text:
Main Menu
Sub Menu
- Article Ref
- Written By
- tanidar
- Date Created
- Wed, 26th Sep 2012
- Updated By
- tanidar
- Date Modified
- Mon, 8th Oct 2012
[Testament of Sherlock] Can not play the game with my gamepad
I have a game controller but it is not used by the game.
The game supports only the Microsoft XBOX 360 controller or compatible. If you have another type of controller (DirectX compatible controller for example) the game will not use it.
If you have the Microsoft XBOX 360 or compatible controller but the game does not controls by gamepad please check if you have the correctly installed drivers for the controller.
You can download latest driver for your OS at Microsoft website with the link:
If you still have no gamepad in the game please remove the %appdata%\Frogwares\the testament of sherlock holmes\setup.ini and then launch the game again.
To find this file please follow the steps:
1. Open any Windows Explorer window (The Computer window for example)
2. Type the %appdata%\frogwares into the address bar of this window and press Enter
3. In opened location find the folder named "the testament of sherlock holmes" and open it.
4. The setup.ini file must be there. Remove it and launch the game again
Also you can open this file with Notepad program, search there for "input_type" key and change its value from MOUSE to GAMEPAD. Save this file and try to launch the game.
Article Comments
There are currently no comments.


text:
Hi fedup, welcome to the
First, I would back way off on using so much in one application. Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean
its the best way. Start with one product, I suggest SoE, and use maybe 15-20" overall, spread around. Then pay
close attention to your surroundings. Look for signs like second glances, people standing too close and/or crowding
your space, lingering conversation from strangers etc. They reactions will be there, you just have to learn to pick
them up and use them.
Use SoE for at least a week or two on its own. I know I know, you want to dive in with
-None and get your booty bumped, but learn how to walk first.
When starting with -None, use only one -None
product at a time, don't mix A7 and NPA for example. Its redundant and you'll OD for sure, in fact that may be
what is happening already. Start with ONE drop, or a couple of dabs, layered with your SoE. This might be enough
at your age and in your environment.
Cover with a nice cologne or other fragrance, not too heavy but enough to
mask the Mone smell. Sell your Pherlure on ebay, or throw it away.
Hope this helps and good luck!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
4 bodies removed from scene of house fire in Orrington, Maine
ORRINGTON, Maine (AP) � Authorities say four bodies have been removed from the scene of a house fire in Orrington.
Steve McCausland of the Maine Public Safety Department says the bodies are those of a man and three children. Their identities were not released and the state medical examiner is at the scene to assist in removing the bodies.
McCausland says the mother of the children who perished in the fire Saturday morning escaped the blaze and was taken to a hospital.
Investigators from the state fire marshal's office are at the scene, on Dow Road in the Penobscot County town.


text:
Toggle navigation
Page not found, even after all that digging.
Please try again or click
to submit a support request for further assistance.
1230 East Boston Central Drive Dallas, TX 75251
Phone: +1-555-634-8002
Fax: +1-5555-634-8119
Web: http://www.entersite.com/
Quick Links
Register as attendee
Become and exhibitor
View conference sessions
View exhibit hall
Follow Us
Copyright 2018, a2z, Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2018, a2z, Inc. All rights reserved.


text: At Brown Goldsmiths you'll find jewelry to treasure, creations that make any occasion sparkle. Choose from exclusive, one-of-a-kind designs in our Signature Collection. Take home a piece of Maine art from our Maine Lighthouse series, or select a pair of playful earrings or bangle bracelets from our Elementals Collection. Whatever your style, at Brown Goldsmiths you'll find just the piece to express your individual personality. This is a sample of the pieces in our Collection. For full view, visit our Freeport store.


text:
So you've read about the benefits of composting, and now you're eager to get started. But what composing bin is right for you? Between compost tumblers, enclosed bins, rolling bins, or a simple, homemade bin – choosing the right bin for your needs can be confusing. We've de-mystified the most popular styles of composting bins so that your garden is flourishing this spring, with the help of the food scraps in your kitchen.
Compost Tumblers
Pros: These circular, self-turning bins aerate compost by cranking or rolling the container with a handle. They can build a steady supply of compost every few weeks, and are ideal for small backyard spaces. These composting bins are also a lot easier to use compared to turning up an open pile with a pitchfork.
Cons: Once the composting bin is completely full, expect to wait anywhere from 2-10 weeks for the contents to process before adding more materials. ?They can be pricey, and will also run you anywhere from $100 – $500.
Enclosed Bins
Pros: Enclosed bins are ideal for someone seeking low-maintenance composting, as family members can easily lift a lid to throw in composting materials. There are a variety of enclosed bin styles – from bins specifically made for composting, to a simple garbage can with a lid. Most enclosed bins will also keep rain, pests, and wildlife out very well.
Cons: While low maintenance, the processing time can be quite long (up to two years) because the materials are not aerated routinely. Unfortunately, low maintenance composting can also mean a longer wait time for rich results.
Rolling Bins
Pros: Rolling bins are convenient because of their removable lid, which makes it easy to turn the soil while keeping out pests and rain. Like the name suggests, the bin can be rolled to your garden or yard waste, and rolled back. You're also able to aerate and turn the compost pile every few days by tumbling it around.
Cons: A rolling bin is not necessary for small backyards, and work best in large yards. Bins can also become challenging to roll once they are very full.
Simple, Homemade Bins
Pros: Simple, homemade bins can be made from a variety of inexpensive materials. Many choose to create their bins from lattice panels, plywood, cinder blocks, wood pallets, or a trash can. We like this guide to making a few different styles. Most homemade bins can be made in a day or weekend, and if made well, can work well for many years.
Cons: Wooden compost bins may rot within a year or two.
Friends, which composting bins have been the most successful for your needs? What bins are you eager to try?
About Us:
Humble Seed?specializes in premium garden seed kits that are packaged and themed for convenience and ease. ?We are dedicated to providing the highest quality heirloom, non-GMO, non-hybrid, and organic seed varieties to those who choose to start from seed.


text: I am having some problems when running a C# application that I've written. It runs fairly smooth on a local machine (test machine). However, when I am running this from a network drive, the responsiveness is slow. When I click on a button that opens up a form, there is a considerable lag (5-10 seconds sometimes). Is there anything that I can do to speed this up on a network?


text:
As a staff member at Thompson Elementary School (District 205), it's been a privilege to myself and our entire staff of having UTC-Hamilton Sundstrand as our community partner. Over the last seven years, UTC staff members have volunteered their time as reading tutors at every grade level, landscaped, painted in our building and lined our parking lot for recess activities. Their devotion to our school has never been more evident than our recent fifth-grade trip and tour through their facilities at Alpine Road and Harrison Avenue in Rockford.
Our trip was co-organized by our principal, Emma Gipson, and Jackie Norem (UTC), who organizes and places tutors with our school's teachers. Jackie and countless other UTC employees took time from their day to greet us, lead tours and answer questions about designing, engineering and manufacturing in the aerospace industry. (Our students are still talking about the awesome lunch they served us!) They also stressed the importance of education and studying hard in reading, math and science to prepare students for a successful and productive future.
So next time you pass by the corner of Alpine and Harrison and see the UTC-Hamilton Sundstrand Aerospace Systems sign, please take a moment and think of them not only as one of our area's top employers, but a place that cares deeply about those of us in our community.
Thank you again to UTC for all you've done for Thompson Elementary School.
— David Krueger, Thompson Elementary School


text:
If our advice and price is accepted, we can complete the work immediately. Click here to book a free home visit, thanks for visiting HDS.
Book Now
Aerial and Satellite Installation & Repair with a Same Day Service (wherever possible)
TV Aerial & Satellite Services
Covering All of Glasgow & Surrounding Areas Including:
Clydebank, Dumbarton, Alexandria, Helensburgh, Drumchapel, Birkenshaw, Rutherglen, East Killbride
Call Our Main Number Below for ALL Areas
Free Survey & Quote
0141 2783708
Why choose HDS Glasgow for your TV reception requirements
No Call Out
Fast, Free Quote Service
Same Day Repair & Installation
Family run business
Local Service in Glasgow
Employed engineers
Free home service visit
No hidden extras or nasty surprises
Transparent pricing
You can chat to one of our team for advice or to book a free survey or service visit
We are open: Mon-Thurs 7am – 7pm, Fri 7am – 6pm, Sat 9am – 4pm Sun 9am – 5pm
Extra TV Points Glasgow
Keep everyone happy with TV's in the Kitchen, Conservatory or Bedroom, all you need is additional TV points.
Increasingly we carry out installations and extensions for multi TV households. If you have purchased additional TVs for other rooms, we can connect them to your existing or new TV Aerial or Satellite Dish with extra TV points.
Whilst we're fitting an Aerial or Dish, why not do some future-proofing! We offer generous discounts if you have extra TV points added and they're so affordable too.
Maybe one for the kitchen or conservatory whilst you're having them installed in the kids bedrooms – take advantage of our generous discounts. Even if we're on-site to repair the TV Aerial, we can measure the signal from your existing equipment and let you know whether a signal splitter or a booster amplifier is required to connect additional TV's.
Book online now for a Fast Response & Same Day Visit!
Get Your Free Estimate - For Aerial or Satellite Service.
Call HDS Glasgow today on 0141 2783708 and speak with one of the team
Connect additional TV's in your home, the easy way.
We accept most major credit cards for your convenience


text:
It's no secret that I am a fan of undone hair. I've written more than a few posts dedicated to various purposely messy looks… and this is no exception.
But why is the "undone look" so popular? Why this aversion to looking polished?
I have a few theories. First of all, messy hair can be incredibly sexy. I'm not talking about "dirty teenager" or "just-been-camping-for-a-week-and-can't-remember-what-a-shower-feels-like" messy, I'm talking about the "night-after-a-great-party" or, if I may be so bold, the infamous "sex" hair. It just looks so carefree and cool… but you know there was an initial style behind it that just became, well… undone.
The second reason might be a rebellion against being a slave to heated hair tools… or the heat and humidity of the city for that matter. Why punish your hair (or your patience) when casual hair can look great for work and, with the right makeup and accessories, for a night on the town.
My third theory might be a bit of a stretch, but I think it has some merit. I point my finger at the rise of hipsterdom; there must be some correlation between the abundance of hipsters in the world and the popularity of messy hair. Just the fact that undone hair is styled to look messy reeks of hipsters, no?
But regardless of the reasoning behind this trend I am hopelessly in love with it. There is just something so appealing about less-than-perfect hair that looks somehow perfect. From tousled waves to undone top knots and chignons to messy braids, all of these styles demand some effort, but not too much. And this nonchalance is what makes it irresistible.
If you don't understand, I dare you to take a look at some of our favourite "undone" looks. I'll bet you fall in love too.


text:
- Brexit: UK-EU trade talks to resume over 'critical issues'
- Covid: NHS rapid test use defended amid accuracy concerns
- Covid: William and Kate plan train tour to thank key workers
- Man charged with murdering two women in Kent in 1987
- Bird flu: All captive birds in Britain to be kept indoors amid outbreak
- Wayne Rooney says booing of players taking a knee 'disappointing and upsetting'
- Chelsea 3-1 Leeds United: Blues go top after comeback win in front of fans
- Meredith Kercher: Rudy Guede to finish term doing community service
- Erlestoke Prison guard: Drug smuggler has jail term increased
- Three die and two in hospital after Bothwell crash
- Nottingham Winter Wonderland Christmas market opens in tier 3
- Stonehenge tunnel: Protest staged at monument
- Covid: Pub alcohol ban sees barrels of beer poured away
- Covid Christmas: Are gift cards wise or wasteful?
- Covid: Second phase of mass testing starts in Lower Cynon Valley
- How to actually concentrate and do some online uni
- Covid: What are the new tiers and lockdown rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
- Lidl joins shops in repaying Covid rates relief
- Covid: Could microwaving face masks help with PPE stocks?
- Where are England's coronavirus hotspots among older people?
- 'Covid killed my wife - so I'm taking part in a vaccine trial'
- Prof Jonathan Van-Tam answers viewers' questions about Covid vaccine
- Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU
- Railway: Why one remote station lost 90% of its passengers
- World's biggest iceberg captured by RAF cameras
- Bullying: Schoolmates 'told me to die' in online posts
- What will happen to closed High Street shops?
- In pictures: Snowy scenes in many parts of UK
- Cyber-warning for festive shoppers
- Joe White: UK appoints entrepreneur as first tech envoy to US
- Newburgh: The town that loves its 'wonky' Christmas lights
- 'The rare condition slowly paralysing my arms and legs'
- COVID-19: The students at school in a pandemic
- National Trust volunteer: 'He can do things they said he would never do'
- 'Proud to be different, proud to stand out'
- 'Tsunami of grief' warning over Covid deaths
- Covid-19 vaccine: Who will get the Pfizer vaccine first?
- Panto is back. Oh yes it is!
- Newspaper headlines: 'Final throw of the dice' for Brexit trade deal
- Illingworth explosion: Three people taken to hospital
- Covid in Scotland: First vaccine arrives in Scotland
- Covid-19: Seven more coronavirus-related deaths in NI
- Covid-19: Children 'isolating three times in three months'
- Climate change: Lower Thames Crossing CO2 impact figures revealed
Below we are listing a number of UK job websites that have full-time and part-time job opportunities available in the KILKHAMPTON area.
Fish4 Jobs
JobSeekers (Direct.Gov.uk)
http://api.indeed.com/ads/apisearch?publisher=4773927896266615&q=&l=EX23 9QU&sort=&radius=5&st=&jt=&start=&limit=10&fromage=&filter=&latlong=1&co=gb&chnl=AVUK&userip=18.104.22.168&useragent=CCBot/2.0 (https://commoncrawl.org/faq/)&v=2 Warning: simplexml_load_file(): SSL: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. in D:\Webvirtual\ANYWeb\www\Wordpress\wp-content\plugins\shortcode-exec-php\shortcode-exec-php-class.php(895) : eval()'d code on line 4 Warning: simplexml_load_file(http://api.indeed.com/ads/apisearch?publisher=4773927896266615&q=&l=EX23%209QU&sort=&radius=5&st=&jt=&start=&limit=10&fromage=&filter=&latlong=1&co=gb&chnl=AVUK&userip=18.104.22.168&useragent=CCBot/2.0%20(https://commoncrawl.org/faq/)&v=2): failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! in D:\Webvirtual\ANYWeb\www\Wordpress\wp-content\plugins\shortcode-exec-php\shortcode-exec-php-class.php(895) : eval()'d code on line 4 Warning: simplexml_load_file(): I/O warning : failed to load external entity "http://api.indeed.com/ads/apisearch?publisher=4773927896266615&q=&l=EX23%209QU&sort=&radius=5&st=&jt=&start=&limit=10&fromage=&filter=&latlong=1&co=gb&chnl=AVUK&userip=126.96.36.199&useragent=CCBot/2.0%20(https://commoncrawl.org/faq/)&v=2" in D:\Webvirtual\ANYWeb\www\Wordpress\wp-content\plugins\shortcode-exec-php\shortcode-exec-php-class.php(895) : eval()'d code on line 4
Jobs at IndeedWarning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in D:\Webvirtual\ANYWeb\www\Wordpress\wp-content\plugins\shortcode-exec-php\shortcode-exec-php-class.php(895) : eval()'d code on line 9
Looking for more jobs...
jobs by


text:
Peter Rabbit
High quality product design is of the greatest importance to Rainbow Designs and they use their extensive experience within the gift industry to continually produce a range of toys that retailers parents and children have come to love. Rainbow Designs ensure that the products produced meet the demands of the marketplace, reflecting current trends in design and materials whilst retaining the classic essence of their character portfolio.
Categories Featuring Peter Rabbit Products
The History of Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter was taught at home by a governesses and studied art while her brother was sent away to school. She was a shy, reserved personality when interacting with the outside world, but her secret diary written in her own code, revealed a lively young girl with highly critical opinions of her fellow artists.
Despite not going to school Beatrix was an enthusiastic student of nature, teaching herself while painting and drawing the things she saw around her. Her childhood sketches reveal an early fascination for the subject which would continue throughout her life. She also painted many exquisite landscapes that show her pleasure in the countryside. Click here for more information on Beatrix Potter's Art.
Beatrix and her brother, Bertram, kept many animals in their schoolroom, from mice to birds and lizards to snakes. Beatrix Potter's pets were often subjects for sketches and paintings, and were later to inspire the much-loved characters in her books.
In 1893 Beatrix Potter wrote The Tale of Peter Rabbit in a picture letter to a little boy she knew who had been ill for a long time. In 1901 she went on to privately print 250 copies of the tale in time for Christmas. A sign of the future success of this little story, these first copies sold very quickly at a shilling each, meaning she quickly had to print another 200 two weeks later.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902 with an initial 8000 copies printed and the tale has never been out of print since. She went on to publish another 22 little books over the next 28 years, the proceeds from which enabled her to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. Eventually she went on to own 15 farms and over 4,000 acres of land in the area.


text:
Happy New Year friends and followers!
I´m so glad you stopped by to share a bit of New Years cheer with me today! This year has been a little change for me when it comes to stamping. Somewhere a long the way, I decided to step away from a vintage romantic style card to a more clean an simple style. I think it's fun with a change but of course it will appear a few vintage cards here on the blog also in the future. This is my project for New Year...
I have used: Large Frames Plain Circles dies from Gokreate, Berry Spig die from Poppystamps, Sentiment stamp from Heidi Swapp. I think that's all that needs to be said about this card.
Blessings to you and yours for a wonderful 2015!
Hugs, Birgit
Entered Challenges:
Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee&Cards - Party Time
Brown Sugar - Happy New Year
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Robyns Fetish - Anything Goes
We Do Doobadoo - Festive Spirit
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes


text:
The adidas Training Bib!
Fly through training and scrimmages in this lightweight bib. Made of mesh, with an oversize round neck and armholes to allow for quick changes between sessions and comfort during training.
Round neck.
adidas Badge of Sport screenprinted on front.
Regular fit is wider at body, with a straight silhouette.
100% recycled polyester mesh.
FAST Delivery New Zealand wide.
Stress Free Returns – We are happy for you to purchase multiple items or sizes and send back any items you do not want with no questions asked. Get the right size first time and send back the size that doesn't fit.
All exchanges will be delivered back to you FREE.
Full Priced Items can be exchanged, credited or refunded.
Sales and Clearance Items can be exchanged or credited but no refunds.
Click here to view the full Shipping Details and Returns Policy.


text:
It's the weekend. Time to make plans for all the cool bars you plan to hit up with your friends—plans that will slowly come undone after you realize that this bar also has karaoke, and, fuck, there's a whole group going up together, even though group karaoke always sounds terrible. So get a head start on that experience with this video of a drunk Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry slurring their way through Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love To You," in the ha-ha, can-you-believe-we're-really-doing-this? way of so many karaoke duets and also actual Katy Perry songs. It was shot in 2008, during their mutual friend Shannon Woodward's birthday party at Los Angeles' Dimples (billed as "the first karaoke club in America," meaning there are so many other things it has to answer for). But it's only washing up on the mysterious tides of the Internet now, because it knew you needed it. So have a super weekend—and if you do any karaoke, seriously, one at a time.
[via BuzzFeed]


text:
PREFACE: This article first appeared on IT Unity as a 5 part series. It's a somewhat objective yet optimistic look at the state of SharePoint and where SharePoint is headed. There is a lot of pessimism and negativity around the future of SharePoint right now. This series is an effort to shed some light on some of this negativity as well as look at the bright spots. Things are changing. Some of the changes are painful, some of the changes may not make sense to us, but Microsoft has made it clear they are pursuing a "Mobile-First, Cloud-First" strategy and all the changes we are seeing to SharePoint and some of the changes we are seeing within Microsoft reflect this clearly. Right now is a great time to let our voices be heard, provide constructive criticism about our pain points, and do what we can to help SharePoint evolve in a way that benefits its users while at the same time supports Microsoft's goals.
What's going on with SharePoint these days? Is SharePoint dying? Is it already dead? Do you need to look at another technology? Career? What's going on???
If you listened to some folks, you'd seem to think Microsoft is dumping SharePoint and you should run for the hills and figure out your Plan B. Indeed with the promotion of the "father of SharePoint" Jeff Teper recently, it definitely sounds like there is something in the air. Add to that the griping and moaning around the development community about the change in direction in SharePoint 2013, and you can understand why people are getting frightened and frustrated. The SharePoint they had a love-hate relationship with changed dramatically and not all for perceived good reasons. What's left to do but argue and complain and pontificate on SharePoint's demise?
Which brings us to this series of articles. I debated writing them at all. Do I fan the flames and stir the pot (which we know I love to do), or just let the truth win out in the end? As I pondered, I decided that I had to say something. I would hate for someone to stumble on one of the "Death of SharePoint" articles out there and decide to forgo a really great technology without a full understanding of these other people's fears and frustrations. Yes, things have changed. No, it's not all doom and gloom. In fact, there are even a few very bright spots.
In this first article in the series, I'll give a quick overview of the issues as I've seen them and as I've heard them from other people in the community. We'll delve into each topic in more detail in the subsequent articles.
I get it. Change is here. SharePoint is evolving. Many people with years invested in SharePoint are scared and frustrated. If you listen to some people you should change careers and stop using SharePoint altogether. But should you abandon your SharePoint career and submit that resume to McDonalds? What's the deal? Why is there so much fear? The reasons vary, which is why I decided to write this series in the first place.
First, we are going to look at how Microsoft has changed the development landscape of SharePoint. Microsoft really shook the foundations of SharePoint developers with the release of SharePoint 2013 and the new App Model. Yesterday's "best practices" are now considered shunned and antiquated and not in alignment with Microsoft's current vision. What's more, Microsoft's huge cloud push is leaving developers feeling crippled in many ways. In SharePoint Online, gone are the beloved Farm Solutions, and even Sandbox Solutions are now deprecated. Indeed, the very definition of a SharePoint developer has dramatically changed (or has it??).
Microsoft wants you in the cloud. I don't think that's a secret to anyone. But there are some hurdles getting many organizations there. How do you migrate from On-Premises SharePoint? What about those farm solutions and third party-tools that just won't work in the cloud? Is it safe to put your data out there? How can you effectively integrate "the cloud" with your business systems? Making the jump to the cloud can be a daunting and scary decision, many believe this "all-in" cloud push could be the death knell of SharePoint, is it?? Hold your horses, we'll talk more about this later.
As the outsider looking in, some of the changes Microsoft is making may seem alarming. What does it mean that the main person responsible for SharePoint, Jeff Teper, has been promoted within Microsoft? Meanwhile, it seems as though something going on with the SharePoint brand. Is it fading before our eyes? Do these changes mean that Microsoft is abandoning SharePoint and moving on to the next big thing? If you are still around for my fourth article, you'll get to hear my thoughts on this as well, and learn who else has the same thoughts. Right Dan?
Should your company continue to use SharePoint? If you are not currently using SharePoint, should you make the jump? If you are a SharePoint professional should you just look for a new job?? In the next few articles on this topic we'll explore some of the reasons why some believe SharePoint is quickly approaching its expiration date. More importantly, we'll also discuss why I believe many of these views are unfounded and do little more than promote fear and cause un-needed anxiety.
In the first article in this series I gave you an overview of why some people believe SharePoint may be on its last legs. In this post in the series I'll talk about one of the biggest contributors to that mindset: the App Model. Being a SharePoint developer myself, this is the topic I have the strongest opinion about. One of the biggest (and loudest) reasons some people are proselytizing the dismal future of SharePoint is the drastic change to the developer landscape in SharePoint 2013.
Let's start the discussion in the past. Do you know why I love development in SharePoint? Because it's my box of Legos. I can create and configure a site for a client in minutes. This site can take advantage of all of the out of the box functionality SharePoint has to offer and give the client 80 to 85 percent of what they need. I can then open up Visual Studio (or write some client-side script) and totally transform the site to meet the client's exacting standards and requirements. I can create custom web parts and event receivers and give them exactly what they need. What's more, as I've gotten really good at using SharePoint and developing in SharePoint, I can get a lot done very quickly. There was a lot of frustration while learning to get here. But now that I'm here, it's great. Customers are happy, and I can provide maximum value.
That being said, if you did not understand SharePoint and tried to develop in it, you were going to cause some damage. A lot of developers out there do not know how to properly develop in SharePoint. These developers have created really bad solutions that were (are) creating performance nightmares and memory leaks and crashing farms. Let's face it, one of the reasons I have a job is because of these bad developers (so thank you).
And that's how things were. We adjusted, we learned, and life was pretty good. Rates were really good.
Microsoft has a clear vision. They want you in the cloud. They want you in the cloud for many reasons. Many (all?) of those reasons are financial for Microsoft. Hey, they aren't in business to lose money. So, they introduced Office 365 and SharePoint Online. Now, everyone has access to SharePoint for little money and no investment in hardware. In addition, there is a less critical need for expensive SharePoint administrators in Office 365.
Sounds great? Right? But wait a second. If you put SharePoint in the cloud, what do you do with all that custom code sitting on your existing SharePoint farms? There is no way in the world Microsoft could allow some random developer to put custom code on Microsoft's cloud-based servers. Can you imagine the chaos if some "SharePoint expert" deployed a solution in the cloud that affected your tenant on Office 365?
How do you keep developers from trashing countless servers? Simple: You don't let developers deploy any solutions to the servers in the cloud. Problem solved.
But, Office 365 customers still have development needs. How can you give companies the ability to develop powerful applications for SharePoint but at the same time keep them from installing any custom solutions on SharePoint in the cloud?
Enter Microsoft's new App Model.
And there was not much rejoicing.
On the surface, the App Model may sound appealing. The App Model allows developers to integrate with SharePoint through a set of REST APIs and the Client Object Model. What's more, you can now write SharePoint "Apps" in different languages (Java, PHP, .NET--you name it).
The way SharePoint development now works is that when you use the App Model, you are either deploying client-side code (SharePoint Hosted App), or custom code of your choosing and hosting it on your own web server (Provider Hosted App).
See what Microsoft did? They got the developers off Microsoft's server in the cloud. Exactly what Microsoft needed. If you write a SharePoint Hosted App, you don't have any direct access to the server, and if you write a Provider Hosted App, the only thing you might crash is your web server. Sounds perfect. Right? Problem solved. What's wrong with this approach?
What's frustrating is that taking the App Model to its logical conclusion, you are no longer using SharePoint as a development platform. For example, you lose the ability to customize a Site Collection, which a customer may have been using for months (or years), by quickly adding a Full Trust Web Part or some other Server Side solution to handle some simple piece of functionality.
The moment you need to create full trust code to interact with an external business system or elevate permissions in the App Model you'll need to create a Provider Hosted App. If you create a Provider Hosted App you no longer have access to default forms for your application, or site settings, or list settings, or any of the SharePoint functionality that you had grown accustomed to in the UI. You have to develop it all from scratch! In this scenario, SharePoint has become a set of APIs. It's become a place for data storage, authentication, and security. It is not the rich development experience it used to be.
Yes, I know that on-premises SharePoint 2013 can still deploy your custom solutions, but I've been chastised multiple times now about that type of development not being the future. And if you have any conceivable future plans to move to Office 365 you need to change the way you are developing for SharePoint today.
It's almost like SharePoint is now two different products: The out-of-the-box SharePoint that allows you to create (but keep those customizations to a minimum) sites for collaboration; and an API that allows you to create "Apps" that piggy back off of SharePoint security and are exposed as iframes (yes, iframes) in your SharePoint environment. Again, if you are using SharePoint on-premises, you still get the legacy development options. But Microsoft has made it very clear that Apps are the future! They want you using the App Model.
In one sense, a big problem I have with the App Model is I feel that it actually can be an argument against making an investment in SharePoint if you don't already have it. Why make the investment in SharePoint if it's a now constrained collaboration platform and a set of APIs? You mean I have to set up a separate web server, write a web application (okay, I do that today), but now I have to do extra work just to display that same web application in an iframe in SharePoint? You seem to lose one of the most compelling reasons to jump over to SharePoint with this fundamental change in the way development is accomplished and with the loss of ease of integration with your other business systems.
And that Full Trust Web Part that I used to develop in a couple of hours? Well, now it's going to take me two or three times longer to get the same functionality in Office 365. It's going to cost my customers more money, and they aren't going to be happy. Plus, if I have to write a Provider Hosted App for a customer who is on Office 365, they have to stand up a web server somewhere just for that little piece of functionality. Many small and medium business are going to be upset when they learn they made this investment to get rid of a bunch of servers and now they have to set another one up and administer it. That can be a deal breaker for a mom and pop shop. And that sandbox solution that I could do in half an hour? Nope, need to find another way of doing the same thing.
Life for SharePoint developers got harder.
Let's take a look at a recent post by a brilliant SharePoint guru by the name of Waldek Mastykarz: Deploying Custom Actions using the App Model.
In his post, Waldek explains how to use the new App Model to create a Custom Action to deploy a script. Before you read his post, here are the steps to do the same process as a legacy Sandbox Solution using Visual Studio.
Open Visual Studio
Create an empty Sandbox Solution
Add an element to the project
Enter something similar to the XML below in your element
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
Save. Compile.Viola. You are done.
How easy is that? Now go read Waldek's post, and take a look at all the effort you have to go through now to do the same functionality using the App Model. How can all this change be worth it in the end?
Let me be clear. You can still customize SharePoint. You can still throw a Content Editor Web Part on a page and link it to a script. You can deploy artifacts with Sandbox Solutions. If you have on-premises SharePoint, you can still create your farm solutions and easily integrate with your business systems. However, I am reminded often that the App Model is the future.
"All future investments will go to making the new SharePoint app model richer and more powerful. Accordingly, we recommend that all new development should use the new app model whenever possible. In scenarios where you have to develop a farm solution or coded sandboxed solution, we recommend that you design it so that it can easily evolve toward a more loosely coupled development model." - Apps for SharePoint compared with SharePoint solutions.
Bottom line: You must start looking past the way you are doing development currently.
Are you beginning to see why those entrenched in SharePoint for years are a more than a little frustrated? But is the App Model really that bad?? Is the future of SharePoint development really so bleak?
First and foremost, it is important to remember that those of us who have been doing SharePoint development for years have invested many years into learning the ins and outs of SharePoint development. We take pride in that. There was a lot of blood, sweat, tears, cursing, and alcohol to get here, but we got here–doggone it. Not just anyone can be a SharePoint developer. We have our pride and our biases.
However, if we open our eyes and look at the situation for what it really is, we can see that things really aren't that bad. (Don't get me wrong; they are still really frustrating, but not all doom and gloom.)
Here's the thing. The App Model is a necessary construct for a successful deployment of SharePoint. By creating the App Model, Microsoft has removed one of the biggest problem factors from the SharePoint end user experience: us developers.
Have you previously had a bad experience using SharePoint? Has it been too slow? Too flaky? Not working right? There's a good chance that your issues had nothing to do with SharePoint and everything to do with an uneducated developer. By creating the App Model, Microsoft is allowing SharePoint to run unfettered. You will see a more stable and consistent user experience moving forward.
Yes, we have to learn new skills and discard some old ones. Change isn't fun, but it can be necessary.
The REST and Client-Side Object Model API for SharePoint is really powerful, and it just continues to grow as Microsoft invests in it and it continues to gain acceptance. This allows all developers to write SharePoint applications with little more knowledge than HTML and JavaScript. (Okay, you do need to actually be a good developer, though.) In addition, since these APIs are growing, the amount of functionality we "need" traditional farm solutions for is shrinking.
For more information and to get started using REST for SharePoint 2013 check out:
Get started with the SharePoint 2013 REST service
To learn more about the Client Side Object Model (CSOM) look at:
How to: Complete basic operations using SharePoint 2013 client library code
The App Model is not just about SharePoint development. It's about Office 365 development. If you learn the new Office 365 APIs and the App Model, you are now equipped to develop apps not just for SharePoint, but for Exchange, Office, OneDrive, and, in the future, all applications on the platform (Yammer, Office Graph, etc.).
It's really time to come out of our holes as SharePoint developers and take a look at the big picture here. There is a plan. There is a reason. It's a pretty exciting time if you think about it.
If you just did a search online, you might think the entire development community is against the App Model. Newsflash. That's just not true.
In the past month I've sat down with two different groups of Java developers and explained the App Model to them. Do you know what their response was? Did they turn up their collective noses and say it was a bad idea? Did they swear to never use SharePoint? Did they stomp around like spoiled brats?
NO!! They thought it was a great idea! These Java developers who were grumpy about having to do SharePoint development now felt relief and excitement to know that their current skills still mattered. They were happy that they didn't have to learn .NET or some weird Server Object Model.
As much as I personally hate to admit it, the App Model does open up a world to non-SharePoint developers and many are actually excited about it.
Now of course, they are excited about the idea. Let's see how they feel after 3 months of developing in it. J
What do we make of this? What should we as developers do?
Get over yourselves. It's time to learn new skills (or in some cases dust off old ones). Time to work on a new set of templates we can copy and paste for our solutions. In fact, you can go get some App Model samples right now on codeplex at Office App Model Samples.
SharePoint is not going anywhere. In fact, it now has a much broader audience.
We can either whine and moan about the good ol' days, or we can suck it up and learn the way things are done now. Yes, we might be more replaceable now. So, let's get our hands dirty and show these youngsters how to take our knowledge of SharePoint to create the best SharePoint Apps.
It's time to grow. Time to give up the mantle of "SharePoint Developer" and work on becoming an "Office 365 Developer." (Yes, it hurt a little bit typing that.)
Now's the time to jump in. Learn the App Model from the ground up without the biases of us old crotchety SharePoint developers who yearn to deploy directly to the GAC. The skills you have right now can be immediately put to use in SharePoint. A lot of the pain and grief the rest of us had to go through are simply not there for you. You Java developers will not miss the way things used to be because it was never a reality for you. Don't let the naysayers detract you from learning a valuable and marketable skill.
Hey! Lucky for you, Microsoft's newly minted Technical Product Manager Jeremy Thake (@jthake) will be presenting a session at SharePointalooza in September: "Preparing for the Shift to the App Model."
You can also get started with the App Model online at: Overview of apps for SharePoint.
I'll make you a deal Microsoft. I'll make the effort to learn to do the things the way you want me to. I'll use the App Model. I'll try things your way (when I have time). But I have one thing to ask of you. As a developer and consultant affected by these changes, I have a plea. Don't frown upon non-SharePoint apps.
People in the real world are using SharePoint every day to get their job done. Multitudes of "That Guy" in many organizations are responsible for all of SharePoint. In many instances, they are not strong developers, but they have a job they have to do! Don't make their job harder! Allow them to continue to link to a script in a Content Editor Web Part without being shamed. Let them deploy a Sandbox solution with code so they can just get back to the thousand other things on their list. Find some way of making Timer Job functionality easy to replicate in this new world.
We understand you want us using apps, Microsoft. We get it, but we have jobs to do. Don't tie our hands and force us to jump through hoops to do something that used to take 15 minutes. If you don't want to enhance certain features going forward, fine! Leave them as they are and let us use them without scorn.
Far more real-world SharePoint developers are out there than there are academic developers who get to think of ideas but don't have to live with the consequences day in and day out. The App Model is an essential part of the SharePoint online development experience, but it should not be the only accepted development tool now or in the future.
Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's build out the App Model and Client-Side API's while still allowing the developers to get their jobs done quickly and easily and move on to their next task.
Obviously, I could go on and on about this topic. It affects me and my clients the most. The truth is, the more I examine the future and the purpose of the App Model, the more I soften up to it. Or maybe I've just been beaten into submission. Regardless, I hope you now understand where most of the negativity is coming from and realize that while things may be more difficult to develop at times. SharePoint is maturing platform. More examples will be created, processes will get streamlined. (Remember manually creating your .DDF and Manifest.xml files for SharePoint 2007?) Give the new model some time.
In many ways, this blog post is my own personal pep-talk. I've been fighting the use of the App Model. I've been one of the ones to pitch a fit. However, when you take a step back and realize there is a reason and a plan, it does make the changes easier to accept. There is just so much more to learn now.
SharePoint is definitely not dying because of the changes to development. If anything it's finally growing up.
Now that you've heard me ramble about the development "opportunities" in SharePoint 2013 and Office 365, let's talk about the next reason some may think that SharePoint is more washed up than Vanilla Ice--and I promise not to say, "Stop, collaborate, and listen."
Many people are discovering there are complications with moving to the cloud. Some just don't want to be in the cloud out of ignorance; other people have valid concerns. In the end, the cloud is where Microsoft wants you, but with many organizations vowing to never enter the cloud, some have pontificated that cloud complications may doom SharePoint.
Let's take a closer look at some of the complications and see what's really going on.
The first cloud complication is migration, and this complication has many facets.
If you currently have an on-premises installation of SharePoint and want to migrate to Office 365, you will quickly learn that if you have any custom-developed solutions, getting them on Office 365 can be costly (or impossible, in some cases).
That Visual Studio solution you wrote most likely will not work in Office 365--unless it's a sandbox solution, but even then those are frowned upon now. That third-party tool you paid for? Yeah, mostly likely it won't be there either.
What do you do? Many companies are finding a hybrid scenario is a great way to get their feet wet with Office 365 and take advantage of a lot of the Office 365 features like Exchange Online, Lync, Yammer, and OneDrive.
Hybrid for SharePoint? You mean you don't know what that is? Well, stop me and ask, please. I'm not a mind-reader.
A hybrid SharePoint scenario is where an organization has both an on-premises version of SharePoint and SharePoint online. These two services are integrated as a unified experience. It's a great way to get your feet wet with SharePoint Online and also migrate to the cloud in a staged approach.
You can find out more about hybrid SharePoint at: Hybrid for SharePoint Server 2013.
The hybrid approach can be a great scenario for your organization, because it lets you take advantage of both on-premises and cloud features. But my question is: How long will hybrid really be supported? How much longer will on-premises SharePoint truly be around? Also, how much longer will it really be advantageous to even have an on-premises SharePoint farm with more and more features being rolled out that are cloud-only?
You cannot just deploy a hybrid model, and stick your head in the sand. If you deploy a hybrid model, you also need to start to plan your all-in cloud strategy (if you intend to keep using SharePoint).
Many people are just not ready to migrate right now. Should you? The hybrid approach is a great place to start for many organizations. Start looking at your third-party and custom applications that won't migrate to the cloud and determine what your next steps are. Get started. Baby steps are okay here, but do something.
Ahh… The cloud… Many enterprise organizations simply do not want their data in the cloud. Period. They don't want to discuss it further. One of the big reasons is the fear that their data is not "safe" in the cloud. I think we have all learned by now that no matter where your data sits, if it's on a network, someone can get to it if they really want to. So is your data less secure in Office 365? .
What I do like about storing my data in Office 365 is the awesomeness that is Ft. Knox Encrypted Storage. In a nutshell, imagine uploading a file to SharePoint and SharePoint tearing the file into chunks, encrypting each chunk, and storing it in multiple geographic locations. If someone were to hack into one of these data centers, all they would have is an encoded chunk of your document without knowing where the rest is. That sounds a lot more secure than what I would have on premises.
And what happens if you suffer a catastrophic data loss? How good is your disaster recovery? How many data centers do you have? What would it take to recover? Microsoft has heavily invested in multiple data centers (the exact number is a closely guarded secret), but what are the chances of you competing with Microsoft's ability to protect your data? What are the chances of you losing your critical data now?
For more information about the security of your data in Office 365, check out The Office 365 Trust Center. And check out the Top 10 security and privacy features of Office 365:
I think as companies become more educated about the cloud, this security fear will slowly dissipate. Indeed the fear is mostly unfounded, but this is definitely a hurdle for Office 365 adoption for some organizations.
As a developer, my biggest headache with moving to Office 365 and SharePoint Online is the loss of those full trust solutions we have in our on-premises farms. If you're not in the cloud, you can easily create solutions that connect to your external business systems and surface that data in SharePoint to quickly and easily create powerful dashboards for the business users. Once you get in the cloud, however, you lose a lot of easy integration with your external business systems (at least the way you currently integrate with them).
The fundamental ways we communicate with our business systems are gone in the cloud. Those web parts and dashboards that were developed as farm solutions? Useless. SQL Server Reporting services (SSRS)? Nope. That timer Job you have that syncs data between SharePoint and your critical business system? Not going to work. Solutions will have to be rewritten. New skills will have to be learned. In some ways, we are starting over from scratch with all those critical dashboards and reports.
Should we abandon SharePoint, though? Absolutely not.
Yes, we'll have to invest some time and effort, but many options are available to us to help us integrate with our business systems. In some cases, things are even better in the cloud.
Better? Yes! Better. We may have lost some of our integration points in Office 365, but Microsoft is working on making up for that in a huge way. Just look at some of the BI functionality they have out there. By far my favorite is Power BI which is only available in Office 365. With Power BI, you create Excel workbooks with data connections to your data to create truly amazing reports. I can't imagine a business user wanting to go back to SSRS after getting their hands on it.
You can also use the aforementioned Provider Hosted Apps to create dashboards that present your business data. Another option would be to create your own Web Services that you call from within SharePoint to display the information you care about.
As you can see, although you lose some of your connectivity with your business systems, you do have several options for connecting to your business systems if you put some effort into it. It's definitely something you should take a hard look at. And this hurdle is one of the biggest reasons to consider a hybrid approach. But it should not prevent you from taking the leap and going to the cloud.
Yes, there are some possible hurdles with transitioning to the cloud. Tough decisions have to be made. Should you go all in? Should you go hybrid? Should you just hold tight and wait for a couple of years?
Well, lucky for you, the answer is "It Depends." It depends on your current needs. It depends on your future needs. Probably the biggest factor in your decision to move to the cloud is the culture of your organization. It is a culture shift. Many are hesitant because they hate change. Take this opportunity to educate those people on the benefits from moving to Office 365 (which I'll cover in an upcoming article).
All of these obstacles are surmountable if you can remove your biases and get reliable help from people who know what they are talking about. Don't be scared to move forward. Yoda said it best: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
Don't fear the cloud.
Wow, you are still here? If my Development rant didn't dissuade you reading further and my thoughts on complications with moving to the cloud didn't prevent you from viewing this article, then you must really find this topic fascinating. Either that, or my writing style is exactly what you need to cure insomnia. Regardless! In this post, we'll discuss some of the changes going on within Microsoft which may lead some to believe that SharePoint has about as much of a future as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
I've heard the rumors, I'm sure you have too. "The brand 'SharePoint' is going away." "There will not be another 'SharePoint' conference." Although I've not heard anything official, trends lead me to believe this is true.
When I attended TechEd in Houston a few weeks ago, the SharePoint people were firmly entrenched in the "Office" area on the exhibit hall floor. I would not be surprised at all if there were not another 'SharePoint Conference' and instead there was an 'Office Conference'.
In fact! Just today (7/21), Microsoft announced that indeed there would not be another "SharePoint Conference": Microsoft's unified technology event for enterprises
Still not convinced the SharePoint brand is fading? Just take a look at Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella's recent email to employees of Microsoft:
Satya Nadella's email to employees
Go ahead and read it. Now do a search for the word "SharePoint". See it in there? Let's take a closer look at the following statement from his email:
"…This transformation is well underway as we moved Office from the desktop to a service with Office 365 and our solutions from individual productivity to group productivity tools – both to the delight of our customers. We'll push forward and evolve the world-class productivity, collaboration and business process tools people know and love today, including Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Bing and Dynamics." – Satya Nadella
Look again… "Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Bing and Dynamics."
Notice something missing? SharePoint is not even mentioned!
Does this mean SharePoint is dying?? Not at all, it just means it is evolving, but I can understand some peoples' fears. Again, this is ALL conjecture and rumor. I have seen nothing official, however Dan Holme has written and excellent post on the subject: Time to Break Up the SharePoint Brand
As I stated at the beginning of this series, Jeff Teper was promoted within Microsoft to the Head of Corporate Strategy and some people are speculating that the promotion may have ominous undertones for SharePoint.
Maybe I'm just ignorant (and I have zero special insight here), but this does not sound bad to me. To me it just symbolizes SharePoint's evolution and becoming more entwined under the "Office" umbrella. Not sure this would be bad?
Change is happening, but change is not necessarily bad. Allow me to dust off my crystal ball and tell you what all these changes really mean for SharePoint and SharePoint's future.
SharePoint is CLEARLY not dying. If anything it's growing and expanding and becoming more critical to Microsoft's long term vision.
Just take look at two huge initiatives from Microsoft. Oslo and Office Apps. Now I won't go into great detail about these initiatives here (my fingers are tired from typing and I hyperlinked to them, so stop whining), but it's important to note that both of these products integrate with SharePoint. If SharePoint were dying why would two of their biggest recent technology announcements use this "dying" product?? Simple… It's not dying! It's becoming more cemented into Office and will be there for a LONG time. It's evolving into an essential glue for holding pieces of the expanding Office platform together.
So, yes, the 'SharePoint' brand is obviously fading and the promotion of Jeff Teper does point to SharePoint evolving in a different direction. But obviously SharePoint is not going anywhere. Why would Microsoft abandon a technology that is so critical to their success and future plans? Why should you? You shouldn't.
Can we all agree that SharePoint is doing just fine? I think it's pretty clear at this point that the sky is not falling. There is definitely a LOT of changing happening right now and companies need to make decisions about their move to the cloud. Developers need to learn new skills, and admins need to understand their roles in this brave new world.
What exactly do all these changes mean for your career in SharePoint?? Well, I'm glad you asked. It just so happens that Steve Smith SharePoint MVP and owner of Combined Knowledge is presenting his Keynote "SharePoint, You need to reapply for your Job" at SharePointalooza in Branson, MO on September 13th. I can't think of a person with better knowledge or insight into the subject. So, register today and come hear what Steve has to say!
No… this entire blog series was not an advertisement for SharePointalooza… I wish I were that clever.
Now that we have firmly established that SharePoint is not going anywhere, my final article in these series will answer the big question. "Should my company go to Office 365".
In my previous articles in this series, we discussed some of the fears and anxiety out there over the future of SharePoint and some of the hurdles of going to SharePoint Online / Office 365. We have established that this two billion dollar juggernaut SharePoint might be fading as a brand, but its deep entrenchment and expanding functionality ensures that SharePoint has the staying power of a bad reality star. Let's end this series by answering one final question.
Before I answer this question. Let's take a look at some of the reasons you may want to consider going to Office 365 whether you currently have SharePoint On-Premises or not currently using SharePoint at all. Also keep in mind here that for practical purposes I'm not suggesting most people consider SharePoint Online only. For the price and features it just usually makes more sense to get Office 365 which includes SharePoint Online.
People like stuff. When I come home from a conference, do you know what my kids' first reaction is? "We love you dad!" "We missed you dad!"? Nope… it's "What did you get me!". They love all the stuff I bring home from conferences. The bouncy balls, the key chains, the doo dads and gadgets. People like stuff. I like stuff, and you get a LOT of stuff with Office 365 that make it worth the expense even without SharePoint.
Just look at all the stuff you get with Office 365: SharePoint, Lync, Exchange Online, Yammer, Office, OneDrive, and more. My current organization is undergoing a transition to Office 365 as we speak and it's going to end up saving several hundred dollars a month!
Is it just me or is this feature not advertised as much as it should be? Remember the hassles, headaches, and licensing costs of adding external users to your On-Premises SharePoint environment? It could be an absolute nightmare! Well, with Office 365 you can add any user with a Live ID to both SharePoint and Yammer. How cool is that? How many doors does that open up? If you have customers who need access, it's a game changer! This feature alone should have Small and Medium businesses clamoring to use Office 365.
Let me state that again, you can allow external users access to your SharePoint Sites and take full advantage of SharePoint Security without having to pay for additional licenses or do any complicated configuration (in fact, it's a simple check box).
I know!! Right??
Microsoft is actively expanding the features of Office 365. Some of these features like Power BI and Yammer are only available in Office 365. The new products Oslo (now called Delve) and Office Apps open up new worlds to your organization and the REST and Client Side Object Model libraries are expanding allowing you to create powerful applications for your organization.
Microsoft IS listening. In fact they created a community forum called UserVoice for the sole purpose of listening to what we have to say so they can actually do something about it. This may be the first time I remember Microsoft saying "Yes, we hear you and actually want your feedback". Check out Jeremy Thake's post on the subject: BE HEARD! SHAREPOINT & OFFICE DEVELOPMENT MODEL FEEDBACK VIA USERVOICE
Will they actually listen?? With the amount of discussions… cough... arguments… I've had with Jeremy, I can tell you they are. There is reason to be hopeful.
In my personal opinion, if you are a small to medium business you should absolutely jump on the Office 365 bandwagon. The features you get for the price is just pretty astounding, and you DO get a lot of benefit from SharePoint out of the box. All of the features coupled with data security, cost savings, and removal of hardware needs really make it enticing to organizations of any size.
The development hurdles should not necessarily be an excuse not make the leap. Also, you no longer need an expensive or over-burdened administrator to keep your SharePoint farms up and running which again may more than pay for the expense. If you are an enterprise customer with an On-Premises deployment of SharePoint and frustrated with the current state? Be patient. Microsoft is listening, and believe me they don't want to lose your business. Things are getting better.
When I first started writing this series it was more to speak to the naysayers and give another opinion about the future of SharePoint. After doing the research, arguing with Jeremy some more, and taking a look the bigger picture I do have to admit I'm more optimistic than I was before and even energized to learn more and get my hands dirty.
SharePoint… errrr… Office 365 is the future. It's a bright future. Resistance is futile. As the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said "Take my hand!!!" We'll figure this out together.


text:
S k a t e L o g F o r u m
Closed in June of 2020
SKATELOG DOT COM: Web Site | Blog | Facebook |
*** The SkateLog Forum Has Been Replaced by SkateDebate Dot Com ***
NEW FORUM NAME: SkateDebate Forum
|Roller Dance and Session Skating Forum Discussions about roller dancing, jamskating, rexing, rink session skating, dance circle skating, and similar types of recreational indoor and outdoor skate dancing .
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
|December 18th, 2017, 10:52 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 266
clip on Cali style (slide)
Thinking about the continuum of wheel slide and various floors.
Found this clip.
Really small, hard wheels, wood floor, working with the slide.
It's own style.
Working with the point of slide and catch, like finless surfing or something.
But with a beat.
|December 19th, 2017, 03:31 AM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 228
This is more along the lines of what you're looking for....
We call it "open house" sliding. Filmed at the home of Open House. Flint, Michigan.
|December 19th, 2017, 08:36 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highland NY
Posts: 442
I'm really glad you posted this. I've been looking for some Mercury wheels. I LOVE SLIDING!!!
I can't find any. Does anyone know a website where I could find some Mercurys? Thanks.
|December 19th, 2017, 06:46 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 266
Definite regional variations.
Michigan: yeah likkwid, that long sideways slide was what I was thinking about initially.
That Cali style looks pretty interesting, too. I like the way it is incorporated into the roll, rather than just being a stand-alone thing like spinning.
Oicusk82huh, you probably already know it, but FoMac wheels are pretty good for sliding, (or MiniMacs if you want small wheels - from what I read - I've got a set but haven't had a place to try them out yet.)
Available online, Amazon, Skates Direct, etc.
|December 27th, 2017, 07:01 AM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 228
Fo-mac's were THE wheels used in this video, and definitely easier to come by.
|December 28th, 2017, 06:18 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lomita, Ca, work in El Segundo, CA
Posts: 980
Wow choices to me made and places to slide.
I don't think I could slide anymore and really don't have the balance to do it or the strength or guts...lol!
But in the old days when I was young...Late 60's the most common wheel was the Zephr and Floors were not plastic coated. You could slide pretty well on a Zephr Wheel. I know we had a lot of fun trying to slide, but I don't think we got the distance you guys get today.
A wheel which I think people use today is a small diameter Fiberglass wheel made by Sure Grip. I think people can slide very well using that wheel on modern day plastic coated wood floors.
A hard wheel is also the FoMac Freestyle wheel. It's one of the slickest, more conventional "hard" wheels at a cheap price. About 55 dollars.
Now, I still see Wood Wheels for sale and they are dirt cheap...less than 30 dollars, but I don't know if they are good sliders or not?????
People talk about the Mercury Wheels and I got a feeling they came a few years before the Zephr. You got to be old to know about Mercury Wheels...lol!
Good Luck!
Larry O
|January 2nd, 2018, 10:24 PM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 228
Woods and clays were by far the best, but I remember clays would get flat spots in about one session...
|January 2nd, 2018, 10:31 PM
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 228
Had a set or two of all of them lol... keep in mind, the zephyr wheels ARE the fo-Macs. They were clay, orginally made by zephyr and read: "zephyr Fo-mac".
Now sure grip makes them with the same design and formula, but they say "premier fo-mac".
The fo-mac freestyle are urethane, aren't they?
|January 3rd, 2018, 12:34 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lomita, Ca, work in El Segundo, CA
Posts: 980
I'm not sure about the Fomac Freestlye wheels.
What they are made of? I just assumed they were hard enough to slide, if you really wanted to, but I'm sure like you say....they would flat. All I know I tried a pair of /Fomac Freestyle Wheels for Freestyle/Artistic Jumps and spins and I felt they were a little bit slippery. So I guess I was guessing, not really knowing what I was talking about for sliding....lol!
I saw a new wheel in our local rink Display case/for Sale. They were called Adonis and they were the smallest diameter wheels, I have ever seem. They were 130.00 dollars and came with extra special diameter small precision bearings. I got a feeling this is another "Slider" type of wheel??????
I know one rink in SoCal that does not like sliding, but I think in our rink it is OK. At least they sell which seems to be all kinds of "Slider" type of Wheels.
I think there were all kinds of Clay wheels in the late 60's. When I came around the Zephr Wheels was common, then the wheels got a little more grippier, like the "Comet". Think there were others. I guess a non common slider wheel/ meaning not sliding was the Excaliber and I guess at some time the All American Dream would be considered a non-slider type of wheel.
Personally the slider and those type or skaters/rexers and so forth have caught my fancy so I thought about building a skate just for sliding or rexing.
I think it would be a special case of a Berry low top boot, Synder titanium Royal plate and maybe the Adonis wheels. I think that would give a pretty cool, skate for the "In" crowd...lol!/The young kids...lol!
Take Care,
Larry O and have fun skating indoors/outdoors, inlines, or quads.
|January 12th, 2018, 03:07 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 266
This has gotten me thinking about it again, too.
I actually bought a set of plates (Suregrip Century, NTS), mini Fomacs and dress shoes to build up a pair about 8 years ago.
Never ended up putting it together, my local rink is sport court tile, just wouldn't work.
But that style is really intriguing.
The thing is, you can do a lot going relatively slowly, just working with the rhythm and the grip and slide transition point.
Found this clip.
Nice variation in styles.
|April 9th, 2018, 04:48 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highland NY
Posts: 442
I was looking for this thread!
I was actually looking for this thread, but couldn't find it.
I haven't tried those super tiny wheels, but now that I got my first pair of Fo-Mac's (Harmony) I'm wondering how the two compare. The Fo-Macs have completed me!!! Lol. (I'm newer to quads, so I never knew how life-changing a set of wheels could be.)
How do those tiny wheels handle toe skating? Is it even possible?
You'd have to have a skate with no jam plug, right? NTS probably???
Anyone here have experience with them? Just curious. I just can't imagine anything better than spinning and sliding!!!!!!!!!
|April 14th, 2018, 01:25 AM
Remebering how to rex
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 106
Check out Pete's company sk8fanatics. This is the best hard fiberglass wheels we all use. They way out slide any of the above mentioned wheels.
My friends and I used to get all slidey sideways back in the 70's with fiberglass or stone wheels. We didn't know any better, but it was fun. Now it is a "thing".
Attention faster skaters, I don't skate in a straight line and I wave my arms to the music, pass with CAUTION!
|April 20th, 2018, 03:35 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 266
2Raw happening this weekend.
From another one.
Might answer the question about the toe skating. (I think). :0)
Man, I wish a was there.
Maybe next year.
(And I'll bet some of those wheels in this clip are Sk8fantatiks.)
Debra Chase has a lot of great clips on Youtube.
(Bianca Chase, too, no relation, I think.)
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Wow this thread seems like just the right place, but it doesn't seem to have been very active lately. That's a real shame - I'm always on the prowl for new discoveries.
Canamarth, have you sold your soul to Spotify yet? I did last year, it sure makes life easier (especially with a quality pair of headphones; my ancient computer don't really have speakers to speak of, but with a headset music sounds loads better)
Dir En Grey was completely new to me, had to check it out just to see what it's about. Quite interesting - judging by the two songs I've listened so far.
and Amon Amarth, I'd love to see them live! Guardians of Asgaard is my favourite [ <-- I wish I knew how to make that moshing emoticon, but eh...]


text:
Oldspeak: ""Gradual warming of the globe may not be noticed by most, but everyone – either directly or indirectly – will be affected to some degree by changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events as green-house gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere."
Scientists are already cognizant of how badly a warming Arctic impacts subsistence, for example, according to the Arctic Methane Emergency Group: "The weather extremes … are causing real problems for farmers… World food production can be expected to decline, with mass starvation inevitable. The price of food will rise inexorably, producing global unrest and making food security even more of an issue."
"The nexus between climate change, human migration, and instability constitutes … a transcendent challenge. The conjunction of these undercurrents was most recently visible during the Arab Spring, where food availability, increasing food prices, drought, and poor access to water, as well as urbanization and international migration contributed to the pressures that underpinned the political upheaval."
As for example, Syria suffered from devastating droughts in the decade leading up to its rebellion as the country's total water resources cut in half between 2002 and 2008. As a result, the drier winters hit Syria, which, at the time, was the top wheat-growing region of the eastern Mediterranean, thereby, exacerbating its crisis." -Robert Hunziker and Jack Hunziker
"Failing harvests in the US, Ukraine and other countries this year have eroded reserves to their lowest level since 1974. The US, now holds in reserve a historically low 6.5% of the maize that it expects to consume in the next year… We've not been producing as much as we are consuming. That is why stocks are being run down. Supplies are now very tight across the world and reserves are at a very low level, leaving no room for unexpected events… Global grain consumption has exceeded production in 8 of the last 13 years, leading to a drawdown in reserves. Worldwide, carryover grain stocks—the amount left in the bin when the new harvest begins—stand at 423 million tons, enough to cover 68 days of consumption. This is just 6 days more than the low that preceded the 2007–08 grain crisis, when several countries restricted exports and food riots broke out in dozens of countries because of the spike in prices…. Lester Brown, president of the Earth policy research centre in Washington, says that the climate is no longer reliable and the demands for food are growing so fast that a breakdown is inevitable, unless urgent action is taken."Food shortages undermined earlier civilisations. We are on the same path. Each country is now fending for itself. The world is living one year to the next." We are entering a new era of rising food prices and spreading hunger. Food supplies are tightening everywhere and land is becoming the most sought-after commodity as the world shifts from an age of food abundance to one of scarcity," says Brown. "The geopolitics of food is fast overshadowing the geopolitics of oil."His warnings come as the UN and world governments reported that extreme heat and drought in the US and other major food-exporting countries had hit harvests badly and sent prices spiralling. "The situation we are in is not temporary. These things will happen all the time. Climate is in a state of flux and there is no normal any more. "We are beginning a new chapter. We will see food unrest in many more places." Armed aggression is no longer the principal threat to our future. The overriding threats to this century are climate change, population growth, spreading water shortages and rising food prices," Brown says." –John Vidal, U.K. Observer.
"Look beyond the propaganda. The "Arab Spring", Unrest in Venezuela, Ukraine, and dozens of other countries on all continents are not about "freedom" and "democracy" and "people rising up against dictators". it's about food. And the shrinking availability of it as a result of Anthropogenic Climate Change. We are consuming more than we are producing and with less water available as temperatures rise and droughts and other extreme weather worsens, you can expect food production to continue to fall. With human population continuing to rise, this is a recipe for disaster. Our food production systems are unsustainable and toxic to the ecology. And they are practically certain to fail as ever rising food demands far outsize falling production. Then what?" -OSJ
By Robert Hunziker and Jack Hunziker @ Dissident Voice:
The "warming of the Arctic" could become one of the greatest catastrophes in human history, even exceeding the notoriety of Adolf Hitler and Genghis Khan. Likely, it will impact more people than the combined effect of those brutal leaders. In fact, global warming may eventually be categorized as the greatest threat of all time, even greater than the Black Death's 75-to-200 million dead, circa 1350.
The integrity of Arctic sea ice is essential to prevent the risks of (1) methane outbreak and/or (2) fierce, damaging weather throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Regrettably, the Arctic "sea ice area" registered a seasonal record low on March 10, 2014 at 12.95 million square kilometers. Whereas, 'maximum ice growth' is usually expected in March, not all-time seasonal lows immediately preceding the onset of summer.1
Extreme weather events, as a consequence of the warming Arctic, will likely wreak havoc over the entire Northern Hemisphere, causing severe droughts, freezing cold spells, and widespread flooding (some early evidence of this is already at hand.)
These combinations of extreme weather events have the potential to rival the damage of the great mythical floods. Already, Eastern Europe had a taste of extreme climate change in 2013 when a once-in-500-year flood hit hard, wiping out vast swaths of cropland.
In the future, when shortages of food and water become more commonplace because of extreme climactic change, it is probable that desperate groups of roughnecks will battle for food and water, similar to the dystopia depicted in Mad Max (Warner Bros. 1979) the story of a breakdown of society where bandit tribes battle over the last remaining droplets of petroleum.
Over time, climate change is setting the stage for worldwide wars over food & water.
Origin of Food and Water Wars
Research conducted by Jennifer Francis, PhD, Rutgers University – Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, shows that Arctic sea ice loss, with its consequent warming, impacts upper-level atmospheric circulation, radically distorting jet streams above 30,000 feet, which adversely affects weather patterns throughout the Northern Hemisphere.2
"Gradual warming of the globe may not be noticed by most, but everyone – either directly or indirectly – will be affected to some degree by changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events as green-house gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere."2
Scientists are already cognizant of how badly a warming Arctic impacts subsistence, for example, according to the Arctic Methane Emergency Group: "The weather extremes … are causing real problems for farmers… World food production can be expected to decline, with mass starvation inevitable. The price of food will rise inexorably, producing global unrest and making food security even more of an issue."3
"The nexus between climate change, human migration, and instability constitutes … a transcendent challenge. The conjunction of these undercurrents was most recently visible during the Arab Spring, where food availability, increasing food prices, drought, and poor access to water, as well as urbanization and international migration contributed to the pressures that underpinned the political upheaval."4
As for example, Syria suffered from devastating droughts in the decade leading up to its rebellion as the country's total water resources cut in half between 2002 and 2008. As a result, the drier winters hit Syria, which, at the time, was the top wheat-growing region of the eastern Mediterranean, thereby, exacerbating its crisis.
In 2009 the UN and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported that more than 800,000 Syrians lost their entire means of livelihood because of drought.5
In the recent past, ferocious weather conditions have struck all across the planet, for example: a once every 500-year flood in Eastern Europe, a once in 50-year drought in the U.S. Midwest, the worst drought in 200 years in China, affecting more people than the entire population of North America; the worst flooding in Pakistan in 100 years (a continuous deluge lasting for over a month); the most costly flash flood damage in Canada's modern history; Syria's drought has been classified as the worst in the history of the Fertile Crescent while Brazil is experiencing it's worst drought in decades, the list goes on, and on, and on.
Merciless weather is lashing out with torrential storms and embedded droughts like never before. No other period of time in modern history comes close.
The reason behind the weather dilemma has everything to do with global warming in the Arctic, which is warming 2-3 times faster than elsewhere on the planet. In turn, the Arctic, which serves as the thermostat for the entire Northern Hemisphere, is disrupting the jet streams, which, as a result, influences weather patterns throughout the hemisphere, causing droughts and torrential storms to become "embedded or stalled" for long duration, e.g., Colorado's torrential downpour and massive flooding in 2013, which was as fierce as superabundant coastal tropical storms but not at all like mid-latitude, middle America storms.
History Repeats
Once food and water shortages become widespread as a result of a more extreme and unpredictable climate behavior, it is highly probable that people all across the planet will become so disgusted and distraught that they'll be looking for blood.
In that regard, history shows that, during such times, desperation overrides prudence. Therefore, hiding behind security gates and armed troops won't make a difference, similar to the late 18th century French Revolution when masses of citizens used pitchforks, stones, and sticks to overwhelm the king's formidable armed forces. At the time, France was one of the mightiest forces in the world, but like toy soldiers, its army fell at the hands of its own citizens.
In the end, civilizations cannot, and have not, survived the forces of desperation born of starvation.
In the case of Paris, two years of poor grain harvests because of bad weather conditions set the stage for revolution. On June 21, 1791 the king, queen, and their attendants fled their Paris residences, whisked away in carriages, as masses of enraged, starving protestors swarmed the city streets.
The forewarnings had been there years beforehand. On August 20, 1986 Finance Minister Calonne informed King Louis XVI that the royal finances were insolvent (because of costly foreign wars- like the U.S. today) Hard times hit (also similar to U.S. today) Six months later the First Assembly of Notables met, resisting imposition of taxes and fiscal reforms (similar to the U.S. right wing today) It was nearly three years later April 27th, 1789 when the Reveillon Riot in Paris, caused by low wages (like U.S. wages today, Wal-Mart, McDonalds) and food shortages (not in U.S. yet), led to 25 deaths by troops.
Thereafter, the public's anger grew to a fever pitch. On July the 14th rioters stormed the most notorious jail for political prisoners in all of France, the Bastille. By July 17th the "Great Fear" had begun to taken command of the streets as the peasantry revolted against their socio-economic system.
One of their prime targets was Queen Marie Antoinette, the Dauphin of the world's most powerful monarchy, whose last spoken words were delivered to Henri Sanson, her executioner, as she accidentally stepped on his foot upon climbing the steps of the scaffold: "Monsieur, I ask your pardon. I did not do it on purpose," before losing her head in front of tens of thousands of cheering Parisians, screaming "Vive la Nation!"
Flash forward in time into the future, and imagine the backlash in the country if food shortages hit America because of the failure of the government to set policies to convert fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. As such, the US could have led the entire world to conversion to renewable sources of energy. As things stand, it is a "missed opportunity."
In stark contrast to America's reluctance, Scotland's energy sources are already 40% renewables and will be 100% by 2020.
Food and Civil Disturbances
According to a landmark study, "Food insecurity is both cause and a consequence of political violence." Henk-Jan Brinkman and Cullen S. Hendrix, Food Insecurity and Conflict, The World Development Report 2011.
The link between high grain prices and riots is well established. For example, according to The Economist magazine (December 2007), when high grain prices sparked riots in 48 countries, the magazine's food- price index was at its highest point since originating in 1845.
As for a more current situation, the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 brought political and economic issues to the forefront, but behind the scenes, climate stress played a big role.
According to Marco Lagif of the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI) in Technology Review, MIT, August 2011, the single factor that triggers riots around the world is the price of food. The evidence comes from data gathered by the United Nations that plots the price of food against time, the so-called Food Price Index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
On December 13, 2011, four days before Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Tunisia, sparking the Arab Spring riots, NECSI contacted the U.S. government, warning that global food prices were about to cross the tipping point when almost anything can trigger riots.
Accordingly, the NECSI study was presented, by invitation, at the World Economic Forum in Davos and was featured as one of the top ten discoveries in science in 2011 by Wired magazine.
"Definitely, it is one of the causes of the Arab Spring," says Shenggen Fan, director-general of the International Food Policy Research Institute. As well, it is increasingly clear that the climate models that predicted the countries surrounding the Mediterranean would start to dry out are correct.6
As for Syria, it is a prime example of the drama of changing climatic conditions and the consequences. The country's farmlands north and east of the Euphrates River constitute the breadbasket of the Middle East. Unfortunately, up to 60 percent of Syria's land experienced one of the worst droughts on record from 2006-11.
In Syria's northeast and the south, nearly 75 percent suffered total crop failure. Herders in the northeast lost 85 percent of their livestock. According to the UN, 800,000 Syrians had their livelihoods totally wiped out, moving to the cities to find work or to refugee camps, similar to what happened in Paris in the late 18th century.
Furthermore, the drought pushed three million Syrians into extreme poverty. According to Abeer Etefa of the World Food Program, "Food inflation in Syria remains the main issue for citizens," eerily similar to what occurred in France in the late 18th century just prior to it's revolution.
The French Revolution Redux, in America?
As countries like the United States hastily continue their pursuit of policies dedicated to 'energy independence' by fracking, using extreme pressure to force toxic chemicals underground to suck up every last remnant of oil and gas, the warming of the Arctic is elevated, and the jet streams become more distorted, resulting in extremely harsh, deadly and unpredictable weather systems, pummeling the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Eventually, the outcome leads to shortages of food, and like a flashback of 18th century France, people starve or fight.
- Source: NSIDC, National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO. [↩]
- Jennifer A. Francis and Stephen J. Vavrus, Evidence Linking Arctic Amplification to Extreme Weather in Mid-Latitudes, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 39, L06801, 17 March 2012. [↩] [↩]
- Source: Arctic Methane Emergency Group. [↩]
- Michael Werz and Max Hofman, Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict, The Arab Spring and Climate Change, Climate and Security Correlations Series, Feb. 2013. [↩]
- Robert F. Worth, Earth is Parched Where Syrian Farms Thrived, New York Times, Oct. 13, 2010. [↩]
- "Human-Caused Climate Change Already a Major Factor in more Frequent Mediterranean Droughts," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, October 27, 2011. [↩]
Robert Hunziker (MA in economic history at DePaul University, Chicago) is a former hedge fund manager and now a professional independent negotiator for worldwide commodity actual transactions and a freelance writer for progressive publications as well as business journals. He can be contacted at: email@example.com. Jack Hunziker is a composer and critic of music. He attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica and is an on-and-off student at UCLA. Read other articles by Robert Hunziker and Jack Hunziker.


text:
Size: Lucas has very impressive size for an offensive tackle as he is listed at 6'8", 328 pounds. He has very long arms and certainly looks the part from a length standpoint, but he needs to gain noticeable weight in his lower half to continue to improve his anchor and give him a chance to generate better movement in the run game when blocking 1 on 1.
Athleticism: For such a huge man Lucas is a pretty impressive athlete. He rarely has issues getting to the second level, he can take away a defensive end's speed rush off the edge, and he looks like he has the lateral agility to stick at left tackle in the NFL to me. He's not an elite level athlete, and he probably won't run that well in the 40 yard dash, but he looks the part of a NFL tackle to me.
Technique: This is one part of Lucas' game that needs work in my opinion. His hand placement needs noticeable work and I think he got away with a number of pretty egregious holds in the games that I watched of him. He lets his hands get too far outside both in the run and pass game, and I think he needs to improve that before he will be a quality starter at the NFL level. There are times he bends at the waist which is concerning, but what is more concerning is how high he plays consistently. He regularly stands straight up when attempting to run block and while he is going to struggle naturally with pad level due to his height he rarely seems to bend his knees and attempt to win the leverage battle. He is also very rarely in a true 3 point stance, and I think operating out of the two point stance aids him in pass protection. When he is in the 3 point stance he tends to more or less stand straight up out of the stance whether he is run or pass blocking.
Pass Protection: This is the strongest part of Lucas' game in my estimation. As I mentioned previously he has the athleticism, even at his mammoth size, to take away edge rushes from defensive ends. His length certainly aids him here and he does a good job getting out of his stance into his kick slide and not over-committing to stopping the speed rush very often. He struggles at times with power moves and bull rushes because of his issues with leverage and pad level though. He needs to get stronger so he can anchor and recover better, but if he doesn't improve his pad level and work on bending his knees as he absorbs contact it won't matter how strong he gets; he will still struggle to absorb bull rushes, anchor and recover. He showed the ability to recover when defenders got him off balance though which I was encouraged by. He's not a quick-twitch athlete, but he showed that he could mirror defenders pretty effectively. He doesn't show much of an initial punch to shock the defender, and I want to see him work on replacing his hands when they are slapped away by a pass rusher trying to avoid being engaged. He has plenty of upside in this phase of the game, he just needs coaching.
Run Blocking: This is the aspect of Lucas' game that drives me up the wall. Despite his massive size and length he is extremely passive in this area of the game. He struggles with pad level and leverage in the run game much like he does in the pass game, only here it is even more pronounced. He rarely generates movement off the snap, he regularly stands straight up as he's attempting to run block, and doesn't play with any nastiness or tenacity in this phase of the game. He doesn't consistently block to the whistle, he doesn't finish blocks the way I would like him to, and he seems content with temporarily getting in the way with a wall off block, a reach block, or a combo block where he gets to the second level. He does get to the second level and engage linebackers consistently well, but he leaves a lot to be desired in his 1 on 1 run blocking against defensive ends (even those significantly lighter than he is). I don't think he's ever going to be a good drive blocker, and therefore he is going to be best in an offense that utilizes zone blocking concepts consistently. He has the athleticism to perform them all, he just hasn't quite gotten the hang of the cut block yet. One of the parts of his game he really needs to improve on is short yardage. Those are the situations in which his "gentle giant" tendencies are most obvious. He doesn't fire off the ball, he doesn't win the leverage battle, and he doesn't generate any push, which leads to his defender ending up in the backfield more often than not. From what I could see it looked like Kansas State rarely ran behind him when they really needed the yardage, and I don't blame them. He has the size and length to be an effective run blocker, but he's very far away from that at this point in his development. He needs significant coaching and technique work in this area.
Overall: Lucas is a difficult prospect for me to pinpoint exactly. He has all the size, length and athleticism you could ask for in a tackle as large as he is (and his height is almost a detriment at 6'8" or so) but he doesn't have the strength or tenacity that I value in offensive linemen. I think he's going to be an effective pass blocker at the next level with continued coaching, but it does concern me that he spends so much time in the 2 point stance and doesn't seem overly comfortable coming out of a 3 point stance. That can be coached, but it's something that gave me pause when watching him. The problem area is really his run blocking which I don't think will ever get significantly better than it is now. He can effectively wall off and seal his man now, he can get to the second level to get a hat on a linebacker, he can double team with his guard or his tight end, and he can block down on a defensive tackle and seal him. He's never going to be a good drive blocker who can generate push off the ball and unless his line coach can really light a fire under him I don't think he's going to consistently block to the whistle and make it a point to take his man out of the play each snap. He has that potential, but it has been almost completely unrealized at this point. He's definitely a guy who needs some development, and it seems like Kansas State has found ways to gloss over some of his shortcomings (putting him in a 2 point stance and rarely asking him to drive block) but they will be on full display at the next level. He needs to start working to correct them.
Projection: 3rd-4th round. As much as I think he has significant upside as a pass protector his run blocking tanks his grade for me. There's plenty of talent to work with here, but he needs significant coaching up. He's worth a look on Day 2 and definitely on Day 3, but without significant improvement as a senior I don't think he's going to be drafted in the first two rounds.


text:
Pearls and a single bow embellish the tops of these floral elastic band sandals. Rimmed with rhinestones around top edges.
All orders are delivered between 8-15 business days from placement.
It will take 2-3 business days (excluding US Holidays) to process your order. After your order is processed, you will receive a shipment notification email. All in-stock items will ship approximately within 3-4 business days from the day you order them.
There is no shipping services on any major US holiday.
- New Year's Day
- Memorial Day
- July 4th
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day & Day After Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
Please Note: Some of our items ship from overseas, which means you may have an order which ships in multiple pieces in order to get your order delivered as quick as possible.
Currently we only ship our orders to United States and its territories.
You can return most new, unopened items within 14 days of delivery for a full refund with no restocking fees. More details.


text:
I love writing historical romance; it's what I know! I love researching almost as much as writing. My problem is knowing when to stop researching and get busy putting word to page. Everything of a historical nature is so fascinating to me it's hard to cut myself off. 🙂 When I'm reading someone else's work and they use a word or object that isn't true to the time, it pulls me out of the story quicker than someone yelling "free chocolate!"
6 thoughts on "Write What You Know"
I get it, Lis'Anne. It's almost as bad as researching FBI procedure and DOJ protocols for a modern-day suspense. Trying to write something plausible and interesting without relying on the textbook aspect of the "official" government websites is tough, so that leads to weeding though a lot of political mudslinging. And whose side to believe?
I usually just take a few "facts" and run with them. After all, if it's on the internet, it must be true, right?
Now get your nose out of that book – you've got words to WRITE today! 🙂