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PS - Painting in Photoshop CS5 (Part 1)
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[♪music♪] [ADOBE® TV PRODUCTIONS] [The Complete Picture with Julieanne Kast] Hi and welcome. My name's Julieanne Kast, and in today's episode of The Complete Picture, we're going to be talking about some of the new painting features in Photoshop CS5. Now, this is Part 1 of a 2-part series, so today we're going to focus on some things that have changed in the interface as well as the new Natural Media Bristle Tips and in the next part, Part 2, we're going to be talking about the new actual Mixer Brush, so how to mix your paint on canvas. All right, excellent. Let's get started. We have a lot to cover. So, I'm going to tap the "b" key--that will give me my brush tool, and a few things just to notice-- We moved the icon to toggle your brushes panel. So we can just click on that--it will show your brush panel, and click it again and it will go ahead and hide that. Then, over to the right, you'll notice there's 2 new icons here. Now, these 2 icons are to be used with your pressure-sensitive tablet, and although some of you might not be using a tablet, I'm just gonna say that if you really want to get the most out of painting in Photoshop, it's a really good investment, because there are things that you can do with a tablet that you really can't do with a mouse, and the things that you can do--like pressure sensitivity--it's just so much easier with a tablet than trying to change the opacity and everything on your mouse, so I'd highly recommend it if you're going to do any serious painting. All right, so what do these 2 icons do? Well, let me just get a little scratch piece of paper here, and actually, you'll notice that I toggled my brushes panel away, so how do I get that back? Well, certainly I could use the icon but it would be much easier if I just used the new Workspace Switcher. Now, we've had Workspaces in past versions of Photoshop, but it's so much easier now because look--they're just accessible across the top here-- so if I want to quickly switch to my JK Painting workspace, now i've got my brushes, my tool presets, my brush presets, my swatches-- everything just comes up at once. Then when I want to do something like composite images, then I'll move to a different workspace. The cool thing is these workspaces--they also can control your keyboard shortcuts, so if you have a special set of keyboard shortcuts for painting that you don't use or that is different than what you would use in compositing, you can switch those. In fact, I want to show you one of the best features of Photoshop CS5, and I know some of you will think I'm crazy, but look at this. Under Edit/Keyboard Shortcuts--I love this new feature-- if you go here under Tools and we scroll down, we can now add a keyboard shortcut to show and hide the Color Picker. So this is huge to me--I've been waiting for this for a long time. So I'm going to tap the N key because that's going to take the place of the shortcut for 3D, and while I'm painting, I'm not using 3D, so let's go ahead and use N and click OK. Now, look what happens when I tap the N key. Ha! My color picker--fantastic! But that does remind me of another keyboard shortcut that I should tell you about, and that is we actually changed 2 keyboard shortcuts. It's Control-Option on the Mac--when you click with Control-Option, I can increase and decrease the size of my brush. Now, if I have--these are called "computed generated tips"--these round circles-- if I have one of those, it's easier to see what's going on here because not only can we see that the size of the brush is getting smaller and larger, but if I drag left and right, that determines the brush size. If I drag up and down with the same keyboard shortcut, which is just the Control-Option key on the Mac-- on Windows, it's going to be the Shift-Right Mouse Key--drag up and down-- that will actually change your feather or your hardness of the brush. But that's not what I was gonna show you. What I was gonna show you is an offshoot of that, because we freed up that other keyboard shortcut, now I can use Control-Option-Command and click in my image and I get a color wheel. So this is awesome--I can go ahead and pick my hue here by using the outside color wheel, and then I can move over and change the saturation as well as the brightness value of it. But if I get to this point and go "Hmm, you know what, I actually want to change the hue a little bit," I can just let go of the keyboard shortcut--my mouse is still down-- you let go of your keyboard shortcut, hold down the Shift key, and now you can jump over to the hue around the wheel there, let go of the space bar, move so you can pick a different color-- hold the space bar any time you want to jump back and forth-- and then let go. So very easy to pick colors that way. Of course, I've got my swatches palette open; I could do that as well, but I just love the fact that I can just tap the N key and it brings up my foreground color so I could pick a color. Okay, so all of that was just to pick a color. Let's go ahead now and let's talk about those icons again. So this first icon is going to determine the pressure sensitivity as far as opacity goes, and then the second one is going to determine the size. So I'm going to pick a brush here, and I have a brush preset where I've actually turned off all of the pressure sensitivity. There it is right there, so I'm gonna select that, and now, you will notice that when I simply paint, sure enough, no matter how light or how heavy I'm using the pen, it all paints the same. But if I want to override that setting, I can go ahead and click that first icon and now you can see I can make it more or less opaque or I can click on the second icon, and now I can get a small brush or a large brush, depending on how hard I press the pen on the tablet. So that functionality was there before, but the thing is that now when you click those, they will override your settings on your brush, so I can continue to switch brushes, and these 2 settings will remain constant, so that's quite nice. It used to be you had to show your brushes panel and then click the lock icon. Now it's right there, much more easily accessible. All right, there's also some new icons at the bottom of the brush panel as well as the brush presets panel, and if you click on that it will take you to the Preset Manager. Again, not a new feature, but rarely used, because I don't think many people find it. The great thing about the Preset Manager is that it lets you actually reorder your brushes and select multiple brushes and delete brushes if you don't want them. For example, if I want to click and drag this pressure sensitivity brush all the way to the top, I can do that. If I want to click and then Shift-click multiple brushes and drag them down, I can go ahead and reposition them, so Preset Manager--very very handy for organizing your brushes. You can also load brushes here. You can load from the menu right here--whatever it is, you can save your brushes, and not only brushes--you can also use the Preset Manager for your swatches and your gradients and a lot of other tools. All right--let's click Done, and let's go ahead and find out about these new Natural Media Bristle Tips. You can see that in my Brushes panel, we've got a bunch of new tips here. You can see I've clicked on Brush Tip Shape, and here are all the different tip shapes. So let's move to this other document so we can see examples of them. Now, we basically have 2 kinds of brushes. We have round brushes and flat brushes, and then we have a variety of different shapes of those brushes, and you can see how they all paint, right here. But you'll notice there's like a little photo right here--a little drawing right here. Where did I get that? Well, that is this icon right here--as soon as I pick an actual bristle tip, I can click on this little bristle tip preview, and it will actually show me in 3D as I move my cursor what that brush looks like and what it will look like when I paint it. Now, if I wanted to see a different view, I can simply click in here and it will show me 3 different views; I can just click to toggle through them. I can also hold down the Shift key, and that will give me a more 3-dimensional view of the brush, so whatever you prefer. To turn it off, just Shift-click again. And of course, we can move this around. Now, this is only available obviously with the new Bristle Tips, because that's what we're previewing. You don't really need to preview a round circle--so--makes sense. If we close it again, you can access it either from the brush presets or down here at the bottom of the Brush panel. So what I did is I simply took screen shots, and you can see that that's what these little illustrations are. All right. So we know now that we have these different Bristle Tips, but there are a lot of other things that we can change as well. So let's move to another illustration here: the Bristle Qualities--and I'll just zoom in-- so the Bristle Qualities where I change these settings were over here in the Brushes panel, right? We've got how many bristles you want, what the length is, the thickness, the stiffness, and the angle, so here are just some little examples of these different variables, or these different attributes or qualities. Obviously, we could have a brush that only had a single bristle or we can add more bristles. Then we change the thickness of each bristle, so we can have really thin bristles or we can get really thick bristles. We could also change the Bristle Length. Now, this one is a little bit more difficult to illustrate, because obviously what I did was stroke a path here, so the length is going to show up kind of being the same, so I changed the secondary variable as well, and that was the Stiffness. Because if a brush is really stiff, it would follow the path exactly, but if you decrease the Stiffness or you make it kind of a more flexible brush, like you're pressing really hard with it, it's gonna kind of sway a little bit from the path that it's painting on. So that's why we get kind of this wider arc here as it moves around the path. And then right down here, you can see kind of a better example of just the Bristle Stiffness, so here, very stiff. We're gonna follow that path, it's gonna follow your paint stroke exactly, and then it gets looser and looser. Okay, now there's one attribute that we haven't talked about and that is Angle. There's 2 ways to change angle. You can change angle right down here, as far as the Bristle Qualities go on your paintbrush, and that's quite handy and we need that, because if you're doing something like stroking a path, you would need to be able to change your angle there. But remember, if you're using a pressure-sensitive tablet, the angle can actually be controlled by your pen, but I just wanted to show you because I don't think a lot of people discover how the angle can actually change things. So here we've got Angle Control and initial direction, and all I did here was I just picked something that I thought would be easy to see, which is just this grass, and basically, you can see that as it stroked this path, when the angle--and you set the angle here under Shape Dynamics-- under Angle Jitter, you can see when it's set to Initial Direction, it's gonna follow the shape of the path, and it's going to keep the grass following that initial direction, whereas if you change the Angle to be just directional, now it's gonna follow along the stroke of that path and it's actually going to change direction as it curves around that path. So I wanted to show that to you with grass, which is this kind of funky brush, because I wasn't sure if it was going to be evident enough when you use a Natural Media Bristle Tip to actually see that we are changing the angle here. Okay. These other little stroked paths here--this is just to show you if you've got one of those wide fan brushes and you're changing the angle as you stroke the path, it's quite cool because it actually makes them look quite 3-dimensional. All right--enough with angle. Let's talk about some presets. So I'm not gonna go through all of these, you can get a lot of very, very different looking strokes. So here are just some examples; I would encourage you to move through the brush presets and kind of play with them and get the feel for the brushes that we ship by preset, because once you learn those, then you can go in and change all of the different qualities yourself to make your own brushes. All right. So those are your brush presets. The nice thing about the brush presets is that they store everything here in the Brushes panel and if you select New Brush Preset, you can see that it can also capture the Brush Size in the Preset. But what I find even better than the Brush Presets are your actual Tool Presets, because not only do the Tool Presets store all of the Brush attributes, they're also going to store all of your options up here, including your foreground color. So that's really the difference between the Brush Presets and the Tool Presets. They're going to include your color as well as any options, like a blend mode or opacity. And in fact, I've loaded up some of the new tool presets, and I did that by just using the flyout menu here-- you can see there's one called DP Presets and M Tool Presets-- those are new presets with CS5-- you can load those up and the one that I'm just going to work with really quickly, because I don't know if you've noticed by now, but all of the paint strokes that you've seen have been stroked paths, and that's because I'm not very good at painting. I like painting; I'm getting better at painting, but I think that there are probably a lot of people that are going to be watching this that are much better at painting than I am, so my goal is just to show you all of the features, and then it's up to you to actually paint. But I will paint one thing, and I'm just going to paint this splat because I can do this very quickly and very easily because Mike Shaw showed me how yesterday using the Splat brush. So you can now get natural kind of splattish looking things, which is kind of funny, because you can't imagine how many times I get asked to be able to do this, and you couldn't do it before, so let's look at how we're doing this. Well, we're using the Natural Media Brushes, and you can see down here you can tell by stroke and then also up here that we've got the Wet Edges turned on--not a new feature, but really powerful when used with the Natural Media brushes. So to do this, all we need to do is select a color, and do that--let's select a little brown here. And then, we can go ahead and paint. Let's make sure that in my Layers panel I am on the correct layer, which I was not, so let's go down here and find my splat layer, and we'll go ahead and just create our first splat, and then we can create maybe another one right over there, maybe a smaller one right there. So that's the big splat brush, right? And then we can use all of these little spatter drops in order to add additional drops. Now at first, these come out pretty strong, so what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go to the Brush Tip Shape for this one and I'm going to change the spacing so that they're a little bit more random in here. All right. And we'll just follow the splat, and we'll have this one come down and maybe a few over here, and we can go inside there a little bit, and then you can just use the different presets here in order to kind of create your splat. All right. And we can change colors if we want to, What was that keyboard shortcut--the N key I assigned to bring up my foreground color. Excellent. We will change our spatter drops again, maybe get a few more down here, and over here, a few random ones right there. All right, well I'm not going to spend all day doing this. In fact, what I'm going to do is I'm actually going to take what I've already created-- now, you might be wondering how did I get this kind of blurry in some of those areas? That we're going to have to talk about next time because the way that I did that was not using the regular brush tool, but was using the mixer brush tool. So that will be in Part 2, but for right now, all I'm going to do is grab my Move tool and then drag this to another photograph right here, and we'll just zoom in here and I'm going to position this little splat right there, change the blend mode to Multiply, reposition that, and if I wanted to--if I don't want the splat in the center, but I just kind of want it surrounding it, look at this--we can just make selection with our elliptical marquee tool and go over here to my layer. I want to add a mask, but I need the inverse mask, so I'll just hold down the Option and the Alt key and click that Mask--it's a little bit too sharp but one of the nice things is with Photoshop CS4 or Photoshop CS5, if I come down here and show my Masks panel, we can change the Feather amount dynamically on that Mask so that we can refine that. And of course, that's all non-destructive; I can go back and change that later. But I think you can see how people like--even people like me-- who really aren't trained as painters in any shape or form are going to be able to use these tools. So I'm totally excited about it. I also painted right down here--you can see I painted like a little cityscape, so that wraps up today's episode of The Complete Picture. My name's Julieanne Kast. I hope that you will join me for Part 2, where we will cover all of the new features of the Mixer Brush in Photoshop CS5. [♪music♪] [ADOBE® TV PRODUCTIONS]
Video Details
Duration: 17 minutes and 44 seconds
Language: English
License: All rights reserved
Genre: None
Views: 277
Posted by: adobetv on Oct 6, 2010
In this episode of The Complete Picture, Julieanne Kost shows you some of the new painting features in Adobe Photoshop CS5 including the new Natural Media Bristle Tip Brushes.
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Chase suspect held on $3.5 million bail
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) — The man accused of multiple carjackings and leading police on a long, wild chase in Denver is being held the Douglas County jail on bail totaling $3.5 million.
Authorities say Ryan Stone will be prosecuted in Douglas County, where the car chase ended Wednesday with Stone's arrest.
The event that gained national attention included multiple crashes, high speeds, a state trooper being hit and a 4-year-old taken on a ride in one of the carjacked vehicles. The boy was not hurt.
The Colorado State Patrol trooper who was hit and seriously injured during the chase continues to be treated at a hospital.
Officials say Trooper Bellamann Hee received injuries to his legs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Leave of Absence - Managers
My employee has requested a leave of absence, where do I start?
Communication is a key factor when an employee has requested a leave. Below are helpful links regarding employee leaves at Sam Houston State University. If there are any questions regarding the eligibility of an employee's leave or the leave process, please contact the Human Resources Specialist over Employee Leaves at 936-294-1872.
- Important Links:
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Top questions regarding leaves:
What paperwork is required for a leave?
What are my responsibilities for an employee's leave of absence?
Can I hire someone else while my employee is on a leave?
What happens if my employee uses all of their leave time?
Can my employee take a leave if they do not have any leave accruals?
- Staff employees and faculty with twelve month appointments (such as deans, chairs, or directors of academic departments) shall be entitled to a vacation in each fiscal year without deduction in salary. Part-time eligible employees will accrue vacation leave on a proportionate basis and the maximum carryover will also be proportionate. Such entitlement shall be earned in accordance with the following schedule based on full-time employment:
Employee with Total State Employment of:
Hours Accrued Monthly
Maximum Hours Carried to Next Fiscal Year
0 but less than 2 years
8 (12.0 days/yr)
2 but less than 5 years
9 (13.5 days/yr)
5 but less than 10 years
10 (15.0 days/yr)
10 but less than 15 years
11 (16.5 days/yr)
15 but less than 20 years
13 (19.5 days/yr)
20 but less than 25 years
15 (22.5 days/yr)
25 but less than 30 years
17 (25.5 days/yr)
30 but less than 35 years
19 (28.5 days/yr)
35 years or more
21 (31.5 days/yr)
- An employee will earn vacation entitlement beginning on the first day of employment with the state and terminating on the last day of duty based upon the chart above. The net balance of unused leave, not to exceed the maximum cited above, shall be carried forward each fiscal year. All hours of unused accumulated vacation, which exceeds the maximum carryover, may be credited to the employee's sick leave balance as of the first day of the next fiscal year.
- Credit for one month's accrual will be given for each month or fraction of a month of employment and on the first of each succeeding month thereafter, provided that an employee who is in a leave status on the first day of the month shall not be eligible to use leave accrued for such month until the employee returns to duty. Credit for the higher rate of accrual shall be given on the first calendar day of the month, if the employee's anniversary date falls on the first calendar day of the month; otherwise, the increase will occur on the first calendar day of the following month. If an employee begins working in an eligible status on the first workday of the month, the employee is deemed to have begun working on the first calendar day of the month for the purpose of this subsection.
- Vacation with pay may not be taken until the employee has been continuously employed with the state for six months, although credit will be accrued during that period. Continuous employment means that no leave without pay (i.e., for a full calendar month which does not count as state service credit) has been taken. The six-month eligibility requirement means that once an employee has completed six (6) months or more of continuous state employment and then leaves state employment, that person is eligible to take vacation leave as it is earned upon reemployment, or be paid for it on termination following such re-employment.
- Employees are encouraged to take vacation in the fiscal year in which the entitlement is earned. Vacation leave should be scheduled in advance by the employee at a mutually agreeable time to both the employee and supervisor.
- In computing vacation time taken, time during which an employee is excused from work because of holidays shall not be charged against the employee's vacation.
- Vacation accruals will be used for absences due to illness after all accumulated sick leave and compensatory time has been exhausted.
- If, as a condition of employment, an employee accepts or transfers to a position not eligible for vacation accrual, any current vacation balance will be paid upon transition. The rate used in calculating the amount to be paid will be that which the employee earned at termination of the accruing position. Employees are not eligible to use accrued vacation time while in a position not eligible for vacation accrual.
- An employee who resigns, is dismissed, or separated from employment (including death) shall be entitled to be paid for all their unused balance of vacation within thirty (30) days, provided the employee has had continuous employment with the state of Texas for six (6) months; and is not directly transferring to another Texas state agency into a position which accrues vacation time.
- Employees who retire on or after June 1, 2005, and return to work on or after September 1, 2005, will have vacation accruals based upon state service since their rehire date. However, return to work retirees are not required to re-establish the six (6) months continuous service requirement in order to take vacation with pay.
- Regular benefits eligible non-student employees will earn sick leave entitlement beginning on the first day of employment and terminating on the last day of duty. Credit for one (1) month's accrual will be given for each month or fraction of a month of employment and will be posted to each employee's leave record on the first day of employment and on the first day of each succeeding month of employment thereafter. An employee who is on leave on the first day of a month may not use the sick leave that the employee accrues for that month until after they return to duty. An employee must be in a status of pay each month to be eligible to accrue.
- Sick leave entitlement shall be earned at the rate of eight (8) hours for each month or fraction of a month employment, and shall accumulate with the unused amount of such leave carried forward each month. Part-time regular employees accrue proportionate to their appointment. Sick leave accrual shall terminate on the last day of duty.
Sick leave with pay may be taken when sickness, injury, or pregnancy and confinement prevent the employee's performance of duty or when the employee is needed to care for a member of their immediate family who is actually ill.
- For purposes relating to regular sick leave, immediate family is defined as those individuals who reside in the same household and are related by kinship, adoption, or marriage, as well as foster children certified by the State.
- Minor children of the employee, whether or not living in the same household, will be considered immediate family for purposes of regular sick leave.
- An employee's use of sick leave for family members not residing in that employee's household is strictly limited to the time necessary to provide care to a spouse, child, or parent of the employee who needs such care as a direct result of a documented medical condition. This provision does not extend to an employee's parent-in-law if they do not live in the same household.
- If an employee is on vacation and would otherwise be entitled to sick leave then the fact that such sick leave is requested while on vacation does not affect the employee's entitlement to sick leave.
- An employee who must be absent from duty because of illness shall notify their supervisor or cause them to be notified of that fact as soon as possible. To be eligible for accumulated sick leave with pay during a continuous period of more than three (3) working days (includes absences for part of a scheduled work day), an employee absent due to illness shall send to the supervisor a doctor's certificate showing the cause or nature of the illness, or some other written statement of the facts concerning the illness which is acceptable to the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Risk Management. The administrative head has the discretion to require documentation concerning illnesses resulting in absences of three (3) working days or less. Also, a physician's statement may be required when the nature of the illness has been such that the safety, health, or fitness of the employee to do their work may need assurance or clarification from a physician. Abuses of sick leave privileges shall constitute grounds for dismissal from employment by the University.
- Upon return to duty after sick leave the employee concerned shall, without delay, report on the bimonthly "Leave Report" or "Personnel Time Report" any such leave taken. The "Leave Report" or "Personnel Time Report" shall be approved by the departmental supervisor and sent to the Payroll Office. The method for keeping current sick leave records between payroll reporting periods shall be prescribed by the departmental supervisor. Faculty members must submit a Leave report for all sick leave even though no classes were missed if the absence occurred during the normal workday.
- An employee who transfers directly from one state agency to another, shall be given credit by the receiving agency for the unused balance of sick leave, provided employment with the state is uninterrupted.
- The estate of an employee, when the employee dies while employed, is entitled to payment for one-half of the employee's accumulated sick leave or for 336 hours of sick leave, whichever is less, provided that the employee had continuous employment with the state for at least six (6) months at the time of death.
- Accumulated sick leave shall not constitute claim for reimbursement when an employee leaves the employment of the University. However, an employee separated from employment with the state under a formal reduction-in-force shall have their sick leave balance restored if re-employed by the state within twelve (12) months of termination; an employee separated for other reasons shall also have their sick leave balance restored if re-employed by the state within twelve (12) months of termination, and provided there has been a break in service of at least thirty (30) calendar days since termination if re-employed by the same state agency. Employees that become ineligible to accrue sick leave, as a result of a reduction in their employment to less than half-time or by changing to a student job status, will have their accrued balance frozen, but are eligible to transfer the time (if not earned in a state multiple employment status) when directly transferring to another state agency in an eligible accrual capacity; can have the accrued balance reinstated if after terminating by satisfying the re-employment period reinstatement requirements as described in the above paragraph; or can use the accrued balance upon returning to a non-student regular benefits eligible position.
- For employees returning to work as a retiree, there must be an official separation (termination) of employment to effect retirement status. In addition, there must be a thirty (30) calendar day break to have their sick leave balance restored when re-employed by the same state agency.
- Sam Houston State University does not grant extended sick leave.
Agencies may grant employees leave without pay or leave of absence without pay subject to the following provisions:
- Except for disciplinary suspensions, military situations, Workers' Compensation, and Federal Family and Medical Leave Act leave as provided in Section 15 above, all accumulated paid leave entitlements must be exhausted before granting such leaves, with the additional provisions that sick leave must be exhausted only in those cases where the employee is eligible to take sick leave, as provided in Section 2 and 5 above. Such leaves will be limited in duration to twelve (12) months.
- Subject to fiscal constraints, approval of such leaves constitutes a guarantee of employment for a specified period of time.
- The President may grant exceptions to these limitations for such reasons as interagency agreements or educational purposes.
- Except in the case of an employee returning to state employment from military leave, any full calendar month (i.e., from the first day of a month through the last day of a month, inclusive) in which an employee is on leave without pay, shall not be counted in the calculation of total state service for purposes of longevity pay or vacation leave entitlements. No employee shall accrue vacation or sick leave for such month or the state insurance fringe benefit. Furthermore, any such full calendar month of leave without pay shall not constitute a break in continuity of employment but shall not be included in the calculation of the six (6) continuous months of state employment set forth in other sections of this policy.
Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family and Medical Act (FMLA) allows qualified employees to have up to 12 weeks of leave per year. The law allows eligible employees to take job-protected leave for the birth or adoption of a child, for the care of a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition, for the employee's own serious health condition, or for the care of a covered military service member.
Responsibilities Under FMLA
- Employees should communicate to their supervisor at the earliest practical time details of their absence or anticipated absence(s) including dates with appropriate documentation.
- For illness and/or disability a doctor's certification may be needed to certify fitness to work and/or certify the period of absences.
- Leaving one's job without proper notification to the employee's supervisor or designee can constitute job abandonment which is justification for termination. Bona fide emergencies will be taken into consideration.
- The employee is responsible for completing the application for leave form, providing supporting documentation, and following up on approvals.
- Departments are responsible for notifying Human Resources and Payroll regarding employee leaves, especially when it is anticipated the employee will not have enough paid leave and must coordinate out-of-pocket payments to continue insurance benefits. The department is responsible for processing the necessary documents (payroll action form, application for leave form, etc.) to process the requested leave in a timely manner.
FMLA Eligibility & Requirements
- State employees who have a total of at least twelve (12) months of state service credit and who have actually worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding the commencement of leave, are hereby entitled to FMLA provided that the employee utilizes all available applicable paid vacation and sick leave while taking leave pursuant to this provision.
- Employee Leaves Policy ( B-1)
- Leave Request/Approval Form
- Certification Forms
- Medical Certification Form – Employee (WH-380-E)
- Medical Certification Form – Family (WH-380-F)
- Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave (WH-384)
- Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Service Member for Military Family Leave (WH-385)
- Sick Leave Pool Application & Approval Form
- Medical Certification Form – Employee (WH-380-E)
- Employee Leaves Policy (B-1)
- Employees who have at least twelve (12) continuous months of regular staff or faculty employment with SHSU immediately preceding their eligible condition, may request pool leave for their own catastrophic illness or injury or for one in their immediate family. A catastrophic injury or illness, as defined for eligibility to sick leave pool benefits, is any injury or illness, excluding routine pregnancy, which has caused an absence of thirty (30) working days (sequential or otherwise) within the immediate preceding six (6) calendar months. Employees may also use sick leave pool if they contributed sick leave to the pool and subsequently exhaust their sick leave balance. Such employees may receive only the number of hours they have contributed to the pool unless they suffer a catastrophic illness or injury. Employees must exhaust all earned leave with pay entitlements before they may use leave from the pool. Employees on sick leave pool for a full calendar month accrue paid leave for that month, provided they return to work following the leave. Employees with catastrophic illnesses or injuries are not required to contribute to the pool before they can use pool leave. Also, employees who use pool leave are not required to pay back pool leave.
- Contributions to the pool are strictly voluntary. To contribute time to the pool, an employee must complete a "Sick Leave Pool Donation Form". Employees who contribute leave to the pool cannot get it back unless they are eligible to use it in accordance with this policy. Employees may contribute an unlimited number of their accrued days. Contributions should be in full day increments.
- Requests for pool leave will be in writing along with a completed "Sick Leave Pool Application & Approval Form" and documentation from the treating physician and forwarded to the Pool Administrator through appropriate supervisory channels. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Risk Management serves as the University's Pool Administrator. Requests will be considered by the Pool Administrator on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Pool Administrator will have up to ten (10) working days from the date they receive a request in which to approve all or part of the request, or deny the request. The amount of pool leave granted for each catastrophic illness or injury will be determined by the Pool Administrator. The amount cannot exceed one-third of the balance of hours in the pool, or ninety (90) working days, whichever is less. Any unused balance of pool leave granted to an employee returns to the pool. The estate of a deceased employee is not entitled to payment for unused pool leave.
- Illnesses of the same type or that may routinely re-occur, such as cancer, will have a lifetime maximum of ninety (90) days.
- The employee should advise in the sick leave pool request if they are receiving subrogation benefits, i.e., by legal right collecting pay, reimbursement for loss of work time, or damages from a third party as a result of the catastrophic illness or injury.
- Sick Leave Donation Form
Administrative Leave for Outstanding Performance
- In addition to employee leave authorized elsewhere in this policy, administrative leave with pay maybe granted by the President as a reward for outstanding performance provided the exceptionally superior performance is properly documented. In no event shall the aggregate amount of administrative leave granted exceed thirty-two (32) hours in any fiscal year.
Bereavement Leave
- The death of a member of the employee's immediate family shall constitute adequate need for bereavement leave. Employees who experience a death in their immediate family may receive, if needed, up to five (5) days bereavement leave. Immediate familymembers are defined as:
- Employee's spouse
- Employee's parents, step-parents, children, step-children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren
- Spouse's parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren
- An employee who must be away from the job due to a death of a member of his/her immediate family shall notify the supervisor on or before the first day of such absence.
- Request for approval of bereavement leave must be submitted to the supervisor on or before the first day the employee returns to work. The request for leave must show the name, relationship and date of death of the employee's immediate family member.
- Leave for the death of anyone other than members of the employee's immediate family (as defined above) shall be charged to vacation, compensatory time, or leave without pay.
- The death of a member of the employee's immediate family shall constitute adequate need for bereavement leave. Employees who experience a death in their immediate family may receive, if needed, up to five (5) days bereavement leave. Immediate familymembers are defined as:
Donation of Blood
- A state employee shall be allowed sufficient time off, without a deduction in salary or accrued leave, to donate blood. An employee may not receive time off under this section unless the employee obtains approval from his or her supervisor before taking time off. On returning to work after taking time off under this section, an employee shall provide his or her supervisor with proof that the employee donated blood during the time off. If an employee fails to provide proof that the employee donated blood during the time off, Sam Houston State University shall deduct the period for which the employee was granted time off from the employee's salary or accrued leave, whichever the employee chooses. An employee may receive time off under this section not more than four times in a fiscal year.
Certified Red Cross Activities Leave
- An employee who is a certified disaster service volunteer of the American Red Cross, or who is in training to become such a volunteer, may be granted leave of up to ten (10) days each year to participate in specialized disaster relief services. The employee must have supervisory authorization in addition to a request from the American Red Cross and the approval of the Governor's Office. If the above conditions are met, the employee will not lose pay, vacation time, sick leave or earned overtime, and/or compensatory time during such leave. The pool of certified disaster volunteers must not exceed 350 participants at any one time.
- Emergency Leave
- The President of Sam Houston State University may grant leave with pay to an employee for good cause, subject to the recommendation of the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Risk Management and/or the Divisional Vice President.
- Foster Parent Leave
- An employee who is a foster parent to a child under the protection of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS) is entitled to a leave of absence with full pay for the purpose of attending staffing meetings held by the DPRS regarding the employee's foster child. In addition, the employee may attend, with a paid leave of absence, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meeting held by a school district regarding his or her foster child.
- Jury Service and Appearance in Official Capacity or as a Witness
- An employee is entitled to serve on a jury during regular work hours without any deduction from wages, including a deduction for any fee or compensation the employee receives for the jury service. The employee must be responding to a jury duty summons, serving on a jury, or appearing in an official capacity for the state. Appearances in another capacity or any time required for jury service outside the employee's regular work schedule is on the employee's own time.
- An employee called to appear in an official capacity in any judicial action or legislative investigation is not entitled to any witness fees for such a governmental appearance. However, if the appearance is not in an official capacity but is for the purpose of testifying from personal knowledge, an employee may accept any customary witness fees. In the case of an employee whose appearance as an expert witness is not in an official capacity, the employee may receive compensation only when such an appearance is made on his or her own leave time. Employees may receive per diem, expense reimbursements, and mileage allowances for serving as a witness in an official governmental capacity, as long as there is no double reimbursement to the employee for expenses.
- In order for an employee to receive pay for jury duty, certification from the Court Clerk or some other written statement which is acceptable to the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Risk Management, must be attached to the approved "Leave Report" or "Personnel Time Report" form.
Military Leave
- State employees are eligible for leave to accommodate:
- Authorized training or duty for the state's military forces and members of any reserve branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- Activation of the State's National Guard by the Governor.
- National emergency activation for members of a reserve branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- Adjusted Work Schedule for Military Leave: State agencies and institutions of higher education are required to adjust the work schedule of a military member so that two of the employee's days off each month coincide with two days of military duty.
- Authorized Training for Duty: A state employee who is called to active duty or authorized training is entitled to a leave of absence of fifteen (15) days in each federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30) without loss of pay or benefits. The fifteen (15) days need not be consecutive. In addition, these days are "working" days, not "calendar" days. After exhausting the fifteen (15) days, the employee may use accrued vacation or be placed in a leave without pay status (or combination of the two) for the remainder of the active duty period.
- Call to National Guard Active Duty by the Governor: A member of the state military forces called to state active duty by the Governor because of a state emergency is entitled to receive emergency leave without loss of military or annual leave. This leave is not limited and will be provided with full pay.
- Call to National Duty: A member of the National Guard or any reserve branch of the U.S. Armed Forces called to federal active duty during a national emergency is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence after exhausting the fifteen (15) days of paid military leave. The employee retains any accrued sick or vacation leave. The employee does not earn sick or annual leave during this period; however, he or she does accrue state service credit. The employee may use any accrued annual leave, compensatory time, or overtime leave to maintain benefits for the employee or the employee's dependents while on military duty. Before the employee departs for military service, the area Human Resources Representative in the Human Resources Department shall review with the employee any issues relating to maintaining health insurance coverage. Additionally, the employee may continue to accrue service credit by receiving at least one hour of state pay during each month of active military service. The employee may use any combination of paid leave to qualify for state pay.
- Differential Pay: The President of Sam Houston State University shall grant sufficient emergency leave to provide a pay differential if the employee's military gross pay is less than the employee's state gross pay. The combination of gross military pay and emergency leave may not exceed the employee's actual state gross pay.
- Restoration of Employment: To be eligible for restoration of employment at the conclusion of military service, the employee must be honorably discharged no later than five (5) years after induction, enlistment, or call to duty and must be physically and mentally qualified to perform the duties of the job.
- State employees are eligible for leave to accommodate:
- Leave for Organ or Bone Marrow Donors
- A state employee is entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in salary for the time necessary to permit the employee to serve as a bone marrow or organ donor. The leave of absence provided by this section may not exceed:
- Five working days in a fiscal year to serve as a bone marrow donor; or
- 30 working days in a fiscal year to serve as an organ donor.
- A state employee is entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in salary for the time necessary to permit the employee to serve as a bone marrow or organ donor. The leave of absence provided by this section may not exceed:
- Parent-Teacher Conference Leave
- An employee may use up to eight (8) hours of sick leave each calendar year to attend parent-teacher conference sessions for the employee's children who are in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Employees must give reasonable notice of intention to use sick leave to attend such conferences. Part-time, regular, benefits eligible employees receive this leave on a proportional basis.
- Parental Leave (see FMLA)
- Leave for Employees with a Disability
- A state employee who is a person with a disability as defined by the Human Resources Code section 121.002 shall be granted a paid leave of absence not to exceed ten (10) days each fiscal year for the purpose of attending a training program to acquaint the employee with an assistance dog to be used by the employee.
Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services Training Leave
- Employees who are volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services volunteers shall be granted a leave of absence with full pay to attend training schools conducted by state agencies provided such leave does not exceed five (5) working days in any one (1) fiscal year. The leave of absence, authorized by this subsection, shall in no way be charged against the employee's vacation or sick leave privileges by this Act.
- In addition to the five (5) days granted for training, leave with full pay not to exceed forty (40) hours per fiscal year will also be granted to volunteer firefighters or emergency medical service volunteers for the purpose of responding to emergency fire or medical situations.
- Required verification of volunteer training and responder's participation shall be reported on the bimonthly "Leave Report" or "Personnel Time Report" with appropriate supporting documentation. The "Leave Report" or "Personnel Time Report" shall be signed by the departmental supervisor and sent to the Payroll Office.
- Time off to Vote
- Employees should be allowed sufficient time off, without a deduction in pay, to vote in each national, state, or local election.
Top questions regarding leaves:
Where can I find my leave balances?
Leave balances can now be found on the Employee tab located in Self Service Banner: https://www.shsu.edu/dept/human-resources/documents/SelfServiceBannerforEmployees.pdf
What forms are required for a leave of absence?
SHSU's Leave Request/ Approval Form and a completed Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee (WH-380-E) or Family Member's (WH-380-F) Serious Health Condition are required for a leave of absence.
What happens to my benefits while I am on a leave of absence?
For the duration of FMLA leave, the employer must continue to pay for the employee's health-insurance coverage as it normally would. The employee must pay for optional coverage's while on leave. Payroll deductions for optional coverage's will continue as long as the employee is in a paid-leave status during the leave period.
If a leave without pay status applies to the FMLA leave, an employee is encouraged to contact the Insurance and Benefits Specialist in Human Resources to inquire about appropriate payment procedures for optional coverage's.
Do I get paid while on a leave of absence?
No. The FMLA does not require your employer to pay you during your leave. You will be required to use your available paid sick leave, vacation leave, and/or other leave during your FMLA absence. This means that you will receive your paid leave and the leave will also be considered protected FMLA leave and counted against your FMLA leave entitlement.
How are the hours of my leave calculated?
All full-time Sam Houston State University faculty members eligible for FMLA leave will be charged with eight (8) hours of sick leave when they are absent from duty of University-assigned duties. Faculty members must report sick leave even though no classes were missed if the absence occurred during the normal workday for regular employees. (The normal workday for regular employees is defined as 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday).
Full-time faculty members absent from University-assigned duties for less than a full day will be charged with the actual number of hours of absence. Part-time faculty members will be charged a proportional amount. For additional details, please refer to Academic Policy Statement 800301 – Faculty Leave Policy: https://www.shsu.edu/dotAsset/c18d3ff5-320f-461a-97d7-695dd55241f7.pdf


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Select a topic or year
The news follows last month's announcement that the Customs Directorate of the Senegal Ministry of Finance has selected an IBM mainframe system to transform Senegal's import and export processes.
Cameroon's Ministry of Finance will also use the new z10 Business Class mainframe to run its messaging applications based on IBM Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino software. By running business analytics applications, the Ministry will also have a clearer view of payroll processes to support better decision making.
"The modernization of Cameroon's central IT systems is an important part of the national agenda of the country," said Laurent Onguene, Director of the Cameroon National Center for IT Development at the Ministry of Finance. "IBM mainframe is a proven technology that provides the levels of reliability, security and performance needed for government systems."
The Cameroon and Senegal governments join a growing number of organizations and companies in growth markets that are deploying IBM mainframes, such as the First National Bank of Namibia, Comepay in Russia, Kazakh Rail, HeiTech Padu in Malaysia, China Internet Network Information Center, Korea's BC Card and Korea's Dongbu Insurance.
"As companies and governments across Africa and other growth markets invest in advanced technologies to transform their national infrastructures, the mainframe is coming into its own," said Taiwo Otiti, Country General Manager, IBM West Africa. "Not only does the mainframe provide a secure and powerful IT platform, but it also helps companies and organizations respond to rapid growth in mobile computing and pave the way for smart computing systems."
By implementing the Linux open source operating system, the Cameroon Ministry of Finance will also increase connectivity between different government departments and make it easier to hire and train engineers to operate and maintain the new system.
"For the Cameroon Ministry of Finance it was important to implement a platform based on open source software," said Bernard Beyokol, General Director of CFAO Technologies in Cameroon. "IBM System z running on Linux provides the Ministry with an open platform to help standardize the use of ICT and increase levels of connectivity between government departments."
Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will also provide the Ministry with IBM Total Storage and tape drive. The deal was signed with the Cameroon National Center for IT Development (CENADI), the body responsible for transforming the IT systems of the Cameroon government. The new system is expected to be operational by the end of April.
About IBM
IBM is celebrating 100 years of technology and business leadership. To find out more about the development of the first mainframe and 100 other iconic moments please visit:
About CFAO Group
For more information about CFAO Group please visit: http://www.cfaogroup.com
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text:
|She's not what you'd call good.
|The loudest barker in the hood
who ripped the couch and ate a chair
when there was no one sitting there.
|But her eyes give off a light
and her tail wags left to right
when I come home at night
hope your tail is wagging with happy plans for the weekend


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Join the weekly Classic Castle set review discussion. Please post your opinions on the set play ability, piece selection, design, etc. Which sets stand up to our catapult of critique and which ones crumble in shame!
This week's set is 6079 Dark Forest Fortress.
Dark Forest Fortress was released in 1996 for the Forestmen. The fortress has a defensive catapult, living area, a jail with a skeleton, and a collapsing tree. A Dragon Master wagon complete with a driver, soldier, and treasure must pass by the fortress and its four forestmen. This set had a limited release in Europe and was not pictured in many catalogs.


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The first time I tasted arepas, I was sitting on the plastic-covered sofa of a Colombian woman who, though I didn't know it, would later become a good friend, and more recently, the madrina of my youngest son.
Like many things my friend gave me in those early days, I had no idea what I was eating – neither the name of it, or what it was made of. One time I asked her what was in a delicious meat and rice dish she served me. She told me pig's feet, and that's how I learned not to ask so many questions.
It was only this past year that I remembered my love for arepas and decided to make them myself. If you can track down a bag of the special corn meal, the rest is easy. Made from simple ingredients including water, salt, and cheese, and cooked in butter – these are instant comfort food whether you were raised eating them as a child or not. I decided that the flavor is reminiscent of grilled cheese sandwiches, and maybe that's why I love them so much.
There are different varieties of arepas and just as many different ways to eat them, but here is mine.
*2 cups Masarepa (pre-cooked yellow corn meal/harina de maíz amarilla precocida)
*3 cups warm water
*1 pinch of salt
*1 cup of cheese (I use shredded mozzarella, but you can use a more authentic Latin American cheese)
*3 tablespoons of butter (for frying)
Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes until consistency thickens. Add cheese and mix until combined. Shape into patties and fry in butter over medium heat until browned on both sides. Serve.


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Before the season begins, it's common for a defense to be way ahead of the offense.
In the preseason, it's common for a defense to be way ahead of the offense.
New Bern's defense forced five turnovers, and had a number of sacks, in the Bears' scrimmage against Wilmington Hoggard on Saturday morning.
The offense, which looked sloppy at times, also had several stunning moments.
�We have 72 people on the team, and we let everybody who has enough days in and who is eligible to scrimmage, we got them some reps,� said New Bern coach Bobby Curlings.
�We are trying to see who is ready to step up and who still needs some work.�
New Bern scrimmaged Hoggard for two hours on the turf at Caruso-Coates Stadium. The teams rotated offensive possessions after eight plays.
Then, the Bears practiced against Hoggard's punting unit. The former Mideastern Conference rivals finished with game-like situations.
�Individually, I saw a lot of good things and, individually, I saw some bad things,� Curlings said. �Individuals don't win games, so we have to get better as a team and gel a little more.
�We have young guys that are filling in and got better as the scrimmage went on.�
On the defensive side, New Bern forced three fumbles and defensive back Doug Arnold had two interceptions. The Bears held Hoggard out of the end zone.
�Defensively, we were way ahead of the game,� Curlings said. �Even the twos and three came in and made great stops.�
Curlings saw flashes of greatness on offense, especially when rising sophomore Michael Hughes took the snaps.
Hughes threw a touchdown pass to Sam Lathon, and then ran for a score.
Craig Stokes, the fastest player on New Bern, scampered for a pair of 40-plus yard touchdown runs. DeAuntae Grimes ran for a touchdown and quarterback Nick Myers connected on a touchdown pass to Khalil Simpson.
�The first couple of series, it wasn't real pretty,� Curlings said. �As we got into it, we got a little more comfortable, started playing a little more relaxed and started communicating more, especially on offense.�
The Bears' offensive line was called for false start penalties often, and the right side of the line allowed Hoggard to penetrate through them.
The lone returning starter on the line for New Bern is 6-foot-6, 320-pound rising senior left tackle Shawn Best.
�The offensive line, we have to find some guys who want it and want to step up,� Curlings said. �We have two or three who are consistent and we have two or three who aren't consistent.�
New Bern, the defending 4A state champs, kick off its season in less than two weeks against Durham Hillside on Friday, Aug. 23.
Adam Thompson can be contacted at 252-635-5669 or at email@example.com. Follow Adam on Twitter @Adam_matic.


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Las Vegas may be internationally known as "Sin City," but it may have to change its moniker soon to "Retirement City." The 50+ crowd that swarmed to Arizona—particularly Phoenix—for decades is expected to now turn its attention in much greater numbers to Las Vegas.
The polar vortexes and harsh winter cold and repeated snowstorms have plenty of people across the Midwest and Northeast eyeing a Southwest relocation even sooner than they planned. And while Arizona has touted and marketed itself as a place to retire, the generation of baby boomer retirees may be looking for some of the excitement of Las Vegas instead of the more serene and laid back atmosphere found in Arizona.
"It's going to be a horse race for the next couple of decades," says Steve Bottfeld, a marketing consultant for the home building industry, mortgage industry and international investors. "And I think the lifestyles of other parts of the country appeal more to Vegas."
Bottfeld doesn't say that lightly. He's lived in Las Vegas for two decades and Phoenix for ten years and has commuted between the two cities until recently selling his remaining properties in Southern Nevada. He and his wife now live in the Phoenix area full time, but Bottfeld still commutes to Las Vegas to meet with clients.
"A key that's most important to older Americans is they need entertainment," says Bottfeld who adds that Las Vegas has transformed itself over the last 20 years to become more of a Mecca for entertainment beyond gambling. It has an ever-increasing variety of shows with star performers, a new performing arts center that has created a lot of national attention and is now known as one of the best restaurant cities in the world.
Las Vegas has acclaimed golf courses that rival those in Arizona so Phoenix's has lessened its advantage there. What Las Vegas entertainment lacks that Phoenix has is spring training for Major League Baseball that attracts many from the Midwest to relocate to Arizona to follow their team. Vegas is home to Mixed Martial Arts powerhouse Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that has a growing—but still limited—appeal.
Arizona has attracted retirees and those 50+ since before World War II, Bottfeld says. Las Vegas has only been a magnet for that group since the 1990s when housing developers focused on master plan communities, especially those serving older age groups, he says. In the last decade, Las Vegas has built more 50+ housing facilities than the Phoenix area, he says.
Census numbers from 2010 show Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has nearly 32 percent of its population that's 50 and older. By contrast, Clark County that include Las Vegas and its suburbs, measures 28 percent. Today, Maricopa County has just fewer than four million people compared to two million for Clark County.
"Arizona had a big head start and you're talking a huge historical difference between the states," Bottfeld says. "The population of Las Vegas quadruped in less than 20 years whereas the population of Phoenix has grown steadily, Suddenly, Las Vegas became more appealing in the 1990s because of the opening of the Mirage (first themed resort) and entertainment that became available."
Over the decades, Arizona has had success in luring people from the Midwest where the lifestyle the Phoenix area seemed more comfortable for them, Bottfeld said. Las Vegas has done better of luring people from New York City and even from Southern and Northern California.
Among some of the comparisons of the cities:
Las Vegas is slightly cooler in the summer and winter compared to Phoenix because of its higher elevation. One advantage Phoenix has is boasting "better" sunsets and stargazing compared to Las Vegas, Bottfeld says.
Phoenix is also more attractive to those on the political right of the spectrum than for liberals, while Las Vegas has a mix of political viewpoints that don't make any one group feel uncomfortable, he says.
Phoenix also offers more medical facilities compared to Las Vegas that many retirees find more attractive, he says.
One negative for Phoenix is that it lures more snowbirds that spend time in Arizona between November and May but are gone in the summer months. That leaves some communities empty during the summer and fewer neighbors to socialize with, he says.
As for why he's not living in Las Vegas now, Bottfeld says it was a decision driven by his health and medical care and that the home he had in Phoenix was paid for.
"I will never give up Las Vegas as a place I think of as home," he says.
Since the Great Recession, the more diversified Phoenix economy rebounded better than the Las Vegas economy, but Bottfeld says the advantage of disappearing because Southern Nevada is coming around and that will benefit the region in luring more 50+ folks to the state. That group wants to live in a state with a growing economy to protect their wealth and housing investment, he says.
Housing in Las Vegas has become more affordable since it peaked in 2006 when the median price of existing homes was nearly $290,000. That price is now sitting at $160,000, well below the $203,000 median price in Phoenix, he says. New homes cost $124 a square foot to build in Las Vegas compared to $137 a square foot in Phoenix.
"Home builders have been concentrating on Las Vegas rather than Phoenix because the sales have been more significant," Bottfeld says.
Las Vegas will have another advantage going forward over Phoenix in that it's already a destination that many people have visited several times in their lifetime. Studies show that once people visit a city four to five times, they're more likely to relocate there than to a city, he says.
Although Las Vegas has the lingering "Sin City" image and can be a negative for those with an addiction problem, Bottfeld says those who get a chance to visit outside the Strip know it's much more than that. They see that Las Vegas isn't different than a lot of other communities; only it has the world-class entertainment that goes with it when they want it.
"If Las Vegas tends to draw people again and again, the better chance those people are going to spend their senior years there," Bottfeld says. "Las Vegas has an image for people who visit, but, remember, perception isn't reality."


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Johnson City, Tenn. -- The East Tennessee State men's and women's track and field teams completed its participation in the Southern Conference Championships today in Boone, N.C. The meet was hosted by Appalachian State University at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
The ETSU women finished fourth with 77 points. Western Carolina won the meet with 250 points. WCU was followed by Chattanooga, 191; Appalachian State, 106; ETSU; Furman, 68.5; Georgia Southern, 31; The Citadel, 27; VMI, 26.5; UNC Greensboro, 20; Wofford, 12 and Davidson, 8.
The ETSU men meanwhile finished fifth with 67 points. VMI won the men's championship with 217 points. The Keydets were followed by Western Carolina, 182; Appalachian State, 145; The Citadel, 68; ETSU; Chattanooga, 51; Furman, 46; Davidson, 27; Wofford, 5 and UNC Greensboro, 3.
Catherine Berry won both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters to lead the individual efforts for the Bucs. Berry finished the 3,000 with a time of 9:53.10 as ETSU placed three runners in the top five. Tanya Brown finished fourth at 10:40.17 and Kim Hemstreet finished fifth at 10:43.61. In the 5,000, Berry won the race in a dominating 17:14.00. Berry lapped every finisher except Western Carolina's Jenny Warfford who finished second at 18:08.29.
Rosline Addo and Jennifer Howard finished first and second in the 400 meters. Addo finished with a time of :55.98 while Howard finished at :56.46. The results were a repeat of the Addo's and Howard's one-two performance in the Southern Conference Indoor Championship. Howard also finished fourth in the 200 meters with a time of :24.95.
On the men's side, Andrew Whitson led the Bucs with a win in the Decathlon. Whitson finished with 6,287 points, over 700 points in front of the second place finisher. Other individual highlights include Daniel Welsh and Mitchell Jones finish in the 5,000 meters. Welsh finished third with a time of 15:14.48 while Jones finished fifth with a time of 15:25.24. Jason Farr provided the men's other top five finish when he jumped 6'4" in the High Jump.


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(Photos: US and Indian troops sharing expertise during previous Yudh Abhyas exercises)
by Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 24th August 09
Since 2004, American GIs and Indian jawans have trained together to combat terrorists and insurgents. Now, the two armies are about to begin training to fight a war together.
Underlining the growing military-to-military relationship, a US Army battalion group of several hundred soldiers and some 50 frontline Stryker armoured vehicles, will travel to India in October and train with Indian strike formation units at the Babina Field Firing Ranges near Jhansi. This exercise, named Yudh Abhyas 2009, will include live firing by heavy combat vehicles.
It will be the first time mechanised units of an Indian strike corps, which bases its power on T-72 and T-90 tanks, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, missiles and 155-mm medium artillery guns, will train or share expertise with any foreign army. The Indian units taking part will be selected from the Jhansi-headquartered 31 Armoured Division.
The annual Yudh Abhyas exercises (which US soldiers are told is pronounced as "You da Boss") kicked off in March 2004, when 60 Indian jawans and 55 US soldiers from Alaska jointly raided mock insurgent hideouts in the jungles of Mizoram.
Since then, Yudh Abhyas has expanded each year in size, scope and complexity. Last November, in Yudh Abhyas 08, an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft had flown a company (120 soldiers) of Indian jawans to Hawaii for training in counter-insurgency with US soldiers of the US Pacific Command. Their simulated operations were controlled by India's 49 Infantry Brigade, which set up a command post in Hawaii as part of the exercise.
But Yudh Abhyas 2009 will impart a different trajectory to the military-to-military relationship. This is no longer about raids on insurgent hideouts or terrorist camps; strike corps training is for fighting a full-scale war together. This year, American and Indian mechanised forces will synchronise operations, planning, manoeuvring and firing together to capture a simulated objective.
Senior Indian Army officers have confirmed to Business Standard that the US Army Stryker vehicles and crews will be transported to India by sea. They will come from the US Pacific Command, or US PACOM, which is headquartered in Hawaii and which oversees US military interests from the US west coast to the western border of India.
Starting from Pakistan, and extending across West Asia, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is responsible for American military interests. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are under the jurisdiction of CENTCOM.
Approached for their comments on Yudh Abhyas 09, the Hawaii-based USPACOM has not responded. But speaking off the record, senior US Army officers have expressed satisfaction at what they term a "quantum jump" in the US-India military relationship.
One US officer notes, "Singapore armoured units have come earlier to Babina to fire their tanks since they don't have the space to practise in Singapore. Similarly, Singapore air force fighter aircraft fire in Pokhran and artillery units fire near Nashik. But this is not just about firing. Yudh Abhyas 09 will see the two armies practising how to fight a full-scale war together. And the engagement will only grow closer."


text:
- I always thought Squidly was loved for his tentacles.
- I hoped he was loved for his heals
- I was accepting of being accepted for his DPS.
- But I'm only loved for my Heroism?
I guess that's one advantage of playing Gnomeaggedon, there is no real doubt about why he is accepted in a raid.
Sure it might be an Intellect buff (how the raid cried the other day when there was no Mage for Intellect), could be for his table (presented with a smile and a /bow), maybe even because the raid leader has a Gnome fetish.
However I can be reasonably sure that I am loved for my potential DPS (maybe for Spellsteal – but that's a gift to a Mage and if there is no Mage, you can always purge). This isn't TBC where Mages have fallen out of favor, replaced by Warlocks, loved only for consumables and buffs, no this is WoLK.
What is it you want from me?
But Squidly, I think Squidly's heals or DPS are an afterthought.
Ohh he can heal as well, he can support the other 2 healers…
But make sure he is alive for Heroism!
I feel a little guilty sometimes, it's like I'm a sexy young thing whisked to the front of a woman-starved nightclub queue.
- Crap GearScore – check
- Zero Achievements – check
- Got Heroism – come on down, who can we kick.
Am I complaining?
About as much as I complain about being a healer in a random dungeon queue.
It's a natural advantage, and like boobs, I'm going to use it to get what I want.
Now all I need is some boobs on Gnomeaggedon to get some raid invites.
Gnomer and Out, Squidly and Stout!
PS: I hope you enjoy the old Skyhooks videos… yeah old.. my childhood old, but still great to have blaring at a BBQ… especially if it's a beach BBQ.
PPS: If I had boobs, then I'd want to have Euripedes' babies!
He followed up his awesome Fire Mage PvP How To (Dear Mr. Gnomeaggedon, Sir) with answers to questions posed in the comments (Fire Questions Answered) and now has pretty much summed up the changes that I would love for Fire PvP… if not survivability, then make people pay for targeting me! (Fire Mage PvP: Problems and Solutions).
Thanks Rip!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.


text:
Supporters say history on side of gay rights struggle
Ohio voters could get chance to decide same-sex marriage issue
Ohio voters could get a chance to decide the gay marriage issue this year or next as part of a petition drive.
Pastor Mike Underhill, of the Nexus United Church of Christ, is among those trying to put the issue on the ballot.
"Same-sex couples are standing up and saying, 'I love you, I want to commit my life to you, I want our relationship to be public, we may want to have a family, our own children, adopt children,'" Underhill said.
His church, which rents space at the Hamilton YMCA, welcomes gay members.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman's recent change of heart on the issue could reflect similar demographic shifts, but opponents say it's non-negotiable to most churches.
"That's an issue that does not change in the church, and I'm not talking about just evangelicals," said Phil Burress, of Citizens for Community Values. "I'm talking about all major religions believe marriage is between one man and one woman."
Burress believes recent polling can't be trusted and that Ohio is not Washington, Maine or Maryland, the three states where voters approved same-sex marriage.
"Two non-negotiable issues that we stand on and we have for 30 years, and that is abortion and marriage," Burress said.
But Underhill said the tide of history is on the side of gay rights.
"If we were having this conversation in the 1850s right here in Butler County, Ohio, we would have been talking about slavery," Underhill said.


text:
The Two Kerry's:
"Men in Black" The Cult of The Judges
By Jon Christian Ryter
November 16, 2005
Called to explain to Congress why, when the consumers are being gouged by high gasoline prices, they are experiencing record profits, Lee Raymond, CEO of Exxon-Mobil (the largest of the Seven Sisters and tutorial head of the John D. Rockefeller Standard Oil dynasty), David O'Reilly of Chevron, James Mulva of ConocoPhillips, John Browne of BP-Amoco and Jeroen van der Veer of Royal Dutch Shell, the European oil giant owned by the Rothschild interests, blamed their good fortune on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and on the Islamic global oil cartel as they pleaded innocent to allegations of price fixing, claiming that gasoline shortages simply increased demand beyond the limited capacity of the oil giants to produce enough gasoline when Katrina and Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast.
The oil magnates, who were not sworn in at the insistence of Sen. Ted Stevens [R-AK], chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, argued that their business was cyclic and that their profits were modest at best compared to their investments in searching for alternative fuels for the day when the oil wells dry up. James Mulva, CEO of ConocoPhillips said his company's $3.8 billion third quarter earnings represented a profit margin of only 7.7%�a number in line with other industries if you ignore the dollars. Raymond, the head of Exxon-Mobil agreed with Mulva, stating that the oil industry is "...in line with the average of all US industry. [Their] numbers are huge because the scale of [their] industry is huge...We," he concluded, "invest to run our global operations, to develop future supply, to advance energy-producing and saving technologies, and to meet our obligations to millions of our shareholders."
In less polite layman's language what Raymond, who became testy when he was hammered by Senator Barbara Boxer [D-CA] and Sen. Byron Dorgan [D-ND] who were demanding simple yes or no answers, was really telling the Senators�without speaking the words�was that Exxon-Mobil and the other major oil giants are no longer wholly American companies who are obligated to answer to the whims of the American consumer. Exxon's primary concern, Raymond evidenced, is to their shareholders who want to see larger dividend checks that comes only from higher prices at the gas pumps.
On the other side of the Congress, House Speaker Dennis Hastert called for the oil companies to reinvest their windfall profits into the oil industry infrastructure, in new wells and in new refineries. The Bush Administration echoed that demand. The Democrats demanded that Congress penalize the oil industry with a windfall profits tax. Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ], one of those demanding the tax, justified his position by saying "...I think [the oil companies] feel relatively immune from criticism." Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR] said the attitude of the oil executives means the Democrats need to implement a windfall profits tax�and rescind the new refinery incentives as well.
This would provide the oil companies�who do not want to see any more refineries built�with all the reasons they need not to build any more�and the names of those where they could lay the blame come election day. The Democrats, who correctly argued during the hearing that the oil companies deliberately cut back on their refinery capacity in order to increase profits, should be able to see the stupidity of their threats. But seldom do the Democrats use intelligence when they vote, since they vote their special interests just as the Republicans do. Seldom, if ever, does either side vote the interests of the people who lack the funds to fill their campaign coffers with six-digit offerings that theoretically have no strings attached.
I believe Congress should slap the Seven Sisters with a massive windfall profits tax. However, my view of what to do with the windfall profit taxes assessed to the oil barons would differ considerably from the views of the Democrats who want to give those proceeds to the poor in the form of heating subsidies or commuting subsidies in order to keep the poor shackled to the Democratic voting booth.
Six days before Hurricane Katrina, OPEC announced that it was considering solutions to the soaring prices of gasoline which they said, was completely unjustified. Sheik Ahmed Fahd Al Sabah, the Kuwaiti energy minister told the Gulf Daily News of Bahrain that "...[w]e are becoming increasingly concerned at the continuing high level of oil prices, which does not properly reflect the underlying fundamentals of the market. Oil resources are plentiful and supplies are plentiful. OPEC has been producing more than its agreed output by 1.5 million barrels per day in the three quarters of 2005." The oil minister said the world inventory of crude oil exceeded their 7-year average, and that the additional capacity OPEC agreed to pump early next year meant there would be enough oil in the market to meet all demands.
The sheik insisted there was no shortage, and that there was more than enough oil in the pipeline to meet demands throughout the winter and into 2006. The Arabs appeared to be at a loss why, when they opened the spigot to free up enough oil to cover the demands of the world throughout the entire winter of 2006-07, that prices continued to soar. In their mind, supply adequately covered demand�and, on top of everything else, the global demand for oil had fallen. Reduced consumer demand worldwide caused by increased prices at the pumps, cut gasoline consumption dramatically and should have caused the price of crude to drop below the $60 threshold. It did not.
It did not, simply because the price of gasoline has nothing to do with the volume of oil being pumped from the ground (unless there simply isn't enough oil being farmed and the storage tanks at the refineries around the world are empty). In the world today there is no shortage. There is an oil glut that is so severe that Saudi Arabia, which had increased oil production through the summer at the request of the Bush Administration, was forced to cut back simply because the world's storage facilities are all full and there is no place to store the oil being pumped from the ground.
For the first time ever, a president�George W. Bush�addressed the reason why gasoline prices are skyrocketing in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita. And for the first time ever, an American president honestly explained to the American people how to reverse the trend. Build oil refineries�quickly. In a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 4, the president explained how to reduce the price of gasoline, home heating oil and jet fuel. Build refineries. Unfortunately, the American people are listening to the environmentalists who are funded by the oil giants who have a vested interest in curbing oil consumption, and not the Bush Administration, which was telling them the truth.
While this was not the argument the oil company executives gave to Congress, the oil giants believe that oil�a carbon fuel (they wrongfully speculate was derived from algae, the rotting carcasses of dinosaurs, decaying primordial plant and animal life from the Carboniferous Period or from trillions of microscopic diatoms [organisms in the primeval seas about the size of a pinhead])�will attain peak (the level at which the oil on Earth is 50% depleted) somewhere between 2010 and 2030, and for that reason, they are justified in driving up the price of oil in order to conserve it. In reality, as reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year, oil is not a fossil fuel. It is continuously being created by a process deep in the Earth, raising the question: peak oil or deep oil? Scientist theorize today that the organic material scientists initially found suggested oil came from living things, may simply have been waster matter from microbial organisms that feed on hydrocarbons deep within the planet. This debris simply flows upward, mixing with other biotic materials as they interact with the limestone and iron oxide (the process by which methane is created).
Dudley Herschbach, a Baird Research Professor of Science and the recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize for chemistry conducted the original experiments to prove how methane is created in the Earth, said that new findings corroborate that many of the Earth's oil reservoirs refill as they're pumped out. Herschbach said his observations support the view that petroleum may be continually generated. Herschbach urged caution to the oil gluttons saying that "...[e]ven if we convinced ourselves that a lot of hydrocarbons are formed that way, we don't yet know how long it takes for it to percolate up and fill the reservoirs." If the views of Herschbach and 19th century Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, astrophysicist Thomas Gold and physicists like Michael Gordin are true then once again, the Rockefeller wisdom�which has steadfastly maintained that oil is a non replenishable fossil fuel�is once again, flawed.
Geologists who ascribe to the "peak oil" theory (also called Hubbert's Peak after Shell geologist Dr. Marion King Hubbert) who, in the late 1950s, calculated that, based on known global reserves, the oil wells in the non-OPEC countries would dry up between 2010 to 2015, and the oil reserves in the OPEC nations would begin to dry up around 2030.
Using fear tactics, the oil giants soberly hypothesized that if their theories are even remotely accurate, OPEC could control all of the viable oil reserves in the world by 2030�and could demand any price they wanted for black gold. (What the oil giants also fail to mention, or talk about in mixed company (oil companies vs consumers), is that the largest oil reserves in the world�enough oil to supply the world for 150 to 300 years�lies at the bottom of the China Sea. They also fail to note that those oil reserves have been claimstaked by the People's Republic of China.
An IPO between China and Standard Oil which formed the largest oil cartel ever imagined by man, will tap into what is believed to be the largest subterranean oil field in the world�even larger than those discovered under the Arctic ice cap in the 1980s and 1990s. The oil under the sparsely inhabited, frozen skin of ANWR that Bush targeted for exploration would serve 100% of the energy needs of the United States for 30 years. It was this oil that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi falsely claimed would reduce the cost of gasoline at the pumps by a penny a gallon. If all of the North Slope�the area known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge�was opened for drilling, those wells could serve almost all of America's internal needs for a century if the oil companies were correct in their assumption that oil is a finite commodity, which it is not.
� 2005 Jon C. Ryter - All Rights
Order Jon Ryter's book "Whatever Happened to America?"
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are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale
Jon Christian Ryter is the pseudonym of a former newspaper reporter with the Parkersburg, WV Sentinel. He authored a syndicated newspaper column, Answers From The Bible, from the mid-1970s until 1985. Answers From The Bible was read weekly in many suburban markets in the United States.
Today, Jon is an advertising executive with the Washington Times. His website, www.jonchristianryter.com has helped him establish a network of mid-to senior-level Washington insiders who now provide him with a steady stream of material for use both in his books and in the investigative reports that are found on his website.
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Using fear tactics, the oil giants soberly hypothesized that if their theories are even remotely accurate, OPEC could control all of the viable oil reserves in the world by 2030�and could demand any price they wanted for black gold.


text:
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Forums - Hard Drop - Tetris Community
Tetris & Community
After 10+ years, the Hard Drop forums are now retired. It will remain here as an archive. For more active discussions visit our
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Leaderboard for the game at tetris.com
, tetris.com/play-tetris
Feb 7 2019, 09:56 AM
Tetris Professional
Posts: 630
Joined: 13-May 15
HardDrop forums have retired. Leaderboard is continued at
That game seems to be quite popular among the folks over at the Tetris subreddit. So why not make a leaderboard for it? This thread comes 3 years too late but let's try nonetheless. Note that you can also participate by posting in the reddit thread linked below (you don't necessarily need a HardDrop account). Scores achieved in the Sanrio / Hello Kitty version are also valid.
I have the following categories in mind. I am open for further suggestions.
Highest Score
Start at level 1 or 5 and try to score as many points before you top out. For a submission, post a screenshot of your score.
# Player Score Remarks
1. Tiger_Ros* 2,103,929 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/evzfgf
2. Nilgiri~ 2,063,466 https://twitter.com/Nilgiri306/status/1136240476023955457
3. Okey_Dokey 1,829,064 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/c9eo4h
4. hebo-MAI~ 1,582,284 https://youtu.be/0ZMHndzM8zY?t=1400
5. YourRustedNuts* 1,234,767 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/drusju
6. Sebmansigh* 1,148,545 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/8tpdo9
7. dragoncatcher68* 1,139,130 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/avsmq0
8. psychedelicsexfunk* 1,138,013 https://imgur.com/iCsKAm7
9. lsgpotter* 1,069,678 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/abmxbv
10.BiseSim 1,053,018 https://i.imgur.com/ZlrqOZ6.png
11.LordDeclan* 912,573 https://imgur.com/gallery/xwbV9ni
12.SwagMuffin628* 870,186 https://i.imgur.com/C1Voaj4.png
13.Tevnor* 865,794 https://imgur.com/a/jjZ5BmK
14.puresoda* 775,705 https://imgur.com/C5Rx3CY
15.NateyOnPC* 749,357 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/azcexm
16.Putin_did_911* 735,454 https://i.imgur.com/KAzejvq.jpg
17.TiaoPM* 721,784 https://i.imgur.com/n1HfZFw.jpg
18.ScorchingOwl* 713,537 https://i.imgur.com/yodY7S8.png
19.Bennett_gcb* 688,450 https://imgur.com/a/2UciuQ8
20.PD_SkyNative* 656,561 https://i.imgur.com/PNwadry.png
21.rerrahs* 638,331 https://imgur.com/gallery/A1w1enR
22.silverarman* 588,534 https://imgur.com/nNT320y
23.elupolew* 561,924 https://imgur.com/a/zhBkyuk
24.PeterTheChallenger* 534,795 https://imgur.com/gallery/p8mz2p7
25.DrecksBongert* 522,588 https://imgur.com/gallery/o6bTrGC
26.MonikaKalam44 515,710 http://harddrop.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1234
27.UsrnmePendng* 502,235 https://imgur.com/a/gdts8Mu
28.PabloNex 447,115 http://harddrop.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=1235
29.Bloodshriker* 435,193 https://tinyurl.com/rghela5
30.CreepyInvestigator* 424,413 https://imgur.com/a/9g5Tvf6
31.Coldes* 423,272 https://i.imgur.com/ZEvIvbc.png
32.Yognaughto* 421,372 https://imgur.com/a/Yfx1jlt
33.MofInflorescence* 411,374 https://imgur.com/a/TgM7wtc
34.1234greenboy* 408,205 https://imgur.com/gallery/fnUnxUb
35.Trunks119* 396,456 https://imgur.com/aLDRG15
36.chavoruco1* 368,302 https://imgur.com/50TURwP
37.Alightsole* 363,904 https://imgur.com/gallery/AGTdnN0
( asterisk behind user name means reddit user )
( tilde behind user name means a harddrop user who didn't submit the score to this thread )
Highest Level
Start at a level that isn't higher than 20 (level 25 is forbidden) and try to clear as many lines as possible. For a submission, post a screenshot where one can see the reached level and amount of cleared lines. Note that Auto Repeat Speed mustn't be higher than 50 ms to avoid a certain
# Player Level Remarks
1. hebo-MAI~ lvl 30 +10 rows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90vy-jKUxIY
1. YourRustedNuts* lvl 30 +10 rows https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/drlzcu
3. psychedelicsexfunk* lvl 30 + 9 rows https://imgur.com/a/Gr0qLHg
4. lsgpotter* lvl 30 + 6 rows https://www.reddit.com/r/Tetris/comments/abmxbv
5. Okey_Dokey lvl 28 + 9 rows https://youtu.be/TM6UzKi5wiI?t=947
6. Putin_did_911* lvl 25 + 5 rows https://i.imgur.com/KAzejvq.jpg
7. Alightsole* lvl 23 + 5 rows https://imgur.com/gallery/AGTdnN0
Speedrun to level 25
Start at level 1 and try to reach level 25 as fast as possible. Time is taken as soon as you place the piece that clears the 240th line (time begins after the countdown) and said time is rounded up to the next full second. For a submission, you have to record a video.
# Player Time Remarks
1. hebo-MAI~ 4 min 13 sec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90vy-jKUxIY
2. Okey_Dokey 5 min 24 sec https://youtu.be/TM6UzKi5wiI?t=683
Feb 7 2019, 10:10 AM
Tetris Professional
Posts: 630
Joined: 13-May 15
Video for my submission. Run for highscore starts at 0:00. Run for most lines & fast level 25 starts at 11:23.
I want to use this post to explain the common strategies a bit. The level increases every 10 lines and with it the difficulty. So, if you want to reach a good score, you must maximize the amount of points per cleared line. It's as follows for all guideline games:
[/b]Line clears:
Single: 100 points per cleared line
Double: 150 points per cleared line
Triple: 167 points per cleared line
non-b2b Tetris: 200 points per cleared line
b2b Tetris: 300 points per cleared line
non-b2b T-Spin Mini: 200 points per cleared line
non-b2b T-Spin Single: 800 points per cleared line
non-b2b T-Spin Double: 600 points per cleared line
b2b T-Spin Double: 900 points per cleared line
non-b2b T-Spin Triple: 533 points per cleared line
b2b T-Spin Triple: 800 points per cleared line
4-combo with Singles only: 200 points per cleared line
8-combo with Singles only: 300 points per cleared line
12-combo with Singles only: 400 points per cleared line
16-combo with Singles only: 500 points per cleared line
4-combo with Doubles only: 200 points per cleared line
8-combo with Doubles only: 250 points per cleared line
As you can see from those numbers, T-Spins are the most effective. Combos can beat the effectiveness of Tetrises but only if you clear a high amount of Singles ("4-wide"). Combos are no match for T-Spins though, so I will ignore them from now on. T-Spins will score roughly 3 times as many points per cleared line as Tetrises do. From those numbers, you may think that stacking for T-Spin Doubles (or T-Singles) is more effective than T-Spin Triples but that's not the case. When stacking for T-Spin Doubles, you must always clear Tetrises from time to time or your stack will grow until you top out. Anyway, T-Spin Doubles and T-Spin Triples are both legit strategies with T-Spin Triples being slightly more effective. If you make a T-Spin line clear with almost every T piece, then you can increase the effectiveness to roughly 2.5 times the effectiveness of pure Tetris stacking. However, T-Spins are hard to setup, especially under high gravity: either creating the overhang will prove difficult or moving the T piece over the overhang.
Here are the
4 main T-Spin strategies
getting as many points as possible
. You may also combine those strategies, e.g. start with Freestyle and then switch to "empty column at the wall" once gravity becomes too high.
You leave a column empty somewhere in the center and setup T-Spins over it whenever you see it. This strategy has 2 major drawbacks: First, you will not be able to make a T-Spin with almost every T piece except when you are very pro. And secondly, it works very badly under high gravity.
empty column at the wall
You leave a column empty directly at the wall. You try to do some no-lineclear T-Spins or platform T-Spins whenever you see them but Tetrises most of the time. This strategy is bad for scoring but works very well under high gravity.
ZT Stacking
That's basically a loop where players try to follow a pattern if possible. You make T-Spin Doubles directly on the right wall whereas a vertical Z piece works as a base. Placing the Z piece will create a hole but it will be gone after the T-Spin Double. You have to do a Tetris roughly every 4 T-Spins. Here's a
good tutorial
for it. This strategy is very good for scoring and works well under high gravity. However, if you can't follow the pattern, you are screwed: Your stack will have a bad shape and it's very hard to get back to that pattern again.
Infinite TST
That's another loop but this time relying on T-Spin Triples. You set up a "T-Spin Triple tower" in the 4 most-right or most-left columns (right is better under high gravity), then clear the tower with 2 T-Spin Triples and then setup another T-Spin Triple tower but this time with the overhang facing to the other side. It's the best strategy for scoring in the earlier levels and there are some
good ways
to get back to that pattern if it fails. Additionally, it's relatively easy to skim/"burn" some lines, if your stack becomes too high. However, it doesn't work as well as ZT Stacking under high gravity.
That's all you have to know for the purpose of scoring. For
"speedrun to level 25"
I recommend stacking some Tetrises in the beginning, then keeping the stack low under semi-high gravity. And finally switching to "pyramid stacking": your stack is the highest in the middle and you try to keep the middle relatively flat, so that you can move pieces to both sides. Try to avoid creatinh holes in the middle because those are hard to get rid off. I don't think I have to make an illustration for pyramid stacking, just watch a
TGM player
or whatever.
reaching a high level
, I may have to explain the lock delay system. A piece doesn't lock immediately when it touches the stack. You have an extended period (lock delay), where you can still move or rotate the piece. And if you successfully move or rotate a piece, this period will be reset, and you have again that time to move or rotate the piece. However, the lock delay will stop working, if you've used the delay 15 times for one piece. Initially, lock delay is around 500 miliseconds. In the first 20 levels, the game will increase the speed with which the pieces fall to the ground. At level 20, pieces will spawn at the ground but you still have those 500 miliseconds to move the piece. After level 20, the game will reduce the lock delay steadily. There's a big jump at level 25: lock delay will become around 200 miliseconds and pieces may lock before you can even move them. So how to survive level 25? Try to hypertap instead of relying on the built-in autorepeat function: Each time you tap a piece to the next column, you get that needed lock delay reset. You may even try smashing the rotate button or press hold to avoid the locking of a piece.
Sep 29 2019, 01:24 AM
Tetris Novice
Posts: 1
Joined: 29-September 19
Attached is my score for Tetris. My highest so far is 515,710
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Sep 29 2019, 07:36 PM
Tetris Novice
Posts: 2
Joined: 19-June 19
Oh nice. I got this a while ago. Might just post it here:
Oct 9 2019, 09:30 PM
Tetris Novice
Posts: 48
Joined: 11-September 16
I hadn't visted the forum or played tetris in a loooong time so I decided to check harddrop out and found this. Might improve it later.
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