San Francisco goes orange and black for SF Giants

San Francisco Giants fans cheer as the team buses arrive outside of AT&T Park in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. The Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers to win baseball's World Series. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants fans cheer as the team buses arrive outside of AT&T Park in San Francisco, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. The Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers to win baseball's World Series. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans hold up their children, cousins Reagan Hagerstrand, 10-months, and Ryan Magnani, 1, right, during the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Fans cheer at the start of the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in San Francisco. The Giants swept the Detroit Tigers in three games to win the World Series. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy hugs fan Jackie Day, 14, before the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Pearl Garvin, of Mountain View, Calif., holds a sign while waiting on Market Street for the start of the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012, in San Francisco. The team's second championship in three years goes along Market Street and ends with a celebration in front of City Hall. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Orange-and-black clad hordes flooded the streets of San Francisco on Wednesday for a ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2012 World Series champion Giants ? a Halloween treat made all the more sweet as a repeat performance.

Tens of thousands of people decked out in the team's holiday-appropriate colors stood 20 deep behind barriers along the city's main commercial street to watch their favorite players wave from atop individual convertibles.

Standing next to a gold Rolls Royce that served as his ride, Giants manager Bruce Bochy credited the fans with helping lift San Francisco to its second World Series victory in three years, an improbable double play for a team that before 2010 had not won a World Series title since 1954.

"The support they gave us was unwavering," Bochy said. "Even when we were six to seven games back, they kept filling the park. They never gave up on us. They are like part of the club."

As with the 2010 parade, this year's edition drew a cross-section of the region's diversity, from children who were allowed to skip school to older couples who had been Giants fans since the team arrived in San Francisco from New York in 1958.

Spectators watched San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith drive a car carrying Giants pitcher Matt Cain, while 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh did the honors for Giant Brandon Belt.

With the victory parade coinciding with Halloween, , costumed masses brought an even more festive feel to what city officials stressed will be a family friendly, alcohol-free event.

Richmond resident Kevin Yarbrough wore a giant white panda costume in tribute to Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval, whose nickname is the "Panda."

Yarbough had gotten up early to put in some time at work before getting to the parade route around 7:30 a.m.

"You've got to come out and celebrate like this. You meet a whole new family, make new friends, and it really lets the community celebrate in a positive way," he said.

Vendors got an early start as well, hawking everything from pennants to lawn chairs from makeshift sidewalk stands amid the crush of the morning commute.

The convertibles were intended to give fans better views along the parade route that began at the foot of Market Street near San Francisco Bay and covered about 1 1/2 miles to Civic Center Plaza, the scene of a rally.

Many camped overnight at the site to ensure a good vantage point, erecting tents and crawling into sleeping bags for a few hours of uncomfortable sleep amid the chill and drizzle of a foggy night.

By 9 a.m., bottles of whiskey and wine were being passed around, and the pungent scent of marijuana floated through the air.

James Darden, 42, dubbed the tent city "Occupy San Francisco Giants" and said the wait was worth it.

"I'm front and center," the Yountville resident said. "There's no other place I'd rather be right now."

Alex Warlen and Kelly Simms, both 17, also spent the night in the park. Warlen is a pitcher and Simms a catcher for San Francisco's Mercy High School's softball team, the co-champions of its division.

"Buster is the reason I'm a catcher," read a sign Simms was carrying that referred to the Giants' Buster Posey. The high school seniors said Mercy administrators gave students the day off, so they weren't cutting school.

"We would have skipped anyway," Simms said.

The 2010 World Series victory parade occurred with little incident, and officials said they expected a peaceful encore Wednesday.

The city spent Monday cleaning up after a rowdy celebration Sunday night turned violent in some neighborhoods and police arrested three dozen people. Bonfires of trash were lit in several intersections, and a $700,000 public transit bus was torched.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-31-World%20Series-Giants%20Parade/id-39db05c182ff43019a7380326a41c76d

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My Short Halloween Fiction Story ? that multi-tasker. rar.

?But I?m scared.? said the little boy who?s afraid of the dark.

?We?ll be right next to your room, sweetie. Good night.? His mother smiled, gave him a kiss on the forehead turning off the lights before she left the room.

Jimmy just moved into the new house with his parents. It was his first night. The house was small but big enough to accommodate two adults and a 6-year-old boy.? His parents loved the house but not Jimmy. He could never understand why his parents wanted to move.

?Jimmy, you have to understand that daddy and I love this place. But we have to move to another better place.?

?But why mummy? Now I can never play with Dilly and Nick. I like Mr. Frank he?s the best teacher in the world! I don?t want another person to teach me Science!? Jimmy pouted his mouth. His eyes were wet.

She let out a deep sigh. She kneeled down next to Jimmy, running her hands through his hair. ?I?m sorry, my dear. It?s something that you will only understand when you grow older.? Then she kissed his head. ?We can always come visit them.?

Jimmy?s face was already wet. His tears continue to trickle down as his mother hugged him tight. He could not accept the fact that he might never see his friends ever again. Mr. Frank told him that his new place is 6 hours drive from here. There was absolutely no way he could drive or take a bus because he doesn?t know how to.

The yellow blue moon light shined through the high windows in the room. He laid down on his bed looking through one of the windows. The moon was the roundest he has ever seen and also the brightest blue moon he can ever imagined. His eyes got used to the darkness in his room.

He could not sleep. He was not even sleepy. His room was dusty and drafty. He could even hear creaks sometimes if he paid enough attention. He wondered if monsters would come through his door. The thought of that shuddered him. He flicked open the lamp beside his bed. He rummaged through his stash of books in the paper box. He picked out his all time favorite book, jumped onto his bed and hid underneath his blanket. He flipped open the first page and read it aloud but soft enough so his parents could not hear him.

As he reached the third page his eyelids became heavier and his voice became softer. Slowly he rested his head on his open book. He fell asleep.

Creak!

He jerked from his sleep.

Creak!

This time he knew his door room was open. He was still underneath his blanket and he was silent. He tried his best not to move a limb. He could hear footsteps coming into the room. And it?s not just footsteps. It was as if someone was dragging something heavy across the floor. His heart started to beat really fast. The footsteps were getting closer now. Underneath his blanket, he could see shadows moving. He hope the thing would just leave him alone.

The footsteps stopped. The noises stopped.

He could only hear his own breath and his heart beating fast.

He heard the footsteps and dragging noise again but going distant this time.

Creak!

He jerked a little and heard the door closed. He was still underneath his blanket. He did not dare to move even a bit. His lamp was still flickering and his heart was still beating fast. That lasted for the longest time and Jimmy fell asleep.

Jimmy opened his eyes and realised that it was already morning. The sun was shining brightly through the window and birds were chirping outside. It took him a minute to realise that he was at his new house and figured out what happened the night before.

His room was completely normal. It still smelled dusty.

He heard a knock on his door and his mother peeped in.

?Ah you?re up. Good morning sweetie. Go get washed up.? She said with a smile before closing the door.

He headed over to the bathroom. He slowly walked down the flight of stairs. Each step he took gave out a loud creak.

?Good morning mum. Good morning dad.? He said as he stepped into the kitchen.

His mother was at the stove cooking and his father was behind the newspaper. His mother turned her head around and asked him if he would like pancakes or waffles. He replied waffles.

He took a sit next to his father.

?Did you sleep well last night?? His father asked, still behind the papers.

He nodded, hesitantly.

?You?ll get used to it, boy.? He said.

Jimmy could not resist so he asked, ?Do you believe in monsters??

His father choked on his coffee and his mother laughed.

?Monsters don?t exist! Don?t worry, son. You?ll be fine.? His father said giving out a small laugh.

?You must had a bad nightmare, sweetie.? His mother said.

His father closed and folded the papers. ?I have to go. See you later.? He bent down and kissed Jimmy and his mother before leaving.

Jimmy heard the car engine started, then left. His mother placed a plate of waffles in front of Jimmy and he took a small bite. His mother sat opposite him, looking at Jimmy. ?Where do you want to go today?? She asked.

School only starts the next day for Jimmy so he was free for the day. He shook his head and replied, ?Nowhere.? Still chewing his waffle.

?Are you sure??? She asked.

He nodded silently, taking another bite.

?I?m sorry Jimmy but I hope you?ll love this town soon enough.? And then she walked away towards the kitchen sink and started cleaning the utensils.

Jimmy took the last bite and passed his plate to his mother.

He walked over to his backyard and there were witted plants all over. Even the tree looked creepy. It was a gloomy day and the weather was a bit chilly. He hanged around in the backyard until lunchtime.

After lunch, he explored the front porch this time and saw his neighbour, an old woman carrying a bucket of water. He ran over and asked her, ?Do you need my help? I can help you carry that.?

The woman smiled and replied, ?That?s so sweet of you darling but I think this is too heavy for you.? Then she poured the bucket of water into the drain. ?You?re new here aren?t you? Saw a big truck in front of your house a few days ago moving in stuffs into the house.?

He nodded and told the woman, ?I don?t like moving here. I don?t like this place.?

The woman laughed while carrying her empty bucket and headed to the main door. ?I?ve baked some cookies. Come in, young boy.?

He hesitated but went in anyway realising that an old lady can do nothing to him.

The house smelled of incense. The type of smell that Jimmy would smell every time he goes to church with his parents. The floor creaked every time he took a step. The woman guided him to the kitchen. She took out the freshly baked chocolate cookies from her oven and placed them on the table.

Jimmy took one and munched on it. It had different taste to the ones that his mother usually bakes. It tasted richer. He loves chocolate so he munched on more. The woman made tea and sat opposite him.

?You love them don?t you?? She said.

Jimmy grabbed another cookie and nodded. He asked the woman, ?You stay here alone??

The lady nodded, ?All my life.?

He then let out a yawn.

?Didn?t sleep well last night did you?? She asked, smiling at the boy.

Jimmy put down his cookie and asked the lady, ?Do you believe in monsters??

The lady looked at him intensely. She did not smile and said, ?There are other creatures and living things that live amongst us. Only a certain of us can see them. They only come out in the dark and especially during full moon. They come and hunt us humans at night.?

Jimmy was quiet. He was waiting for the woman to finish her story.

She continued, ?They don?t eat us nor kill us.? Jimmy let out a deep breath. ?But, if they find us, they will break our arms and then the legs, alive. I don?t know what they will do with them but our body they will let it decay, slowly, making sure you can feel the maggots eating your flesh, alive. And when only your bones are left, then only they will let you die.?

Jimmy looked at the woman after she was done. He found his voice and asked, ?H-h-have you seen them before??

The woman answered, ?Yes, once. When I was little. But I was lucky. I got away.?

Jimmy asked her how.

?I was hiding inside my blanket when the thing came into my room. I could hear the footsteps coming nearer to my bed. Then the thing stopped and left my room. I was safe.?

Jimmy asked why. His heart was beating fast.

?They don?t attack those who believed in them.?

Jimmy was speechless, couldn?t make up the words he wanted to ask inside his head.

?The next day when I woke up I told my family what happened the night before and no one believed in me. Everyone thought I had a bad dream. The next thing I know, my whole family disappeared the next day. Nobody knew where they went. The police searched up and down the town and no trace could be found.?

Jimmy choked. He was not feeling well so he asked if he could leave.

?Of course my dear. Come back anytime.? The woman said happily. And before he left, she whispered, ?They are everywhere.?

He went back to his house trying to forget what the woman told him. He had very little dinner because the story made him really sick.

During bedtime he asked his mother and father if he could sleep with them.

?Monsters don?t exist. Don?t be silly!? His mother kissed his forehead and left his room.

Jimmy quickly flicked open his bedside lamp. He was awake for the longest time and then he fell asleep. He had a really great sleep.

The warm sunlight woke him up from his sleep the next morning. He washed up and climbed downstairs. There was no one to be found. He ran upstairs to his parents? bedroom. There was no one to be found as well. He walked towards his parent?s window and looked down.

In his backyard, he could see the old lady standing there looking up at him. Her lips curved showing her yellow teeth. It was the most scariest and creepiest grin he had ever seen in his life. And outside the room, he could hear the staircase creaked, as if someone or something was climbing up the stairs, leaving a loud echo in the empty house.

Happy halloween everyone!!

Posted by Krisss in Art, Celebration/Event, Story Tags: art, digital, fiction, halloween, photoshop, short story, story

Source: http://krisss86.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/my-halloween-story/

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Fighting melanoma's resistance to chemotherapy

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? Blocking the action of a particular protein in our skin could improve the treatment of skin cancers, according to a study recently published in Oncogene by Philippe Roux, a researcher at the University of Montreal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC). "Our findings reveal part of the mechanisms responsible for the resistance of melanoma to anti-cancer treatments, and suggest that a particular protein in our bodies called RSK may be targeted in combination therapies to overcome drug resistance," Roux explained.

Although melanoma accounts for only 4% of all skin cancers, it is responsible for 80% of skin cancer-related deaths worldwide as it is highly invasive and resistant to conventional chemotherapies. Melanoma originates from pigment-producing cells, called melanocytes, located in the skin. The incidence of malignant melanoma is growing rapidly worldwide and there is still no effective therapy to treat it. Approximately 160,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year.

Roux and his team focused their research on a signaling pathway called Ras/MAPK, which is often deregulated in melanoma, but also in lung, colon and pancreatic cancers. A signaling pathway is a chemical chain reaction that causes the cells in our bodies to act in a certain way. In this study, Roux and his team found that a protein in the Ras/MAPK pathway, RSK, contributes to chemoresistance by altering the response of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents.

This is the second Oncogene publication for Philippe Roux this year. In a paper published in July, Roux and his colleagues, IRIC Principal Investigators Katherine Borden and Sylvain Meloche, demonstrated that the same protein involved in chemoresistance contributes to melanoma growth, making the protein RSK a promising therapeutic target for treating the disease.

The study was made possible thanks to grants from the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute and the Cancer Research Society.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universite de Montreal, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. H Ray-David, Y Romeo, G Lavoie, P D?l?ris, J Tcherkezian, J A Galan, P P Roux. RSK promotes G2 DNA damage checkpoint silencing and participates in melanoma chemoresistance. Oncogene, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.472

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/0HpJYxVakQY/121030101336.htm

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3 Reasons to Google + | What's Up, USANA?

Just over a year ago, resident social media expert and all-around good guy Tim Haran explored the ?new kid on the social media block?, Google Plus, in this very thorough and informative What?s Up, USANA? blog post. There?s a good chance you may have missed it the first time around (due to its proximity to Convention and the other goings on in the summer months) so I encourage you to read (or re-read, as the case may be) this post because it contains a lot of great information that acts as an excellent primer on the topic.

Although Google Plus (or G+ as we?ll call it) hasn?t quite become the social media phenomenon many were predicting, it has achieved over 100 million active users and continues to grow. Despite this growth, many people are often confused about what G+ is exactly and wonder why or how they should use G+.

Many see G+ as simply another social destination that is similar to Facebook and other Web 2.0 portals that we are used to, but it?s not. G+ is more of an online hub that connects all of Google?s services that many of us, whether we realize it or not, use already. For example, a huge number of web users utilize Google for search, share and view videos on YouTube, follow news feeds, access email and place ads to grow their business and all Google-provided services. G+ is Google?s offering is a portal to make the Internet accessible through their services ? bringing the Internet to you rather than making you go out to it. A common misconception is that Facebook and G+ is an ?either/or? proposition. They are very different; enjoy each for what they offer.

So now to the purpose of this post?I?d like to offer up three reasons why you should be using G+, and how it can benefit your USANA business:

Follow, Follow Me

Unique Engagement Opportunity

Unlike Facebook, you don?t necessarily need a lot of followers to have a great experience on G+. The most important thing on G+ is who you follow, not who follows you. Much like Twitter, G+ does not require a reciprocal ?like? or ?follow? in order for you to make your stream come alive with news and updates from those you are interested in following. It?s quite simple to engage with others through their posts even if they are not currently following you. For example, you can simply follow the official USANA Health Sciences feed through G+ and get a lot of great updates and information.

Engage to Make New Contacts

When you engage with others they will start engaging with you and follow you if they share your interests, opinions and passions. If what you post is of interest, people will start to follow you and engage back and then share you and your posts with others in their own circles. The ?Find and Invite? feature is a great option if you?re having trouble thinking of whom to invite. Check out the Find and Invite tab when you?re editing your circles for some suggestions.

Become a Thought Leader

Ask yourself these questions: What do I want to share, why and with whom? What is important to me and why do I engage? Anyone can add you and you can add anyone on G+. You can post your thoughts publicly, set them to private, or share them only within specific circles. A neat part about public posts is that they get indexed by Google and will come up in searches on Google search. This affords you another space online to be a thought leader and reach out to a broader audience ? another chance to make meaningful contacts to grow your business.

Build Your USANA Business

+Circles

Google+ allows you to organize followers into circles ? anything from real-life friends, co-workers or members of your USANA organization. You can choose which groups to share information with that will allow you to maintain privacy and control the flow of information. As a USANA business-builder, you can use circles to identify to target information specifically for those users who would find it the most useful and relevant.

+Hangouts are a great way to communicate remotely in a personal way

+Hangouts

Hangouts are video chat groups that allow you to talk to up to 10 people at once. This video conferencing function is totally private and 100% free. +Hangouts gives you a fantastic opportunity to connect directly with members of your downline, customers or potential new enrollees. One-on-one video chats are ideal for offering a more personalized approach to your business-building efforts if you?re not able to meet in person. Group video chats are a great opportunity for you to conduct exclusive workshops or training for your organization.

Build The USANA Brand

USANA is dedicated to building the strongest, most recognizable and positive brand possible for its Associates. That extends to our online reputation and SEO efforts. By participating in G+, you can increase your own organizations? reach and reputation while boosting the popularity and presence of USANA throughout the web.

Search Results +1

By participating in G+, you can influence search results. From the Google database, we learn:

?+1 helps people discover relevant content ? a website, a Google search result, or an ad ? from the people they already know and trust. The +1 button appears on Google search, on websites, and on ads. For example, you might see a +1 button for a Google search result, Google ad, or next to an article you?re reading on your favorite news site. Adding the +1 button to pages on your own site lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it?s most relevant ? in the context of Google search results. In addition, a user?s +1?s appear on the +1 tab of their Google Profile. While +1?s are always public, users can choose to make the +1 tab visible or invisible on their profile.?

You can add code to your blog, website or other web properties by clicking here. USANA has plans to add features like this to all of its web pages ? this will give you the opportunity to +1, like and share our content with your networks and followers and influence search results. +1 can also help your search results ? whether it is your USANA web-hosting site, a blog or something else. Again, from Google:

?Content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. For example, a movie review from an expert is useful, but a movie review from a friend who shares your tastes can be even better. Because of this, +1?s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user?s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page?s relevance and ranking, and we?re constantly tweaking and improving our algorithm to improve overall search quality. For +1?s, as with any new ranking signal, we are starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality.?

Down the line there may be more Google Plus-related implications to search and SEO ? but it?s nearly impossible to guess what Google will do next. For now, get on G+, follow the USANA page, follow the tips above and use this tool to extend the depth and breadth of your USANA business-building efforts.

We?re proud to bring you the freshest content on the web! Follow USANA on Twitter, like our USANA Facebook page and enjoy the latest videos on the official USANA YouTube channel.

Learn what USANA is doing to make the world a better place.

The future of personalized health and nutrition. Coming soon at http://www.truehealthassessment.com.

Source: http://whatsupusana.com/2012/10/usana-social-media-tip-3-reasons-to-use-google/

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Nick Newhard on Monolith's Blood - Vintage Computing and Gaming

Back in 2007, I intended to write an article about the 10th anniversary of Monolith's Blood, one of my personal favorite computer games. Accordingly, I contacted Nick Newhard, the designer and lead programmer of Blood, and arranged for an interview.

For whatever reason, my interview with Newhard didn't take place until April 2008 via email. (That's probably why I shelved the project.) Since it's almost Halloween ? and it's the 15th anniversary of Blood this year ? I thought I'd share this little gem from my archives. It should be a treat for any Blood fans that might be out there.

I'm presenting this interview a little more sparsely laid-out than I usually do just for the sake of expediency. Some day I will write more about Blood, but until then, I hope this nugget of history will tide you over.

Get Blood

By the way, you can buy Blood on GOG.com these days for $5.99 (price at present). It runs great in DOSBox on a fast machine ? make sure you crank up the in-game display resolution for greatest effect. The game is amazing in 1440?900 VESA mode on a widescreen monitor.

I heartily endorse the thorough and frequent playing of Blood, as it is one of the greatest PC games of all time ? in my opinion, at least.

This interview took place via email in April 2008.

Personal History

Benj Edwards: What was the first video or computer game you ever played? What platform?

Nick Newhard: The first video game I played was Pong at a pizza joint in the Seattle area.

BE: What are some of your favorite computer and video games?

NN: I have a vast collection of computer games dating back to the Apple II days and video games back to the 2600. My list of favorites is huge but many of the older games are best fondly remembered.

BE: How did you get started programming?

NN: I started programming my TI-99/4A back in the early 80s, first in Extended BASIC and then using the Editor/Assembler. This was all effectively hobbyist stuff as a kid, but it really piqued my interest in programming and game development. I jumped into programming professionally working at Orchid Technology in the 80s, writing setup programs and diagnostics for some of our hardware products.

BE: How did you break into the game development industry?

NN: My career as a Software Engineer had brought me to a branch of Novell in Sunnyvale, California in the late 80s. Across the freeway from there was Strategic Simulations, Inc., makers of some of my favorite games at the time. One day I dropped by to see if there were any game programming jobs. There were, so I applied and was hired a few weeks later working for Keith Brors and Bret Berry (two of my favorite people in the game biz).

Blood History

BE: What are the circumstances behind Blood's origin? Whose idea was it?

NN: The original concept [for Blood], a horror theme written by me and a friend, was far more Lovecraftian in nature and very dark. George Broussard asked us to lighten it up with more humor. We started with a major rewrite of the theme but adding humor to the game was a process that continued throughout development with significant contributions from each new team member.

BE: When did development of Blood start?

NN: Blood development started in earnest around late 1994 with a core team and an insignificant development budget. But man, we had fun.

Apogee/3DRealms entered into an agreement with our team to develop a game for the Build engine, which eventually became the Blood project. The company we formed around the team making Blood was incorporated as Q Studios. 3DRealms was to be our shareware publisher and assisted with development costs.

BE: Take us into the development process a little. How many people were working on Blood, and what was the atmosphere like in the office at the time?

NN: During the core development of Blood, prior to our team becoming part of Monolith, our team had had four key members without which Blood would never have been - Kevin Kilstrom, Peter Freese, Jay Wilson, and myself. The 'office' was in the family room of my house during this formative period. I can safely say the atmosphere ranged the gamut from fun to desperate at various times. Also, during the summers it was damnably hot.

After moving to Monolith, Craig Hubbard became part of the team and was a key contributor in level design, story creation, and cinematic direction. (Also, he was a bitch to kill in Quake.) Matt Saettler is the unsung hero of the project, always smoothing the wheels and keeping things on track. I can't say enough about Monolith's sound and music team for Blood. Our early audio builds prior to their involvement were pretty weak and they brought the game to life. Daniel Bernstein laid down some amazing tracks and even created the language for the Cabal.

Ken Silverman was responsible for the Build engine created for Apogee/3DRealms. None of the Build games would have come out without his monumental effort.

The best part of Blood's creation really was the team synergy, despite the ups and downs that come with game development. Breaking the back of that beast - completing the game - was an extraordinary accomplishment for a team with several members new to game development. Bathed in Blood, you might say.

BE: How did your team end up joining Monolith?

NN: Peter Freese and I had worked with many of the Monolith founders while at Edmark, creating "edutainment" software. In fact, it was working with those guys and playing Doom endlessly after hours that led to my decision to start a game company. Similarly, they founded Monolith to make games and started working with Microsoft on the DirectX Sampler CD. When I talked with Jason Hall and the other 'Lith guys, Monolith saw the value in our team and in Blood, and we saw the value in building a future as part of Monolith.

BE: Did Monolith buy the publishing rights from Apogee when they acquired your team?

NN: When our team joined Monolith, I recollect they paid back the costs and purchased the publishing rights back from 3DRealms. Monolith and GT Interactive published the shareware version jointly and GTI published the retail product. I should mention that Rick Raymo was our producer at GT and was a blast to have around.

BE: Was it tough to make the transition between working in your family room to working in Monolith's offices?

NN: Although I'm speaking for the team here, I can safely say we were all very happy to move into the Monolith offices. At Monolith, we were all moved into two larger spaces together, and we still had an amazing amount of extra space. No?it wasn't tough at all. (Perhaps we missed the neighborhood park and hoops next door to my house just a little.)

BE: What role did you play during the development of Blood?

NN: I contributed pretty much everywhere I could, but mostly in the area of design, engineering, and level design to some extent. However, Blood is most definitely not the result of one person's vision ? the team created the game you played and loved. If you hated it, it was probably my fault (just don't ask me about the Life Leech.) I did not create any art that made it into the released game.

BE: What were your biggest contributions to the game?

NN: My greatest contribution was persistence and iteration. If something wasn't right I either made it right or pushed hard to make it right. We played the hell out of the game from the earliest builds and no one held anything back if a game element didn't feel right. The team had a pretty heated week-long discussion over game physics and realism vs. exaggerated presentation. Ultimately, we ended up with the best of both worlds.

BE: Blood is packed with references to movies and other media. How did those originate?

NN: We were all products of our youth and many of those influences made it into Blood. In part, much of this stuff just leapt out while we were playing the game. Someone would say something and it would make it into the game. Kevin Kilstrom was probably the biggest influence in the humor and horror area. The guy kept all of us in stitches and could always be counted on to joke about something.

BE: Are you a big fan of the horror genre? Big Trouble in Little China?

NN: Most of the Blood team were fans of the horror genre. Movies, books, and comics were a huge influence. Who isn't a fan of Big Trouble in Little China? "Son of a bitch must pay!"

BE: What movies and games, specifically, influenced Blood's development?

NN: Lordy! What movie didn't influence us? Army of Darkness, Big Trouble in Little China, Hellraiser, Apocalypse Now, The Crow, Fantasia, Nightmare on Elm Street, Se7en, The Keep, The Shining, The Fugitive, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Ghostbusters, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Romero's Living Dead films, Freaks, The Goonies, Ghost, Jaws, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and so many more.

Games: Doom, Star Wars: Dark Forces, Quake (specifically CTF), Duke Nukem 3D, Diablo

Cultural references: Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, Sinatra, Fedor Jeftichew, mimes, and again, so many more.

BE: Did you face any significant obstacles before the completion or release of Blood?

NN: I'd say we had more than our share of significant obstacles. But to quote that Burton guy again, "We made it. Holy s?, we made it!"

From experience, every game development runs into issues. Blood started with a small development budget, insufficient development tools, a small and partially inexperienced team that had never built a game together, constantly changing requirements from the (original) publisher, an external programmer [Ken Silverman] with an unfinished engine in development?and that's just the start. Any game development team could point to a couple of those things and say, "Yeah, I've been through that." We just happened to have them all.

To add insult to injury, we had our source code stolen by an employee at a computer dealer and distributed to the internet. Having your publisher call in the middle of the night (on my birthday, no less) screaming "WTF happened?! How could you let your source code get stolen?" It wasn't a pleasant phone call. What followed was lots of footwork in MIRC, filing a lawsuit, US Marshals in an early morning bust, depositions, lawyers and money (they are synonymous) and other not-so-fun stuff. Ultimately, Monolith settled. That would never happen now that our Feds are somewhat more enlightened about software and source code theft.

The bright side is we finished the game despite all those crazy-assed circumstances. Blood still has some amazingly faithful fans.

BE: One of the most groundbreaking things about Blood, to me, is the inventive and seamless level design. Why was Blood's level design above and beyond those of other FPS games of the day?

NN: On behalf of the team, thank you for saying so. You know, we frequently talked about how some other game's levels just felt tacked together. Our goal was to lead the player through levels experiencing a story while feeling like they had actually been somewhere. We never wanted them to say "Hey! Yet another lava level?" Ultimately, Jay and Craig were responsible for putting the level progression list together and they did a great job.

Aside from the level design, I'd like to think Blood's complete secondary fire modes, guns akimbo, Doppler audio, level secrets, and amazing number of details are also hallmarks of the game. When someone on the team proposed a cool idea, we always tried to find a simple way to fit it in the game.

BE: Did you do any level design yourself?

NN: Early in development, I created a lot of small levels representing a theme, setting, or visual tone that I wanted to see expressed in the game. Several of those were used as starting points or feature areas for larger levels. Often Jay had to remove vert-points because I spent a lot of effort making the lighting or geometry "just right." (Thanks, Jay!)

BE: What's your favorite Blood level?

NN: For coolness factor: The Phantom Express (E1L3) was a huge favorite just because?damn?we made a moving train level! For setting: The Overlooked Hotel (E2M4). For Bloodbath: Cradle to Grave (E1M1) was great, as were Click! (BB5) and Twin Fortress (BB6).

BE: After Quake was released, did you ever worry that Blood would become technologically obsolete before it was completed?

NN: It wasn't the technology that worried the team, but the extensibility of the engine itself. While Quake was being developed as a game engine, the Build engine was really more of a 2.5D rendering engine with some bells and whistles. The Blood team had developed a pretty good system for tagging points and lines for the game engine, we had no scripting language at all so extensibility was limited ? in other words, no modding. To make up for that weakness, we focused on fast and fun game play and fantastic level design.

Don't get me wrong; Quake was a fantastic game, and if we had it to do all over again, I'd love to have built Blood with a more flexible technology than we had at the time.

Blood: The Aftermath

BE: Do you know how many copies of Blood sold?

NN: Neither Monolith or GTI shared sales figures with developers.

BE: I remember reading in EGM some years ago that a PlayStation version of Blood was planned. Do you know anything about what happened to that project or how far it went in the development process?

NN: I wasn't aware of that development effort. It may be something that GTI cooked up.

BE: When was the last time you played Blood?

NN: I played Blood solo for a bit last year but without audio. The last time I played with audio was probably five years ago. Maybe if I dig through some boxes I can find a compatible Sound Blaster card with jumpers. If anyone has Blood working with a virtual machine, I'd love to hear about their setup. [Author's note: I've since told Nick about VDMsound and other options to get Blood's sound working under Windows XP.]

BE: What influence, if any, has Blood had in the gaming world?

NN: I'm not sure if Blood influenced the gaming world or the other way around. We really made a gamer's game. The AI in Blood could be really difficult to beat. To this day, our Bloodbath mode was the most frenetic and fun multiplayer modes I've ever experienced. If anything, frenetic game play, pop humor, and attention to detail - the hallmarks of Blood - may have influenced later FPS efforts.

BE: Fans on the Internet have been clamoring for years for the Blood source code. What's the story? Is the source lost forever, or merely locked in a vault somewhere?

NN: I doubt the source code is lost. Undoubtedly, someone at or from Monolith has all the assets. Nobody is talking though. Personally, I don't have the source or assets but I may have some great videotapes of early in-game footage after we got networking in the game.

BE: Do you know who owns the rights to Blood now?

NN: It's likely that Infogrames/Atari owns the rights, following the chain of buyouts that lead back to GT Interactive.

BE: 3D Realms released the Duke Nukem 3D source in 2003. Would you be willing to help petition Atari to legally release the Blood source code? Do you have any idea who to contact to get that done?

NN: I'd be happy to participate. I would start with the legal beagles at Monolith or maybe Samantha Ryan at Warner Brothers. They would have a better chance of giving you the right person.

BE: Is there any chance we'll ever see a Blood 3? Were there ever plans to make another sequel?

NN: As much as I would love to play (or develop) another chapter of Blood, it's unlikely that there will be a Blood 3. Not to be too philosophical, but whatever fates crossed or stars aligned that allowed our little team to craft Blood have long since moved on. Each of us has gone our separate ways to make good and even great games.

His Career Today (in 2008)

BE: Do you keep up with modern first-person shooters? Do you enjoy any particular ones?

NN: The last FPS I tackled was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. until it crashed (repeatedly, and I so wanted to love that game.) I completed Half-Life 2 and subsequent episodes. While technically not a shooter, I've also played through Portal several times. I have a massive stack of games to play, across platforms and genres.

BE: You seem to be in the casual games business now ? first at PopCap and now at Big Fish Games. What made you transition from action games at Monolith to tamer gaming fare?

NN: For the most part, it's the long development cycles and notably painful crunch times that I miss so much. (sarcasm) Seriously, I'm in the business of making fun games and enjoy developing the gamut of games.

BE: Of all the games you've worked on, what game are you most proud of?

NN: Cheesy answer. I'm proud of all the games I've worked on for different reasons. Blood was the hardest game to develop, yet we made it against nearly insurmountable odds. I handpicked the core team and they have all gone on to do great things. For that, I'm most proud.

BE: Any final thoughts you'd like to include that we didn't cover?

NN: Yeah. Blood would have been impossible without the patience, endurance, indulgence, and encouragement of my wife Helen. Thanks, honey.

Tags: Interviews, Nick Newhard, Monolith, Blood, PC games, FPS, anniversaries, 1997

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 3:02 pm and is filed under Computer History, Retrogaming, Vintage Computing, Gaming History, News & Current Events, Interviews, Computer Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/900

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First direct detection sheds light on dark galaxies

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? Most people think of galaxies as huge islands of stars, gas and dust that populate the universe in visual splendor. Theory, however, has predicted there are other types of galaxies that are devoid of stars and made predominately of dense gas. These "dark" galaxies would be unseen against the black backdrop of the universe.

Now, an international team of astronomers has detected several dark galaxies by observing the fluorescent glow of their hydrogen gas, illuminated by the ultraviolet light of a nearby quasar. But what exactly are dark galaxies, and what role do they play in the evolution of our universe?

"Dark galaxies are composed of dark matter and gas, but for some reason they have not been able to form stars," said Martin Haehnelt, Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. "Some theoretical models have predicted that dark galaxies were common in the early universe when galaxies had more difficulty forming stars -- partly because their density of gas was not sufficient to form stars -- and only later did galaxies begin to ignite stars, becoming like the galaxies we see today."

Haehnelt is a member of the scientific team that detected these galaxies. According to Haehnelt, one can begin to understand the importance of dark galaxies by looking at our own Milky Way. "We expect the precursor to the Milky Way was a smaller bright galaxy that merged with dark galaxies nearby. They all came together to form our Milky Way that we see today."

Another member of the team, Sebastiano Cantalupo of the University of California, Santa Cruz, agreed that dark galaxies are the building blocks of modern galaxies. "In our current theory of galaxy formation, we believe that big galaxies form from the merger of smaller galaxies. Dark galaxies bring to big galaxies a lot of gas, which then accelerates star formation in the bigger galaxies."

The techniques used for detecting dark galaxies also may provide a new way to learn about other phenomena in the universe, including what some call the "cosmic web" -- unseen filaments of gas and dark matter believed to permeate the universe, feeding and building galaxies and galaxy clusters where the filaments intersect.

"I wonder if we can indeed use this technique to see the emission of filamentary gas in the cosmic web, and if so, how close are we to seeing that?" said team member Simon Lilly of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. "That has been something of a Holy Grail for many, many years and I think this most recent discovery of dark galaxies is a significant step toward the goal."

The complete discussion with Drs. Haehnelt, Cantalupo and Lilly can be found at: http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/kicc-dark-galaxies.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/BON0nb1cLWk/121030161234.htm

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Water, fire, destruction: NYC after the superstorm

NEW YORK (AP) ? The massive storm that pummeled the East killed 10 people in New York City and left the nation's largest city eerily quiet Tuesday, with no running trains, a darkened business district and neighborhoods under water.

It was "a devastating storm, maybe the worst that we have ever experienced," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who gave no firm timeline on when the city's basic services would be restored.

Scenes of the damage from the overnight havoc were everywhere after a wall of seawater and high winds slammed the city, destroying buildings and flooding tunnels. Between 80 and 100 flooded homes in Queens caught fire and were destroyed. A hospital removed patients on stretchers and 20 babies from neonatal intensive care, some on respirators operating on battery power.

Sidewalks, streets and subways usually bustling with crowds and traffic jams were largely empty. And high above midtown, the broken boom of a crane continued to dangle precariously over a neighborhood.

"Oh, Jesus. Oh, no," said Faye Schwartz, 65, Tuesday morning as she surveyed the damage in her Brooklyn neighborhood, where cars were strewn like leaves, planters were deposited in intersections and green Dumpsters were tossed on their sides.

The storm was once Hurricane Sandy but combined with two wintry systems to become a huge hybrid storm whose center smashed ashore late Monday in New Jersey. New York City was perfectly positioned to absorb the worst of its storm surge ? a record 13 feet.

The dead included two who drowned in a home and one who was in bed when a tree fell on an apartment, the mayor said. Another person died by stepping into a puddle near a live electrical wire, Bloomberg said. He didn't give immediate details on all the dead, where they were located, and when they died.

At a darkened luxury high-rise building called the William Beaver House in Lower Manhattan, resident manager John Sarich was sending up porters with flashlights up and down the 47 flights of stairs to check on residents.

He said most people stayed put despite calls to evacuate. One pregnant resident started having contractions, and Sarich said that before the power went out, he nervously researched how to deliver a baby on the Internet.

"I said, 'Oh boy, I'm in trouble,'" Sarich said. The woman managed to find a cab to take her to a hospital.

Uptown in Chelsea, the city's thriving gallery district was under waist-high water the night before.

Reggie Thomas, a maintenance supervisor at a prison located within striking distance of the overflowing Hudson River, emerged from an overnight shift there, a toothbrush in his front pocket, to find his 2011 Honda with its windows down and a foot of water inside. The windows automatically go down when the car is submerged to free drivers. It left his car with a foot of water inside, and unable to start.

"It's totaled," Thomas said, with a shrug. "You would have needed a boat last night."

The city's transit system suffered unprecedented damage, from the underground subway tunnels to commuter rails to bus garages, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Tuesday.

"We have no idea how long it's going to take," spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said.

All 10 subway tunnels between Manhattan and Brooklyn were flooded during the storm, as the saltwater surge inundated signals, switches and third rails and covered tracks with sludge, she said.

The entire system wasn't flooded and the authority was already pumping water Tuesday. Workers ultimately will have to walk all the hundreds of miles of track to inspect it, she said, and it wasn't clear how long that would take. Trains had been moved to safety before the storm.

The 108-year-old subway system "has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night," Chairman Joseph Lhota said in a statement.

Bloomberg said there was just no telling when power and transit would be back, but estimated some bus service would be restored by Tuesday afternoon.

"Clearly the challenges our city faces in the coming days are enormous," he said.

Water lapped over the seawall in Battery Park City, flooding rail yards, subway tracks, tunnels and roads. Rescue workers floated bright orange rafts down flooded downtown streets, while police officers rolled slowly down the street with loudspeakers telling people to go home.

In Queens, nearly 200 firefighters tried to contain an enormous blaze that consumed more than 80 homes in the Breezy Point neighborhood. They had to use a boat to make rescues and climbed an awning to reach about 25 trapped people, fire officials said.

Officials weren't immediately able to pin down the cause of the blaze, and Bloomberg said no deaths had been reported there.

On Staten Island, a tanker ship wound up beached on the shore.

Water surged into two major commuter tunnels ? the Brooklyn Battery and the Queens Midtown. Water coursed into one of the Long Island Rail Road's East River tunnels, the railroad's West Side yards had to be evacuated. At least 40 LIRR stations had no power Tuesday.

The rains and howling winds left a crane hanging off a luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan, causing the evacuation of hundreds from a posh hotel and other buildings. Inspectors were climbing 74 flights of stairs to examine the crane hanging from the $1.5 billion building.

After a backup generator failed, New York University's Tisch Hospital began evacuating more than 200 patients to other facilities, including 20 babies from neonatal intensive care, some of them on respirators operating on battery power.

In Schwartz's Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, residents who ignored a mandatory evacuation order awoke to debris-strewn streets and a continued blackout. About 2 inches of mucky dirt and leaves covered streets crisscrossed by downed power lines after water sloshed 12 blocks inland.

The doors of the Fairway grocery store were blown out. Several cars left in the parking lot were shifted by flood waters overnight and were left crammed door to door.

Schwartz and her husband rode out the storm on the third floor of the residences above the Fairway and said white-capped flood waters reached at least 3 feet around the building.

"It was scary how fast the water came up," she said.

The facade of a four-story Manhattan building in the Chelsea neighborhood crumbled and collapsed suddenly, leaving the lights, couches, cabinets and desks inside visible from the street. No one was hurt, although some of the falling debris hit a car.

The city shut all three of its airports, its subways, schools, stock exchanges, Broadway theaters and closed several bridges and tunnels Monday as the weather worsened. By evening, the storm surge was threatening Manhattan's southern tip and utilities deliberately darkened part of the borough to avoid storm damage.

It could be several days to a week before all residents who lost power during the storm get their lights back, officials said.

On Tuesday, the New York Stock Exchange was to be closed again ? the first time it's been closed for two consecutive days due to weather since 1888, when a blizzard struck the city.

At least 1 million customers lost power in New York City, the northern suburbs and coastal Long Island, where floodwaters swamped cars, downed trees and put neighborhoods under water.

On coastal Long Island, floodwaters swamped cars, downed trees and put neighborhoods under water as beachfronts and fishing villages bore the brunt of the storm. A police car was lost rescuing 14 people from the popular resort Fire Island.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Tom Hays, Karen Matthews and Larry Neumeister in New York, and Frank Eltman on Long Island.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/water-fire-destruction-nyc-superstorm-135922696.html

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How the game works (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Eni gets Q3 Libya boost

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'Once Upon a Time': Has it lost its magic?

'Once Upon a Time' is in its second season, but has it lost some of the elements that kept viewers watching last year?

By Tiffany Vogt,?The TV Addict / October 29, 2012

From the moment that Emma broke the Storybrooke spell, we knew that nothing would ever be the same in ONCE UPON A TIME again. The whole premise viewers tuned in for was to see how a young woman was persuaded to come to a town where all the inhabitants were fairytale characters ? with one significant twist: none of them knew it. It was simultaneously hilarious and intriguing to see Emma encounter each character and guess who they really were from all the classic fairytales. It was also fun watching the dubious Emma slowly discover that things were indeed not as they seemed on the surface in Storybrooke. So the lure of the show was in the discovery. We were intoxicated and addicted to solving the mysteries along with Emma.

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Started in February of 2006 as an outlet for Daniel Malen (The TV Addict) to share his love of television with anyone who would listen, theTVaddict.com has quietly grown into one of the Internet?s premiere destinations for television news, interviews and opinion.

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Yet, that part of the journey came to a screeching halt as Emma kissed Henry?s forehead and the curse was broken. Initially, it was just Emma?s presence in Storybrooke that cracked the curse?s hold and time began to move forward again. Yet that powerful ?true love?s kiss? broke Regina?s (aka: The Evil Queen) dastard plan to have everyone live out their lives in perpetual frozen time, unaware of who they really were. That was her dream fantasy, to reign supreme over citizens with no awareness of the lives they had lost. But Emma?s arrival definitely put a stop to that; and even before she stumbled across the way to break the curse, Emma had begun to bring people?s memories back from their deep slumber.

Season 1 of ONCE UPON A TIME was thus a fascinating adventure as we watched the chinks in the curse appear. Then when Regina?s curse finally broke, we were intrigued by the idea of what this entire town of people would do upon finding out what had been done to them and that they were trapped in Storybrooke.

However, another wrinkle was immediately thrown into the mix as Mr. Gold took out the potion he had saved made from the hairs of Snow White and Prince Charming, effectively another ?true love? potion and tossed it down the Wishing Well, freeing magic in Storybrooke.

As viewers, we barely had time to process that one curse was broken and another had been enacted right before our eyes. This compounded everything at once: not only did Storybrooke residents remember exactly who they were and were anxious to find a way to get back home to their world, there was the added factor that magic was now available for those who had wielded it before. Regina and Mr. Gold were about to square off for a epic battle that could destroy everything.

But this is when things got kind of interesting: the one wrinkle was that no one could leave Storybrooke or they would lose all their memories of their former lives and who they were. It was then worth considering: was Regina?s curse truly broken? In fact, the first episode of the 2nd season was entitled ?Broken.? However, what if that was not meant to imply that the curse was broken, but rather that it was not broken. For who was that man living in the city who received the message card that held only the word ?broken? on it? He could not have been August (aka: Pinocchio) for August was still stuck in Storybrooke. Who else was out in the world that could understand the significance of that one word message?

Then, as if they were all not dealing with enough, the very first thing that Mr. Gold did after getting his magic back was to unleash a wraith on Regina. Why exactly did he do that? To punish Regina for keeping his beloved Belle locked away for 28 years and telling him that Belle had died? Okay, we?ll forgive him for that one, but it naturally created a situation that did not do any good; for in trying to banish the wraith, Emma and Mary-Margaret (aka: Snow) were transported through a portal and back to the fairytale land.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fuxwHv-J7zY/Once-Upon-a-Time-Has-it-lost-its-magic

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Application Window Now Open for Human Resource Business ...

Filed under: World |
Posted by: MeNewsWire

ALEXANDRIA, Va. ? Monday, October 29th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)? The HR Certification Institute (the Institute), the internationally recognized independent certifying body for the HR profession, has officially opened registration for the Human Resource Business Professional (HRBPSM) and Human Resource Management Professional (HRMPSM) exams to be offered in March 2013. The HRBP and HRMP credentials are designed for HR professionals primarily practicing outside of the United States and complement the Institute?s existing offerings.

The HRBP and HRMP focus on globally relevant HR concepts that are common across geographic locations and offer a way for HR professionals who have mastered their country?s HR practices and regulations to prove their skills in both the strategic and technical aspects of the profession. They were developed to validate core human resource knowledge and skills.

The HRBP validates professional-level core HR knowledge and skills and demonstrates mastery of generally accepted technical and operational HR principles. The HRMP is designed to validate management-level core human resource knowledge and skills and demonstrates mastery of generally accepted HR principles in strategy and policy development as well as service delivery. Both are distinct from the Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR?) certification, which focuses primarily on cross-border HR issues.

The Institute?s portfolio of advanced professional credentials now consists of HRBP, HRMP, GPHR, Professional in Human Resources (PHR?), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR?) and California Certifications. The Institute offers computer-based exams twice a year at test centers throughout the world. The Spring 2013 testing period for the HRBP and HRMP will take place March 1-31. Fees for these two exams range from $275- $375 USD. For more information on HR Certification or to apply for these exams, please visit www.hrci.org/global.

About the HR Certification Institute

The HR Certification Institute is a global leader in developing rigorous exams to demonstrate mastery and real-world application of forward-thinking HR practices, policies and principles. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of advanced profession credentials for HR professionals worldwide. Through the combination of formal education, adherence to high ethical standards, demonstrated knowledge and achievement through exam and a renewed commitment to continuing professional development, HR professionals certified by the HR Certification Institute enhance their professional credibility and the organizations they serve. Since 1976, the HR Certification Institute has been the global leader in professional credentialing for the HR Profession. Today, more than 120,000 HR professionals in 100 countries proudly maintain the HR Certification Institute?s credentials as a mark of high professional distinction. Visit www.hrci.org/global

Source: http://english.business.jo/application-window-now-open-for-human-resource-business-professional-and-human-resource-management-professional-exams/

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Massive news for US soccer fans

Any announcement involving English Premier League and its broadcast destinations qualifies as ?big news.? But Sunday?s big news of NBC Universal acquiring exclusive U.S. rights is, as our English friends abroad might say, ?Massive!?

First, it?s a remarkably exciting time for domestic soccer watching. (And for ProSoccerTalk, which is an NBC Universal product. But more on that later ?)

Fox Soccer Channel, the previous home for EPL rights, for all the great games and analysis it delivered, could never match the market penetration of the NBC networks. That means that more soccer fans can now share in more of the ongoing EPL greatness ? and make no mistake, it is glorious. ?More viewers can attach themselves to the quality, history, passion and star value that makes the English Premier League product the world?s best by most standards.

(MORE: Official NBC announcement)

If you look at what NBC production quality has brought to Major League Soccer ? this is coming from voices in the industry and around the media, not just from me ? it?s easy to get excited about NBC?s plans for EPL production and promotion. NBC has devoted tremendous resources to its MLS productions, and the quality shows. There is zero reason to believe more of the same isn?t ahead for the globe?s top soccer league.

Second, NBC?s win is an unfortunate loss for Fox Soccer Channel, another setback to the network that has meant so much to domestic soccer supporters over the last decade or so.

There was a time when fans in the United States had very few options for watching top-flight soccer; Fox Soccer Channel has been there over the last 10 years or so, supplying safe harbor (providing that your cable system offered it.)

So fans are surely feeling a pang of bittersweet over the news. I am, personally.

What others are saying about today?s big news:

SI.Com?s Richard Deitsch has lots of facts and figures, including the strong numbers for last year?s final EPL matchday.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/28/more-on-sundays-nbc-english-premier-league-news/related

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Forex Analysis: Low Volatility Favors Dolllar Reversal | Avid Investor ...

Article Summary: Extremely low forex volatility levels warn against chasing US Dollar strength as it starts the week higher. We continue to favor low-volatility range trading until further notice. Yet it will be critical to watch US economic event risk in what may be a busy week of forex trading.

DailyFX PLUS System Trading Signals ?The US Dollar (ticker: USDOLLAR) has rallied to start the week, but a busy US economic calendar and adverse market conditions warn that the USD could see sharp pullbacks in the days ahead.

Our US Dollar forecast remains cautiously bearish as our FX Options market-based DailyFX Volatility Indices remain near their lowest levels since 2007. The safe-haven currency typically strengthens during times of market turbulence, and the fact that traders are betting on such small forex market moves favors USD weakness.

Yet the critical caveat is that forex economic event risk is quite elevated in the days ahead?especially with the US Nonfarm Payrolls report for October due Friday. If we see any especially significant surprises, expect US Dollar pairs to respond in kind.

In terms of currency trading strategy, we?ll continue to favor low-volatility trading systems such as our proprietary ?Congestion Opportunities?/Range2. That said, our trend-based ?Tidal Shift?/Momentum2 has been doing well in selling the US Dollar through recent trading. We remain in favor of trend trades in key FX pairs?full summary in the table below.

DailyFX Individual Currency Pair Conditions and Trading Strategy Bias

The US Dollar rally to start the week might present a good selling opportunity, but first we would like to see similar signs of turnaround. That would come on fresh ?Tidal Shift? positions, and we?ll be looking at trade opportunities in the EURUSD and AUDUSD in particular.

Fresh selling opportunities in the Japanese Yen might come on the heels of the Bank of Japan interest rate decision. We see evidence that the USDJPY may have set an important bottom, but the Japanese Yen?s next moves will very much depend on the trajectory of US Treasury yields and broader interest rates.

US Dollar/Japanese Yen versus US 2-Year Treasury Yield

Market Conditions:Our DailyFX Volatility Indices remain at their lowest levels since 2007. Such slow market conditions may be unsustainable given significant risks to global financial markets. Yet we think it?s unwise to bet on strong currency moves when the trend towards lower volatility is crystal-clear.

DailyFX Volatility Indices from 2011-2012

? Written by David Rodriguez, Quantitative Strategist for DailyFX.com

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Contact David via

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Meet the DailyFX team in Las Vegas at the annual FXCM Traders Expo, November 2-4, 2012 at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. For additional information regarding the schedule, workshops and accommodations, visit the FXCM Trading Expo website.

Definitions

Volatility Percentile ? The higher the number, the more likely we are to see strong movements in price. This number tells us where current implied volatility levels stand in relation to the past 90 days of trading. We have found that implied volatilities tend to remain very high or very low for extended periods of time. As such, it is helpful to know where the current implied volatility level stands in relation to its medium-term range.

Trend ? This indicator measures trend intensity by telling us where price stands in relation to its 90 trading-day range. A very low number tells us that price is currently at or near 90-day lows, while a higher number tells us that we are near the highs. A value at or near 50 percent tells us that we are at the middle of the currency pair?s 90-day range.

Range High ? 90-day closing high.

Range Low ? 90-day closing low.

Last ? Current market price.

Bias ? Based on the above criteria, we assign the more likely profitable strategy for any given currency pair. A highly volatile currency pair (Volatility Percentile very high) suggests that we should look to use Breakout strategies. More moderate volatility levels and strong Trend values make Momentum trades more attractive, while the lowest Vol Percentile and Trend indicator figures make Range Trading the more attractive strategy.

HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM.

ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES IS MATERIAL POINTS WHICH CAN ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE MARKETS IN GENERAL OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION.

OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices, or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary, and does not constitute investment advice. The FXCM group will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance contained in the trading signals, or in any accompanying chart analyses.

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.
Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from FXCM.

Source: http://avidinvestorgroup.com/2012/10/forex-analysis-low-volatility-favors-dolllar-reversal/

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