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Its fitting that the Jolt deliberations took place this year during the Academy Awards, since for many corporate developers our highly-coveted Jolt Award ranks right up there with the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
The competing love and war themes in the Oscar nominations this year between the popular romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love and the more serious war dramas paralleled a similar split in this years Jolt nominations. Repelled no doubt by browser wars and the war room marketshare mentality of many development tool vendors, our judges were in the mood to tell the industry to lighten up; that there is a more natural, open, fun, and productive way to develop software, typified by the open source software movement.
Several tools that garnered Jolt Awards this year adhered to the open source software principle of posting source codethe nuts and bolts of most software programson the Internet, so that anyone could freely study, tinker with, and improve it. Red Hat Software, a Productivity Award winner last year, took home the Jolt this year for its distribution of Red Hat Linux, an open source, UNIX-like operating system. Corels WordPerfect for Linux, a primary business application for the Linux platform, made the short list of Jolt finalists. The release of the Communicator/Mozilla browser source code from Netscape Communications earned a Productivity Award this year for giving the open source movement a huge dose of credibility. (To get a real feel for open source software, read Eric Raymonds manifesto The Cathedral and the Bazaar at www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar).
Although naysayers accuse open source software of being an anarchic process that can result in millions of copies of dubious-quality software, this years Utility and Deployment Tools Jolt Award indicates how focused and consistent the judges felt an open source development process could be. In an unusual tie, the judges gave one of two Jolt Awards in this category to the Apache Web Server from the Apache Group, currently used by more than 50% of web servers. The fact that Apache ended up with the same number of votes as one of the judges perennial favorites, Compuware NuMegas DevPartner Studio, is high praise indeed.
|The Jolt Categories
Vendors, judges, and readers nominated a record 308 products for Jolts this year. From this group, the judges selected 40 finalists in all product categories and evaluated these products to select our winners. The Jolt Award-winning products all made the difficult task of developing corporate software easier, faster, more efficient, or more precise. As such, they jolted the industry with their significance and brought a jolt of productivity to software development managers and their teams.
Software Development honors products in six categories: languages and development environments; design and management tools; utilities and deployment tools; books and computer-based training; libraries, frameworks, and components; and special/other (for products that defy the preceding categories). One product in each category receives the Jolt Award, while the three runners up receive the Software Development Productivity Award.
|The Judges
The Software Development Jolt and Productivity Awards wouldnt take place each year without our well-respected panel of judges, drawn from the contributors of Software Development magazine. In alphabetical order, the 1999 judges were:
|The Jolt Hall of Fame
Products that consistently show serious content improvement, release after release, are contenders for our Jolt Hall of Fame Award. Unlike the other award categories, the Jolt Hall of Fame Award is reserved for products that have received Jolts so many times in the past that we feel special recognition is due. Unlike last year when Microsofts Visual Basic was inducted after a long and furious debate, the judges chose this years Hall of Fame Award winner, Visio from Visio Corp., much more easily. In recognizing both the importance of a design tool like Visio and the open source software movement, its conceivable our 10th Annual Jolt Awards next spring may need a new category for open design software. Stay tuned.
Roger Smith
|The Awards
|Languages and Development Enviornments
|Utilities and Deployment Tools
|Books and Computer-Based Training
|Design and Management Tools
|Libraries, Frameworks, and Components
|Hall of Fame
Languages and Development Environments
Jolt Award
Java 2 (JDK 1.2)
Sun Microsystems
Java has continued to jolt our industry since its public debut in May 1995. Java proponents have made some incredibly large claims, and for the most part, Java has delivered on them. Impressive at first, Javas initial support for cross-platform portability and secure applets that you could download across the Internet was more than enough to justify adopting it, but with Java 2 (née JDK 1.2) the environment has become even more impressive.
One of Javas biggest weaknesses from the start was its approach to user interface development. The abstract windowing toolkit (AWT), although designed to support cross-platform portability, was minimal at best and clunky at worst. But with the new Java Foundation Classes (JFC), also known as Swing, Java 2 is truly a platform you can use to develop robust application software. Java 2s continued support for Java Beans provides developers with a standard approach for developing plug-and-play software components that they can reuse in many applications.
Java 2 isnt about bashing Microsoft (thats just gravy), it isnt about bashing C++ (more gravy), and it isnt about replacing legacy technology that has outlasted its usefulness (Sun really should have called the language Gravy). Java 2 is a proven development language that lets you build software with all the qualities your organization demands: software that is easy to maintain and enhance; that is robust and easy to use; that you can operate on a variety of platforms; that you can easily port to new platforms as they evolve and change over time; and most important, software that stands the test of time. Java 2 is more than just a programming language, it is a key enabler for software engineering. Scott Ambler
Productivity Awards
Inprise Corp.
Inprises recent tool releases made a solid commitment to the CORBA standard, and the latest JBuilder release is a prime example. Besides strong CORBA support, this RAD Java development environment also sports a GUI that feels a lot like a browser and provides outstanding functionality for creating user interfaces and components, editing and debugging source code, running applications, and reading online help. It includes many useful beans including JFC/Swing and dbSwing JavaBean components that let you be productive right away. JBuilder is an excellent choice for creating pure Java applications. Andy Barnhart
VisualAge for Java
IBM Corp.
IBMs VisualAge for Java is the leader in the new breed of sophisticated, team-oriented Java IDEs aimed at enterprise development. On large Java projects, using just one of the many great visual Java environments, such as Visual Café, to quickly drag and drop Java components into working applets, is not enough. VisualAge for Java provides the highly visual, component-based development environment and easy enterprise data access that Java developers expect, along with team development features such as a repository and a project management interface. The hardware requirements are steep, but this product isnt designed for the weekend hackerVisualAge for Java is the tool for teams that are serious about server- and client-side Java development. Chris Minnick
Visual Café
Symantec Corp.
Visual Café has always been my first choice as a Java development environment, and the latest version continues to impress me. The code generation wizards save even seasoned veterans substantial time, while providing an excellent way for new developers to quickly create functionality and learn the language. The development environment makes Windows developers feel right at home with outstanding database support and a first-rate selection of components. This is an excellent RAD tool for building applets and applications, with support for Wintel binaries as well as Java classes for deployment. Andy Barnhart
Utilities and Deployment Tools
Jolt Award
Apache Web Server
The Apache Group
By taking on Microsofts Internet Information Server and Netscapes Enterprise Serverand, actually winningthe Apache Project demonstrated that billion-dollar software giants cant necessarily develop a better product than a small number of enthusiastic programmers. And by being an extensible, yet very stable HTTP server, Apache has inspired additional products, ranging from the commercially available Red Hats Secure Web Server, a supported version of Apache with built-in encryption, to any number of customized versions and add-ins developed for in-house usage.
In other words, Apache has become more than just a server applicationits become a platform. Think of itApache, an open source platform, running on Linux, an open source operating system, running on standard high-volume (for example, Intel x86-based) hardware. Cant get much more open than that!
Where it countsrunning HTTP pages for weeks on end, without a hiccupApache has what it takes to compete with the biggest commercial packages. And if that hasnt jolted the industry, nothing can. Alan Zeichick
DevPartner Studio
Compuware NuMega
DevPartner Studio can help you produce better application code without requiring you to change the way you work (much). You just add a step or two that pays off in more time saved than spent. DevPartner helps you locate and eliminate problems in your codeit checks Visual Basic code for Year 2000 problems, version specific bugs or behaviors, potential performance problems, or standard compliance. It can also find run-time errorspassing BoundsChecker testing has long been a standard of quality that all Windows C++ applications should pass before release. More recent, SmartCheck has provided the same functionality for Visual Basic.
DevPartner Studio includes about a dozen applications. Beyond what I have mentioned here, it also includes one of the best low-level debuggers for Windows. I consider DevPartner Studio a must have if you want to produce high-quality Windows applications. Andy Barnhart
Productivity Awards
InstallShield Professional
InstallShield Software
InstallShield makes preparing for deployment of a Windows application easy. You merely need to specify the requirements for a successful installation as granular as you like: baseline software requirements, preferred directories, dependencies, optional components, and InstallShield generates the installation scripts and provides a GUI. It even contains tools for deinstallation, including run-time change logging and the deinstallation interface. InstallShield doesnt take all the work out of deploymentyou still have to script and test. But, the products price more than offsets the time and expertise needed to develop a bulletproof deployment process. Alan Zeichick
Communicator/Mozilla Open Source Code
Netscape Communications
By releasing the source code for much of its browser technology, Netscape became the largest and most visible company to embrace the open source philosophy. Sure, it didnt invent the concept, but by ostensibly giving away one of its crown jewels, it did more than resuscitate the browser wars. It provided a way for outside developers to feel like part of the Netscape teamsomething closed source code can never do. Further, it provided an invaluable learning tool for many programmers, who could now examine the Mozilla source to learn how a browsers myriad components function. For the educational aspects, if for nothing else, Netscape aided the productivity for the software development community.Alan Zeichick
Allaire Corp.
In the beginning, there were no HTML editors. Then, there were dozens. As time went by, more and more web professionals turned to HomeSite. When other web editors were little more than Notepad with a tag toolbar, HomeSite quickly incorporated user feedback to build exactly the editor that web designers wanted. The edit window is fast and uses distinct color coding for HTML, cascading style sheets, JavaScript, VBScript, and Perl. You can easily customize and enhance HomeSite using wizards and tag editors built with the Visual Tools Markup Language.Dana Cline
Books and Computer-Based Training
Jolt Award
Component SoftwareBeyond Object-Oriented Programming
by Clemens Szyperski
published by Addison Wesley
Objects are tired, components are wired. Whether we like it or not, in most situations object-oriented programming has not succeeded in fostering code reuse, except in the most limited way. The trend toward reusable software components tries to address that problem, by defining functional interfaces between objects that make sure that a component will be reused than would, say, an object class.
But as with all new buzzwords, components represent a steep learning curve. The quickest and most painless way to climb Component Hill is by reading Clemens Szyperskis Component Software: Beyond Object-Oriented Programming. The book is very readable, yet leaves no stones unturned as Szyperski presents a thorough view of why component-based development is the best hope for handling increasingly complex development projects.
Component Software provides a solid theoretical underpinning and then becomes quite practical, discussing the current instantiations of the Object Management Groups CORBA and OMA, Microsofts DCOM, OLE, and ActiveX, and Suns Java, and JavaBeans approaches to component technology.
Ten years from now, Component Software will be considered the essential encapsulation of the field. Although no new ground was broken, Szyperski pulled component concepts together and packaged them in a digestible format thatll give programmers and development managers an introduction to the topic, as well as a standard vocabulary for discussing the component revolution. If youre looking for one definitive resource to get up to speed quickly on component technologies, this is it.Alan Zeichick
Productivity Awards
AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis
by William Brown, Raphael Malveau, Hays McCormick, and Thomas Mowbray
published by John Wiley and Sons
Do you learn more from studying successes or failures? The theory behind antipatterns is that the patterns of failure are as clearly definable and repeatable as patterns of success. Once you can identify the antipatterns in your software development project, you can use well-understood best practices to prevent them. Theres no doubt that AntiPatterns is worth reading and discussing by all development team members. Alan Zeichick
Software Architecture in Practice
by Len Bass, Paul Clements, Rick Kazman, and Ken Bass
published by Addison Wesley Longman
There are people who say theyve done software architecture and there are the people who actually have, and these authors definitely are successful software architects. The authors real-world experience comes through in this well-written text, and although it is 452 pages, I can safely say that once you pick it up youll have difficulty putting it down. The book promotes several key philosophies that lead to success: software architecture should be guided by your organizations needs; software architecture is key to your organizations success; and software architecture is both a project-level and a cross-project concern. If you are serious about software development, then this book is a must read.Scott Ambler
Thinking in Java
by Bruce Eckel
published by Prentice Hall
Bruce Eckel does it again! Three years ago his Thinking in C++ won the Jolt Award in the book category. Now, applying the same exciting expository methods and skills to Java, Eckel richly deserves a Jolt Productivity Award in a highly contested category. Of the billions of Java texts now available, this is my choice for the Thinker, and a welcome blow to those annoying Dummies titles. Seeking one phrase to sum up the many merits of Eckels style: a patient, honest, reader-respecting optimism.Stan Kelly-Bootle
Jolt Award
Object International
Together/J is an excellent modeling CASE tool for Java developers. Its written in Javaa key factor behind its ability to support the needs of real-world Java developers. The fact that Peter Coad, an object guru, has driven Together/Js development explains why it also meets the needs of real-world object modelers. Its support for language-specific features, such as inner classes and Java Beans, puts it miles ahead of other CASE tools that merely support the Java-language syntax.
One of Together/Js strengths is its support for round-trip engineeringto both generate and reverse-engineer Java code. Many other CASE tools claim to do this, but Together/J shows them how its really done. While you model your classes, you can watch Together/J write the source code for you, creating fields and operations on the fly and inserting appropriate Javadoc comments that promote the reverse-engineering of code later. The comments are straightforwardunlike the secret codes favored by other toolswhich you can even write yourself. Further, its easy to import existing Java source code into your Together/J models. In short, round-trip engineering actually works.
Together/J 3.0s support for key UML 1.3 diagrams (class, use case, sequence, collaboration, state, component, deployment, and business process), patterns, and Java-specific language features make it a valuable addition to your Java development toolset. In fact, for those of you still trying to convince senior managers that you can use Java to develop mission-critical applications, you should show them Together/J as an example of a complex application written in Java. The proof is in the pudding.Scott Ambler
Productivity Awards
Technology Builders Inc.
Complex projects demand sophisticated requirements management, and Caliber-RM is there to help. It leads commercial requirements management tools in usability, using an Explorer-like display to access a hierarchical requirements tree. Caliber-RM lets you define a variety of attributes about each requirement, define and manage traceability links among requirements and other system elements, and manage versions and changes to requirements. Access control mechanisms, threaded discussions, and e-mails of requirements changes keep your team members communicating about requirements issues. An extensible architecture that connects Caliber-RM to other development tools gives it a solid future growth path.Karl Wiegers
ESTIMATE Professional
Software Productivity Centre
Estimate Professional brings data-based project estimation into a price range thats accessible to all software developers. Use a wizard to define some of your projects characteristics, and Estimate Professional will display a range of planning options and an optimum balance of effort and schedule. What-if scenarios let you adjust the estimated size or other parameters to see a new range of planning options. Estimate Professional combines algorithms derived from many different projects with statistical simulation to generate a range of estimates with different probabilities for a project. Use these estimated outcomes to stay out of the impossible region and plan your project for success. Karl Wiegers
Rational Rose
Rational Software
As the pace of development accelerates, Rational Rose (the industry standard modeling tool from the inventors of the Unified Modeling Language) is improving communication and streamlining design decisions by giving analysts, architects, and software engineering teams a new, visual vocabulary. Depending on your background, the UML blueprint language may not be the easiest language to learn, but it offers a great improvement in mapping business processes to a more understandable software architecture. For developers working in heterogeneous environments, the newest version of Rose offers better support for the CORBA object bus, including an improved Interface Definition Language (IDL) and UML mapping that simplifies reverse-engineering of IDL. Roger Smith
Libraries, Frameworks, and Components
Jolt Award
Voyager Core Technology
ObjectSpace Inc.
Voyager is a distributed programming mechanisms library for Java that you should be using to develop distributed applications. If you are not currently using Java, Voyager might convince you to switch languages. Its also a good tool to learn distributed programming without getting into the gritty details of communication programming. You will learn not just object-oriented but distributed object-oriented programming. It currently supports CORBA communication, including an Object Request Broker, and Javas Remote Method Invocation (RMI). ObjectSpace promises to support DCOM, Enterprise Java Beans, and Jini soon.
Voyager takes care of your programs communications by letting you quickly convert an existing Java program into a distributed program. First, set up a virtual machine on each machine you want to use by executing a single command on each machines command line, then change your Java new statements to Voyager Factory.create() statements that specify which virtual machine to run on. Now run your program and watch Voyager take care of all the communications.
Voyager really shines when it comes to sophisticated distributed applications that need to grow, shrink, and evolve over time, with little or no downtime. Voyager supplies multicasting and publish/subscribe mechanisms for communicating with an objects group, whose membership is ever-changing. Voyagers mobile agent and dynamic aggregation mechanisms are invaluable for performance tuning and for modifying an objects behavior during run time. Together all these mechanisms make it possible for you to spend more time designing and tuning your application and less time debugging those low-level, difficult communication bugs.
Voyager has spread quickly and is now being used by thousands of developers for both Internet and intranet applications. You can download the freeware version from www.objectspace.com or purchase a fully supported commercial version. It will change the way you think about distributed programming!
Hugh Bawtree
Productivity Awards
MapInfo Software
Business mappingdisplaying, querying, and analyzing business data dynamically using geographic information system (GIS) toolsis powerful technology that can help business analysts understand the underlying patterns, trends, and geographic correlation in apparently unconnected data. Unlike other GIS solutions that you may have difficulty justifying from a price and performance standpoint, MapX lets you quickly and easily embed mapping power into software applications using standard programming languages. Once you customize the MapInfo MapX object, you can reuse and deploy the code across multiple applications, including Microsoft Excel. MapInfo is the developer of the Microsoft Map in Excel, which also uses MapInfos map file type.Roger Smith
Objective Toolkit Pro
Rogue Wave/Stingray
The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) provide a nice framework for creating C++ applications for Windows, but a number of advanced features lack support. Stingray Softwares Objective Toolkit helps to address many of these deficiencies. It sits atop MFC and extends it to allow interfaces, such as docking and floating windows (similar to Visual Studios look and feel), and toolbars that users can customize. The classes are easy to add to existing applications, and easy to support in new ones. Full source code and comprehensive help are provided. Andy Barnhart
Sax Basic Engine
Sax Software
Adding Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) support to your application can be difficult and expensive. ActiveScripting is free and easier, but provides much less functionality. SaxBasic fills the void between these two extremes by providing a Visual Basic development and deployment environment that is syntactically compatible with VBA, provides an excellent editor, debugger, and object browser, yet is inexpensive and relatively simple to use. Support is provided through an ActiveX control or directly from the DLL (an MFC wrapper is also included). You can provide your users with an IDE for development, or simply use the engine to deploy extensions. The thorough documentation, samples for most supported tools, and a great support forum guide you as you implement scripting in your application. Andy Barnhart
Jolt Award
Red Hat Linux
Red Hat Software
If Linux is to make serious inroads into the business community, two major issues must be addressed: installation and support. Red Hat seems to be on a mission to resolve these to the corporate worlds satisfaction.
Installing Red Hat Linux on a PC is rather straightforward; it includes a CD and a diskette as an alternative to the CD. You then proceed through a series of text-based windows, selecting options and answering questions, and Linux is soon installed. This is still not for everyone; some of the installation questions are quite technical, and operations such as disk partitioning shouldnt be performed by all users. But Red Hat also provides support for automated installations, so technical staff can install for multiple users quickly on several similar machines.
The installation story doesnt stop here. Most Linux software is distributed in TAR format (often also compressed with GZ). For many system or product installations, several complex command lines have to be entered in an exact sequence, which can be daunting. For these installations, Red Hat created the Red Hat Package Manager and its RPM file format where all necessary files and information can be put in a single package that you can install or uninstall with a simple point-and-click.
Red Hat is committed to getting you up and running with e-mail or fax support for the first 30 days. After that, answers are easy to come by through Red Hats web site or various newsgroups. Corporate accounts can purchase additional support on a time or incident basis. Red Hat continually strives to support more hardware options and makes new drivers and updates available to users via download. By any standard, Red Hats Linux installation and support are ready for the corporate mainstream. Andy Barnhart
Productivity Awards
Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN)
Microsoft Corp.
Unless youre living in a bubble on the moonor in a 100% pure UNIX, Macintosh, OS/2, or Amiga shopMicrosoft plays a central role in your life. The Microsoft Developer Network, or MSDN, provides key advantages to anyone developing software for a Microsoft platform or using Microsoft tools. The CD-ROMs include domestic and internal versions of operating systems, applications, tools, patches, and updates; for that alone MSDN is worth the subscription price. But when you add the msdn.microsoft.com and www.microsoft.com/sitebuilder web sites, the conferences, printed and e-mail newsletters, user groups, and documentation, MSDN is one of two subscriptions (the other is Software Development, of course) that a development teams library must maintain to keep up-to-date.Alan Zeichick
Sun Developer Essentials
Sun Microsystems Inc.
At last, Solaris and Java developers have the same kind of subscription service Microsoft Developers have enjoyed for years. Suns Developers Essentials, hailed as Suns answer to the ever-popular MSDN subscription, provides Java and Solaris developers with the tools, APIs, software, and quarterly upgrades they need to develop applications with Sun and Java technologies. Developers have three subscription options to choose from: the Foundation Edition for beginning Java developers; the Professional Edition for Solaris and Wintel developers working in client/server environments; and the Enterprise Edition for developers creating large-scale, cross-platform enterprise applications. If you and your team want to be productive in Java, this is the essential subscription for you. Barbara Hanscome
Dragon NaturallySpeaking Mobile
Dragon Systems Inc.
Speech recognition and dictation technology is finally moving past the wow, this actually works stage into the this is actually useful stage. The limiting factors have always been the awkward headset microphone and unreliable software that forced you to talk unnaturally. Dragon NaturallySpeaking removed the requirement to talk slowly and in monotone, and in 1998, Dragon Systems released Dragon NaturallySpeaking Mobile, which includes a nifty Tricorder-like digital recorder that can record up to 40 minutes of speech. Anyone who isnt always sitting in front of a computer will instantly see the benefit of recording ideas, memos, and code documentation for transcription by your computer later.Chris Minnick
Visio Corp.
I cant remember the last time I walked into an organization that wasnt using Visio to model one or more key aspects of their business. Visio is a diagramming tool that lets you draw simple to complex diagrams, and model everything from a business process to the network configuration depicting your organizations computer hardware topology. Visio is based on a stencil paradigm (remember the plastic stencils you used as a child to trace common shapes into your drawings?) that lets it support a wide range of common diagrams such as business process, network, software, and organization charts.
Software developers have typically used Visio to cover for the missing diagrams that their CASE tools didnt support. In its capacity as a good, all-around IT tool for network design and software engineering, Visio has previously won both Jolt and Productivity Awards. In its most recent release, Visio 5.0 now comes with pre-built features that effectively make Visio a CASE tool in its own right. In addition to adding features to its product that help developers (UML, standard flowcharts, database, and other diagrams), Visio also boasts a developer area on its web site with information on building solutions with Visio and buying custom third-party solutions. Visio now integrates with both Microsoft Repository and Visual Studio to reverse-engineer existing code, providing better support for the diagrams of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) than many CASE modeling tools costing 10 times as much. With its wide range of diagrams and customizable shapes, you will find that Visio quickly will become one of your organizations key applications. Scott Ambler


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There's plenty of optimism in Chicago about the Bears' offense.
Having previously heard from Alshon Jeffery, who said that he and Brandon Marshall are the NFL's Top 2 receivers, we now have some strong comments from Bears running back Matt Forte. According to Forte, with a full season of work under head coach Marc Trestman, there's every reason to expect the Bears to have the best offense in football in 2014.
"If we keep working hard we're going to take this offense, hopefully, to the top of the league," Forte told the Chicago Tribune. "There's no ceiling. There's no limit that you can put on it."
The Bears had a very good offense last season, and with Forte, Marshall, Jeffery, Jay Cutler and the entire offensive line returning, it's easy to see why they think their offense is going to be even better this season. Maybe even the best offense in the NFL.

subset: commoncrawl


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My name is Mike and I love games design. I have previously been employed by Microsoft Game Studios as a designer on an Xbox 360 title - and I also love working on projects in my free time. I'm currently 24 years old and enjoy gaming and games development. For a long while I've been using all versions of the Unreal Editor. Nothing interests and satisfies me more than creating a game environment in which others can enjoy. I am multi-skilled in various areas of game development, including level design, modelling, texturing, gameplay design, and programming (C#, JAVA, UnrealScript).
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
Work-in-progress of a map for UT3 mod "Tactical Assault".


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Folic Acid and Leukemia
Folic Acid and Leukemia
If a woman takes folic acid while pregnant, her child's risk for developing leukemia may be significantly reduced, say researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research. Folic acid is already known to reduce the risk for brain damage and spina bifida. A deficiency in folate levels has been linked to damage to DNA, and to an increased risk for developing some adult cancers, including breast and colon. Women should take folic acid while trying to conceive, and in the first three months of pregnancy.
March 21, 2017
Vitality magazine
Reviewed By:
Godsey, Cynthia M.S., M.S.N., APRN,Lambert, J.G. M.D.


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Thursday, March 4, 2010
Come on Spring!
Remember a little while ago I thought Spring had sprung....and then it snowed? Well this time I think Spring is on it's way.
I am looking forward to going out without my big winter coat.
This is my newest painting. A spring time fairy. She is flying around planting seeds for Spring time flowers to bloom.
Spring time fairy is up for grabs on ebay.
18 comments:
- Val's Filigree Fancies said...
BEAUTIFUL - such a darling painting - another lovely lovely creations :D
- March 4, 2010 at 10:29 PM
- **WE BLOG ARTISTS** said...
She's adorable...I think you may be right...8 degrees on Sunday!!!
Have a lovely weekend.
- March 4, 2010 at 10:31 PM
- Jill said...
We're finally getting some warmer spring-like weather here in Kansas too! Love the fairy painting! Happy weekend ~ Jill
- March 5, 2010 at 12:39 AM
- Micki said...
I love the colours in this, so pretty.
On a cold and frosty morning here in the UK I to am wishing for spring fairies to come and wave their magic around :)
Micki x
- March 5, 2010 at 2:58 AM
- alkemilla said...
A lovely fairy bringing spring!!!!
That's what I was looking for! Have a happy weekend, Tascha...
- March 5, 2010 at 3:06 AM
- Jan J. said...
This is just lovely!
- March 5, 2010 at 4:19 AM
- Diane Duda said...
I hope you're right. My feet are cold. :)
Love this one! Her dress makes me happy!
- March 5, 2010 at 8:43 AM
- Ronnie said...
I hope this fairy does her job well!
This painting is DE-lightful.
- March 5, 2010 at 9:31 AM
- Fair Rosamund said...
Beautiful painting! I love the soft colors. Here in Arizona our winter is more like everyone else's spring, so I am preparing for it to get HOT again! :)
- March 5, 2010 at 12:45 PM
- Tammy said...
How adorable. I love your color choices. They feel as warm as the spring sun!
- March 5, 2010 at 4:56 PM
- Dean Grey said...
I LOVE her dress, Tascha!
- March 6, 2010 at 3:43 PM
- Hovawart said...
Spring is definitely on its way, and it's going to be great! It's always great! I love its flowers, its breezes, its smell of growing things!
- March 7, 2010 at 1:43 AM
- Andrew Finnie said...
very special ... witch like :)
- March 8, 2010 at 4:57 AM
- peggyapl said...
your work is soooooooooo beautiful!
- March 9, 2010 at 3:56 AM
- janil said...
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!Your work is wonderful!!!!!!
- March 10, 2010 at 5:08 PM
- Amalia K said...
Hello Tascha, Your art is amazingly beautiful!! All those wonderful colors and details... I love coming back here to see your new work! (^_^)
- March 10, 2010 at 7:06 PM
- Camino Martín said...
Qué preciosidad de ilustraciones!Me he quedado impresionada con la delicadeza y la magia de tus dibujos.
Muchas felicidades!!!
- March 19, 2010 at 12:56 PM
- carla said...
Hello Tasha, I live in Chile South america, encontre your blog of chance and me I fascinate, am astonished by your art of drawing.
I cannot write to you very much .. so(then,since) not nothing of Englishman, now I use a translator of language to be able to write to you these words.
My e-mail is email@example.com embraces from Chile Carla
- March 19, 2010 at 7:53 PM


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Luke Bryan's Valentine's Day Present for His Wife? Letting Her Sleep In!
Caroline Bryan is one lucky woman. The wife of country superstar Luke Bryan is getting a simple, but special, treat on Valentine's Day.
The singer and upcoming ACMs host revealed that his wife wanted just one day where she can sleep in a little bit, so that's what she got! In addition, Bryan revealed that that they plan to have a low-key day where they will just enjoy one another. How romantic, right? With young two children at home, it's likely Caroline doesn't get much extra shut-eye, so this is certainly a thoughtful "gift."
"Valentine's Day is kind of just me and Caroline's day just to go and enjoy being with one another for a full day," Bryan, who will release his latest spring break-themed EP, 'Here to Party,' on March 5, says.
They aren't going anywhere fancy. In fact, they are remaining local in Nashville, making it a miniature getaway -- a staycation of sorts. The singer continues, "We're just gonna have a nice dinner, grab a hotel room. We come into downtown and kind of treat Nashville like a little mini, one-night vacation."
"Her biggest thing, she's like, 'All I wanna do is be able to sleep in one morning,' so that's her Valentine's present and we'll go to a nice dinner and just enjoy being around each other for an evening," Bryan shares.
What a lucky gal she is!


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Wakeboarding Photography: Basics to the Big Time
Garrett Cortese
Note: this article is designed for readers using an SLR camera � one with interchangeable lenses. A basic understanding of how a camera works is helpful, but not necessary.
So you�re a fan of the pictures spread throughout the wakeboarding mags each month. The only day the mailbox has any significance in your life is the day the new mag arrives. Cover-to-cover you sit and read. But, for you, nothing is better than the art. You stare and wonder, �How the hell did the photographer take that shot, and why can�t I do that?�
First of all, you can do that (with practice and a general knowledge of photography), and hopefully this article will help you learn how.
Basic Photography
Before we delve into combining photography with wakeboarding, we�ve got to start with some basic photography lessons.
Photography is literally the capturing and recording of light onto a light sensitive plane of film (or now digital sensors). There are two basic functions that affect/control how much light hits the plane: shutter speed and aperture.
Shutter Speed.
The faster the shutter closes the less light will hit the film. If the shutter is slower, it is open longer and allows more light to come through.
A lens�s aperture is much like the pupil of your eye. The smaller the hole, the less light that will hit the film. The size of an aperture is referred to as an f-number or f-stop. You will frequently see labels like f1.4, f5.6, and f16 � these are all different f-stops. Out of these three apertures, f1.4 would allow the most light, f16 the least.
A second, and very, very important feature of a lens�s aperture is depth of field. The depth of field of a picture is the amount of the frame in focus or sharp. An f-stop of 1.4 has an extremely shallow depth of field, meaning only what you focus on will be sharp, the rest of the frame will be soft and out of focus. A picture taken at f16 will have a much deeper depth of field, meaning what you focus on, as well as much of the foreground and background will appear sharp. Depth of field is also affected by what lens you choose and how far you are away from the subject. The shorter the focal length (zoom) of the lens, the greater the depth of field. The greater the distance from your camera to the subject, the greater the depth of field, as well.
Here are two examples for depth of field:
Emily Copeland: shallow depth of field
Greg & Evelyn:
large depth of field
Terminology note:
Aperture and f-stops can be very confusing at first and hard to understand the terminology. Here is an overview to help.
On early cameras the aperture was adjusted by individual metal �stop� plates that had holes of different diameters. The term �stop� is still used to refer to aperture size, and a lens is said to be �stopped down� when the size of the aperture is decreased. The standardized, full-stop of series numbers on the f-stop scale runs as follows: f/1, f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32, f/45, f/64. Many lenses and cameras have the option to change f-stops in full stops, half stops and third stops (e.g.
, f3.2, f3.5,
). The largest of these, f/1, allows the most light. Each f-stop after that admits half the light of the previous one. A lens with a larger aperture is said to be �faster.� A lens that opens up to f1.4 is said to be faster than one that can only open up to f2.8. On many lenses there is a �floating� aperture. For example, a common lens in the consumer market with a floating aperture is the 75-300mm f4.5-5.6. This means that at 75mm the lens can open up to f4.5, but if zoomed out to 300mm, the lens can only open up to f5.6 � losing two thirds stops of light.
The third thing affected by the light is the film. Film speeds, known as ISO, are what determine your shutter speed and aperture. Slower film (e.g. ISO 100) requires more light to be properly exposed, whereas faster film (e.g. ISO 3200) requires much less. To be specific ISO 3200 film requires five less stops of light than ISO 100 film. The full-stops of film are 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, but many modern cameras (including digital) can be set at half or third stops for film speed. Slower speed films (100 and 200) would be used in high light situations, while faster speed films would be used in lower light situations. Higher speed films are also grainier than slower speed films, especially when images are blown up into large prints/files.
Terminology note:
Stops. A �stop� in camera talk is basically a change in setting for one of the three items above � shutter speed, aperture, and film speed. A full-stop in shutter speed is 1/500 sec to 1/1000 sec. A full-stop in aperture is f1.4 to f2.8. A full-stop in film speed is ISO 100 to ISO 200. Each of these can be referred to in full, half or third stops. For example, �I opened my aperture half a stop,� or �I bumped up the shutter speed two stops.�
Applying it to Wakeboarding
So we�ve established a rough foundation for understanding photography and how to control the light coming into our camera. Let�s now take those shutter speeds, f-stops, film speeds, and the depth of field and apply it to some wakeboarding action.
Time of day:
If you want your pictures to look like the ones in the magazines you�ve got to shoot at the same time the pros do. There are two times during the day to get good light, dawn and dusk. The period right after sunrise and right before sunset are referred to as the �golden hours� of photography. When the sun is low on the horizon the light is very warm, and because it is coming from the side, it fills in the picture nicely. During the afternoons when the sun is high in the sky pictures can be very unflattering. The light source is now coming from above and casting harsh shadows across the rider�s face, often causing the picture to appear flat because light isn�t filling the subjects as well.
Time Of Day:
Warm morning light in Colorado
ISO 200, 1/2000 sec @ f2.8
Harsh afternoon light on the Delta
ISO 200, 1/2000 sec @ f7.1
Camera settings:
Of course you are going to want the best looking picture possible, this starts with the film. With wakeboarding, photographers almost always use ISO 100 or 200 film - the colors are rich and the film is less grainy. These film speeds are slower so, as we now know, they require more light to be properly exposed. To do this we will stop our aperture down anywhere from f2.8 to f4.5. This is convenient because it creates a shallow depth of field, separating the in-focus rider away from the out-of-focus background. Imagine if the picture of Emily above was shot at f16 instead of f2.8. The grass and trees in the background would appear sharp and Emily would blend in with them, making the picture appear much more cluttered. Now, because we are allowing in so much light with our large aperture, we are going to need to compensate by using a fast shutter speed, which, again is convenient because wakeboarding is a fast-action sport and you will normally want a high shutter speed to freeze the rider.
The typical setting in my camera while doing a photo shoot is similar to the settings for the picture of Emily: ISO 100-200, f2.8-f4, 1/2000-1/4000 sec. This is a good place to start while starting out on wakeboarding photography.
One of the most important things when adjusting your camera�s settings is the light meter. Every camera has a light meter built into it and most are visible inside the viewfinder. The light meter will tell you if the settings of your camera are underexposed, overexposed, or correct for the subject you are shooting. Learn how to read your light meter! Make sure that what your light meter is reading, however, is what you want to turn out in the picture. If the meter is reading off of a shadow over the water, you will slow your camera down because the meter will think it is dark. The shadow will be properly exposed and turn out quite nicely in the picture, but everything else will be blown out. If you meter off a well lit hillside and speed your settings up, the hillside will be nicely exposed, but everything else (including your subject) will be quite dark.
The best way to get cool, different looking pictures is to get out of the boat and shoot from a different angle. Pros use a variety of different angles during photo shoots: from a tube, in a chase boat, from land, in a sitting duck position, from a helicopter; or, if none of these are options, just climbing up on the tower will provide a different angle than the straight, in-the-boat shot.
From the towboat:
The most common place to take wakeboarding pictures is obviously the towboat. Many times, when you�re just hanging out for a day on the water with buddies it�s the only option. Here are some suggestions about how to get good-looking photos from the towboat.
Shoot from the center of the boat, not to the left or right. This way the rider is always the same distance from you and you won�t have to worry about changing your focus at all. Once the focus is set on the rider, you can take pictures for the whole run without worrying about pictures being soft or not.
Remember, the focal length of your lens will affect the depth of field of a picture. When you�re shooting from the boat with a zoom lens, f2.8 creates too shallow a depth of field � only part of the rider will be sharp in the picture. Open your aperture up to f4 when shooting from the towboat, this way the rider will always be sharp, but the background will still be soft.
Mix it up. Don�t always shoot horizontally or vertically � use both. Use the rule of thirds in different ways. Zoom in really close to shoot tight and get the rider to fill up a good portion of the frame. A lot of dead space can kill a photo.
Cody Ramsey, Lake McClure
ISO 200, 1/1000 sec @ f5.6
When shooting vertically from the towboat it is usually helpful to keep perspective of the water, especially when the rider is going huge like Cody is here. If I had shot this horizontally and still wanted to keep perspective of the water, I would have had to zoom way out, which would have made Cody really small in the frame and he would have been surrounded by a ton of dead space.
Alex Jubb, Cali Delta
ISO 100, 1/800 sec. @ f2.8
Don�t think that you can only get good pictures when a rider is in the air. Just because the subject isn�t doing a trick, doesn�t necessarily mean you can�t get a good photo. Always keep your camera up to your eye and follow the rider. When shooting from the towboat you don�t always have to have the rider riding directly into the sun to use the �golden hour� of light. Using sidelight can create a strong image, as well. Backlighting/silhouetting the rider can also be very cool from the towboat.
Alex Jubb, Cali Delta
ISO 200, 1/800 sec @f2.8
Shooting tight can still create cool images, even without the perspective of the water. Some nicely lit clouds during sunset help, as well.
Dave White, Cali Delta
exposure ISO 100 1/2000 @ f2.8
Fill the frame with the rider. A tight photo like this one of Dave keeps perspective of the water, has very little dead space, and shows some peak action. The key to getting good, tight photographs is to pan your camera with the rider. Don�t hold the camera in one spot and wait for the rider to enter the frame before firing � that�s just downright dumb. Pan with the rider and keep him/her in the part of the frame you want and then fire.
Remember, these are just suggestions for shooting from the boat. As you can see I screw up all the time and shoot at f2.8 when I shouldn�t be. You don�t have to shoot tight or vertically or any specific way at all. Mix it up, try different things and see how the results turn out. Climb up on the tower and shoot from up there if you feel like it (make sure you�re the only boat on the water and the conditions are glass, first). There are thousands of ways to take pictures from a inside the towboat alone, my biggest suggestion is to not get stuck doing it one specific way. Even if you think something might not look good, take it anyway and see.
chase boat shots from directly behind the rider can be very dangerous! These shots should only be attempted with highly skilled riders and drivers. A boat doing 24mph does not have time to slow down should the rider somehow fall in its path. Please do not attempt follow chase boat shots without professional level riders and experienced boat drivers.
Matt Medved, Lake Shasta
ISO 200, 1/1600 sec @ f3.2
Mike Ennen, Delta
ISO 200, 1/1000 sec @f4.5
Mike Schwenne, Lake McClure
ISO 200, 1/2000 sec @ f4
Framing the picture:
One of the most important aspects of a good photograph isn�t necessarily the lighting, the angle, or the settings on the camera. These things can make a good photograph, but often times the composition of an image is what makes it great. If you can combine good light with a unique angle and compose the frame well, you will have a gorgeous photograph. Many photographers will tell you about the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is designed to keep the subject you are shooting out of the middle of the frame, where it can seem stagnant and boring. Split the frame into thirds on both vertical and horizontal lines and you will have something that looks like this:
By using the rule of thirds, especially when the rider is not taking up much of the frame, the picture becomes much more dynamic. Imagine how boring this photo would look if I had put Aaron right in the middle of the frame when I fired my camera � there would be a ton of sky, very little water, and almost no boat in the frame. Now I know what you�re saying, �How can I use the rule of thirds if the auto-focus of my camera is right in the middle and the rider is off in a corner?� Here�s the answer: manual focus. I know it can be tough, but with practice you will get used to it and your photos will start to look amazing. If you absolutely have to use auto-focus, many cameras have different spots you can select to be the auto-focus sensor. Try using one off to the side or a corner rather than right in the middle. Here is an example of a bad picture because I used center-weighted auto-focus. As you can see there is no perspective of the water � the rider kinda looks like he is just floating through the air. The light and angle are still good, but the photo is missing something in the composition � the water.
Ian Kirk, Lake Shasta
ISO 100, 1/2500 sec @f2.8
Wakeboarding is a vertical sport, so it is often good to keep some perspective in the picture that way the reader can see how high the rider is going. To do this, whether you�re shooting vertically or horizontally, you�re going to want to keep the rider towards the top of the frame. Of course this doesn�t mean you have to use the rule of thirds in every photo you take, or that you have to keep perspective of the water every time the rider you�re shooting jumps. Fortunately, wakeboarding is an action sport and intense action can often times still make for a great photo, even when it might seem compositionally bland. Keep in mind these are just suggestions. One photographer might compose a photograph differently from another as they might see a situation differently or have a different vision of what they want the final outcome to look like � maybe shooting vertically instead of horizontally, etc. This is the great thing about photography. No two photographers are the same - each has his/her own style. Much like wakeboarders have their own individual riding style, photographers have their own vision and shooting style. Don�t be afraid to experiment and try new things. The next few suggestions might help you with this.
Aaron Aubrey, Cali Delta
ISO 200, 1/1000 sec f5.6
Not all photos have to follow the rule of thirds or keep perspective. Be creative and try different things. This picture of Aaron Aubrey is using the rule of thirds, but there is not perspective of the water. I wanted the whole background to be the trees Aaron was riding next to along the shores of the Delta, so I panned my camera up with Aaron as he got air.
Creativity (try something different):
There are an infinite amount of ways a photographer can make an image unique. Here are a couple ideas you might want to try.
using blur can be an effective and different way to show the high-speed and intense action of wakeboarding. Slowing down your shutter speed significantly will leave the film/sensor exposed longer, thus picking up the motion of the wakeboarder. Here is a shot from the California Delta of a 360 shot at 1/30 sec.
the silhouette is common, but can still make for a very powerful image. As you might know, when shooting directly into the sun your pictures can end up with lens flare � the big circles of light running across the frame. To prevent this while trying to shoot a silhouette you should use a high f-stop like f16.
Aaron Aubrey, Cali Delta
ISO 800, 1/500 sec @ f8
using a flash can provide for some very cool, unique images. Flash can be especially great just before sunrise and just after sunset, so there is still light in the sky, but the flash is the main light source in the image instead of the sun. A flash or multiple flashes can be used in so many ways that I can�t even scratch the surface. The best advice with a flash is to understand how it works and affects an image, then get out there and fool around with it. Here�s an example of using a flash from a chase boat after the sun had set. I metered my camera for the sky so I would retain the orange and blue sky, then used the flash to fill in the rider so he would be lit, rather than silhouetted.
Aaron Aubrey, Cali Delta
ISO 400, 1/30 sec @ f4 w/ flash
The Background:
A cool background can make a good photo extraordinary. As you�re riding around your lake, river, bay, or other body of water check out the shoreline and look for things that would look cool in the background of a photograph.
despite what you may think, this should actually be the least of your worries. Just like the brand or year of a board doesn�t make a wakeboarder, neither does the brand or year of camera equipment make the photographer. Work with what you have and master it until you feel making an investment in camera equipment is the right thing to do. Obviously you might be limited from some things if you don�t have specific items (i.e. a flash for low-light situations, or a water housing for tube shots), but that isn�t preventing you from making great pictures with the equipment you do have.
Typically wakeboarding photographers will have a range of lenses, a couple of camera bodies, a couple of flashes, and some other gizmos in their bag of tricks. But, this is their office so to speak and what they make their living off of, so they need to have all of it. Here�s a fairly typical camera bag for pros.
16-35mm f2.8
� this is a wide-angle lens. I use it for tube shots, when I�m floating in the water, or on land up close to an obstacle like a slider.
28-70mm f2.8
� this is a midrange lens. I don�t use it as much as my others, but I do use it when doing extremely close chase boat shots (i.e. 6-10 feet from the rider).
70-200mm f2.8
� this zoom lens is the workhorse of most pros. It can be used from chase boats at all angles, from within the towboat, or pretty much anywhere else.
300mm f2.8
� this is probably the least needed out of everything in a pros bag, and isn�t found in everybody�s (including mine). It is great for shooting from land, or if you want to shoot really tight from a chase boat or in the towboat.
15mm fisheye f2.8
� fisheye lenses provide unique images and can be really cool when used correctly. They are often used with tube shots, both in front of and behind the rider. They can also be used on land when up close to objects like sliders.
The fisheye lens can be great for up close shots.
Mike Schwenne, Lake McClure
ISO 200, 1640 sec @ f8
� flashes are great for low-light situations, or adding different affects to images by using them off the camera with remotes.
Light meter
� These aren�t as essential anymore with the advent of digital photography (because now you can literally just look on the back of the camera to see if you got the shot), but they are still good tools to have for the serious photographer as most are more accurate than the light meters built into cameras, which are often fooled by dark water or well-lit hillsides. A light meter is practically a must if you�re shooting slide film.
Water housing
� a must if you�re going to try shooting from a tube or as a sitting duck. Cameras and water don�t mix, if they did we wouldn�t need water housings.
� a good tube is essential for tube shots. Don�t inflate them all the way as you want it to absorb some of the rollers you might encounter, rather than springboard you off. I enjoy the large, flat tubes without any holes in them so I can crawl around and even kneel or quasi-stand to get different angles.
Have fun:
Not much beats a day spent on the water. Warm weather, buttery water, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and riding are just some of the ingredients that make up the recipe we call wakeboarding. Hopefully with some of the tips and pointers written above, documenting all the fun with your camera can be a new part of the recipe. Remember to have fun. You�re not going to get magazine quality photos the first time you pick up a camera and take pictures of your buddies riding, but you�re probably going to enjoy doing it. The best way to get better at photography is to take more pictures. Film is cheap (it�s developing it that can be expensive sometimes�). If you use digital your learning curve is even lower. Just keep shooting. Before you know it you might be reading your name in the corner of a full-page photograph splashed across the photo section of mag. Good luck and don�t forget to put the board on and take a set every now and then!
Garrett Cortese hails from Northern California where he spent his childhood summers boating around the California Delta with his family. After his dad taught him to use an old manual camera when he was 12, Garrett decided photography was for him. Garrett�s work has appeared in Wakeboarding Magazine and Alliance Wakeboard Magazine, as well as ads and catalogs for various clients throughout the industry. During the summer months Garrett can often be found running around the lakes of Northern California shooting local riders, but most of the time he is on the California Delta taking pictures, riding, and enjoying life. Garrett�s website can be visited at
and any questions concerning his photography or picture-taking in general can be directed to his e-mail address:
All words and photos copyright � Garrett Cortese, 2003. This article and the images and words contained within may not be copied or used in any way, shape, or form without written consent of Garrett Cortese.
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You influence also about hearing forth the People V. Turner carnal strike case. To forbear disagreement the growing prestige of ransacking urbanity in America, xHamster banned all videos involving spoliation , including those which featured the fucking of stunned partners. Their common and factional involvements don't refrain from there, though. Individual of my belittling favorite partisan statements that they made came in feedback to the 2016 Autonomous Resident Body email seeping , when they offered Debbie Wasserman Shultz $50,000 to hero in a porno opposing a Bernie Sanders lookalike. You positive , since she already fucked him minus of the election. Ah, if that isn't fucking gold, I don't recollect what is. The Placement Itself Apparently , xHamster has made unreservedly a term seeking themselves in their somewhat stubby aeon of occasionally as a xxx collective media/porn tube. But does the situate itself monopolize up to all the hype? Prosperously , absolve 's make off a look. 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Their qualified studio measure ingredients appears righteous alongside their teeming archive of homemade delighted , unless you be specific about otherwise. You can also conveniently sift the videos so that you one witness direct , gay, or shemale videos. If you don't against at all in your hedonism, yet , you can unendingly trigger all three. The most annoying constituent that they added was a hardcoded watermark on complete of the videos. It now surely messes with your fap occurrence , when you're yon to conscious of a satirize jizz on a chick's aspect and then...BOOM! That denounce watermark "this video has been uploaded to xHamster" appears on the chick's come like a motherfucking cockblocker! Openly , whoever meditating it was a charitable impression deserves a punt in the balls! As go places as xHamster's venereal media components are active , you take all the habitual community-oriented features that you'd be tempered to to on other compare favourably with sites (such as Porn Heart )—you can exposition on/rate videos, combine videos to your favorites, upload videos/pictures, and declaration users directly. Harmonious fashion that in point of fact sets xHamster distinctly from the others, allowing , is that, when you click on their tag labeled "dating," you are not brought to some unpolished third-party scam " get out laid tonight" Tonic If you're looking interest a gargantuan (and I wherewithal cyclopean ) archive of porn videos, Video-One.com force be the successful conducive to you. I'm talking quite 54,000 pages (yes, I said "pages") of videos, each page-boy containing all 360 videos. blue math was under my potent for but I imagine that adds up to a head out-and-out of scarcely 20 million videos! of the particulars that Video-one is adding recent contentment every prime unvaried the loneliest, horniest fappers centre us would condition gone from of elements on this tube site. From the trice you world to video-one.com ( agree persuaded you don't overlook the hyphen; Video-One is a video chatting shopper ), you are pronto in the bulky of all that the placement has to offer. At the culmination of the attendant rouse 50 or so suggested categories to out from (" chum " " further reduced " "caught larceny ," and " inferior compilation" to shot a not ). Lots of Green Hardcore Theme These tags indubitably allow you a beautiful righteous guess of what to conjecture from Video One. Another scheme to get an notion of the resolve of theme they tender is to image a look at what sites they association to: xHamster, Beeg, TXXX, and DTVideo are a few. What this should 's you is that a maturity of the theme purposefulness be homemade, or at least amateur-inspired. You weight sticker a share of it Gonzo. I serve to good the relating to "raw." We're talking productions akin to Casting Embed Alter on the and Asian Concourse Meat. Granted, Video-One does prefer the incidental HD studio video thrown in here and there, the adulthood of their volume if not full-on homemade, is from bromide of these studios that specializes in starkers content. Be Alert What You Click On Video-One also seems to on to the demographic of pornophiles who decorated the more taboo prototype things —daddy/daughter, brother/sister incest roleplay. Justly at least I craving it's all roleplay. Some of the videos in these sections are from definitively recognized, respected studios, but a authentic subdivision of them look to be remarkably homemade and are tagged with things like " Legitimate Sister." I get no system of verifying whether or not these videos are in felonious or not. I unswerving as pain ain't clicking on that shit. I desire that you ailing incestuous fucks would b the fuck away from the authorized web. Bear to the nefarious web representing ugly shit like that. Furthermore, I exceptionally muse tube sites like Video-One should tow a tough specialization in the sand against prohibited subject-matter like this. Uniform if these aren't truly incest videos, why uniform see that they influence be? Anything tagged with something like " Official Sister" should be right removed from your site. This generous of shit, unfortunately, spoils what could acquire been a giant tube position support me. It should not be on the viewer's tact to observe illicit or potentially depreciatory content. That becomes your duty the say you judge to cause a porn site. How the fuck is this a preoccupation that I can't methodical skim course a tube plot without worrying fro whether or not doing so compel perceive me brook on some FBI shopping that I eat no company being on? Come on, Video-One, pull your fucking shit together. Having said that, be aware what you click on if you take to afflict this site. If you're okay with sifting with potentially unlawful text there is a fate of legit, open cloth here to enjoy. And, again, a fucking immense amount of it. Objective to adorn I was on the area in 10 minutes in resuscitation the homepage. In that 10 minutes, 15 unfamiliar videos had been uploaded. That's crazy. You'll at no whizz from of videos to opt from on Video-One. A Labyrinth of Smut The position itself is designed extremely Either As progress as ads are solicitous there are some, but most are thoughtfully kept to the groundwork of pages. Which, delineated the up of videos that on each period , you'd be subjected to to do a criticism of a assortment of scrolling to end bump them. I do perceive that aspect. Extent , good you do cause to them, there are shit load. No ads to videos, though. You thinks wander into the accessory pop-up, brand-new account ad when you click on a video, but at least it's not every fucking even you click on something like it is on a an infinity of other sites. I would plainly pick nil , but if I deceive to search the them, then I surmise these ads are pretty excusable. Furthermore the more than half of the on-page ads are to other tube sites (which is truly handy if you deficient to rent the fuck away from the incest bullshit), and the latest tag pop-ups were usually pages that were able to anxiety in withdrawn mode. I'm not established faithfully what this means, but if I can't the ad, I'm happy. A point Order to Influence In You to Uncivilized to Fappin' To be upright I am reality turned inaccurate nearby the potentially outlawed delighted to be build on Video-One. It's a of decency too, because Video-One has so much developing to be a famed porn placement with a shit ton of pleased to judge from. Measured if they removed all of their potentially illicit videos, they would unruffled contain a enormous archive to explore. All of us porn addicts for to tack together and upright stomp this compassionate of shit loophole of our community. Ensign shit that looks sketchy. If you can. Video-One, unfortunately, doesn't offering that feature. Route up and weather on the fucking responsibilities that make with having a porn neighbourhood or don't suffer with one. It's as understandable as that. All honour the almighty Porn point ! The crowned of porn sites! Founded in 2007 alongside Matt Keezer, who sold it to Fabian Thylmann in 2010, because the fucker perhaps cared more give the bills than the website itself! (Would you detritus of the Manwin subdivide which is conditions known as 'Mindgeek'. Other giants in the network register sites like YouPorn and Redtube. Although Porn Centre is currently not the most acclaimed porn area in the life it does operate more taboo measure than any other website sense in the sentimental comedy 'Don John' of 2013? It's take a fap aficionado that can't pack masturbating on porn sites, spite admitting that he has a absolutely occupied relations life. I mind-blower why the fuck they asked that closet faggot Joseph Gordon-Levitt the your cumshot with the stars in the video. It can be so annoying that the in and the video is already done! I affect if a video got you off or not. Before registering an account, which is 100 unrestricted nearby the temperament you difference , you can also easy can blot out up your fringy ass with Bubba in penitentiary ! From untainted looking teens showing their unaided bodies to spazzed elsewhere crevice whores being choked, slaver on and having every hovel violated sooner than a hockey troupe , this placement has it all. Do you like pornstars like Mia Khalifa, Chyna and Daniels? No poser , click on the pornstars' menu reckoning how she's superior to tender quiet on Porn Heart ( time misspelled as 'pron pivot ", "pirnhub", "prnhub", "poenhub", "hubporn", "phub" or "potnhub"), then you cant bag potty anywhere! In invalid the ads provoke you, you have to download or wary championing a ally 's birthday! on the look on his nerve , when he opens your present. His eyes purpose be shattered with tears, and you can be established that this is at bonus he won't be selling on eBay again afterward! 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Carol Burnett is best known for her comedy skits, but the six-time Emmy award winner's life was more like a tragedy.
Carol Burnett is best known for her comedy skits, but the six-time Emmy award winner's life was more like a tragedy.
It is this side of Burnett's life that is presented in �Hollywood Arms,� a production of the Greater Shelby Community Theatre opening Friday at Cleveland Communnity College.
�It�s an aspect of her life that most people would be surprised to find out,� said Georgiana Wright ,director of the play written by Burnett and Carrie Hamilton. �She slept on a sofa. Never had a bed and did her homework in the bathroom by a small light. I�ve learned so much about her and her character � for her to have come from where she did to accomplish what she did.�
Two newcomers to Greater Shelby Community Theatre are playing the part of Burnett. Spencer Cain, a student at Crest High School plays the younger Burnett (who is called Helen in the play); while Jamie Brackett Hardin plays the part of the college-age Burnett character.
Cain was recruited by Crest Drama Teacher Jonathan Foust, who is technical director for the production.
�He gave me a script. I read it and I loved it,� said the 17-year-old Cain. �I grew up watching her show. When I told all my friends that I�m in this play and it's about Carol Burnett's life, they said, �Who is she?��
Cain�s parents were fans of Burnett. She grew up watching reruns of �Mama's Family� and the Carol Burnett show.
�It�s a tall order to play the part,� Cain said. �I had to go back and watch some of her videos.�
She said the play is about perserverance.
�No matter what happens to you, you can always make the best of things,� Cain said. �You can�t let that stuff define who you are.�
Hardin also didn�t know when she auditioned for the play that it was about Burnett�s life.
�I did theater in high school and some in college,� she said. �After I graduated, work was hectic. My work schedule has changed and the first thing I wanted to do was get back into theater.�
She went to the auditions just for fun and was surprised when Wright called to offer her the part of older Helen.
�I enjoy taking on a different persona,� Hardin said. �It's been a lot of fun bringing this character to life on stage.�
When the play begins, young Helen is living with her grandma in Texas. Her mom has gone to Hollywood to pursue a writing career. Grandma gets tired of waiting and they go to Hollywood, where the three of them live in a one-room apartment, one block north of Hollywood Boulevard. To escape the strife and conflict, Helen goes up on the roof where she creates her own magical world.
�That was the only way she survived,� Wright said. �It takes a special spark to decide I�m going to break this chain and move on from this life. It wasn�t just about becoming a star; it was breaking the chain and making something of her life that was important to her.�
Because the characters in the play are based on the same characters in the �Mama's Family� skits, one of the challenges for the cast has been to make the characters real people, not caricatures, Wright said.
�The places and the people are real,� she said. �We are trying to find the love they had and the tragedy that so much of their lives seemed to turn out. Their language is not always nice, but it is real. Even though there was a great amount of conflict with these women, they still loved each other. They still cared for each other.�
Want to go?
The Greater Shelby Community Theatre presents, �Hollywood Arms,� the story of Carol Burnett�s life, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and Nov. 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. at Cleveland Community College Auditorium.
Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students and available at Arnold's Jewelry, Badcock and More, Cleveland County Arts Center and Hamrick Insurance. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students.
For more information, visit www.gsct.org.
Hollywood Arms Cast
Louise � Shelia Spangler
Nanny � Caroline Dedmon
Older Helen � Jamie Brackett Hardin
Young Helen �Spencer Cain
Malcom �Logan Foust
Dixie � Leslie Brown
Alice � Delaney England
Jody � Michael Medlin
Bill Burgess � Chris Huffstetler
Cop 1� Gabe Foust
Cop 2 � Chris Murray


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Senate, White House agree on worker program
Bill would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants
President Bush in 2004 introducing his proposal for a temporary guest worker program
Senate Democrats, Republicans and the White House forged a compromise today on an immigration bill that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants and increase border security.
The bill, which would establish a temporary worker program, is not "amnesty," insisted Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in anticipation of criticism.
"This will restore the rule of law," he said.
Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, nevertheless, called the deal "Amnesty, a pardon and reward for lawbreakers."
"Many senators claim that their deal renews respect for the rule of law," King said. "Let me respond to that absurd statement by stating clearly, you cannot simultaneously tear down and rebuild one of our constitutional principles. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. The price for amnesty is the sacrifice of the rule of law."
King, ranking Republican on the Immigration Subcommittee of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, said each of the senators who struck the deal "should wear a scarlet letter 'A' for amnesty."
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., also was quick to label the bill "amnesty."
The senator said it "rewards people who broke the law with permanent legal status and puts them ahead of millions of law-abiding immigrants waiting to come to America."
"I don't care how you try to spin it, this is amnesty," DeMint said.
"I hope we don't take a thousand page bill written in secret and try to ram it through the Senate in a few days," he added. "This is a very important issue for America and we need time to debate it."
The complex measure also would create a separate program for agricultural workers and institute high-tech methods to verify workers are in the U.S. legally.
President Bush, calling the agreement a "historic moment," looks forward to signing the bill into law, said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
The House is not expected to act until the Senate passes a bill.
The bill features a new point system for awarding green cards that gives priority to education and skill level over family connections.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., called the deal "the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America."
Illegal immigrants would be allowed to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" that puts them on a track for permanent residency within eight to 13 years. Fees and a fine of $5,000 are required and heads of household first must return to their home countries.
The illegals would be able to obtain a probationary card right away to live and work in the U.S., but the path to citizenship cannot begin until completion of border improvements and the high-tech ID system.
The temporary worker program also would be delayed until the new security measures are in place. The workers would be required to return home after two years and would not be on a track for permanent status. The guest worker visas could be renewed twice, but the worker would be required to leave for one year between each renewal.
Democrats wanted guest workers to be allowed to stay indefinitely.
If you would like to sound off on this issue, participate in today's WND Poll.
Get Rep. Tom Tancredo's "In Mortal Danger" direct from the people who published it – WND Books.
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|Black Economic Dysfunction
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Amazingly, Black folks in this country still don't get it. After all we have been through and after everything we have accomplished, prior to and after integration, our relative collective economic position in America has changed very little. In some cases we have digressed in terms of ownership of land, from some 20 million acres of land (31,000 square miles) in 1910; and in our ownership of banks, of which 128 were founded between 1888 and 1934 and 64 Black owned banks existed in 1912. As for other necessities like supermarkets, manufacturing concerns, and distribution networks, we are not even on the economic radar screen.
In light of the latest financial news reports that predict yet another recession just around the corner, and the financial "cliff" from which we will soon fall, as reported on CNN's, Your Money, one would think Black folks are busy getting our economic act together, our history of business ownership and mutual support notwithstanding.
Sad to say, we are still floundering, enamored by the trappings of the "good life" and living vicariously through reality television shows and the shallow personalities thereon. Instead of working on our own economy we seem to be more interested in the economies of others, like the Kardashians who make about 30 million per year, not counting Lamar Odom's contribution. We just love to check in on those "wives" of wherever and listen to their vulgarity and watch their extravagance. We can't seem to get enough of the gossip shows and things that will take us nowhere while making others quite wealthy.
Bob Law once said, "Black folks are just happy because Oprah is rich," as he pointed out how ridiculous we have gotten when it comes to our own collective economic empowerment. He also chided us for just wanting to see a Black man in the White House – that's all, just to know he is there.
Most of the people we follow and nearly worship are multi-millionaires and couldn't care less about us. They wouldn't give most of us the time of day if we saw them on the street. Yet we idolize and follow them in all that they do, as we slip further and further behind in building (or should I say rebuilding) our collective economic base.
Recent reports cite how important the Hispanic consumer market is and that it comprises more than $1 trillion in buying power. They also point out that Hispanics are the second largest population group in the U.S. and by 2015 they will be 18% of the total population at nearly 58 million persons. Those of us who were paying attention to Dr. Claud Anderson 15 years ago heard him predict just that. He also warned that if we didn't get anything from this society when we were in second place, what do we think we will get when we fall to third place? He begged us to get prepared but we were too busy helping everyone else build up their wealth and take care of their children. As the saying goes, "It's time to pay the piper."
What can we do now? For starters we can look into a mirror and admit how we have played a role in our own economic demise; and then ask, "What can I do to contribute to our collective economic uplift?" Establish or get involved in a local effort to empower Black people, whether through education, politics, economics, or all three. You have to take action.
Remember when the lady on the school bus was harassed by students, and a couple of days later more than $660,000 was raised for her through Facebook? That's how easy it is for us to do something collectively to help ourselves, yet we fail to take advantage of models that have been and could be implemented to help ourselves.
There was, and could be again, the Blackonomics Million Dollar Club that sent money to 20 Black institutions; we tried to get just 200,000 people to send $5.00 each to a designated charitable entity, but at its height there were no more than 1,000 participants involved. We have the Collective Empowerment Group (formerly Collective Banking Group) that should have a chapter in every major city across this country, but some heads of churches are too egotistical and individualistic to get involved. We had the 10-10-50 Movement, the Nationalist Black Leadership Coalition, the Bring Back Black Movement, and even a Black owned and operated distribution network, The MATAH. Of course there have been many more opportunities that we have squandered for lack of involvement.
Now we have the Unity Movement (myunitymovement.com), which is calling for 2 million people to simply sign up on its website in an effort to capture a critical mass of folks to begin a collective effort to inform and educate, and to start, support, and grow Black businesses. Will you at least do that?
Please, let's reverse our economic dysfunction and help create a meaningful, pragmatic, and sustained economic movement. Don't you think our children deserve that as a legacy from us?
James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati's African American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the cable television program, ''Blackonomics,'' and has written several books, including his latest, Black Empowerment with an Attitude - You got a problem with that? To book Clingman for a speaking engagement or purchase his books, call 513 489 4132 or go to his Website, www.blackonomics.com.


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Sooner or later, you will get an invitation to work outside Freelancer. You may even wish to do it yourself. It sounds like an exciting idea to be able to experience the ultimate freedom of freelancing, doesn't it? Yet, there are some things to consider before you decide to step out from this platform.
The lose-lose scenario you can't avoid
Let's imagine the following situation. You have decided to follow your client outside Freelancer. In the beginning, everything runs smoothly. Your client treats you as his best friend. You have proven your willingness to follow him to the world's end. Before you know it, the time has come for you to get paid for your work. What's happening next?
All of a sudden the client shows his true face. There's a series of excuses why you can't get your well-deserved payment. You can't complain or protest for a simple reason. There are no milestones outside Freelancer. Even if you got an upfront payment as a condition to begin with the work in the first place, you are still in trouble. You're tired and ready to give up. You think that you have learned your lesson the hard way and that's the end of it. Sadly for you, your client has other plans.
Have you ever been blackmailed?
You are ready to let it go and forget the work you did for free, but your client would like to get some more. So, you get an email where the client threatens to report you to Freelancer for breaching the Terms. Unless you don't provide more work for free, you are going to face the consequences for working outside the platform. What can you do about it? Well, you don't have much of choice. Either you will become a freelance "slave" as long as your client wants you to or lose your account and all reviews on Freelancer.
Don't WORK, but feel free to LOOK FOR new clients outside Freelancer
Every now and then, I like to check out the writing jobs on Craigslist. Also, I'm still in touch with some great clients I used to work on Upwork, before I decided to leave it for good. So, what is that I do with the potential clients I find outside Freelancer? I invite them to follow and hire me here. Freelancer is a fair player when it comes to these situations. I will pay 0% commission for every new client I bring here. That's more than enough to keep you motivated, isn't it?
If a client really appreciates your work, then he or she will follow you wherever you want to work – not the other way around. Right? With the hundreds of five-star reviews and a portfolio that includes almost a thousand projects, I can tell you first-hand – don't work outside Freelancer because it's just not worth all the risks you're facing!
There's no excuse to even consider such option, at least not a reasonable one. Do you want to keep your client? I told you already. Where you go your clients follow, as simple as that. Do you want to avoid paying a project fee? Why? For the amount you can barely order a pizza, you're risking it all. Seriously? Stick to the good old Freelancer and have a peace of mind because you know you will get paid for your work. And yes, report every single "indecent proposal" you get. Let's keep our workplace safe. You owe it to yourself and your colleague freelancers.