To the Tabula Rasa Community,
Last November we launched what we hoped would be a ground breaking sci-fi MMO. In many ways, we think we've achieved that goal. Tabula Rasa has some unique features that make it fun and very different from every other MMO out there. Unfortunately, the fact is that the game hasn't performed as expected. The development team has worked hard to improve the game since launch, but the game never achieved the player population we hoped for.
So it is with regret that we must announce that Tabula Rasa will end live service on February 28, 2009.
Before we end the service, we'll make Tabula Rasa servers free to play starting on January 10, 2009.
We can assure you that through the next couple of months we'll be doing some really fun things in Tabula Rasa, and we plan to make staying on a little longer worth your while. For more details about what we are doing for Tabula Rasa players, please click here.
Stay tuned for more information. We thank you for your loyal support of the game and encourage you to take us up on the benefits we're offering Tabula Rasa players.
The Tabula Rasa Team
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
7 Winter Foods Rich in Antioxidants
Artichoke Hearts
I knew artichokes were good for the liver and was pleased to hear that they're high in antioxidants as well. Artichoke hearts are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. Although they are great fresh, you can find canned artichoke hearts packed in water in any season. Add them to your homemade pizza to make it equal parts gourmet and healthy!
Beans
High in both fiber and protein, beans are also high in antioxidants. The antioxidant levels found in kidney and pinto beans are considerably higher than those in black beans, but black beans are not too shabby either. Dried and canned beans (go for low sodium beans) are available all year round, but a big bowl of vegetarian chili on a cold night will certainly warm you up.
Cranberries
This is the season of the mighty cranberry and you should eat these berries any way you can. They are antioxidant powerhouses. They give your immune system a much-needed boost in the Fall. Cranberries may also protect against heart disease as well cancer.
Pecans
Considered on par with antioxidant superstars cherries and cranberries, pecans are a delightful way to increase your antioxidant intake. Naturally sweet, eating a moderate amount of nuts weekly lowers the risk of gaining weight. I just wouldn't necessarily eat them in the form of pecan pie.
Prunes
Being dried fruits, prunes are available all year long. They are high in two important antioxidants; one fights the negative consequences of oxidation fats and cholesterol, and the other fights cell-damaging free radicals. Folks either love or hate prunes, but I find them enjoyable chopped into small bits and scattered over my morning oatmeal. What about you?
Granny Smith Apples
Maybe there is some validity to the age-old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." The humble apple is actually high in antioxidants and provides just slightly less than strawberries. Don't skip the skin, though. Antioxidants give color to foods, and the color of the apple is in the skin. Plus, not every apple provides the same amount of antioxidants. The USDA ranking of antioxidant levels found that the apple variety Red Delicious contained more beneficial phytochemicals than Granny Smiths. These two types of apples offered more antioxidants than Gala apples.
Cloves
Spices add flavor as well as antioxidants to many dishes, and cloves are no exception. As well as being high in antioxidants, this spice used in many Winter dishes and desserts also has a mild anti-inflammatory effect and can help relieve dental pain.
I knew artichokes were good for the liver and was pleased to hear that they're high in antioxidants as well. Artichoke hearts are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. Although they are great fresh, you can find canned artichoke hearts packed in water in any season. Add them to your homemade pizza to make it equal parts gourmet and healthy!
Beans
High in both fiber and protein, beans are also high in antioxidants. The antioxidant levels found in kidney and pinto beans are considerably higher than those in black beans, but black beans are not too shabby either. Dried and canned beans (go for low sodium beans) are available all year round, but a big bowl of vegetarian chili on a cold night will certainly warm you up.
Cranberries
This is the season of the mighty cranberry and you should eat these berries any way you can. They are antioxidant powerhouses. They give your immune system a much-needed boost in the Fall. Cranberries may also protect against heart disease as well cancer.
Pecans
Considered on par with antioxidant superstars cherries and cranberries, pecans are a delightful way to increase your antioxidant intake. Naturally sweet, eating a moderate amount of nuts weekly lowers the risk of gaining weight. I just wouldn't necessarily eat them in the form of pecan pie.
Prunes
Being dried fruits, prunes are available all year long. They are high in two important antioxidants; one fights the negative consequences of oxidation fats and cholesterol, and the other fights cell-damaging free radicals. Folks either love or hate prunes, but I find them enjoyable chopped into small bits and scattered over my morning oatmeal. What about you?
Granny Smith Apples
Maybe there is some validity to the age-old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." The humble apple is actually high in antioxidants and provides just slightly less than strawberries. Don't skip the skin, though. Antioxidants give color to foods, and the color of the apple is in the skin. Plus, not every apple provides the same amount of antioxidants. The USDA ranking of antioxidant levels found that the apple variety Red Delicious contained more beneficial phytochemicals than Granny Smiths. These two types of apples offered more antioxidants than Gala apples.
Cloves
Spices add flavor as well as antioxidants to many dishes, and cloves are no exception. As well as being high in antioxidants, this spice used in many Winter dishes and desserts also has a mild anti-inflammatory effect and can help relieve dental pain.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Best picks and skips at the salad bar
Salad bars can be diet salvation or junk-food minefields. Here's how to get from one end to the other without detonating an explosion of bad fats, sodium, sugar, and refined carbs.
1. Go dark on greens: Build a vitamin -- and fiber-packed --foundation by starting with roughly 1 cup of spinach and romaine leaves (for more than half of your daily vitamin A and all of your K, plus some C, folate, two potent vision protectors, and more). Skip'em: Lighter greens tend to offer less nutritionally. Iceberg lettuce, for instance, delivers only about 7% of the A you need, some K and not much else.
2. Go bright on veggies: Next, add about 1 cup of the most colorful crudités - broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers, beets, like that. Ounce for ounce, vibrant veggies give you more fiber, minerals, vitamins, and disease-fighting antioxidants than their paler companions, like celery and cucumbers. Skip'em: Anything coated in mayo or an indefinable dressing, including carrot and raisin mixes, cole slaw, and potato salad.
3. Choose lean proteins: Aim for about ½ cup of these. Chickpeas and kidney beans are nifty sources of fat-free protein (6 grams each). Sliced hard-boiled eggs (8 grams) are another smart choice; just limit the yolk to limit the fat. Skip'em: Chicken, tuna, or crab salads - they're usually made with high-fat mayo; three-bean salad, which typically is afloat in a sea of oil; and cottage cheese, which is high in aging (read artery-clogging) saturated fat.
4. Sprinkle on extra flavor and crunch: Like cheese? Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan (22 calories) to punch up the flavor, or 1 tablespoon of walnuts or sunflower seeds for some healthy crunch. Both have good-for-your-heart fats, which help your body absorb the nutrients in all those veggies. Skip'em: Cheddar cubes - you'll quickly eat more than you need; croutons - they may look harmless but at 100 calories per ¼ cup, they're usually high-cal booby traps of refined carbs, sodium, and trans fats. Ditto for crunchy Asian noodles.
5. Dress for success: Now swirl on about 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil, a splash of vinegar, a grating of pepper, and toss, toss, toss. Ask any chef. It's the secret to a perfect salad - thorough tossing ensures that all the flavors and textures are evenly distributed and lets you use minimal dressing to maximum effect. Skip'em: Walk right past those vats of ready-made salad dressings. Even the low-fat or fat-free versions are usually loaded with salt, sugar, and additives. And just 2 tablespoons of regular blue cheese or ranch have about 160 fat-packed calories
Ready? Dig in. Yum. Mission accomplished!
PS: Prefer a fruit salad? Easy. Go for whatever's fresh - melons, berries, pineapple, kiwi - and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for a dollop of good fats and crunchy flavor. Then buy a small container of low- or no-fat yogurt/cottage cheese for creamy protein minus the sat fat in dairy foods. Skip'em: Syrupy canned peaches, apricots, pears, etc. They have far more calories and fewer nutrients than fresh fruit.
1. Go dark on greens: Build a vitamin -- and fiber-packed --foundation by starting with roughly 1 cup of spinach and romaine leaves (for more than half of your daily vitamin A and all of your K, plus some C, folate, two potent vision protectors, and more). Skip'em: Lighter greens tend to offer less nutritionally. Iceberg lettuce, for instance, delivers only about 7% of the A you need, some K and not much else.
2. Go bright on veggies: Next, add about 1 cup of the most colorful crudités - broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers, beets, like that. Ounce for ounce, vibrant veggies give you more fiber, minerals, vitamins, and disease-fighting antioxidants than their paler companions, like celery and cucumbers. Skip'em: Anything coated in mayo or an indefinable dressing, including carrot and raisin mixes, cole slaw, and potato salad.
3. Choose lean proteins: Aim for about ½ cup of these. Chickpeas and kidney beans are nifty sources of fat-free protein (6 grams each). Sliced hard-boiled eggs (8 grams) are another smart choice; just limit the yolk to limit the fat. Skip'em: Chicken, tuna, or crab salads - they're usually made with high-fat mayo; three-bean salad, which typically is afloat in a sea of oil; and cottage cheese, which is high in aging (read artery-clogging) saturated fat.
4. Sprinkle on extra flavor and crunch: Like cheese? Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan (22 calories) to punch up the flavor, or 1 tablespoon of walnuts or sunflower seeds for some healthy crunch. Both have good-for-your-heart fats, which help your body absorb the nutrients in all those veggies. Skip'em: Cheddar cubes - you'll quickly eat more than you need; croutons - they may look harmless but at 100 calories per ¼ cup, they're usually high-cal booby traps of refined carbs, sodium, and trans fats. Ditto for crunchy Asian noodles.
5. Dress for success: Now swirl on about 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil, a splash of vinegar, a grating of pepper, and toss, toss, toss. Ask any chef. It's the secret to a perfect salad - thorough tossing ensures that all the flavors and textures are evenly distributed and lets you use minimal dressing to maximum effect. Skip'em: Walk right past those vats of ready-made salad dressings. Even the low-fat or fat-free versions are usually loaded with salt, sugar, and additives. And just 2 tablespoons of regular blue cheese or ranch have about 160 fat-packed calories
Ready? Dig in. Yum. Mission accomplished!
PS: Prefer a fruit salad? Easy. Go for whatever's fresh - melons, berries, pineapple, kiwi - and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for a dollop of good fats and crunchy flavor. Then buy a small container of low- or no-fat yogurt/cottage cheese for creamy protein minus the sat fat in dairy foods. Skip'em: Syrupy canned peaches, apricots, pears, etc. They have far more calories and fewer nutrients than fresh fruit.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
8 Couple Arguments Not Worth Having
When in a relationship, there can be many things to gripe about. Some fights may be deemed legitimate, while others may not require the waste of breath. Here are eight common subjects that could lead to harsh arguments that best not be bothered with.
1. The Ex-factor. You may feel that you’re living in the shadow of your guy’s ex-girlfriend but, unless he’s constantly talking about her, you shouldn’t mention her name, lest it cause a huge argument. Everyone has a past, but just focus on the present: he’s with you now, so that should be comfort enough.
2. Daily chores. Does your guy have a habit of not picking up his socks or letting his dirty dishes sit in the sink for days? We’ll admit, it can annoy the heck out of any woman, but it’s not worth starting a fight over. You can either take two seconds and toss those socks in the hamper, or just nicely (i.e. not yell) inform him to do so; he may change his habits and start picking up some of the slack.
3. Money issues. Money can be a sore spot for many couples, whether there is not enough of it or you can’t decide on who pays the next time you go out. When you and your guy hit the movies and he wants to pay, you may protest once (you are a self-sufficient woman, after all!) but leave it at that. There’s no reason to stay angry and fight over the cost of a movie ticket; you can just pay next time.
4. Not enough sex. You’ve hit a dry spell lately? Before you start thinking that something has gone horribly wrong in your relationship and demand he tell you why he’s no longer interested in you, look into whether he’s sick or tired or stressed at work. There are many variables as to why he won’t give it up, and him not being attracted to you anymore may not be one of them.
5. That certain friend or family member. His nosy and always-present mother may be a source of contention between you and your guy, but you most certainly can’t tell him to stop seeing her! Avoiding a huge dispute on the subject may be best, and here are a few tips on dealing with the situation.
6. He doesn’t have time for you. We all want to see as much of our guy as possible, but sometimes he needs a break and just wants to spend some time with his friends, or even alone. We all have the right to some alone time, so don’t ream on him for spending some nights at his place and a weekend with the guys; time away from you will do you both good, and make you extra happy when you do see each other again.
7. Changing him. You may wish your guy would cut his hair or start dressing fancier. You chose him and love him for being the way he is, so don’t start picking a fight to get him to change his ways and his overall look. You wouldn’t want him to make the same arguments towards you, would you?
8. Those little annoyances. Does your guy chew his food too loudly or have a habit of biting his nails? These tiny things may not usually bother you, but can manifest themselves after, say, living with him for awhile and when you’re particularly cross with your guy. You may end up hurting his feelings, so why not just let the subject drop and exit the room until you’ve calmed down a bit?
Note: There are varying degrees of these common arguments. If you feel as if some situations (from the not picking up after himself to the less and less time he spends with you) may imply some deeper problem within your relationship, then they may warrant a serious conversation.
1. The Ex-factor. You may feel that you’re living in the shadow of your guy’s ex-girlfriend but, unless he’s constantly talking about her, you shouldn’t mention her name, lest it cause a huge argument. Everyone has a past, but just focus on the present: he’s with you now, so that should be comfort enough.
2. Daily chores. Does your guy have a habit of not picking up his socks or letting his dirty dishes sit in the sink for days? We’ll admit, it can annoy the heck out of any woman, but it’s not worth starting a fight over. You can either take two seconds and toss those socks in the hamper, or just nicely (i.e. not yell) inform him to do so; he may change his habits and start picking up some of the slack.
3. Money issues. Money can be a sore spot for many couples, whether there is not enough of it or you can’t decide on who pays the next time you go out. When you and your guy hit the movies and he wants to pay, you may protest once (you are a self-sufficient woman, after all!) but leave it at that. There’s no reason to stay angry and fight over the cost of a movie ticket; you can just pay next time.
4. Not enough sex. You’ve hit a dry spell lately? Before you start thinking that something has gone horribly wrong in your relationship and demand he tell you why he’s no longer interested in you, look into whether he’s sick or tired or stressed at work. There are many variables as to why he won’t give it up, and him not being attracted to you anymore may not be one of them.
5. That certain friend or family member. His nosy and always-present mother may be a source of contention between you and your guy, but you most certainly can’t tell him to stop seeing her! Avoiding a huge dispute on the subject may be best, and here are a few tips on dealing with the situation.
6. He doesn’t have time for you. We all want to see as much of our guy as possible, but sometimes he needs a break and just wants to spend some time with his friends, or even alone. We all have the right to some alone time, so don’t ream on him for spending some nights at his place and a weekend with the guys; time away from you will do you both good, and make you extra happy when you do see each other again.
7. Changing him. You may wish your guy would cut his hair or start dressing fancier. You chose him and love him for being the way he is, so don’t start picking a fight to get him to change his ways and his overall look. You wouldn’t want him to make the same arguments towards you, would you?
8. Those little annoyances. Does your guy chew his food too loudly or have a habit of biting his nails? These tiny things may not usually bother you, but can manifest themselves after, say, living with him for awhile and when you’re particularly cross with your guy. You may end up hurting his feelings, so why not just let the subject drop and exit the room until you’ve calmed down a bit?
Note: There are varying degrees of these common arguments. If you feel as if some situations (from the not picking up after himself to the less and less time he spends with you) may imply some deeper problem within your relationship, then they may warrant a serious conversation.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Please Keep Your Promises Mr Obama!
Major economic proposals President-elect Obama discussed Friday to aid recovery from the nation's economic distress:
_Swift passage by Congress of a new fiscal stimulus bill either before or soon after he takes office in January.
_Immediate extension of unemployment benefits for those who can't find work.
_A rescue plan for the middle class that invests in immediate efforts to create jobs and provides relief to families watching paychecks shrink and life savings disappear.
_Efforts to address the spreading impact of the financial crisis on other sectors of the economy, including small businesses struggling to meet payroll and finance holiday inventories and state and municipal governments facing budget cuts and tax increases.
_Aid for the struggling auto industry and related businesses such as auto suppliers, which face severe hardships.
_Review the implementation of the $700 billion financial rescue plan to ensure it is achieving its central goal of stabilizing financial markets while protecting taxpayers, helping homeowners and not unduly rewarding the management of the financial firms receiving government assistance.
_A set of energy, health care, education and tax relief policies designed to grow the middle class and revive the economy.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Congratz Mr. President!
Yep Obama won it huge!
Let's hope for the change he spoke about all campain long
Saturday, November 01, 2008
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Ya I know I'm late, its cause I was having a hella lotta fun last night, Mandy and Forrest came over and we made food and watch'd scary movies and took pics!
Unfort hubby got talk'd into a odd shift, but his original shift was taken care of so that was good but suck'd cause he was so tired since he didn't get alot of sleep, so he is prolly gonna sleep all day right until hes gotta go to work, which is okay he needs his rest.
He got me 3 really long'd stem'd flowers last night, can't think of the name of them trying to find em online but no luck yet. He got em just cause, hes so sweet and I love him so much.
Other then that not much else, getting ready for D&D day Monday and more working out at the gym, then Tuesday for our dinner and movie time with cuddles =P
Time to do some housework then play City Of Heroes :)
Unfort hubby got talk'd into a odd shift, but his original shift was taken care of so that was good but suck'd cause he was so tired since he didn't get alot of sleep, so he is prolly gonna sleep all day right until hes gotta go to work, which is okay he needs his rest.
He got me 3 really long'd stem'd flowers last night, can't think of the name of them trying to find em online but no luck yet. He got em just cause, hes so sweet and I love him so much.
Other then that not much else, getting ready for D&D day Monday and more working out at the gym, then Tuesday for our dinner and movie time with cuddles =P
Time to do some housework then play City Of Heroes :)
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