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ASUS Intel Z170 PRO GAMING RGB AURA ATX Motherboard
ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING/AURA, Intel Z170, S 1151, DDR4, SATA3, M.2, 2-Way SLi/3-Way CrossFire, Intel GbE, USB 3.1 A+C, ATX
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Protect against installation damage for 28 days.
More info
ScanProtect is an enhanced warranty specifically designed and offered by Scan to reduce the risk of any mishap or damage to components during installation.
Our aim with ScanProtect is to encourage our customers to upgrade or build their own PC confidently. For a small additional fee our customers are provided with complete peace of mind.
- 48HR REPLACEMENT If you need to return this item, your replacement will be dispatched within 2 working days of your product arriving back at Scan. More info
Customize Your Way
As a gamer, you crave to be first — and Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura is the world's first 3D printing-friendly motherboard, with a patent-pending design that enables easy mounting of your own 3D-printed parts! Create color-matched custom nameplates, and then illuminate your passion with Aura, the ASUS-exclusive LED-illumination technology that lights up an endless spectrum of color combinations, plus loads of fun effects. Customizable. Colorful. Commanding. Create your own vision, with Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura.
3D Printing Friendly: Make It Your Own
Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura is the world's first motherboard with a 3D printing-friendly design. Our patent-pending technology gives you the exclusive freedom to mount 3D-printed parts with M.2 nuts*. You can download, design and print your own 3D parts and then integrate them seamlessly into your Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura build. Create and print personalized nameplates to brand your rig, or design your own protection armor or cable-management solution — it's up to you. And because you're printing your own custom 3D parts, it's easy to create perfect color-matched aesthetics every time!
* Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura gives you the freedom to customize your rig with a 3D-printed nameplate to occupy an empty M.2 socket.
Aura Lighting Control: Light Up As Easy As RGB
Customize your own favorite LED effects with Aura, the intuitive lighting-control software, to cast a stunning multi-color glow across your build via the motherboard's powerful built-in RGB LEDs! Fire up Aura and then enjoy the creative freedom of 12 different lighting schemes. You're even able to customize the frequency and direction, and sync your lighting style with the ever-growing portfolio of Aura-capable gear.
Try twelve control schemes:
• Static
• Breathing
• Strobing
• Color Cycle
• Rainbow
• Comet
• Flash and Dash
• Wave
• Glowing Yo Yo
• Starry Night
• Music Effect
• CPU temperature
Flawless Audio That Makes You Part Of The Game!
Be the best on the battlefield with Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura's truly immersive SupremeFX audio and experience sound so alive with realism that it hands you the vital competitive edge needed to win. With near-lossless delivery and exclusive Sonic Radar II technology to pinpoint battlefield enemies before they spot you, SupremeFX sounds stupendous — and puts both your ears and frags in front of everyone else!
SupremeFX: Shielded Audio, Superior Sound
ASUS-exclusive SupremeFX technology delivers high-fidelity, near-lossless audio no matter how frantic your game becomes. The purity and stability of the remarkable 115dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is assured, with a shielded design, electromagnetic-interference (EMI) cover and voltage-protected 5V power supply. Supreme FX's superior components, including the trusted Realtek ALC1150 codec, maximize acoustic performance and eliminate interference — so you hear only the very best from your gaming headset or speakers!
• Illuminated Red Line Shielding: Banish analog interference and enjoy eye-catching, customizable lighting effects.
• EMI Cover: Effective Shielding against electromagnetic interference preserves the integrity of audio signals for the best quality.
• 300 Ohm Headphone Amplifier: Drive some of the very best headphones available for exceptional gaming-audio and music-listening experiences.
• Premium Nichicon® Audio Capacitors: Fine-quality Japanese-made components that produce a warmer, natural sound.
Sonic Radar II: Scan And Detect To Dominate
Sonic Radar II displays a stealthy overlay that shows what your opponents and teammates are up to on the battlefield, all managed via a simple control panel and customizable game list. See the direction and origin of key in-game sounds, and practice your enemy-pinpointing skill, plus Audio Enhancement technology clarifies every last sound — so you hear the distant sound of enemy footsteps and become the hunter, not the hunted!
Top-Speed Protected Networking
Loaded with the best networking tech, including high-speed Intel® Gigabit Ethernet and ASUS-exclusive LANGuard and GameFirst IV, your connections are faster and safer to stay ahead of the pack!
Intel Gigabit Ethernet: More Throughput, Less Cpu Usage And Great Gaming Experiences
Featuring the very latest Intel Ethernet (I219-V) for faster, smoother gaming — always. Intel's LAN has the serious double advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput. This significantly reduces the processor's workload, so there's more power for your game and your gameplay.
LANGuard: Pumped-up throughput. Best surge protection
Signal-coupling technology and premium surface-mounting ensure a more reliable connection and better throughput, plus electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components (ESD Guards) for 1.9X-greater tolerance to static electricity and 2.5X-greater protection (up to 15KV) against surges.
• 1.9X Higher Static-Electricity Tolerance.
• 2.5X Greater Surge Tolerance.
Gamefirst: Team Up To Banish Lag
GameFirst IV optimizes network traffic for faster, lag-free online gaming — and now we've added Multi-Gate Teaming to team all your networks for maximum bandwidth and the smoothest-ever gameplay. You'll also enjoy all-new Intelligent mode, which automatically compiles a database by parsing new app data to ensure that every game is optimized for the best performance.
Multi-Gate Teaming
Team all your network gateways for maximum bandwidth and assign connections to every application for the smoothest-ever gameplay.
Performance Level Up
Packed with ASUS-exclusive Pro Clock technology, second-generation ASUS T-Topology, AI Suite 3 and RAMCache to unleash the full potential of your gaming performance.
Go Faster With Pro Clock Technology
A dedicated base-clock (BCLK) generator designed for 6th-generation Intel® processors that extends overclocked base clock frequencies up to 400MHz*. This custom solution works in tandem with the ASUS TurboV Processing Unit (TPU), to enhance voltage and base-clock overclocking control — providing an exciting new way to boost performance to extreme heights.
Advantages of ASUS Pro Clock:
• Reduced boot up time.
• Lower jitter under extreme conditions for higher overclocks.
• Increased stability under heavy overclocking.
* BCLK overclocking range will vary according to CPU capabilities, cooling, motherboard support and tuning options.
DDR4 Overclocking: Strength In Numbers
Second-generation ASUS T-Topology enables DDR4 memory overclocking to reach new heights: over DDR4-3466MHz with all memory slots populated. Featuring a customized trace layout for reduced crosstalk and coupling noise, our second-generation T-Topology ensures time-aligned signal transfer for improved memory stability and compatibility.
One-Stop Performance-Optimization Panel
AI Suite 3 is an exclusive ASUS dashboard-style control panel that lets you fine-tune almost every aspect of your Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura-based system for the best balance between performance, stability and efficiency — all via a simple and intuitive interface.
• 5-Way Optimization: Dynamically adjusts ASUS TPU (TurboV Processing Unit), EPU (Energy Processing Unit) and Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM), Fan Xpert 3 and Turbo App technologies for precision-enhanced performance and efficiency, and all with a single click.
• Fan Xpert3: Via five 4/3 pin (PWM/DC) combo fan connectors and five onboard thermal sensors, Fan Xpert 3 makes sure every fan achieves the best balance of cooling performance and low noise. Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura also has a fan-extension (EXT) header for quick-and-easy fan upgrades.
• GPU Boost: Exclusive ASUS GPU Boost technology lets you accelerate Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura's integrated GPU (iGPU) for extreme graphics performance safely and easily via a user-friendly interface — it's a free iGPU level-up!
• USB 3.1 Boost: An exclusive utility that automatically accelerates USB 3.1 for sequential read/write speeds of up to 854.6/863.9MB/s. * It requires to update USB 3.1 Boost to V1.08.02 or later version.
Award-Winning BIOS Design
The smoothest, slickest mouse-controlled graphical BIOS has been improved to make it even more appealing. Whether you're a PC novice or a seasoned overclocker, the EZ and Advanced Modes help you find your way. In EZ Mode you can get set up very quickly, applying the date and time, fan profiles and Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory profiles. Switch to Advanced Mode to set up favorites and shortcuts, record and review recent changes with Last Modified or make notes in Quick Notes.
• CrashFree BIOS 3: Never again worry about corrupted BIOS, as CrashFree BIOS 3 lets you restore a PC to working order — even when it won't boot!
• EZ Flash 3: Update the latest BIOS via the internet, and from within the BIOS.
RAMCache Speed Your Game Loads
Uniquely-intelligent technology that effectively caches an entire storage device so that favorite games and apps launch at breakneck speeds, getting to work the moment it's activated. RAMCache turns milliseconds into microseconds to boost game-load times to stratospheric levels!
Gamer's Guardian For Real-World Protection
Protect your back in the game and let Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura protect all sides in the real world! Motherboard self-protection with loads of brilliant defenses, including our unique smart DIY features ensures long-term gaming is in your future.
Patent Pending SafeSlot: Protect Your Graphics Card Investment
SafeSlot is the PCIe slot reinvented by ASUS and engineered to provide superior retention and shearing resistance. Manufactured in a single step using a new injection-molding process integrates the slot with the fortifying metal for an inherently stronger slot, which is then firmly anchored to the PCB through additional solder points.
Digi+ VRM
Digi+ VRM voltage-regulator module (VRM) is one of the finest in the industry, ensuring ultra-smooth and ultra-clean power delivery to the CPU at all times!
DRAM Overcurrent Protection
All connection ports and DRAM are protected against overcurrent and short-circuit damage by onboard resettable fuses, extending your motherboard's life.
Highly Durable Components
Fine-quality, super-tough components are our watchwords. We fit only superior chokes, plus durable capacitors engineered to resist extreme temperature variations of between -55? and 105? —110% better than the industry standard.
Stainless Steel Back I/O
Crafted from chromium-plated, corrosion-resistant stainless steel, the input/output (I/O) panel is three times longer than ordinary panels!
• Q-Shield: 0 pain! Protect your hands from nicks and cuts.
• Q-Slot: 1 clip to swap or secure your graphics card.
• Q-DIMM: 1-sided clips mean handling memory modules is a cinch — super simple and super secure.
• CPU Installation Tool: 1-layer protection from socket-pin damage.
• Q-LED: 4 LEDs indicate problems with the CPU, memory, graphics card or boot device for quick diagnosis.
ESD Guards: 2x-Greater ESD Protection For Extended Component Lifespan
ASUS ESD Guards actively protect against sudden electrostatic discharge (ESD), meaning the components will last much longer — and you get protection that's up to twice as resilient as industry standards!
Beyond VR Ready
Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura isn't just VR Ready — it goes way beyond! The ASUS Beyond VR Ready marque means that Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura has been tested with loads of class-leading components to ensure that your productivity, gaming and entertainment needs are tuned for maximum performance after you've taken off the headset. ASUS Beyond VR Ready opens up a new way to configure and build your dream system with total confidence.
Built For Gaming
Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura is built for play, shaped by professional gamers and tested for gaming perfection — strong enough storm through the industry's most punishing labs workouts. We engineer and test for the finest quality, longevity, performance, stability and compatibility. Our world-class engineers are themselves avid gamers, and combine their own passion with the skills and demands of some of the planet's best players to create innovative gaming features everyone will crave. With Z170 Pro Gaming/Aura you do more than just play — you'll experience gaming on the edge of reality.
The Power Of Intel!
Intel Z170 Chipset
Intel Z170 is a single-chipset design that supports 6th-generation Intel LGA1151 Core™ i7/Core i5/Core i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, Z170 provides a maximum of ten USB 3.0 ports, six SATA 6Gbit/s ports, 32Gbit/s M.2 and PCIe 3.0 lane speed support for faster data retrieval. Intel Z170 also supports integrated-graphics (iGPU) functions, so you'll enjoy the very latest Intel integrated graphics performance.
Ready for 6th-generation Intel LGA1151 Core i7/Core i5/Core i3/Pentium/Celeron processors
This motherboard supports 6th-generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium/Celeron processors in the LGA1151 package, with graphics, memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support onboard graphics output with dedicated chipsets, two-channel (4-DIMM) DDR4 memory and 16 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 lanes for great graphics performance. Features • LGA1151 socket for 6th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 / Core i5 / Core i3, Pentium® and Celeron® processors.
• Dual DDR4 3466 (OC) support.
• True gaming aesthetics: 3D-printing friendly and Aura RGB lighting.
• Easy and stable overclocking: Pro Clock technology, 5-Way Optimization and 2nd-generation T-Topology.
• SupremeFX: Flawless audio that makes you part of the game.
• Sonic Radar ll: Scan and detect your enemies to dominate.
• Top-speed protected networking: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard and GameFirst IV.
• RAMCache: Speed up your game loads.
• Ultra-speedy transfers for faster gaming: USB 3.1 Type-A/C & M.2.
• Gamer's Guardian: SafeSlot, highly-durable components and smart DIY features.
Please note your statutory rights are not affected.
For further information regarding Scan's warranty procedure please see our terms and conditions
- Duration:
- 36 months
- Type:
- Return to base
- DOA Period:
- 28 days
- RTB Period:
- 36 months
- Manufacturer:
- Scan
- Telephone:
- 0871 472 4747


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, and developer of the underage drinking prevention effort known as the Power of Parents, will be a featured speaker at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) news conference on "21 Days in Support of 21," at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on April 1.
MADD will present new data from a Nationwide Insurance-MADD survey on what keeps teens from engaging in underage drinking. According to these data, three out of four teens point to their parents as the biggest influence on their decisions about alcohol.
"21 Days in Support of 21" is a 21-day national event. From April 1 to 21, MADD will showcase community and online events designed to help parents keep teens safe during spring break, prom and graduation season. The series culminates with MADD's fourth annual Power Talk 21® on April 21 -- the national date on which parents are urged to begin talking with their teens about alcohol.
Other speakers at the April 1 press conference will include MADD national President Jan Withers; four mothers from California, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia whose teen daughters died as a result of underage drinking; and Nationwide Insurance Associate Vice President of Consumer Safety Bill Windsor.
Turrisi -- who is also a faculty associate in the Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, and the Children, Youth, and Families Consortium at Penn State -- designed the intervention based on his over 20 years of research focusing on substance abuse and parent-adolescent relationships.
Turrisi has authored hundreds of articles and co-authored several books on topics that range from statistical analysis to the role of parenting in preventing risky behavior in children. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Rhode Island University in 1983 and a doctorate in social psychology from the University at Albany, the State University of New York, in 1988. He has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 2004.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's been quite a while since I posted anything due to life intruding on what I'd rather be doing. But, I'm hoping to get back to blogging first thing next year. Meanwhile, I wish all a Happy Hanukah and a Merry Christmas - yes, both since my adopted mother was Jewish and I am Christian and do my best to show respect and appreciation for the Jewish people who are, after all, the Jewish people are the Apple of G-d's eye who preserved the Scriptures for all the world, and who gave us the Messiah (no, not the pres).
If you're wondering why I didn't wish anyone happy "kwaanzaa" or however you spell that, I don't participate in fake, made-up-to-foster-separatism celebrations.
If you're wondering why I haven't wished moslems well on one of their days, well that would be due to my not embracing evil, the devil himself, nor idol worship - that's right, they worship a stupid piece of black meterorite which they've enshrined in a replica of what they fear most - a vagina (look it up!). Weirdos. They must not fear it too much though since they are replicating like cockroaches (yeah, i said it - not like you'd expect me to use an analogy to something sweet, soft, cudly, and relatively harmless like a bunny, did ya?).


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A former cadet leader at an embattled Kansas military school has been charged with eight counts of aggravated sexual battery, the county attorney's office said Wednesday.
The charges against David James Burke, 18, of McLean, Va., were filed under seal last Friday pending his first court appearance on Thursday, assuming the Saline County courthouse is not closed amid a major snow storm, said Connie Cline, office manager for the Saline County attorney's office.
The case stems from alleged sexual assaults that occurred in October at St. John's Military School. Police have said Burke sexually assaulted a younger cadet at the school but have provided no details, and the school has said Burke was formerly a cadet leader who is now under suspension.
Defense attorney Dick Blackwell, said Wednesday that his client initially bonded out of jail on a single misdemeanor count of sexual battery and he did not know what new evidence has surfaced that would make the prosecutor's office enhance those charges to felonies.
"He is certainly denying anything in the way of a felony happened," Blackwell said in a phone interview.
The latest allegations come as St. John's fights a federal lawsuit filed by 11 former cadets and their families against the boarding school. The students contend the school's quasi-military cadet program, which gives higher-ranking cadets the power to discipline students, encourages physical and mental abuse. The plaintiffs - who hail from California, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas and Illinois - filed the lawsuit in March.
St. John's has denied a culture of abuse exists at the school and has vowed to fight the lawsuit. The allegations involved in the criminal case are not part of that ongoing civil lawsuit.
When the allegations against Burke surfaced, the school launched an internal investigation and notified Salina police and state authorities, St. John's President Andy England. Following his arrest, the cadet was removed from all leadership responsibilities and was isolated from the alleged victim while the school made arrangements to send him home to his parents.
"Because the safety and welfare of our cadets is paramount, St. John's, as a private school, does background reviews of all cadets that are more thorough that public high schools," England said in an email Wednesday. "There was nothing in the background of Mr. Burke when he arrived two years ago as a 16-year-old, or in the interim, to indicate anything like the charges now being brought against him."
The school has provided professional counseling and spiritual guidance to the alleged victim, other cadets, and staff, England said.
Burke was expected to fly back into Kansas Wednesday for the upcoming hearing in Salina.
His defense attorney said that based on his conversations with people who know Burke and from his own interactions with him, "he seems like a decent young man."
Burke will have to post a new bond and abide by any travel or other restrictions the judge imposes during his first court appearance. Such hearings in Kansas are usually brief, with no plea entered until after a subsequent preliminary hearing and arraignment.
"I have talked to the young man twice face-to-face, but until he actually makes a court appearance and I see the charges, I am not going to sit down with him and ask him what his side of the story is," Blackwell said. "I talked to his father, talked to some of the people I knew from the school, and including him, and there was nothing that would have amounted to a felony."


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Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
Posso Ltd. can get your Hospitality epos system systems up and running in no time. If you have a Hospitality epos system in Exhall then please fill in the fast quote form for the best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall.
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Self order kiosks for the Exhall area
Our Kiosk EPOS Self Service Kiosk helps to increase your average bill size with targeted and intuitive up-sell prompts. Patrons in the Exhall area are guided through simple order steps to add extra paid toppings, upgrade to premium sides, or to make it a combo — helping guests from{LE) areas to customise their order to exactly what they want and adding revenue along the way!
Cash drawers and printers can be purchased directly from our ebay shop for the Exhall area
- Cash drawers delivered next day to Exhall click here
- Printers delivered next day to Exhall area click here
- Hospitality epos system systems for Exhall please get a Fast Quote using the form above
Hospitality point of sale systems are computerised systems incorporating registers, computers and peripheral equipment, usually on a computer network to be used in hospitality, hair salons or hotels. Like other point of sale systems, these systems keep track of sales, labour and payroll, and can generate records used in accounting and bookkeeping. They may be accessed remotely by hospitality corporate offices, troubleshooters and other authorised parties.
Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
Hospitality POSsystems have revolutionised the hospitality industry, particularly in the fast food sector. In the most recent technologies, registers are computers, sometimes with touch screens. The registers connect to a server, often referred to as a "store controller" or a "central control unit". Printers and monitors are also found on the network. Additionally, remote servers can connect to store networks and monitor sales and other store data.
Typical hospitality Posso pos software is able to create and print guest bills, print orders to kitchens and bars for preparation, process credit cards and other payment cards, and run reports. In addition, some systems implement wireless pagers and electronic signature-capture devices.
In the fast food industry, displays may be at the front counter, or configured for drive-through or walk-through cashiering and order taking.
Front counter registers allow taking and serving orders at the same terminal, while drive-through registers allow orders to be taken at one or more drive-through windows, to be cashiered and served at another. In addition to registers, drive-through and kitchen displays are used to view orders.
Once orders appear they may be deleted or recalled by the touch interface or by bump bars. Drive-through systems are often enhanced by the use of drive-through wireless (or headset) intercoms. The efficiency of such systems has decreased service times and increased efficiency of orders.
Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
Another innovation in Posso pos technology for the hospitality industry is wireless Posso Epos.
Many hospitality with high volume use wireless handheld Posso pos to collect orders which are sent to a server.
The server sends required information to the kitchen in real time. Wireless systems consist of drive-through microphones and speakers (often one speaker will serve both Posso pos, which are wired to a "base station" or "centre module." This, in turn, will broadcast to headsets. Headsets may be an all-in-one headset or one connected to a belt pack.
In hotels, Posso Epos software allows for transfer of meal charges from dining room to guest room with a button or two. It may also need to be integrated with property management software.
Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
Newer, more sophisticated systems are getting away from the central database "file server" type system and going to what is called a "cluster database". This eliminates any crashing or system downtime that can be associated with the back office file server. This technology allows 100% of the information to not only be stored, but also pulled from the local terminal, thus eliminating the need to rely on a separate server for the system to operate.
Tablet Posso Epos systems popular for retail solutions are now available for the hospitality industry.
Tablet systems today are being used in all types of including table service operations. Most tablet systems upload all information to the Internet so managers and owners can view reports from anywhere with a password and Internet connection. Smartphone Internet access has made alerts and reports from the Posso Epos very accessible. Tablets have helped create the Mobile epos system, and Mobile Posso Epos applications also include payments, loyalty, online ordering, table side ordering by staff and table top ordering by customers. Regarding the payments, mobile epos can accept all kinds of payment methods from contactless cards, https://www.posso.uk chip-enabled cards, and mobile NFC enabled cards.
Mobile epos (AKA mPosso Epos) is growing quickly with new developers entering the market almost on a daily basis.
Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
With the proliferation of low-priced touchscreen tablet computers, more and more hospitality have implemented self-ordering through tablet epos placed permanently on every table. Customers can browse through the menu on the tablet and place their orders which are then sent to the kitchen. Most hospitality that have iPad self-order menus include photos of the dishes so guests can easily choose what they want to order. This apparently improves service and saves manpower on the part of the hospitality. However this depends on how intelligently the system has been programmed to be.
As a case in point, some self-ordering systems not requiring staff assistance may not properly recognize a subsequent order from the same customer at a table. As a result, the customer is left waiting and wondering why his second order of food and drink is not being served.
Another example of how intelligent the system can be, is whether an order that has been placed but not yet been processed by the kitchen can be modified by the customer through the tablet epos. For such an unprocessed order the customer should be given the option to easily retrieve his order and modify it on the tablet Posso Epos. But when his order is being processed this function should then be automatically disabled.
Self-ordering systems are not always free completely from intervention by the staff and for some good reasons. For example, some hospitality require that items selected by the customers be attended to and can only be placed by the waiter who has the password required to do so. This prevents fake orders – such as may be entered by playful kids – and subsequent dispute on the items ordered. If alcoholic drinks are ordered, it also becomes necessary for the waiter to first verify the age of the customer before sending the order.
The technical specifications for implementing such self-ordering system are more demanding than a single cashier-controlled Posso pos station. On the software and hardware side each tablet on a customer table has to be networked to the cashier Posso pos station and the kitchen computer so that both are continually updated on orders placed.
The common database that serves this network must also be capable of serving many concurrent users – cashier, customers, kitchen and perhaps even a drink bar.
It is therefore to be noted by developers that some databases like popularly used Microsoft Access may have the specifications that it is capable of usage by multiple concurrent users. However under the stress of a epos system, they can fail miserably resulting in constant errors and corruption of data.
Looking for the very best deals on Hospitality epos system in Exhall?
POS systems are often designed for a variety of clients, and can be programmed by the end users to suit their needs. Some large clients write their own specifications for vendors to implement. In some cases, POS systems are sold and supported by third-party distributors, while in other cases they are sold and supported directly by the vendor.
The selection of a hospitality POS system is critical to the hospitality's daily operation and is a major investment that the hospitality's management and staff must live with for many years. The hospitality Posso Epos system interfaces with all phases of the hospitality operation and with everyone that is involved with the hospitality including guests, suppliers, employees, managers and owners. The selection of a hospitality Posso pos system is a complex process that should be undertaken by the hospitality owner and not delegated to an employee. The purchase process can be summarized into three steps: Design, Compare and Negotiate.
The Design step requires research to determine which hospitality POS features are needed for the hospitality operation. With this information the hospitality owner or manager can Compare various hospitality POS solutions to determine which epos systems meet their requirements.


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Atari Video Game Burial Site
The release of the notoriously crappy E.T. The Extraterrestrial video game for the Atari 2600 nearly bankrupted its manufacturer and led to the North American video game crash of 1983. Atari responded by burying between 10 and 20 truckloads of the industry-killing game cartridges in a landfill in Alamogordo. The cartridges were crushed and covered in concrete to prevent looters. Allegedly, the site is now covered by a highway. (Devin O'Leary)
Moore's Trading Post
Tourist traps—I mean opportunities—abound in and around Alamogordo. Billboards beckon visitors to drop in on pistachio farms, gift shops and space oddities, but off Highway 82 lies a wonderland that relies on no such fanfare to attract traipsing travelers to its grounds. Moore's Trading Post serves the surrounding community year-round as a junk yard, surplus shop and flea-market-style shopping outlet. But during warmer month, it adds a rattlesnake pit. Free to view, the serpent lair is little more than a concrete cavity filled with reptilian horrors. Only 25 cents buys you a balloon to be inflated and placed at the end of a fishing pole. Lower the pole into the pit and watch the snakes strike the colorful rubber with as much vim as they would an actual threat. It's weird. It's wrong. Maybe it's cruel. But hold your judgment until you're $3 in. On the bright side, the snakes are all released back into the wild where they're from in time to hibernate. No harm, no foul? (Maren Taro)
The Oryx
New Mexico's flora and fauna is varied and plentiful, from its Venusian-like plant life to its fairly familiar animal life. What many don't realize is New Mexico has an added nature-based bonus in the form of the oryx. The majestic oryx is normally seen on the African Veldts, but due to nearly going extinct in their natural habitat of Southern Africa, they were brought overseas to White Sands, where they have no natural predators. The unsuspecting traveler passing through may be surprised to see a gazelle-like animal gazing at them across the desert expanses with long, curved horns protruding from black-and-white faces. They've taken over and nothing can stop them—except the few lucky hunters picked in the yearly lottery. (Maren Tarro)
The Flying Paperboy of the Guadalupes
The Flying Paperboy of the Guadalupes is in contention for the Most Isolated Monument in America. The propeller-fronted concrete obelisk is located about 40 miles outside of Carlsbad near some place called Queen. It was placed in honor of Frank A. Kindel, a 72-year-old "paperboy" who crashed his plane into the Lincoln National Forest near the Texas border in 1964. (Devin O'Leary)
Toilet Rock
It's just what it sounds like—a giant rock that looks like a toilet. Of course, you'll find it at City of Rocks State Park, which is an extremely cool sea of oddly shaped mounds of volcanic ash situated next to a campground outside Silver City. Some of those mounds are 40 feet tall. Toilet Rock isn't the only recognizable shape around, though; the field of protruding boulders certainly has a more ... adult vibe. (Christie Chisholm)
Lake Lucero
Yup, there's a lake in the middle of White Sands. Granted, it doesn't always have water in it, but it's got a name. Hit it up at the right time and you could spot football-sized selenite crystals, tufts of pickleweed, the occasional spadefoot toad and even some brine shrimp (sea monkeys to you and me). Ranger-guided tours are available once a month. (Devin O'Leary)
The Mystery Stone
This Greek-letter-covered boulder on the side of Hidden Mountain in Los Lunas is either pre-Columbian proof of early Semitic contact with the Americas or a hoax perpetrated by UNM archeology professor Frank Hibben back in the '30s. Of course, there are also those home-schooled fundamentalist Christians who trek here firmly believing the "Los Lunas Decalogue Stone" sports the Ten Commandments carved by the fiery finger of God himself. You're supposed to have a Recreational Access Permit from the New Mexico State Land Office to visit. It's right next to the dump. (Devin O'Leary)


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Len Peralta just has a way of bringing out the pony fan in today's most respected video game developers. After outing Valve's Gabe Newell as a certified brony, Minecraft's Markus "Notch" Persson admits his My Little Pony Admiration on the latest Geek a Week podcast.
Now Notch wouldn't call himself a brony per se, but he does admire the workmanship that goes into creating an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. He tells Mr. Peralta that it's the sort of cartoon that he'd let his children watch, if he had children. You know, standard boilerplate for a brony too timid to join the herd.
It's okay, Notch. They're a gentle bunch. After all, vänskap är magi (thanks, Google translate!)
Legends of Videogames: Markus "Notch" Persson [Geek a Week]


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A "Must Do" Event to Circle on Your 2012 Spring Training "To Do" List
This Spring event always seemed to have that musty and stuff feel about it, a wedge of a baseball nobility or royal twist to it in the past. One of those pristine and ceremonial Spring events that precedes the influx of moving vans, travel trailers and those baseball fans needing a Spring subtle kiss from the Baseball Gods. In the past it's air of an ancient closed door society vibe kept me away even with yearly invites. But time has a way of trimming off the excess and finally bringing about a redefined and refined way to celebrate the Spring return of baseball, with a distinctive Tampa Bay twist.
I am more excited about the events transformed name, Dinner with David & Friends which will be a great new Spring event co-sponsored by the Rays southpaw David Price and his One Four Foundation and the Ted Williams Museum and Hitter's Hall of Fame which is located on Centerfield Street inside Tropicana Field. The event will be held on Friday February 3, 2012 from 6:30 pm to ??? It is an early chance for the baseball community both within and outside the Tampa Bay region to help the children's charities around Tampa Bay on the same night the Hitters Hall of Fame will induct their 16th class of splendid hitters (and a few crafty pitchers). All for the donation of $99 which will include more than just a meal on the AstroTurf of Tropicana Field.
Included with your donation is the chance to meet and talk with current and past baseball legends, the incoming class of 2012 Hitters Hall of Fame inductees like the Rays SP Jeremy Hellickson, former Rays Tino Martinez, Cecil Fielder, the late Mike Flanagan and the Rays Skipper, Joe Maddon and possibly a few special celebrity guests invited to the event. Every diner will also receive a commemorative autographed ticket signed by Price (worth the donation price by itself).
Also on the event agenda is a special autograph signing by present and past MLB stars, a silent auction and a dinner that will conclude with a special message from Price as we begin to embark on the MLB experience for the Spring of 2012.
Maybe it is the new title that embraces and beckons the average baseball fan like myself back into its ceremonial post-Winter arms. I feel more of a Spring warming effect and embrace from this yearly event now that has been vacant for so long. That finally the upper crust of the baseball community have extended a hand to us possibly bringing the event out of the darkness and hopefully can become a "must attend" seasonal event for everyone from the top tier players, movers and shakers plus an average fan like myself can daydream and visualize the upcoming season while sitting at a table remembering the past, present and future of baseball as we gaze upwards at the Trop's Teflon roof.
I can easily see this event becoming a important piece of any true baseball fan's annual "To Do" list during their seasonal pilgrimage from the North as they head into the region thawing out their baseball heart and reawakening their internal hunger for baseball. If this event is handled right, it could become a pre-Spring celebration party just a week before the first report dates of 2012 Spring camps. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of snow bound and the snow weary fans and disciples of the MLB community could descend upon this sun-kissed state and make this event and it charities a beginning point on their yearly journey as the "Boys of Summer" begin to develop their seasonal swagger.
My personal opinion might be a bit biased since I have always been a fan of Price and have given countless dollars to the Ted Williams Museum's silent auctions over the years to support their causes. This is a great way to include the two together, spend some time remembering and enjoying the careers and unfolding careers of the inductees while also being in the company of the real baseball nation. The $99 cost is minimal when you consider the memories, photos and autographs obtained while visually being pulled in by the exploits and dramatic events of the inductees will will reach its climax with a oratory by Price. Only thing missing is a photo op with Price's dog Astro.
For event information click on the Dinner with David & Friends link in the blog post.
Additional links for the Project One Four Foundation and the Ted Williams Museum and Hitter's Hall of Fame websites.
4 Comments
Wow! This look like a great event!


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This week's meeting of California State University trustees in Long Beach was a difficult one. Students protested inside and outside and also battled with police; a glass door was broken and an officer went to the hospital.
But that's no excuse for the trustees' decision to close the meeting to the public and press when they voted on a 9-percent tuition hike.
This decision is likely to backfire in multiple ways.
For one thing, the vote is almost certainly illegal, since the press was barred and state law says reporters must be able to attend the meeting. (An attorney for the university told the Mercury News, in this smart story on the vote, that she had thought that reporters were in the room).
For another, the tuition increase in secret will spark more anger and put more heat on the trustees -- when the real heat should be redirected to Sacramento and the broken budget process, which has produced big cuts that have forced the tuition increases. This is an important message to drive -- because, as a new poll shows, the public doesn't understand why higher education is suffering cuts (or the public's own culpability in those cuts).
In a similar way, the secret vote represented a missed opportunity. A vote taken in public, in front of angry protestors, would have been uncomfortable for trustees. But it would have produced accounts and pictures that demonstrated for the public just how fierce opposition is -- but in the context of a democratic action. Instead, news accounts showed the broken glass door.
That's the fault of both the trustees and the students whose protests went too far. It's time that students and trustees realized that they are on the same side -- and their real fight is with Sacramento and with California voters, who have erected the budget system that is squeezing Cal State, higher education, and the state's future.


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High school put-downs make it hard for students to learn, study says
High-school put-downs are such a staple of teen culture that many educators don't take them seriously. However, a University of Illinois study suggests that classroom disruptions and psychologically hostile school environments can contribute to a climate in which good students have difficulty learning and students who are behind have trouble catching up.
"We need to get away from the idea that bullying is always physical. Bullying can also include verbal harassment, which can be just as damaging and detrimental to student learning," said Christy Lleras, a U of I assistant professor of human and community development.
The study used data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study and included 10,060 African American, Latino, and white tenth graders in 659 U.S. high schools. It is one of the first to look at the national incidence of verbal harassment in public and private high schools, she said.
"In looking at whether students felt safe at school, students' fear for their physical safety was actually pretty low. But 70 percent of the students said they were bothered by disruptions in their classroom, and one in five students said that they were often put down by their peers in school," she said.
Lleras came to three interesting conclusions as she reviewed the data. One was that smaller, private, and more affluent schools do very little to protect students from verbal abuse.
"I assumed that the sorts of school environments that protect students from physical harm would also protect students from emotional harm, and that was not the case. These 'safe' schools are not significantly reducing the likelihood that students will experience harassment by their peers," she said.
This was especially true for adolescent boys. The results showed that boys experience verbal harassment from peers more often than girls, particularly if they are in private schools, Lleras said.
Lleras also found that African American high-school students who thought of themselves as very good students were more likely to experience verbal put-downs from their peers, but only when they were in high-minority schools.
Why would high-achieving African-American students in high-minority schools face more verbal harassment? Lleras doesn't believe it can be entirely attributed to the oppositional culture hypothesis—namely, that high-achieving minority students are more likely to be negatively sanctioned by their peers for their efforts than white students.
She speculates that verbal put-downs in these schools may be a coping strategy that students use when they don't have the skills to do the work and have little hope of acquiring them in their academic environment.
"When high-achieving minority kids are put down by their peers, it can contribute to a climate in which lower-achieving kids fall farther and farther behind and must struggle to catch up. This hostile school climate isn't a cause of the racial achievement gap--we see evidence of the achievement gap well before middle school--but it contributes to it," she said.
"Sadly, verbal harassment is just one more thing these students have to deal with, and as long as we accept it because it's not physical bullying, we're doing a grave disservice to the kids who need non-disruptive and focused learning environments the most," she said.
The study was published in the Journal of School Violence.
Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (news : web)
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Stupid Premise, Waste of Money, The Scenario: The "Red Cell" terrorist group taking over the dam in an effort to free one of their fellow marijuana growers from prison.
20 agencies coordinate for mock attack on Calif. dam
The dramatic scenario Wednesday was part of a 12-hour terrorist drill at the nation's second-largest dam
By Dylan Darling
The Record Searchlight
The Record Searchlight
Luckily for the north state, the dramatic scenario Wednesday was part of a 12-hour terrorist drill at the dam and not real. The goal was to ensure local, state and federal agencies could respond to such a situation and reclaim the dam.
More than 250 people from more than 20 agencies took part, said Sheri Harral, Shasta Dam's spokeswoman for the Bureau of Reclamation. "It's not just a couple of agencies," Harral said. "It's 20."
Led by the Bureau of Reclamation — the federal agency that oversees the massive concrete dam that creates Lake Shasta — medical, fire and police agencies responded to the mock terrorist attack.
During the drill the dam, the roads leading to it and a pair of popular fishing boat ramps were closed.
Part of the Bureau's Critical Infrastructure Crisis Response Exercise Program, which started in 2003, the exercise was the first of its kind at the dam, Harral said.
Similar drills took place at Utah's Flaming Gorge Dam in 2003, Washington's Grand Coulee Dam in 2005 and Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona line in 2008. A similar drill is set for Folsom Dam next.
The federal government identified the six dams as possible terrorist targets.
Harral said the reclamation bureau's role in the drill took 18 months of planning and cost $500,000.
The other agencies that helped in planning and performing the drill covered their own costs.
The Shasta Dam scenario began with the two mock bomb blasts followed by the "Red Cell" terrorist group taking over the dam in an effort to free one of their fellow marijuana growers from prison.
Holding three people hostage, they threatened to flood the Sacramento River by rolling open the drum gates atop the dam. Those gates hold back the nearly full lake.
To show their seriousness in the drill, the Red Cell twice pretended to release water from the dam.
Each of the dam's three drum gates can release up to 66,000 cubic feet per second when the dam is full — 198,000 cubic feet per second in all — while the river's channel can only handle 79,000 cubic feet per second, said Pete Lucero, reclamation bureau spokesman in Sacramento.
Such a terrorist attack could flood parts of Redding and the Central Valley. "The river channel won't be able to handle the water coming out of (Shasta Dam's) gates," he said.
In the end, the Shasta County SWAT team raided the dam and the hypothetical flood didn't happen. "We had them go in, search for and neutralize the Red Cell," Lucero said.
While the drill offered the bureau a chance to see how its security at the dam would respond to such an attack, and the SWAT team the opportunity to test its skills in the field, Lucero said it also provided training for medics, firefighters and bomb squad members.
About 30 students studying to be firefighters played the role of the bus bomb blast victims, with tags telling medics their injuries.
Near the end of the drill late Wednesday afternoon, Lucero said everything went according to plan.
He said it was too early to tell what changes, if any, might be made as a result of problems discovered during the drill.
"That we will know later on tonight and as we debrief it tomorrow," he said.
Article source: http://www.homeland1.com/domestic-international-terrorism/articles/913249-20-agencies-coordinate-for-mock-attack-on-Calif-dam/


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PRN Nurse Practitioner needed for busy ER department in Tyler and Jacksonville, TX
Location: Tyler, TX/Jacksonville, TX
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, is seeking a nurse practitioner for a busy ER in Tyler, TX. We are seeking dynamic, high energy providers who are patient-centered and committed to excellence and providing quality care. This position offers a tenured supervising physician and a collegial working environment.
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area's preferred multispecialty medical group. With over 650 physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 41 specialties in 82 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is a physician led group with its own board of directors.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is a seven-time recipient of the Truven Health Analytics Top 100 Hospital award.
Community Description:
Located just 90 miles east of Dallas, Tyler is recognized by Medscape Medical News as one of the best places to practice medicine. It is listed among the most desirable places to work and is also a certified retirement community. Enjoy the lush green countryside and rolling pine tree-covered hills of east Texas. Tyler is a prosperous university community of more than 100,000 residents, it combines the amenities of a bigger city with a small town atmosphere.
A national leader in patient satisfaction, advanced technology and quality initiatives, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances is a faith-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating healthy lives for people and communities. christustmf.org
For additional information, please contact: Richelle Howell, Provider Recruiter [Click Here to Email Your Resumé]
NPs or PAs must be Texas licensed or be eligible to be licensed in the state of Texas. NP or PA ER experience required for this position.


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Lake firefighters, rescuers honored for saving 5 from burning home
While Fernando Meir was patrolling the parking lot at Stevenson High School on March 7 he saw smoke, went to the home in unincorporated Lake County, dropped on his knees to avoid the smoke and reached family members trying to escape.
The Apple Hill Lane home near Lincolnshire, owned by Jim and Renee McClure, had a raging fire that day as they and three others were trapped on a second-floor porch with no staircase. Renee McClure needed everyone's help since she was unable to move and on a ventilator due to advancing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
While Meir kept talking with first-responders on a cellphone, the firetrucks sped to the scene, providing a dramatic exchange as the fire raced closer to them. During those same moments, another Stevenson employee, Barry Orgeron, also worked to save the family while Dedra Cummins, who lives nearby, was on her knees attempting to save a family dog.
The three rescuers, along with members of the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District firefighters and paramedics who helped the family to safety, were honored Saturday after an emotion-packed presentation that included those frantic calls to 911. The presentation was made at fire station No. 53 in Vernon Hills before the monthly Fire District Board meeting.
Those receiving certificates of honor were Meir, Orgeron and Cummins as well as district firefighters Jason Stockton, Tom Burrs, Matt Bacarrella, Kyle Schrems, John McWilliams, Ryan Shay, Ron Swidler and Scott Rhodes.
Orgeron said his efforts were focused at the front of the home.
"What I did just pales in comparison to what Fern did. He did it all," Orgeron said.
"It is intense," Meir said of the smoke. "And quite scary."
Cummins, the daughter of retired Fire Chief Ted Tarr of the same district, said she was driving along Buffalo Grove Road when she saw the smoke and followed it to the McClure's home. She parked in the middle of the street, ran to the home, told the family's caregiver to go to safety, dropped on her knees and was able to rescue one of three dogs. Two other dogs were found hiding in a room and had died.
"When I got back to my car I just sat there and started crying," Cummins said. "Did I just do that? I couldn't believe I just did that."
Jim McClure, along with his son Kyle McClure, thanked each of the rescuers on Saturday.
The exact cause and costs of the fire were still unavailable. And the home, which is covered by insurance, will be repaired in the next six to nine months, Jim McLure said.
In a separate presentation, Craig Gilsinger, 22 of Antioch, was honored with the station's Spirit Award for his devotion to his profession as a firefighter and paramedic. The award, voted by supervisors on all shifts, honored him for his strong work ethic, teamwork and other values. Gilsinger, who started part time in 2008 through the Explorer's program, was hired full time nearly three years ago.


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Sailing...Sailing...Into the Deep Blue Sea....
Recently I was invited to the D'Harbour Seafood Restaurant at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club for their Ramadhan Buffet spread.
The restaurant is located within the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) at
Jalan Shahbandar, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor. There is free parking at the private parking with security for up to 80 cars.
I also spotted a swimming pool in there!
This place is simply awesome.
Enjoy delightful beautiful moments with a great view.
Dining has never been this relaxing.
Here are some of the shots I would like to share with you when I arrive at sunset.
If you dine here the next time, make sure you arrive before sunset as this place offers a great sunset view.
It's simply breathtaking!
Well, I simply cannot resist taking self portraits here. I am surrounded with such serenity.
There is a patio just outside the restaurant where one can sit, relax and enjoy the view.
Now, moving in to the D'Harbour Seafood Restaurant.
Here's a virtual tour and an introduction to some of the cuisine at D'Harbour Seafood Restaurant in Port Klang.
Look at mom at the buffet spread. Ready to attack!
Marilah kita lihat santapan yang membuka selera.
Here's a showcase of the food offered here. Yummy!
The prawns are hugeand very fresh!
Siap dengan pencuci mulut
There is also a melodious live band every Saturday and they are simply awesome!
Jom Makan!
Kat luar CP nampak ada chef bakar satay dan grill ayam. Bestnya....What a view!
Memang best dapat menjamu selera di samping pemandangan yang serba indah ini.
The Ramadhan Buffet is priced at:
RM49.90+ for (Club Members)
RM59.90+ (Non-Members)
RM25.90+ (Club Members)
RM29.90+ (Non-Members)
For June 2015, promotional Buffet vouchers are available for sale.
Pre-sale voucher at
RM49.90+ per adult
(Normal Price RM59.90)
RM25.90+ per child
(Normal Price RM 29.90)
All prices are subject to 6% GST
Early Bird enjoys RM10.00 off.
For reservations, contact 013-212 6606 or 013- 212 6696
For more info, log on to D'Harbour's:
Website: http://dharbour.my/


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Xyloba sound plate C3
The sound plate creates the sound in the Xyloba ball track that can that can be heard. It is inserted in the components at the indended places. 20 different notes from G2 to D4, including all nuances, can be constructed with the Xyloba system.
20 different notes from G2 to D4, including all nuances, can be constructed with the Xyloba system. Click on a note to have a close-up view of the respective chime. Soon, you will also be able to hear the notes through this link.
Xyloba is a creative marble run for building and composing at the same time. Xyloba develops motor function and spatial imagination, and facilitates a creative approach to music. It is truly a wonder from Switzerland that can last for generations. The simple interlocking Xyloba system allows an almost unlimited number of variations. The fun really begins when, in addition to building, one starts composing.
Providing children with access to the world of melodies and rhythms, an almost unlimited number of different setup variations, the opportunity to enhance their spatial imagination and a creative approach to music are but some of the features that make Xyloba exceptional. The chimes can also be randomly mounted and interchanged just for fun. Coincidences often result in enchanting melodies.
Xyloba allows children to have loads of fun discovering and recognising different note values, for instance ½ notes, ¼ notes, ⅛ notes as well as their dotted forms. The 20 different chimes, which range chromatically from G2 to D4, help distinguish between pitches and intervals. (All tunes sound two octaves higher than written.)
The Xyloba interlocking system has an almost unlimited number of different setup variations. The fun really begins when builders also compose music with Xyloba. Chimes of various pitches can be built into the marble run. Which chimes you use determine which melody will play. As the marble rolls down the track, it strikes the individually mounted chimes. Ramps of different lengths produce the rhythm. By referring to the composition instructions, even young children can construct fantastic tunes.
Xyloba musical marble runs are manufactured in the sheltered workshops of the Weizenkorn Foundation in Basel. Using raw wood, the individual Xyloba parts are drilled out, cut and sanded. Several manufacturing steps are performed manually and give people with disabilities the opportunity to be involved in a meaningful activity.
- Item #: 227


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lifetyle A Lifestyle
Sandeep Kumar Jain posted a topic in 3D Story Challenge #1This is the story of a lifestyle of an entrepreneur who want to be the top in position of market and what he does to become top and how he spends time with his family. The technique that we are using is ' STATIC 3D SCENE '. The entrepreneur who does what he wants to do, does everything for how he wanted the world to be. A unique vision which lead him to the a successful life and become a top entrepreneur.


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Cincinnati police to have sidearms replaced at no cost
Smith and Wesson to exchange guns for free
Cincinnati police are getting new guns as soon as this spring.
It will be the first mass replacement of duty weapons in seven years.
They will be shipped to the department next month, then each individual officer must qualify with the new weapon starting in late March.
Officers currently carry Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistols and will exchange the old ones for an updated version of the same model.
Officials told News 5 nothing obvious will be noticeable about the new gun, but the internal parts will be fresh.
The springs inside wear out over time and need to be replaced. At $45 per gun, that can be a costly budget item.
The night sight that is on the gun is another cost item feature that eventually has to be replaced.
For Cincinnati taxpayers, the good news is that the switch won't cost them anything.
According to a department spokesman, Smith & Wesson decided to swap out the old ones for the new ones at no cost.
"It's a win-win for taxpayers and for the officers," said Sgt. Dennis Swingley. "Smith & Wesson has a great working relationship with the Cincinnati police department."
The police target range can accommodate about twenty officers a day for qualifying purposes. So, it'll take at least 10 weeks for the entire department to make the change.
Each officer will have the opportunity to purchase his or her current service weapon at the basic trade-in cost of $360.
The guns that are not individually purchased will be returned to Smith & Wesson.


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Room at the Top Down Under
"I'm sorry, sir, but you cannot carry that large item onto the plane. It must be stored in the luggage compartment."
This was the stern message given by the Australian airline clerk to a Jew who was carrying a Sefer Torah for delivery to another city in the Land Down Under.
"This is a sacred item which I insist on holding on to during the flight," came the very determined reply.
As impatient people in the line were calling for service, the clerk decided to end the discussion by warning the passenger that he would never get past security and certainly not be allowed to get on the plane with the Sefer Torah. Both at security and at boarding the same exchange occurred and he finally reached his seat holding onto his precious cargo.
Now it was the turn of the stewardess to order him to either place the Sefer Torah under his seat or in the overhead luggage compartment. When he refused to relinquish his hold she summoned the pilot. He took one look at the Sefer Torah and announced:
"A Sefer Torah! Please bring it to the cockpit where I can put it in a nice safe place right next to my tefillin."


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"Wissahickon" a treasure
I received Metropolitan Paradise: The Struggle for Nature in the City, Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley 1620-2020 (St. Joseph's University Press) as a Christmas present from a dear friend and park aficionado Dr. Thomas A. Fitzpatrick. What a treasure it is.
I am still reading (and re-reading) the first of this four-volume set, looking over maps and illustrations that are museum quality. As I enjoyed the set, I also thought about how I could help get the word out about it. I have been telling everyone I meet about it, but then I received my copy of this week's Local and was thrilled to see the front page article and interview with historian David Contosta, who co-authored the work with landscape architect Carol Franklin.
I would like to thank you for bringing the series to the attention of your readers. I would further like to publicly thank Franklin and Contosta for working for 12 years on this project. It is truly a gift to the community and beyond. Thanks to the Friends of the Wissahickon for planting the seed for this series many years ago
Finally, thanks to St. Joseph's University Press for the visionary professionals there who masterfully laid out the images and text. It is truly a piece of art.
I highly recommend this series as I for one, have enjoyed turning off of the tube and computer and spending several relaxing evenings in front of a burning fire with it. I urge anyone reading this to give yourself a gift of spending time and gaining insight at this treasure we have in our backyards. It is truly and inspiration – The Wissahickon and the books!
Barbara Sherf
Deer are not destructive
"D" words like "destructive," "devastation" and "disaster" have been used to incite others to rail against deer and maintain a stranglehold over them. And now, we have a "C" word, "catastrophic," used in an interview with David Contosta about a new book on the Wissahickon Valley (Local, January 6).
A number of years ago, landscape architect Carol Franklin, who collaborated with Contosta for this book, exclaimed in a public forum at the Andorra Library that there were 600 deer per acre in the Wissahickon. A collective gasp was palpable. She should have known better. I regret not confronting her at the time. And so, the persistent, inflammatory and vitriolic rhetoric does its dirty work.
Contosta pointed to a lack of predators in the park as contributing to the deer "problem." Just as the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses the lack of predators to justify its mass wild horse roundup and removal policy, the pro-kill camp uses the absence of predators in the park to justify its lethal practice against deer. Wildlife scientist Allen T. Rutberg, Ph.D has stated, "Current evidence indicates that deer usually are not controlled by natural predators." Another, Wayne Evans, Ph.D has said, "Both predators and hunting are unnecessary adjuncts to deer population control."
I fully expect the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services to return soon to resume their unfinished business in the park. This branch of the federal government exterminated over 4.1 million animals in 2009. According to Wild Earth Guardians, this agency has managed to avoid public scrutiny of its spending. It's your money.
At the very heart of this matter is the fact that innocent deer have been criminalized and condemned to death. It's absolutely outrageous.
Bridget Irons
Chestut Hill
Not optimistic
We are two weeks into it and still want to know if anything will be new or happy. Our editor is deciding between the optimism of McLaughlin or the pessimism of Buchanan, both of whom only speak to be paid. I do appreciate the economic and social benefits of "optimism," but I find little to be optimistic about. [ See "Saving up optimism for 2011," page 4 in last week's issue.]
I believe a new restaurant will replace ¡Cuba! A Thai restaurant will replace a Middle Eastern. That doesn't need a crystal ball or a retail recruiter; it only needs storeowners willing to make deals. Other than those restaurant trades, I believe Chestnut Hill will look very much as it does today, its vacancies still vacant, while the retail recruiter will find gainful employment elsewhere.
I believe U.S. soldiers and foreign civilians will continue to die as I see little prospect for peace. A large number of deer, both in Fairmount Park and the Commonwealth will also be dead. I also believe there will continue to be more letters to the Local about dead deer than dead humans.
Storefront vacancies can be solved by their owners, but they won't. The president can bring home our troops in 2011, but he won't. True, I have no equally easy solution for the deer. I apologize for mixing the inconsequential with the consequential, but the question is the same. Do we have the will to confront those who are responsible?
I believe we don't, and things will not change until we do. My wishes are for less protesting of dead deer and more protesting of dead U.S soldiers, but it's unlikely we can even agree on that. My only optimism is that everyone I care about will be here a year from now and that we won't have given up on the possibility of a better future.
Ed Budnick
Chestnut Hill


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CIO… the West Coast ConferencePosted by CNguon on December 17th, 2012
Michael Vernetti is the West Coast Conference correspondent for RTC.
Looking Back
Bye-bye Gonzaga? Shuffling through the barrage of reports, rumors, and guesses that emerged from the defection of the Catholic Seven from the Big East Conference, one could conclude that:
- Gonzaga might join a new alliance of those seven plus some other basketball-only schools to form a new super-conference.
- Saint Mary's might also join the party.
- Neither Gonzaga nor Saint Mary's were ever in the plans of the Seven.
- That the WCC already has what the Catholic Seven are seeking: a mostly homogeneous group of geographically contiguous schools with a common academic philosophy and a commitment to quality basketball.
Involving the WCC in the Big East blow-up was mostly the work of Gonzaga coach Mark Few and his ever-reliable mouthpiece, Andy Katz of ESPN. Katz reported last Wednesday (December 12), before the seven departing schools had announced a decision, that, "Sources say the Zags would love to part with the West Coast Conference and be a member of a national, branded basketball conference… the Zags are looking out for themselves and would like to be positioned with fellow national Catholic-based schools instead of regional ones in the WCC."
No one familiar with Few's musings a few weeks ago was worried about what would happen to Gonzaga in the case of a BCS/everybody else-type split in the college basketball ranks had any doubts who Katz's source was. And it is safe to say that no one else belonging to or friendly with the WCC appreciated Few's willingness to throw the conference under the bus on the basis of some unfounded worries about an imminent basketball schism.
Newcomers shining: Gonzaga's Polish recruit Przemek Karnowski garnered most of the preseason attention accorded new faces in the WCC, but as imposing as the 7'1" center looks on the court he has been shoved aside by the play of another Zag seven-footer, returning redshirt Kelly Olynyk. Mostly because Olynyk has been so stellar, Karnowski has been relegated to part-time duties. Other freshmen and transfers, however, are leaving big marks on their teams.
Undersized post man Stacy Davis of Pepperdine leads all WCC freshmen in both scoring (10.8 PPG, 18th overall) and rebounding (7.4 RPG, fifth overall), compared to Karnowski's 9.3 PPG and 3.6 RPG. Davis, a stocky 6'6", 235-pounder, is from that basketball powerhouse, Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen, Arizona. He has averaged more than twice the minutes of Karnowski, 29.8 to 14.1 MPG, evidence of his importance to Pepperdine while sophomore big man Jan Maehlen works himself back into the lineup following an injury, and evidence of Gonzaga's depth that allows them to ration Karnowski's minutes.
Another freshman making a mark in the early going is San Francisco guard Tim Derksen, who has started off-and-on for the Dons and is averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 23 minutes per game. Portland feels that 6'4" freshman guard Oskars Reinfelds from Riga, Latvia, may turn out to be the long-awaited point guard successor to the departed and greatly-missed T.J. Campbell. Reinfelds provided a lift off the bench at Kentucky with four assists and two steals, while running the point for the first time this season.
Outshining all newcomers has been sophomore wing man Tyler Haws of BYU, who returned this season after a two-year hiatus for his Mormon mission. Haws has been brilliant for the Cougars, averaging 20.1 PPG and providing a spark noticeably missing from last year's freshman standout Matt Carlino.
San Francisco's De'End Parker, a transfer from UCLA, and Saint Mary's James Walker III, a junior college transfer from Citrus College, are also playing big roles. Parker has been averaging nearly 18 PPG and Walker 10.4 PPG.
Reader's Take
Power Rankings
- Gonzaga (10-1): The Zags had plenty of time to nurse their wounds from the 85-74 loss to undefeated Illinois last Saturday, and put that time to good use. It can be expected that Few emphasized defense in anticipation of facing Kansas State in Saturday's (December 15) annual Battle in Seattle, because his troops were relentless in hounding K-State star Rodney McGruder into a four-point night in which he didn't score for the first 30 minutes. Olynyk had another dominating game, leading all scorers with 20 points in 19 minutes.
- Santa Clara (8-2): The resurgence of Santa Clara picked up again last week, as the Broncos recovered from their first two losses of the season with a pair of wins at Pacific (75-71) and at San Jose State (75-54). Beating the Tigers on its home floor amounted to a bit of WCC revenge on a Pacific team that had logged wins over Saint Mary's and San Francisco (and suffered a loss to Gonzaga). As for San Jose State, it's always nice to beat a neighbor on its home court, and the feat was made easier by the prolific Kevin Foster's 31 points, 21 points and eight assists from Foster's back court mate, Evan Roquemore (enabling him to surpass the career 1,000-point mark), and a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) from Marc Trasolini. It is generally conceded that a team with three certifiable stars has a shot at a conference championship, and Santa Clara certainly meets that criterion with Foster, Trasolini and Roquemore.
- Saint Mary's (7-2): The Gaels had only one game last week, so they decided it might as well be a good one. The result: a 120-67 pasting of hapless Jackson State (0-7), which had some statisticians scrambling for comparative results. The Gaels' points-per-possession mark of 1.579 (120 points in 76 possessions) turns out to be the 22nd highest among all college games in the last 15 years, and combined with a 1.564 PPP against Cal Poly 10 days earlier, gave them two games played at the top 1/30th of 1% of all games played in the last 15 years, according to Michael Rogner of Bloquin. Squeezed in between those two games was an 88-73 win over Drake in Des Moines, so whatever Randy Bennett has been preaching since the Gaels dropped two games in a Thanksgiving tournament has been well received. The three-game win streak has been accomplished without starting guard Stephen Holt, who was averaging 12 PPG before he went down with a knee bruise.
- BYU (7-3): The Cougars likewise had only one game last week, and it was a satisfying 78-68 road win over intra-state rival Weber State. Satisfying because BYU's star post man Brandon Davies had his most dominating game in an outstanding career, notching 33 points on 14-of-17 shooting. Haws wasn't far behind with 23 points, but, in a pattern all-too-familiar this year, that's about where it ended, as no one else scored in double figures. Carlino, who has been MIA for most of this season, went 3-7 from the floor, including 0-3 on three-point attempts, but there was a ray of hope for BYU's back court. Heralded freshman guard Cory Calvert scored nine points in 10 minutes of play, and if he can become a consistent force the Cougars' future might be brighter.
- Pepperdine (6-4): The Waves continue to tantalize, including during last night's back-and-forth loss to Central Michigan, 80-77, which was almost saved with a Lorne Jackson 3-pointer at the buzzer. Before the loss, Pepperdine had notched six wins in its last seven games and was off to its best start in eight years. It has been winning with a small front court consisting of two true freshmen, Davis and rangy 6'7" Jett Raines, along with a three-guard attack anchored by the senior Jackson, who is averaging 15.7 PPG. The Waves got one of its walking wounded back in its last win over Hawaii, as transfer Malte Kramer made his debut, and is waiting for the huge Maehlen (7'0", 300-plus pounds) to find his way back also.
- San Francisco (5-3): The losing streak reached two with losses at Pacific (67-59) and Nevada (59-51) last week, and although it's not nearly panic time on the Hilltop, a win over visiting Holy Cross tomorrow night would help restore the Dons' confidence that was growing after five straight wins. It's been poor shooting on the road that stopped the Dons in their tracks, exemplified by shooting 19.2 percent from the floor in the second half against Nevada. San Francisco was the nation's fourth-best 3-point shooting team before traveling to Reno, but shot just 2-for-15 from the 3-point stripe against the Wolfpack.
- Loyola Marymount (5-4): The Lions held their position by playing no games last week in deference to finals.
- San Diego (6-6): Continuing to tread water, the Toreros won a laugher over Arizona Christian (88-65), but weren't laughing after facing #15 (USA Today coaches' poll) San Diego State on the Aztecs' floor, dropping the intra-city rivalry contest 72-56. Ken Rancifer continues to be an early-season scoring leader for San Diego, scoring 16 against San Diego State and 27 against Arizona Christian.
- Portland (4-6): The Pilots have figured out how to avoid continuing losses – play lesser teams at home. Following a home loss (68-60) to UNLV and a road thrashing by Kentucky (74-46), the Pilots gave out a beating of their own, 95-66, to Portland Bible College. Oh yeah, it's an NCCAA team, if you mean the National Christian College Athletics Association. Following will be two more home games against unpredictable Cal State-Bakersfield and unheralded North Florida.
Looking Ahead
The schedule remains light this week, especially if you count interesting games:
- Ultra-efficient Saint Mary's gets a shot at revenge against Pacific on Wednesday in Moraga, then heads back to Iowa to take on tough Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Saturday.
- Loyola Marymount comes out of hibernation to meet Ole Miss at home on Wednesday, then travels to Saint Louis for a game against the Billikins on Saturday, constituting the Lions' two biggest challenges of the preseason.
- Another tough foe, Oregon State, awaits San Diego at a tournament in Las Vegas beginning on Saturday.
- Santa Clara kicks off its own Cable Car Classic against Alcorn State on Friday, following a home contest tonight against Cal Poly.
- BYU has a shot at its third win in a row tomorrow against Eastern New Mexico at home, but dives into deeper waters on Friday with a contest against Baylor in Waco, Texas.
- Gonzaga has the week's easiest assignment, welcoming Campbell University on Wednesday, but has its own date with Baylor next Friday (December 28) in Spokane.


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- Tech Trader Daily
As the Dell Turns: Southeastern Blasts Board, Board Again Blasts Icahn Plan
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There was another flurry of words exchanged today by competing parties in the battle to decide Dell's (DELL) fate.
The stock closed down 13 cents, or almost 1%, at $13.02.
Yesterday morning, you'll recall, Carl Icahn, who has made a tender offer for the stock, and been critical of Dell's board of directors for backing CEO Michael Dell's LBO plans, shot back at that board after it Friday criticized his revised offer.
Then this morning, Bloomberg reported that it is looking like the company may postpone a special shareholder vote scheduled for this Thursday, July 18th, to vote on the LBO offer.
This afternoon, value investing shop Southeastern Asset Management, which has been aligned with Icahn's tender offer, issued its own riposte to the board's negative remarks.
Southeastern thinks the criticism of Icahn by the board relies on misleading assumptions about valuations for comparable companies, such as Hewlett-Packard (HPQ):
In an investor presentation filed with the SEC on July 15, 2013, the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Dell tries to make investors believe that there is 'substantial downside risk to Dell shareholders' if the proposed take private transaction is rejected. To argue the Special Committee's point, they rely on, in large part, CY13E P/E multiples for Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Wall Street estimates for Dell from November 2012. While the Special Committee broadcasts that these analysts had an average price target of $12.02 for Dell, they failed to also disclose that the same analysts had an average price target of $13.72 for HP, a substantial discount to the price for which HP now trades. Investors guided by Wall Street's estimates of HP's value missed out on its appreciation of over 100% since November. We believe that, notwithstanding these analysts' predictions, Dell represents a real opportunity and therefore urge shareholders to vote against the proposed take private transaction.
Southeastern also posted online a table listing how much HP has risen above prior price targets that had been assigned to the stock.
A short while ago, AllThingsD's Arik Hesseldahlreported that Michael Dell, and his private equity partner in the bid, Silver Lake, "are determined to hold steady, and will not capitulate to pressure from Carl Icahn and other shareholders in the struggling computer maker to raise their offer," citing multiple unnamed sources.
And then this evening, Dell's board issued yet another, longer response to Icahn's revised proposal. This latest letter to shareholders indicates the meeting is still on for Thursday, refuting the rumors earlier today.
The board writes that "we do not believe that Mr. Icahn's proposal is superior to the certainty of value offered by a sale of the entire company at $13.65 per share," in particular because of a lack of guarantees by Icahn, or "remedies," should his financing fall through:
Dear Stockholders:
We are writing to update you regarding our evaluation of the various leveraged recapitalization transactions that Carl Icahn has proposed, including the most recent version put forth at the end of last week, and to make some observations about leveraged recapitalizations more broadly.
The basic concept that Mr. Icahn has proposed would be a $15.6 billion self-tender by the Company at a price for each share actually purchased of $14. Mr. Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management would agree not to tender any of their shares. On Friday, Mr. Icahn proposed that the tender price would also include, for each four shares purchased, one warrant to purchase an additional share at a $20 strike price. If these transactions were consummated and all stockholders other than Mr. Icahn and Southeastern tendered, each stockholder would be required to retain approximately 29% of his or her shares in the highly leveraged public company that would result, and would receive for each share held approximately $9.99 in cash and 0.18 warrants.
We have reviewed with our financial and legal advisors the risks and rewards of Mr. Icahn's proposal, as well as the financing he has outlined for that proposal.
At various points, Mr. Icahn has asked the Special Committee to declare the transaction he has outlined a "Superior Proposal" under Dell's existing merger agreement or to withdraw our recommendation in favor of the Michael Dell/Silver Lake merger. In fact, however, he has not constructed his proposal in a manner that makes that possible or appropriate. First, the financing he has proposed cannot be accepted by us – it is expressly conditioned on the election to the Dell board of all 12 nominees of Icahn and Southeastern. Second, while he has asked us either to abandon the Michael Dell/Silver Lake merger agreement or to make a recommendation change that would permit Mr. Dell and Silver Lake to terminate that agreement, Mr. Icahn's proposal specifically cautions that his transaction might never be completed and offers no remedies in the event that he or his nominees or financing sources fail to consummate a transaction. And third, he has identified neither a management team, nor a strategic plan or vision, on the basis of which the Committee or anyone else could evaluate the value of the "stub" equity he contemplates.
More broadly, based on analyses prepared by our advisors and our own view of the business, we do not believe that Mr. Icahn's proposal is superior to the certainty of value offered by a sale of the entire Company at $13.65 per share. The addition of warrants to Mr. Icahn's concept has not meaningfully altered the value equation: The warrants themselves would, according to the analyses we have reviewed, be of modest value and that value would be offset in part by their dilutive effect on the stub equity held by the recipient. Further, on receipt, the entire value of the warrants would likely be taxable to the holder. Finally, there is a fundamental illogic in ascribing meaningful value to the transfer of a portion of any upside above $20 per share from those who most believe in it (apparently Mr. Icahn and Southeastern) to those who do not believe in it (the tendering stockholders who have sought to cash out at $14 per share).
While for the foregoing reasons Mr. Icahn's proposal does not provide the basis for the Committee to change its recommendation, we are mindful of the fact that the Board could independently resolve to consummate various leveraged recapitalization transactions – including one along the lines outlined by Mr. Icahn – with or without an agreement by certain shareholders like Mr. Icahn and Southeastern to roll over their shares. Throughout its thorough, multi-month review process, the Special Committee has carefully considered the possibility of various recapitalization transactions. We have reviewed sources of financing for such a transaction, the credit parameters of the Company following a substantial dividend or stock repurchase, and the liquidity and market implications of various potential approaches.
To summarize, while the Company's strong balance sheet makes it possible to borrow significant amounts, we consider it unwise to layer substantial financial risk on a company already facing significant challenges from competition and from the rapid pace of technological change. It is, we believe, not an accident that no large publicly traded technology company carries high levels of debt. And while we recognize that, as a private company controlled by Mr. Dell and Silver Lake, the Company will have a significant debt burden, the risks of that capital structure will be borne entirely by the buyers and not by the public stockholders. Moreover, the buyers have the financial resources to invest additional funds if that proves necessary.
Conversely, a leveraged recapitalization of the sort advocated by Mr. Icahn would force Dell stockholders to maintain meaningful equity exposure to a non-investment grade, publicly traded company that we believe would likely be ill-prepared to weather further downturns in the PC business and could be hamstrung in its ability to make the additional investments needed to complete its transformational plan. We believe such a company would face instability that would undermine customer confidence and make it harder to attract and retain the best employees.
We have also evaluated alternative recapitalization transactions that involve a stronger balance sheet and more modest returns of capital. These would not pose the same risk to Dell's future, but, in our view, they also would not fundamentally create value. Accordingly, we concluded, and we continue to believe, that a sale at a premium remains a superior option to a leveraged recapitalization.
In closing, we wish to note that it is unfortunate Mr. Icahn continues to conduct his campaign by trying to discredit the Special Committee and accuse it of frightening Dell stockholders. Such accusations do a disservice to all of you. The Committee has studied a complicated situation with great care, balanced risks and rewards in a dispassionate manner and concluded the transaction you are being asked to vote for on July 18th is in the best interests of stockholders. It would be irresponsible if we did not share with all stockholders the reasons for our conclusions.
In addition, we have taken extraordinary measures to ensure Mr. Dell's neutrality and to leave the final decision with the disinterested stockholders. And for many months now, any party, including Mr. Icahn and Southeastern, has had and continues to have the opportunity to purchase the Company at a price higher than $13.65 a share. No such party has emerged.
We appreciate that different stockholders may have different views about the alternatives facing the Company or different appetites for business and financial risk. We encourage an open debate about these matters. But we urge you to base your decision on the facts and not be misled by Mr. Icahn's self-serving accusations.
The Special Committee has had only one goal from the beginning – and that is to maximize value for stockholders, however that goal is best achieved. We have studied the options very carefully and our conclusion, which has been supported by all of the leading proxy advisory services, is that a sale transaction at a substantial and certain premium is the best way forward. That is why we urge you to vote the WHITE card promptly by telephone or internet in support of receiving $13.65 per share in cash, and to be sure your vote is received in time to be counted at Dell's Special Meeting to be held on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. CDT.


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Today sees 2 coffees from Tanzania appear! Great to see Burka / Selian back after a year away
Tanzania Burka/Selian Estate Natural
Bruised strawberries, dark chocolate, white sugar, boozy cherry
In the cup this is a totally unique coffee. Expect bruised strawberries covered in rich dark chocolate and sprinkled in white sugar with a boozy cherry aftertaste.
£7.50 for 250g
Tanzania Burka Estate AA Washed
Lemon rind, dark chocolate, caramel
In the cup this has boat loads of lemon rind with a dark chocolate sweetness and a caramel aftertaste that goes on and on.
£7.00 for 250g


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It's that time of year when we all start to make "New Year's resolutions", which is a fancy way of saying we'll try forming better habits. Here are a few tips to make sure they stay habits beyond the month of January.
Photo by Mjmonty.
Often, our New Year's resolutions are us promising ourselves we'll form good habits this year: whether it's something big like "I'm going to eat better" or "I'm going to keep my computer backed up" to "I'm going to actually start flossing every day". So often, though, these habits end up dying off pretty quickly. Here are a few ways to make sure your resolutions become habits and don't become another resolution in the garbage.
Make Sure Your Life Is In Order
Photo by Magic Madzik.
While there's a certain charm to the "no better time than now" idea behind forming good habits, the fact of the matter is that your willpower is limited. Psychology Today recommends waiting until your life is in order (at least somewhat) before forming a new habit. If stressed, working on some other form of personal growth, or otherwise not in a normal daily routine, you'll find it much harder to keep up with a good habit.
Focus On One Good Habit
We won't sugarcoat it for you: forming good habits can be tough. Habits are something that are deeply ingrained in our behaviour, which is why quitting a bad habit is so hard. Similarly, starting up a good habit is going to take a lot of work and conditioning before it becomes something automatic. If you try to take on too much at once, you are probably setting yourself up for failure. So focus on just one good habit for now—even if it's a small one—and move on to the others later.
Work Yourself Into It Gradually
While your goal may be to end up doing something every day (like, say, exercising), it's unlikely that you're going to be able to reach that goal right out of the gate. It's going to take time and willpower to condition yourself, so don't beat yourself up if you miss days at the beginning. Start ramping up that good habit gradually for more successful habit forming.
Part of this is setting goals for yourself. If you can set a different goal, say, each week, you can motivate yourself without getting overwhelmed. Try exercising just two or three days the first week, then set a slightly higher goal for the next week, and so on. As you get more used to the act of exercising during the day, it'll become easier for you to work toward your end goal of working out every day.
Piggyback It With Other, Already-Formed Habits Or Routines
eHow notes that a really great way to help yourself remember to do certain things is to "piggyback" them with other habits or routines you already have. Say you want to start flossing daily. Flossing is one of those habits that we neglect more often because we forget, rather than us just being lazy. Put the floss in a conspicuous place by your toothbrush, and every time you brush your teeth, grab the floss and do a quick run-through. Similarly, if you want to start taking vitamins, stick the bottle in your coffee mug so every time you go to make your coffee in the morning, you can pop your multivitamin for the day.
Get An Accountability Buddy
Photo by Lululemon Athletica.
We've talked about this before, and it's an oldie but a goodie: get a buddy to help you stay accountable. Motivating yourself to go to the gym every day or start eating better can be difficult when you're on your own, but if you have someone else around with whom you can exercise or eat with often, you're more likely to keep up with those activities.
Stick With It For 21 Days
When you decide on that final goal, it can seem a bit overwhelming ("I want to exercise every day...for the rest of my life"). Once you turn a resolution into a habit, though, things are going to get a lot easier, and research shows it shouldn't take that long. It takes about 21 days for a habit to form, so as long as you keep up your motivation, set your gradual goals, and kept up that resolution for three or four weeks, the hard part's probably over. That habit's now ingrained in your brain to the point where remembering it and being motivated to do it has become automatic instead of something you need to force yourself to do. This doesn't mean quit trying after 21 days, of course—it'll still probably take a bit of work—but if you're feeling discouraged at any point in the process, it's a good thing to aim for, knowing that in just a few weeks it'll be a bit less difficult.
We've all tried to form good habits in the past, and while these are some great tips for starting out, they certainly aren't the only strategies in the habit-former's arsenal. If you've successfully formed a good habit in the past, share with us what worked for you (and what didn't) in the comments.