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In control
Irrigation systems have come a long way since the first sprinkler was developed around 1900. Today, manufacturers offer a diverse mixture of products that not only maximize your control of irrigation, but also advise you how to best irrigate grounds. Some products will even keep an irrigation record that you can use as a reference point. The simplest irrigation system is one designed for residential use that is made up of a controller wired to several valves and applies water for a set amount of time. This automated set-up makes it easy to irrigate precisely with little attention.
Golf course irrigation systems, however, are much more complex than residential for a couple of reasons.
Low mowing height. Greens are grown at "near death" height. As a result, irrigation management requires precise amounts and frequency.
Various water requirements. Greens, tees, fairways and roughs all water on different schedules.
High volume of irrigated area. Golf courses water as much as a couple hundred acres of turf.
With the demands of maintaining high-quality turf under various growing conditions over such a large area, a complex irrigation control system has evolved. This has given the irrigation manager tremendous control and flexibility of where, when and how much water is applied.
Let's look at the components that make up golf course irrigation systems and how they've developed.
Central control
Due to its size and complexity, the irrigation system acts like a network of controllers. Of this network, the central control is the brain.
The central control system is often located in the maintenance facilities and has control over every irrigation sprinkler on the golf course. The system is software driven on a personal computer that can turn on or off any sprinkler on the course. The irrigation manager can point-and-click a sprinkler to turn it on or off. Changes can be made to individual sprinkler runtime or global changes to entire programs with a click of the button. All activities are recorded for historical reference.
This software allows for a great degree of flexibility and management of irrigation scheduling.
Real-time activity can be monitored on any sprinkler that is operating.
Flow management can be monitored at the pump station to maximize the pump efficiency and reduce hydraulic stress.
On-site weather station data can also be recorded and analyzed (temperature, humidity, evapotranspiration rate, soil moisture) to adjust programs.
Field controllers
Central control is not connected directly to each sprinkler. Instead, it sends directions to sub-components (field controllers) that are directly connected to sprinklers. Once directions are received from central control, the field controller sends the message to the sprinkler(s) to turn on or off.
Field controllers are often referred to as satellites. They are usually contained in a waist-high, metal box that is mounted to a concrete footing and require 110 volts to operate.
Golf courses utilize valve-in-head sprinklers, meaning that within the casing of each sprinkler is a valve. This is different than residential irrigation, where valves are installed on the pipe and control several sprinklers. For valve-in-head sprinklers, the satellites, or field controllers, are wired to each sprinkler controlling the encased valve. They have a large capacity and can control as many as 50 sprinklers or more. The irrigation manager also can go directly to the satellite rather than central control to manually turn the sprinklers on or off. Satellites can also be used as a stand-alone controller without being connected to a central control system.
In electrical systems, when the satellite receives the order to turn on a sprinkler, it sends a 24-volt "message" down a 12-gauge wire connected to the sprinkler to open the valve (in-head).
An alternative to electrical is a hydraulic system, where the satellite utilizes small tubing pressurized with water rather than electrical wire running to each sprinkler. When the satellite is directed to open a sprinkler, the pressure in the tubing is reduced that signals the valve to open.
With either system, adding new sprinklers requires you to install new wires or tubing from the new sprinkler to the satellite.
Manufacturers are now releasing wireless rotary sprinklers that eliminate the need to run wire out to new sprinklers, making expansion much less intrusive, and also reducing the risk of lightning damage because there are no wires to conduct electricity from nearby strikes.
Central control-to-satellite communication
Once the program is set on the computer at the central control, it sends directions to the satellites. The computer does not communicate directly with satellites, but rather through an interface. This is often a simple-looking box that is wired into the computer. The interface interprets the instructions and sends them out. There are a couple of ways this is accomplished.
- One-way communication
This is an older generation of system communication. With one-way communication, instructions are sent to the satellite where they are carried out. However, there is no communication back to the central control. Therefore, there is no way for you to monitor activities or be alerted to problems.
- Two-way communication
This is the most current form of system communication that allows satellites and other components of the system, such as the pump station or weather station, to communicate with central control. There are a couple of ways two-way communication is carried out.
- Hardwire
A dedicated, direct burial line is connected from the central control to each satellite, pump station, weather station and sensor. This is a feasible set-up for new construction, where you can sink the line in ditches, but is disruptive in cases of expansion or retrofit.
- Telephone
Telephone lines are used with modems located at central control and satellites. Once central control sends instructions, the modem dials the assigned number of each satellite modem to access it. This set up allows for remote access of the central control. An irrigation manager can dial-up the central control via modem at home and change programs or monitor activities.
- Wireless
This became the ideal option for upgrading irrigation systems because it requires no trenching.
Radio communication utilizes a transmitter at central control that sends out directions to satellites that are equipped with receivers. The central control is also equipped with a receiver for communications to be sent back from satellites.
Cellular communication operates similar to a hardwire telephone setup. A company called IrriDigital utilizes a nationwide wireless carrier as a means of communicating from central control to satellites. Confirmation messages can be sent back to central control or to a phone, pager or e-mail.
- Decoder systems
A system that has long been used in Europe and is now gaining acceptance in America is the use of decoders. In this system, there are no satellite controllers. Because satellites are very accessible, they are easy targets of vandalism. Decoders are small, weatherproof modules that are buried 12 to 24 inches below grade (ground?). The decoder contains a microprocessor that receives power (24 VAC) and control signals along a two-wire line directly from central control. Therefore, all communication with the irrigation system is done through central control. Each decoder has it's own identification number that is logged at central control. Future expansion is easy: just wire a valve-in-head to a new decoder that simply taps into the two-wire line.
In the past, the downside of decoders was accessing the irrigation system in the field when away from central control. This was done by using remote keyboards that could be plugged into access points along the two-wire line in the field. However, with the development of handheld remotes, communication with central control can be done from anywhere.
- Handheld remote controls
With the development of radio modem communication, remote access to the central control was created through a hand-held radio. This often comes in the form of a "walkie-talkie" with a keypad. The keypad is used to send instructions to central control to turn sprinklers on or off or make other adjustments to the system, while the radio can be used to communicate with others on the course. This gives the irrigation manager control of the system from anywhere on the course.
- Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
Manufacturers are now integrating PDAs into their central control systems. Connected to some form of wireless communication, they can offer easier control from the field. They also store changes that you enter while out in the field, which are transferred to the central control computer when you return to the office.
- Hardwire
Weather stations and sensors
On-site weather stations have been around for a while, but the data they provide is becoming more integrated into central control irrigation. The advantage of on-site weather stations is getting exact conditions, rather than readings from the regional weather service. These can be greatly different with microclimate effects on humidity and temperature and especially rainfall. Some of the data that can be collected from weather stations include wind speed, rainfall, soil moisture and humidity.
- Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is the total loss of water to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration (the loss of water from the plant). ET is at its highest during hot, sunny, low humidity conditions, and at its lowest during cool, cloudy, high humidity days. The most efficient irrigation practices only replace the soil moisture that is lost through ET.
Data can be automatically downloaded and utilized by central control to calculate evapotranspiration (ET). Some central control software can use ET values and rainfall to automatically adjust irrigation times to provide the most efficient irrigation practices.
- Sensor decoder
You can also use decoders with sensors in the same way you would use them with valves. You can connect soil moisture or temperature sensors to a sensor decoder so that data can be downloaded to central control.
Storm protection
Regardless of what type of control system you use, it's wise to also opt for storm protection. One of the most common damages to the irrigation system is a power surge that results from lightning strikes. Lightning can cause electrical surges to run through field wire and damage equipment and sprinklers.
Lightning protection systems can be installed to electrically isolate components of the irrigation system, such as central control, satellites, pump station and weather station. This will prevent damage whenever lightning is detected within a few square miles. Although this will not protect from direct strikes, it prevents the most common damage that results from surges.
Tony Bertauski is a horticulture instructor at Trident Technical College (Charleston, S.C.).
The first remote controls were developed to operate military machines. The German navy developed radio-controlled motorboats that they used to ram enemy ships during World War II. During the war, bombs and some other weapons were also operated by remote control. After the war, scientists in the United States used this technology to develop nonmilitary uses for the remote control. They introduced remote-controlled garage door openers in the 1940s, and by the 1950s, they had developed the remote's most popular use — television remote controls!
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Safety Matters projects are high impact, low cost improvements to neighborhood streets such as new pavement markings, signs, signals, curb changes, or lighting to improve bicycle, pedestrian, and driver safety.
DDOT will begin working on roadway safety improvements on Garfield Street, NW beginning Monday, November 28, 2011, weather permitting. Work is scheduled to take place between the hours of 7:30 am and 5 pm.
This project is estimated to take on or around 14 business days from projected start to complete.
This project will improve the overall safety of the roadway for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.
Signs will be posted to alert all motorists of lane closures. Parking restrictions may occur. 72 hour notifications will be provided to the public prior to these parking restrictions being implemented.
DDOT encourages all patrons to stay alert as they travel through this corridor.
To improve bicycle, pedestrian, and driver safety.
Program at a Glance
Program Title: Safety Matters Projects
Agency: District Department of Transportation
Type: Planning and Strategy
Start Date: November 28, 2011
Target End Date: December 11, 2011
Related Document
Traffic Calming Measures - Pavement Marking Plans - Garfield Street, NW

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm really becoming rather disinterested in collecting Hasbro's constant errors and variants, especially when they're occurring on the near impossible to find Bly figure.
Hey I have been looking through the thread..how come no one has brought upm the AT-RT Driver with all grey face?
I too am sorta hell bent on getting this latest one if it's the most accurate. I can't even really tell the difference (I haven't looked hard) but now I want it.
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Sunday, February 25, 2007
Browsers, performance and interventions
It works so nicely that I'm actually pretty happy with it. The rewrite helped me fix issues with statically positioned elements (which just didn't work on a scrollview/canvas combination I did before). Due to which my blog finally looks and behaves correctly as seen on the screenshot above. That plus scrolling is about 10x faster and you never see gray areas on scrolling as you did before.
This week George Staikos has been here in Oslo to work with us on the networking code. George and I have been friends for five or six years and he has this nasty habit that forces me to start an intervention and try to get him off it. What I'm referring to is the fact that George has been Canadian for, well his entire life, and it is my professional opinion (but I'm not a doctor) that he needs to move on. I'm not sure in which culture it is customary to bring Snapple ice-tea to your friends when you come to see them but we need to change him to that because he definitely didn't bring me any this time and that's just rude.
Going back to work, I'm sure Lars will blog about the networking magic they did so I'll keep my mouth shut. Once the code they were working on will be ready (which should happen within next week or two) and we'll start using in WebKit, we'll make the transition and start using WebKit Qt based browser on a daily basis. So we're close which is pretty exciting.
We have also started optimization run for Qt 4.3. My grand plan is to make sure Qt 4.3 is 2x faster in general rendering code than Qt 4.2 was. I have a list of algorithms to shave and rewrite over the next few weeks which will be rather challenging.
By the way of performance some people noticed that Qt OpenGL in recent snapshots with Antialiasing turned on is actually slower than it was in Qt 4.2. It's because of an experiment that we're trying on. We're now using GLSL to antialias primitives. Of course it's a lot slower than the old code but produces very high quality results. I don't really like it though because the performance hit is just too big.
14 comments:
The obvious question:
Is there a place were normal KDE users can get a WebKit-Qt based browser? And is there already something in place to connect it to the KDE-Wallet?
In would love to try the new browser, but if the walletmangeer would be integrated as well I would maybe even switch totally :)
- February 25, 2007 at 10:32 PM
Hi Zack,
Nice recursive screenshot :)
The speedups sound phenomenal - do you have any special insight into whether WebKit Qt will be replacing khtml in KDE4?
Also, I hear that QGraphicsView is an excellent candidate for forming the basis of Plasma, but is currently a little too slow. Is QGraphicsView on the hitlist of the Graphics Ninja? ;)
- February 25, 2007 at 10:49 PM
I realise you dropped GDI+ from the early days of the Qt4 tech preview code.
Not long ago we did some rough performance tests using polyline drawing in Qt4 and GDI+. I reported these back to TT but basically was told that the reason GDI+ was outperforming Qt was because the GDI stuff was probably hardware accelerated. Ok but I disabled the video acceleration and still Qt4 did not perform better than GDI+. To cut a long story short the performance issues seem to be lurking around drawing anti-aliased lines in the raster engine.
Have you revisited the raster engine for 4.3 ?
- February 26, 2007 at 3:33 PM
- Zack said...
Well, you're asking me a questions based on benchmarks I never seen, results of which I'm not aware that affect code I'll never see. I really enjoy the "science" part of "computer science" so I can't answer your question. My best guess is that Qt fallbacks due to some code that you have and is in fact rendering polygons which means you're comparing apples and oranges. The only other explanation is that you're rendering very long polylines and the GDI implementation on your system is in fact accelerating antialiased lines. Meaning it's also way slower at rendering shorter lines than Qt is. The pure line rendering in the raster engine is basically optimal and there's nothing that can be done there to seriously affect anything. In 4.3 we'll introduce direct3d engine though for those cases where raster isn't good enough (which are very few and mostly come down to people just abusing Qt's rendering framework :) ).
- February 27, 2007 at 8:12 AM
- John Gustafsson said...
You, dear sir, are insane. I love it when stuff gets 1. faster 2. cleaner 3. looks better.
But will these fixes go into Apple's "Webkit" / Safari as well? If not, send them some pointers on how to fix it. :)
- February 27, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Anyone else got Webkit compiled?
I got errors about conflicting declarations of pthreads.
- February 28, 2007 at 1:44 AM
>>Well, you're asking me a questions based on benchmarks I never seen, results of which I'm not aware that affect code I'll never see. <<
Listen Zack I respect your work but sometimes you come across as a bit "up yourself". It would seem reasonable to me that when you guys dropped GDI one of those reasons was performance. So again it would seem reasonable that you did your own benchmarks.
All I am saying is that some bold claims have been made about the raster engine. I am not privy to how Flash renders vectors either but it would seem that a full suite of benchmark tests coming out of Trolltech comparing other frameworks would help us all.
I don't have time to do benchmarks on Qt's rendering framework. I trust you guys to do that for me.
Your post does though highlight that rendering long polylines in GDI might be the difference. And when I recall our simple test this probably was the case.
- March 2, 2007 at 10:00 AM
- Zack said...
"It would seem reasonable to me that when you guys dropped GDI one of those reasons was performance. So again it would seem reasonable that you did your own benchmarks."
We did and the results were not even close that's why GDI was not really even an option. And with GDI now being completely in software it just proves we were right.
"All I am saying is that some bold claims have been made about the raster engine. I am not privy to how Flash renders vectors either but it would seem that a full suite of benchmark tests coming out of Trolltech comparing other frameworks would help us all."
Which is technically impossible. You can't realistically compare frameworks with completely different feature sets which have difference purposes and goals.
"I don't have time to do benchmarks on Qt's rendering framework. I trust you guys to do that for me."
We do. But ff you come up and say that you have a benchmark that proves us wrong and expect me to give you an educated answer based on something that I'll never see, then you have to realize that that is simply impossible. I can't predict what your code was benchmarking or even doing based on the "it was slower" clue.
Like I said, if you want a well informed answer you need to provide me enough information to actually be able to give you that answer.
- March 3, 2007 at 8:31 PM
"We have also started optimization run for Qt 4.3. My grand plan is to make sure Qt 4.3 is 2x faster in general rendering code than Qt 4.2 was"
Ok this started my initial comment and to tell the truth when I read your grand plan I was excited by the possibility that you had sped up line drawing as I considered that to be part of the general rendering code.
I should have been more direct with my question. So you can see I was a bit confused by your response.
- March 5, 2007 at 2:04 PM
- Zack said...
Ah, I see where your confusion came from. What I meant by "general code" is, well, general code =) It doesn't mean that we'll make every primitive 2x faster. That's impossible. But a lot of crucial code paths can be made way more than 2x faster which in general should give us a 2x improvement.
- March 7, 2007 at 11:53 AM
Good :)
On another topic have a look here at this 3D sofware rasteriser. If you are into games then Mike Abrash's name might be familar to you.
I know you enjoy reading/study of rendering techniques. I tested this out last year and it was very cool.
- March 7, 2007 at 12:04 PM
Really cool thing, just playing around with it... seems like some things like supportsBufferedData need to be implemented to make it usable (I get freezes sometimes and console shows that it looks for this function). Well another thing would be: Is there anything of a plugin-interface available for this? - Having flash would be cool...
- March 20, 2007 at 9:17 PM
Great project. Maybe compilation instructions could
be clearer ... I needed a morning to figure out.
...and math.h or cmath
should be added to platform/ScrollBar.h
because "lroundf" is unknown (at least on my Mac :-)
- March 27, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Hi there, I wanted to try this on my Mac, but I can't becouse default Build System creates a Framework instead of dylib file and i can't link against WebKitQt becouse it created WebKit.framework. Adding "-framework WebKit" caues that it links to system WebKit framework and not my Qt copy... could you please check that?
- April 3, 2007 at 6:10 PM


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A key ingredient of the transition to impersonal exchange and modern economic growth has been the emergence of courts that enforce contracts efficiently and resolve disputes fairly. This paper shows that the Islamic courts of the Ottoman Empire exhibited biases that would have limited the expansion of exchanges, particularly those between Muslims and non-Muslims. It thus identifies a reason why the Islamic world's economic modernization required the establishment of secular courts. In quantifying the biases of Ottoman courts, the paper also discredits both of the opposing claims found in Ottoman judicial historiography: the view that these courts treated Christians and Jews fairly and the counter-view that as a matter of practice they ruled against non-Muslims disproportionately. Biases against non-Muslims were in fact institutionalized. By the same token, non-Muslims did better than Muslims in adjudicated interfaith disputes, because they settled many of them out of court in an effort to limit the effects of judicial biases.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Kuran and Lustig on Judicial Biases in the Ottoman Empire
2 comments:
I would hope there is at least some screen for quality and method as to what constitutes legal history on this otherwise valuable blog. This paper is typical of the very worst of attempts by economists to do legal history and comparative law. Starting from a superficial and outdated presumption about economic growth and courts, where an uncritical cite to three heavily contested works, specifically so by historians, counts as a lit review. Methodologically the paper employs implicit comparison of uncontextualized statistics with a generalized model based on rational choice theory, again with no reference to extant literature on local adjudication - just using an abstracted "efficient" Western court. And ending with a transhistorical claim using categories at the level of abstraction such as "development" and "Islamic law." You really want to promote this sort of work?
- August 4, 2010 at 3:45:00 PM EDT
- Mary L. Dudziak said...
Thanks for your comment. If we only posted work that we liked and wanted to "promote," the blog would have a lot less on it. I think the better course is to post work that historians might have an interest in, including work that we don't like and we disagree with, and then open up comments for responses like yours.
There is a line of course, and we don't post everything (e.g. SSRN posts that look like unfinished student papers). But a historian working on courts in the Ottoman empire might be critical of this work, but still might want to be aware of it.
- August 4, 2010 at 3:51:00 PM EDT


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Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Compelling but Crude Portrayal of One Soldier's Desert Storm
"Am I ever going to get to kill anyone?"
Sometimes in war, so much happens that it overloads the senses to the point of scarring. Other times nothing happens, and the strain of being far from home in a foreign land with nothing to do, can cause its own kind of damage. Such is the case in Jarhead, the latest drama from director Sam Mendes, who has led us down a dark path before in both American Beauty (1999) and Road to Perdition (2002).
Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a brand new marine, circa 1990. Trained by his gruff drill sergeant (Jamie Foxx), he is ready for combat (also known as "The Suck"), when Iraq invades Kuwait. As part of Operation Desert Shield, 'Swoff' and his fellow troops are given little to do in the way of fighting. When Operation Desert Storm finally does commence, it's over so fast that the marines feel cheated. What's the point of learning to kill then not being allowed to do it?
Jarhead (the self-imposed nickname of a marine) is less of a war film and more of a character study. In fact, little combat actually takes place. The screenplay is based on the best-selling book by the real Swofford, a memoir of his actual experiences in Kuwait, and it feels authentic. The details are all there: the lingo, the training, "friendly fire", etc. Gyllenhaal is often heard in voice over, and his thoughts are believable.
Mendes has assembled a good cast of familiar faces. After Gyllenhall, there is Foxx (Ray), doing an understated take on a standard drill sergeant which I liked. The other familiar face is Peter Sarsgaard (Flightplan) who becomes Swoff's spotter on their scout sniper team. All the performances are fine, but no one really stands out. This helps the movie feel more like an ensemble piece than a star vehicle, so the platoon becomes more of a character than any character does.
Some of the content in this movie is not for the easily offended. Since we're dealing with marines, the profanity begins in the first scene and continues throughout the entire film. There are a couple brief but graphic sex scenes. There's nudity. Masturbation is mentioned several times and depicted once. I realize Mendes is going for edgy, but this stuff can be off-putting, so don't say I didn't warn you.
One thing I really liked about Jarhead was the soundtrack. Mendes juxtaposes music with the images we're seeing (an old Kubrick trick), so we get Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" played over marines training in boot camp. The score by Thomas Newman is also very effective (kind of a rock/electronica mix), and I wouldn't mind hearing it again by itself.
I also liked the nods to other war films. The drill sergeant abuse at the beginning bears more than a passing resemblance to the opening of Full Metal Jacket (and we also get the 'this is my rifle..' speech). While in training, the troops watch and cheer the helicopter attack scene from Apocalypse Now (also edited by this film's editor, Walter Murch). One soldier gets a VHS copy of The Deer Hunter sent from home, only to find the film has been replaced by a nasty surprise. Jarhead operates in a much different way from those films, but it's obvious that these are what create the marine culture in the first place.
My main issue with this movie is that I found the characters hard to relate to, or like. Almost everyone lacks a moral center, with the possible exception of Fergus (Brian Geraghty), who is portrayed as weakling and a moron. These guys are all borderline nuts, which made it hard for me to empathize (I'd probably make a lousy marine). I found myself merely observing, instead of becoming a part of, their experience.
For me, Jarhead was a mixed bag. While the raunchy tone and distant characters were the film's undoing, it was still an interesting undoing to witness.
Inside Man
Engages the Crook in Us All
Ahh, the heist picture, a venerable Hollywood staple. They are still being made (The Score, Heist, Ocean's 11 & 12), and typically feature all-star casts. It's a given you'll have clever bank robbers, less clever cops, an elaborate plan, and the big twist that saves the likeable crooks from prison. They are usually a lot of fun as well, as we root for the anti-heroes and joy to the techniques and technology they employ to pull off the crime of the century. Inside Man follows this tradition, and while it sticks pretty close to the formula, it's an easy formula to like.
Dalton Russel (Clive Owen) walks into the Manhattan Trust Bank with a crew of four and promptly takes it over, hostages and all. The police are alerted, and a task force is quickly formed headed by Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington). When one of the bank's founders, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), learns of this development, he fears a dark secret could come to light and takes action. Case employs Madeline White (Jodie Foster), to work with the police to protect his interests. Frazier figures there is something wrong about this whole setup, on both sides of those locked bank doors.
Inside Man is director Spike Lee's most mainstream movie to date, and he does a good job with this caper film. The characters are all well drawn, the story is interesting, and things develop and just the right speed as to keep us engaged without boring us. This is not a thriller, but a mystery, and it has good fun toying with our expectations of the genre. It even employs the oft neglected flash-forward! When was the last time you saw that in a movie?
The cast is first rate, and I really enjoyed watching them. Washington (The Manchurian Candidate) is excellent as always. He exudes so much charisma and determination as Detective Frazier, that you know he will solve this crime by sheer willpower. Owen (Derailed) is just as good, and considering he spends much of the running time behind a mask, that's really saying something. I also liked Jodie Foster (Flightplan), who gets to play a slimy, corporate-type, which I've never seen her do (she nails it, of course). Willem DaFoe (xXx: State of the Union) even has a supporting role, but seems wasted. Perhaps he just wanted to work with Lee or Washington. I still liked him, but wished the script gave him more to do.
Since this is Lee's baby, several of his trademarks permeate the story. It's set in New York, and there is a very ethnically diverse group of supporting and bit players, which feels very authentic. Racial issues don't surface, but do poke up their heads now and again. Some things about the way the police operate outside the bank don't ring true (such as police advancing on the bank's front doors in every master shot, and snipers who are constantly holding their rifles in firing position), but if Lee makes more and more of these types of films, the details will improve along with the overall effort.
The most fun you can have in a movie like this is watching the proceedings unravel like a well-oiled machine. Inside Man has enough of this cinematic grease to keep it running smoothly and prevent it from seizing. That's saying something in a done-to-death genre like this.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Burns Slow but Steady
I'll be totally honest. I'm not a Harry Potter fan. I haven't read any of the books, and my only exposure to this wildly popular universe are the movies based on the stories by J.K Rowling. I saw the first movie, skipped the second one, and liked the third. Fantasy has never been my genre of choice, and the Harry Potter books/movies are no different. This series has millions of fans, however, who virtually guarantee success at the box office. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is indeed critic-proof, but is it any good?
It's the fourth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) are all becoming teenagers and have to deal with learning about the magic of puberty as well as the regular kind. The big event this year is the Tri-Wizard Tournament, in which champions from three schools of magic (Hogwarts included, of course) face very dangerous challenges in order to claim a flaming trophy and eternal glory. Will Harry be involved in the tournament? Is the sky blue?
Anyone who has seen the previous films or read the books will be in familiar territory here. There are the usual quirky characters and fantastic creatures, and the "magic tech" that Rowling peppers her stories with. The tournament offers some nice action set-pieces (I especially liked the dragon challenge) complete with tough obstacles for our hero to overcome. The main characters are also growing up so we get young love and the "Hogwarts prom" scene. While well done as usual, all of this feels somewhat mundane until the final act, when things get a lot darker and much more interesting. I wish there would have been more of this menacing tone throughout, but no matter. Maybe The Order of the Phoenix will provide that.
The core cast returns, as well as an interesting guest or two. Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have made these roles their own over the past three films, and continue that trend here. My only complaint is that the character of Ron Weasley is really starting to get on my nerves. He's a whiny, pouty sad sack that has never been more annoying. I don't blame Grint for this, as he is just doing his job (and very well, I might add), but watching his character is a grating experience.
All the adult British actors are wonderful as always. Alan Rickman (who I've been a fan of ever since Die Hard) reprises his role as the sinister Severus Snape, and he is a ton of fun to watch. I just wish he had more screen time. Brendan Gleeson (Kingdom of Heaven) also enjoys "eyeballing" the scenery as the crusty ex-dark wizard hunter Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Another excellent turn is Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardner) who hides under a ton of makeup, but successfully portrays a very pivotal role in this story.
Many fans will probably give the same old "they left out a lot of things in the book" whine that I see on the news every time a popular book is made into a movie. I am really sick of this. A film should never be a carbon-copy of what is published on the printed page, but take on a life of it's own. Certain things that work in books don't work on film and vice versa. Talented people are brought in to trim the fat and create a script that's filmable. That's why it's called an adaptation, not a literal translation. Nothing up on the screen will ever match what you pictured in your mind anyway, so please do us all a favor--let it go!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a perfectly serviceable entry in the series. I didn't like it as much as Prisoner of Azkaban, but it should please fans of the book and fantasy alike. I just hope that Weasley kid grows a backbone.
Gridiron Gang
Sunk by The Rock
The 'Sports Film' is about as formula as you can get these days. Introduced and perfected by the Sylvester Stallone-penned Rocky (1976), the pattern was clear: take a one-and-a-million shot underdog and root for him to win the big game. Turn the underdog into underdogs (it helps if they're misfits), add a crotchety coach and you have the next evolutionary step in this genre: Michael Ritchie's The Bad News Bears (which, ironically, came in the same year, 1976).
Almost every sports movie since then is a derivative of one, or both, of the above mentioned titles. The coach is often the main character, while the lesser characters work out their problems (typically after a crushing first-game loss) and come together as a team, peaking at the 'big game' finale, where they win every time (another irony considering the source films).
Teen detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), is greatly distressed about the failure of his program to reform kids. Some who are released end up dead, while most go back to jail. It's then he comes up with a radical idea: form the kids into a football team in an effort to teach discipline, self respect, and teamwork. At first his plan is chaotic, but slowly the players begin to appreciate being a part of something better than their respective gangs and offenses that previously defined who they are. After being integrated into the local high school football schedule, can they really prove they are a team by winning games?
Gridiron Gang sticks very close to the Bad News Bears model, only it wants to be more of a serious commentary (and not a satire) about how literal teamwork can reform a kid, teaching him real values and pride. It's a great idea for a movie, based on the real Sean Porter.
Like the far superior Hoosiers (1986), or the more recent Miracle (2004), the coach of the story is the main focus, and must draw us in to make us care. Unfortunately, Johnson (Doom) is not Gene Hackman or Kurt Russell. He is an imposing figure, and definitely has screen presence, but his lack of acting chops is painfully obvious and a detriment to the story. He comes across as very wooden (or stone-faced, if you must push me), emoting as if the script was dictating "look intimidating here" or "laugh here" and even "cry now". It all feels very robotic, and unnatural to the hilt.
Something else that drove me nuts was director Phil Joanou's (Heaven's Prisoners) decision to shoot the whole movie in a hyperactive jittery/zoomy "documentary style" which is supposed to add to the "grittiness" of the piece. It's a very distracting and obnoxious choice that is robbed of any power it may have had due to it's overuse.
The movie does have some effective scenes that should be mentioned, mostly due to the supporting cast. I liked the bonding between two rival gang members (Jade Yorker and David V. Thomas) who become friends due to their teamwork and desire to become something other than a statistic. I also like the touching scene with inmate Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien) who says he wants to succeed on the team because "I just want my mom to love me."
During the end credits we see actual documentary footage of the real Sean Porter coaching his boys. It's very inspiring, and could have been the source material for a great film. Too bad we got this one instead.
Good Night, and Good Luck
Clooney Chronicles Fascinating Chapter of TV Journalism
It seems almost unbelievable that fifty years ago in America, a modern-day witch-hunt took place that destroyed reputations and ruined lives. When Senator Joseph McCarthy began accusing people of being "card carrying" members of the Communist Party, an ugly chapter in American history was penned, and only undone by those brave enough to question his methods and motives. Pioneering television journalist Edward R. Murrow was one such person who stood up to McCarthy, despite fears of reprisal not only from the tyrannical senator, but also from his own boss and network.
Good Night, and Good Luck is director George Clooney's telling of this story, a compelling and fascinating look into a period of national fear and paranoia. It is an excellent film, and should be required viewing in every history class.
The year is 1953. TV journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Straitharn) and his producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney), decide to run a story investigating Milo Radulovich, a man kicked out of the Air Force for being a Communist sympathizer. Knowing McCarthy would retaliate, Murrow and Friendly decide to directly engage McCarthy, exposing him and his tactics on national television.
Good Night, and Good Luck (Murrow's trademark sign off) works not only as a time capsule, but as a drama about men who refused to sit still while tremendous injustices were happening all around, and sometimes to, them. Shot in stark black-and-white, the film looks like a newsreel (using a lot of actual news footage from the period, including McCarthy himself), and Clooney adds stylistic touches to make it feel like a TV news broadcast (swish pans, constantly focusing cameras, zooms, etc.).
After appearing in movies for over twenty years, David Straitharn finally gets the role of a lifetime. He completely disappears into Murrow, unearthing an intense performance of determination and courage. I really liked the fact that Murrow isn't really all that personable, but we admire him anyway. Straitharn more than deserves an Oscar nod for his work here.
The supporting cast is also good (Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Daniels), but there are two performances who match Straitharn in intensity. One is Ray Wise, whose sad portrayal of accused anchorman Don Hollenbeck is downright heartbreaking. The other is Frank Langella, who plays William Paley, Murrow's boss. At one point the tension is so thick between them, you could cut it with a knife--a credit to both actors.
There is no score in Good Night, and Good Luck, only a few interludes by a jazz singer (Dianne Reeves). This creates an eerie stillness throughout the entire film, and as things get more dangerous for the broadcasters, we are hanging on every word. The only drawback to this technique was that I could hear everything in the theater normally masked by sound (people eating, whispering, etc.). While very effective on film, it enhanced the distractions around me. Weird.
If I had any complaint to voice, it would be the "tip of the iceberg" feel we get at the end. The movie is mostly plot, and we get little insight into Murrow as a person. There are little hints (like he hates doing entertainment fluff pieces), but little else. We know that he is married, but never see his wife. In fact, the focus of the movie rarely leaves the TV station, and never departs from the immediate circle of journalists. It is a small peeve, but I would have enjoyed getting to know these characters more intimately.
Bookending the main story is a Murrow speech in 1958, where he shares his concerns about TV becoming a wasted medium. If he could see what hits the airwaves today, he would probably be appalled. I think he would be proud of this movie, however, as should director Clooney and all those involved.
Monday, December 4, 2006
The Island
Rescue Me
Watch out! Director Michael Bay has decided to direct a "high-concept" movie that tackles actual "issues". Could it be he actually wants us to think while watching one of his films? What--and ruin his reputation? Bay is very consistent is his movie making, and what he usually gives us is loud, flashy and dumb, complete with pretty actors running away from his pyrotechnics. Is The Island any different from classic Bay fodder such as Bad Boys, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor? The good news--yes! The bad news--it's much worse!
In the near future, survivors of "the contamination" live together in a quarantined, Orwellian facility, awaiting their chance to win "the lottery", which will send them to "the island"--the last uncontaminated place on earth. Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan MacGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johanssen) are good friends, obediently preparing for their chance at paradise. Lincoln is the inquisitive type, however, and his questions lead to some dark discoveries about who he is, and what "the island" isn't.
What we've got here is a modern combo remake of two older sci-fi efforts: Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979) and Logan's Run (1976). Don't worry if name-dropping those two movies gives you any hints about what's coming. If you have seen the trailer or any commercials, you are safe in knowing there are no surprises left to anticipate. What a relief!
Bay's unique spin is to bury everything of interest (characters, relationships, observations about society, etc.) under an immense slab of flashy visuals and ludicrous action. The movie then becomes one long chase scene--repetitive, boring, and totally unbelievable. Sure the effects and stunt work are all good, but who cares?
I like these actors (and supporting actors Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi and the sweaty but miscast Djimon Hounsou), but they are constantly upstaged by Bay's obnoxious visual machine, and his desperation to drive his "message" down our throats. The actors become effects themselves, at the service of the preposterous script by Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (it took three people to write this crap?).
Watching this film is a moviegoer's worst nightmare: lure you in with a decent setup, then throw you to the wolves. The last 2/3 of the movie was a waste of my time, and I grew angrier the longer I had to endure it (the running time is 2:18, but it felt a lot longer). I have never been impressed by a Michael Bay film. In that one respect, The Island does not disappoint.
Tackles Issues, but Bores Viewer
Child kidnapping. Race relations. Mental illness. Any one of these topics by themselves could be an excellent source for a gripping drama. Just think of what you could do if all three were incorporated into one movie? Add two lead actors known for their intense portrayals, and you could really stack the deck for excellence. It's got to be a sure thing, right? Nope. Instead, it's Freedomland, a mish-mash of attempted drama that tries hard to do it all, but can't do anything right.
Catatonic mom Brenda Martin (Julianne Moore) stumbles into a hospital with blood on her hands. She is interviewed by Detective Lorenzo Council (Samuel L. Jackson), a cop in charge of the projects Brenda lives in. She tells him she was carjacked and thrown from the car, while her four-year-old son remained inside. The police react strongly to Brenda's story, locking down the entire neighboorhood in an attempt to find the child. Tensions run high as the all black neighborhood becomes suffocated by the all white police force. Will things explode before Brenda's son can be found?
This is an odd movie, and I don't mean that as a complement. We have tense subject matter with no tension. "Character driven" speeches are not believable and run on too long. The most critical point in the story is so mishandled that we are not sure it just happened or why it just happened (other than "the script said so"). The editor cuts way too fast. The title even makes little sense in relation to the rest of the film.
Julianne Moore (The Forgotten) is a good actress, but this was a real waste of her talent. I'm sure it was a draining experience, as she spends the entire film looking like hell and crying, or looking as if she is about to cry. The problem is that her character has no arc. She doesn't change. She spends the whole movie playing this weepy, screwed up woman and we wonder why we are watching her, or why we should care. In the end, we don't.
I'm starting to think Samuel L. Jackson (The Man) is a personality and not an actor, picking scripts with the largest dollar sign attached. The guy plays the same character every time, and it's wearing thin. Here again, he plays does his tough guy schtick, swearing a lot and offering words of wisdom to those not as wise as he. This would be forgivable in a better movie, but here, it's just more of the same.
The bottom line is that Freedomland is just not very interesting on any level. The studio may have had the same feeling. Why else dump a big budget drama with name actors in the dead zone known as February? It doesn't take a police detective to figure this one out.
Friday, December 1, 2006
Stalls, Then Takes Nosedive
Nobody does intensity better than Jodie Foster. Even if you go way back into her career as a child actor, you could always see the wheels turning behind those blue eyes and tomboy face. She would later parlay these talents into two Oscar-winning performances, first as a rape victim in The Accused (1988), then in the horror-classic The Silence of the Lambs (1991), opposite Anthony Hopkins.
So where has Jodie been lately? The last time we saw her was three years ago in David Fincher's disappointment Panic Room, where she played a mother desperate to protect her daughter from a home invasion. Foster returns in Flightplan, where she plays a mother desperate to protect her daughter from "kidnappers". So is this Panic Plane?
Jet propulsion engineer Kyle Pratt (Foster) is flying to New York from Europe after the recent death of her husband. Her and her six-year-old daughter Julia (Marlene Lawston) are transporting his coffin back to the states for a proper burial. When Julia turns up missing, with no one recalling her even being on the plane, Ms. Pratt begins to question the competency of the crew and then her own sanity. If she didn't imagine her daughter being with her, then where is Julia?
Flightplan starts with an intriguing concept. When the air marshal (Peter Sarsgaard) makes his presence known, he becomes the voice of the audience. He asks Foster's character things like: Where's your daughter's boarding pass? Why is she not on the passenger manifest? Why didn't any other passenger see her board the plane? Why would someone target you? All these are good questions, and the burden rests on the filmmakers to answer them adequately.
Unfortunately, the movie bites off way more than it can chew. After the moderately creepy setup, the film collapses in the third act, giving us a conventional action movie resolution (complete with plot holes you could fly a plane through). All the head games are dropped so Foster can kick ass. What starts out as a Twilight Zone episode ends up being Fly Hard-- and that's not a good thing.
As always, Foster is reliable as the freaked-out mom who just wants her daughter back. She carries the movie on her back, but even her acting chops can't save her from the corner the script paints her into. Her performance dictates that she should be in a better movie, not this bait-and-switch nonsense.
Earlier in the year I reviewed Red Eye, a much better thriller-on-a-plane that set the tone early and followed through. Flightplan veers all over the place then comes in for an unscheduled landing. Next time take the bus, Jodie!
Fantastic Four
Faithful Version of Comic Book Stops Short
Marvel Comics has been a gold mine for movie studios in recent years. Ever since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man broke box office records in 2002, tons of Marvel adaptations have hit the silver screen, with varied success. Now we have Fantastic Four, a movie version of Marvel's first family. Does this film live up to the bar set by Spidey? Or do we get another Elektra?
In an effort to understand the evolution of human DNA, Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffud), Susan Storm (Jessica Alba), her brother Johnny (Chris Evans), Benjamin Grimm (Michael Chiklis) and Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) venture into earth's orbit to study a cosmic storm. When it approaches too rapidly, all are exposed to alien radiation, with super-powers being the result (in the real world, they would all just die of cancer, but in any comic universe, any exposure to anything gives you cool powers). Reed becomes Mr. Fantastic with stretching ability, Sue is now Invisible Girl with the ability to project force fields, hothead Johnny is literally The Human Torch and Ben is the super-strong and hard-as-rock Thing. Victor is also changing, but not in a good way…
All the actors do a decent job (and Alba is very easy on the eyes), but the standout is Chiklis as The Thing. He has to act through a ton of prosthetic appliances glued all over his body, and it's a credit to him that he still manages to create such a sympathetic character ("I'd give anything to be invisible…"). I'm very grateful the filmmakers did not make him computer-generated (like Hulk), but let Chiklis bring him to life.
In the comic book, Dr. Doom is a powerful nemesis for the Four, a raging disfigured psychopath who is truly evil. As played by pretty boy McMahon, he is toned down quite a bit, and loses a lot of his potential menace. Without a great villain, there's minimal suspense, and little worry for our heroes.
The action is done well, but we have all been exposed to a lot of superhero stuff in recent years, and it is all starting to feel the same. What this movie needed was some standout sequences, which we don't get. There are some nice moments (as when Sue contains a dangerous explosion in a nifty slo-mo shot, or several emotional moments involving Ben), but I wanted more.
While Fantastic Four does a decent job of bringing the comic book to life, it doesn't break out. Despite some nice small touches, not much in this film begs to be seen again. Fans of the comic will probably be satisfied (myself included), but there isn't a lot here that we haven't seen done better elsewhere.
Needs Reconstruction
Writer-director Cameron Crowe is a talented guy. He started writing at age 15 for Rolling Stone magazine, and shortly thereafter penned his first screenplay, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). His directing debut would come with his breakout hit, Say Anything (1989), and he has continued this trend of quality with Jerry Maguire (1996) and Almost Famous (2000). It's been four years since his last film, Vanilla Sky, a sci-fi effort (actually a remake of the Spanish film, Open Your Eyes) that confused his fans and garnered a lukewarm reception from critics. Crowe returns to familiar ensemble-drama turf with Elizabethtown, which unfortunately doesn't return him to his former caliber of storytelling.
Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is coming off of one the biggest fiascoes of his life: his new revolutionary athletic shoe is a monumental flop, costing his former employer almost one billion dollars in losses. On the brink of a very creative suicide, he gets more bad news: his father has just passed away and his family wants him go take care of the funeral arrangements. On his way to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Drew meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst), a flight attendant with a heart of gold who seems genuinely (or obsessively) interested in him. Will Drew be able to juggle all this so he can return home to kill himself?
Elizabethtown is what one might call a "blender movie", where you take many characters, plots and ideas, throw them all together and hit "puree". There is way too much going on here, and none of it feels focused. What should gel instead feels like separate movies strung together. Crowe is being too ambitious, and his lack of cohesiveness is painfully obvious. As a result, we just don't care about anybody or anything.
Crowe is known for his good casting, but he stumbles in giving Bloom the lead. He is so under whelming we don't feel much for him and can't understand why Dunst does. She comes across much better, despite the fake-feeling zen dialogue Crowe gives her to speak. There are many other actors here who do a good job (most notably Alec Baldwin as Drew's ex-boss, and Susan Sarandon as Drew's mom), but they seem short-changed in this story, which gives them so little to do.
The movie also tries for too many poignant moments that it just doesn't earn. There is a scene toward the end where Sarandon gives a long speech at her husband's funeral. She is barely in this movie, then pops up at the end trying to make us feel something. If anyone deserves this moment it's Drew--not his mom. It is he who we've been investing in (or are supposed to be investing in) emotionally, and he's robbed of this payoff. Furthermore, Sarandon finishes her speech with a tap dance (!), which the funeral crowd inexplicably cheers. We in the audience are left with question marks over our heads--more than once.
At 125 minutes, this movie is way too long, and feels padded (plot going nowhere? Add music and montage!). This is especially noticeable in the final fifteen minutes, which not only feels contrived, but totally unnecessary. The same story could have been told in an hour-and-a-half, but this one goes on and on, mercilessly draining every bit of interest from the viewer.
There are some good things about Elizabethtown. I liked the small character of Drew's brother Jessie (Paul Schnieder) and his rendition of 'Freebird' that turns fiery. I liked the scene when Dunst emerges from a hotel elevator to a crowded lobby who knows where she just spend the night. I like Crowe's ideas, just not his implementation.
Late in the film Bloom reads a magazine article about his failed shoe entitled, "Blueprint of a Mess". I bet it was also the working title for this movie.
The Dukes of Hazzard
Should be Cuffed and Stuffed
I grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard, a TV show which ran from 1979-1985 and appeared every Friday night just before Dallas. It concerned a couple of fast-drivin' "good ol' boys" and their family who constantly thwarted the local bonehead sheriff and his crooked boss. It was good, dumb fun, with heart, a sense of humor, and a lot of country music. In the new movie version there are similarities, especially the "dumb" part.
Fast-drivin' "good ol' boys" Bo and Luke Duke (Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott) have a family business: run their Uncle Jesse's (Willie Nelson) moonshine. With the help of sexy cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson), they are constantly on the run from boneheaded Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey), who does the bidding of the crooked Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds). Can the Dukes save Hazzard County before Boss turns it into a strip mine? Can the filmmakers make us care?
There is some bad casting in this movie, most notably Burt Reynolds. He plays Hogg (a role I would have given to Danny DeVito, given his similarities to the late Sorrell Booke) as one of the most non-threatening, lethargic, limp noodles of a villain I have ever seen. He is just awful, mugging his way from scene to scene. M.C. Gainey (Are We There Yet?) doesn't make a very good Rosco either, but at least he appears to be trying.
Another offender is Willie Nelson. Where Reynolds is weak, Nelson is just plain wooden. He reads his lines (apparently off of a cue card) like a robot, and when he emerges from an outhouse in an cloud of pot smoke (!), you wonder if he is really "acting".
I liked Seann William Scott's crazy-eyed version of Luke. He's got a ton of manic energy, and it's kind of catchy. Jessica Simpson is basically a stereotype (that's all the script gives her to do), showing up to use her body as a weapon, then disappearing. I also liked Kevin Heffernan (Sky High) as Sheev , a conspiracy theorist who likes armadillo helmets.
None of the original cast members show up (perhaps they read the script?), and the only real connection to the original show are the names and the General Lee, an orange 1969 Dodge Charger with a confederate flag painted on the roof (not PC to be sure, but it does lead to a funny scene capitalizing on this).
Another problem is tone. This version has taken the source material and mixed it with a considerable amount of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Every young woman is a scantily clad bimbo, marijuana seems to be everyone's drug of choice and AC/DC even appears on the soundtrack. Any fan of the original series will be put off by all of this, leaving them little reason for a viewing. The movie is left to stand on its own, which proves difficult.
There are a few good moments (like the mispronouncing of Deputy Enos' name), and a lot of head-scratchers. Consider: could the Duke boys really fool a college lab student into thinking they were Japanese businessmen? Would the governor of Georgia really just "pardon" everyone at the end of the movie, then go smoke dope with Uncle Jesse? Could mechanic Cooter (David Koechner) really restore (and I mean restore!) the bashed-up General Lee in one day, just in time for the big race? I realize its fantasy, but come on…
Of course the movie has its requisite car chases and stunts, which was par for the course in the TV show. The whole affair reminded of one of those cheesy auto demolition "comedies" from the 70's like Smokey and the Bandit (Reynolds again-bleh!) or Grand Theft Auto. It was a simple formula: wreck a lot of cars in lieu of writing a real script and maybe the audience won't notice!
Early in the film, Cooter pokes his head into the vandalized General Lee, where a dead raccoon has been left. He lets out a wail of "Weeeooo!" to describe the stench. Great metaphor for not so great a movie.
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Travel Guide
Forillon National Park © abdallahh
The huge province of Quebec occupies the eastern part of Canada, with coasts on the North Atlantic, Hudson, and James Bays, and the Lawrence Seaway, the major shipping channel of the east coast which cuts through the south of the province. The main cities of Montreal and Quebec City are both situated in the more populated south on the banks of the St Lawrence River.
The province has a wide variety of landscapes, climatic regions, and vegetation, and therefore numerous different tourist attractions, scenic routes, and holiday getaways to offer travellers. The wilderness prevails in the most northerly reaches, with thick forests and clear lakes dominating the landscape.
This then gives way to the snowy mountains of the Laurentians, popular resort country, while down south is the urban sprawl of Canada's French-speaking cities and the rolling pastures of the farmlands. Quebec has 22 national parks and a variety of stunningly beautiful natural landmarks, including Montmorency Falls outside of Quebec City and the Gaspé Peninsula on the St Lawrence River.
Quebec has a uniquely French flavour, remaining the only North American region to preserve its Francophone identity. In Quebec, French is the official language and is spoken by more than 80 percent of the population. For decades the province has been dogged by political battles regarding secession, but moves to turn Quebec into a sovereign state have currently been put on the back-burner in favour of concentrating on economic development.


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Home > Clothing & Accessories > Women > Intimates > Socks & Hosiery > White Sheer Lace Top Thigh High Stockings
Product Details
Sexy and beautiful thigh high stockings with lace top. Specially designed, you will more sexy after you wear them.
- Condition: Brand new
- Material: 28% Spandex, 72% Chinlon
- Color: White
- Fit women height 5'0'' ~ 5'8'', weight 90 ~ 160 LBS
- One pair of stockings in new packaging
- 1. Due to health regulations, we regret that we cannot accept returns on intimate apparel. Only defective product will be offered exchange or store credit.
- 2. Due to the fact that our items are extremely popular, therefore most of them are packaged and sold immediately after they come off from the production line.They have not been pre-washed or pre-cleaned. For hygiene reasons, we strongly advise you to wash or clean the item before wearing or using it.
- 3. All items are brand new. For quality control purposes, we perform random inspection by manually removing the item from the package, checking the item and then putting it back to the package. We sincerely apologise if you notice that your package has been tampered with, however we assure you that the item is brand new.
- 4.Please be reminded that due lighting effects, monitor's brightness/contrast settings etc, there could be some slight differences in the colour tone of the website's photo and the actual item.
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DOVER — Rain or shine, snow or wind, the 2012 Dover Holiday Parade, "One Thousand Gifts," is set to kick off Sunday, November 25.
As the city lights turn on for the start of the holiday season, Saint Mary Academy and Saint Thomas Aquinas will begin filling the downtown area with holiday themed floats, color guards, bands, Santa Claus, music and cheer.
Due to a lack of funding in the police department's overtime budget last year, Mounted Patrol was unable to participate in the 2011 parade. They are back this year.
Jewelry Creations owners, Joey and Linda Hagan will be this year's grand marshals.
"Joey and Linda have dedicated countless years toward making Dover a better community to live and work in," Parade Committee member Stephanie Bolduc said in a press release.
"Their years of service to the Dover Chamber of Commerce, Dover Rotary, Wentworth Douglas Hospital, Jadden's Ladder, Light Up Dover campaign, the list goes on and on. I have yet to find an organization within our city that Joey or Linda hasn't been a part of. They have been a true gift to the city of Dover since the day they arrived and I don't see their community minded spirit diminishing anytime soon."
Pam Simpson of Harvey's Bakery and Coffee Shop, named Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year, will be driven in the parade by Eastern Propane Holiday Gold Mobile by Cider Berry.
"Pam is another amazing asset to the city. She has been involved with the Dover Chamber and she rallied to get the flags throughout downtown Dover as well as chaired the Light Up Dover campaign to bring festive, holiday lights in order to make our city more beautiful during the holidays.," Bolduc said "It is only fitting to honor her this year, as well."
The parade will make its way down Central Avenue from Sixth Street to Care Pharmacy starting at 2:45 p.m. Between noon and 4 p.m., Sixth Street between Central Avenue and Horne Street, Maple Street between Sixth Street and Hough Street, Mount Vernon Street between Sixth Street and Hough Street and Grove Street between Sixth Street and Hough as well as between Sixth Street and Lincoln Street will be closed.
According to a public statement, Liberty Mutual is underwriting this year's holiday parade and Service Credit Union is the Lead Sponsor. Bands are sponsored by DF Richard, Garrison City Early Childhood Center, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., Federal Savings Bank, Foster's Daily Democrat, and Wyskiel, Boc, Tillinghast & Bolduc, P.A. Trucks, flatbeds and drivers have been donated by Rochester Truck for people creating floats.
Parade producers also include Haight Engineering, The Maids, Relyco, Harvey's Bakery, Wentworth Douglas Hospital, Eastern Propane, Dr. Richard Liu, Great Dover Chamber of Commerce, LaFesta Pizza, Bank of NH, Edward Jones, Holy rosary Credit Union, Bill Dube, Inc., Profile Bank, Garrison Family Dental and Burns, Bryant, Cox, Rockefeller & Durkin, P.A.
There is still time to participate in the parade. City officials are invited to march, including the 2011-2012 city councilors. If you would like to participate, contact Stephanie Bolduc at firstname.lastname@example.com or call Saint Mary Academy at (603) 742-3299.
Organizations readying for annual Dover Holiday Parade
DOVER — Rain or shine, snow or wind, the 2012 Dover Holiday Parade, "One Thousand Gifts," is set to kick off Sunday, November 25.


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Reviewed By Christian O (BRONX, NY) Reviewed for a 2016 Honda CR-V —8/3/2016 3:45 AM
Car cover has proven itself waterproof. I've had it for a couple of weeks and it's showing wear on the front. Might be a small animal climbing on it. Very satisfied. I bought a size larger for my 2016 Honda CR-V. Fits well. No complaints.


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To compliment the previous moonkin +hit breakdown, I wanted to record the cat druid +hit cap and the hit needed to ensure that bear form growls will not miss.
|The hit a feral druid wants to aim for is 8% +hit, or 263 (262.32) hit rating at level 80.
You can probably get away with 262 hit rating, which is 7.99% hit. There is a very very very small chance that you will miss (1 in 10,000 attacks). If your gear collection leaves you at 262, don't sweat finding that 1 hit rating too much.
You may notice that this is the same hit rating a moonkin aims for, though the percent is different. Melee and Magical hit ratings require different amounts to achieve 1% hit at level 80: it takes 26.23 hit rating to achieve 1% spell hit, while it will take 32.79 hit rating to achieve 1% physical hit.
Weapon Skill?
Not having a maxxed weapon skill will reduce any player's chance to hit, requiring them to have more +hit rating in order to make up for their lack of skill. Feral druids are unique in that they do not have to worry about their weapon skill for their +hit, however.
- Your weapon skill does not matter in feral forms.
Hit per Mob Level
- Level 80 mobs: 5% miss chance. This is 164 hit rating (163.95).
- Level 81 mobs: 5.2% miss chance. This is 171 hit rating (170.508).
- Level 82 mobs: 5.4% miss chance. This is 178 hit rating (177.066).
- Level 83 mobs: 8% miss chance. This is 263 hit rating (262.32).
Draenei buddies!
If you raid with a draenei, then you can reduce your required +hit rating by 32.79 for physical attacks.
|The hit cap for a feral druid with Draenei buddies is 7% +hit, or 230 (229.53) hit rating at level 80.
Taunts and Growling?
Abilities such as taunt and growl are considered spells, rather than physical attacks, so +hit with these abilities follows the spell-hit calculations rather than physical hit. Spell-hit and physical hit are all derived from the same "hit rating" found on gear. Assuming you are hit-capped for melee at 8%, you will have about 263 hit rating on your gear already. This same amount of hit rating equals 10% spell-hit for calculating your miss chance for spells. The cap for bosses at level 80 (a level 83 mob) is 17%, so you will have another 7% chance to miss the boss with your bearform growl.
The Glyph of Growl increases your chance to hit with growl by 8%, which more than makes up for the hit rating over the melee cap. This does mean that you can be below the melee hit cap while still having enough hit that your growl will not miss!
|With the Glyph of Growl, you will only need 236.07 hit rating on your gear to ensure that growl will not miss.
If you have a draenei in your party, this lowers further to 209.84 hit rating. Keep in mind that the draenei are providing you with a percentage 1% hit, which is only 26.23 spell-hit rating when calculating your +hit with growl.
Hey, what about this Armor Pen thing I keep hearing about?
Altosis posted a great explanation of armor penetration for feral druids. Go check it out :)


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[Flash File] Aermoo M1 Firmware Download [Stock Rom]
Aermoo M1 Firmware Download.
This is a stock ROM for Aermoo M1.
You can download all Aermoo M1 Flash File from Blogthetech.
- 1 Aermoo M1 Firmware Information
- 2 How to Flash Aermoo M1 Firmware
- 3 Why we need Aermoo M1 Firmware
- 4 Requirements to flash Aermoo M1 Firmware
- 5 Flash Aermoo M1 Firmware using SP Flash tool.
- 6 Take Note.
Aermoo M1 Firmware Information
|ROM Name
|Aermoo M1 Stock Firmware Rom
|Based On
|Aermoo Stock OS
|Rom OS Version
|Android 7.0 Nougat
|ROM Type
|Socs version
|Software needed
|SP Flash Tool
|Zip format
|MTK Drivers
How to Flash Aermoo M1 Firmware
Aermoo M1 is an MT6757CD phone which means you will need an SP Flash Tool to flash Aermoo M1 stock rom.
Why we need Aermoo M1 Firmware
It's always advisable to backup Aermoo M1 Firmware after purchasing it. You are definitely going to need your Aermoo M1 stock rom someday. You are going to need it for the following reasons.
Downgrade or Upgrade Aermoo M1.
You can use Aermoo M1 Stock rom to downgrade your smartphone or upgrade Aermoo M1 to Android KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo or later. It depends on the release of the firmware or your choice if the option is available.
Unbrick Aermoo M1.
Aermoo M1 Stock Rom can also be used to unbrick any Aermoo M1. Smartphones can be bricked in the process of rooting or flashing a custom firmware or rom or recovery.
Unroot Aermoo M1.
You can also use Aermoo M1 stock firmware to completely unroot any Aermoo M1 smartphone. You also can regain your warranty by properly flashing the official Aermoo M1 stock firmware. It can be done by reverting back to the official stock firmware of Aermoo M1 if your smartphone has tampered.
Fix Issues on Aermoo M1.
Your Aermoo M1 might develop issue which might be unknown to it you, if it a software related issue, you can restore and fix it by flashing the stock firmware for Aermoo M1. Today, we are presenting all the Official Firmware, both Official releases and updates following it. You can download all of Aermoo M1 Firmware here. If you experience any problem with any of the files, don't hesitate to tell us.
Requirements to flash Aermoo M1 Firmware
- MTK Drivers.
- Vcom Drivers.
- A working detectable USB Cord.
- An SP Flash Tool Software.
- Aermoo M1 firmware file.
- A Windows PC.
- A Good Battery Backup
Note that flashing a Aermoo M1 firmware to your phone erases everything in your phone including contents in internal storage. It is always very advisable to backup your contents to an external storage or a PC. If your phone is bricked and can't be accessed, I guess there is nothing you can do.
Follow this procedure below if you wish to flash Aermoo M1 Stock Rom.
Flash Aermoo M1 Firmware using SP Flash tool.
- Download SP Flash Tool to your PC.
- Download Aermoo M1 firmware file.
- Extract Both SP Flash Tool and Aermoo M1 stock rom to a folder you can locate.
- Install all the required drivers for easy phone detection.
- Launch SP Flash Tool.
- Click on Scatter file.
- Locate the scatter that comes with the Aermoo M1 Flash File.
- Select the scatter file.
- Make sure to untick preloader before flashing.
- Power off your phone and do not power it on.
- Click Download on Smartphone Flash Tool.
- Plugin on your phone with a detectable USB Cord.
- Wait for it to finish Flashing.
- Done, Reboot your phone.
Take Note.
We are not responsible for any harm that might come to your phone. Please, make sure you are flashing the right firmare, stock rom, or flash file to Aermoo M1.
Before flashing firmware or files, YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point Your finger at us, we will laugh at you. [KIDDING.]
First of all, Please, Remember to uncheck preloader option before flashing a stock firmware or stock rom on your phone.
It always bricks some phone and you don't need that.
If the Smartphone Flash Tool didn't detect your Aermoo M1, you might need to press the volume down or up button but do not power your phone.
If you don't install all the necessary drivers, you may experience issues detecting your phone with the PC.
GET OTHER STOCK FIRMWARE and ROMs FROM HERE


text:
Old Lace Gets a New Look for Spring
Something old is looking new again. The runways are showing old lace in new exciting looks for the spring bride. Paula Knight has three of the season's standouts on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... in all well it is looking rather kneel again though Huawei Shilling lease with an updated look in the newest private ... collections with that WSJ's off the market editor ... Paula Knight she went all the chosen she joins me ... right now that the chances that stood out most of us I ... yet when leaves ... no new leads me to handle the engineering that's true you may get done she's off the market as it would take note ... this is hardly new combination but what struck you most about seem highly swoon in spring collections ... well ... I think that leaves just have to bear a man to feel to it there is something very old war complain about it I think ... of right now actually Maxine Achuthan from her whole family into a new family there is that Albany juxtaposition ... in as something all something new something Valero ... there's all these like old traditions but end well and leased really fits into the eye and gives the thumbs during the soundcheck and and ... a brick sort of feel that this place is very typically on ... a new sound of pot couple them with all the six most of the three of them one has a little heat with it is that right ... this ... everyone can come up with that ... company Paltrow phosphorus with at home for what ... it was beautiful there something very regal about and so I think the financially gravitated toward foreign Noemie equally gifted this beautiful lace on which is a little bit more than men and ... limits and fly into Wimmera ManTech and he actually doesn't have a key with either not know ... it's like a little ppl at the following directed at the care of that is beautiful ... and he can't go on in and went out there right now I write I Carolina Herrera would she come up with the chips she did and the few police sleeves which is also a little mind I think probably ... to Grace Kelly but more recently to Kate Middleton which was ... termed the core display seats leave with a little bit of a court that the tail ... so there's definitely something that there is a bold new juxtaposition ink and that is a little bit covered up and get very fact that it's not many places incredibly sexy on Oscar de la Renta no ... stranger to the sexy tells about this one ... of the dough into it so funny with him because he's just such ... a classical designer and yet people was one that doing this sort of like ... funky remain half ... and so he went with pink like what could be worth finding the early and due to falling ... shares in leaf and ... firm yet I think a lot of slow briefly we are getting married in paying their way is ... time once defining got married with a touch of pink in Consumer PA ... from just a problem recently ... adjusted deal was I recently got married to Justin Timberlake winner contrasts ... so nice weather spends another one stockings can become this thing ... and I think Oscar did a really beautiful Topley making and least it's not that romantic feel but yet ... but curling and three great suggestions on either some


text:
INTL FCStone Markets, LLC (IFM) enables qualified customers to view OTC structured product indications and request quotes in the over-the-counter commodities markets 24 hours, 7 days a week via its structured product online calculator (SPOC). This tool provides producers and consumers alike with access to indicative pricing for the firm's entire structured products portfolio, and includes features and benefits such as:
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- Intuitive mobile experience provides easy access and high functionality
*Indication only, not tradeable
Designed to deliver unparalleled transparency and educational support, SPOC provides highly customized solutions that break down risk levels and chart desired outcomes. In this manner, SPOC is yet another way that IFM can help clients develop and implement hedging strategies that align as closely as possible with their unique risk exposures and strategic goals.
Structured Product Online Calculator
Trading over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivatives is not suitable for all investors and involves substantial risk. INTL FCStone Markets, LLC ("IFM"), a subsidiary of INTL FCStone Inc., is a member of the National Futures Association and provisionally registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") as a swap dealer. IFM's products are designed only for individuals or firms who qualify under CFTC rules as an 'Eligible Contract Participant' ("ECP") and who have been accepted as customers of IFM. Any recipient of this material who wishes to express an interest in trading with IFM must first prequalify as an ECP, independently determine that derivatives are suitable for them and be accepted as a customer of IFM. Trading over-the-counter ("OTC") products or "swaps" involves substantial risk of loss. This is not an offer to buy or sell any derivative. This material does not constitute investment research and does not take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations, or needs of individual clients or recipients of this material. You are directed to seek independent investment and tax advice in connection with derivatives trading.
Please click here for our full disclaimer.


text: Two weeks ago I got a copy of "Let every breath". At first glance, the ideas seem on contradictory to the systems of Indian an Chinese breathing techniques. But I decided to give it a try and it works very well. The benefit that I liked most, is that I can achieve a state of calmness and clearheaded..read more >>


text:
Disney has just unveiled the first look at "The Help," an adaptation of the best-selling Kathryn Stockett novel about African-American maids living and working in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s.
The film stars Emma Stone ("Easy A") as Skeeter Phelan, an aspiring writer and society misfit who decides to fight for the rights of the maids and nannies.
"The Help" marks the directorial debut of Tate Taylor - who is close friends with Stockett and who won the job on her insistence.
U.S. & World
The trailer looks to be sassy and poignant in equal measures...take a look...
"The Help" opens everywhere August 12th.


text:
In Search of a Literature of Intimacy
Although the surroundings are looking less and less as if we were on our way to one of Egypt's largest newspapers, the taxi driver carries on unconcerned. With every mile, the people by the side of the road look poorer, the houses smaller and more run-down. Then, as if from nowhere, a modern colossus of marble and glass raises its head before us: the building of the weekly Akhbar el Yom.
In the pleasantly cool stone foyer, a whole four porters behind a counter check passports (a procedure complicated by the fact that I don't have my passport with me) and try to sign me in. Suited men rush past, presumably important journalists on the way to important appointments.
It's not the newspaper itself that interests me. I'm here to meet an Egyptian writer who works here as an editor. Her name: Mansoura ez-Eldin. And of course I've done my homework. I know she was born in 1976 in a village in the Nile Delta, that she graduated from a journalism degree in Cairo in 1998 and started out in television, and I've seen what of her work is available in English.
The British magazine Banipal, for example, published the short story "Butrus: A distant hazy face" in 2005, taken from her 2001 collection Dhawa Mutaz (Shaken Light). And AUC Press published her 2004 debut novel Matabat Maryam (Maryam's Maze) in English translation by Paul Starkey in 2007.
A small corner for great literature
In the end I am taken up in the lift. In between, the door opens onto the executive floor, judging by the atmosphere, but I disembark at a more modest story where everything is rather bare, but spacious and bright. My route, however, takes me to the left into a very small room, past a very small and crowded desk into a very small and cramped corner right by the door.
Instant evidence that literature is not valued more highly here than anywhere else in the world – this is Mansoura ez-Eldin's workplace for the literary magazine Akhbar al Adab, Egypt's most influential literary publication.
Mansoura herself seems rather embarrassed that she can't offer me anything more impressive. She places me on a stool, clears a space on her desk for my cup of tea and then sits down, disappearing almost entirely behind the piles of review copies.
Books and manuscripts are piled up on the shelves behind her too. Mansoura makes an immediate positive impression, appearing warm, intelligent and reserved. We start out talking about her work here, about Akhbar al Adab and the magazine's feature sections (such as "East and West", "Book garden", etc.).
Renowned international authors are published here in first translations, new Egyptian talents mingle with established names, there are book reviews and a good amount of poetry. The weekly print-run of 20,000 is very respectable.
No state support for literature
Then I come to her own writing, beginning with how she got started. There is no state funding for writers in Egypt, so Mansoura worked at her various jobs, writing on the side and meeting up with like-minded people in literary cafés.
A particularly important factor for the entire young writers' scene was the Tuesday meetings with Alaa al Aswani, now a gradual successor to Naguib Mahfouz when it comes to admiration and influence. Then Mansoura published her first pieces in newspapers and magazines – until the renowned publishing house Merit brought out her first book, followed three years later by her much-admired debut novel Maryam's Maze.
Psychological profile of an Egyptian intellectual
"They say," Maryam's story begins in the novel, "that if someone dies in a dream after a fatal blow, he will be killed at the same moment in the real world. In the same way, if someone falls from a great height and hits the ground in a dream, his heart will stop immediately. How is it that Maryam was still living, then?"
From here, the story of the young heroine spreads its wings, once she awakens from a violent dream in an unfamiliar place and tries to return to her old existence and the people within it. Despite the warped nightmarish atmosphere, the novel grows into a warmly and reflexively painted portrait of modern life in Egypt, and above all a psychological profile of a young intellectual Egyptian woman.
The intimate as a literary topos
In her writing, Mansoura explains, she wants to investigate the inner lives of her characters, she wants to understand psychological processes and make them clear to her readers, she wants to communicate individual experiences through her descriptions. Aside from the internationally relevant quality of her writing, this makes her work particularly modern – especially in a culture where the intimate is by no means worn on people's sleeves.
As I take my leave from her in the Cairo newspaper building (after she has accompanied me back down to the foyer), this meeting in person has certainly reinforced my impression: Mansoura ez-Eldin is a writer from whom we can expect a great deal.
Axel von Ernst
© Qantara.de 2009
Axel von Ernst, born in 1971, is a writer and co-publisher at Lilienfeld Verlag. He lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Translated from the German by Katy Derbyshire
Cairo's Literature Scene
Between New Dynamics and Political Repression
Arabic literary publishers usually only conduct small print-runs, and readers usually belong to a restricted clique of intellectuals. But recent times have seen a shift in the literary scene on the Nile. Susanne Schanda went to see for herself
Literary Publishers in Cairo
A Special Form of Modern Publishing
The German literary publisher Axel von Ernst was invited to Cairo to talk with Egyptian colleagues about the local literary world, as part of a German-Egyptian cultural programme. He describes his impressions in this report
Interview with Alaa Al-Aswani
"Egypt Is In a State of Reserve and Backwardness"
The novel "The Yacoubian Building" by Alaa al-Aswani was published five years ago by a small Egyptian publishing house. The book has since been translated into many languages and won several prizes. Mona Naggar spoke to the author


text:
Storm U6 boys
Storm U8 boys
(Shane, coach; Colin: front, second from left)
{Aren't they just the cutest!?}
I remember going to my older brother's soccer games. He was in the AYSO...and he always had orange slices and Gatorade on the sidelines!! This pic brings back those memories.
I'm glad your boys like soccer so much. I think my girls would like it too, if Daddy would teach them how to play!!
That Cam......awww.
OH MY WORD! I look at colin and I can see him as a teen already. wow his face has grown up so much! I will just have to look at ethan or Lola to remember his baby face. :)


text:
IDimager Personal Image Manager 220.127.116.11
This program helps you organize and catalog thousands of photos in a hierarchical label structure that you define.
Work with online and offline photos that can reside on hard drives, CDs or external drives. The search features let you find any image. idimager allows publishing images to the Internet using 25+ customizable templates. An FTP client is built-in to send the pages to a Web server. The integrated photo editor offers basic editing features and auto-fixing options. Build full-screen slide shows with 150 possible transition effects and recording options for EXE, AVI and animated GIFs. It also includes e-mail, RAW image conversion, ICM Color Management, red-eye correction, print functionality, image conversion and 42 possible batch processing options.