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Jan 28, 2012
Muppet Fan Testimonials: Justine Sautjeau
Today, I throw my love for red monsters, talking frogs, and mee-meeing scientists in the world's face, and I love it. Yet, it seems easier to do so in England than in France, where I live now. Probably because, even though The Muppet Show had a big impact decades ago, it is not such a big deal there anymore.
The Muppet Show was very famous in France in the 1970s/80s in its initial run. Then, years later, a few episodes were broadcast, and my TV turned into a house for strange creatures I had never seen before. I remember finding it scary, too adult, too rude, and above all, too political for me (even though I can't really remember now if it was that much about politics). I was too young to understand. Where did those creatures come from? Could animals talk? Now that I'm writing this, I search for videos on the Internet... and watching it today, I must admit that the French version does not make me laugh... while the English/US one does a lot! Maybe the translation/humour was not good enough for my little brain.
Even though I was a bit scared of the Muppets and didn't understand them, I developed a growing interest in puppetry and was fascinated by a puppeteer's work. Punch and Judy didn't get much of my attention, but my toys did. Making them talk, play, creating their personalities... it quickly became a part of my life and a way to escape reality. I guess all kids do that. Apart from those toys at home, I didn't have much of a "Muppety life." I forgot about The Muppet Show even though I kept Kermit somewhere in my mind, thinking I would give him another chance at some point. I kept an interest for puppets, going to some theatre performances, admiring the craft I couldn't do myself. Geniuses. They are geniuses. The guys who can go on the stage, control puppets, and make the audience forget about their presence are just geniuses. They can sing, act, do everything, become the ONLY actor on stage, and everybody will stare at the puppets, not the puppeteers. They are just shadows and let their creations have all the attention and compliments. I fell in love with puppetry when I understood how great those guys were. I wished I was one of them, but it sounded too crazy.
So I just focused on watching rather than creating. I watched TV shows, but also films such as Labyrinth (mainly because I am a huge fan of David Bowie). I've never managed to say what genre this film is. Comedy? Fantasy? Drama? For me it was just wonderfully weird (in a good way!). But unfortunately, in France, puppetry on TV just included a show with a big orange dinosaur called "Casimir," and his friends, living in The Children's Island. He was supposed to be the sweetest monster on Earth. Our Elmo, in some way. I just found it ugly and scary... sorry, Casimir...
Then, a few years later, I discovered Sesame Street--which made up for all the Muppets in the world. Sesame Street didn't appear in France before 2005, but the internet threw the nice monsters in my face overnight. Elmo, this adorable red monster, quickly became one of my favourite TV personalities. It was a sweeter introduction to Muppets, probably what I needed–even though the Muppets are the sweetest creatures on Earth, which I realized later. Yet I don't like the show for its innocence, but for Elmo's hyperactivity which turns him into a crazy uncontrollable creature. To me, Sesame Street is not just for children--nor The Muppet Show. They're grown-ups shows. This self-awareness, this sarcasm, this craziness and chaos are the representation of what we need in our sad adult life. We need fun, madness, and we need to rediscover kindness and friendship. Realizing that Kermit and his friends just wanted to spread these ideas, I decided it was time to give them another chance.
I figured that the Muppet films would be a good way to go back to them, and rediscover them. I was right! I love their kindness, their idea of a world of acceptance, of keeping a team spirit whatever happens... And seriously, when I watch them, I could pee my pants laughing (it was time to say something a bit gross, I hope you appreciate it). Crazy Miss Piggy fighting, Kermit in ecstasy on his bike, the hospital scene from The Muppets Take Manhattan... these are exactly the kind of scenes that will always make me laugh, even after watching them 1000 times. And, whatever people say, I love Muppets From Space! It might not have had the promotion and production it deserved at its release time, but if you watch it now, you'll see that it's all about supporting friends and accepting them for what they are; in short, a real Muppet movie! I was so happy to make up with them. Especially with Fozzie, who is nothing but my alter ego, making jokes whatever people think of them (you're funny, never give up buddy!).
I sadly realized that Elmo couldn't play with his Muppets friends anymore since Disney bought Jim Henson's creatures... and trying to find footage of them all together, I found the videos of Jim Henson funeral, which are just incredible. I've never cried that much before. Big Bird's tribute is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, really. Once again, my love for puppeteers grew more and more while watching those videos...
But now, we're in 2012, things are not the same... or are they? Last weekend, I happened to see a preview of The Muppets (nope, not released yet in the UK). I was really scared to be disappointed. How could the modern world recreate the amazingness of the Muppets? Will there be too many human scenes? Will it translate the humour and sarcasm of the Muppets? Well, congratulations Jason Segel and team, you did it!! It's just incredible. I wanted to sing, to cry, I had shivers. I felt the impact of the Muppets' absence in people's lives, I felt happiness and nostalgia. The non-stop jokes, musicals scenes, and self-mockery are hilarious. Bret McKenzie deserves his award, and the puppeteers... oh my God... I can't even find the words to tell you how amazing they are! Hearing "Rainbow Connection" made me think of all the great moments I spent watching either Sesame Street or the Muppets. And it made me feel like something was missing in my life–not only the Muppet Show, but something bigger. Cause the Muppets are also about something deeper that you can't really explain.
Yes, it is probably a very personal script by Jason Segel; the script of a fan desperate to see his favourite comedians back on screen. Yet, it is a great tribute to Jim Henson's world and creation. Thank you, Mister Henson.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, email@example.com
Tags: Muppet Fan Testimonials
2 comments:
- Crazy HarrySunday, January 29, 2012 at 9:02:00 AM CST
Great article!ReplyDelete
Mee Mee Mo Mo!!ReplyDelete
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Störtebeker Pils is magnificent: a sharp bitter kick gets it going and the middle is smooth and creamy. It's almost in the same league as Keesmann Herren Pils, a beer which I searched vainly for during my festival visits but which didn't seem to be on sale anywhere.
It was a tough act to follow and Störtebeker Schwarz didn't quite manage it. This is a nasty-looking murky brown with big loud chocolate flavours followed quickly by dry roast. As good as many a schwarzbier on sale at the festival, but by no means a stand-out.
Always a sucker for novelty I couldn't pass by the Köstritzer bar without having a go of their helles. I mean, pale Köstritzer? Kerr-azy! The name is Köstritzer Edel and it's a very pale yellow indeed. In an otherwise non-descript lager I swear I was able to detect some of the back-of-the-throat crisp dryness that is the hallmark of normal dark Köstritzer, but I'm well aware of how powerful suggestion can be when tasting beer and I wasn't going to stop to carry out a blind taste.
Of course there was a big showing by Schneider, who had a couple bars on the go. We made a few return visits there: Aventinus Eisbock at €1.50 a glass will do that. But in the calmer hours I took the time to try Schneider Weisse Blonde, simply because it's a beer from one of my favourite breweries which I've never tasted. It presents like weissbier from a normal brewery: pale orange-yellow and hazy. There's the classic clove flavour you get with good weissbier and only the lack of any dark malt complexity marks it out as different from Schneider's flagship product. Not something I'd go rushing back to (unlike the Eisbock) but I'm glad I tried it.
While we're in Bavaria we may as well pay a visit to Andechs. The cheeky monks were ignoring the festival pricing so it was a whole €2 for a sample of their beer. Andechs Hell is a textbook Bavarian Helles: purest pale gold, silkily smooth and just lightly bitter. Andechs Dunkel is less well put together, blaring coffee and slightly sickly toffee but with just enough dryness on the finish to make it work.
A doppelbock was of course necessary at some point and Riegele Doppelbock was the first I spotted and was just what I was after: a clear mahogany, it's properly filling and the flavour dashes between liquorice, caramel, lavender and rosewater. There's almost a barley wine heat and complexity to it.
So we come to the last beer of the post and you'll doubtless all be shocked by the complete lack of rauchbier in my German trip notes. As it happens I only met the one, from a brewery in Franconia which claims to be the smallest brewer of smoked beer in the region.
Fischer Rauchbier is a clear brown colour and exudes massive smoked salmon and bacon flavours which I loved. Backbone is provided by a certain amount of caramel, but it's mostly light and quaffable all the way through.
And that's it from Berlin. It's a city that makes you work hard to find anything different from the orthodox beer styles, even when it's running a huge international beer festival. But what's there, by and large, is pretty good.
Play us out, Hans:

subset: commoncrawl


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Your loss is their gain
FebFast, Dry July, Droptober. Do these months of abstinence have any lasting value?
With FebFast, Dry July and Ocsober, there are now three months in which we can avoid alcohol for the sake of good causes - and our livers.
Now, along comes Droptober, which is about trying out new eating and exercise habits. The aim is to lose two kilograms for charity - and our health.
Do these months have any lasting value?
I think dry months are a great way to rethink our drinking habits. They're not about giving up alcohol for good (although they can help normalise not drinking) but are a reminder that a break from alcohol doesn't necessarily take something away but can give something back. A clearer head, for example, or better skin, or more money.
As for Droptober, now in its second year, the hope is that some of the changes people make will stick around for good. They have for Sara Howard, a 40-year-old copywriter with two children. The habits she picked up last year helped her peel off five kilograms during the course of the month. Importantly, the weight is still off 12 months later.
''I liked the idea that Droptober was about dropping just two kilos. I thought I could do that,'' says Howard, whose new habits began with downloading a food diary with a kilojoule counter to her phone.
''Once I could see what I was eating - and how many kilojoules there were in things like three full-cream lattes - it became easier to make smarter choices. They weren't big changes: I switched to low-fat milk; I ate an apple instead of a muffin; if I was making lasagne for the family, I ate a smaller portion but with more salad. After two weeks, I had a new way of eating.''
A food diary app also worked for 36-year-old Lindsey Hoad, who, after losing almost six kilograms during Droptober last year, went on to lose another 17. All the weight has stayed off. The diary helped her monitor what she ate and kept her accountable, she says.
Research backs up these experiences; keeping a daily record of what you eat and drink can help keep you focused. A study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in the US found that women who kept food journals for a 12-month period lost more weight than those who did not.
Another useful strategy is taking lunch to work, rather than buying it there. Howard takes either leftovers from dinner or a salad. ''It means I'm not nipping out for a BLT or buying chicken and chips,'' she says.
Hoad has focused on only buying healthy food. She also checks restaurant menus before going out to eat. ''If it looks hard to find the right food, I'll ask friends if we can go somewhere else,'' she says.
For Hoad, it was also important to make time for exercise. ''Everyone finds an hour to go on Facebook or watch TV. You can always fit in a 30-minute run. This is the first time in six years that I've been able to maintain my weight. The hardest thing is getting started. You keep putting it off. You say to yourself, 'I'll have this pizza and then I'll do something about it tomorrow.' The whole premise of Droptober is about getting started and changing habits that set you up for success - and the fact that you're raising money is an extra commitment factor.''
Droptober raises funds for children's charities Variety and the Kids for Life Foundation. The website offers weight-loss advice from experts, including Droptober's organiser, personal trainer Mike Jarosky, and nutritionist Joanna McMillan.
See droptober.com.au.
Paula Goodyer blogs at smh.com.au/chewonthis.


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Duchess Kate waxes nostalgic touring her former elementary school
LONDON – The Duchess of Cambridge has gone back to school.
The royal, formerly known as Kate Middleton, played hockey and revealed her childhood nickname -- Squeak -- when she returned to her elementary school for a visit Friday.
Kate told teachers and students at the private St. Andrew's School in southern England that her 10 years there were "some of my happiest years." She said that she enjoyed it so much that she had told her mother she wanted to return as a teacher.
Kate, who was a keen hockey player in school, joined a group of 12-year-olds for a training session in a green and blue tartan Alexander McQueen coat and three-inch-heeled boots.
The 30-year-old duchess attended the school from 1986 until 1995.


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Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Event management
- Recruiter
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- Jeddah (SA)
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- 07 Jul 2017
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- 02 Mar 2018
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- Business & Economics, Business & Management
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- Academic Posts, Professors / Chairs, Principal / Senior Lecturers / Associate Professors, Lecturers / Assistant Professors
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- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Event management
Job Description
To contribute to curriculum development in the various disciplines and to teach according to a set syllabus while providing support to KAUFT in pursuit of achieving its academic objectives. To contribute to academic initiatives undertaken by the School to enhance learning while promoting relevant studies in accordance to the needs of the community, and to support and expand programs for tourism and business education to achieve this objective.
Key Performance Areas
- Lecturing to full-time and part time undergraduate students;
- Assessment of students;
- Administration of assessments;
- Monitoring of student progress;
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- Development and recirculation of courses and programs focused on relevant disciplines;
- Collaboration with the business community to improve programs and access learning opportunities for students such as internships; and
- Serve on academic/administrative communities that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters and academic issues.
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Application Process
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Why Jerry Needs To Fire The GM
First off let me say I love Jerry Jones as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, his love and commitment to win is evident in the way he speaks about the Dallas Cowboys, now with that said:
Since Jerry bought the Dallas Cowboys 20 years ago he has had six head coaches two of them seemingly had some control over personnel, the rest were just Jerry's puppets. When Jimmie Johnson was the head coach we had some outstanding drafts taking Aikman, Emmitt and Maryland as his first round picks, which led us to 3 super bowls, but after Jerry's ego wouldn't allow Jimmie to have more power or take credit for the success. They parted ways and along came the puppets Switzer , Gailey , and Campo the drafts were horrible during these years taking players like Quincy Carter, Shante Carver, Dwayne Goodrich, David Lafleur and Sherman Williams with our first picks. If any general manager in football had drafts like these he would be long gone wouldn't he? luckily in 2003 I thought Jerry was checking his ego finally when he hired Parcells who is one of the best talent evaluators in NFL history. Parcells drafts included most of the incredibly talented team you see on the field today including James, Ware, Barber, Newman, and of course signing Romo.
There are only two teams in football that the owners act like the GM the Cowboys and the Raiders. Luckily we had Parcells for three years or we would be right where the Raiders are, terrible. Jerry's problem as a GM is that he has no eye for talent and that he always wants to make a big splash. The drafts between Johnson and Parcells were just horrible, then going after players like Deion, Eddie George, Chris Warren, Joey Galloway and most recently Pacman, T.O. and Roy Williams. Doesn't this sound like someone who just wants a big splash rather than keeping, let's say the two first rounder's for Galloway and building a solid team? The examples are endless during the puppet years and that's the reason we haven't won number six. Right now we have the talent to win number six but that's not going to last forever. Jerry please fire yourself as general manager.
Boys 4 Life


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Gen 8 Hardware Sales (US):
XOne 61,410 (-18%) 2,625,007
WiiU 14,030 (-8%) 2,363,932
Gen 8 Software Sales (US):
XOne 192,586 (-29%) 7,350,378
WiiU 72,484 (+26%) 10,077,253
Top 5 games:
1. inFAMOUS: Second Son (PS4) Sony Computer Entertainment, Action 109,584
2. Titanfall (XOne) Electronic Arts, Shooter 93,119
3. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (PS4) Konami Digital Entertainment, Action 43,594
4. Diablo III (PC) Activision, Role-Playing 42,732
5. Minecraft (X360) Microsoft Game Studios, Adventure 36,942
VGCharts Global March 2014: 626,726 PS4 to 433,889 Xbox
VGCharts US only March 2014: 238,972 PS4 to 289,340 Xbox
According to VGCharts Xbox outsold PS4 in the US by ~50k, but got outsold globally by ~200k. Taken with a big grain of salt as usual.
Good numbers for MS.
Even after the 118% boost in X1 sales last week from Titanfall, it still outsold PS4, despite inFamous releasing just recently. Titanfall continues to sell after 18 days, and almost outsold inFamouse during its launch week.
Sure ignoring the fact that there are two PS4 games in the top 3. And the fact that PS4 had a high software sale of about 40k. Yes Titanfall is selling well.
Thats right. It outsold the PS4 by 4k units. At this rate the Xbox One will pass the PS4 in 62 weeks. I definitely don't expect either to win every week.
@sethry Titanfall is selling well compared to PS4 games or not, it doesn't have to be compared at all However, it is rather impressive that a new IP is selling this well compared to a well known IP (even with an extra week of naturally declining sales).
We are just looking at numbers, which are helpful of course, but can also be misleading. 250k more PS4s have been sold in US, yet only 40k more games during a period where the PS4 heavy hitter is more "fresh". The fact that PS4 has 2 titles in the top 3 can be spun the way you did it, but it can also be spun in the way that...there are less games to attract the attention of PS4 owner at the moment, so they centered on these two games more than spreading out on XB1.
Either way US is THE major video games market, and alone could sustain both of these companies, so it's great to see it evening out here and being competitive. That being said, MS should take a long hard look now and consider spreading out more to than just 13 countires...esp to China...game scene isn't big there now...but if it takes off...
Corvusmd, what other games are sales spreading for on Xbox?
That list is about equal with the amount of PS4 games and Xbox games. The fact that PS4s first party game is first, and a multiplat has sold more then double on PS4 to Xbox can hardly be "Spun".
I don't disagree that Titanfall is selling very well, but PS4 software sales are high by 40k then Xbox.
And I disagree that comparisons should not be made, the whole point of these figures being provide is to make comparisons.
Im curious about the whole 13 countries thing. South Africa was not one of the 13 countries the Xbox was released in, but it has been released here now. Im curious to know if its the only country or if has been released in others....
This is a worldwide market, not just the US... Keep being blind to that fact
US and Uk are probably the only regions where MS has a chance of competing with Sony. Other than that Sony dominates them in pretty much every other region so far.
Infamous launched last week. Week ending 22. It outsold Titanfall by a large margin.
I own both systems and enjoy each one for its particular benefits so it behooves me to hope for the best products to make it to market. However, should the inventory stats reflect actual sales of Titanfall; in contrast to how many are moved as a free game included with the system?
Without outselling PS4 thanks to titanfall Xbox is not having the best start. That was the game that was supposed to get them back on level terms. There still behind and quite a margin. Ps4 consoles seems to have dried up again after the initial boost thanks to the ones held back for Sony thanks to Infamous bundles.
What are you talking about. They aren't supply constrained anymore. And titanfall is selling really well
2 million systems sold in 3 weeks isn't really... feasible. I don't care what game came out.
I have been seeing ps4 on store shelves for the first time ever, so how do you figure that?
Titanfall did help it catch up, it didn't make it top dog, but it is a giant growth compared to the last few months is it not?
Either way, congrats to both Sony and Microsoft.
As far as the people gloating that MGS sold more on the PS4, considering how short the game is, it's not impressive, it's a crapshoot for one, why should an over-priced demo selling well be something to be proud of? It's more like "Wow, that many people bought that demo/game?" I've played it and beat at a friends house, and it's pretty cool, it feels very MGS, but it is in no way a must have title.
Also factoring in how MGS is not really a staple of the Xbox brand like it is for PS fans, it's a no brainer that it would sell better on PS4.
And, lastly, if the PS4's games like knack, KZ:SF were of any real demand/quality, then shouldn't they be outselling A glorified tech Demo?
ps4s have not been dried up. I've been seeing them on shelves for about 3 weeks to a month now everywhere i go.
Where is that 1 mil. Xbone sales boosted by Titanfall release?
Great two successful consoles competition is what drives gaming evolution!
Oh stop being silly, you know you have to pick a side /s
I'm a Playstation diehard, but games like D4 and Sunset Overdrive piques my interest in the XBOne. From these numbers, I'm not the only one.
I'll wait till next year. See MS, I'm a timed exclusive console buyer.
Now all we need are some truly evolved games to go with the evolved consoles...
As usual Microsoft might have a slight edge in the US, but worldwide its always been Sony. I still to this day don't understand why my fellow Americans would support a company like Microsoft.
Maybe just maybe they like supporting an American company so those people can go home and feed their families you know little things like that.
Although I totally agree with you, saying that for a company like MS feels so wrong...
Hmm that's strange, I thought Microsoft was an multinational company? And being that you are from the 702, I'd wager if you called Tech support from the USA for your Windows or phone issue you would get a tech in India or the Phillipines.
Or did you know that Microsoft actually imports alot of it's "american" workforce from foreign countries?
Reference: http://www.motherjones.com/...
Did you also know that Microsoft contracts its computer accessories from"dedicated" Chinese work force contracted to build products?
Reference: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...
Before declaring Microsoft is all patriotic, keep in minds it's multinational -Just like Sony (not being a truly Japanese centric company).
TL:DR If I used your logic, you should support Sony too since it has movie/music/game studios in the United States.
@ VegasDawg -
You would probably have a point if the console was actually made here in the US.
Good links. The level of globalization we have reached leaves little to nothing patriotic when it comes to multinational juggernauts like MS, Apple, Sony etc..
Strangely though Google does fit the profile doesn't it? considering the fact that they are 95% software/server/add oriented and based mostly in the US. Go figure. So my American friends feel free to patriotically support Google!
"That would actually fit the trend of sales since release....
The US has been the strongest market for the Xbox by far."
Except the PS4 has been the number 1 seller at the top four US retailers for the past month and a half. The only exception was 3 days at one of those retailers, Best Buy, when the PS4 was temporarily out of stock. At places such as Amazon the gap between the PS4 and the X1 has on average been more than 10 slots.
There is a good, solid, logical reason VG Chartz numbers are banned at Neogaf. It is guesswork and very poor guesswork at that.
Nice numbers generally... curious to see how much of a bump in sales figures the xbx one gets in september..launching in 26 more regions should help push the numbers up..
It won't help as much as you think, the xbox brand only sells well in the US and UK so don't get your hopes up.
I beg to differ and i think you are underestimating the fact that we are talking about 26 countries here...even if sales aint great in those countries its still going to give the console a good boost.
If the xbox one had launched in this 26 additional countries back in november the difference in the current sales numbers between both consoles wouldnt be as much as it is now. Thats a fact. It might not have outsold the ps4 in those countries it might have even sold half the numbers of sonys ps4 in those regions but one thing would be certain the difference would definitly not be as much as it is right now.. and thats why i think MS needs to put up a great show at E3 cos like it or not that event (e3) has a major influence on the deceisions gamers make worldwide.
Thats not true, just because it doesnt beat the ps4 doesnt mean it doesnt sell well. The xbox sells well everywhere except Japan. The 360 sold out in every region exceptt Japan at launch
The Xbox 360 only outsold the ps3 in America and the UK, it still sold good every place else except Japan. Ps3 sold good numbers in America and UK not as much as 360 but still really good amounts.
christocolus no it would not even help because if you think about it if they did sell in those 26 additional countries then they would sold themselves short in the uk and usa so that would mean the sells that they had from uk and usa would decrease significantly due do supply.
@christocolus... just wanted say i hope XBOX 1 releasing in more countries in Sept. helps out Microsoft. so i agree wit you. But, Microsoft still has a lot to do to gain confidence in consumers world wide! Hopefully they will. they have 5 months to do that- another note. I love VG CHARTZ!!!! i know their numbers are not totally accurate, but, i just love reading Sale Charts about video games and consoles! thank you William D'Angello
I agree. They are heading in the right direction. They have a new console direction, with games 1st. They have solid line up of games and are updating the u.I. already. Plus the controller updates.
Nintendo needs Mario Kart or something to provide a spike for Wii U in terms of sales
Next month. Wii U should definitely see a spike, especially in Japan.
Can't wait for the official numbers.
If you look at Amazon the PS4 has been in the top 5 for nearly a month and it was still being out sold by the Xbox One.
It is not being outsold by xboxone... this is Lolchartz here we are talking about not real life.
wait for npd
ye, the past 2 months ps4 has been undertracked by vgc and xbox1 overtracked when compared to npd. Wouldn't shock me if npd had ps4 ahead again.
Completely untrue. VGChartz predicted 145K for Xbox One in February and NPD reported 258K. VGC undertracked the XB1 by over 100,000 units! To be fair, the PS4 was also undertracked by over 80,000 units, but actually do some research next time before spouting complete mistruths.
You can see VGChartz' predictions versus the NPD results in the second chart down in this forum thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz...
hhmm not sure why I thought that then. Could have sworn it was true from my recollections on the data. Correction appreciated.
Between me and GraveLord, we record the results of Vgchartz on this site. Vgchartz will update their information retroactively but your recollection is correct. YodaCracker is correct but fails to realize that the site also over tracked the Xbox by 100k the month before.
Do facts hurt you disagreers, I mean check out amazon and gamestops web site, and look at the best sellers list. PS4 is ahead of XB1 on both sites
For the disagreers I don't believe the Xbox numbers.
I'm looking forward to NPD as well, but I'll be fine if the xbone outsells the PS4.
I used to have a burning hatred for MS. They pissed me off to no end before, but when they tried to pull their draconian DRM, it grew to hatred.
Now that Phil is at the helm, almost all of that has subsided. Sure Phil isn't perfect and of course he is going to have to make decisions that will please share holders as well, but he's also a gamer and I genuinely believe he's going to turn the xbone around and make it's focus on games.
I still have a pet peeve for MS apologists. I don't think that will ever go away lol.
I can't wait to see the sales figures when Halo on X1 comes out
Halo 4 sold 3.1 million on its 1st day
Yes, and those numbers helped catapult the 360 to 3rd place.
Somebody is mad my series did 3.1m on the first day. third place total and 1st place in software sales not bad for ms
@ the pope I'm keeping it real
You're right it put them in 3rd, but what's even more interesting, which people like you fail to point out. Is that Microsoft took 50% of Sonys market share. 3rd place means nothing in comparison to that accomplishment. Hell, if anything Sony failed last gen.
Great numbers all around, the videogame market is obviously doing very well.
EDIT: Not to mention first in software! Thank you SG1
I think the disagrees are more because there is very little know about what Halo will be on Xbox one, let alone even a hint at any kind of release date.
The market could be very different by the time it comes. Speculation on no facts usually doesn't hold up at all.
@pope yeah, by rushing the 360 out a year early with the rrod fiasco. Many people bought multiple 360's, padding their numbers and still got outsold.
You people get all caught up in this "place" nonsense. The 360 has sold 80 million to date, the ps3 is maybe 82? All three companies experienced huge success hardware sales wise last gen, MS is likely satisfied with third place if it means 80 million sold and still selling.
"Microsoft took 50% of Sonys market share. "
Yeah, and Nintendo who sold more consoles than MS took another 60% from Sony.
Homeschooling sucks.
"Microsoft took 50% of Sonys market share."
Nintendo had nothing to do with it?
Sony's own arrogance, mistakes, and miscalculations had nothing to do with it?
It was all MS, "taking" market share?
I don't care at all about "place". I didn't care when PS2 dominated everything else, I didn't care when PS3 was in 3rd, and I don't care that PS4 is in 1st now. All I was pointing out was that Halo's sales aren't going to be a huge difference maker this gen any more than they were last gen.
"which people like you fail to point out. Is that Microsoft took 50% of Sonys market share"
LMAO, Not with only One Game console on the market! or are we only counting Microsoft's one console, but ignore sony's other Two system's to make it seem that Microsoft took Sony's market share %... Look while Microsoft grew the xbox platforms market share, that is not up for debate, because its a fact, Microsoft did not take Sony's 50% STAKE IN MARKET SHARE! WHICH IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE AND ITS A FACT.
Nintendo is 1st with 5 system's in the retail chain for world wide market share %
Sony is 2nd with 4 systems in the retail chain
Microsoft is 3rd with 2 systems in the retail chain.
Microsoft did not take 50% of Sony market share not with 1 system, if anything Both Nintendo and Sony both have mobile game systems which Microsoft does not have a single Dedicated mobile game system, and most likely never will!
while Microsoft grew its market % share for the xbox it in no way took anywhere near 50% away from Sony that is just a freaking Pipe dream, because at this point microsft has not been in this part of the market long enough to do so, just look at the release system nuber of regions for microsoft 13 vs Nintendo and Sony's over 50+ regions in the world, that takes years, Microsoft has not gathered enough time yet to get the retail pipelines established enough world wide at least in any real large number's like Nintendo and Sony has, and again they only just now have a 2nd system at the same time on the market as the new xboxone, which already the xbox360's sales is already slowed down, is expected, but the fact that the xbox base has yet really shown Microsoft that they are really willing to support two of microsoft systems at the same time, many xbox360 user's have switched over to the xboxone outright, which shows Microsoft that pretty much in the United states and north america that once Microsoft releases a new system the older system's support gets cut and already you can see microsoft doing such.
Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, but its very clear in most cases that Microsoft unlike Nintendo and Sony is pretty much a 1 xbox platform "at a time" , not because microsoft could not support more than one at a time, its just the majority of xbox user's only really want one system.
At least right now its looking that way, could that change maybe, but if the xbox360 is anything to go by, while a very good system, its just that microsoft's clear direction is to put every thing into the new system and pretty much let the past system go by the way side sooner rather than later.
@ThePope: "You're right it put them in 3rd, but what's even more interesting, which people like you fail to point out. Is that Microsoft took 50% of Sonys market share."
How to fail at math, logic and grammar in a single sentence (or two).
A lot of "taking" market share was MS just showing up to the game with its own console, development and infrastructure. Not every company can do it or more would. Nothing Sony could have done about it.
@ lifeisgamesok
To be fair, Halo 4 came out on an Xbox 360 which had a well-established install base well over 50 million households.
The next Halo will not have nearly same base to tap into, and therefore will have a much harder time reaching those kinds of launch numbers.
Halo 3 launched with an install base of approx 12 million and sold over 3 million in week 1.
@ Death
Given the difference in the variables of time frame, franchise interest, and install base, I don't see how your statistic does anything to refute what I just said.
- One week is not the same as one day.
- Interest in the supposed end of the entire Halo story (Halo 3) is not the same as Halo 5, which will be the continuation of an ongoing saga.
- We also have no idea what the Xbox One install base will be whenever the next Halo arrives.
Consider this in addition:
- With Halo 3, 25% of the Xbox 360 install base purchased the game within the first week.
- With Halo 4, only 6.3% of the Xbox 360 install base purchased the game within the first week.
I think that illustrates my point fairly effectively. You have to look forward in making these speculations - not backward. These numbers seem to indicate a waning interest in the franchise, but we really don't have enough information to say. While I personally love Halo, we can't jump to conclusions about its future success.
Or it illustrates that the same 3 million people pickup the new Halo when it ships. It's not uncommon for games to develop a loyal following such as this. Most likely the loyal Halo/Mario/Uncharted fans are early adopters also. This explains the sales history/console base for each release. To further refute your point, Reach had a bigger opening week than Halo 3.
170 million, 200 million, 220 million. Those are the opening day sales for Halo 3, Halo Reach, and Halo 4 on the Xbox 360. If you want to say attach rates show the series waning interest, that is completely your call. Actual sales and revenue show the trend going forward though.
As for your day/week statement, does it really matter if it is 3 million on day one vs day seven?
Halo 4 was also addressing some 60 million consoles. They need to sell a lot more Xbox Ones in order to touch those kind of numbers.
You beat me to it!
They'll probably give it away to bump sales too.
It took PS3 how many years to move from third to a distant second? Refresh my memory again, how many PS2 and Xbox sales were there?


text:
Re: Bf/Gf
i feel like a total loser today because my high school is having its prom this weekend and im stuck at home date less agean. its been like 3-months sence i hade a date. am i the bigest lame wad on earth.
this post my not be long hear so im sorry if it doesnt.
Hey, It's better to have love and lost then to have never of have love at all.......like me.........I've Never been on a date. I wouldn't know what to do.
[color=blue]Listen to My Rap Songs!![/color] [url=http://www.myspace.com/dinonkeys]www.myspace.com/dinonkeys[/url]


text:
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text:
Who did he talk to
Did she trust what she saw
Who does the talking
Whose words formed awkward curves
Did the lion finally talk
Did the sleeping lion talk
Did you trust a north window
What made the dog bark
What causes a grey dog to bark
What does the juggler tell us
What does the juggler's redness tell us
Is she standing in an image
Were they lost in the forest
Were they walking through a forest
Has anything been forgotten
Did you find it in the dark
Is that one of them new atomic-powered wristwatches
Was it called a talking song
Is that an oblong poem
Was poetry the object
Was there once a road here ending at a door
Thus from bridge to bridge we came along
Did the machine seem to talk
Did he read from an empty book
Did the book grow empty in the dark, grey felt hat blowing down the street, arms pumping back and forth, legs slightly bowed
Are there fewer ears than songs
Did he trust a broken window
Did he wake beneath a tree in the recent snow
Whose words formed difficult curves
Have the exaggerations quieted down
The light is lovely in trees which are not large
My logic is all in the melting-pot
My life now is very economical
I can say nothing of my feelings about space
Nothing could be clearer than what you see on this wall
Must we give each one a name
Is it true they all have names
Would it not have been simpler
Would it not have been simpler to begin
Were there ever such buildings
I must remember to mention the trees
I must remember to invent some trees
Who told you these things
Who taught you how to speak
Who taught you not to speak
Whose is the voice that empties
From http://jjgallaher.blogspot.com/2006/09/michael-palmers-poetry_07.html accessed 4/24/08.
Here a conscious attempt has been made to marry the work of the New American Poetry of the fifties with the poststructural work of the late sixties and seventies. As Frost, Yeats, Auden, and Stevens are the "precursors" of the poets of accommodation, Pound, Stein, and Zukofsky stand behind the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E writers. Oppositional politics are a paramount concern, and the work stands in the sharpest relief, stylistically, to the poetry of accommodation.L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=R=Y also recognized that language is political. In the same way that American farmers hid behind tree trunks and took pop shots at British soldiers who stood in formation in open fields during the revolutionary war, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=S fractured the language in an attempt to wage their own rebellious assault against the social and political structure inherent in the Imperial force of the English language.
A difficulty for many readers of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=R=Y is its preoccupation with fragments, nonsense, and unmeaning; as well its rejection of the narrative model that has been the basis of nearly all types of literature. The traditional mode of reading for referential meaning does not work, as writers of this type of poetry attempt to unlock meaning by first unlocking our preconceptions (and preoccupations) of meaning.
Whether L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=R=Y succeeds to gain a large audience is irrelevent. The movement has brought together a dedicated and insular community that thrives on each other's ideas and perceptions. Many poets who are not L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=S have gained a new sense of their "poetic" place and understanding from simply exploring the movement's aesthetic. Ironically perhaps, many writers considered L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=S resist the label and attempts to define themselves within it. Despite similarities between the work of John Ashbery and L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=R=Y, Ashberry has said he doesn't align himself with these poets because he believes language should ultimately depend on references to meanings generated outside language.
More on this is available at the Poetry Previews website., Wikipedia, Poets dot org, Electronic Poetry Center, and UBUWEB, among others.
It seems to me that I need something like a Philosophy of Poetry in order to understand this aesthetic. For some poets, poetry is their way of understanding the world, much like science is a scientist's way of understanding the world. Take science away from a scientist and we have a person who seems lost and looking for a way to understand the world and himself/herself in it. The L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets are not interested in taking poetry away from anyone; they want the poet to be aware of the political nature of language itself, and to consider that a word means what we agree on it to mean. As a teacher, I'm all for metacognition. The metacognition that results from the type of awareness recommended by the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets seems to me a special type of awareness that is made possible by literary critics generally. It's another means of refining one's aesthetic.


text:
by Liz Smith
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
"GET your facts first, then you can distort them as you please," said Mark Twain.
Give a caring thought tonight for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). This is the nation's first and largest nonprofit support group of this generation's veterans. They are "celebrating" two days after Veteran's Day.
He, of course, will not be there to receive his Veterans Leadership Award. Emcee Brian Williams will have to make do with Roger Waters (Artistic Leadership Award) and Joan Ganz Cooney and her famous husband, Pete Peterson (the Civilian Service Award.
This "newsy" situation is not your award ideal, as you can imagine. But in a way, it will only underscore what a hero General Petraeus has been and always will be to many in the military service and elsewhere. It's not a death in the family, but it is a genuine tragedy for the United States — his loss through his admitted own devising.
|Frankly, I wish him and his family well and I hope, down the line, he can again be of service to this country.
So IAVA will carry on doing its best for veterans and making do tonight with the distinguished Joan and Pete and their tandem generosity ... with some appearance from the stars of Joan's "Sesame Street" and with Roger Water's huge songwriting and performing talents. All three of these leaders are important advocates for the veterans community.
I will be there, too, for I have never done enough for the men and women who keep this country safe.
Anne, who was a force around New York for years in her signature blue eyeglasses, is very much missed in these parts. But now she lives about 20 minutes from Palm Beach in Wellington. And she is having a swell time in horse country.
Why was the divine Anne calling me? She read here the incredible story about the late Margot Fonteyn of prima ballerina fame and how Margot wished, instead of doing the barre everyday of her young and mid life, this thought instead:
" You know, in my next life I would like to have a career like Shirley Temple. You work like hell till you are six; you then sit on your ass for the rest of your life!"
Anne Slater loved this story enough to phone me. Fabulous. I adore people with a sense of humor.
|THE LANDMARKS Conservancy of New York City scored big the other eve at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom. It was an ironic coincidence that the Conservancy had just happened to "save" this beautiful room from destruction, in the same way they do many fabulous architectural works.
The excellent David Patrick Columbia of this website — newyorksocialdiary — already did a rave report on this black-tie evening which raised over a million bucks to keep the Conservancy doing its good work. The over-seer of this group, Peg Breen, glamorous as all get out, announced that they were working to help with the restoration of many buildings attacked by Hurricane Sandy.
|I am all for the advancement of women to equal partnership in America. But, I'm telling you true that for me, there is nothing else quite like a distinguished man of accomplishment stepping up in public to accept an honor. On this particular night we had the aforesaid Pete Peterson, one of the foremost philanthropists in the country, as the Chairman.
(He is such a generous, impressive and genuinely funny man. When he retired from Blackstone, he gave a billion dollars for good works.)
|At this Plaza Hotel event, we made "Living Landmarks" out of a host of other greats, who have each and every one done something spectacular to make life better for all of us.
They were Robert Caro, the LBJ and Robert Moses historian ... the Empire State Building's Peter Malkin, dedicated to restoration of the midtown skyline and to his other great love, Lincoln Center ... Daniel Boulud, superchef who spent much of his time at the podium praising the man who first gave him a job in NYC, a former "Landmark" — Sirio Maccioni.
I think people who love this city should all join in helping save it! This remarkable organization is gaining power by leaps and bounds.
Oh yes, and we had the Police Chief Ray Kelly on hand with his wonderful wife Veronica. When I asked the audience: "Dare I introduce him as the next Mayor of New York" — he wisecracked, "Liz, you always nail me." I answered, "Arrest me!"
Audiences always love Chief Kelly and they even loved that.
Contact Liz Smith here.
Click here for NYSD contents.


text:
Nazea Twiggs is still smiling and happy and being a kid.
The 13-year-old Denbigh resident's resilience is helping to carry his entire family through his treatment for cancer. Right around Thanksgiving Nazea was diagnosed with Osteocarcoma—a type of bone cancer that usually occurs in young people when their bones are growing rapidly.
Since then he has been on a schedule of chemotherapy treatments at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk and he underwent surgery Tuesday in Richmond to remove the tumor in his right knee and put in a prosthetic knee.
Cancer has also spread to Nazea's lungs, and he will undergo future surgery to remove it.
But his bright smile, soft voice and good manners hide well any discomfort he might be feeling.
"Hopefully after my surgery, it won't take too long for me to start walking again," Nazea said. "I don't like not walking and not moving around by myself."
Before he became sick Nazea was as active as any teenager. He is an honors student 7th grader at Passage Middle School, and enjoyed playing football for the Golden Saints and basketball for the family church of First Baptist Church Denbigh.
But persistent leg pain the last week of November landed him in the emergency room at Riverside Regional Medical Center, where he was quickly diagnosed with cancer, said his mother Darnella Beale.
The whirlwind of treatments, travel and special care that has followed has created an entirely different life for Nazea, his 18-year-old sister, his mother and father Stephan Twiggs.
They live by a thick Family Handbook provided by CHKD that outlines the schedule for Nazea's medicine, treatments and sanitized environment designed to minimize his contact with germs. Their living room now contains a hospital bed and bags of medical supplies.
Nazea is home-schooled two hours a day by a teacher, and doesn't go out much in order to avoid contact with potentially-dangerous infections. Masks for his face and hand sanitizer are always with him.
His father carries him up and down the stairs to use the shower each day, and Nazea sleeps and eats in fits and starts at all different times of the day and night.
"His hours are strange," Stephan Twiggs said. "We're living our lives on his terms right now. Our whole routine, our whole everything changed."
Both parents have taken unpaid leaves of absence from work to take care of him, and finances are an issue though Medicaid is covering all of Nazea's medical expenses, Darnella Beale said.
"I don't want to be away from Nazea no time," Stephan Twiggs said. "Whatever he's going through, I want to be there with him."
Through it all, Nazea has kept a positive attitude. He communicates with far-flung family and friends through a Facebook page called Team Nazea, which has grown from 30 or 40 members to around 1,600 and now counts total strangers among its followers.
"My Mom, my Dad, my family, my friends are praying for me," Nazea said. "They show me a lot of love and try to help me get through it."
Breaks from illness are few and far between.
"Sometimes I do some things, but most of the time I don't feel good," Nazea said. "A week ago they gave us tickets to go to the motorcycle ice racing and I couldn't go because I was feeling bad, so we ended up giving it to my Mom's friend.
"Basically sometimes we do fun things, and sometimes if I'm not feeling up to it we don't do it. We'll just see if we can do it after or some other time."
This isn't the first such experience for Nazea, who a bunch of years ago underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor from his shoulder.
"Because I've been through a lot, so it really wasn't that surprising," Nazea said. "But I was still upset when I found out I had cancer. I already had a situation like this, but it didn't turn out to be a cancer."
A coworker of Beale's organized a recent fundraiser at three local Chick-fil-A restaurants. Although much appreciated, Beale said she wants to make sure people understand that the family does not need money to cover Nazea's medical expenses though they have plenty of other expenses associated with supporting him.
He spends days at a time at CHKD for treatment and trips back and forth to Norfolk are constant.
But Beale said that prayers, Facebook messages, words of encouragement and the hundreds of cards the family has received are really what they need.
"Once the money started rolling in, it's an issue," Beale said. "I'm fearful of what's associated with it—the taxes and how people want us to spend the money, knowing what we actually need the money for. So those are just our main concerns about the exposure.
"Of course we want Nazea's story to be told because we never know if someone else could be going through this and the support is out there. This kid is strong, he's resilient; his life has changed tremendously."
She is optimistic that Nazea will recover fully, though he still has a lot of medical treatment ahead.
"But he still keeps a smile on his face," Beale said. "He doesn't complain. Even with the medicine and his stomach hurting and not being able to eat, he's still himself and he's still happy.
"It's just a testimony that even going through this, you can still be OK. There's a way to beat it."
Team Nazea
To follow Nazea or communicate with him and his family, visit their Facebook page Team Nazea.


text:
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Neither team scored until the bottom of the third. Mckenzie Tucker singled through the left side. She moved to third when Whitney Kiihnl grounded out to the shortstop. Lauren Dortwegt doubled through the left side moving Tucker to third. She was out at third and Dortwegt moved to third on the throw. She scored on an error by the third baseman.
In the fourth inning Campbell doubled to bring home Abby Keese and Kellie Sirus. Sirus walked to reach base and Keese singled through the left side.
The Lady Bisons added two more runs in the fifth. Dortwegt doubled to score Kiihnl who had reached base on a single to the pitcher. Dortwegt scored on an error by the shortstop.
Eastern Kentucky, 1-10, struck for two runs in the seventh.
Campbell extended her record to 3-0. She pitched a complete game. She gave up two hits and two runs and struck out six. Dortwegt was the only Lady Bison with two hits in the game.
The Lady Bisons, 14-1, were to play a rematch with Murray State Saturday afternoon. They close out the tournament Sunday at 2:30 against Evansville.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Puddin, listening to Nat is like hearing nails on a chalk board to me!
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Johannes M. Lublink
Born: March 10, 1912
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Johannes was born to Christian parents and had three brothers and three sisters. His father sold coal for heating systems. By 1933 Johannes was also a coal distributor. Like many other Dutch citizens, Johannes did not approve of Hitler's policies. He especially objected to Hitler's persecution of Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses.
1933-39: Hitler's coming to power in Germany was a threat to all of us. In 1936 I became a Jehovah's Witness. My mother was also a Witness and by 1938, one brother and one sister became Witnesses as well. Even in the Netherlands we faced adversity. In 1937 the police protected us from Catholic priests who preached hatred against us during our Bible meetings in Tilburg.
1940-44: The Germans occupied the Netherlands in May 1940. I was arrested by the Dutch police on June 15, 1941. After being detained for several months, I was deported with 50 other Witnesses to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Required to do heavy labor, we Witnesses were the only prisoners trusted by the Germans because we never tried to escape. Each morning one of us read aloud a Bible passage, which we'd discuss while working during the day. Sometimes, I'd secretly read from my own Bible that I'd managed to smuggle in.
While being force-marched from Sachsenhausen, Johannes was liberated by U.S. troops near Schwerin, Germany, on May 5, 1945. He then returned to Amsterdam.


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Only hotels in 16017 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Boyers, PA for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 16017 hotels and motels so you can review the Boyers hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in Butler county and area code 724 are also listed.
How should we direct your call?


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Do some data entry
Presupuesto $250-750 USD
I have some work, in an Excel spreadsheet.
34 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de $384 para este trabajo
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So with the cascade of leak recently it seems one of the biggest issues is the loss of BBM, whether it is the 4.7 or the 5.0 version. Well to help in this issue we have consolidated the OTA links for BBM in this thread.
These are OTA (over the air links) you will want to click on these links with your Blackberry to install to your phone.
BBM 126.96.36.199 click here
BBM 4.7 click here
The following OTA's are for the leaked 5.0. These are not the 188.8.131.52 that were officially released
BBM 5.0(4.7/storm) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 4.7.1/Tour) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 4.5/Curve) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 4.6/Bold) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 4.6.1/8900) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 5.0/All) click here
BBM 5.0 (For 5.1/Storm2) click here
If OTA is either not working for you or you feel more comfortable installing through the desktop. Use the below the link which includes all the above BBM versions. Once downloaded just extract the one you needs and run loader.exe and install on your phone.
desktop install all versions
**Thanks to Lyricidal for all the links**


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Definitive Tech.... Definitely
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
First it was a pleasure working with my advisor Kevin. The speakers arrived as promised, well packaged and undamaged. The included manual was easy to understand and the installation went quickly with no problems. Overall the speakers sound great, music is clean and crisp at all levels and movies sound great as well. Definitive Technology has hit the mark with the Mythos line; good looking well built and awesome sound. Strongly recommend both these speakers and Crutchfield.
Pros: Beautiful design, not your typical boxy speaker. High grade aluminum construction, high gloss black finish. Great sound reproduction.
Cons: High gloss aluminum cabinet does seem to attract dust, and I hate cleaning :)


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70s Cover Bands Isle of Wight
Holding a party in Isle of Wight and looking for a 70s Cover Band? Get a quote from 70s Cover Bands in Isle of Wight using Add to Event.
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14 70s Cover Bands near Isle of Wight
Abba Inferno
Featuring classy all-live vocals, stunning costumes, dynamic choreography and a good helping of humour and audience participation. Abba Inferno bring a top quality PA and lights with front-of-house...
White Light Band
We're nuts about the 1970s. We love Glam Rock, Punk rock and everything in between - and we love playing it. Genuine performance promised. Not just musicians but also entertainers.
Victorious River Band
The VRB are perfect for parties, pubs, fairs and events of all sizes. We are as happy playing an acoustic relaxed set as guests arrive and settle in, as we are entertaining guests with rock and ...
Abba Stars
With Over 15 years of experience performing in UK and Europe, Abba STARS is one of the UK's NO.1 Abba Tribute Bands. Featuring some incredibly talented singers and musicians they offer one of ...
The Name Is Band.....Bond Tribute Band
Welcome! We are a 10 piece James Bond tribute band based in the South West but we travel anywhere. If you have a themed wedding or event and want a fantastic Bond tribute band to play then you've ...
Fortune are a London based events band like no other. Current pop to classic soul & Motown, this slick 4- 7 piece composed of London's hottest session musicians will dazzle your event. Whatever the...
The Entertainment Specialists
One of London's most preferred specialists in booking bespoke entertainment for corporate events, private parties, weddings, product launches and more. As a preferred supplier for around a hundred ...
Lydia Bailys
My name is Lydia Bailys. I have trained in Performing Arts for 12 years and have worked professionally in this industry for the last 4 years. I've worked on various job roles throughout the arts ...
RUBIX-80s is a fast-paced trip through the pop, rock and nu-romantic hits of the 1980s complete with cool 80s choreography, fantastic 80s costumes and plenty of fun audience interaction. ...
ABBA Magic
One of the longest established Abba tributes in the UK. With perfect replicas of the original costumes and vocals that sound exactly like the real thing, our acute attention to detail has wowed ...
The Catch Partyband
The Catch - 7/9 piece party band. Fully self contained, using high quality sound systems, lighting for stage and dance floor. Mp3 music played during breaks and while band is not performing live...
The CoverUps
For over a decade performing as a professional live wedding band, The CoverUps have been playing lively pop and rock shows in a wide variety of settings- the top 5 UK wedding venues, corporate ...
Cream Limousine
We have amazing female and male vocals specializing in all sorts of private events such as weddings, corporate functions and birthdays. Our song list caters for everyone. Artists covered ...
Bespoke Disco
70's tribute act, Chrissie, singing a range of hit songs from the 70's decade including Abba, Donna Summers and The Bee Gees. Full disco and lighting also available with every booking as standard.
We have 14 70s cover bands near Isle of Wight
Contact them all with a single request
"Within hours I received 5 detailed quotes from a wide variety of companies that were all within my budget. Saved me so much time and effort!"Natalie HCasual Event Organiser
How it WorksMore information
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Submit a request and receive personalised quotes from a range of local suppliers.
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The plot is simple. You ask your audience to assist you by answering a question, responding with the first answer that comes to mind. For instance, "Think of a number from 1 to 5" or "Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla?".
First though, you write a prediction on a playing card which remains in view the entire time.
You ask the question and they answer it. Simple as that. The playing card is turned over to reveal that what you wrote matches their answer EXACTLY!
Of course there is the possibility you could have just made a lucky guess, right?
Wrong! Here's where you blow that theory out of the water...
You do it again and again, matching their answer each and every time without exception. After you get the second one right the suspense REALLY starts to build. After half a dozen or so your spectator has a serious mystery to contemplate!
The questions are presented in an entertaining and engaging fashion so rather than being a tedious procedure, it is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. You will have a lot of fun with this system. It easily lends itself to a game show, pop trivia or compatibility test presentation. The questions can be funny, suggestive or intriguing. It's up to you!
This is clean, pure mentalism at it's best
* Surefire, 100% accurate, 100% of the time!
* No additional props, seen or unseen are used.
* No difficult thumb or nail writing.
* No equivoque, no fishing.
* No double lifts, second deals or any such card work required.
* Looks impromptu, uses a Sharpie marker and a deck of cards.
* Automatically resets, perform it again immediately!
* Absolutley no suspicious or unusual props, pads, billets, impression devices or the like.
* You can do this with nothing more in your hands than a Sharpie and a playing card!
Steve Fearson is known for thinking WAY out of the box and this is a perfect example. No "one ahead" principle or any existing methods are used. This really is a fresh approach. (If you happen to perform this for a magician, you'll absolutely slay them.)
The following presentations are explored:
MINDREADING - The spectator think of a number, shape or esp symbol. You draw something on a card and then reveal that you've matched their thoughts exactly!
INTUITION - You write their answer before even asking them the question. You know what they will think of even before they do! And you prove your intuitive powers by doing it again and again, and again!
SPECTATOR ESP - Make the spectator into the mindreader. You write on the card and like an ESP test, the spectator is asked to guess what you've written. And they get it right every time!
COMPATIBILITY TEST - This can make a HUGE impression on someone. Specifically a member of the opposite sex. This is presented as a casual compatibility test rather than a mental feat. A series of fun questions is asked. There are no right or wrong answers, only personal preference. For instance, "Rock music or classical?", "Boxers or briefs?", "Starsky or Hutch?" Amazingly, you both give the same answer to every question! Proof that you are undeniably compatible. This is STRONG stuff!
QUESTION DECK - You ask your spectator a series of questions. Some are very serious. You reveal that you were able to predict answer after answer EXACTLY. Proving you are either an incredible judge of character or PSYCHIC!
BONUS ROUTINE - Ask someone to think of a number between 1 and 50. Yes, we said 50. And you NAIL it! This is a great update to a classic effect made possible with the Intuition System.
Includes the Intuition System Sharpie, gimmicks and online instructional video.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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When Ford Motor Company set out to redesign the F-150 — the 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year — the truck team knew it wanted to improve fuel efficiency. Even before fuel economy jumped from 10th to third place among pickup buyers' top purchase considerations, the design team knew it needed to deliver a substantial improvement over the outgoing model, without sacrificing any capability.
While Ford's truck engineering team worked to make fuel efficiency gains through powertrain performance and weight reduction, the design team focused on what Director Pat Schiavone calls the "black art" of aerodynamics.
The new F-150 SuperCrew 4×4 with a 5.5-foot box has the lowest coefficient of drag — 0.416 — of comparable configurations. That's 6 percent lower than a comparable 2008 F-150.
"Not only did we make the F-150 more aerodynamic and fuel efficient, we also improved upon its tough truck image in a way customers will appreciate," said Pat Schiavone, Ford truck design director. "The notion that vehicles need to be jelly bean shaped to be aerodynamic is a myth. You can take any vehicle design and tune it to be more aerodynamic. It's something of a black art, but the new F-150 is proof that it works."
The 2009 F-150 has a fleet-wide fuel economy improvement of 8 percent versus the 2008 model. For trucks equipped with the 5.4-liter V-8 engine, fuel economy improves by as much as 12 percent. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds — a combination no other competitor can match.
In addition, Ford is announcing the introduction of the new F-150 SFE (Superior Fuel Economy) edition delivering up to 21 miles per gallon on the highway while still providing 7,500 pounds of towing capability.
Key aero improvements for the new F-150 include:
A new chamfered shape to the rear of the cab, which incorporated the center-high-mount stop lamp. This shape helps direct aerodynamic wake over the pickup box efficiently.
The top of the tailgate, which angles outward to create a bold lip. This wider surface at the top of the tailgate works with the cab chamfering to direct airflow over the box efficiently.
The front bumper valence and spoiler design, which has been improved to better manage airflow underneath the truck without compromising off-road driving capability.
"The valence panel not only improves aerodynamics, it looks cool, too, because it's lower to the ground," said George Bucher, Ford chief designer. "On one of our competitor's trucks you have to remove the valance panel if you want to go off road, but we tucked ours back by the wheels so that our customers aren't inconvenienced."
Bucher added that redesigned valence panels also improve the aerodynamics of the new Ford Escape and Super Duty.
Other areas that Ford's truck designers focused included the grille opening, running board, side mirrors and doors. Conventional wisdom suggests that a grille opening needs to be large to maximize air flow to the radiator, but the size of the grille opening on the new F-150 was optimized to allow enough air into the radiator while blocking the excess to minimize drag. In addition, designers shaped the running board and side mirrors and inset the doors to minimize wind noise and drag.
As on all new vehicle programs the design team used easily modified digital models to refine designs for optimal air flow prior to physical testing in a wind tunnel.
"It used to be that designers hated dealing with aerodynamics, but now we're developing new aesthetics based on those needs," Schiavone said. "Aerodynamics opens a design door for us, allowing us to look at vehicle design in a different way that benefits our customers."


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By Will Braun *Global Exchange
December 5, 2004
They sent a water-privatizing multinational packing, and chased an ultra- neoliberal president all the way to Miami. Now they have come head-to-head with the ultimate goliath of globalization. The people of Bolivia - stalwarts on the front lines of anti-globalization - are trying to wrest control of the country's oil and gas reserves from the big boys of fossil fuel. But as Oscar Olivera - one of the most recognizable figures of the Bolivian movement - tells it, the struggle is not so much against corporations or politicians as it is for public control of decisions affecting everyday life. "People can change things," says Olivera. And a seemingly unstoppable public momentum is building around this simple realization.
This momentum got a huge boost in 2000 when the people of Olivera's hometown of Cochabamba de-privatized their water system to world-wide anti- globalization acclaim. As the aftermath of the 2000 "Water War" plays out on the streets of Cochabamba and the board rooms of Bechtel Corporation, the people of Bolivia are slowly and surely molding a new, less corporatized country.
Crude politics
Olivera - a shoe factory worker by trade - says oil and gas are vital to the sort of country the people are creating. "We want a different country," he says, "and for that we need an economic base." He sees Bolivia's oil and gas reserves - second only to Venezuela on the continent - as the obvious economic foundation. But where there is oil there is an excess of politics. Currently Bolivia's oil is controlled by foreign powers and revenues pour out of the country. For most of a century Bolivia has vacillated between nationalized and privatized control of its oil. In 1996 president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada signed privatization deals with various oil companies. Now, Olivera says, for every $100 of oil extracted in the country, $18 stays in Bolivia and $82 goes to the
companies. In 2003 Sánchez de Lozada - purportedly Bolivia's second richest man - said Bolivia would sell gas to California. The people, seeing more of their national birthright siphoned off, said "no." And they said so forcefully. The government responded with its own force. In the end more than 60 people were dead and hundreds injured. Sánchez de Lozada ended up resigning and retreating to Miami. Arising largely from continued public momentum, the Bolivian government is now debating a draft Hydrocarbons Law that could nationalize management of the resource and ensure greater industry benefits for the country as a whole. The high-stakes parliamentary debate on the law continues (it began November 3), as do pro-nationalization protests. The current president is caught between prevailing international oil interests and a people proven capable of toppling a president. To Olivera the oil and gas issue is a matter of "life and death" for his homeland. It could be an historic step toward realizing the vision of the people, or it could bring two powerful forces into direct conflict. Olivera says he fears violence if parliament defies the people. His hopeful eyes betray grave concern. It is not clear when Bolivia will see a final version of the Hydrocarbons Law.
Why Bolivia?
Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians knows Olivera and his homeland well. "The resistance of the people of Bolivia to the neoliberal agenda," she says, "has been one of the most important anywhere." What makes Bolivia unique? Olivera says the template of the free trade gurus has been applied particularly directly and brutally in his country. Water and gas are but examples of rampant privatization, and unrestrained pursuit of economic "liberalization." The people were told it was the only way to go: progress and prosperity were at hand. Despite the promises, Olivera says the people feel the "violence of neoliberalism" in their daily lives. Bolivia is the poorest nation in South America and the second most unequal society on earth. Evidence of neoliberalism's failure to alleviate this situation is a daily reality.
Olivera also emphasizes the uniqueness of the peoples' approach to this failure. The people have rallied around a positive, participatory vision. People know what they want. Part of what they want is founded in long standing indigenous traditions of localized resource management and decision making. Of Bolivia's 8.6 million inhabitants 60 per cent are indigenous people. Barlow says Bolivia has been "particularly influential in creating a progressive climate in Latin America" where power is shifting away from the neoliberal camp. Similarly, Olivera sees Bolivia playing a key role in a shift much broader than one country.
"La gente"
As I listen to Olivera one phrase rises above the others ˜ a phrase at the centre of that shift: "la gente." Translated directly, it simply means "the people." But punctuated with a history of struggle and the taste of an inevitably better future - as it is when Olivera says it - "la gente" carries meaning beyond its English rendering. There seems to be a davidian confidence spreading amongst the people, a modest momentum that is slowly shifting the locus of power away from national electoral politics. Getting the right guy in power is less and less important, as power increasingly lies elsewhere - a view also portrayed in Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein's The Take. This is not electoral reform, but a bottoms-up reclaiming of democracy.
Olivera distills the issues of globalization and democracy into a single question: "Who decides?" Increasingly in Bolivia, the common people - with their blemishes, hopes and montage of interests - are deciding. "The people want to participate in the management of all that affects their daily lives," says Olivera. "The people want to construct a new model." And they appear to be doing just that. The people of Bolivia are on the move. The momentum of "la gente" is tipping the scales of Bolivian history in favour of the common people.
Water for the people, by the people
It was one of democracy's more dramatic moments in this era of globalization; the people of Cochabamba, Bolivia chased a multinational water company out of town and pressured the government which had let the company in to change its water law. Though the company is long gone, the Cochabamba water conflict has become part of a much larger chapter in globalization's history. Oscar Olivera is spokesperson for Coordinadora de Defensa del Agua y de la Vida, the organization that headed the struggle for de-privitization and local control of water. He recounted for me the events of the struggle and reflected on its significance.
In late 1999, people in Olivera's hometown of Cochabamba discovered control of their water system was in the hands of a multinational consortium spearheaded by U.S. engineering giant Bechtel. They learned the Bolivian government had granted the consortium - under the name Aguas del Tunari - a 40 year concession to run Cochabamba's water system. This included the right to every well or potential well in the city, the right to future water sources required to supply the city and the right to require potential consumers to connect to its system. The deal guaranteed the company 16 per cent annual profits, while the city's people - many near the brink of survival - suffered water price hikes averaging 51 per cent.
Evidence shows the World Bank, with its strong leanings toward privatization and its lender influence, pressured the Bolivian government into granting the concession. Bechtel spokesman Jeff Berger says "the idea that the World Bank forced [the concession] is misguided," though he notes differing views as to whether the political climate in Bolivia at the time may have included World Bank influence. A Spring 2002 report by the World Bank's Operations Evaluation Department says "the President of Bolivia decided to privatize the La Paz and Cochabamba water and sewage utilities, a [World] Bank condition for the two year extension of the loan to 1997." Bolivian papers also contained reports directly linking World Bank funding and water privatization in the 90s. The Bank has claimed this pattern did not shade the Aguas del Tunari deal. The World Bank - notorious for operating beyond the reach of public accountability - did not return my calls.
A Bolivian water law that coincided with the privatization compounded the conflict, serving to restrict access to water people had always used. As Berger points out, much of what people were protesting had as much to do with the law as with Aguas del Tunari. After a dramatic and deadly five month struggle Aguas del Tunari left, the Bolivian government handed over the city's water system to a public board that includes representatives elected by the people, and the government passed a new water law that helps keep common water sources in common hands, as Olivera puts it.
The aftermath
Olivera says the new water board is engaged in the slow and difficult task of improving a troubled water system in a region where water is scarce. Prices are back to previous levels, but he says the challenges are considerable. Meanwhile Bechtel and company are playing transnational musical chairs in an attempt to have the World Bank arbitrate a decision that could see Bolivia pay them for canceling the contract. In a soon to be released book, Jim Shultz says of the arbitration: "Bechtel is masquerading as a Dutch company, shifting its Bolivian registration to an Amsterdam post office box in hopes of getting covered by a Bolivia-Holland treaty that makes the [World] Bank the arbiter of their investment disputes." Shultz is the director of the Democracy Centre which was pivotal in breaking the Cochabamba story to the world as it happened.
Bechtel is quick to point out Cochabamba's previous public system was in shambles and privatization was poised to fix it. But Olivera says the issue is not private versus public, but rather the struggle for participatory and accountable management in a country where water was only the latest in a long string of troublesome privatizations. The victory was not so much against a corporation or a government as a victory for de-privatized local control of decisions that impact daily life. Olivera says the people recovered not only their water but "their capacity to decide" and their voice.
About the Author: Will Braun is a Winnipeg writer who has lived and traveled in Latin America. FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted
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FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


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Bryant Park Board Game Social
Thursday, July 3, 2014
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
This event repeats every week on Tuesday and Thursday between 5/1/2014 and 9/30/2014.
Please note: This event has already taken place. Please use the Search options on the right to find upcoming events.
Join us at our all new weekly Game Socials to meet up with like-minded players interested in the same games as you. The Board Game Social features games in their classic form with a board, special pieces and a little bit of competition. Try classics like Sorry, Clue, Monopoly, or Life.
40th Street Plaza in Bryant Park
Directions to this location
Event Organizer
Contact Number
(212) 768-4242