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"A man walking alone on a deserted beach, brandishing a lantern in his outstretched hand, might be a fool. But, for a ship that went astray on a stormy night, he might be the savior."
Friday, June 01, 2007
This stringent, archaic and futile test is a make or break milestone in the lives of Syrian youth. At their final and 12th year of schooling they encounter the toughest obstacle of their entire lives. Here they are, at the tender age of 17 or 18, coming face to face with a dinosaur, which for all practical purposes should have become extinct by now. For the last year they have been reading and memorizing book after book totally lacking in imagination. They are not required to display any intelligence or creativity. As a matter of fact, the system discourages any personal inventiveness by heavily penalizing the student who strays out of the bounds of the one and only approved text. The punishment is exerted by the deduction of points, which in the end determine the future vocation and career of the applicant.
I will briefly describe the Syrian Bakaloria (Science Option) for the benefit of the lucky ones who have not gone through with this ordeal before. From June 3rd till the 25th, Syrian students will embark on a unified national exam. The questions are shrouded in secrecy and speculation runs rampant amongst students, teachers and parents as to their "nature". Some teachers have made a good living out of guessing what the questions on any one particular subject will be for this year's edition. The books have been revised very slowly over the years and the committees assigned to put forth the questions have to dig deep into their twisted minds and souls to come up with a new way of screwing up the kids. Bakaloria teachers in every single school of the country have lifted themselves up a pedestal, usually reserved for Nobel Prize Laureates. Over their entire careers, they have mastered a book or two to the point where they can probably read it backward. For this achievement, they have come to believe that they are the greatest gift to humanity. They will not waste their talents in the classroom of the free Syrian schools. Instead, they will give private lessons at their homes for exuberant fees. A well reputed mathematics Bakaloria teacher in Syria earns more than a competent physician, a profession deemed as the pinnacle of achievement by many students and parents alike.
The total exam score is 260 points and the grades are divided in the following manner:
Natural Science and Biology: 30
Religious Education: 20
English: 30
Mathematics: 60
National Socialist Education: 20
Arabic: 40
Physics: 40
Chemistry: 20
Total: 260
The grade for Religious Education is dropped from the total, but the students have to pass it anyway (if one fails in 2 subjects he or she has to repeat the entire year of agony and pain). Now, here comes the interesting part. A fortnight after the exam is over, the result is announced nationally. The grades achieved by a student determine what college he or she can attend and it goes something like this (exact numbers vary every year):
Medical School= 235/240
Pharmacy= 230/240
Dentistry= 225/240
Civil Engineering= 220/240
and so on downward a scale created by psychotic minds but which nevertheless has gained the validity of a true religion year after year of almost sacred adherence. So, and for the sake of argument, let's suppose that a particular student wanted to become a pharmacist when she grows up (she must be a little weird at 17) and studied hard and long for the entire year, took the Bakaloria exam and ended up with 229/240 instead of 230/240, then what you might ask. OK, very simple, repeat the damn year and hope that she gets one more stupid point on the National Socialist Education question, without losing any new point on something else, like Arabic poetry for instance. Am I serious, you bet I am, and you know I am. Well more recently, say in the last 4 or 5 years, a new option has become available in Syria, private universities. Are they a good option? Sure, they are great, if you have the money to pay your way. I would daresay that about 5% of the Syrian population can afford this option.
Here I am, at this junction in life when my eldest child, my sweetheart Diana, is less than 48 hours away from her Bakaloria exam. I'm sorry Diana for the Pharmacist joke but I couldn't resist the temptation. To make matters a little bit more complicated, I'm leaving to Europe on business on the very first day she enters the examination room. I will hear from her on my way to the airport in Damascus how she fared on her Natural Science and Biology exam. By the time I return, she would have crossed the halfway point. Again, Diana, I'm sorry I wouldn't be here beside you during this grueling period but you know that I have to go. I wish you, your friends and everybody out there taking the Bakaloria the best of luck. I also wish that someday, those in charge of the future of the younger generations come to their senses and turn the system upside down in Syria and wherever educational terrorism is still prevalent.
Only after going through 12 long years of bullshit will you ever appreciate Pink Floyd's "We Don't Need No Education."
Until I'm back, or at the first opportunity I can blog again, I wish you all the best of times.
|What do you think?
28 comments:
Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira. Até mais.
- Shannon said...
Best of luck to your daughter!
- Unknown said...
Hey o que é acima do doc Assim você é em T-Shirts? Muito interessante. Eu tive um tio que estivesse nos T-Shirts traseiros nos 50's do último século. Desgastaria uma blusa occasionaly mas prefered realmente T-Shirts.
"How do you like my Google Portuguese?"
- Unknown said...
Hi Shannon
Thank you for your wishes. I'll certainly convey them to Diana.
- The Syrian Brit said...
Best of luck to Diana, and to all the studnets (and their long-suffering parents!..)..
This is, as you described it, educational terrorism.. inflicted primarily on the students, but equally, on their parents, who go through absolute hell during that year...
Surely.. there must be a better and fairer way of assessing students...
Once again, all the best for your daughter.. I sincerely hope she gets the grades she needs..
- saint said...
Fist good luck to your kid,
then you evoked the whining feeling in m as you touched on back bone of Syria political system in a simple post. I do not know if 50 years from know things will change in the education system in Syria and the kids will get what they deserve as theirs counterparts in the civilized countries. The stiff curriculum, the outdated materials, the one exam with no competition between schools and teachers, the teachers salaries, the old fashion building and rigid administration and the absence of critical thinking for students and freedom for of expression for teachers. These things unfortunately will not be changed in the near future.
I can claim it's not a blessing to get a place in the best university out there, say, medical school. It only seems necessary that someone has the talent (short-term meory?) to "achieve" 235 out of 240 to be able to memorize his/her way through medical school. He'll be very lucky if he can learn anything useful in the meanwhile. Oh, and a gloomy future will be waiting at the end: another brick in the wall!
But I truely believe in people's ability to make something out of themselves, even if they went to the "Anti-Desertification Institute in Palmyra", which does exist by the way...
We simply choose to be or not to be, and another certificate can't change that...
I'm sure Diana will be a great person whatever she studies...She'll make it to the end of tunnel, after all.
Best of luck
- Unknown said...
Hi Syrian Brit
You're right, parents suffer as much as students (if not more) during this crucial year. We have all been living a little differently for the last 12 months. We whisper when we talk. We disconnect all the phones in the house. And, we are eating separately most of the time.
Diana did her best. Let's see what comes out of it and in the end we'll have to consider all the possible options.
- Unknown said...
Thank you Saint for dropping by.
You're right. It's not going to change overnight. The few private schools and universities are on the right track toward a better educational system. Unfortunately, the cost is out of reach for most Syrians.
In theory, we have a free equalitarian educational system, but as you've pointed out, with the rigidity of the framework, little or no possible improvement can ever take place.
This is a case when a social mutation should occur, and may be it will.
- Unknown said...
It's been a while.
Sure, the whole concept has not evolved beyond memorizing numbers and facts.
I still remember some novels and poems I learned during my highschool years (out of curriculum), but can't for the life of me remember anything I learned from those cheap looking books (and cheap on the inside as well).
I remember that water is called H2O and that Maher and Salwa were getting along nicely in English. There was also a blind Russian musician somewhere in my educational past.
That's about it.
- Syrian in London said...
Best of luck to Diana, sure she'll do well in shaa Allah.
Good luck with your travels (where about in Europe? you're not coming around to visit us in the UK by any chance?)
- Unknown said...
Hi Syrian in London
Thank you for you wishes to Diana.
I wish I could've made it all the way to the UK, but not this time.
I'll be in Italy, Greece and Belgium for the next 2 weeks.
- KJ said...
I was spared those exams when I studied in KSA, I have seen year after year all my friends and cousins go through the pain.
I truly wish the best of luck to your daughter, but, knowing she is your kid, inshalla she will be a nuclear physicist :) (not literally of course, unless she wants to, lol)
- Lujayn said...
Good luck to Diana, Abu Fares. Hopefully she'll get the points for what she wants to study. I have seen family members put their lives on hold for an entire year in order to create the proper atmosphere for their kids' bakaloria drama, and its really a pity that the state does nothing to put the exams into their right perspective but allows kids to be traumatized for the sake of a few points.
I studied in a different school system and by contrast, my senior year in high school was a blast - a mixture of studying, friends, activities and fun. The latter three are erased from the Syrian bakaloria student's vocabulary until his exams are over (actually that happens twice in a Syrian student's life - the bakaloria year and the earlier breuvet year).
I hope Diana got to have a little fun this year. If not, then a trip abroad after the exams would be a nice reward! :))
- david santos said...
Hello, Abufares. Thanks for you work and have a good weekend.
- Unknown said...
KJ, Lujayn & David Santos
Good day to you all. I finally got to sit down and reply (only if I can get around using this Italian keyboard). Yes, you guessed it, I'm in Venezia. Too bad I'm here on work though.
KJ & Lujayn
What you wrote about the Syrian Bakaloria is so true. It's a horror movie for the entire family. While driving to the airport yesterday, Diana called and informed me that she did real well on her Biology exam.
I'm leaving again later this afternoon to Athens this time for at least a couple of days.
Thank you for sharing.
All my sincere best wishes to your daughter!
- Yazan said...
Abu fares,
I am shamelessly late to comment, please wish Diana the best of luck...
Its only been a couple of years since my own bakaloria year, so i know full well what shes going through.
Let me flashback a bit, I was a real disaster. I had made a pact with my parents before bakaloria that nobody has the right to question my studying. And even though they kept it till the last day, I swear I could see fire coming out of mom's eyes the whole last 2 months...
The exam period was real surreal time...
the day before the biology exam, mom had to stay in damas in some medical convention, dad is doing military service, and i happened to lock myself outside just 16hours before the exam, wearing shorts and slippers [was throwing the garbage]... I had to get a *najjar* to break the lock.
Fast forward a couple of days to the chemistry exam, while i am "Walking" with my book in our living room, i managed to break my ankle, and had to go awfully painful journey to the doc...
I still pride myself that i didnt get any private tutors, although it was probably gonna drive my mom crazy... but, i mean, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep sane in times like that right? even if it means cut off the parents completely... i was lucky enough that dad understood that, without his help, mom wouldve literally eaten me alive.
- Dubai Jazz said...
I am regretfully very late to comment…sorry for that Abu Fares…
Sincere wishes to Diana, Bakaloria seems to be getting tough by the year. Although I've gone through this exam eleven years ago, but I still shudder at the thought; the whole future prospect depends on one's performance during these couple of days. Of course, preparation has its importance, but I am still arguing, ever since I had that exam, that luck and other sideline factors, are a considerable factor…
Anyway, best wishes to Diana once again…inshallah all the effort will pay off…
Have a safe trip and happy returning :)
Insha Allah Diana will get what she wants and deserves. All the best for her and I am sure you will keep us posted.
Good luck also on your business trip.
Abu Abdo
- mannona said...
Dear AbuFares
Best of luck to my dearest Diana, she deserves the best, I've seen her study hard when I was visiting you and I'm sure she'll get a good score inshallah. Give her my love and good luck to you in your trip. I'll call you soon.
- * said...
Inshallah, Diana will do SPLENDIDLY.
And make her parents proud.
When she becomes one, can we get free medicines?
Or at least teach us how to make our own happy pills @ home?
- Unknown said...
Lost Somewhere, Yazan, Dubai Jazz, Abu Abdo, Mannona & Kaya
Thank you all for sharing and for the kind thoughts for Diana.
I'm back in Venice and will probably be here for the next few days.
I don't know whether I'll be able to post anything before my eventual return home by mid June.
In any case, and once again, thank you all for being here.
- Kinano said...
Good luck to your Diana :)
But to be honest, my time during the Bakaloria year was one of the best and most awesome time I've had in my life. It was really the best year of my life.
Now, as for the education system and the pain and horror and all that... I somehow disagree. I think the Syrian School System is one of the best (granted the most difficult) but it is still one of the best.
I spent four years at university, all that I have learned I already knew from the bakaloria. Especially when it came to Math..
I would love it if some reform went into the grading scale and the university entry grades (and university education as a whole) but not the Bakaloria :)
- Sabsoub said...
أول شي هلق و بعد مرور أكتر من نصف امتحان البكالوريا بسورية , بتمنى ديانا تكون عملت كتير منيح باللي مرق و تعمل أحسن باللي جاي ...قدمت بكالوريا سورية و كانت أتعس سنوات حياتي ع الإطلاق .. أنا قدمت البكالوريا مرة بس بابا و ماما قدموها أربع أو ست مرات مع كل حدا من أولادهم .. ماما بتقول البكالوريا قصرتلي عمري و كأنو هي كانت عم تقدم و بابا بيقول حاسس حالي صرلي 10 سنين بقدم بكالوريا .. بكالورا سورية قمة الإرهاب .. سنة من التعاسة و الإكتئاب .. و الأسوء أنو الواحد بعد كل التعب ما يقدر يحقق حلمو ... أنا نقصني علامتين عن الصيدلة.. بس مع هيك شكرت ربي مية مرة أني جبت الهندسة لأنو هلق بسورية صارت الصيدلة و الطب هني الحلم المستحيل و أما الهندسات فهني الحلم الصعب و باقي فروع الجامعة هني حلم ممكن تحقيقو بس حلم ... انشالله كل طلاب البكالوريا السنة بيتفقوا .. ديانا بنتك و ربا أختي و انشالله بتنحل الأزمة من الجذور و بيغيروا هالنظام التافه .. الله بعين
- GraY FoX said...
good luck to Diana
and yo2bosh yally byefhaf ( you and pink floyd" )
- Karin said...
You have NO IDEA how often I was thinking of Diana ... how MUCH I crossed my fingers for her to achieve her so much desired goal!!!
Let me know how it was ... I am dying to know! I am sure though after ALL those grueling studies and year of iron dedication she did JUST FINE!!
I wish her ONLY THE BEST!!!
- Unknown said...
Kinan, Sabsoub, Gray Fox and Karin
Thank you all so very much for asking and checking up on Diana. She has her final test tomorrow 24/06/07 in Chemistry.
Then she expects the official results to be announced in 15 days.
You will know in due time what came out of it.
Inshallah her efforts would pay off.


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Tim Mcgraw Left Breathless After Seeing Faith Hill's ACM Dress
After being married for almost two decades, Tim McGraw is still captivated by his wife Faith Hill's beauty, and his reaction to seeing her in her 2014 ACMs dress is pretty much the sweetest thing.
The singer shared his thoughts about his wife on Twitter, saying, "Great fun singing with my wife last night!!!!! Seeing Faith walk out in that dress for the 1st time took my breath away. Hard to recover."
The couple sang McGraw's newest song 'Meanwhile Back at Mama's' at the ACM Awards on Sunday (April 6), and while the 'Highway Don't Care' singer looked spiffy in a black tuxedo, his wife absolutely stunned in a champagne floor-length Versace gown that shimmered under the spotlight. She certainly took the breath away of viewers, too, embodying an ageless beauty that truly shines.
It's rare to hear about such a strong, lasting marriage in the entertainment industry, but McGraw and Hill seem to have it figured out -- and they attribute it to genuinely liking one another, as well as a commitment to simply walking through life together. Plus, McGraw makes sure to keep the flame lit by surprising his wife every once in a while.
Is George Strait the Greatest of All Time?


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For those of you trying to keep tabs on the whereabouts of our Top Ten Dogs All Breeds, our Number One Dog was in Aliquippa PA picking up the big rosette from Evie Sullivan at the day one show of the Fort Steuben Kennel Association. Also on hand were the Black Cocker Spaniel, GCH CH Casablanca's Thrilling Seduction, the Ottherhound, CH Adeline's Sticky wicket, the Siberian Husky, GCH cH Kontoki's A Bend In The Road, a Maltese from the Bred By Exhibitor class, Josymir's More Than Just News, the Schipperke, CH Aned's Le Rocher Noir, and the Shetland Sheepdog, CH Damingo Marksman's Hi Speed Bullet OAJ NAJ NA. For those wondering, we are not likely to see a change in our top five standings this week. Should there be a change, you will read it here first.


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Lindenwood University will host a Veterans' Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11 in the Dunseth Auditorium at Harmon Hall. The event will be free and open to the public.
James D. Evans, president, and Jann Weitzel, vice president for academic affairs and provost, will deliver remarks. United States Army Lieutenant Colonel James Craig will serve as the keynote speaker.
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"I think it's our duty to provide this service for those who serve our country," said Donna Simms, Veterans Affairs School Certifying Official. "It's important to take time to recognize those who sacrifice for our nation."
Registration is not required, but RSVPs are requested. To reserve a seat, e-mail Simms at firstname.lastname@example.com by Friday, Nov. 4.


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In this final article on the series on new features in PHP 7.x, we shall discuss improvements to arrays, operators, constants, and exception handling.
Daniel Osborne, Martin Dow discuss relational theory, functional relational programming and self-contained systems. Osborne and Dow explain their approach to complexity, and show how they inform the design of many parts of their system, including the ledger and their web stack.
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The holidays are comin'….!
Are you stressing out or just happy that Christmas is almost here? For me it's probably a bit off both, happy to have some days off, stressed out about what to eat, what presents to buy and so on. Yesterday Hema presented it's Christmas collection, with lot's of lovely interior musthaves, cool ugly Christmas sweaters and yummy foods.
Take a look at what was presented in Amsterdam, at the Hema headoffice!


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A very clear, concise and valuable training message.
Some of the best things that I have learned through Systema were the most difficult to see. When the illusive becomes accessible then I feel that I have truly learned something. Great teachers and instruction help you to shape your vision of how..read more >>


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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Adrian Sutil could be in the frame for a return to Force India and Formula One if fellow-German Nico Hulkenberg moves to Sauber next season, according to team co-owner Vijay Mallya.
The liquor baron told Reuters in an Indian Grand Prix interview that the driver line-up, and how best to invest the latest tranche of funds paid to the team by the Sahara Group, will be discussed at a board meeting this week.
Britain's Paul Di Resta looks certain to stay with the team in 2013, after speculation about a move to McLaren or Mercedes came to nothing, but the other seat appears uncertain.
"I offered an extension to both drivers. I hear from the media that Nico has signed with Sauber. Well, if he has then good luck to him," said Mallya.
"I have not been officially notified by Nico of anything," added the principal. "He hasn't sat down with me and told me that. I would expect that he would if he was on his way...I have an excellent relationship with him, he's a wonderful guy. He's done well for us."
Asked whether he could replace the highly-rated Hulkenberg with someone of a similar stature, Mallya smiled. "Yes absolutely, why not? Never forget I always have the potential of considering Sutil again. Sutil is always quick. So there are many options.
"I would certainly consider him," he added.
Sutil would be a familiar face having spent his entire Formula One career with the team from 2007, when it was still called Spyker, to the end of last year.
The German's 2011 season was clouded by controversy after he was involved in a Shanghai nightclub brawl, for which he was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and fined 200,000 euros for grievous bodily harm by a German court.
Mallya said he would love Hulkenberg to stay but if he did move on, there would be no acrimony between them. By example, he pointed to Sutil's presence in the motorhome at several races this year.
"Even though I didn't re-sign him for 2012, he's still welcome," he said. "That's the kind of culture I'd like to have in this team. Very friendly, very informal. So Nico will always be part of us. I won't stand in his way."
Force India are currently seventh in the constructors' championship, after finishing sixth overall last season, with Sauber 23 points ahead.
Sauber have been less consistent finishers but have reaped the benefits of four podium placings while Force India's best of the season remains Hulkenberg's fourth in Belgium and Di Resta's fourth in Singapore.
Force India's best ever result was second place with Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in Belgium in 2009.
"That (the 2009 race) was one moment of glory which all of us cherish. But what I wanted to see was not these flashes in the pan, but a consistent progression and I think we've demonstrated that," said Mallya.
"I'm still chasing Sauber for the rest of the season. Nothing is impossible."
Mallya said he was happy with the progress of the British-based team he took over in 2007 but now was the time to plan "the second phase of our development".
"It's very clear to us that we need some serious investment decisions," he added.
"We have the capital, part of the $100 million deal I did with Sahara for the infusion of funds into the company for improvement basically.
"Now we've got to take a decision on how we are going to spend it because if I now want to start challenging Lotus and Mercedes and go up into the top five, we need some better tools and better equipment."
Indian business conglomerate Sahara Group invested $100 million in Force India and took a 42.5 percent stake in October last year. Mallya said in May that the money would be paid in three tranches over three years with the final one due in 2013.
The Sahara Group made headlines in August when they were ordered by the Supreme Court to refund about $4.6 billion to investors after it ruled finance schemes run by two of its companies were illegal.
Mallya, whose loss-making Kingfisher Airline is currently grounded, said he and founder Subrata Roy Sahara had met Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone at the weekend and told him: "Don't listen to what the media are saying. We're here and we are here to stay." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Patrick Johnston)


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Syrian rebels press US and allies to send weapons
Obama administration undecided over arms shipments, fears materiel could end up in terrorists' hands
BEIRUT (AP) — With President Barack Obama weighing the issue, increasingly desperate Syrian rebels are pressing the US and its allies to send weapons to even their odds now that Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah guerrillas are fighting alongside the regime.
The US and its allies so far have refused to send lethal aid to the rebels in part because of fears that the arms could fall into the hands of Sunni extremist groups that have joined the fight against President Bashar Assad.
Moderate opposition leaders have stepped up efforts to turn that argument around, saying Western inaction will deal a blow to their leadership and let al-Qaida-linked militants take the forefront in the rebellion or hand victory to Iran and Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group. They're hoping the newly visible role of Hezbollah and the fall of the strategic town of Qusair to regime forces will spur the US and other countries to send weapons.
Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the main Western-backed opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said the failure to supply weapons and ammunition to moderate forces within the rebels' Free Syrian army will let radical forces take the lead.
"Who is the US denying weapons to? Everyone," he said. "This punishes the moderate forces, not the radical ones, because the radical forces continue to find armament through their own means," he said.
The Obama administration has been alarmed by the Assad regime's rapid military advances, but US officials said those closest to the president are still split on whether to begin providing Syria's armed opposition with weapons or to consider more drastic steps such as using US airpower to ground Assad's gunships and jets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on private talks being held Wednesday on the issue.
Burhan Ghalioun, a prominent Paris-based Syrian opposition leader, said he and his comrades have been trying to convince US officials that it's time to put an end to the tragedy in Syria by empowering moderate rebels. He warned an Assad victory also would mean more sway in Syria for Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.
"The US now faces a real test that has to do with its credibility," he said in a telephone interview. "Are they going to let Syria become an Iranian protectorate? This is what it boils down to," he said.
"Their hesitation and reluctance is prolonging the war and giving false illusions that Bashar Assad can win the war," he added.
Opposition leaders stepped up their outreach after the fall of Qusair, a key western town near the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah fighters openly joined the fight in Qusair, helping propel Assad's forces to victory. The group's leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed to fight to help secure a victory for the Syrian regime.
Gen. Salim Idris, the main rebel military commander in the Free Syrian Army, has repeatedly pleaded for Western anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, saying the rebels' weapons were no match for the Syrian regime's modern tanks and warplanes.
Any military assistance to the rebels would likely be funneled through Idris' council, according to US officials.
Syrians complain that by denying Idris the weapons, the West has effectively undermined the commander's authority on the ground.
"Rebel loyalty is going to be with whoever is providing them with the guns and ammunition, and so far it's not Idris who is doing that," said Amr Al Azm, a US-based Syrian activist and professor at Shawnee State University in Ohio.
Bassam al-Dada, an official with the Free Syrian Army, expressed skepticism that the US would start providing weapons, and said even if it does the amount is unlikely to be sufficient to change the situation on the ground.
"If it happens, it will likely be small, insignificant aid that will in fact create problems between the military leadership and the rebels on the ground, who will think weapons were coming in when in fact they are not," he said.
Zeineddine al-Shami, a media coordinator for the First Brigade in the Free Syrian Army in Damascus, said radical groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra represent a small percentage of the fighters on the ground but their impact has been felt because of tactics, including suicide bombings.
"We won't need (suicide bombers) if we have artillery or rockets" or more sophisticated weaponry," he said. "If we don't, the spirit of Nusra will prevail."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press


text:
Lorraine DeLaney
Registrar for Exhibitions and Loans
Office: Bixler 125 [ campus map ]
Box 5600
Phone: 207-859-5617
Fax: 207-859-5606
E-mail: email@example.com
Mailing Address:
5600 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, Maine 04901-8856
5600 Mayflower Hill
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The directory information is for individual use only, it may not be retransmitted or published for any reason. It is not to be used for mass solicitations by email, mail, phone, or other means. Sale or other distribution of this document is prohibited by College policy.


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Transport Group Brings HOUSE FOR SALE World Premiere to The Duke, Now thru 11/18
OBIE and Drama Desk Award-winning Transport Group brings you the world Premiere of HOUSE FOR SALE, the first of any work by National Book Award novelist and Pulitzer finalist Jonathan Franzen (FREEDOM, THE CORRECTIONS) to be presented on stage. The show will play The Duke on 42nd Street (229 West 42nd Street, Times Square, NYC), beginning previews tonight, October 13, 2012, opening on October 24, 2012 and running through November 18, 2012.
Gorgeously conceived into theatrical terms by internationally acclaimed director Daniel Fish (The Chocolate Factory's A SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING I'LL NEVER DO AGAIN), HOUSE FOR SALE follows Franzen to his childhood home in Missouri as he prepares to put it on the market following his mother's passing. In the process, he is immersed in memories of his childhood, growing up in a place he once cherished. Exploring ideas of change, loss, and the value of the "quintessential American Dream," HOUSE FOR SALE is a daring exploration of both the merging of art forms as well as the very essence of wrestling with one's past.
The cast features Rob Campbell, Merritt Janson, Lisa Joyce, Christina Rouner and Michael Rudko.
HOUSE FOR SALE is written by Jonathan Franzen, adapted and directed by Daniel Fish with original music by Polly Pen. The creative team includes scenic designer Laura Jellinek, lighting designer Thomas Dunn, costume designer Terese Wadden, sound designer Daniel Kluger and video projections by Andrew Lazarow. Musical Director is Katya Stanislavskaya. Casting is by Jack Doulin. Production stage manager is Neveen Mahmoud, production manager is Pope Jackson, stage manager is Theresa Flanagan and assistant director is Alexandra Keuchler Caffali.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: Tuesday 7pm; Wednesday 7pm; Thursday 7pm; Friday 8pm; Saturday 8pm; Sunday 7pm (3pm Showings on 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/17). Ticket pricing: $45 - $58. Box Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 4pm - 7pm and Saturday: 12pm - 7pm. Box Office hours are extended on performance days. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Produced by the Transport Group Theatre Company with Artistic Director Jack Cummings III and Executive Director Lori Fineman.


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Monday, January 6, 20208:00AM - Monday, January 6, 20205:00PM
At Various
Organized by Office of Alumni and Career Services
Our goal is to better assist students as they graduate and enter the workforce. This annual program connects students to alumni and professionals working in their field of interest, in companies located near their hometowns. That way, students can participate while home for winter break. Alumni, professionals, and students in any field can sign up, and we will do our best to match you!


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Judy Sierra
Photo: © Elizabeth Sattelberger
About the Author
Judy Sierra is the acclaimed author of many picture books, including the award-winning Wild About Books; ZooZical; Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf; The Sleepy Little Alphabet; We Love Our School!; and Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur. She holds a PhD in folklore, is an experienced puppeteer and storyteller, and lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband, Bob, and their poodle, Keiko. You can visit her at JudySierra.net.


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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) Leslie McDonald scored a career-high 24 points in his first career start to help No. 14 North Carolina beat UAB 102-84 on Saturday night.
James Michael McAdoo added 15 points and 12 rebounds as part of a balanced offensive showing for the Tar Heels (6-2).
North Carolina was coming off an ugly loss at No. 1 Indiana, but the Tar Heels regrouped with a win despite playing without starting freshman point guard Marcus Paige due to a shoulder injury.
The Tar Heels shot 53 percent and had six players reach double figures, though they had trouble putting away the program led by former UNC assistant coach Jerod Haase.
Jordan Swing had 21 points to lead the Blazers (4-4), who trailed most of the day but stayed within reach of the Tar Heels until the final 6 minutes.
The Tar Heels were coming off an 83-59 loss to the Hoosiers, which was the most lopsided nonconference loss for North Carolina since Roy Williams took over in 2003.
North Carolina shot just 28 percent after halftime in that one in a performance that did nothing to ease Williams' worries about his team's toughness - or lack thereof - following its loss to Butler in the Maui Invitational.
It didn't help that Paige was unavailable for this one after straining his left shoulder in practice Friday, leaving primary ball-handling duties to senior Dexter Strickland.
Strickland responded with a career-high nine assists, while McDonald turned in another strong performance in his return from a serious knee injury that cost him last season.
McDonald had set a career high with 21 points in the win against Mississippi State in Maui, then surpassed that by going 7 for 11 from the field and knocking down five 3-pointers.
Reggie Bullock added 17 points and P.J. Hairston had 16 for UNC, though Williams spent much of the day looking frustrated by his team's performance.
After the Tar Heels gave up a transition 3 midway through the second half, Williams ripped off his gray suit jacket as his team came to the bench for a timeout then slammed a clipboard down on the floor so hard that a marker flew straight up in the air above the huddle.
Later, when his Tar Heels tossed a ball away in transition, Williams picked up the ball and pretended he was ready to punt it into the stands.
Still, UNC scored 67 points after halftime to reach 100 points for the second time this season.
The game marked a homecoming for Haase, who had spent the past nine seasons as an assistant to Williams in Chapel Hill. It also marked a return for UAB assistant coach Bobby Frasor, who was a senior guard on the Tar Heels' 2009 NCAA championship squad. UNC fans greeted both Haase and Frasor with loud cheers during pregame introductions.
Haase's team responded by staying within reach of the Tar Heels most of the day until McDonald, Bullock and Hairston hit a flurry of 3s that helped UNC pull away in the final minutes.


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Or. . . . Your 90 days are. . . . over!
Well, in the last few days, the Schering/Merck website has begun to implement the FDA January 23, 2008 mandates (click on the small FDA letter image, below right, to read those mandates) — The quote below is from the last line, on the first page, of the NEWLY-REVISED Vytorin web-advertising; the second paragraph (in blue, below) is from the Zetia page, on that same site [Emphasis below, is as it appears in the original]:
". . . .VYTORIN contains two cholesterol medicines, Zetia (ezetimibe) and Zocor (simvastatin), in a single tablet. VYTORIN has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone. . . .
[Ed. Note — And, from the new Zetia page:]
The most common cholesterol-lowering medicines, known as statins, work mainly with the liver. ZETIA works in the digestive tract, as do some other cholesterol-lowering medicines. Statins are a good option. As you can see in the animation above, ZETIA works differently. Now there are some other medicines, such as fibrates, bile acid sequestrants, and niacin, that work in the digestive tract to help lower cholesterol, but ZETIA is unique in the way it helps block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from food. Unlike some statins, ZETIA has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks. . . ."
Wow. I'm going to pay up to four-times more, at least here, in the U.S. (where about 80 percent of the sales of Vytorin/Zetia were generated, last year), for Vytorin/Zetia, but Schering's website tells me that, unlike statins, it "has NOT been shown to prevent heart disease." Note particularly this sentence, as well:
"Statins are a good option." Wow.
Then, on the Vytorin page aimed at "people already taking Zocor", we read this, right near the top of the very first page:
"VYTORIN contains two cholesterol medicines, Zetia (ezetimibe) and Zocor (simvastatin), in a single tablet. VYTORIN has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone. . . ."
[The same language (immediately above, with the same emphasis) appears on the page aimed at people taking Lipitor or Crestor — and it even still refers to "Zocor" — hmmm — that seems like a typo, no?]
These revisions are almost word-for-word, what FDA earlier wrote it would expect Schering/Merck to say, in order to avoid "misleading" the public, post ENHANCE. And now — the object-lesson, here? When the regulator holds your license-to-sell in its hands — it has quite a bit of negotiating ju-ju, no?
I am, quite frankly, uncertain as to how a salesperson for the Joint Venture product(s) would go about handling any doctor who, during a sales-call, took even one moment to point these web-pages out, to that sales representative [shivers!]. Said another way, it would seem a very tall-order to "talk around" these recitations, in one's own marketing materials — especially that the competitors' products (at a fraction of the price!) are a "good option."
And, of course, it remains a largely-open question as to whether, and for what purposes, these now very-public changes and revisions will be admissable as evidence in the various RICO/consumer fraud lawsuits now pending against Schering, and Merck, and the joint venture each helps operate.


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To keep you Erde 213 Trailer safe and roadworthy we have a range of spares available which are easy to fit by any competent Erde trailer owner.
Most parts are genuine Erde, some parts are not but we believe they are superior to the original.
Any parts that are not listed may still be available, please contact us with your requirements, including complete axles, chassis sections & body panels.
There are various type of light units fitted on the 213 trailer so please check carefully and compare what you have fitted with the pictures and information below. It is possible to upgrade some light units to newer cheaper alternative, details can be found when you have identified the lights you have fitted. Only Erde 213 spares are listed on this page, we also have a comprehensive list of accessories available, please click on the link below.
We have put together an Erde Information & User Guide to give you as much information as possible about your Erde 213 Trailer, please click on the link below
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text:
Jeffrey Tambor
STARmeterTop 5000
Up 91 this week
An incisive talent when it comes to playing bent, off-the-wall characters, Jeffrey Tambor has been captivating audiences for nearly four decades. Tambor was born and raised in San Francisco, to Eileen (Salzberg) and Michael Bernard Tambor, a flooring contractor. His family is Jewish (from Hungary and Ukraine). He studied acting at San Francisco ... See full bio »
Born:in San Francisco, California, USA
More at IMDbPro » Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro


text:
This offer has now expired.
We all know the importance of backing up, but how many of us actually do it?
To stop you losing your precious files in event of a PC meltdown, we're bringing you a free download of Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 Compact, worth $39.99.
Paragon Backup and Recovery is a fast, feature-packed and highly professional back-up tool that makes it very easy to protect your valuable data from disaster.
The program is extremely versatile. You can use it to back up everything from an entire hard drive or individual partitions, to your emails, multimedia files, documents, or whatever specific files and folders you'd like to select.
Well-designed wizards mean Paragon Backup and Recovery is also very simple to use. Just choose the type of data you'd like to back up, the destination drive (external, USB, network, CD and DVD drives are supported), and you're ready to go.
Download 32-bit Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 Compact now
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This download is available until midnight of Tuesday 19 January 2010.


text:
Funeral services to be held Saturday for Rick Majerus
Marquette basketball players to wear ribbon on uniform all season
Funeral services will be held Saturday for former Marquette University basketball coach Rick Majerus.
Majerus died Saturday of heart failure. He was 64 years old.
The Milwaukee native most recently coached at Saint Louis University.
That school held a public memorial service for Majerus Friday afternoon.
Marquette will wear a black and yellow ribbon with the initials R M on its uniforms the rest of the season in honor of the late coach.
"I think anything that our players can do, or that we can do as a staff, that honors those coaches. They're the reason why we're here relative to where this program is, and the stage that it's on now," Marquette University basketball coach Buzz Williams said.
Majerus' funeral will be held Saturday morning at Gesu Church on the Marquette campus.
He will also be remembered during a moment of silence before Saturday's Marquette-Wisconsin basketball game.
Friday morning, his family released a statement thanking the community for it support.
"We are extremely grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we have received from so many people following the death of our brother, Rick. We cannot begin to express our sincere gratitude to everyone for their thoughts, prayers and well-wishes during this difficult time for all of us."


text:
Xterra - Kayak Tours & Courses Central Coast, North Coast, South Coast, Overseas
Xterra Adventures is an exciting multifunctional activity and adventure company based on the Central Coast of NSW.
We specialise in providing quality, personalised kayak adventures for schools undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh Award or as part of their Outdoor Education program. Xterra Adventures feel privileged to be in a position to conduct Duke Of Edinburgh expeditions for school groups. We can take the students from bronze level, right through to
gold, kayaking in locations as diverse as the Hawkesbury River, Great Lakes area, Port Stephens, the Murray River, Ningaloo Reef in WA and Fiji
On top of that, we provide team building activities and kayaking trips for corporate clients. Our corporate programs can be tailored to suit any outcome desired. We offer team building and experiential programs, corporate responsibility programs or activities that are simply 'for fun'.
Xterra Adventures have an extensive tour program, ranging from short half day tours, through full day and overnight tours, to overseas trips at destinations such as Alaska, Fiji and New Zealand. Our tour program has something to offer everyone, from the first timer through to the more seasoned paddler. We believe our tours will entertain, educate
and maybe challenge you….but above all, you will have a great day out on the water. We want nothing more than to send our new friends away with memories they will long remember.
If you are looking to take up this amazing pastime, we can help you take those first tentative steps toward becoming a kayaker with our courses. We will teach you everything you need to know to safely get out there and expand your horizons.
So, whether you are looking for a school educational program, family outing, personal adventure or corporate group activity, Xterra Adventures has you covered!
Please take the time to browse through the relevant sections of our website, and feel free to call, email or sms us if you need more information.


text:
Få råd til flere LEGO klodser!
CHI-up and build the ultimate Sir Fangar!
Hunt down rivals and launch an attack with menacing CHI Sir Fangar! This buildable CHI-powered caped warrior features snapping jaws and huge saber teeth. Pose his super-flexible limbs and flip the spikes for awesome action poses. Fire the shooting ice weapon and grab trespassers on Saber-tooth tiger tribe territory with his giant claw!


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Module::Crypt - Encrypt your Perl code and compile it into XS
use Module::Crypt;
# for a single file:
file => 'Bar.pm',
install_base => '/path/to/my/lib',
password => 'Password',
# for multiple files:
files => ['Foo.pm', 'Bar.pm'],
install_base => '/path/to/my/lib',
allow_debug => 1,
# for a directory:
files => '/path/to/source/dir',
install_base => '/path/to/my/lib',
addl_code => q{croak "Whoa!" if $SomethingIsWrong},
Module::Crypt encrypts your pure-Perl modules and then compiles them into a XS module. It lets you distribute binary versions without disclosing code, although please note that we should better call this an obfuscation, as Perl is still internally working with your original code. While this isn't 100% safe, it makes code retrival much harder than any other known Perl obfuscation method.
Besides code encryption, there are some additional measures for code protection, such as avoiding debugger usage. However it does not mean that your code is impossible to be seen and tackled with; the whole purpose of this module is to make would-be cracker's life *a little bit* harder. You can think of Module::Crypt as an analog to car alarm: its purpose is not in making a car unstealable but rather in keeping car thief occupied long enough that he or she drops the idea and walks away.
Having said that, please keep in mind that nothing will keep a determined person from cracking any defense. We can only hope that with Module::Crypt it will take a seasoned Perl wizard to do this, not ordinary Joe Wannabe Cracker.
This function does the actual encryption and compilation. It is supposed to be called from a Makefile-like script that you'll create inside your development directory. The 4 lines you see in each of the examples above are sufficient to build (and rebuild) the modules.
- file
This contains the path of your source module. It can be a relative filename too, if you're launching your CryptModule() from the same directory.
- files
If you want to encrypt and compile multiple modules, you can pass an arrayref to the files parameter with the paths/filenames listed. If you pass a string instead of of an arrayref, it will be interpreted as a directory path so that Module::Crypt will scan it and automatically add any .pm file to the modules list.
- install_base
(Optional) This parameter contains the destination of the compiled modules. If not specified, it defaults to a directory named "output" inside the current working directory.
- password
(Optional) This parameter allows you to specify a password to be used when encoding module code with ARC4 algorithm.
- allow_debug
(Optional) Set this option to true value to allow the module startup code to run under debugger. By default it will shut down in XS bootstrap phase if debugger flag is detected.
Note that this feature does not mean that your Perl code is absolutely safe from being seen.
- addl_code
(Optional) Pass any arbitrary Perl code (as string) in this parameter to be eval'ed *before* the main code is unencrypted. Additional code may contain sanity checks, environment control measures or whatever you may come up with.
Any die's/croak's in that code are translated above -- i.e.
use 'Your::Module'will die with eval error if additional code fails. This means that you should be pretty sure that additional code actually works and there are no compiler errors in it.
None known yet.
Latest versions can be downloaded from CPAN. You are very welcome to write mail to the author (firstname.lastname@example.com) with your contributions, comments, suggestions, bug reports or complaints.
Alessandro Ranellucci <firstname.lastname@example.com> Code refactoring and feature additions by Alexander Tokarev <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Copyright (c) Alessandro Ranellucci. Module::Crypt is free software, you may redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
This is highly experimental code. Use it AT YOUR OWN RISK. This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors ``as is'' and any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall the regents or contributors be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this software, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.


text: Steam Locomotive Information The Steam Locomotive Information Site PKP No. Tx26-422 (99.1588) Wenecja (nr Pila), Poland Photo Copyright © Robert Sweet Click to Enlarge Wheels: 0-8-0 Builder: Fabryka Lokomotyw, Chrzanow Build Date: 1926 Construction No.: 149 Empty Weight: Unknown Weight on Drivers: Unknown Driver Diameter: Unknown Tractive Effort: Unknown Boiler Pressure: Unknown Cylinders: Unknown Fuel: Unknown Gauge: 600mm Location: Narrow Gauge Museum Status: Unknown Views: 388 Record Created: Before June 10, 2017 Record Updated: Dec 3, 2019 Action: Details Edited This site and its content Copyright © 2020, by Douglas C. BaileyImages and Video Clips © by the photographer/videographer indicated. Used by permission.


text:
After kicking around a number of projects, it looks like Doug Liman is ready to get back to work.
Liman will be directing "Luna," a script he developed with John Hamburg ("I Love You, Man"), about a crew of rogue scientists who use a bunch of spare parts to build their own rocket ship and ride it to the moon to steal a precious energy source, reported Variety.
Liman, who is also producing the film, has already met with a few of the usual suspects about playing the lead: Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans and Andrew Garfield, the latter being our default choice--if anybody's asking.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
You have to hand it to Liman, he may make a dud now and then, but the guy doesn't get into a rut. Last year's Plame-gate film, "Fair Game," was an understated and overlooked thriller that nobody saw, but it was a nice rebound from "Jumper," which left everybody cold.
While we love the premise of "Luna," we have to say we're still eagerly awaiting movement on his Attica film that he's been working on with Geoffrey Rush. That could be epic.


text:
Get DVD Talk Feeds
The TV Series:
Hate them or moderately tolerate them, franchises, reboots, and revivals of well-known properties are the going thing in Hollywood. As numbingly familiar as that way of thinking is now, it was still something of a novelty in the mid-1970s, however. That's when the MGM studio decided to revive its '60s widescreen blockbuster How the West Was Won for the small screen. This dusty Western saga has been available for a few years now on DVD in Europe (where it's apparently quite fondly remembered). Over here, Warner Home Video is finally getting around to releasing the first season of this family-friendly oater as a two-disc set - and (surprise!) it's being offered as a commercially released product, not an offering on their more boutique-oriented Warner Archive line.
This particular revival got under way with the 1976 made-for-television movie The Macahans, included on this set (warning: spoilers ahead). Loosely based on the 1962 feature, the story concerns the title family, a Virginia clan. Fearing the impact of the Civil War on their homestead, the family's patriarch, Timothy (Richard Kiley), decides to make the arduous cross-country journey for the promised land: Oregon. His wife, Kate (Eva Marie Saint), has serious reservations, but she reluctantly agrees to go along with their offspring - Seth (Bruce Boxleitner), Laura (Kathryn Holcomb), Jed (William Kirby Cullen), and Jessie (Vicki Schreck). The family enlists the help of Uncle Zeb (James Arness), a grizzled and resolutely independent wilderness scout, to guide them through the dangerous, Indian-filled Midwest territory. Midway through the journey, Timothy - believing the family would be better off continuing without him - enlists in the Union Army to fight. Setting up primitive quarters in the Nebraska territory, on land they don't own, the remaining Macahans run into trouble with both the Natives and other local settlers. This prompts Seth to journey back to Virginia for help from his grandparents. Arriving to find his former home ravaged by soldiers and the grandparents dead, Seth somehow winds up getting swept up in the carnage happening around him when the Union Army hastily recruits him to fight. On the battlefield, he kills a few Confederates over drinking water. Injured, he happens upon his father, who dies in his arms. The exhausted and fed-up Seth then walks away from it all, eventually joining his mother at the homestead, where the widowed Kate needs him more than ever. But how will Seth get along, now that he's a fugitive with a bloodthirsty military provost on his tail?
How The West Was Won, the series, continues the story laid down in The Macahans - with cast, crew, and William Conrad's grandiose narration intact (the characters of Seth and Jed have been mysteriously rechristened as Luke and Josh, however). The three 90-minute episodes included in this set originally aired in February 1977, thirteen months after The Macahans. Although the TV movie adequately conveys some sense of historic grandeur (it's very Bicentennial-ish), the series itself plays more like a business-as-usual family drama filled with stock characters and tidy morals (Little House on the Sagebrush?). The various plots involving the Macahans are inelegantly woven together, giving the impression of a standard-issue weekly drama with glacial pacing and predictable outcomes. There is some substance with the parts involving James Arness as the rugged wilderness scout Zeb, a man who is resolutely individual in his personal life but has the integrity to serve as interim head for his late brother's family. Other, less involving stories involve Eva Marie Saint's Kate attempting to get her pampered kids used to frontier life, hosting a charming drifter (played by Don Murray), and fending off the local Native population. Boxleitner's Luke gets the lion's share of the plot, when his character - constantly on the run from a murderous provost marshal - gets romantically involved with a devoutly religious woman whose honor he protected from a pair of filthy, trigger-happy brothers.
HTWWW is fondly remembered by fans who tuned into its original 1977-78 airing. I can see why - it's thoughtfully crafted, generally well-acted, but also sedate, episodic and more than a little bit dull. I kept wishing the family's stories were better integrated with each other (in all honesty, it feels like an attempt at a poky sagebrush drama series that MGM didn't want to commit to at a normal full season volume, hence the "miniseries" presentation). On the plus side, the series makes excellent use of ample outdoor scenery and accurate Old West-style structures, a move which adds a lot to the series' rustic flavor.
The DVDs:
Warner Bros.' edition of How The West Was Won: The Complete First Season comes packaged in a standard-sized keep case with a hinge for the first disc. A single-page paper insert supplies original airdates, brief plot summaries and a cast list.
The HTWWW series has already been issued twice on DVD in Scandinavia (who would've known it's so beloved there?), including a "remastered" edition in 2012. How well this edition compares with the European issues is unknown, but the sub-standard picture here appears to have been taken from a shoddy, second-generation dupe (most likely film transferred onto videotape). The image is grainy, fuzzy around the edges, and sporting pale, weirdly calibrated color - episode two has a distinct magenta cast. With two 90-plus minute installments crammed onto each disc, the mastering is noticeably weak and pixelated (at least the European releases held one episode to a disc).
An acceptable mono mix is the sole audio provided here. The soundtrack has not been cleaned up in any meaningful way, but it's a decent listen with some slight distortions (especially noticeable during music passages). English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are also provided.
One bonus, but it's a biggie: The Macahans, the two-hour 1976 made-for-TV movie that inspired the miniseries. Described above, this was a well-produced effort that lays the foundation for the series (in other words, don't watch it last like I did). Picture quality is moderately better on the film, as well.
Final Thoughts:
Sure, you might know How The West Was Won as a 1962 Cinerama extravaganza, but it also exists as a fondly remembered late '70s miniseries for the small screen. Warner's two-disc edition of the first season arrives on DVD as a product best appreciated by those who already enjoy leisurely Western fare (and don't mind terrible image quality on their DVDs). The individual elements (acting, scenery) hold up nicely, but it never adequately comes together in a satisfying whole. Rent It.
Matt Hinrichs is a designer, artist, film critic and jack-of-all-trades in Phoenix, Arizona. Since 2000, he has been blogging at Scrubbles.net. 4 Color Cowboy is his repository of Western-kitsch imagery, while other films he's experienced are logged at Letterboxd. He also welcomes friends on Twitter @4colorcowboy.


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HOUSTON — With a win or draw on Sunday against the Chicago Fire (5 pm ET, UniMas) the Houston Dynamo will set the home unbeaten record by an MLS team in all competitions. During their 34-game streak, the Dynamo have treated their hometown faithful to a number of memorable moments. Here are four that stick out since they last lost at home on June 18, 2011.
1. November 11, 2012: Houston 3, D.C. United 1
The Dynamo capped their undefeated first season at BBVA Compass Stadium in style with a treat of a second half to clinch the first leg of the Eastern Conference Championship over D.C. United. After conceding a goal to Nick DeLeon early, and getting a bit of luck with Andre Hainault escaping a red card, Houston rallied back in the second half with three unanswered goals from Hainault, Will Bruin and Kofi Sarkodie to cap a perfect season in downtown Houston. The win propelled the Dynamo to a second straight MLS Cup appearance.
"It's not about a streak or a number of games it's about that moment and a lot of the postseason is about will and digging deep and that's what we pride ourselves on having," said Brad Davis. "We knew just because we're down a goal it didn't mean anything. We just had to rise to the occasion and this team did that."
READ: Dynamo are being cautious with returns of Bruin and Boniek Garcia
2. August 20, 2011: Houston 3, Real Salt Lake 2
In the feel-good moment of the streak, the Dynamo looked destined to settle for a comeback draw against RSL. That was until Homegrown midfielder Alex Dixon stepped up. With nothing to lose, the youngster took his chance, lacing a left-footed strike from the top of the box to the far post and past a diving Nick Rimando. The goal whipped the team and fans into a memorable frenzy while clinching the comeback victory.
"I don't think we were too worried about the streak then," Davis said with a laugh. "Every young kid wants to have a moment like that, where you score a game winner and then the next kick the whistle blows. Obviously the emotions were running high getting that goal to win the game."
3. June 20, 2012: Houston 3, Toronto FC 3
At no point did the streak look as shaky as it did at the half of this one. After possibly the worst 45 the club has played at home during the streak, the Dynamo were in a 3-1 hole courtesy of a Danny Koevermans brace that had the Reds primed to end Houston's run. Enter Bruin. The sophomore sensation set a franchise record for total goals in a season with 16 in 2012 and his pair in the final 17 minutes, including a 90th-minute equalizer, made for one of the loudest crowd reactions that the new stadium has seen.
"That was maybe the most hyped-up I've been in a long time," Bruin recalled. "That was one of those games that we had a feeling that we weren't losing that game. We have that fight, we don't give up and don't stop playing until the final whistle and that game's a perfect example of it."
READ: Dynamo's Sarkodie no stranger to home unbeaten streaks
4. July 30, 2011: Houston 3, Seattle Sounders 1
A week after serving a suspension in the season's worst loss, 3-0 at Chivas USA, Brian Ching notched a vital brace to push Houston over the top in a 3-1 victory over the Sounders. Ching served a suspension for a red card given two weeks before, which he got for kicking out at Aurélien Collin. The captain's return led to a win that spurred a 7-3-4 finish to the season, a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference and an eventual run to the first of two MLS Cup final appearances during the streak.
Already having plenty of moments at both BBVA Compass and Robertson Stadiums to reminisce over, Houston could well make a memory to top them all on Sunday afternoon.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com


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Calendar |
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County
a civil rights milestone
Lincoln Home and Old State Capitol to commemorate 50th Anniversary
of Civil Rights Act
Send a link to a friend
[June 27, 2014]
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency and the Lincoln Home National Historic
Site are partnering to present a series of five programs honoring
the 50th Anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of
1964. The first program will take place on Thursday, June 5, with a
new program being held every week through the anniversary on
Wednesday, July 2.
On Thursday, June 5, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
Lincoln Home National Historic Site will host a panel discussion of
highly regarded scholars from a variety of academic specialties who
will bring their perspectives on the importance of the Civil Rights
act and its connections to the earlier Civil War and Reconstruction
eras. Panelists include Matthew Holden, Jr., the Wepner
Distinguished Professor in Political Science at the University of
Illinois Springfield, and author of The White Man's Burden; David
Joens, Director of the Illinois State Archives and author of From
Slave to State Legislator: John W. E. Thomas, Illinois' First
African American Legislator; and, Angela Winand, Curatorial
Assistant at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum who
is also working on a study of representations of race and gender in
the virtual world of Second Life. Samuel P. Wheeler, Historian at
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, will serve as
On Thursday, June 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Lincoln
Home National Historic Site will host acclaimed Civil Rights scholar
and author Yohuru Williams who will present "In the Shadow of
Lincoln: The Civil War and the Long Civil Rights Movement." Dr.
Williams is the History Department Chair and the Director of Black
Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and is
also Chief Historian for the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Museum
in New York, New York. Professor Williams is the author of Black
Politics/White Power: Civil Rights, Black Power; Black Panthers in
New Haven; and, Teaching U.S. History Beyond the Textbook: Six
Investigative Strategies, Grades 5-12. Dr. Williams is also a
founder of Yohuru Williams & Associates, a consulting firm
specializing in strategic research, dynamic support and tactical
assistance for non-profit, for-profit and educational organizations.
On Thursday, June 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Lincoln
Home National Historic Site will host author Clay Risen. Mr. Risen
is the author of the recently published and acclaimed The Bill of
the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act. He is also an
editor at The New York Times op-ed section. Prior to that Mr. Risen
was an assistant editor at The New Republic and the founding
managing editor of the noted quarterly Democracy: A Journal of
Ideas. His recent freelance work has appeared in such journals as
The Atlantic, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post. Mr. Risen is
also the author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King
Assassination and American Whiskey, Bourbon and Rye: A Guide to the
Nation's Favorite Spirit.
[to top of second column]
On Thursday, June 26, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., the Old
State Capitol State Historic Site will be the venue for a
dramatic portrayal of the Civil War to Civil Rights struggle as
actors present the story of freedom through the perspectives of
Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Acclaimed Lincoln
actor Fritz Klein will portray Abraham Lincoln and tell the
story of the struggle to bring freedom to a nation torn apart by
Civil War. Celebrated King actor Jim Lucas will pick up the
drama as he presents an impactful powerful portrayal of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and conveys King's dedication to
continue the nation's fight for freedom through the powerful
words of King's speeches.
On Wednesday, July 2, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., the 50th
anniversary date of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site will host a
program that will commemorate the historic legislation. A
variety of special guests and dignitaries will reflect on the
landmark legislation and will recount their personal stories in
their fight for Civil Rights, including United States Attorney
James A. Lewis. The program will also include musical
presentations inspired by the long Civil War to Civil Rights
[Text received; CHRIS WILLIS,
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(Pocket-lint) - Apple's latest cat is out the bag and ready to roar. But should you upgrade and is it worth the cash? We've been living with the new OS since its first beta outing earlier in the year to find out. And now that the final version is out and ready to download we can give you the lowdown.
The purpose of Lion, as we see it, is to start you on a path that will ultimately end with the holy matrimony of the iOS mobile operating system and the Mac OS X desktop operating system.
Apple know that dropping people straight in at the deep end doesn't work and so they have to educate along the way. That way when you do finally get to the end of this journey you are happy to be there, rather than wondering where it all went wrong. With that in mind Mac OS X Lion feels like the middle part of that journey, the Empire Strikes Back if you like, leading to a greater finale.
We say that because there are bits of the old and bits of the new, with Apple not yet fully forcing you to change the way you work. You'll quickly find there are plenty of ways to do the same thing as Apple tries to not alienate the Mac OS X user, while bringing iPad owners keen to move to Mac something familiar.
Mac OS X Lion is like the iPad
If you use an iPad you'll very quickly notice some of the same functionality here. The main features (remember Apple is promising some 250+ updates) are instant on, full screen apps, Launchpad, natural scroll, Mail and Safari, Versions, and Gestures.
Natural scroll
"Scroll direction: natural" is a strange one and one that we keep trying but have so far failed to get used to. The premise is that it moves the page like you are dragging it with your finger, rather than scrolling up and down in the conventional computer sense. So in a document, swiping up the trackpad will move you down the document. This is exactly the way that touchscreen devices work, yet it still feels alien on a computer.
One thing that doesn't help is the scroll bar at the side document/window then appears to be heading in a different direction to your swipe action. You can turn it off if you'd rather stick with the existing scrolling action.
Lion, like iOS, loves gestures. If you haven't got yourself a Magic Trackpad it is probably time to invest. Forget this idea of using a mouse for clicking and pointing your way around the screen, it's all about powering everything with your finger(s). We've all used two-finger scrolling for some time, but now you get more three and four finger actions joining the existing set you had in Snow Leopard.
On the point and click front there is tap to click, secondary click, look up (double tap with three fingers to look up a word), and three finger drag. On the scroll and zoom front there is zoom in and out with two fingers (basically pinch to zoom) smart zoom (double tap like you do on iOS) and rotate with two fingers as before.
Then there is two finger swipe between pages, four finger swipe between apps in full screen mode, four fingers up to reveal mission control, four fingers down to reveal App Expose, three fingers and a thumb clasped to reveal Launchpad, and then unclasped to reveal the desktop.
In practice most are easy to remember and we've found most to be helpful. Where it gets confusing is that they only work on the apps that have had them programmed in. So smart zoom will work on Apple's Safari (which is standard on Mac OS X Lion) but not with Chrome as Google hasn't added that feature yet. The new gestures also help navigation around Lion because it work slightly differently, so swiping from app to app becomes part of the natural navigation of the OS.
With Mac OS X Lion, Apple clearly believes the idea of a folder where you store your apps and access it by pressing Shift+Command+A, or through Finder, is boring. It wants something a little more iPad-like and so we get Launchpad, a home for your apps that's quickly accessed by clicking on an icon on your dock or by using that magic clasping motion we've just mentioned.
First off it's going to be a mess with your apps all over the place in no real order and, like iOS, no real way of quickly organising them without spending 10 minutes dragging app icons around your screen. Like the iPad you can put apps in folders and like the iPad there is a limit to how many apps you can put in said folders - 32.
Download new apps from the App Store and they appear in Launchpad automatically. Delete them from Launchpad and they are deleted. Moving forward it should be easy to manage, but it's not such a friendly process with the legacy apps you already have. Of course, you might already be one stage ahead of Launchpad, and if you use Spotlight to find and open apps then that works exactly as it did.
Once you have got yourself sorted it is a quick and easy way to launch your apps and access those beyond the ones that you store on your dock. But it's by no means any quicker than doing it via the Applications folder, and by no means easier given that you can't easily sort or manage the apps. In fact it becomes more of a drag once you fill up one page as that involves another swipe, when Apple's original way of accessing apps - i.e., via a folder - was simple.
Annoyingly you can't add document folders to Launchpad, it's for launching apps only. Clicks and swipes aside, it also makes you start to wonder (see opening gambit) why we've still got a desktop other than to dump files on as a work area?
Instant On and Resume
The modern day Mac has always had instant on and here it is no different. Shut the lid on your laptop, open it back up again and it is there waiting for you to get back to work. None of this going into sleep mode, no hibernation stuff, it just works. How does this affect battery life? Well it doesn't really. Of course if you leave it in this status it will eventually run out of battery, but the battery drain shouldn't give you too much issue.
Mac OS X Lion takes this one stage further by offering a resume feature too. If you shut down your Mac and opt for resume (it's a tick box) all the apps that you had running will be reopened on start up. That's incredibly handy after a software update, or if you're just a creature of habit that always uses the same apps.
Full screen apps
Like many of the new features of Lion it is new, but only if your application supports it. Here Apple apps like Mail, Safari, and iPhoto get full screen support so you can use them like you do on the iPad or iPhone. There are other apps appearing in the Mac App Store and we've been playing with those too, but where it gets confusing is that some apps - the Google Chrome browser for example - have the icon to go full screen (two little arrows in the top right hand corner), but while they go full screen, it is not the same as Apple's full screen mode.
When you do push apps full screen they of course instantly dominate the screen zoning out everything else. For Mail users that means no nipping off to the desktop to drag in an attachment for example, or for Safari users no dragging off an image to save it. It means that you are using those apps in isolation. All that processing power and you're zoned in on checking your email.
You can have a number of apps in full screen mode and switch between them with the appropriate swipe, so it acts a little like Spaces. On a smaller screen, this means you can have a full browser window, then swipe to a full iCal window, then over to a full Mail window, for example, without touching the Dock. In full screen you don't get access to the Dock, it remains hidden, but you can jump to Mission Control with the appropriate gesture, or swiping back to the Desktop.
We've found that some third-party apps lose their full screen option (in the view menu) if they had one previously, so working with full screen may well take some time to get completely realised, but so far we've found it useful.
Mail and Safari, iCal, Address Book
If you've used an iPad, and more specifically its email and browser then you'll feel right at home here. In fact so at home you might be forgiven for thinking that you've just bolted on a keyboard to your iPad. Mail has had an overhaul to be virtually identical to the iPad app complete with left-hand mail list right-hand preview pane. There is an option to see your mailboxes, but this is hidden by default when you start the app. Messages are threaded, icons are similar. It's the same experience.
Likewise for Safari - although you do get Adobe Flash - it's very similar in its approach. New here is Reading List feature that lets you collect web pages to read later. It's a really nice feature for those that constantly find stories they want to read but don't have the time right there and then. Click Add page and it goes in a queue that can then be sorted by all or unread. Sadly you still need an internet connection, as it doesn't cache the page for offline viewing.
iCal essentially offers the same information as before, and on upgrading carried over our existing calendars without issue. However, it has been stylised in a way that reflects the iPad's calendar, with mock leather dressing and ripped page stubs. It's a striking contrast to the slick lines presented elsewhere, making it look a little dated on what is a progressive operating system. We wish we had the option to switch it to match the rest of the visuals.
Address Book has never been the most sophisticated of apps on OS X and yes, it looks like a book. We're not huge fans of the visuals, as like iCal, it sort of jars with the sophisticated minimalist design elsewhere in Lion. It just looks a little dated and eccentric.
Versions and Auto Save
Like the iPad the idea of having to save anything has also been removed if you are using the right app. Mac OS X Lion now automatically saves stuff for you allowing you to see those revisions as time goes on every hour on the hour as well as tracking the history of a document. It's a nice idea but unless you are using the right software it won't be relevant.
Mac OS X Lion is nothing like the iPad
For all its attempts to be like the iPad, Mac OS X Lion is also very much a desktop operating system. Apple has introduced a number of features here including AirDrop, a new tweaked look, Mission Control, greater networking support, greater control of Time Machine, new UNIX options and Lion Server elements too.
A new look
It's a new OS so that means a new look. A quick glance and you won't notice. Apple are good at that, but on closer examination there are changes to be found with the design. In is a more square look, out are the blue bubbles that looked "oh so cute". But it's not just about more rectangular confirmation buttons.
Scroll bars have been given the boot too with them appearing when you interact with a window and then quickly disappearing when you don't.
The Finder menus are more grey and muted rather than the bright colourful affair they are in Snow Leopard and overall across the board it's a lot more minimalist.
One for the office bunch that like to share stuff and haven't got around to or don't trust services like Dropbox.
Load it up, search for nearby colleagues and fire over the file via an ad-hoc network you've created with your wireless connection. You don't need to be on a wireless network or connected to the Internet for it to work and the whole experience is easy. It is completely the opposite kind of thinking to Google's Chrome OS.
Mission Control
If you use Snow Leopard currently then chances are you swear by Expose and its ability to scatter the pages you are working on so you can quickly find the right one. Mission Control in Mac OS X tries to take this to the next level, however for us ends up being a muddle and almost a deal breaker.
You see, app windows are now clustered together. That's fine if you've only got a single window open in that app, but if you are working on multiple spreadsheets, or Word documents or image files trying to find the right file window is now a lot slower, especially if they look the same.
Additionally to try and confuse matters, you've then got management of your full screen apps, and Spaces (surprisingly still present). All this for the new Mac OS X user is probably going to be a bit too much. It can very quickly end up in frustration trying to find the file you want.
Time Machine and other bits and bobs
It's not all user interface and front facing tweaks. Mac OS X Lion brings plenty of other treats for the geeks too.
OS X Lion includes a built-in restore partition, allowing you to repair or reinstall OS X without the need for discs, for example, as well as use of the Safari browser when in restore mode if you need to access Apple support pages. Then there are virtualisation options for those looking to run different versions of Mac OS X on the same machine (developers you know you want this).
Beyond that you'll get Low Power Wake options for services such as file sharing, backup, and more without the need to turn on the monitor or attached USB devices and plenty of other geeky stuff that makes this a worthy of being called a desktop upgrade.
If you own a Mac for £21 this is a no brainer and Apple know that. It's not the Microsoft approach of charging you £200 for an operating system that makes you think about upgrading, it's the Apple approach of getting to you change the way you use your computer and then you'll be more prone to future ideas and future products like the iPad, or a new MacBook Air with a big shiny touchpad for all those gestures.
As we said at the beginning this is Apple's Empire Strikes Back, pushing us to an operating system that is more akin to the iPad and less like the traditional desktop than we've seen before.
For some that will be very welcomed. There are some really handy features in here and we can see why some will love the full screen apps while others will hate them and the need to use Apple's products to get the most out of those features until others update their software.
Overall the improvements will be welcomed. The OS is as stable as you would expect and the performance is as good as Snow Leopard, but this being day 1, we're sure there will be some hiccups, especially if you use a lot of third-party apps.
It's £20.99 in the UK and that's unlikely to break the bank - you're an Apple owner after all. Ultimately Apple has created an OS that tries to appeal to both new and traditional users and at times that doesn't work. We get the feeling Apple knows that too, which is why there are multiple ways of doing things.
It's by no means Apple's Vista, but it's by no means a work of "genius" either.


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Okay everybody. I have just finished watching a pre-release copy of the new and wonderful Systema Hand to Hand. Get excited people. It's incredible. This is a superb effort by Vladimir.
As with the most recent works by Vlad, this isn't just a collection of techniques. It's step-by-step explanat..read more >>