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10 Famous Brands Of Instant Noodles Around The World
Cup Noodles
Shin Ramyun
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
Sunfeast Yippee!
Master Kong
This story originally appeared on Spot.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Candymag.com editors.
Candy Bulletin
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By: Jairus Gabriel A. Cardinoza
With the world suffering by crisis and chaos today, where everyone of us seems to be caged, may be in our home, in our thoughts, with our regrets, or even with someone whom we can never have, while sulking in our house with our home works and household choirs, there are those idle moments when I stop and stare into oblivion, I can't help but to think about those moments where we are the happiest, or we are the most sad, we have our own highlights of our life, either our downfall or shortcomings, sometimes our triumphs, but how about those moments caught in between but played as much as important episode to those we remember the most?
Sometimes you can't help but to think about those moments in between. We think that our life is built by big moments, but little do we realized how little they play in our lives, we barely even consider the little things, that made a huge impact in our lives, maybe it wasn't about the medal you've got from winning an essay contest, but the stranger who let you borrow his/her pen because you forgot yours at home, maybe it wasn't the brand new watch that your parents gave you as a present but the person that you saved unconsciously, asking you what time is it because he/she was worried he/she might be late for the class.
Admit it, or not, we have all took those moments for granted, those moments when everything is in between. In times like this, where a crisis is on the midst, our mind often wanders elsewhere, there will always be that moments that the silence of our room will be filled by the cacophonies of our thoughts that strangle us in the subtle ways. The only solace we could find in this misery is sometimes our memories, not the big ones but those moments we once thought idle, who would have guess that the last time you drink your favorite coffee was a month ago, or the comfort of your favorite street you passed after school, hoping you could meet the person you want to talked to accidentally, the way you rush to the favorite fast food chain after a tiring day, hoping for a cone of ice cream, our life will always be built by these moments.
There will always be something in between, that stiches two extremes into a one fine art, between love and pain, there is learning, the midnight always reminds us that yesterday is over but there is always a tomorrow waiting for us to rise, between our dreams and our failures, there is hope, the wisest person sometimes understand that life is a prism, it can blind us with all the colors and wonders of its side, but there is one source of light that made all those colors possible. Take a chance to be that light, that sees not only the parts that we hide, nor the highlights of our lives but those moments of everything in between.
TITLE: Good night
It was the morning of May 5; I went to the ICU to take the morning shift. I peeked from the sliding door and saw a female doctor and 3 nurses probably making their rounds. Half asleep, I entered the room not realizing what was happening. I sat in front of my grandma's bed, waiting for the doctors to leave. My aunt was crying from the corner of the room, I thought that perhaps my grandma was deteriorating. Then the monitor on the upper left part of the bed kept beeping, then the lady in white coat announced "time of death 8:50".
Everything froze, I didn't understand a thing. I saw my aunt hug our grandma so tight, shaking out of grief and desperation. I sat there frozen and speechless, it was so surreal I thought it was a dream. My sister who was sitting beside me took a few heavy steps towards grandma's bed. She hugged our grandma and whispered words lost in between her sobs.
When it was my time, I held her right hand, the hand I used to wipe and hold. It wasn't cold, it was still warm, soft and wrinkly. The bruises from countless injections she endured. I pressed her hand trying to wake her up, more tears rolled when she wouldn't respond. "Inang! Agriing kan a, bigaten!" (Granma wake up, it's morning already) I wrapped my hands around her, she's the same Inang I used to hug but this time she isn't hugging me back. I tried to wake her up a couple more times more desperate than the last. I wanted to see those little eyes open again and look at me. I wanted her to ask me "apaya nakkong?" (why my dear?) once more. How about calling me miss Universe when she forgets my name. I loved her and will love her even if she calls me the wrong name.
I still remember the night she held my hands so tight she said " haan nak panpanawan a, ta nu matay nak ket haan ko nga maymaysa." (Please don't leave me so that if I die, I will not be alone "I hope I fulfilled my promise to her I hope she didn't die lonely but happy. The room was enveloped with grief engraved in the cries we made but in the middle of the room, there she lies. She laid still, she looked so serene and peaceful. It looked like she was having a good nap. It was the first time in years that I saw her sleep so tight.
After all the restless nights she can finally sleep. I wiped my tears as I marvel the way she looked. It was a painful but beautiful sight. I wanted her to wake up but how could I ask that if she looked so peaceful now? After all the pain she endured she is finally resting. I couldn't ask her to come back when I know she's in a better place. She is free now, free from pain and suffering. I stop waking her up and held her hand tightly, in between my cries I bid goodbye. To my dearest Inang Nani, go on find the light. I know Tatang and Tito are waiting for your arrival. Rest well Inang, Good night.
Loneliness that Turned into Beautiful Solitude
Are you one of those many people who experienced loneliness? The moment where you do not have someone else to rely on. Have you experienced it? Going home with a lot of thoughts running in your mind but no one was there to listen. Have you ever felt bad for yourself? In realizing that you were the only one left. When every one else was leaving. When most people around you have chosen others over you. Have you experienced the pain? The pain of being alone? A lot of people are afraid to be alone for various reasons. Some people says that they are just used to something that there is always someone out there for them. Someone who is always there. Someone who is always ready to accompany them in all. Someone who is always willing to stay. Stays in your best and most especially at your worst. While others simply do not have the courage to face the world of loneliness. I, experienced the pain of loneliness but gained a lot of benefit from it.
Living alone is not a simple thing for me to do but for me to survive and acquire proper education, I have to. I have to learn to live alone. In living alone, I had face a lot of difficulties. I encountered a lot of problems that were made to be fixed by many but was able to get it fixed by myself. Yes it was hard, it is hard. It was never easy to begin with. There will be times or days that it can make you drain and cause you countless sleepless nights. Yes, it is painful. But we have to realize that in loneliness, we can also find peace in ourselves. The "YOU". The genuine "YOU".
People are so afraid to experience loneliness. Most of us do not realize that with so much fear of being alone, we started to forget that good things come from being alone. As time pass by, I got used in solving problems by myself, I learned to live alone, I saw the "beauty of loneliness" that's how my loneliness slowly turned into beautiful solitude. As time passes by, I realized that there are a lot of good things that you can get in being alone. So, for those who are reading this, I hope you guys learn to appreciate the beauty of being alone.
Old is New
The issue of the pandemic, COVID-19, have resulted to quarantine. Stuck in the house and only going out when needed. This may be a boring routine but to me, this is an opportunity to get to take care of myself and pay attention to myself.
Since I started college in 2019, I rarely get to do any of my hobbies and sleep has become a diamond in the rough. This is because I was focused on my classes and getting my school requirements done but now that face-to-face classes have been suspended and the school has decided to resume it through the use of the internet, this gave me time check on myself even if it's only for a short while before I get back on finishing the tasks given.
For the passed months I have been spending time with my family, eating, and sleeping more along with doing my school requirements. We got to get to tell stories about what has happened before the quarantine. I have also gotten back to recording songs in Smule, an app I use a lot before, learned a few recipes and I have even started learning songs to play on my piano keyboard.
Since we're in quarantine, I recommend everyone to try and get back to what they like doing and/or even learn new things. My sister heard me trying to learn a song and asked me to teach her, so I did just that. I taught her a song she wanted to learn which is "Love Is All That Matters" by Eric Carmen. But I am not a professional, I mostly search for sheet music and tutorials on YouTube.
When it comes to learning a song, I usually only learn the chords and sing along to the melody, but my sister wanted to learn the whole song so I did my best to learn not just the chords but also the melody on the piano. My sister has only learned to play the melody but is having a hard time playing it together with the chords. I can see her determination in learning the piano because whenever she comes home from work, I hear her practice the song on the piano and every time she practices, she improves.
Me, on the other hand, have been and singing with my friends on Smule. Despite the pandemic going on right now, I have managed to go back to my old hobbies, pay attention to myself and even spend time with my family. I hope everyone is also for happiness during this dreadful times.
Things Every Titas of K-pop Went Through
For someone who has been a K-pop fan since 2009, I've witnessed how the Korean wave continuously stayed on our shores and how it blossomed from the 2nd generation of K-pop Idols to the 3rd generation. And before we can even enjoy social media and live-streaming today, we had a hard time fangirling back then and here, I've listed the struggles only Titas of K-pop can relate to.
1. Dealing with a slow internet connection
For some reason, the internet back then was significantly slower than it is today. Youtube videos take too long to load and watching your favorite Korean music show online requires you to dwell on the never-ending buffering that the slow internet connection gives. Patience is a virtue, sis!
2. Downloading k-pop songs
Before we can even enjoy the existence of Spotify, the only way to revel in our favorite k-pop songs multiple times is to have them downloaded or sometimes, you have to buy the physical album first and have the songs ripped from the CD. The struggle is real, I know!
3. Your favorite k-pop group just don't visit your country
Since K-pop is still not popular in the country back then, when your favorite K-pop group announces world tour, there's a zero probability that you will get to see your bias in the flesh because Philippines is not always a part of their tour. It's seriously heartbreaking, tbh!
4. Buying a merch is a rough quest
Few years ago, K-pop was not as popular than it is now, so there are only few k-pop shops online who ship merchs in the Philippines but when they do, the shipping fee is way too expensive and sometimes they cost more than the merchandise itself. But now, you can drop by Divisoria or anywhere in Manila and you'll find a k-pop merch at a cheap price! Imagine!
5. Watching videos without subtitles
The struggle is real when the most anticipated appearance of your idol on a TV show comes out only to find out that there are no subtitles! So you just end up waiting for someone to upload the subtitles and for the extreme level, you find time in learning the Korean language and wish to speak Korean so you can watch in peace. To become a fan might be one of the most challenging roles to play but believe me when I say that it is just one of the best decisions I've ever made.


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Whiskey Drinks Around Honolulu
Whiskey's Back: One Night on the Whiskey Trail with Hawaii's Best Bartenders
(page 1 of 4)
by John Heckathorn, Photography by Linny Morris
I am at the bar at Town with three of Honolulu's best bartenders. Dave Newman, bar manager of Nobu, and Kyle Reutner of the cocktail catering company Imbibe Hawaii, and I have showed up to visit Dave Power, who works the bar at Town five nights a week. It's the culmination of a quite an evening. I've begun to think of it as my night on the Whiskey Trail.
We began at Nobu nibbling on snacks like foie gras gyoza and salt-and-pepper squid, while Newman exercised his considerable magic on whiskey-based drinks behind the bar.
We made a quick stop at the Lewers Lounge, where the Halekulani's most creative bartender, Tim Rita, showed us a whiskey drink or two off his new menu.
Now we are at Town, snacking on housemade charcuterie and skirt steak with tomatoes and pai ai, and Power is saying, "Whiskey can really shine in a cocktail."
We've been through three dull decades during which many people's idea of a cocktail was a "martini," and not really a martini that James Bond would recognize but one made of vodka plus some kind of liqueur, fruit juice or sweetener. (In the case of a Cosmo, all of the above.)
But in the past few years, bartenders have become liquid culinarians, demanding better ingredients. At the same time, their cocktail customers have become more sophisticated. The result: Whiskey is coming back.
Especially that most mixable of spirits, bourbon. In what Bill Samuels Jr., the chairman of Maker's Mark, calls "a total transformation of the bourbon industry," the quintessential American brown spirit is staging a major comeback.
Maker's Mark is spending $50 million to expand its distilling and storage facilities. Wild Turkey is doing the same, as American bourbon makers are trying to keep up with the demand. There are now more barrels of whiskey aging in Kentucky, 4.7 million, than there are inhabitants of the state, 4.3 million.
"We are only seeing the beginnings of this in Hawaii," says Southern Wine & Spirits director of mixology Chandra Lam. "We're still serving a lot of vodka-based cocktails, they are what tourists expect. If you go to New York City and San Francisco, however, you won't see vodka, gin perhaps, but lots and lots of whiskey-based cocktails. People want spirits with more character."
If you can use a little more character in your spirits, here are some whiskey-based inspirations to try out for yourself. Full of nuances, perfectly balanced, these are recipes from some of Hawaii's best bartenders, starting with my night out on the Whiskey Trail.
Dave Newman
Nobu Waikiki
Whiskey Thatcher
Newman is a bartender's bartender, the sort of pro who can ask you what you like and make you up a drink on the spot. He also comes up with special drink menus for Nobu Waikiki. Once, he was taken to Mao organic farm and handed Meyer lemons, shishito peppers and beets and told to come up with drink recipes.
"The beet cocktail was a beautiful color, but otherwise forgettable," he says. The other two ingredients became his legendary shishito pepper lemon drop, a drink that became so popular, he's now sick of making it.
At the moment, he's more excited about his Whiskey Thatcher. It is a variation of a gin drink named after former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (who, according to the British press, was not fond of gin, but did appreciate a fortifying glass of whiskey).
"I wondered if the Thatcher would work with whiskey," says Newman. "It turned out to be better."
Newman's cocktail is a wondrous blend of complex flavors. It's got a slight touch of sweetness, a bite of citrus, a deft touch of bitter and the roundness of the whiskey.
Of course, to get all that in a cocktail glass takes work.
At one point, Newman whipped out a butane lighter, to burn off a heady combination of Pernod and Wild Turkey at the bottom of our cocktail glasses.
Why? Pernod is flavored with anise. "A lot of people hate black licorice," says Newman, "so all I want is a faint hint of burnt licorice at the back end. I really like it, it's an interesting twist."
Should you make this at home, remember to heat up your drink glasses with hot water first. If you flame them cold, they may crack.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mission accomplished: Fourth film 'cruising' for success
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a terrific thriller with action sequences that function as a kind of action poetry. The best one has Tom Cruise hanging more than 100 stories up on the glass windows of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest building. He has been equipped with gloves that cling when you slam them against the surface and release when you kinda curl them back.
Tricky enough in concept alone. But it has been claimed that Cruise "insisted on doing his stunts himself." Say what? The character Ethan Hunt is seen like a human fly clinging to glass thousands of feet in the air, and you're telling me we aren't looking at CGI? If that's really Tom Cruise, he seems like a suitable case for treatment.
If it is or isn't, the sequence is one of the most spellbinding stretches of film I've seen. In the way it's set up, photographed and edited, it provided me and my vertigo with scary fascination. The movie has other accomplished set pieces as well. Full review.Read more on: movie review


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With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, I put out a call to some of the team-centric bloggers from the Baseball Bloggers Alliance with 3 questions each, dependent on whether or not they considered their team to be a contender or not. Below are the questions, along with each of the responses.
Note that most of these responses were received over the last week, so some may be a bit out of date with the information now known, but that has more with my inability to sit down and write it all down and not with the respondents themselves.
The Respondents
Bill Ivie from I-70 Baseball (Responses are for the Cardinals)
Daniel Shoptaw from C70 at the Bat (Cardinals)
Bee Hylinski from Contract Year (Athletics)
For Contending Teams:
1. What would you say is your team's most pressing need to help them get to (or stay in) the playoffs?
Ivie: I will take the opinion side of this. I have said it for months now. The Cardinals need some strong help in the middle infield. When they get production and table setting from the 2b/SS position, they produce and win. When those positions are quiet, the team loses.
Shoptaw: There are two glaring holes on this team–middle infield, most especially shortstop, and the back of the rotation. With the hopeful emergence of Tyler Greene to replace Brendan Ryan's woeful production, getting another starter would seem to be the most pressing need. The team can not continue to run out Jeff Suppan and Blake Hawksworth on a regular basis and expect to play in October.
Interesting to me is the fact that both writers agree that the Cardinals' middle infield is pretty much a black hole in terms of offense. I'm also inclined to agree with Daniel about the fact that the Cardinals need something in their rotation, but I think they are going to have to either make a small acquisition or wait to find out if and when injured pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse will be able to return to the rotation.
2. What player(s) do you think would most effectively fit that need? Generally, these would only be players that actually have a decent chance of being traded, so no offers for Albert Pujols 🙂
Ivie: What if I want to offer for Albert…oh, wait…we got 'em. Dan Uggla is always and intriguing name. I also like the discussions that are suggesting Stephen Drew at SS. Other than that, I think the market is kind of small for help, but hopefully they can find something out there.
Shoptaw: While the Cardinals would be well-suited to a Dan Haren or a Roy Oswalt, their contract situation most likely leaves them out of the crosshairs of GM John Mozeliak. All moves must be filtered through the prism of the potential Albert Pujols extension. Therefore, they'd much rather have someone that was a free agent after this season rather than someone taking up space in the next year or two. You would think, in that case, they'd look for someone like a Jake Westbrook or perhaps a Kevin Millwood.
I actually really like the idea of the Cardinals acquiring Dan Uggla for a playoff run. While he is a bit expensive at $7.8 million for this season, he is under team control for next season as well, and could conceivably be moved during the offseason if they feel he will be too expensive. I actually really like the Stephen Drew thought as well, but he has more seasons under team control and would realistically cost more to acquire than Uggla. The Cardinals also seem like they would be a good team to take a risk on a Jake Westbrook/Kevin Millwood/Jeremy Guthrie type, and pair them up with Dave Duncan and let him do his magic.
3. What player(s) in your system are most likely to net you the player(s) for those needs?
Ivie: This probably is the biggest obstacle for the Cardinals. I would say that Bryan Anderson (AAA Catcher), Mitchell Boggs (ML Reliever), and Brendan Ryan (ML Shorstop). Brendan may be thrown in for a change of scenery and take a team that feels that is what he needs, but it will be hard to tell.
Shoptaw: What they can give up is another story. Since they used a lot of their chips last year acquiring Mark DeRosa and then Matt Holliday, there's not a lot on the farm. There are potentially useful players such as Mark Hamilton and Joe Mather, along with current big leaguers Jon Jay and Allen Craig, that could be used as parts of a deal. Most likely, St. Louis would have to take on payroll, something that ownership has said there is flexibility to do, and give away lesser quality prospects. Expect that Brendan Ryan could be a part of a deal as well, especially if they do make a deal for a shortstop.
After looking at the Cardinals system myself, it's pretty empty at the higher levels. The biggest name that I have heard for them is pitcher Shelby Miller, who I would assume would have to be included in a trade if they were to get themselves someone like Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren. The other thing to remember at this point is that if they acquire a player who has a longer term contract, they may start running into a problem with their payroll limits after 2011 when they will need to resign Albert Pujols.
For Non-Contenders:
1. Which player(s) on your team do you think are most likely to get moved before the deadline?
Hylinski: Pitcher Ben Sheets, notwithstanding Billy Beane's comments that he doesn't plan on moving anyone. Sheets has pitched better with every start recently. His fastball is up to the mid nineties and all his other pitchers are working more accurately. He's a veteran presence and great with the young pitchers. Speaking of the latter, if a team would give up a great player and need more than Sheets, the A's have a plethora of young pitchers in the minors to sweeten the pot.
I really thought that they were going to move him, and that despite his veteran presence he could bring back a fair amount in return. Unfortunately, he was placed on the disabled list on Saturday, and could potentially miss the rest of the season.
2. What would you like to see the organization get in return (ie, a 3B prospect, starting pitching prospects, salary relief, etc)? Specific players aren't necessarily a requirement, unless you see a specific good match.
Hylinski: A slugger, a 3 or 4 hole hitter who can also play in the field (not another Jack Cust, please) Someone like Hanley Ramirez would be terrific: a young major league hitter (or major-league ready hitter) with substantial pop in his bat.
I agree that this is definitely what the Athletics need, because the lineup just isn't good enough in terms of power. Even when Sheets was healthy, I'm not sure I saw a player on the A's current roster that could have brought that in return. Maybe catcher Kurt Suzuki, but with him now signed to a contract extension, I don't think he's going anywhere for at least a couple of seasons.
3. Do you see a good fit for these players that you think could get a deal done?
Hylinski: I am not convinced that Billy Beane and the ownership will pay top dollar for a hot bat. But that's what the team needs. The only 2 bats at top of the A's minor league system (Sacramento River Cats) are Chris Carter who can only play 1st base, so unless something happens to Daric Barton who has been a hitting and field machine, he's not coming up; and Michael Taylor who is at least a year off.
Another possibility might be 2nd-baseman Mark Ellis (though I'd really hate to see him go). I understand the Phillies and maybe the Red Sox are looking for a 2nd baseman. Probably Kevin Kouzmanoff will not be traded unless the other end of the deal is too good to pass up.
I'm inclined to agree with these points also, unfortunately. With the stadium situation continuing to drag on in Oakland, and with the team possibly moving to parts unknown, San Jose, or half a dozen other places, they just seem extremely unlikely to pay to get someone like that. The two prospects Bee mentioned have unfortunately been disappointments at AAA to this point, and signs are pointing that they may actually have to repeat the level again next season.
Overall, I thought it was interesting to get the perspective of some writers who are clearly very knowledgeable about their teams, and see if their observations about their teams were similar to mine as someone who sees it a little more at arm's length. Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions, and you should check out their blogs at the links above as well.
Also, Allen Teruel over at Prorumors.Com had a series of writeups regarding potential trade targets for each team and certain types of players as well. You can find these stories here:
Here are a few Top 10 lists that can help you out too:


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The captain's ready room was a personal office reserved for the commanding officer of a starship and was typically accessed from the bridge.
Here, the captain could engage in administrative work with all relevant office equipment at hand without interfering with bridge operations while having instant access to the bridge in the event of a crisis. In addition, this room was usually the preferred place where the captain could hold private discussions and/or receive classified communications.
In the absence of the ship's commanding officer, the use of the ready room accordingly fell to whichever officer was in command of the vessel at the time. (TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom" etc.)
Starship ready rooms Edit
NX-class Edit
On NX-class vessels of the 22nd century, the captain's ready room was located starboard of the bridge, directly across from the turbolift. Office space in these early ready rooms was much more cramped than that of 24th century vessels and featured pipes running along the length of the ceiling, which was itself relatively low. The room had one window and one door. (Star Trek: Enterprise)
A short corridor outside the room was usually used as an access to and from the bridge, although it also led to the starship's network of corridors. (ENT: "Chosen Realm", "Affliction") The ready room was located to the aft of an emergency rescue hatch, as an exterior sign indicating this hatch's location was visible immediately below the ready room window. (ENT: "Shadows of P'Jem")
Aboard Enterprise, Captain Jonathan Archer's ready room was sparse compared to its future counterparts, featuring a desk, small couch and portraits of ships named Enterprise, including a sailing ship, the second aircraft carrier, the orbiter, and the NX-01 itself. (Star Trek: Enterprise) The room was plagued by a persistent squeak that, though seemingly repaired, resurfaced from time to time until it was apparently fixed for good by the automated repair station in 2152. (ENT: "Fight or Flight", "Dead Stop") Two years later, the room was one of numerous areas aboard the ship that were heavily damaged during the Battle of Azati Prime. Thereafter, neither the room's door nor its door chime were functioning. (ENT: "Damage")
A version of Enterprise from an alternate timeline in which the vessel was sent back 117 years into the past retained its ready room until at least 2154. However, at that point, the room no longer had its sketches of Enterprise, as they had been replaced with various alien-looking artifacts. ("E²")
Walker-class Edit
The Walker-class starship featured a ready room to the port side of the bridge. It contained a desk for the captain as well as a conference table with six seats.
The USS Shenzhou had a ready room in which Captain Philippa Georgiou and first officer Michael Burnham have a heated discussion about how to respond to a Klingon vessel. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello")
Crossfield-class Edit
The Crossfield-class starship featured a ready room to the port side of the bridge. It was lightly furnished with a standing desk for the captain, a computer, and several large wall-mounted displays.
The USS Discovery had a ready room in which Captain Gabriel Lorca and Michael Burnham first met after Burnham's prison shuttle was rescued by the Discovery. (DIS: "Context Is for Kings")
When Captain Christopher Pike took command of Discovery, his ready room was set up on a separate part of the ship, disconnected from the bridge. It was larger than Lorca's and contained a large computer table, numerous wall mounted displays, as well as personal effects Pike brought from Mojave. (DIS: "New Eden")
Galaxy-class Edit
On a Galaxy-class starship, the captain's ready room was located port of the main bridge, beside the forward-port turbolift. It was approximately seven meters in length. (TNG: "A Matter of Time")
Among the items kept in Captain Jean-Luc Picard's ready room was a copy of The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works, a model of a Constellation-class starship (registry NCC-7100), a crystal model of a sailing ship, an ancient nautical sextant, and the Kurlan naiskos given to Picard by his mentor Richard Galen (TNG: "The Chase"; Star Trek Generations) as well as a salt water aquarium containing his fish, Livingston.
The room featured a large desk with a personal computer and three chairs, a couch, a large portrait of the USS Enterprise-D, and, in a side alcove, a food replicator.
Despite remaining mostly unchanged throughout its service aboard the Enterprise-D, Picard's ready room was temporarily redecorated (most notably, the fish tank removed) when Captain Edward Jellico briefly took command in 2369. (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", "Chain of Command, Part II")
A smaller, seldom-used ready room was also incorporated into the battle bridge on the stardrive section of the ship. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
Defiant-class Edit
Like the other rooms on the USS Defiant, the ready room of the Defiant-class was small and compact.
In 2374, Captain Tim Watters spoke to Nog in the USS Valiant's ready room. Watters told him of the Valiant's mission to destroy a Jem'Hadar battleship.
Watters and Karen Farris later brought Jake Sisko to the ready room to warn him to stay away from Dorian Collins. (DS9: "Valiant")
Several months later, Captain Benjamin Sisko spoke to Captain Lisa Cusak from his ready room. They talked about the Dominion War, Starfleet's attempts to liberate Betazed from the Dominion and his discomfort with having Kasidy Yates aboard. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")
In 2375, Sisko spoke to Ezri Dax on Deep Space 9 from his ready room on the Defiant to tell her they had been unsuccessful in locating Worf and other members of the IKS Koraga. (DS9: "Penumbra")
Intrepid-class Edit
On an Intrepid-class starship, the captain's ready room was located starboard of the main bridge, beside the tactical station.
The desk, which featured a work area and access console, was the focal point of the room, located in front of the main entrance door. A raised level in the front section of the room featured a small table, a curved couch, and a food replicator.
The bulkhead behind the couch featured three windows facing the bow of the ship. A port-facing door beside the main entrance provided secondary access to the room from a deck 1 corridor. (VOY: "Shattered")
A shelf beside the main work desk allowed the commanding officer to display personal belongings. Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Intrepid-class USS Voyager, used this shelf to display various historical and archaeological items.
Sovereign-class Edit
Aboard Sovereign-class vessels, the ready room was located to the forward starboard side of the main bridge. It featured a small window looking out into space and a private entrance located off the bridge.
Captain Picard's ready room aboard the USS Enterprise-E featured a desk and small couch. It was decorated with items from the previous Enterprise, including his Mintakan tapestry.
It also contained a large, gold model of the Enterprise-E herself, along with the Enterprise-D, C, B, A and the original Enterprise. (Star Trek: First Contact)
Other Edit
Captain Benjamin Maxwell had a ready room aboard the Nebula-class starship USS Phoenix in 2367, as did Captain Leyton aboard the USS Okinawa during the Tzenkethi War. (TNG: "The Wounded"; DS9: "Paradise Lost")
Ready rooms have also been included within starships built and used by other spacefaring organizations than Starfleet. The Andorian Imperial Guard, for example, were known to equip their vessels with such a room as early as 2153, when Commander Shran used a ready room on the Andorian battle cruiser Kumari. (ENT: "Proving Ground")
There was also a ready room aboard the Xindi-Primate Degra's ship, around the same time. (ENT: "The Forgotten")
Similarly, the Klingon Empire constructed ready rooms in some of their Birds-of-Prey; General Martok had a ready room aboard the IKS Rotarran in the 2370s, and another while briefly serving as commander of the IKS Ch'Tang in 2375. (DS9: "Soldiers of the Empire", "Sons and Daughters", "Once More Unto the Breach")
Space Station ready rooms Edit
Terok Nor type Edit
See also Edit
Appendices Edit
Background information Edit
The concept of a ready room was first conceived by Robert Justman, who proposed the creation of such a room in a memo dated 9 November 1986. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion 3rd ed., p. 8) Years later, he recalled, "I suggested to Gene [Roddenberry] that we should have a captain's ready room, for what we both considered as a dramatic necessity. In a show like Star Trek, you need to have a place where the star, or the captain, can go to have a privileged conversation with someone else, without the possibility of being overheard. To me, the ready room was the perfect place to have that." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 115, p. 74) Justman took the idea from Navy experience he himself had had. [4] The ready room was therefore in accordance with Roddenberry wanting to adhere to naval custom. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 24)
James Mees was of the opinion that the identity of a ready room's occupant should inform how the room itself looks. "My question is this: Does a ready room always have to have a desk, a chair, and a place for someone else to sit, or does the form and function of the room vary between races?" Mees asked. "To me, it seems clear that different people need different spaces. For instance, Degra's Ready Room is more a working laboratory than an office, because that's what he wants and needs." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 152, p. 36)
David A. Goodman picked fault with the captain's ready rooms whose walls featured Enterprise pictures, such as the ready room aboard the NX-class Enterprise and the equivalent room on the Galaxy-class Enterprise. He thought it unrealistic that a person's office aboard an active spacecraft would have images depicting outer space, rather than trees or other more down-to-earth imagery. Although Chris Black countered that each captain couldn't see their respective spacecraft from the outside, Goodman noted each vessel's external appearance was nonetheless known by its commanding officer. Black settled the debate by reminding Goodman he meanwhile had a picture of his office building on a wall in his own office. ("The Forgotten" audio commentary, ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)
The practice of using ready rooms seemed to have fallen into disuse by the mid-23rd century, as the Constitution-class USS Enterprise did not appear to have an area specifically designed to serve as a ready room – at least none that was shown in the entire run of The Original Series. Captains instead received a small office area in their quarters, as seen aboard the Enterprise refit in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Although space station Deep Space 9 likewise didn't feature a captain's ready room, it nonetheless had an office for the facility's commanding officer and Production Designer Herman Zimmerman likened it to a captain's ready room. ("The Deep Space Nine Scrapbook", DS9 Season 1 DVD special features; Trek: Deepspace Nine, p. 57)
Apocrypha Edit
The Pocket TOS novel The Captain's Oath explains that James T. Kirk has no ready room aboard the USS Enterprise because he did not need one; his yeoman would handle paperwork in an office adjacent to Kirk's quarters instead. Author Christopher L. Bennett attributed the reasoning for this to a TrekBBS member's answer.
A scene in comic The Modala Imperative shows Admiral McCoy and Ambassador Spock touring the Enterprise-D and, when they get to Picard's ready room, McCoy states that, if Kirk had had such an office, they would have never gotten him off the bridge.
External linksEdit
- Ready room at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Ready room at Wikipedia


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GSI Studio is a cost-effective solution to let users quickly and intuitively create curves and NURBS patches using polygonal mesh. The curves and patch boundaries can be easily and precisely edited and positioned. You can then export the curves and patches to Rhino to carry out the rest of your design work. Other functions of GSI studio include: - Mesh healing, - Mesh editing and sculpting, - Curve template, - Model Mirroring, - Model orientation and transformation, - Model viewing and measuring, - And many others.
Min Yu, Geometry Systems Inc.


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Corsair Obsidian 350D Micro-ATX Chassis launched
Corsair today announced the Obsidian Series® 350D High Performance Micro ATX PC case. Available with a solid or windowed side panel, the Obsidian Series 350D brings unprecedented expansion and cooling options to smaller, more portable, high-performance PCs.
Like larger cases in the premium Obsidian Series line, the Obsidian Series 350D sports a clean, black, brushed-aluminum styling. The case is also designed for fast and neat builds with tool-free access and drive installation as well as an innovative cable routing system.
The Obsidian Series 350D case supports both Micro ATX and mini ITX motherboards and has plenty of interior space for liquid CPU cooling, dual 3.5″ hard drives, dual 2.5″ SSDs, dual 5.25″ drives, and dual full-length graphics cards. It also has five expansion slots and five fan mounting points with room for two 240mm radiators. The front panel provides convenient access to USB 3.0 and audio connectors.
"The Obsidian 350D's versatile expansion options give builders the ability to pack a lot of performance into a smaller form factor," said Thi La, Senior VP & GM of Memory and Enthusiast Component Products at Corsair. "Its stylish, compact design makes it a perfect high-performance PC case for smaller living spaces or for gaming LAN parties."
Pricing, Availability, and Warranty
The Obsidian Series 350D will be available in May from Corsair's worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors. The suggested retail price in the US is $99.99 USD for the solid side panel version and $109.99 for the windowed version. The cases are backed by a 2-year warranty.
For more information, visit the product page.


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DENVER — Call him the Lone Wrangler.
Frederick sophomore Jesse Ortiz never imagined he would head to the Pepsi Center as the only representative from the Warriors' wrestling program at the Class 4A state tournament.
Yet after a season marred by a devastating rash of injuries, Ortiz finds himself shouldering the load for the entire Frederick team during this weekend's finals. The sophomore got his state tournament off to a good start on Thursday night, recording a victory against Mitchell's Caleb McElfresh in the first round of the 113-pound bracket.
"I represent Frederick and all the hard work everyone has put in for us," Ortiz said. "But now, I also have to go out there for myself, because I can't do it for the team anymore."
Ortiz qualified for state last year but, despite posting a first-round win, it ultimately proved to be a not-so memorable experience, as Ortiz lost his next two matches.
Ortiz has vowed this season will be different, and he made an impressive first step on Thursday. Ortiz pressed his early advantage against McElfresh and never relented, ultimately coming away with an 8-2 decision. The win improved Ortiz's season record to 35-4 and sets up a quarterfinal round match against Jeremiah Gonzales of Pueblo County on Friday.
"Last year, I came here and saw everybody out there and I got cold feet," Ortiz said. "I didn't do much. This year, I'm here to do something. It's a big boost. That first win means a lot. That's when you get all your jitterbugs out, and then you can get ready for tomorrow.
"The first matches, those are the ones where I'm usually skittish and I'm not ready to try something. Tomorrow I'll be ready."
Whatever run Ortiz can put together over the next two days at the Pepsi Center will provide a silver lining for what has been a frustrating season overall for Frederick. The Warriors sent three athletes to state last year and appeared primed to increase that number at the outset of this season.
Injuries, however, soon put a damper on Frederick's hope for a strong team showing at state. Although Ortiz is the only Warriors competitor to reach wrestling's biggest stage this year, veteran coach Gerry Galway prefers to look at the positives that came out of this season, particularly how many of his younger wrestlers received far more experience than anticipated.
"(Ortiz) set the tone in that match," Galway said. "He actually wrestled that kid in the final of the Alameda tournament, and he got behind. So he decided to go out and set the tone. He was in control the whole match.
"He represents our whole program out here. It's been a rough season. Jesse is our leader now. We had a lot of young kids out there this year, and Jesse set the pace for them."
Follow Pat on Twitter: @prooney07
DENVER — First-round results Thursday from the Colorado Class 4A state high school wrestling tournament held at Pepsi Center.
Team Scores — Windsor 34; Discovery Canyon 25; Thompson Valley 24; Broomfield 17; Roosevelt 16; Pueblo Central 15; Pueblo Centennial 14; Berthoud 10; Mesa Ridge 10; Montezuma-Cortez 10; Air Academy 8; Eagle Valley 8; Erie 8; Golden 8; Montrose 8; Niwot 8; Falcon 7.5; Palmer Ridge 7.5; Durango 6; Elizabeth 6; Mead 6; Valor Christian 6; Ft. Morgan 5.5; Arvada 4; Canon City 4; Cheyenne Mountain 4; Greeley Central 4; Longmont 4; Pueblo County 4; Weld Central 4; Palisade 3.5; Vista Ridge 3.5; Mullen 3; Northridge 3; Pueblo East 3; Sand Creek 3; Conifer 2; Evergreen 2; Frederick 2; Lewis-Palmer 2; Pueblo West 2; Rifle 2; Summit 2; Thomas Jefferson 2; Woodland Park 2.
106 pounds — Dalton Robertson, Weld Central dec. Junior Casillas, Vista Peak, 8-4; Procopio Valdez, Mesa Ridge dec. Tyler Erzen, Elizabeth, 4-3; Michael Ramirez, Pueblo South maj. dec. Vincent Hoffman, Mullen, 15-5; Vladyslav Kazakov, Thompson Valley pinned Anthony Nieto, Erie, 1:46; Sam Turner, Discovery Canyon tech. fall Adam Lee, Denver West, 16-0; Josh Villa, Windsor pinned Terrell Banuelos, Montrose, 2:46; Clay Robinson, Niwot pinned Randen Espinoza, Palisade, 1:20; Darek Huff, Broomfield pinned Abraam Arreguin-Almanz, Mitchell, 2:52.
113 pounds — Drew Romero, Broomfield dec. Emmanuel Sandoval, Montrose, 10-4; Sage Budd, Mead dec. Davis Baxter, Pueblo South, 7-2; Jesse Ortiz, Frederick dec. Caleb McElfresh, Mitchell, 8-2; Collin Williams, Thompson Valley pinned Jeremiah Gonzales, Pueblo Central, 1:02; Brandon Gonzalez, Mesa Ridge dec. Brandon Rivas, Greeley Central, 9-4; Rylen Thalhammer, Palmer Ridge pinned Matthew Lavengood, Durango, 3:58; Austin Veen, Valor Christian dec. David Brown, Delta, 4-2; Joel Salomon, Windsor pinned Brad Kadlubowski, Lewis-Palmer, 3:47.
120 pounds — AJ Rees, Discovery Canyon pinned Darian Manzanares, Pueblo Centennial, 1:33; Tylar Francis, Roosevelt pinned Dylan Alvarez, Broomfield, 3:34; Juan Lopez, Northridge maj. dec. Donald Sisneros, Mullen, 16-2; Nick Wittrock, Summit dec. Leon Sanchez, Mesa Ridge, 5-3; Gavril Houston, Elizabeth dec. Domnick Archuleta, Greeley Central, 5-3; Marcus Martinez, Pueblo South dec. Oscar Ruelas, Rifle, 4-2; Aaron Carrera, Pueblo East maj. dec. Levi Gross, Montezuma-Cortez, 9-1; Jonathan Lewis, Windsor maj. dec. Zion Rivera, Thomas Jefferson, 9-1.
126 pounds — Bobby Amond, Cheyenne Mountain pinned Jeriah Garcia, Denver South, 1:05; Ben Hewson, Thompson Valley pinned Matteo Ambriz, Windsor, 2:57; Jimmy Fate, Berthoud pinned Shane Anderson, Delta, 2:55; Layth Dieyleh, Thomas Jefferson dec. Trenton Fair, Pueblo East, 15-9; Dalton Hannigan, Palisade tech. fall Eloy Valdez, Longmont, 16-0; Jacob Kay, Evergreen dec. Tyler Hanenberg, Air Academy, 6-0; Brandon Aragon, Pueblo Central dec. Keaton Regenor, Discovery Canyon, 2-1; Ian Wingstrom, Ft. Morgan tech. fall Isaac Rider, Rifle, 18-3.
132 pounds — Tanner Williams, Thompson Valley pinned Nate Butler, Air Academy, 5:47; Alex Kingsley, Berthoud pinned Kenny Ojeda, Thomas Jefferson, 2:54; Joey Lambert, Niwot pinned Tristen Wolf, Conifer, 4:40; Isaac Naro, Pueblo South dec. James Engle, Pueblo Centennial, 7-0; Sonny Espinoza, Pueblo Central pinned Conor Lococo, Windsor, 2:00; Steve Turner, Discovery Canyon pinned Coy Zang, Rifle, 2:30; Travis Myers, Pueblo West dec. Justin Ray, Palisade, 4-3; Brandon Wetsch, Erie pinned Michael Brierton, Palmer Ridge, 1:28.
138 pounds — Ryan Daves, Montezuma-Cortez pinned Matt McFadden, Cheyenne Mountain, 1:33; Jacob Gerken, Ft. Morgan dec. Tyler Thalhammer, Palmer Ridge, 5-1; Hunter Shively, Conifer dec. Eric Palomino, Northridge, 3-1; Dallas Rohrig, Rifle dec. Erik Romero, Pueblo West, 8-6 OT; Joseph Sisneros, Mullen maj. dec. Matt Combs, Mountain View, 11-3; Parker Simington, Thompson Valley dec. Jayme Wilson, Widefield, 7-3; Matt Sandoval, Montrose dec. Nathaniel Rykerd, Lewis-Palmer, 4-3; Jace Lopez, Roosevelt pinned Noel Estrada, Thomas Jefferson, 1:10.
145 pounds — Phil Downing, Broomfield pinned Nick Rocha, Pueblo Centennial, :56; Austin Zuniga, Pueblo South dec. Paris Salas, Golden, 6-0; Dominique Hughes, Mesa Ridge pinned William Schell, Erie, 2:17; Dylan Burgett, Elizabeth pinned Trevor Garcia, Palisade, 3:34; Chad Ellis, Berthoud dec. Austin Sethman, Air Academy, 6-2; Kennan Wyatt, Pueblo Central maj. dec. Zach Chavez, Thompson Valley, 10-0; Erik Guy, Palmer Ridge, tech. fall Justice Ramos, Montezuma-Cortez, 15-0; Tyler Oberg, Discovery Canyon dec. Paul Robeson, Greeley Central, 7-2.
152 pounds — Kennan Willits, Pueblo County pinned Jeremiah Clymer, Mountain View, 3:06; Caleb Miranda, Pueblo Centennial pinned Joe Johnson, Thomas Jefferson, 5:09; Nick Tarpley, Durango dec. Jarod Albo, Broomfield, 3-2; Kennen Lanteri, Windsor maj. dec. Jeremy Jaquess, Sand Creek, 11-3; John Holst, Valor Christian dec. Hunter Brasfield, Delta, 11-4; Jeff Burbach, Discovery Canyon pinned Devin Rothrock, Golden, 4:41; Mark Espinoza, Pueblo South dec. Drake Greeott, Longmont, 15-9; Cody Soulka, Falcon pinned John Leonard, Elizabeth, :50.
160 pounds — Francisco Marquez, Thompson Valley pinned Connor Orban, Broomfield, 3:34; Spencer Urban, Roosevelt pinned Ricky Ray, Discovery Canyon, 4:53; Ladd Bunker, Erie pinned Mitchel Chavez, Pueblo South, :57; Kyle Soulka, Falcon tech. fall Adam Bryan, Palmer Ridge, 16-1; Thomas Chisholm, Woodland Park dec. Ivan Wolf, Longmont, 4-3; Marcus Velasquez, Montrose pinned Kevin Paredes, Elizabeth, 2:47; Seager Oliver, Montezuma-Cortez pinned Johnny Ray Vallejo, Pueblo Central, 2:34; Vinny Gonzales, Windsor dec. Caleb Smith, Pueblo West, 12-6.
170 pounds — Adrian Mack, Discovery Canyon pinned Brad Blackstock, Golden, :52; Chandler Montes, Pueblo Central dec. Cole Nielsen, Eagle Valley, 8-1; Chaz Polson, Valor Christian dec. Justin Barron, Falcon, 13-8; Joseph Keller, Windsor pinned Sheldon Berg, Mesa Ridge, 1:49; Josh McLaughlin, Thompson Valley dec. Michael Ibarra, Mullen, 7-1; Caleb Cuneio, Air Academy pinned Fernando Ramos Vega, Longmont, 5:43; Joseph Glenn, Lewis-Palmer dec. Gabe Alvarado, Mead, 6-3; Zach Stodden, Broomfield maj. dec. Justin Barham, Glenwood Springs, 15-3.
182 pounds — Kyle Couch, Mead pinned Jake Beighey, Green Mountain, :35; Ty LaFramboise, Eagle Valley dec. Tony Molinaro, Pueblo County, 10-4 3OT; Tremell Stanley, Mesa Ridge dec. Alfredo Rosales, Delta, 10-5; Josh Semmler, Roosevelt pinned Dillon Tussey, Conifer, 2:42; Jacob Hawthorne, Vista Ridge tech. fall Braxton Stewart, Palisade, 15-0; Ian Cheatum, Golden pinned Martin Gonzalez, Thomas Jefferson, 2:42; Cosme Martinez, Windsor pinned Luke McAnich, Broomfield, 4:30; Trenton Gustafson, Montezuma-Cortez dec. Anthony Abbott, Canon City, 11-5.
195 pounds — Garet Krohn, Arvada pinned Toby McBride, Ft. Morgan, 3:09; Ben Self, Air Academy dec. Patton Graff, Thompson Valley, 5-2; Joey Sanchez, Eagle Valley dec. James Garrett, Mesa Ridge, 6-1; Jaime Ramos Vega, Longmont pinned Rhett Hanson, Mullen, 1:43; John Lieder, Pueblo Centennial pinned Devon Strover, Harrison, 5:34; Logan Longworth, Weld Central dec. Pheonix Versey, Palmer Ridge, 8-3; Brandon Brauser, Windsor dec. Demetrius Zissimos, Broomfield, 8-7; David Traynor, Discovery Canyon tech. fall Kyle Collins, Delta, 17-2.
220 pounds — Andy Armstrong, Eagle Valley pinned Mason Barber, Mountain View, 1:04; Hunter Reinert, Pueblo South pinned Victor Garcia, John F. Kennedy, :21; Connor Eakes, Broomfield dec. DJ Wolski, Vista Ridge, 7-2; Jacob Winter, Windsor pinned Nate Smith, Falcon, 4:56; Garrett Benell, Canon City pinned Brock Howes, Arvada, :55; Damian Garcia, Pueblo Centennial pinned Noah Lennox, Golden, 5:53; Daniel Gustavson, Durango pinned Jorge Cortez, Mead, 1:55; Evan Lancelot, Pueblo Central pinned Kenny Hardwick, Pueblo County, 4:50.
285 pounds — Dakota Gulley, Golden pinned TreVaughn Hawkins, Denver South, 1:00; Demitrius Miller, Pueblo Centennial dec. Jacob Robles, Pueblo East, 8-7; Tuli Laulu, Sand Creek maj. dec. Marcus Garcia, Delta, 8-0; Austin Harris, Broomfield dec. Chris Palacios, Longmont, 4-1 OT; Jesus Casillas, Montrose dec. Billy Dabney, Cheyenne Mountain, 1-0; Robert Bishop-Cotner, Windsor pinned Tyler Bender, Wheat Ridge, 1:12; Jorge Guerra-Munoz, Greeley Central pinned Zach Rios, Mullen, 5:42; Justin Petrash, Air Academy dec. Matt Isaacs, Thompson Valley, 9-3.


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As most of you know, I rarely leave the house and definitively not the country, without taking a camera with me. Since earlier this year, this has been mostly my FujiFilm Sexy-1, officially called the X-E1...
Last Sunday, I spend the afternoon, looking for photo opportunities around Soho in Central London.
Even though the capital of the United Kingdom has developed a bad reputation for being "photography unfriendly", it still remains an interesting place for classic "Street Photography"!
I briefly visited "The Photographers' Gallery", just of Oxford street which always gets the creativity juices flowing!
It was at this gallery, that I made the Black and White image above. The gentleman on the left is clearly more interested in the view outside, while his friend on the right is listening to one of the exhibition presentations. By the way, the view from the higher floors of this gallery is indeed interesting...
Image details:
FujiFilm Sexy 1 (X-E1) with the 18-55 Fujinon lens
ISO 400, f5.6, 69mm (35mm equivalent), 1/80s
RAW development in Lightroom 4.4
Nik SilverEfex for Black and White conversion
More images of the afternoon "Street shoot" can be found in a new gallery called: "Shooting the Streets of London".
Remember, "When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes"


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Fresh off Apple's announcement of in-app subscriptions yesterday, Warner Bros. has introduced an entirely new way for iDevice users to purchase movies on their iDevices. With the release of "App Editions" for the feature films The Dark Knight and Inception, users can now download or stream these flicks (via an IAP) from within the free universal apps.
App Editions provide a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards. The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App.
The cost of the movies are the same as on iTunes ($9.99 for Dark Knight and $11.99 for Inception), but you do get the added bonus of the extra content and 3G streaming. And aside from customised menus in 16 languages, the movies will be accompanied by subtitles in 34 different languages. Warner is planning on releasing an entire line up of App Editions in 2011, including new releases and catalog films. More info and demo video can be found below.
Warner Bros, The Dark Knight: App Edition, 18.9 MB – Free
Warner Bros, Inception App Edition, 20.5 MB – Free


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"Consider Bellows' suggestions a step up from simply taking a vacation. He says these places could open your child's eyes to the diversity of the world, help them learn what interests them and inform how they navigate it as adults." —Cnn.com
"From the treetops of Costa Rica, to the Grand Canyon and Loch Ness, Bellows' book presents each destination through a child's eyes." –Skylife
"Not only highlights where to go and what to do with your kids, but also how to make the most of the experiences." –Kidventurous.com
"If your family likes to travel, learn, and explore new places, this book will be a good resource for dreaming, planning and going." –Tropic Home and Family blog
"The writers uncovered walks, trails, destinations and vistas off the beaten paths which, combined with maps and practical advice, make the book the perfect companion for any National Park adventure." –Family Focus blog
"The photographs are amazing, the content is fascinating and the text is presented in an interesting format that holds their attention." –Simply Stacie blog
"A unique and imaginative approach to travelling with children. Highly Recommended!" — Hot Brands Cool Places
"A well-curated overview of 100 places not to be missed on all six continents and…why visiting them can influence your child's vision of life and the world." –LivingGreenWithBaby.com
"We're all kids at heart, so this can go for any of us…A common theme is that these are places where kids can learn and have fun at the same time." –Fox & Friends


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The Academy Expo was designed by Alignment Rockford to serve as the introductory experience to the academy structure for RPS freshmen. The event assists students in making an informed academy selection prior to their sophomore year. This is also an opportunity for other school districts in attendance to explore career opportunities.
Launched in 2012, the Academy Expo is an opportunity for 9th grade students to experience career-related, hands-on demonstrations in a broad variety of careers. The Expo will engage students in a variety of career experiences and allow them to explore approximately 200 regional career opportunities demonstrated by approximately 500 Industry Experts. The event will help to forge a relevant link between curriculum and careers.
Academy Expo Subteam
Team Chairs
Chair: Reid Jutras, RPS205
Co-Chair: Earl Wilsey, Schmeling Construction Co.
Team Focus
The vision of the Academy Expo Subteam is an engaged school and community effort to design a quality career exploration event for freshman students.
Team Members
Bif Buchan - YMCA of Rock River Valley
Jeff Fahrenwald - Rockford University
Amy Heilman - Rock Valley College
Stacy Mullins - Rockford Chamber of Commerce
William Rose - Rockford Public Schools
Marsha Sisney - Rockford Public Schools
John Strandin - Northern Illinois Workforce Alliance
Emily Tropp - Rockford Public Schools
Upcoming Meeting DatesMonday, August 28, 2017 - 11:30am
Alignment Rockford: 815 N Church Street
Are you interested in helping the Rockford Public Schools? Alignment Rockford strategically aligns community resources to RPS205 and we need you!
Click here to learn more about our teams.
Click here to discover all the ways you can get involved.
Thank you for your interest in Alignment Rockford.
Get Social with Us!
Get the latest Alignment updates!


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Birders will have a chance this weekend to participate in an annual study that�s going global this year.
Birders will have a chance this weekend to participate in an annual study that�s going global this year.
The 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place Friday through Monday, and scientists are asking for help to count birds on their migratory routes.
Anyone can watch birds at any location for at least 15 minutes, tally the numbers of each species they see and report their findings online at Birdcount.org.
Last year, participants of the GBBC submitted 104,151 checklists (a record) with 17.4 million individual bird observations, according to the GBBC website.
This year could be even bigger with the introduction of new technology. New features include interactive maps and using smartphones to upload bird counts through an eBird BirdLog app.
Bob Gould, president of the Lower Neuse Bird Club, said flocks of birds already are making their way to New Bern to fuel up for the migration north. Red-winged blackbirds, common grackles and some brown cowbirds are now very active, he said.
�They have decimated feeders,� he said. �They are coming in the hundreds every day. They tend to congregate here. It�s pre-migration time for them.�
More red-breasted nuthatches seem to have shown up this winter than usual, Gould said. They usually stay farther north, he said.
Gould said he enjoys the GBBC each year and thought it would be a fun activity for kids and a way for parents to get their children involved in birding.
�The idea is to try not to count the same bird more than once,� he said. �That is sometimes difficult.�
All of the data collected during the GBBC will be used as a base to evaluate migration trends, Gould said.
�It is a way to get an idea of how certain species of birds are doing,� he said. �It�s not an exact science, but I find it enjoyable.�
Jim Oldham, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, and his wife, Carol, participate in the GBBC each year.
�It�s entertaining to watch birds,� Oldham said, �and it is a citizen science project, collecting data and putting it online; and it can be a family-oriented activity.�
People can visit the GBBC website Friday to see bird observations taking place around the world and contribute their own tallies. Global participation will be made possible through eBird, a real-time online checklist program that the Cornell Lab and Audubon are integrating into the GBBC for the first time this year.
John Fitzpatrick, Cornell Lab director, said he was eager to see how many of the world�s 10,240 bird species will be reported this year.
�We're looking forward to this historic snapshot of birds that that will be reported from around the world,� Fitzpatrick said in a statement. �We need as many people as possible to help build the wealth of data that scientists need to track the health of bird populations through time.�
To learn more, visit Birdcount.org. The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited.
Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.


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Toby Keith and Roger Clemens talk karaoke and perfect pitch.
Billy Ray Cyrus takes on a new challenge in Broadway's Chicago.
Mumford & Sons begin work on their third album.
Newcomer John Fullbright scores a surprise Grammy nod.
Serena Ryder's powerful voice mixes folk with pop on "What I Wouldn't Do."


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Plant workers at Oyster Creek notified state and federal authorities late Wednesday that they had found tritiated water inside a concrete vault at the plant. The vault is within the secured area of the plant site.
FORKED RIVER, NJ (April 16, 2009) - Plant workers at Oyster Creek notified state and federal authorities late Wednesday that they had found tritiated water inside a concrete vault at the plant. The vault is within the secured area of the plant site.
The water appeared to be contained in the vault. It was pumped into storage containers and will be processed through the plant's waste processing system. Additional sampling will be done this week to verify that the tritium was contained.
"While this was not a public or employee safety issue it is an example of our low threshold for environmental detection and reporting and, most importantly, our commitment to transparency with our neighbors in our operations," said Tim Rausch, site Vice President, Oyster Creek Station.
Tritium is a weak radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is found naturally in surface water. It is produced in higher concentrations in nuclear reactors and is typically discharged into the environment under strict federal guidelines. At the concentrations found Wednesday, a cup of the water in the vault would have about the same radiological dose as five cups of orange juice (from radioactive potassium-40 found in juice).
The vault, with concrete walls and floor, houses electrical lines and equipment. It is located approximately fifty yards from the plant turbine building. Plant engineers are working to determine how the tritium might have entered the space. Initial analysis of the water samples showed slightly greater than 100,000 picocuries of tritium per liter.
The plant maintains an extensive environmental monitoring program, including routine water sampling for the potential of unusual levels of tritium in the environment. Laboratory tests of 32 on-site monitoring wells as recently as March 11th showed no detectable levels of tritium in the groundwater near the plant.
Oyster Creek is about 60 miles east of Philadelphia in Ocean County, New Jersey. The plant produces 636 net megawatts of electricity at full power, enough electricity to supply 600,000 typical homes, the equivalent to all homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined.
David BensonExelon Nuclear Communications609.971.2185609.339.9188 (cell)


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HIGHLAND PARK, MI — Norman K. Dabish, co-founder of Powerhouse Gyms International, died last month from an apparent heart attack, according to the company. He was 46 years old. As teenagers, he and his brother, William, started the Warrior Martial Arts supply store in Highland Park, MI. It eventually evolved into the first Powerhouse Gym in the back room of their father's grocery store in 1975.
Dabish was an avid student of the martial arts and boxing, became a U.S. powerlifting champion and earned a black belt in Koei-Kan Do karate.
While Dabish and his brother led the company, it grew to more than 300 gyms in 15 countries around the world.


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The Nationals, Nationals Park, Shea Stadium, the Cooks & 2008 Converge On Citizens Bank Park (8/25/2012)
For months, we planned to visit Citi Field on August 25, 2012, for our only Astros game of the season. It was going to be our best opportunity of the season to try to get our hands on one of the Astros 50th Anniversary commemorative baseballs, we had already caught at least one of each of the other five 2012 regular-season commemorative baseballs.
A couple days beforehand, I bought our tickets on stubhub. The night before, we were all set to head up to Citi Field.
And then I realized something: no one had bought the Phillies-Nationals tickets we had listed on stubhub! Oye!
I put our Mets-Astros tickets back on stubhub, took a loss when they resold, but avoided the bigger loss that would have resulted from not selling or using the Phillies tickets. And, just like that, we had a new plan for August 25, 2012: Nationals-Phillies at Citizens Bank Park!
It was only Kellan's second Phillies game ever.
We arrived before the games opened. While in line, we played a little catch, ate some snacks, and hung out with the Tishlers (center)…
…, Tami (mom), Harrison (son), and Seth (dad).
The Tishlers are a fun family that we have run into and spent some time with at several Phillies games this season. Twelve-year-old Harrison is an up-and-comer on MyGameBalls.com, and Seth brings his glove and likes to get in on BP action as well.
Tim loves hanging out with older kids and he always has a blast hanging out with Harrison. While waiting in line, Tim whipped out his camera and took a picture of himself and Harrison:
When the gates opened, Tim and I ran over to the LF seats and Kellan enjoyed the ride on my shoulders. We've only ever got one "hit" baseball at Citizens Bank Park, a BP homerun at Kellan's first Phillies game that bounced around in the seats before I grabbed it.
But almost right off the bat this happened:
Kellan and I were standing at the green dot (he was still on my shoulders). Tim was standing just to my right, closer to the foul pole. A Phillies batter hit a homerun directly over our heads. I turned around watched it hit off the first seat in about row 10 or so. It ricocheted on a single bounce right to me. I casually lifted my glove and caught it right in front of my head and Kellan watched on from above.
That was the first hit baseball that I have ever caught with Kellan on my shoulders. I thought it was pretty cool, but Seth really thought it was great. He was all smiles and quickly let me know that he thought it was awesome how casually I caught the ball with Kellan up there.
Before going on, I should point out the guy in the last picture who is standing closest to the camera wearing a dark Phillies shirt and his son in the front row (left of the green dot) wearing a Phillies jersey. About 10 minutes after I took that picture, the guy approached me and asked if I had a blog. He didn't seem to know us by name, but he had read our blog and recognized us from our Mariners gear. He was a nice guy. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name. He introduced us to his son and several other family members. I think he said that he has been to about 17 MLB stadiums. The best thing about the interaction was how he asked who we were. He asked me something like, "Are you the guy who takes his son all over to different MLB stadiums and takes tons of pictures of everything?" While I don't know if I am "the" guy, I definitely am "a guy" who does that.
The clouds started to sprinkle the tiniest little bit of rain. So we headed over to the back of the one foul territory section that is open during the first hour of BP and took cover under the second deck seats.
Shortly after arriving there, a security guard came over and asked if it was the boys' first Phillies game. I pointed at Tim and said, "He's been to lots of Phillies games," and then pointing to Kellan, "and this is his second Phillies game."
I didn't see it yet. But I had the strong feeling that the guy had a baseball and wanted to give it to a kid experiencing his first game. We certainly do not meet that criteria and I didn't want to pretend we did. When he did, in fact, pull out a baseball, I practically tried to talk him out of giving it to us. But he also didn't seem like he wanted to make the effort to find another little kid who might be at his/her first game. So he gave the baseball to Kellan:
(By the way, that is the same baseball in both pictures). It was our 109 baseball of the season, setting a new Cook family single-season record.
Even though he didn't get to make a true baseball rookie's day like he had originally planned, I'm pretty sure he was happy with his decision to give the baseball to Kellan because Kellan gave him the cutest 2-year-old "Thaaaaaank you!" which gave the guy a chuckle and a huge smile.
Thanks, security guard guy!
Just before the security guard found us, I had opened a bag of cheesy rice cakes, which we refer to as "pirates." When the guy handed the baseball to Kellan, his fingers were already a cheesy mess.
Tim and Kellan kept throwing back the pirates like they were going out of style:
Normally, we head out to the pizza wedge when the rest of the stadium opens. But we decided to head down the LF line to watch the Nationals pitchers warm up because we had heard recently that they were using old commemorative baseballs (Shea Stadium and Nationals Park) from 2008.
Just before the rest of the stadium opened, three of the Nats coaches were hanging out down the LF line, with one of them sitting in the seats:
When we got down there, Tim and Kellan got the most hilarious picture ever with Steve McCatty, the only one coach who was still down there.
We watched the Nats pitchers warm up…
…and it appeared that none of them were using commemorative baseballs.
The highlight (or maybe lowlight?) of our time over on the foul line was that someone hit a foul ball in our direction. It was going to land several rows below us. The Tishlers were right there, but they were focused on the Nats pitchers.
I screamed, "HEEEEEEEEADDDDS UPPPPPPPP!!!!!"
It didn't help.
The ball nailed Seth in the shoulder.
Once the Nats pitchers began to disburse, the boys and I relocated to the pizza wedge. Two Nats were hanging out in RCF. One of them fielded a baseball near us and tossed it up to us…
…before walking back to our spot. It was Tom Gorzelanny (T.G. in the picture above).
Thanks, Tom!
Now, the baseballs the pitchers were using along the LF line were from the pitchers baseball bag. The baseball that Gorzelanny tossed to us was a batted ball from the BP bucket, and we were very happy to find it was 2008 Shea Stadium final season baseball!
Double thanks, Tom!
I was very happy for us to get one of the 2008 Shea Stadium baseballs because Tim and I went to a Phillies-Mets game during the final month of baseball at Shea Stadium.
I soon overheard someone mention that they had caught a 2008 Nationals Park inaugural season baseball.
Now remember "S.B." in that picture above? That's Sean Burnett. I had no clue who it was at the time. But at one point, a nearby fan started chatting with him a little bit and I overheard the fan call him "Sean." The second he finished chatting with the fan and turned around to walk back to Gorzelanny, I called out, "Hey, Sean!" When he turned around, I made a bold move, I asked Burnett if he came across a Nationals Park commemorative baseball during BP if he would toss it up to us. Without hesitation, Burnett said, "Sure!"
A few minutes later, he caught a fly ball right by us and tossed up to us a beautiful 2008 Nationals Park commemorative baseball!
Thanks, Sean!
Look at these two beauties:
Before long, the Tishlers arrived on the scene. I got a picture of Tim and Harrison in the tip of the pizza wedge, but Kellan wanted nothing to do with being in the picture:
Harrison had snagged a baseball or two, but no commemoratives. He really wanted to get one of each of the 2008 commemoratives. Before too long, someone tossed a Nats Park baseball to Harrison.
As BP progressed, a couple No. 1 overall picks made their way out to CF. Bryce Harper was only out there for a short time…
…until he had to go take his hacks in the cage.
But Stephen Strasburg spent a bunch of time out there shagging fly balls:
When one of his teammates hit a baseball to the CF warning track, Strasburg ran over, fielded the ball and tossed it up to us. It was another Nationals Park commemorative baseball.
Thanks, Stephen!
Now, I don't really remember the timing of this hit. But at some point during BP, one of the Nationals hit a homerun over the pizza wedge:
It hit the back wall of the Phillies' bullpen, and rolled out in the grass between the bullpen mound and bullpen plates. While still focusing on the field in hopes of getting a Shea Stadium baseball, Harrison also set his sights on the homerun baseball waiting in the bullpen.
Toward the end of BP, a Nationals batter hit a homerun directly to us. We were in the first row of the pizza wedge (section 101). Kellan was standing in front of me leaning on the railing and Tim was to my right. The baseball sailed right over Kellan and into my waiting glove.
I turned it over to find that it was another Shea Stadium commemorative. Tim immediately instructed me to, "Give it to Harrison! He needs a Shea ball."
But Harrison said he wanted to get one on his own. I must admit, I was a bit relieved that Harrison didn't want that baseball because it was the first BP homer I had ever caught on the fly at Citizens Bank Park.
So we turned our focus back to watching Harrison and hoping he would be able to snag a Shea Stadium baseball of his own. While we watched, Tim demolished some more cheesy pirates:
Well, some of them, as you can see above, escaped Tim's mouth and found their way onto the warning track.
Eventually, the Phils cleared the field and, a bit later, Roy Halladay and the bullpen coaching crew headed out to the bullpen:
As Phils bullpen catcher Jesus Tiamo (an all-round nice guy by all accounts) walked across RF and approached the warning track by the bullpens, Harrison told Tiamo that there was a left-over BP ball in the bullpen and asked if Tiamo would toss it up to him. In the picture above to the right, Tiamo is the guy in the middle (wearing No. 81). He happily obliged Harrison's request and that baseball ended up being the Shea Stadium commemorative that had evaded Harrison during BP.
I wanted to snap some pictures of Roy Halladay warming up before the boys and I departed the pizza wedge for the play area. But he took his sweet time getting ready to throw. After visiting the bullpen mound to grab a baseball from the bag, (shown above), Halladay headed out into CF where he and Erik Kratz (who I had never heard of before at the time) did some stretching while lying on the ground:
Although we are a Rawlings family, I liked the look of Halladay's Nike glove. But doesn't that just seem weird? A Nike glove? I am all about Nike shoes, but I am going to keep my Nikes on my feet and continue to let Rawlings outfit my glove hand (and Tim's and Kellan's too).
Roy then slowly made his way to the little boys room in the bullpen (and the following shot also includes a better shot of Tiamo):
And then he did a bunch of stretching against the CF wall…
…before finally starting to play catch with Kratz:
We decided it was time for a little gaming. Last season, the Phils had a speed pitch, a trivia game, and a running the bases (in place) game. This season, Chickie's and Pete's has taken over the speed pitch area and only the trivia and base running games are left. But Tim has fun with both of them:
The trivia game asks all Phillies trivia. Tim knows none of the answers and I know very few. But sometimes we get lucky on them. The base running game is pretty funny to watch. Each time we did it, Kellan would run about 5-10 steps and then just stop to watch Tim run.
From there, we headed on to the nacho stand and then the kids play area. Kellan hadn't had any real lunch (just snacks) following his nap so I hoped he would eat nachos with me while Tim played in the play area. That was silly. He ate 2-3 cheesy chips, but all he wanted to do was play.
I released him first into the little kids portion of the play area:
But he really wanted to go into the big kids play area. I thought it was too big for him. But Tim did some excellent big brothering. He took Kellan up into big playarea and showed him all around. It was really cute. I could see Tim showing and explaining stuff to Kellan up there. They posed for a picture together in one of the spheres:
And they even climbed all the way to the very top so they could ride the big spiraling slide all the way to the bottom:
Kellan had a blast with his brother and the other big kids. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with Kellan going up there alone yet, but he did great with Tim.
The game started while we were walking to the playarea. Halladay retired the Nationals in order in the top of the first and then Phillies scored two runs on RBI singles by Chase Utley and John Mayberry.
Finally, I decided it was time to head to the seats. But one our way, we swung by the ice cream spot in the concourse behind 3B. I always ask for a tray with our ice cream, but for some reason I failed to do so this time. With an ice cream helmet in each hand and Kellan on my shoulders, Tim and I began the long walk from the 3B side, around the scoreboard in LF, behind the batters' eye, and to our seats in section 104 (RF). It wasn't overly hot at this game. In fact, it was somewhat pleasant. But that didn't prevent both helmets from melting down and dropping all over my shoes on the walk. It was pretty crazy, after the game, you could clearly tell that I had held Tim's chocolate-vanilla twist in my right hand and Kellan's vanilla helmet in my left hand.
I dropped the boys and the ice cream in our seats in row 14 and then quickly ran 20 feet over to the nearest concession stand to get trays for the boys to use to hold their helmets. Finally, we were ready to eat ice cream…
…and watch some baseball:
That last picture is from the top of the fifth inning. In that picture, Roy Halladay is pitching to Kurt Suzuki and Danny Espinosa is leading off first base. Espinosa and Roger Bernadina had already both hit singles in the inning.
While Suzuki was hitting, Bernadina was over at second behind held closed by Chase Utley:
Suzuki singled to load the bases. Gio Gonzalez failed to help his own cause. He put the ball in play, but Bernadina was forced out at home plate.
But rookie Steve Lombardozzi came through for Gonzalez. He hit a single to CF that scored Espinosa and Suzuki to tie the score at 2-2. Bryce Harper grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done. Halladay's lead was gone and we had a new ball game.
Just like old times in Philadelphia, look who was patrolling RF:
We didn't stick around too long in our seats. The boys needed some real food. So we got out of there. At our last Phils game, Tim and I got pizza and sat in the upper deck. We decided to do that again. But first we stopped by the RF councourse and played a few more games:
You get 1 or more stamps in a little book depending on how well you do in each game. The more stamps you collect the better prize you can get when you cash in your stamps. Tim collected 10 stamps which were good enough for a Citizens Bank Park pencil and this weird "water bottle":
It was much more "bag" than it was "bottle" but Tim loves it. We filled it up and headed up to the upper deck in search of pizza.
We got a picture of the boys and the Liberty Pig:
Finally, we grabbed some pizza…
…and found some seats in section 424:
The Phils regained the lead in the bottom of the 6th inning when John Mayberry, Jr. hit a solo homerun to LF. They tacked on an insurance run in the 8th inning on a sacrifice fly, also hit by Mayberry.
During the late innings, the Phillie Phanatic pumped up the crowd from the top of the Phils' first base dugout…
…and Kellan was super-excited about it:
As it got to the 8 inning, we decided to walk down to the field level concourse. We were considering making an attempt at an umpire ball, which is always difficult at Citizens Bank Park, but we weren't certain. We figured we'd just go down and check out the situation first.
On our way out of section 424, we had an usher take our picture:
And then we started a long walk down the concourse to the RF corner and then back-and-forth down the switch-back ramps to the field level:
When we finally got down to the field level where the red line turns into a green line, I realized something. When we sat down in section 424, I had set Tim's new water bottle down on the ground behind our seats. I had a sneaking suspicion that I had left it there. We stopped and checked my backpack. Nothing.
So we followed the green line (which is a magic line that shows through the seats) up a set up stairs and all the way back to section 424.
This whole walking process took so long that it was already the bottom of the ninth when we retrieved the water bottle. We grabbed a standing room spot behind the 300-level seats to watch the final three outs of the game. While Jonathan Papelbon warmed up for the Phils, Tim posed with his new missing tooth hole:
And then Paps got to work. He struck out Jayson Werth and induced a fly ball out from Roger Bernadina.
The Nats hopes came down to Danny Espinosa:
But on this pitch (the third pitch of the at bat)…
…, Papelbon struck out Espinosa to record the "W" for the Phillies.
Everyone celebrated:
It was a little weird seeing the final out from the upper deck. That doesn't happen too often for us. Before we headed out of there, we had an usher take one more picture of the three of us…
…as the Phillies celebrated in the background.
Then we slowly made our way to our car.
All around, the whole day was a lot of fun. I like the slightly less packed Citizens Bank Park of 2012. Two thumbs up!
2012 C&S Fan Stats
|21/19 Games (Tim/Kellan)
|18/17 Teams – Tim – Mariners, Rockies, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Red Sox, Rays, Pirates, Braves; Kellan – Mariners, Rockies, Marlins, Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Mets, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Twins, Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Red Sox, Rays, Pirates, Braves
|33 Ice Cream Helmet(s) – Mariners 5, Phillies 4, Orioles 5, Mets 2, Twins 2, Cardinals 3, Royals 2, Rockies 3, Red Sox 2, Pirates 3, Nationals 2
|1 Ice Cream Glove! – Nationals
|113 Baseballs – Mariners 22, Marlins 4, Mets 8, Nationals 8, Phillies 7, Umpires 6, Orioles 13, Athletics 2, Diamondbacks 4, Blue Jays 1, Twins 1, Cubs 7, Cardinals 1, Royals 6, Red Sox 6, Rays 10, Pirates 3, Rockies 2, Braves 1
|21 Commemorative Baseball(s) – Marlins Park, Mets 50th Anniversary 2, Camden Yards 9, Dodger Stadium 4, Fenway Park 1, Shea Stadium '08 2, Nationals Park '08 2
|11/11 Stadiums – Tim – Safeco Field, Citizens Bank Park, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field, Fenway Park, PNC Park; Kellan – Safeco Field, Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citi Field, Target Field, Busch Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Coors Field, Fenway Park, PNC Park, Citizens Bank Park8/1 Mascots Photos – Tim – Mariners Moose (2), Sluggerrr, Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Oriole Bird (2); Kellan – Fredbird
|7/2 Player Photos – Tim – Ricky Bones, Willie Bloomquist, Jeremy Guthrie, Evan Scribner, Stephen Pryor, Shawn Kelley, Scott Cursi; Kellan – Willie Bloomquist, Stephen Pryor
|2 Batting Gloves – Ronnie Deck
|9 Autographs – Willie Bloomquist 2, Tim Byrdak, Brian Roberts, Munenori Kawasaki, Evan Scribner, Felix Hernandez, Shawn Kelley, Steven Pryor, Josh Kinney


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Top-Performing Stable Value Strategy Incorporated into Vantagepoint Target-Date Funds
October 25, 2018
Vantagepoint Milestone Funds add Vantagepoint PLUS Fund to investment mix
The fixed income allocation of the Vantagepoint Milestone Funds (Milestone Funds) was recently expanded to include investment in the stable value Vantagepoint PLUS Fund (PLUS Fund).
The Milestone Funds, a family of diversified target-date funds, are designed to meet investors' needs through retirement. The funds gradually shift to a more conservative asset allocation as the designated retirement date approaches. This is intended to reduce investment risk as the investor's time horizon shifts.
As the Milestone Funds shift over time, capital preservation and the consistent return of the fixed income portion of the allocation are of critical importance, especially as investors approach retirement. By adding the PLUS Fund to this investment mix, ICMA-RC seeks to enhance performance in the funds, particularly as interest rates continue to rise, while minimizing risk.
The PLUS Fund is a stable value fund. It invests primarily in traditional guaranteed investment contracts (GICs), separate account GICs, and synthetic GICs with an objective to offer a competitive level of income consistent with providing capital preservation and meeting liquidity needs. The yield from a stable value fund, or crediting rate, fluctuates with changes in interest rates. The PLUS Fund will generally follow interest rate trends, but on a lagged basis.
Incorporating the PLUS Fund offers two benefits to investors in the Milestone Funds: a track record of above-average stable value fund performance and the historic ability to generally outperform bonds when interest rates rise. The PLUS Fund is one of the industry's top-performing stable value funds,* outperforming its benchmark over all periods, as shown in the chart below.
|Performance for the Period Ended September 30, 2018
|Fund/Benchmark Name
|Qtr (Annualized)
|Vantagepoint PLUS Fund1
|ICE BofAML US 3-Mo. TBill Index2 (Annualized)
1Performance shown is for the VT III Vantagepoint PLUS Fund in which the Milestone Funds invest. The VT III Vantagepoint PLUS Fund is a master fund that is not available for direct investment. Eligible investors can purchase the Vantagepoint PLUS Fund R Class or S Class, which are feeder funds to the VT III Vantagepoint PLUS Fund and include additional fees which will result in lower performance for direct investors.
2The Intercontinental Exchange Bank of America Merrill Lynch (ICE BofAML) U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index is comprised of a single U.S. Treasury Bill issue purchased at the beginning of each month and held for a full month, at which time that issue is sold and rolled into a newly selected issue. The issue selected each month is that having a maturity date closest to, but not beyond, 90 days from the rebalance date.
In addition, as a stable value fund, the PLUS Fund seeks to provide investors with some protection in a rising-rate market. "Although the bonds that underlie these investments may fluctuate in value, investors are insulated from the immediate potential for capital losses due to rising rates," explains PLUS Fund Portfolio Manager Karen Chong-Wulff. "And, as rates rise gradually, the income that stable value funds generate are also expected to increase. These funds offer capital preservation in rising-rate markets, along with income, contrary to most bond fund values as bond prices go down with higher interest rates."
Adding the PLUS Fund to the Milestone Funds' asset mix will provide retirement investors in the funds with additional stability and return potential, enhancing their ability to reach their long-term goals. "We believe adding the PLUS Fund as an underlying fund to the Milestone Funds will benefit participants by increasing asset diversification and reducing volatility in times of rising interest rates," says ICMA-RC Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Wayne Wicker.
For institutions seeking more information on the Vantagepoint Funds, please visit www.vantagepointfunds.org.
*The VT III Vantagepoint PLUS Fund is a top-performing fund when compared against other stable value funds included in the Hueler Analytics Stable Value Pooled Fund Comparative Universe (Hueler Universe). The Hueler Universe represents the performance returns of actual stable value pooled funds, and its Index is the stable value industry benchmark used by many institutional investors, consultants, advisors, and plan sponsors for monitoring stable value pooled funds. ICMA-RC does not independently verify Hueler Universe data. Gross returns used in the Hueler Universe do not include plan administration fees, adviser expenses, or other stable value fund costs - actual performance would be commensurately lower.


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HOUSTON – The Houston Dynamo's 2010 season has begun to act a bit like a broken record: Poor finishing, defensive miscues and disappointing results have undone them when at times they've played well enough to deserve something out of the match.
Sunday night's 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution was the team's 15th loss on the year and the story has to be getting a little old for head coach Dominic Kinnear and the players.
"I don't have many thoughts on the game," said Kinnear after the match. "It was full of missed chances and bad mistakes and we lost our cool at the end."
Both Revolution goals came from Dynamo mistakes. On the first goal, the defense was slow to push up following a clearance, and when the ball was sent back into the Houston box, the defense was slow to react to a run by Shalrie Joseph. On the second goal, Ryan Cochrane got caught and turned the ball over, resulting in the game winner for the Revs.
"Those two goals that we gave up were very soft," noted Kinnear. "I think both goals tonight could have definitely been avoided."
For portions of the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half, the game was mostly Houston's. But the Dynamo failed to convert on several chances during those key moments.
"It's the story of our season," said Dynamo 'keeper Pat Onstad. "When it rains, it pours. Even at 1-1, we had some opportunities, but we couldn't get that second one and, unfortunately, [it's] a costly error at the end there that ends up costing us three points."
For most of the year, the Dynamo have focused their frustrations at their disappointing season, internally fighting hard to try to improve, but against the Revs those frustrations boiled over externally with two late red cards.
As a result, Houston will be without both Joseph Ngwenya and Geoff Cameron for their next game at San Jose on Oct. 16. Cameron's season may even be finished, pending any disciplinary action by the league for his frustrated punch at Pat Phelan in the game's dying moments.
For the Dynamo players, this has been an even longer year.
"You create your own breaks, and these are our mistakes and our play that has put us where we are," explained Richard Mulrooney, who played in his 100th match with Houston. "We continue to get punished every night. It's disheartening. Not that our team didn't try, but it just hurts to continue losing, especially at home as it was a good crowd tonight."
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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