x-gaming-laptop?drc=gamesbeat:haswell-i7-1080p-display-geforce-gtx-770m">Alienware 17 Haswell Core i7-4700MQ, Full HD 1080p, GeForce GTX 770M 3GB, 16GB RAM (Refurbished)</a> - $1,458.99 at eBay. List is $1,999.</p> <p><img src="http://images0.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/32184/large/razer-blade-14-inch-gaming-laptop-core-i7-4702hq-geforce-gtx-765m-8gb-ram-256gb.jpg?1391036894"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/razer-blade-gaming-laptop?drc=gamesbeat">Razer Blade 14-inch Gaming Laptop, Core i7-4702HQ, GeForce GTX 765M, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD</a> - $1,799 at Microsoft. List is $1,999.</p> <p><img src="http://images1.dealzon.com/cdn_pictures/deals/31601/large/lenovo-ideapad-y410p-59405095-haswell-core-i7-4700mq-geforce-gt-755m-2gb-8gb-ram.jpg?1386848700"><a href="http://www.dealzon.com/deals/lenovo-ideapad-y400-gaming-laptop-coupon?drc=gamesbeat:lenovo-ideapad-y410p-59405095">Lenovo IdeaPad Y410p 59405095 Core i7-4700MQ, GeForce GT 755M 2GB, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 8GB SSD</a> - $799 at Lenovo after coupon. List is $1,279.</p> <p>Sponsored posts are content that has been produced by a company, which is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they're always clearly marked. The content of news stories produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact <a href="mailto:sales@venturebeat.com">sales@venturebeat.com</a>. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-23369923489444683702014-02-02T08:01:00.001-08:002014-02-02T08:01:43.927-08:00Ring In The Year Of The Horse With Las Vegas Chinese New Year Celebrations <p>Today marks the Year of the Horse in the <a title="Chinese" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://chinesenewyear2014.biz/">chinese new year cards</a> calendar. Before you feast on the celebratory delicacies Las Vegas has to offer <a href="http://www.TravelsinTaste.com">TravelsinTaste</a> suggests several unique ways to ring in the new year.</p> <p>You can take in some culture by checking out the dynamic and colorful lion dances which will commemorate the Year of the Horse at <a href="http://www.bellagio.com/">Bellagio</a>, <a href="http://www.aria.com/">ARIA</a>, The Shops at Crystals and <a href="http://www.mgmgrand.com/">MGM Grand</a>. Yau Kung Moon will perform the Chinese lion dances in a traditional Southern Shaolin Kung Fu system, a collection of martial arts with more than 1,000 years of history. Yau Kung Moon, which translates to "Style of Flexible Power," is one of the world's most respected martial arts, dragon and lion dance organizations. Known for its trademark gold uniforms and innovative routines, Yau Kung Moon has been recognized internationally for being the first U.S. team to compete in the 1990 Invitational World Lion Dance Festival in Malaysia.</p> <p><img src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lisamogensen/files/2014/01/kellycreative.jpg">Alternatively, you can visit Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens which has ushered in the new year with a display featuring seven life-size horses parading atop a three-tier mountain with a majestic gold stallion at the peak; the total number of eight represents good fortune in Chinese culture. At the entrance an 18-foot-tall custom-made Chinese money tree symbolizes prosperity, good fortune and nobility. The lucky tree flourishes with 384 oversized gold-leafed coins on its branches as mounds of I-Ching coins, a traditional Chinese symbol for money, surround its base.</p> <p><img src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lisamogensen/files/2014/01/crystals.jpg">Then there's always shopping. <a href="http://www.crystalsatcitycenter.com/">The Shops at Crystals</a> in Las Vegas offers Lunar New Year revelers glamorous ways to ring in the new year. "Chinese New Year is an important holiday for our retailers, and many of our brands, such as Lalique and BVLGARI, have created limited specialty pieces in honor of the Year of the Horse," said Farid Matraki, Vice President and General Manager of Crystals. "We enjoy creating an unique experience for all of our customers. In the case of our Chinese shoppers, they will discover that many of our retailers accept China Union debit and credit cards, as well as our concierge desk. In addition, our tenants also have in-house representatives that speak Mandarin and other dialects." Crystals recently welcomed famed crystal designer <b>Lalique</b> to its repertoire, marking the house's first standalone Las Vegas location. The animal kingdom served as founder René Lalique's main source of inspiration, and the brand brings the nature of the horse to life with The Equestrian Collection. The series pays tribute to the creature's varied poses and graceful movements through stunning vases and sculptures. Furthermore, Crystals recently became home to the world's largest <b>Tourbillon</b> boutique, which offers one of the only wristwatches equipped with a traditional Chinese calendar. The Calendrier Chinois Traditionnel watch by Blancpain is based on the fundamental principles established for millennia and is profoundly rooted in Chinese tradition.</p> <p><img src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lisamogensen/files/2014/01/lalique_horses.jpg">After the excitement one can partake in a holiday feast at some of The Strip's hottest Chinese restaurants. At <b><a href="http://www.luxor.com/restaurants/rice_and_company.aspx">Rice & Co.</a>,</b> in Luxor, one can start with Pan Fried Pot Stickers: dumplings filled with pork and vegetables and served with a ginger soy sauce. Then continue with a choice between House Mixed Greens or Egg Drop Soup. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/next/">Next</a> <a href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/next/">Next</a> one can savor Kung Pao Chicken, stir fried with celery, bell pepper, onion and roasted peanuts. Guests will cap off the meal with exotic fruits and berries. "At Rice & Co., we have created modern interpretations of Chinese favorites such as Beef and Broccoli and Garlic Shrimp, using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients available," said Rice & Co. Executive Chef Ray Kwong. "The holiday is a very important and exciting day in the Chinese culture and we look forward to showcasing our finely prepared menu items to Las Vegas guests and visitors."</p> <p><img src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lisamogensen/files/2014/01/rice.jpg">Meanwhile <b><a href="http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jasmine.aspx">Jasmine</a></b> at Bellagio presents its "Kung Hei Fat Choy" menu, offering luxurious twists to celebratory Chinese New Year dishes. Vegas high-rollers can enjoy the Braised Abalone, created with sea cucumber, goose web, golden oyster, mushrooms and sea moss. The Panfried "Wagyu" Strip Loin, seasoned with black pepper and garlic, is sure to become a new holiday tradition. "Bellagio's restaurants offer traditional Chinese New Year offerings while also implementing luxurious twists," said Bellagio Executive Chef Edmund Wong. "An incredible meal at Jasmine or Noodles, paired with the festive Lion Dances and stunning Conservatory décor, will truly create a fun and memorable experience for our guests."</p> <p><img src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/lisamogensen/files/2014/01/jasmine.jpg">Enjoy and most importantly, Happy New Year.</p> <p>Follow me on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/travelsintaste">here</a> and on <a href="http://www.forbes.com/facebook-ipo/">Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Travels-in-Taste/79687249927">here</a> or sign up for our newsletter <a href="http://http/www.travelsintaste.com/RegistrationEdit.aspx?email=enter%20email%20address">here</a>.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-20116068718372056982014-01-18T01:00:00.001-08:002014-01-18T01:00:10.437-08:00Smokey Bones Trades Coupon for Tennis Shoes for Broken Resolutions (NBC33 VIDEO) <p>FORT WAYNE, Ind. (NBC33) - It has only been 17 days and according to studies a majority of Americans have already given up on their New Years resolutions.</p> <p>In fact, January 17th is the most common day that resolutions are broken. In light of that, Smokey Bones is offering an alternative for those who have already called it quits.</p> <p>In a Friday-only event, Smokey Bones will give you a $5 gift certificate for every pair of gently used tennis shoes that are donated.</p> <p>"We're hoping to have people that are willing to bring their shoes, donate them to a wealthy cause, Nike Reuse a Shoe, and give them to families in need," says Danielle Hamilton, a server at Smokey Bones. "There are a lot of families in need that need shoes out there, we're just trying to help our community a little bit by whatever we can do."</p> <p>The gift certificate can be used at any time until the date the <a title="coupon" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Promotional Code</a> expires.<br></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-62830741624796885732014-01-14T20:15:00.001-08:002014-01-14T20:15:05.583-08:00Invading Iraq was dumb enough. Now Congress wants to derail the Iran deal <img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/1/12/1389555620396/Iran-nuclear-deal-010.jpg"><p>The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/12/iran-begin-implementation-nuclear-deal">diplomatic bargain </a>struck by the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/usa">United States</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/iran">Iran</a> this week is the Obama administration's greatest diplomatic triumph. Efforts by the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/congress">US Congress</a> to derail it would, if successful, constitute a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/02/congress-iran-sanctions-sabotage-agreement">self-inflicted strategic wound</a> even more myopic than its vote to endorse the 2003 invasion of Iraq. That vote, after all, was only endorsing a mistaken policy set in the White House. This one would be a rebellion against a White House decision that promises great benefits to the United States.</p> <p>Congress, it turns out, is filled with Republicans and Democrats eager to act as enablers for the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/09/nuclear-talks-us-hostility-iran-khamenei">most repressive forces in Iran</a>. It is an astonishing spectacle: an alliance between brutal Iranian institutions, principally the Revolutionary Guard, and elected representatives of the American people. Both are deeply invested in the paradigm of hostility, and both are in a state of near-panic at the prospect of reconciliation between Tehran and Washington.</p> <p>Hostility toward Iran may not be the silliest of all American foreign policies -that would probably be the continuing trade embargo of Cuba - but it is undoubtedly the most self-defeating. No step the United States could take anywhere in the world would bring strategic benefits as great as détente with Iran. It has tantalizing potential. Iran's interest in stabilizing the violence-torn countries on its eastern and western borders, Iraq and Afghanistan, closely parallels that of the United States.</p> <p>In recent days, much has been made of al-Qaida's<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/10/iraq-fallujah-destruction-alqaida-maliki"> takeover of the Iraqi city of Falluja</a>, where dozens of American soldiers were killed in 2003-4 and the bodies of several memorably strung up from a bridge. It is indeed painful to reflect that the blood of those soldiers may have been wasted. But since the United States is not prepared to return to Iraq, what can it do to stop the advance of radical militants there? Iran, the neighboring power, is even more opposed to al-Qaida than is the United States, and even more eager to support the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. It is the west's logical partner in that fight.</p> <p>Iran can help douse fires that threaten to engulf the Middle East and surrounding regions. But those fires, awful as they are, do not truly threaten the United States. One development in that part of the world, however, has devastated Iranian society and is killing Americans every day: heroin trafficking. Nearly all the world's heroin comes from poppies grown in Afghanistan. In recent years heroin addiction has become a full-blown national crisis in Iran, and last week Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont asserted in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/us/in-annual-speech-vermont-governor-shifts-focus-to-drug-abuse.html">dramatic speech</a> that his state, like others in the US, is facing a "full-blown heroin crisis". That makes the Afghan heroin trade and the metastasizing violence of al-Qaida two enemies that threaten both the US and Iran. If these two countries can begin working together, they will be more able to confront these two scourges than either could do alone.</p> <p>This week's accord with Iran, which was signed by five other powers in addition to the US, is the first step in what could become a process that will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and allow it to work with the west in confronting serious security threats. Beyond that, it lays the basis for a process that could turn Iran into a normal country that respects basic human rights at home and exports stability instead of instability. There is no chance that America's longstanding Arab ally, Saudi Arabia, could evolve that way. Yet this deal has evoked passionate opposition in Washington. Why?</p> <p>It is a safe bet that many of members of Congress, including more than a few of the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-us-iran-20140113,0,341164.story#axzz2qLN8ioCo">59 senators now trying to kill the US-Iran peace process</a>, would struggle to identify Iran on a map. Many, however, cling to the belief that the only true test of any American foreign policy is whether Israeli leaders support it. The Israel lobby in Washington has turned the Iran deal into a life-or-death struggle. It is no accident that leaders of the war party, like Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, have received huge amounts of campaign money from that lobby. Nor is it strange that Hillary Clinton, who is eager for the lobby's support in her upcoming presidential campaign, has been deafeningly silent on this issue.</p> <p>The strategic logic of rapprochement between the US and Iran is clear. If the <a title="deal now" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Super Sale</a> taking shape holds, it will promote American security interests and could begin a profound process of transition within Iran. The campaign against it, while perhaps logical in the eyes of politicians looking for campaign donations, is based on stupefying ignorance. Blocking this deal would be an act of diplomatic vandalism as damaging as any that Congress has inflicted in living memory.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-48089157269424881152013-12-25T14:48:00.001-08:002013-12-25T14:48:04.539-08:00Thousands left without power across US and Canada <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href=""></a>p>LITCHFIELD, Maine (AP) - Utility crews from Maine to Michigan and into Canada worked Wednesday to restore power to the more than half a million homes in the U.S. and Canada that were left in the dark by last weekend's ice storm and people slowly trickled out of shelters to spend Christmas Day at their finally-warm homes.</p> <p>But not everyone was so lucky, including <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Ashley+Walter%22">Ashley Walter</a>, who was forced to spend Christmas at a shelter set up in a school in Litchfield, Maine, with her husband, Jacob, and their month-old daughter, Leah.</p> <p>The family lost power Saturday, got it back temporarily then lost it again Sunday and have been without since. Ashley, 27, and Leah stay warm at the shelter while Jacob makes frequent trips home to check on their cats and water pipes.</p> <p>"It's definitely kind of strange but we're hanging in there," she said Wednesday of the challenge of being forced out of their home at Christmas. "We did our Christmas together last night. I packed little stockings and gave them to my husband, sisters and my daughter."</p> <p>The frigid temperatures that cloaked a region from the Great Lakes to New England meant that ice remained on power lines and limbs. Officials worried that wind gusts of more than 20 mph could bring down more branches and that 2 to 6 inches of snow in places on Thursday would hamper line crews trying to get to remote spots.</p> <p>"We've had two beautiful, sunny days in Maine and the ice isn't going anyplace," said <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Lynette+Miller%22">Lynette Miller</a>, spokeswoman for the <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Maine+Emergency+Management+Agency%22">Maine Emergency Management Agency</a>. "They're very concerned about more weight coming down on trees that are already compromised by ice."</p> <p>The ice storm last weekend was one of the worst to hit during a Christmas week and repair crews were working around the clock to restore service. States that weren't hit were sending crews to help.</p> <p>So far, authorities blame the storm for 27 deaths; 17 in the U.S. and 10 in Canada. Five people in Canada died from carbon monoxide poisoning from emergency generators powering their homes, while two people in Michigan, a man in Maine and a man in Vermont also died from the poisonous fumes.</p> <p>In Michigan, police say a 73-year-old woman died Christmas Eve when she ran a stop light that was out of service because of the ice storm.</p> <p>About 156,000 homes were still without power Wednesday evening in Michigan, down from more than 500,000 at the storm's peak.</p> <p>In Canada, about 160,000 customers were without power Wednesday evening. There were 72,000 customers without power in Toronto, down from 300,000 at the height of the outages, and Mayor <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Rob+Ford%22">Rob Ford</a> said some may not have power restored until the weekend.</p> <p>Back in Maine, <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Trudy+Lamoreau%22">Trudy Lamoreau</a> was supervising the emergency shelter where about 25 people stayed Tuesday night. Lamoreau, who's also the town manager, said they warmed the shelter with generators until the school got power back late Tuesday night. Maine still had about 60,000 people without power, down from a high of 106,000.</p> <p>"People are doing quite well considering the circumstances," she said.</p> <p>Volunteers tried to make the shelter homey, including cooking up a ham dinner with potatoes, vegetables, bread and pie for dessert for Christmas.</p> <p>"They have been amazing," Walter said, adding that the volunteers set up a separate room for her and Leah so they wouldn't disturb others when the infant woke during the night. "They just try to make everything better for us."</p> <p>___</p> <p>Associated Press writers <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22David+Goodman%22">David Goodman</a> in Detroit and <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fus&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Rik+Stevens%22">Rik Stevens</a> in Concord, N.H., contributed to this report.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-79697295222675919802013-12-14T16:00:00.001-08:002013-12-14T16:00:13.079-08:00Keep the cursive in Christmas! <p>As soon as the last plate of Thanksgiving turkey was cleared from the table it seemed the holiday cards began to arrive in my mailbox. Call me a dinosaur, but I still love writing and receiving Christmas cards- and I am not talking about the electronic kind. Besides looking at the beautiful pictures and sparkly scenes on the cards, I thoroughly enjoy reading the little notes and greetings that my friends and family write inside. I often find myself admiring, in addition to their words, the writers' beautiful or unique cursive handwriting.<br><br>I've been a fan of the art of cursive handwriting for as long as I can remember. I guess the seed was planted back in Catholic grade school when "Handwriting" was taught as an actual subject and we received a grade for it on our report cards. I was never an excellent handwriter (my grades were usually somewhere in the 80s), but I would aspire to have handwriting like some of the others in my class who garnered 90s in handwriting on their report cards or even won the coveted "Penmanship Award" at the end of the school year (dare to dream!). In my sharp crazy memory, I can still remember who those stellar handwriters were.<br><br>Every September when we would get our new text books for the year, we would receive a brand new Penmanship book. Along with that, we would have to purchase a "Palmer Method" pen. The pen, which came in yellow, red, black or blue, had a large bump around its center where students would learn to hold their fingers, strategically placed, to produce beautiful writing. In the books, we students would trace different letters and then connect them before writing the same words ourselves freestyle on empty lines below. If we "didn't get it," and still wrote the words sloppily, we might have to take out a sheet of loose leaf paper and write a whole page or two of the words or letters we had trouble mastering that night for homework. I remember having trouble with the letters z, k and f and capitals Q and X. But I practiced to score those 80s!<br><br>Fast forward some years and I remember sitting with my own children, helping them master the same handwriting skills and praising them when they took extra care to write their homework assignments neatly. I remember they felt so "grown up" to finally be in a grade that required them to write like their parents and older siblings or cousins instead of printing like those in the younger grades do. So, keeping all this in mind, it would come as no surprise to find out how devastated I was when over 40 states decided not that long ago to drop teaching cursive writing from the required core curriculum and replace it with keyboarding. According to my understanding, it is now the individual school districts that decide if they do or don't want to teach cursive handwriting. In other words, teaching cursive handwriting has become an option.</p> <p>I understand that computers are taking over everything and we can sign banking, real estate and all legal papers electronically these days. But what about when we scribble a signed absence or lateness note to our child's teacher? Sign a permission slip for a Scout's field trip? Sit in a doctor's office signing our life away before getting treatment? We have to do all of this on our computers in the future?<br><br>If children do not learn to write and read cursive handwriting, how will they read the original documents on which our country was founded (not a printed version) or any primary historical sources or diaries in museums or historical sites? What about a simple letter from grandmom or an uncle in the service? What if a computer goes down while important papers are being signed? Or will mail carriers of the future be required to learn Handwriting as a second language?<br><br>Getting taught handwriting is a discipline, a skill we keep for a lifetime. Some may say learning to recite poetry or mastering algebra or calculus problems won't actually be useful in the course of life, but all together, these things orchestrate a good, solid education. Once a student has these skills in their bag of tricks, their foundation, they can blossom in many other ways educationally and later, professionally. In addition to teaching eye-hand coordination, mastering handwriting shows refinement and the ability to communicate successfully in a global world with or without a computer keyboard. Of course mastering keyboarding is essential and a necessary skill, but why can't children be taught both, as they have been in the last ten years or more? If it isn't broke, why fix it?<br><br>Last week I covered a Christmas party that the Knights of Columbus hosted for Religious Sisters in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. After snapping some photos, I was going to get the names of the photo subjects, but the music was playing and it was noisy. Afraid I wouldn't hear well and misspell names, I passed my notepad and pen around and let the Sisters write their own names. When I was back at the office, writing my photo captions, one of the things I was struck by, was how lovely each and every one of the Sisters' handwriting was. I didn't have to wonder if a letter was an "o" or an "a" or a "v" or a "u." Their writing was Palmer Method Perfect.<br><br>"No wonder," I thought. "The Sisters are the ones who taught so many of us how to write clearly and neatly." A dying art? I don't think so. I like to think of it as the hallmark of a civilized, educated society. Although just about everything we do is generated through our computers, I do believe there's still a time and place for cursive. Call me old fashioned, but I believe we can still have the best of both worlds.<br><br>I know resources are tight and all kinds of programs, even art and music, are being cut from core curriculums in schools to meet budgets. I realize students use iPads and laptops instead of pens and notebooks. I try to stay with the times so I get all that. But I also get those <a title="beautiful Christmas cards" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">123 christmas cards</a>, some that even have letters enclosed, in the mail. I can't help but think how intimate and personal they are when they have handwritten notes in them and how much I would miss that human touch if they were merely churned out by a computer printer. <a href="http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2013/12/14/marple_newtown_county_press/opinion/doc52a8bbe94089d634575177.txt?viewmode=2">Continued...</a></p> <p>I can visualize my brothers' and sisters' handwriting with closed eyes, as well as my husband's my children's, my parents', my friends' and even some of my co-workers'. As you know from people's signatures, our cursive handwriting is our own, unique to only us. I would hate to think that in one holiday season in the future that all of my cards will be waiting to be opened in e-mails on my computer instead of delivered to the mailbox on my front porch.</p> <p>When I thought about this subject a week or so ago, I quickly polled by Facebook friends to hear their thoughts. Maybe we are all dinosaurs, but like me, not one person thought cutting cursive from core curriculum had any merit. Everyone agreed that children should still be taught cursive handwriting.</p> <p>If we allow computer generated cards to replace the handwritten oldie but goodie snail-mail type, who knows, in years to come if we may have to enjoy a virtual Christmas tree, stockings hung on the computer screen with care and our grandchildren skyping with Santa rather than visiting him at the local mall or firehouse. Let's stop this tech slippery slope before it begins and refuse to let go of the human, personalized touch- keep the cursive in Christmas (and every season)!</p> <p>Readers can e-mail Peg DeGrassa at <a href="mailto:pdegrassa@delconewsnetwork.com">pdegrassa@delconewsnetwork.com</a> or write her c/o DCNN, 1914 Parker Ave., Holmes, PA 19043.</p> <p>As soon as the last plate of Thanksgiving turkey was cleared from the table it seemed the holiday cards began to arrive in my mailbox. Call me a dinosaur, but I still love writing and receiving Christmas cards- and I am not talking about the electronic kind. Besides looking at the beautiful pictures and sparkly scenes on the cards, I thoroughly enjoy reading the little notes and greetings that my friends and family write inside. I often find myself admiring, in addition to their words, the writers' beautiful or unique cursive handwriting.</p> <p>I've been a fan of the art of cursive handwriting for as long as I can remember. I guess the seed was planted back in Catholic grade school when "Handwriting" was taught as an actual subject and we received a grade for it on our report cards. I was never an excellent handwriter (my grades were usually somewhere in the 80s), but I would aspire to have handwriting like some of the others in my class who garnered 90s in handwriting on their report cards or even won the coveted "Penmanship Award" at the end of the school year (dare to dream!). In my sharp crazy memory, I can still remember who those stellar handwriters were.</p> <p>Every September when we would get our new text books for the year, we would receive a brand new Penmanship book. Along with that, we would have to purchase a "Palmer Method" pen. The pen, which came in yellow, red, black or blue, had a large bump around its center where students would learn to hold their fingers, strategically placed, to produce beautiful writing. In the books, we students would trace different letters and then connect them before writing the same words ourselves freestyle on empty lines below. If we "didn't get it," and still wrote the words sloppily, we might have to take out a sheet of loose leaf paper and write a whole page or two of the words or letters we had trouble mastering that night for homework. I remember having trouble with the letters z, k and f and capitals Q and X. But I practiced to score those 80s!</p> <p>Fast forward some years and I remember sitting with my own children, helping them master the same handwriting skills and praising them when they took extra care to write their homework assignments neatly. I remember they felt so "grown up" to finally be in a grade that required them to write like their parents and older siblings or cousins instead of printing like those in the younger grades do. So, keeping all this in mind, it would come as no surprise to find out how devastated I was when over 40 states decided not that long ago to drop teaching cursive writing from the required core curriculum and replace it with keyboarding. According to my understanding, it is now the individual school districts that decide if they do or don't want to teach cursive handwriting. In other words, teaching cursive handwriting has become an option.</p> <p>I understand that computers are taking over everything and we can sign banking, real estate and all legal papers electronically these days. But what about when we scribble a signed absence or lateness note to our child's teacher? Sign a permission slip for a Scout's field trip? Sit in a doctor's office signing our life away before getting treatment? We have to do all of this on our computers in the future?</p> <p>If children do not learn to write and read cursive handwriting, how will they read the original documents on which our country was founded (not a printed version) or any primary historical sources or diaries in museums or historical sites? What about a simple letter from grandmom or an uncle in the service? What if a computer goes down while important papers are being signed? Or will mail carriers of the future be required to learn Handwriting as a second language?</p> <p>Getting taught handwriting is a discipline, a skill we keep for a lifetime. Some may say learning to recite poetry or mastering algebra or calculus problems won't actually be useful in the course of life, but all together, these things orchestrate a good, solid education. Once a student has these skills in their bag of tricks, their foundation, they can blossom in many other ways educationally and later, professionally. In addition to teaching eye-hand coordination, mastering handwriting shows refinement and the ability to communicate successfully in a global world with or without a computer keyboard. Of course mastering keyboarding is essential and a necessary skill, but why can't children be taught both, as they have been in the last ten years or more? If it isn't broke, why fix it?</p> <p>Last week I covered a Christmas party that the Knights of Columbus hosted for Religious Sisters in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. After snapping some photos, I was going to get the names of the photo subjects, but the music was playing and it was noisy. Afraid I wouldn't hear well and misspell names, I passed my notepad and pen around and let the Sisters write their own names. When I was back at the office, writing my photo captions, one of the things I was struck by, was how lovely each and every one of the Sisters' handwriting was. I didn't have to wonder if a letter was an "o" or an "a" or a "v" or a "u." Their writing was Palmer Method Perfect.</p> <p>"No wonder," I thought. "The Sisters are the ones who taught so many of us how to write clearly and neatly." A dying art? I don't think so. I like to think of it as the hallmark of a civilized, educated society. Although just about everything we do is generated through our computers, I do believe there's still a time and place for cursive. Call me old fashioned, but I believe we can still have the best of both worlds.</p> <p>I know resources are tight and all kinds of programs, even art and music, are being cut from core curriculums in schools to meet budgets. I realize students use iPads and laptops instead of pens and notebooks. I try to stay with the times so I get all that. But I also get those beautiful Christmas cards, some that even have letters enclosed, in the mail. I can't help but think how intimate and personal they are when they have handwritten notes in them and how much I would miss that human touch if they were merely churned out by a computer printer.</p> <p>I can visualize my brothers' and sisters' handwriting with closed eyes, as well as my husband's my children's, my parents', my friends' and even some of my co-workers'. As you know from people's signatures, our cursive handwriting is our own, unique to only us. I would hate to think that in one holiday season in the future that all of my cards will be waiting to be opened in e-mails on my computer instead of delivered to the mailbox on my front porch.</p> <p>When I thought about this subject a week or so ago, I quickly polled by Facebook friends to hear their thoughts. Maybe we are all dinosaurs, but like me, not one person thought cutting cursive from core curriculum had any merit. Everyone agreed that children should still be taught cursive handwriting.</p> <p>If we allow computer generated cards to replace the handwritten oldie but goodie snail-mail type, who knows, in years to come if we may have to enjoy a virtual Christmas tree, stockings hung on the computer screen with care and our grandchildren skyping with Santa rather than visiting him at the local mall or firehouse. Let's stop this tech slippery slope before it begins and refuse to let go of the human, personalized touch- keep the cursive in Christmas (and every season)!</p> <p>Readers can e-mail Peg DeGrassa at <a href="mailto:pdegrassa@delconewsnetwork.com">pdegrassa@delconewsnetwork.com</a> or write her c/o DCNN, 1914 Parker Ave., Holmes, PA 19043.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-16887142720840867502013-12-10T18:00:00.001-08:002013-12-10T18:00:09.363-08:00Victor Cruz Says Jay Z Just Getting Started With Huge Robinson Cano Deal <img src="http://allhiphop.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/jay-z.jpg?w=620"><p>(AllHipHop News) "Scott Boras, you over baby. <a title="Robinson" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">robinson cano jay z</a> Cano you coming with me. These n***as like rotary phones. It's a new day. Hit up KD," rapped Jay Z on the Magna Carta Holy Grail track "Crown." Jay was essentially telling established sports agent Scott Boras and the rest of the world that his new Roc Nation Sports agency was going to be major force whether they liked it or not.</p> [ALSO READ: <a href="http://allhiphop.com/2013/12/04/jay-z-ranks-his-own-catalogue-from-best-to-worst/">Jay Z Ranks His Own Catalogue From Best To Worst Albums</a>] <p>While there were many critics who believed that the Brooklyn mogul could not effectively make the transition from music to athletics, the recent 10-year/$240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners Jay secured for Cano seems to be proving the naysayers wrong for the moment. Another one of Roc Nation's athletes expressed his view that the third largest contract in baseball history was just the beginning for Jay and Roc Nation.</p> <p>"It's just a stepping stone," <a href="http://nypost.com/2013/12/06/victor-cruz-jay-z-just-getting-started-with-cano-contract/">said New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz</a>. "It's a true testament to the way [Jay Z] does his business, and the way he goes about it - the right way."</p> <p>Roc Nation/CAA is now home to Cano, Cruz, NBA superstar Kevin Durant, New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith, and WNBA player Skylar Diggins. On the music side, there is talk that Jay is about to add L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle to the Roc Nation roster after recently signing separate deals with <a href="http://allhiphop.com/2013/12/09/victor-cruz-says-jay-z-just-getting-started-with-huge-robinson-cano-deal/Jeezy%E2%80%99s%20CTE%20Signs%20To%20Jay%20Z%E2%80%99s%20Roc%20Nation">Young Jeezy's CTE imprint </a>and producer <a href="http://allhiphop.com/2013/12/09/victor-cruz-says-jay-z-just-getting-started-with-huge-robinson-cano-deal/DJ%20Mustard%20Signs%20To%20Roc%20Nation%20Label">DJ Mustard</a>.</p> [ALSO READ: <a href="http://allhiphop.com/2013/12/08/exclusive-hip-hop-rumor-guess-who-is-joining-roc-nation/">EXCLUSIVE Hip-Hop Rumor: Guess Who Is Joining Roc Nation?</a>] Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-52163679901078878892013-12-04T00:07:00.001-08:002013-12-04T00:07:33.253-08:00'Howl-iday' activities <p>The <a title="black" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">aspca christmas cards</a> lab, face sprinkled with sugar-like white, lay quietly in his kennel. His struggle to stand and walk didn't go unnoticed. Staff at the Casper Humane Society (CHS) estimated the dog's age to be between 11 and 13. They waited for his owner to come looking for him. Henry, as the staff later called him, came in as a stray. But no one claimed him. Henry's sweet, gentle spirit touched the hearts of both CHS staff and volunteers. His physical pain was evident, but his friendly, gentle demeanor didn't waver. Henry was given treatment for the arthritis captivating his body as his temporary caregivers waited for a new family to adopt him.</p> <p>Nearly two months passed. On Nov. 3, Henry received not just a new human family, but a whole new life, sharing a country home with people, four other dogs, and a few horses. A member of his adoptive family posted on Facebook: "He is kind and loving and just grateful to be here with us ... He is a treasure - a gift." It was a story celebrated on the CHS Facebook page.</p> <p>"Henry's story was seen by more people than any other Facebook posting - 10,944 in fact - more than any other animal since I've been here," said Angela Letz, CHS shelter director. "His [adoption] story had 617 likes and 57 comments. It was incredible!"</p> <p>Adoption stories have transpired for the CHS for nearly 60 years. The organization started in 1956, according to CHS Board President Sally Adams-Reinhart. The history and positive stories continue because the community supports the organization.</p> <p>The CHS receives no city, county, state or federal funds; it relies on the generosity and care of Casper's citizens and also works with other organizations in the community. For example, the Hector Foundation awarded money to the CHS to help purchase sliders for the Bunkhouse, a building addition that still awaits completion in order to house more dogs and cats.</p> <p>"We still need fencing and sliders," Reinhart stated, "and we're still short of funds to complete the project."</p> <p>Community members will have an opportunity to help support the CHS during a few upcoming events. On Saturday, Dec. 7, Grant Street Grocery will host "Happy Howl-iday," a wine and cheese tasting featuring four or five different wines and cheeses. Various vendors will be on hand selling wares with part of the proceeds being donated to the CHS. The event runs from 12-4 p.m. and features handcrafted jewelry and at least one author with inspirational dog books. Tickets for several raffle items also will be sold, said Reinhart. Those items include a $500 meat package from Grant Street Grocery, a $100 VISA gift card, a custom-made dog bed, a bottle of Wyoming Whiskey, and a home visit from Santa Claus.</p> <p>"All proceeds from the raffle go to the Humane Society, and vendors will give some sale proceeds back to us," she said.</p> <p>Twelve different raffle items are available. Drawings will be held weekly through Dec. 20, the final day of the raffle, Reinhart added.</p> <p>On Saturday, Dec. 14, Pet Photos with Santa takes place at Market Square in downtown Casper. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m., people can get photos of their pets taken with Santa Claus; a portion of the photographer's $10 sitting fee will go to the CHS, Reinhart said. This event is held in conjunction with Tails of the City, a pet supply store in Market Square, which will be hosting an open house.</p> <p>The CHS's annual Giving Tree began Nov. 29. A decorated Christmas tree provides tags by which potential donors can give a variety of supplies, meeting many of the shelter's needs, Reinhart explained. Items such as cleaning supplies, paper goods and pet food are daily requirements, and community members can help the shelter help the animals in its care by donating these items.</p> <p>"We especially need Purina Cat Chow," said Reinhart. "We've got so many cats; we go through it like crazy."</p> <p>The Giving Tree, located in center court at Eastridge Mall, will be up until Christmas Eve.</p> <p>Pictures and descriptions of some of the adoptable pets will be available at the events, and at times on weekends some of the available dogs will make an appearance at the Giving Tree, Reinhart said.</p> <p>One of the dogs hoping to find a home during this holiday season is Snipe, a 9-year-old male Pointer mix. Like Henry, Snipe suffers from arthritis, but his friendly personality doesn't waver as this older boy awaits his forever home. Perhaps, like Henry, Snipe will receive that special gift of a new, loving family so he, too, could have a "Happy Howl-iday."</p> <p>To learn more about the upcoming events or the pets available for adoption, call the CHS at 265-5439 or go to www.chswyo.org.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-48175356197382333422013-11-22T10:15:00.001-08:002013-11-22T10:15:05.693-08:00Nikon D5300 First Shots: Can Nikon's new mid-level DSLR not only beat the D5200, but compete with the D7100? <<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Coupons</a>p>by Roger Slavens</p> <p>In less than a year's time, the recently introduced Nikon D5300 has replaced the mid-level consumer D5200 DSLR. And while its upgrades may not be revolutionary, the new model stands as a compelling, affordable option for advanced amateurs who may be eyeing the higher-end, prosumer D7100 -- as well as an enticement for owners of Nikon's older models to take a step up. We just got the Nikon D5300 into the lab, and we've published our first batch of First Shots -- Still Life* test images -- for you to analyze closely.</p> <p>The D5300's enhanced DX-format, 24-megapixel APS-C-type CMOS sensor was designed to maximize the camera's resolving power by omitting the optical low-pass filter (as Nikon did earlier this year with the D7100). If the D5300 can minimize moire and anti-aliasing as well as the D7100 did, forgoing the OLPF in a consumer-friendly DSLR could be the move that opens up a realm of incredible detail and sharpness to a mass audience. What's more, the D5300 incorporates Nikon's latest processor -- the EXPEED 4 -- which even the company's most recently announced full-frame prosumer DSLR, the D610, doesn't have. This next-generation imaging engine purports optimize the DSLR's detail-versus-noise output and enhance color accuracy, and its improved ISO sensitivity -- now ranging from 100 to 12,800 in standard mode -- could up the ante on low-light performance.</p> <p>How do all these upgrades translate in terms of image quality?</p> <p>Check out our Nikon D5300 First Shots for yourself. And be sure to pit these test images side-by-side with those from the D5200, D7100 -- or any other camera we've ever tested -- via our Comparometer™ image quality comparison tool.</p> <p>For more information about the DSLR's new features and specs, read our first impressions Nikon D5300 review. In addition to image quality and performance enhancements, the camera also boasts built-in Wi-Fi functionality and GPS -- the first Nikon DSLR to do so -- as well as a more compact and lightweight design, and a 3-2-inch tilt-swivel LCD monitor that features a whopping 1,037K dots of resolution.</p> <p>* Use our Still Life target images to look for detail (tone-on-tone, fine, highlights, shadows), as well as noise suppression, white balance, color accuracy and color shape retention.</p> <p>Order your Nikon D5300 with trusted Imaging Resource affiliates Adorama or B&H now. The D5300 body runs about US$700, and kitted with a Nikon 18-140mm lens about $1,400.</p> <p>Adorama:</p> <p>B&H:</p> <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com">Imaging-resource</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-86712539118884730782013-11-20T03:45:00.001-08:002013-11-20T03:45:06.110-08:00Nikon D5300 Review <<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Buy Cheap</a>p> <img src="http://www.photographyblog.com/images/sized/images/uploads_ee2/product_review_images/nikon_d5300_review-275x223.jpg"><img src="http://www.photographyblog.com/images/sized/images/uploads_ee2/product_review_images/nikon_d5300_review-275x223.jpg"></p> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>The Nikon D5300 is a new 24.2 megapixel DSLR camera with no optical low-pass filter that can record Full HD movies at 1080/50/60p with stereo sound and comes equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. A high-resolution 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD monitor makes it easier to compose your shots from difficult angles, while the extensive ISO range of 100-25600 should cope with virtually all lighting conditions. A 5fps burst shooting mode, EXPEED 4 image processor, 39-point autofocus system with nine cross-type sensors, 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor, High Dynamic Range mode, Active D-Lighting, and nine different special effects for stills and movies complete the Nikon D5300's headline specs. Available in three colours, black, grey and red, the Nikon D5300 costs £729.99 / $799.95 / €899 body only, or £829.99 / €1029 with the 18-55mm VR kit lens, and $1,399.95 with the AF-S NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.</p> <h2>Ease of Use</h2> <p>The Nikon D5300 replaces the year-old D5200 as the new mid-range model in Nikon's extensive DSLR line-up, slotting in between the existing D3200 and D7000 models, not only in terms of feature set and functionality, but also in terms of size and weight. It isn't quite as compact and lightweight as the D3200, but neither is it as bulky and heavy as the D7000. In comparison to its predecessor, the D5300 is slightly smaller and lighter than the D5200. The right-hand grip is deep and therefore quite comfortable for photographers with large hands and/or longish fingers, and there's also a handy rubberised thumb rest on the back of the body.</p> <p>The D5100's 24.1 megapixel CMOS sensor has been superseded by a 24.2 megapixel sensor with no optical low-pass filter, which promises to deliver slightly finer details. The sensor can clean itself by way of high-frequency vibrations that will, at least in theory, shake off any non-adhesive dust particles that may have settled on the low-pass filter during a lens change. You can specify, via an option in the Setup menu, whether you want sensor cleaning to take place at shutdown, startup, both or neither, with the default being 'both'. The cleaning process pleasingly has no practical impact on startup times, which were near instant. The new image sensor is complemented by the more powerful EXPEED 4 processing engine and a larger buffer as well.</p> <p>The D5300 is the first Nikon DSLR to offer both built-in wi-fi and GPS connectivity, instead of relying on optional accessories like all previous models. The wi-fi function essentially pairs the D5300 with an iOS or Android smartphone or other smart device, and allows you to eidt and share images directly to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It also makes it possible to control the D5300 remotely via a smart device using the free Wireless Mobile Utility app, and set the focus point using the smart device's touchscreen. The built-in GPS/A-GPS receiver logs location information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude in the image's EXIF data, even when the camera is turned off, allowing you to retrace your steps even when you're not taking photos.</p> <p>The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens that Nikon supplied feels fairly well-balanced on the Nikon D5300 and it fits into place with a reassuring mechanical click. It also adds the very important advantage of Vibration Reduction. Nikon bodies don't offer any form of in-camera image stabilisation, unlike similar models from Sony, Pentax and Olympus, so the affordable 18-55mm VR lens is a good starting point if you don't already have any Nikon lenses.</p> <p>The shutter release action on the Nikon D5300 is surprisingly quiet, with a dampened mirror slap that makes this DSLR actually quieter than some rangefinder cameras. Furthermore, there is a Quiet Shutter Release mode, in which the mirror is raised fairly slowly to further reduce the sound it makes. This does, however, introduce some shutter lag, which usually isn't worth the few decibels of difference versus what is already an impressively quiet shutter.</p> <img src="http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_d5300/nikon_d5300_27.jpg"><img src="http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_d5300/nikon_d5300_28.jpg"> FrontRear <p>The Nikon D5300 follows conventional DSLR design in having a shooting mode dial on the top of the camera, which allows you to select either one of the advanced modes like Manual, Aperture- or Shutter-priority, or a number of scene modes. The Exposure Compensation button is thoughtfully positioned next to the shutter release. Hold down this button with your right forefinger and spin the control wheel on the top-rear of the camera with your thumb to adjust its settings - simple and intuitive.</p> <p>The Effects shooting mode, first introduced on the D5100, now provides 9 different filters that can be applied to both still images and movies. The Night Vision effect is particularly worth of mention, pushing the camera's sensitivity to a whopping ISO 102,400, although a monochrome rather than colour image is recorded. For stills, you can enter Live View mode to preview the effect or simply use the optical viewfinder. For movies, the recording is slowed down (dependent upon the chosen effect) as the camera uses a lot of processing power to apply the effect, leading to footage that can have a rather staccato feel. Note also that the camera sets virtually everything in the Effects mode - exposure, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, file type and quality - so its only creative in terms of the arty effect that's applied. Several of the same effects can be applied to an image or movie that you've taken, though, so you can have the best of both worlds (albeit without the luxury of a preview).</p> <p>The second button sitting next to the shutter release is labeled 'info'. This button is arguably at the heart of the Nikon D5300's ease-of-use, as like its predecessor the camera lacks the monochromatic status LCD of the older D90, so Nikon had to provide a different way to check vital shooting information without having to look into the viewfinder. Enter the info button - pressing it displays virtually all of the camera's main settings on the large rear screen. Pressing the "i" button on the rear of the D5300 then allows you to interact with and set the onscreen options, with 14 available in total.</p> <p>The rear articulated LCD screen is hinged at the side rather than the bottom. This fully articulated design is a much more flexible solution, allowing the screen to be folded out from the left side of the camera and folded inwards to protect it when not in use. The screen is slightly bigger than the D5200 at 3.2 inches and higher resolution too, with 1,037k dots, so there's nothing to complain about in this department. The screen also has an anti-glare coating, so that it's usable most of the time outdoors in strong daylight, although it still struggled a little with reflections.</p> <p>The D5300's Live View is accessed in a different and arguably less intuitive way than on the D3200/D7100. Instead of a combined switch / button on the D3200/D7000, the D5300 has a fore-finger operated spring-loaded switch on top of the body that is pushed downwards and toggles between turning Live View on and off. Positioned next to the Shooting Mode dial, it allows you to enable Live View whilst holding the camera at arms length with one hand, or to turn it off as you hold the camera up to your eye. We'd prefer it to be on the rear of the camera and also to incorporate the Movie record button, in keeping with the D3200/D7100 models.</p> <p>Press the Lv switch and the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and the rear screen displays the scene as seen through the lens. There is a red rectangle in the middle, which you can move practically anywhere in the frame. When in manual focus (MF) mode, you can magnify into this rectangle in a number of steps by repeatedly pressing the button marked with a loupe icon, but this magnification seems to be at least partially interpolated. This means that you cannot see detail down to the pixel level, unlike some competing cameras.</p> <p>Fortunately, MF is not the only focusing option in Live View, at least as long as you are taking stills. Single-servo AF (AF-S) and Full-time-servo AF (AF-F) modes are also available and, while slow, they tend to be accurate. Both modes can also be used in connection with face detection. 'Face-priority AF' had no problem finding and keeping track of human faces as long as they were facing the camera, but acquiring focus was another story - very, very slow.</p> <p>Live View must also be entered to shoot movies. After pressing the Lv button and optionally presetting the aperture and focus, you can start recording video by pressing the dedicated Movie Record button on top of the camera next to the shutter release. The camera records full high-definition, wide-screen video in 1920x1080 pixel resolution, at a frame rate of 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, in AVI format using the motion JPEG codec. As with Live View, contrast-detect AF is possible whilst shooting movies, although as with still images there's an audible whine as the camera refocuses and it's still too slow to focus on any fast-moving subject, so much so that we suspect most serious users will use manual focusing instead. Although the D5300 can automatically focus during video recording, it's just not fast enough to warrant regular use.</p> <p>You can set both the aperture and the shutter speed during movie recording, although the slowest shutter speed is limited to 1/30th second, plus exposure compensation and AE-Lock can also be set. Out of the box the D5300 can record stereo sound via its built-in microphone with three different levels of sensitivity on offer, and improved sound can also be recorded using an optional external microphone. The maximum size of a single video clip is 2 gigabytes which, given that movies occupy about 100 megabytes of storage space per minute, would theoretically translate into about 20 minutes of continuous recording.</p> <p>The D5300 has a proper through-the-lens optical viewfinder with a slightly improved magnification of 0.82x, on par with most of its rivals. The Nikon D5300's 39 auto-focus points are permanently marked on the focusing screen, whereas the compositional grid lines can be called up via a menu option. Two warning signs - telling you that the battery is running low or you have forgotten to insert a memory card - may also appear in the form of overlaid icons when appropriate. Below the finder is a traditional monochromatic status bar showing practically all relevant shooting information (including the ISO sensitivity, if so specified in the menu).</p> <p>As stated above, the Nikon D5300 has 39 auto-focus sensors, out of which 9 are cross type. The other thirty are of the line variety, consequently being only sensitive to either vertical or horizontal detail, but not both. In practice, this did not turn out to be a real problem, with the camera typically locking focus on the subject quickly and easily, no matter which AF point was selected. In the viewfinder, the active AF point appears in red, which is easy to see. Selecting the active AF point is done by way of the four-way pad - except if you choose Auto Area AF - again a simple and intuitive solution. In low light, the AF sensors are helped by an AF assist lamp located on the front plate of the camera.</p> <p>The 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor used by the D5300 is again identical to the system used by the more expensive D7100 model. This provides precise data to the camera's Scene Recognition System, which optimises exposure, autofocus and white balance immediately before the shutter is released.</p> <img src="http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_d5300/nikon_d5300_33.jpg"><img src="http://img.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_d5300/nikon_d5300_34.jpg"> Memory Card SlotBattery Compartment <p>The Nikon D5300 only has one control wheel and there are no dedicated buttons for controlling ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering or AF mode. The Fn button can be reprogrammed to perform ISO selection or white balance adjustment (or one of a few other functions such as file quality specification), but the others still have to be set through the main info screen, called up by pressing the [ i ] button top-right of the rear display. With practice, performing adjustments via this screen becomes fairly quick and easy, but it's not as efficient as the older D90's dedicated controls.</p> <p>Most of the camera's rear controls are scattered, seemingly almost randomly, to the right of the D5300's large folding screen. While we can understand the need to locate them to accomodate the 3 inch LCD, the positioning of the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons in particular isn't very intuitive, being operated with your right-hand thumb, and right next to the Delete button. As the D5300 isn't a very complex camera in terms of the number of external controls, it thankfully doesn't get too confusing, but is something to consider from an ergonomic point of view.</p> <p>For the images that you've already already captured, the Nikon D5300 offers a broad range of retouching tools, including post-capture D-lighting (useful if you forgot to turn on Active D-lighting before capture), red-eye correction, trimming, monochrome conversion, different filter effects, colour adjustments, image resizing, image overlay, in-camera raw processing, quick auto retouching, straightening of crooked pictures, lens distortion correction, fisheye, colour outline, colour sketch, selective colour, miniature effect, and perspective control. Many of these functions make it unnecessary to buy specialised computer programs or plug-ins and spend hours in front of a computer to achieve a desired/popular effect.</p> <p>The Nikon D5300 is powered by a proprietary EN-EL14a Lithium-ion battery, good for 600 shots, and records videos and image files on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. As we noted in our D5200 review, we would really have liked to see Nikon add a second card slot for Compact Flash cards, so that owners of higher-specified Nikon DSLRs who buy a D5300 as a second body can use their existing memory cards. It also lacks the dual-SD slots of the D7100. As far as connectivity goes, there are USB/VideoOut and Mini HDMI ports as well as an accessory terminal for the connection of a wired remote or a GPS unit, all sheltered behind a door on the left side of the camera, when viewed from the back.</p> <p>That concludes our look at the D5300's interface and feature-set. Now let's take a look at the D5300's image quality...</p> <h3>Entry Tags</h3> <img src="http://www.photographyblog.com/?ACT=74&site_id=1&entry_id=26425&channel=product_reviews"><br/>Source: <a href="http://www.photographyblog.com">Photographyblog</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-29353626961409059612013-11-19T07:15:00.001-08:002013-11-19T07:15:07.041-08:00Nikon NEF Codec updated with support for Nikon DF, D5300 digital SLRs <p>by Mike Tomkins</p> <p>Planning to pick up one of <a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Offers</a>'s latest digital SLRs as soon as it hits the market, and want to be ready when it shows up? If so -- and if you're using a Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8 computer -- we've got a download you'll want to grab.</p> <p>Nikon has just updated its NEF Codec package, which lets Windows machines display thumbnails of .NEF raw images in Windows Explorer, just as they do for your JPEG files. The latest release, NEF Codec v1.20.0, adds support for the recently-announced, soon-to-ship Nikon DF and D5300 digital SLRs. It follows on from the recent version 1.19.0, which newly supported the Nikon 1 AW1 and D610.</p> <p>If you want to update your Nikon raw support in Explorer, download a copy of the free Nikon NEF Codec package now.</p> <p>(via Nikon Rumors)</p> <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com">Imaging-resource</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-49751346611024247882013-11-18T21:15:00.001-08:002013-11-18T21:15:08.084-08:00Nikon D5300 RELEASED - Specs, Price Availability: What Are The First Impressions? <<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Cyber Monday Deal</a>p>Nikon has just released its brand new D5300 DSL camera, where the Wi-Fi feature in this model is a first for the company in single-lens reflex camera design, according to Gadget Review.</p> <p>The latest model of the DX-format DSLR has 24.2 megapixels, a DX-format CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, a built-in GPS, a durable light body, a 3.2-inch 1037k-dot vari-angle LCCD monitor with wide viewing angle, NAL-1 features for zoom/focus assist, and more.</p> <p>Like Us on Facebook </p> <p>It also has a full-HD 1920x1080/60p capability for movies, where selection can range from 24, 25, 30,50, and 60p. There are also 9 special effects for creative expression.</p> <p>As previously reported, Nikon Rumors reports that the Nikon D5300 is expected to be introduced before the Photo Plus show in NYC at the end of the month or the CES show in Las Vegas in January.</p> <p>It is reported that this will be the first camera to get the new EXPEED 4 processor. Some other rumored specs include 24 Megapixels, 39 AF points, built-in Wi-Fi and built-in GPS.</p> <p>Photography Bay reports that the D530 will be introduced as an entry-level APS-C format camera. There are no reports yet of whether or not it will have better image quality over the D5200, but it would make sense to add additional video features to the D5300.</p> <p>The price is $799 for the body only, where it is available in black, red, and a Nikon gray finish.</p> <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.designntrend.com">Designntrend</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965721864442645930.post-56765111496796393992013-11-11T20:45:00.001-08:002014-07-03T22:24:39.657-07:00Nikon Instruments, Inc. Introduces Ti-LAPPMELVILLE, N.Y., Nov. 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nikon, Inc. is pleased to introduce the new Ti-LAPP, an innovative new laser application system designed for Nikon's inverted research microscopes, the ECLIPSE Ti. With more than 32 different configurations spanning a wide variety of applications, the Ti-LAPP system provides researchers with unparalleled flexibility and modularity. The system will debut at the 43rd Society for Neuroscience Meeting, taking place November 9-13 in San Diego.<br />
The Ti-LAPP system provides modular illumination modalities ranging from simple epi-fluorescence, to total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), photobleaching and digital micromirror device-mediated photoactivation. This modularity enables users the freedom to custom combine different imaging modalities to suit their needs. The system works seamlessly with Nikon's popular NIS-Elements software, as well. By providing multiple modes of imaging on the same microscope, the Ti-LAPP system offers ease of experimentation as well as time and money saved, since users will no longer need to purchase multiple microscopes or systems to support different modes.<br />
"Optical imaging techniques have evolved rapidly beyond just qualitative visualization. The Ti-LAPP system responds to those advances in imaging technologies and probes that further enable researchers to quantitatively address biological questions," said Stephen Ross, Ph.D, General Manager of Product and Marketing for Nikon Instruments, Inc. "This is the first system providing researchers with the ability to combine multiple imaging techniques with ease on the same imaging platform, as well as the freedom to make additional modifications to those configurations as research and experiments evolve and change."<br />
The main features of the Nikon Ti-LAPP system include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Modular illuminators for incredible flexibility and expandability. The Ti-LAPP system modularizes illumination modalities, including epi-fluorescence, total internal reflection fluorescence, photobleaching and photoactivation. Individual modules can be combined to provide a fully-customized imaging system for the user. The modularity and flexibility of the LAPP system also provides for future expandability and modification as the needs of the user change.</li>
<li>Combination with Nikon Ti provides ultimate versatility. The stratum structure of Nikon's inverted research microscope, the ECLIPSE Ti, enables even more complex combinations of illumination modules. By utilizing two illumination layers, the system can accommodate up to five different illumination modules - epi-fluorescence, manual TIRF, fully-motorized and auto-alignment TIRF, manual FRAP and DMD.</li>
<li>New H-TIRF module for high performance TIRF illumination. The H-TIRF module provides auto-alignment for TIRF and auto-adjustment of incident angles for optimizing the evanescent field depth. The auto-alignment and adjustments can be made independently for each wavelength and experiment, and the settings can be saved and re-used for consistent results.</li>
<li>New digital micromirror device module for user-defined ROI based photostimulation. This module enables multi-point simultaneous photoactivation at user-defined positions as well as precision patterning of illumination, capabilities that are of great utility in the emerging field of optogenetics. </li>
</ul>
The new Nikon Ti-LAPP system will be available in Spring 2014.<br />
ABOUT NIKON INSTRUMENTS INC.<br />
Nikon Instruments Inc. is a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications. Now in its 96th year, Nikon provides complete optical systems that offer optimal versatility, performance and productivity. Cutting-edge instruments include microscopes, digital imaging products and software. Nikon Instruments is one of the microscopy and digital imaging arms of Nikon Inc., the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology. For more information, visit www.nikoninstruments.com. Product-related inquiries may be directed to Nikon Instruments at 800-52-NIKON.<br />
Lia LoBello Peppercomm 212.931.6180 Trisha Bruynell Peppercomm 212.931.6129 other press releases by <i>Nikon Instruments</i> <br />
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Lia LoBello Peppercomm 212.931.6180 Trisha Bruynell Peppercomm 212.931.6129 <br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/">Globenewswire</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03131489539654852830noreply@blogger.com0