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This is the A-12, a supersonic spy plane that was the precursor of the SR-71 —and according to the CIA, even while they look similar, in some ways it was more advanced than the famous Blackbird. It's one of 10 planes that survived the 15-plane OXCART program, one of which is in the USS Intrepid in Manhattan. This one was unveiled today by our dear friends at the CIA in an official ceremony at their Langley HQs. The story of this Mach 3.2 technological wonder starts in 1957 and, like all secret flying things full of gadgets, it's fascinating.
The OXCART program story began in 1957, when a contractor suggested that high-altitude supersonic flight was the only way to avoid Soviet air defenses. The CIA's Richard M. Bissell, who was directing the 1954 U-2 spy plane program at the time, was concerned about their vulnerability to USSR radars and anti-air missiles. He was right: in 1960 the Soviets shot down Francis Gary Powers' U-2 near Sverdlovsk.
By then the A-12 program was already under way: after Lockheed Aircraft completed "antiradar studies, aerodynamic structural tests, and engineering designs," the CIA gave the green light to produce the 12 aircraft on January 30th, 1960. It was still called the A-11 at the time and Lockheed engineer Clarence L. Johnson was the main designer. He also was responsible for the U-2 but, for some reason and after months of drawings and wind-tunnel model testing, people were still not convinced this beast could fly.
It did, but only after years of tests and adjustments. It was a difficult path. The aircraft skin, for example, had to made out of a titanium alloy, as it had to resist 550 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures while flying at top speed. The aircraft manufacturing process, which at that point only used aluminum frames, was an absolute nightmare. All machinery broke trying to work the titanium and new tooling parts had to be designed and created from scratch. As a result, each plane had to be hand-crafted.
The quest to make its radar signature was also painful. For one year and a half, a full- scale model of the plane manufactured with new radar-absorbent materials was tested. Sitting on a pylon in a secret base and after countless adjustments, it was discovered that adding some big metallic parts to each side of the fuselage reduced the radar footprint. Johnson thought it was going to harm the aerodynamics but, in later flight tests, it was clear it helped the lift. It was all part of the quest for radar invisibility but, years later, these features were used by Lockheed in other supersonic designs. As a result of all these changes to its original design, the plane got its final designation: the A-12.
The interior of the plane was also quite problematic: For reasons of weight, the plane had to be constructed without almost no thermal insulation, converting the cockpit into a true oven. As a result, the pilot had to use an astronaut-like suit with its own refrigeration system. And probably Clint Eastwood's Firefoxy asbestos underpants too.
Even the runway had to be specially created for the OXCART program. The initial test ground strip at a secret location in the Nevada desert (the CIA document doesn't mention it but it was probably Area 51) was only 5,000 feet long and incapable of supporting the weight of the A-12. Great for for UFO landings, but it needed pouring 25,000 yards of concrete to achieve the necessary strength and 8,500-feet length necessary for the A-12's take-off and landing.
However, at the end everything was solved and the pilots, who had to be six feet tall, under 175 pounds and come with The Right Stuff were selected: William L. Skliar, Kenneth S. Collins, Walter Ray, Lon Walter, Mele Vojvodich, Jr., Jack W. Weeks, Ronald "Jack" Layton, Dennis B. Sullivan, David P. Young, Francis J. Murray, and Russell Scott were the heroes' names, chosen to test this wild beast.
On April 26th 1962, the A-12 took to the skies. Louis Schack piloted it during its first 40-minute unofficial maiden flight. Four days later, he also took her into its official maiden flight for 59 minutes. It wasn't until May 4th that the A-12 broke the sound barrier for the first time, reaching Mach 1.1. During 1962 the aircraft kept evolving during flight testing but it wasn't until 1967, after countless delays caused by political discussions and a couple of accidents, that the A-12 was employed in real missions. The target: Vietnam.
The first mission was flown on May 31st 1967 and it accomplished all objectives. The A-12 force kept flying successfully, but was retired in 1968, when the SR-71 Blackbird took its place. Of the final 15 A-12s produced by Lockheed, five were lost and two pilots were killed. It may seem like not a lot was achieved, but this aircraft pushed the envelope in every way imaginable making many of the common concepts of modern supersonic aviation possible, from aerodynamic design to life support systems an specially manufacturing processes.
As Ken Collins —one of its pilots— said during the recent unveiling ceremony by the CIA at Langley: "It was a beautiful airplane, it was a beautiful airplane to land, and just technically a fantastic airplane to fly."
And indeed, it was. [CIA and Agence France-Presse]


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Released 2017. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh.
Spoilers follow.
No film has ever left me speechless. I've sometimes said, "I'm speechless", but those words have always emerged fully formed.
As the credits rolled and the lights came up after Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan's World War II blockbuster, I didn't know what I felt. I didn't know if I felt anything. I wondered whether I'd missed something. But when I opened my mouth to speak, I had to hold my tongue because I felt my jaw quivering and my eyes welling up. It took me several moments before I could utter a coherent sentence. I've sobbed at the ends of films before, but this was something different. This was shell shock.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you head over to Peter Jackson's facebook page, he has added further material relating to the upcoming The Hobbit movies. In particular are two new production videos, and also photos of all thirteen dwarves – Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Kili, Fili, Oin, Gloin, Ori, Nori, Dori, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur – in all their glory.
They are trying for a unique look for each of them, and there is debate about whether all of them are suitably dwarvish, especially regarding beards (or lack of length there of) and especially Kili. He seems to be getting the Legolas treatment, being the 'pretty' one of the dwarven band.
Dwarves have always been at the top of my favourite fantasy races (in the top four alongside minotaurs, trolls and phoenixes) so I'm very much looking forward to seeing them in action. It also has me hankering to write something with dwarves in it – proper bearded, hard as nails dwarves.


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Toshimaru Nakamura came to his current instrument, the no-input mixing board, after a long and increasingly unharmonious relationship with the guitar. Although he bore (and bears — I had a conversation with him a few years ago in which he shared his love for the look of the instruments he had just seen in a Chicago guitar shop) the instrument affection, he was frustrated by continually trying to get it to do something. By cutting the guitar out of his set-up and concentrating on the feedback generated by plugging his mixing board's output into its input jacks, he found his way into a less domineering, more collaborative, and most importantly egosyntonic relationship with his sound source. So while it's tempting to celebrate the increased control he's established over his instrument over time — certainly his work on Egrets or ErstLive 8, his recent duet with Keith Rowe, sounds more intentional and guided — I'm not sure if it's true. Maybe it's more accurate to say that he's gotten better at helping the instrument to have its say.
At any rate, a new methodology separates Egrets from the rest of Nakamura's discography. His many collaborations may be edited post-hoc, but they're the product of real time improvisation; his own albums are collections of solo performances. There are four of the latter here, numbers 42-45 in a series that stretches back 10 years, and four other tracks where he plays with either Supersilent trumpeter Arve Henriksen or longtime compadre Tetuzi Akiyama on acoustic guitar. While this may look like a mere hybrid of two familiar approaches, it represents the first time in a career lasting over a decade that Nakamura has not put his human collaborators' names on the cover. It's an unparalleled assertion of identity from a man whose music has tended to gesture away from himself and toward his music.
There's also a difference in affiliation. This is his first release on David Sylvian's Samadhi Sound imprint. Sylvian has spent the aughts stripping out the glamour and excess of his work on his own and with the groups Japan and Rain Tree Crow, and trying to find ways to reconcile his appreciation for improvised music with his commitment to song forms. Putting out records by people he admires seems to be one way of aesthetically re-situating himself, but it also serves to put people like Derek Bailey, David Toop, Akira Rabelais, and Nakamura before a wider public's eye.
Nakamura hasn't done anything so gauche as a disc of techno remixes on Egrets, but he does seem to be willing to put his friendliest face forward. The swells of gorgeously filtered sound that commence opener "Nimb number 42" are unabashedly pretty and quite lulling. Although the next track, "Semi," disrupts the chill-out vibe, the rare warmth and melodic content of Akiyama's playing provides easy handholds for a listener to grasp whilst coming to terms with the slivers of feedback and fizzing static that Nakamura delivers. And while Henricksen, who is not one of Nakamura's regular partners, sticks to breath sounds and valve pops on "Tane," Nakamura's windy whistles make sense of them in a way that might make them tolerable to people who have never heard the last few decades of advance in extended trumpet technique. The piece also has a density of action that suggests it is not just improvised, but constructed from either overlaid performances or conventional overdubbing. Again, Nakamura seems to put his intentional self forward in a way that he has not before. He sails even father into commonly navigated water on "Yura." Looped flickers provide a stable platform from which Hendriksen's horn (down-pitched until it sounds like a bass clarinet) casts eerie tunes.
Nakamura's music has never been bereft of drama, but it's never felt so consciously created as it does on Egrets. The good news is that he comports himself with as much respect for this material as he does in any other setting.
view source article here
Click here for the Samadhisound reviews archive.
Website design and build: Rebels In Control, after cover art by Chris Bigg. Art direction: David Sylvian. Banner images from the Hypergraphia book.


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UH Mānoa Professor Niklaus Schweizer recognized for community serviceUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Kymber-Lee Char, (808) 956-9437
Public Information Officer, External Affairs and University Relations
Diane Chang, (808) 956-0391
Director of Communications, Chancellor's Office
Public Information Officer, External Affairs and University Relations
Diane Chang, (808) 956-0391
Director of Communications, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Jun 20, 2011
HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI – Niklaus Schweizer, a professor in the College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, has been named the recipient of the 2011 Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Community Service. The Clopton award annually recognizes a UH Mānoa faculty member who has played a socially significant role by applying intellectual leadership and academic expertise to the improvement of the community.
Schweizer has exhibited excellence in teaching, research and service for over 40 years in the field of German language and literature. His deep and unwavering commitment to his scholarship and its multiple intersections with the communities of Hawai'i give testament to his extraordinary record of service. Eight of his published books focus on the interaction of Europeans in the Pacific with the Hawaiian people, and a future publication will focus on individual Caucasians in support of the Hawaiian monarchy at the end of the 19th century. He has written in Swiss, German, English and Hawaiian languages and shares a vast knowledge and expertise as a historian of Hawaiian and European history.
Through sustained and broad-based contributions to the community, Schweizer has been exemplary in applying his historical and linguistic expertise and intellectual leadership toward improved relations among the Hawaiian, academic and diplomatic communities. He is regarded by the Friends of 'Iolani Palace as a living cultural treasure of the islands and the Royal Order of Kamehameha honored Schweizer as an "Honorary Ali'i" in the Most Noble Royal Order of Kamehameha I, an honor extended to few men not of Hawaiian ancestry and based on outstanding service to the Hawaiian community.
Schweizer will be recognized for his achievements along with other UH award recipients at the annual Convocation ceremony to be held Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 10 a.m. at Kennedy Theatre on the UH Mānoa campus. The ceremony is open to the public at no charge, and no reservations are needed.


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I'd really appreciate any further leads or information from readers.If game parks are a modern development from the acclimatisation societies and their peculiarities, safari parks are a close relative. But safari parks deal exclusively in the visitor animals—none of their stock have ever been liberated, or are ever likely to be. The Auckland Lion Safari Park is the newest of these, opened at the end of 1981. Other entrepreneurs have tried the venture, the earliest being the Orana Lion Park outside Christchurch. Until recently there were two others—one at Paraparaumu and another outside Hamilton—but these failed. The new park at Auckland has the backing of a circus organisation—the Bullen organisation, which is involved in six safari parks in Australia—so it has its roots in the exotic animal-keeping business that is the oldest of them all.To visit a safari park, one does not leave one's car (although if you are a politician you can get a free ticket to travel through on a pushbike). Windows must be kept closed at all times, as you drive slowly and gaze at lions. It is the ultimate step in transferring alien animals to our environment.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Relic from a lost safari park
23 comments:
Bullens also had an operation at Waikanae. The old Lion Park was a great place. Such a shame it vanished. Very little information is around. The Lion Pride was quite large. The highlight of the day was the caged meat truck they would take out into the main enclosure. One of the staff would be inside the cage part at the rear of the vehicle and use a stick to push the meat out.The cats would leap up on top and grab the met (mainly horse. I remember the camel. They had other attractions as well including the two tigers which you could only drive through their enclosure slowly and not stop. I'll check with Tony on this he may know a lot more since he had a long association with the former Bullens Circus/Safari.ReplyDeleteReplies
Bullens supplied the Lions from Warragamba Dam Wildlife Park, Australia. They also supplied Manager John Schmidt and Wife Mavis Vance, plus it their son...my good friend Jimmy Vance. I was also a Game Warden and holder of the title.. "HE WHO RIDES BICYCLE THROUGH LION COMPOUND".Delete
Yes that Urban Legend is very true. SPENCER FAULKNER.
also.. CHRIS CAMBRIDGE PRODUCTIONS put the Million Dollars up to buy the land off Barry Crumps brother Colin. He owned an 18 hole Golf Course at 60 Redhills Rd Massey. Chris was a Music Promoter, signing Elton John amongst other Stars. The Safari Park was his brainchild. Chris recuperated his initial investment in the first week of opening. Opening weekend caused a traffic gridlock for a 10km radius and it was apparently worth the 4 hour average wait to get in.Delete
Hi Timespanner and Liz, I'd like to speak to someone about the lion park, ideally the owner or a head keeper ... would you happen to know who that might be and if they are still contactable? Thanks! :-)Delete
Hi there WillowDelete
Spencer Faulkner who has commented further down in the comments use to work at the park He left his email address for contact I don't think he will mind me putting it here to help you out.
Contact Spencer Faulkner email: email@example.com
Spence here Liz.Delete
No problem, happy to help out WILLOW THE WISP
Awesome as Spence!Delete
- Replies
I was the young Game Warden who rode the bicycle through the Lion ParkDelete
I always though of it as I one of those things we all did when we were young.. But I had no fear and big Kahuna's LOL
Its weird because I got a phone call from MAI 88.6 FM radio station Auckland a couple of years ago seeking Urban Legends as such..
Anyways I'm working in the Entertainment Industry still.. With Johnny Depp filming Pirates of the Carribean 5 on the Gold Coast. I would be happy to fill your blank spaces in. Cheers. Spencer Faulkner.
Your post sent me off exploring on Google maps as I'm sure I was taken there as a child (although I'd quite forgotten until reading your post!). I have memories of being driven in a car around a looping track watching lions being fed. The series of now partially obscured tracks in an area just north of Red Hills Road seem to agree with this memory: http://goo.gl/maps/50I7d.ReplyDelete
Coincidentally I happened to be doing some research on an entirely different topic this morning and came across a familiar aerial photograph. It seems that this location was later used for filming many Hercules and Xena Warrior Princess episodes in the 90s. A page with more detail is here: http://crnz.info/nx/lionpark/lionpark.html
Apparently the series of sets were called "The Lion Park" by actors and crew so there was clearly knowledge of the previous use of the area. The sets are long gone although some of the perhaps more mundane or practical buildings remain, along with a small pond.
I wonder how the land is used now? Farming perhaps?Replies
Correct.. I was an original Game Warden at the Park in 1981 when I was still attending Waitakere College. I'm also a Film Crew member from HERCULES and Xena 1995-1999.. and Disneys LEGEND OF THE SEEKER 2008..we used the Lion Park reference for its site at Redhills Rd Massey..Delete
You can check AUCKLAND LION safari park Facebook page for more info
My real name is SPENCER FAULKNER.. Google IMBD.. or add me on Facebook for more info if you want. I'm happy to share ;-)
Oh and yes its farming now..Delete
But a Persian Sheik brought the property plus extra land a few years ago..
Wonderful! Thanks so much for tracking that down -- I'll see if I can find some land history info tomorrow morning on the site. It all seems to be in one title at the moment. Auckland Council rates record describes it as "Lifestyle, Multi-Unit" so who knows -- but there is an interesting 1996 aerial on their GIS site.ReplyDeleteReplies
A Sheik brought the land a few years ago.Delete
we moved to NZ 1983..our kids were told that there were no dangerous animals here...Imagine the fright thry got when our first house at Ranui/Swanson was downwind from the Lions roars and growls at night!! We soon found out the source of the night roars lol We took the kids there a few times. There was a sheep show where all sheep breeds were on display and well trained to move on command. There was also a mini train and rail that went through the woods. The lions were pretty cool, especially at feeding time. There was a separate paddock we could drive through and put your window down at your own risk. We risked it and I have been terrified of girrafes ever since. I also recall the water slide, the petting zoo where the kids bottle fed calves and lambs and held rabbits. The kids slept better after our visits to the safari park knowing the lions were caged in!! Happy DaysReplyDelete
I have lots of photos of this park. Actually, I have lots of photos that might interest you, full stop. Will email or Facebook msg you..ReplyDeleteReplies
Please post some photos on my AUCKLAND LION SAFARI PARK Facebook page..Delete
Or private message me some on my Facebook page SPENCER FAULKNER...
FilmCrew Australia/ Drummer etc page..Cheers ;-)
Donna.. I would love to see some photos..Delete
My email address is firstname.lastname@example.com
Hi Donna. Just chasing up any photos you may have please. My email address is email@example.com
Much appreciated
My family lived out west Auckland. I remember as a little girl, our family outing at the Safari, my father driving our little red Cortina watching the lions. Didn't they have other activities there as well or was that another fun park? Coincidentally ... my husband & children are also Bullens ... not sure if there is any connection to the Bullen brothers!ReplyDelete
We used to drive down from Whangarei and meet family from Massey there and have family picnics... I remember going at least 3 times... I wished on one of those fairy flower things when I was a kid hahah... anyway... my best recollection was of the waterslide, that was the best! Driving through the lions scared me!ReplyDelete
My family won free entry to the Auckland Lion Safari Park once. I think it was radio station 1ZB ran a competition to name the two new lion cubs, and my aunty came up with the names Khan and Sheba, which won. We had an awesome day out there, squashed into our silver Mk1 Cortina stationwagon, even if I had to enjoy the view from the boot of the car with the trail dust coming in, and the windows wound up.ReplyDelete
I came across this blog post searching for the "Auckland Lion Safari Action Park", which is the name I remember it as.
Hi my name is Vicky Wanless and I am production manager for the Mozzie Boyz Productionz.ReplyDelete
We are filming a documentary called LIONS IN OUR BACKYARD will be filming interviews with former staff around Australia and New Zealand in March 2019.
We are looking for as many photos, videos, stories, newspaper and magazine articles, memorabilia, merchandise etc.
It's a 2 part Doco with part 2 about Footrot Flats Leisure Park in Teatatu North Peninsula.
Please send everything to firstname.lastname@example.com
By submitting material, you are agreeing to give MOZZIE BOYZ PRODUCTIONZ permission to use said material for use in all forms of media for the purpose documenting related material to a global audience.
Or if you were connected and wish to be interviewed please let us know how and your story to be considered.
Much appreciated.
Please tag someone or Share if you know someone who may have valuable contributions.
Thank you.
Please let me know if someone can help us.


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Ross's article was a powerful précis of how much progress has been made in the gay-rights movement in a short time. With few exceptions, most of the movement's advancement has come in spite of, not because of, the efforts of the Christian church. But the sometimes overlooked United Church of Christ, a left-leaning Protestant denomination, was the first to ordain an openly gay minister, the Reverend Bill Johnson, in 1972, on the third anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion. Since then, we have ordained thousands of gay and lesbian ministers—refugees from religious traditions that would not have them, and candidates who grew up in the United Church of Christ. We now have hundreds of churches that declare themselves open and affirming of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of faith, as well as of those people without it. My parish is one of these. The Church is usually twenty years behind most cultural zeitgeists, but in this case we helped bring progress about.
The Reverend Molly Phinney Baskette
First Church Somerville United Church of Christ
Somerville, Mass.


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In the City Planning report at Executive Committee on March 9, 2016, two options for the configuration of a "combined" SmartTrack and GO Transit/Regional Express Rail (RER) service remain on the table. These are referred to as Option C and Option D.
The number of trains/hour cited here has bothered me for some time, and a recent conversation with Jonathan Goldsbie of NOW Magazine got me digging a bit deeper. Here is the service plan for the Stouffville and Kitchener corridors as shown on the Metrolinx RER website, in the "How Will I Benefit" page.
Peak service on the Stouffville corridor totals 7 trains/hour or one every 8.6 minutes as shown in Options C and D.
In the Kitchener corridor, there are 8 trains/hour, but two of these are service to Kitchener which would run express from Bramalea to Union leaving only 6 "local" trains in that segment.
The service levels and station plans have profound implications for the transit network now under study.
- There is no distinct SmartTrack service, only GO trains and (maybe) a few new stations. There will be no "SmartTrack" branded fleet.
- If TTC fares will be offered on SmartTrack, this will really consist of giving people cheaper rides on service GO is already operating.
- If "Regional Fare Integration" means that TTC rapid transit (subway) fares rise and GO fares for short trips come down, then SmartTrack will be a cash grab from subway riders to cross-subsidize SmartTrack riders on GO trains.
- Demand models for SmartTrack indicate that very frequent service at TTC fares is required to attract substantial ridership, with 12 trains/hour (one every 5′) performing best in the model runs. The proposed service is considerably less frequent. "TTC fares" implies full transfer rights at no premium to and from the TTC network.
- The existence of frequent SmartTrack service and stations in Scarborough is an integral part of the plan to build the subway extension as a one-stop express route to the Town Centre.
- Part of the justification for keeping the Relief Line alignment to the north along Queen Street rather than King is to avoid competition with SmartTrack. However, there won't be any SmartTrack service for it to compete with, only GO trains.
- Tax Increment Financing requires that SmartTrack contribute something to the uplift in property values that would not occur absent the new service. However, the "new" service will entirely be GO Transit's, and it will occur whether anything called SmartTrack exists or not.
The obvious question here is "where is SmartTrack"? In fact, it has completely vanished from the map, and at best would be represented by a handful of new stations, none of which is in Scarborough in Option D.
Is this the master plan, the culmination of John Tory's election campaign and all of the vitriol poured over his critics?
The emperor has no clothes.


text: Target today announced plans to introduce Canadian guests to its legacy of giving by donating up to $1 million to select local charities through "Give With Target," a social media campaign that will run from Nov. 20 to Dec. 9. Target will partner with six Canadian charities for the Give With Target program, which allows guests to support a cause of their choice through Target's Facebook page. For every cause selected through the application, Target will donate $100 to the charity that supports that cause. Since 1946, Target has given five percent of its profit to support local communities. The company plans to extend this legacy of giving to the Canadian community when its stores open in Canada next year. Give With Target is designed to help Target understand the issues that are important to Canadian guests and engage with them in charitable giving. Target conducted research over the past year to better understand the unique nature of Canadian communities. Based on this research, the Give With Target campaign will support the charities that help to provide access to families and children in need with a focus on the following four causes: active play, arts, food and academic achievement. "At Target, community giving is and always has been a cornerstone of our company. We look forward to extending this commitment to the Canadian community by donating up to $1 million to six organizations this holiday season," said Derek Jenkins, senior vice president of external relations, Target Canada. "Target's corporate giving programs are designed to serve the needs of our guests and the communities where we do business, and Give With Target is a great way to demonstrate this commitment to our future Canadian guests." Participating partners in the Give With Target program include ArtsSmarts, ArtStarts, YMCAs in Canada, Food Banks Canada, First Book Canada and Pathways to Education. Canadians are invited to visit Facebook.com/TargetCanada and select a cause of their choice. For every cause selected through Target's Facebook application, Target will donate $100 to the charity that supports that cause. Give With Target will continue until $1 million is donated by Target, or until Dec. 9 at 11:59 EST. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility in Canada, visit Target.ca/corporateresponsibility. About Target Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,782 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.


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Hamlet (1948)
Directed by Laurence Olivier
Two Cities Films / Universal Pictures
Laurence Olivier's Hamlet dominated the 21st Academy Awards with seven nominations and four wins. (Jean Negulesco's Johnny Belinda was nominated in 12 categories — more than any other picture — but only won a single Oscar.)
It was the first time a non-Hollywood production won an Oscar for best picture, and it was the first time an Oscar for best actor was given to an actor who had directed himself. (Besides best picture and best actor, Hamlet also won Oscars for best costume design in a black and white picture and best art direction in a black and white picture.)
These accolades represented something of a vindication for Olivier, whose previous film, Henry V (1944), was nominated for best picture and best actor Oscars (among others), but only received a special Academy Award "for his outstanding achievement as actor, producer, and director in bringing Henry V to the screen," which Olivier considered "a fob-off."
Well, sometimes great works require big egos, and Hamlet is proof. It's a dark, expressionistic psychodrama and a deeply satisfying cinematic achievement, which is no small feat for a film based on a play by William Shakespeare. While Shakespeare is an unassailable and towering figure in English literature, I don't find most films based on his plays very satisfying. They either treat his texts with stodgy reverence or go off the deep end with ridiculous costumes and set pieces that seem designed to draw in viewers who find Shakespeare "boring."
Olivier's Technicolor production of Henry V played around with artifice, beginning by showing the inner workings of a stage play complete with shots of the actors backstage waiting for their cues and slowly became more realistic, culminating in the battle of Agincourt, which was filmed outdoors.
Hamlet, on the other hand, establishes its moody, black and white world with the opening shots and stays the course. Olivier's camera moves in a lissome fashion around his fog-shrouded castle set, which is a hulking, brooding character unto itself, towering over a dark, roiling sea. The dialogue and the movement of the actors are treated as realistically as possible. Monologues are not delivered in a theatrical fashion toward the audience, but in voiceover as the actor silently broods.
Hamlet was mostly a success with the critics, but Shakespeare purists took umbrage at Olivier's tinkering with the text, since he cut out roughly half the play, losing whole characters in the process.
There were numerous minor cuts, too, as the very first moments of the film demonstrate. Olivier's Hamlet begins with the lines from Act 1, Scene 4, that precede the appearance of the ghost. They appear onscreen and are spoken by the narrator. Olivier excised certain lines, which I've shown below as crossed-out text:
So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them—
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowth of some complexion,
Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit
that [grown] too much o'erleavensthat these men,
The form of plausive manners—
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature's livery or fortune's star,
Their virtues else (be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo)
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault.
The demands of cinema are different from the demands of the stage, and I find these edits sensible and pleasing. However … and this is a big "however" … Oliver ends his prologue with the following line of spoken dialogue, which does not appear in text on screen, but is spoken by the same narrator, and could easily be mistaken for more of Shakespeare's writing by the unschooled: "This is the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind."
To me this seems like pandering, but I suppose it helps to have a "mission statement" for the more thick-headed among us in the audience.
And this is indeed the story of a young man crippled by indecision. By removing all of the political aspects of Hamlet (the character Fortinbras, for instance, is excised completely and is never mentioned), it becomes a character study. For 20th century audiences I think this was the enduring view of Hamlet, and the aspect people found most interesting. Modern audiences probably miss most of the political undertones of the play, which was written at the tail end of the 16th century, when the age of chivalry was dying and the age of global empire was beginning with the creation of the East India Company. Surely Shakespeare's contemporaries saw aspects of their own time in the tale of a slain king, a usurper on the throne, and a young prince dealing poorly with political realities.
Even in its edited form, Olivier's Hamlet runs for a little more than two and a half hours. There simply would have been no way to film the entire play and end up with a commercially successful film. (When Kenneth Branagh filmed a complete version of Hamlet in 1996 it clocked in at 242 minutes and was not widely released theatrically. The cut version was 150 minutes.)
If you can stomach an edited Bard, Olivier's Hamlet stands as one of the best cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare. The cast are all good, including Jean Simmons as Ophelia, Basil Sydney as Claudia, Eileen Herlie as Gertrude, Norman Wooland as Horatio, Felix Aylmer as Polonius, and Terence Morgan as Laertes. But the real star is Olivier, both in front of and behind the camera.


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Dear LTTers,
It's the weekend, so you know what that means- we go have actual lives. We post short, sweet, simple posts & say "see ya Monday!" Cuz we like stuff other than Twilight. I know it's hard to believe. But seriously. We do.
Now in the past 9 months we may not have had much time for stuff other than Twilight, but that doesn't mean we don't like it.
For example, I like:
- Cupcakes
- Kittens & grown-up cats
- Harry Potter
- Rob Pattinson
- Going out to eat
Since this is Friday while I'm writing this, tonight, after work, (are you shocked that I blog at work?) I'm going home to pet my 2 cats, eat the rest of the Oreo cupcake my husband brought me home yesterday (aww!), go out to eat with a few friends and then see the late showing of Harry Potter at the Imax theatre. See? I'm well-rounded.
I asked Moon for a few things she likes besides Twilight. She said:
- Music
- Hello Kitty
- Traveling
I'm pretty sure her weekend plans involve her grabbing her Hello Kitty pillow, hopping on a plane & heading up to some show in Vancouver. Why Vancouver? Well, it's been like 13 days since she last saw Rob, and I think she's dying.
But what I really wanted to show you was something I love other than Twilight, but is still Twilight related cause… well, we do run a Twilight Blog.
We both loved the movie "500 Days of Summer." Hopefully you've seen it cause it rules. But in case you haven't, here is the Trailer…. well, kinda…..
Go see 500 Days of Summer immediately if you haven't yet. I wanna be Zooey Deschanel when I grow up.
See the REAL 500 Day of Summer trailer after the jump!
Seriously. Go see now.
Then discuss your love for it on The Forum
And see what Moon has lovely for Rob on LTR
Filed under: Fanmade Videos, LTT, Twilight, Twilight Series Books, Video | Tagged: 500 days of Summer, cats, cupcakes, Fanmade Videos, Harry Potter, Hello Kitty, imax, Joseph Gordon Levitt, LTT, Music, rob pattinson, Stuff we like other than Twilight, traveling, Twilight, Twilight spoof, vancouver, Video, Zooey Deschanel |


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Zimmer Biomet
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Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster; Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Poster; Supplemental Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is the Law Poster; Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster; Pay Transparency Notice Poster
U.S. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Zimmer Biomet participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. View the E-Verify posters in English or Spanish, as well as the Right to Work poster in English or Spanish.
We invite all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities.


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University of Washington quarterback Cyler Miles is suspended for the Huskies' season opener against Hawaii on Aug. 30, head coach Chris Petersen said Thursday at the final day of Pac-12 media day at Paramount Studios.
Miles was suspended for the entirety of spring camp after he and former Washington wide receiver Damore'ea Stringfellow came under investigation for a two alleged assaults that occurred on Feb. 2. Stringfellow was charged with three misdemeanors in relation to the case and has since transferred to Mississippi, while Miles was not charged in the incident.
"The age group we deal with, for the most part, it's the dumbest age group in America," Petersen said. "Guys make mistakes, but the important thing is that we learn from it."
During the spring, sophomore Jeff Lindquist and Troy Williams, a redshirt freshman from Carson, split all reps at quarterback. They will now compete for the starting job in the opener. Petersen said Miles will be available for the Huskies' game against Eastern Washington on Sept. 6.
Washington is one of two teams in the Pac-12 without a returning starting quarterback this season. Three-year starter Keith Price graduated last year.
Pac-12 Networks going international
Lydia Murphy-Stephans, president of Pac-12 Networks, announced the launch of a YouTube channel for the Pac-12 Networks that will carry the conference's programming internationally through a subscription service.
The Pac-12 Networks will be the first around-the-clock network available on YouTube.
"Our goal is to be wherever our fans are, at work, at home, on the road, even in sports venues when they're watching live games and events," Murphy-Stephans said.
Initially, the channel will be available in 27 countries, but the United States is not one of them: The channel will be geoblocked domestically.
No bad blood between Sarkisian, Huskies
After leaving Washington, now-USC head coach Steve Sarkisian said he still has a soft spot for his former team: "We put a lot of time and effort into that program over the last five years. I want success for those kids."
Thursday, his former players said the feelings were mutual.
"We want the best for each other," Washington outside linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha said.
Kikaha and offensive tackle Ben Riva, the other player representative for the Huskies, both said they have talked with Sarkisian briefly during their stay in Los Angeles for media day festivities. They also said there is no bitterness on their parts with how their former coach left.
"People come and go," Riva said. "I'm not mad at him at all. He's from L.A.; I don't think I could blame him for wanting to be here. I wasn't bitter at all."
Westlake's Spruce back at home
Colorado wide receiver Nelson Spruce returned to his old stomping grounds this week. The redshirt junior for the Buffaloes, a graduate of Westlake High School in Westlake Village, was one of two player representatives for the Buffaloes at Pac-12 media day. He said he relished the opportunity to return home and represent his school and team near his hometown.
Spruce will get to stay a few extra days in the area with his family before returning to Colorado for fall camp. He said his trip home this week will be the last time he gets to visit until the end of the football season.
At Westlake, Spruce was named to The Daily News' All-CIF Northern Division first team and All-Area first team at wide receiver in his junior and senior seasons. When it came time to choose a college, he wanted to stay in the Pac-12, and Colorado was just entering its first year in the conference at that time.
"It's the top conference in the nation," Spruce said of the Pac-12. "Being from the West Coast, you see a lot of those games growing up, and you just want to be a part of it and compete at this level."


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This year I decided to celebrate my birthday one week ahead…..partly because the love of my life NJD is going away on a ski trip to Switzerland on my birthday so my focus will mainly be on her this week…afterall this is her first trip on her own with her friends and at the age of 11, she may be confident about travelling and sliding down an icy mountain with no qualms but this mama is having mini heart attacks every hour as the trip gets closer.
So,,,,after a hectic and heavy week last week that included heaps of mental stress, PMS and warning signs to everyone around me to watch their step if they value their life, I decided to go on a sabbatical….not just any sabbatical but where I would live the life that I have become very accustomed to…in pure luxury.
Thankfully my early birthday presents came in form of experiences – Nick of Daimler reckoned diva needed a HOT car so he arranged for me to have for a few days none other than the top of the range 2 door sports car Mercedes SLK350 which I realised when I signed my life away to him was worth close to US$68,000/- (AED248,000/- roughly). But it was all good when at the touch of a bottom the roof came down and my hair went all sorts. It was an awesome convertible and since I get to drive the most expensive cars as and when I want, it really means that it must be fabulous if I start crooning about it. I don't normally write entire blogs on cars but this baby deserves a whole piece dedicated to the fabulousness of the SLK….watch this space!
To top it off, Sarah decided that since I was meditating and moping anyway with all the problems my mind and body was going through, why don't I breeze down to Abu Dhabi in the Merc and she would arrange for me to stay at the Suite in Shangri-la that came with a fabulous balcony, and separate living and dining area. Now most of my Malaysian friends were in Abu Dhabi this Friday so I breezed in, picked little diva up for the weekend and we spent the most amazing time at the Shangri-la suite, spa and I got to catch up with my Malaysian friends on Friday at the 'Glorious Malaysian Galore' festival in Mushrif Mall (Amazing stuff every evening until the 3rd of March). Lots of dancing, Malay food & Tim Hortons…what more can a woman want???
So all in all, I had an awesome time Friday night and Saturday thanks to two amazing people plus my Malaysian friends (Sakina & Sally ++) at a time I really needed to wind down. I feel a lot better in terms of being chilled and physically…well….if my PMS gets any worse and if these herbal remedies from Abu Dhabi don't work their magic, I am seriously thinking of becoming a hermit for a week next month. (I wouldn't be surprised if all the men in my life have noted the dates down to make sure they disappear during that period…women tend to be a bit more understanding and supply loads of chocolates, luxury holidays, sinful food and sweet & sour snacks instead).
Anyway… Having such a great time has left me smiling heaps…. I can't wait for Sakina to return again to Dubai as she encourages me to get out of my shell, travel to new areas in UAE and generally have fun. I just hope she gets here while NJD is away cos I will be missing the little tyke heaps when she leaves on the night of my birthday and be away the next 10 days. Or I shall distract myself and write about my 2 nights of living in luxury at Qaryat Al Beri indulging in all sorts of fun stuff.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. – Facing a pink slip from the UFC, Alex Caceres' afro – and slick submission skills – saved his octagon career.
A triangle choke prompted opponent Damacio Page to tap in the second frame of his meeting with "Bruce Leroy."
The bantamweight bout closed out the preliminary card of Wednesday's UFC on FUEL TV 4 event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. It streamed on Facebook prior to the main card on FUEL TV.
Page immediately slapped Caceres' coif with a high kick after chasing him across the octagon at the first bell. Caceres survived, and reeled off his own head kick, but it wasn't long before Page charged and took him down.
Page initiated ground and pound, but Caceres repeatedly angled his legs for a submission. In initial attempts, he postured out of danger and fired off punches from up top. But as the round wore on, Caceres' persistence paid off as he locked in a triangle choke that allowed him to reverse and briefly mount Page before transitioning to an armbar. Page escaped both attempts, but soon found himself in another triangle as the round ended.
Caceres started the second with aggressive kicks and a flying knee, but Page absorbed it and slammed him to the mat with a great grunt. Again, the legs of "Bruce Leroy" went to work. In this frame, however, his timing was spot-on, and when Page went to punch, he locked his legs in the triangle position. Page could not escape this attempt and was forced to tap at the 1:27 mark of the frame.
"I feel really good because I did what I was supposed to do out there," Caceres said. "I thought he was going to come out and bang, but he couldn't seem to find his range. He went for the takedown, but I wasn't too frantic about that. I knew he was going to try and ground-and-pound me, but that's what guys try to do to me in the gym every day, so I've become very good at defending it.
"I saw he was breathing hard on top, so I knew he was tiring and (I) started to look for the sub. I'm glad he opened up throwing wide punches, and I was able to capitalize with the triangle. It's an inadvertent message that you have to watch out for my ground game, too. I hear there is a card coming up in China and I would love to be on it."
And nothing could safeguard Caceres' UFC contract better than a win, which follows a disappointing split decision loss to Edwin Figueroa that arose from multiple point deductions. Caceres (7-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is now 2-3 in the octagon while Page (15-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has lost four straight in the now-defunct WEC and UFC and is sure to be sent packing.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on FUEL TV 4 results include:
- Alex Caceres def. Damacio Page via submission (triangle choke) – 1:27, Round 2
- Chris Cariaso def. Josh Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Andrew Craig def. Rafael Natal via knockout (head kick) – 4:52, Round 2
- Marcelo Guimaraes def. Dan Stittgen via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Raphael Assuncao def. Issei Tamura via TKO (strikes) – 0:25, Round 2
For more on UFC on FUEL TV 4, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Alex Caceres)


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- Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands
- Christmas, Thanksgiving and Holidays
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- Inspiration and Reflection
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Tag Archives: meeting new people
The Best Thing About Living Overseas?
Posted on April 28, 2011 by wordgeyser
One thing we've really enjoyed having lived away from our birth country is the wonderful variety of people we've been lucky enough to come across. It has been a real bonus to meet interesting, smart and culturally different citizens from all corners … Continue reading →
Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Expat Experiences, Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges, Women and Female Related | Tagged advantages of expat life for children, advantages of expat life for tcks, american school of the hague, best thing about living overseas?, expat life, making friends abroad, meeting new people, positive things about an expat life, raising global nomads in international environment, Star Trek, third culture kids | 1 Comment


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Design submitted by Heather from the USA.
Heather says: I came up with the idea for Concave when I thought about making circular digits, one behind the other. In order to accomplish this, although the display is flat, I imagined each digit to be a curved surface, like a contact lens, for example. By placing the digits one behind the other, and increasing size, we can see these concentric circular digits, each whose center segment is being partially blocked by the digit in front of it.
The digits are self explanatory when you allow your mind to fill in the missing part of the center segment for each digit. The LED time display is animated on button press, first showing each digit one at a time, followed by the full display. There is room in the center for a PM indicator, if necessary. The decor on the case is meant to emphasize the idea of concavity, as well as the step by step animated display.
I believe that both male and female fans of cryptic LED watches and fancy animations would want to wear the Concave watch.
This design stands out because there have been few attempts at circular digits thus far, and the animation makes it fun and cool. 🙂


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Welcome to Bridging the Past. We help genealogists connect to their ancestors, with an emphasis on colonial New England, by sharing with them information about the lives of their ancestors. What did they eat? What did they wear? What was a typical day like? Did your ancestor fight in a war? What was life like for that ancestor, and for the loved ones he left at home? Why did they move? Was it part of a larger movement? By answering these questions, and many more, you can bring your ancestors to life and feel closer to them.
We design talks to answer these questions and give genealogists the tools and resources to use social history to personally connect with their ancestors so they are more than names, dates and places on a piece of paper. Contact us to set up a talk for your group.
Check out our blog to get ideas and learn about methods to incorporate social and historical context into your genealogical research. Find out about online resources that can help you place your ancestors in social and historical context.
Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Join us for a panel discussion with Laura Facey (winner of the 2010 Aaron Matalon Award), Omari Ra, Margaret McGhie and Phillip Thomas, all artists who are represented in the 2010 Biennial, for a discussion on the use of conventional media and formats in contemporary art.
Free and open to the public.
Note: The 2010 National Biennial will close on March 5. Make sure to see it!


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Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Non-Fiction – Education book "Mind" by David L. Shepard
Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Non-Fiction – Education book "Mind" by David L. Shepard, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1736002554.
Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
"Reviewed By Francis Mont for Readers' Favorite
Mind – Psychology: The Untold Story by David L. Shepard is a thorough, comprehensive, and enlightening textbook written by a Professor of Psychology. It's written in clear language, using layman's terms that any intelligent reader will find easy to follow. It covers an amazingly wide area of topics, such as what makes a genius, the nature of reality in our minds, the programmability of the human brain, the process of learning, the nature-nurture question, the difference between biologically given and the learned, and even the sex drive and social attitudes associated with it. It minces no words talking about how emotions are created and exploited by business and political leaders to influence our behavior. It brings in dozens of examples from academic and clinical studies both with animals and humans, including children from infants to adults. Dozens of illustrations, from simple line drawings to glossy colored photos, enhance the reader's understanding and provide convincing support material to the conclusions that Shepard presents.
I found David Shepard's Mind – Psychology: The Untold Story the perfect companion to Dr. Swaab's We Are Our Brains that I previously read, presenting a neuroscientist's point of view. This study completed the picture for me from the other side of the coin – how our mind works based on the biological foundation of our brains. Not just how it works, but how we can control and change it ourselves to improve our lives. I was so impressed with all the new things I learned that I copied out 37 quotes that I wanted to think about later and see how I can use them in my own life. The most important and, for me, the most shocking lesson David Shepard's Mind taught me is that not everybody perceives the same reality as I do. This explained to me the often incomprehensible, even bizarre behavior of many acquaintances and public figures (and their followers) I have observed all my life. For any thinking person, this is a must-read book that can give them the clarity and critical thinking tools they so desperately need in life. I found it utterly fascinating and highly educational."
You can learn more about David L. Shepard and "Mind" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/mind where you can read reviews and the author's biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.
Media Contact
Company Name: Readers' Favorite LLC
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 800-RF-REVIEW
City: Louisville
State: KY 40202
Country: United States
Website: https://readersfavorite.com


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EV Charge Station Controllers Market Technological Advances by 2020-2029 || Phoenix Contact and Siemens
Pune, Maharashtra, Jan. 20, 2020 (Wired Release) Prudour Pvt. Ltd: Global News of EV Charge Station Controllers Market Study 2020-2029, by Segment (AC Charging Controllers, DC Charging Controllers), Playing a Pivotal Role in Expanding by (Home Chargers, Commercial Chargers), Investment Analysis by Leading Manufacturers ( Last Mile Solutions(Netherlands), Siemens and Phoenix Contact) is latest research study released by Market.us evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. A new ev charge station controllers market research report that keenly observes the 2020 industry and gives a diligent idea regarding the current market, latest market movements, future goals and directions, and regulatory panorama.
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For latest innovations in business and top companies in United States, European Union and China, this report investigates and analyzes the production, value, price, market share and growth rate for the top manufacturers, key data from 2020 to 2029. The research study on the global market for ev charge station controllers examines current and historical values and provides projections based on the accumulated database. The report examines both key regional and domestic markets to provide precise analysis about the developments in the ev charge station controllers market over the forecast period.
The Company Coverage of EV Charge Station Controllers Market is as per Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc. are: Phoenix Contact, Siemens, Last Mile Solutions(Netherlands).
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Tellabs Unleashes Huge Special Dividend
Tellabs Inc. (NASDAQ: TLAB) has joined in on the game of the special dividend declarations. What is so different for this one is that it is a $1.00 per share special dividend and the stock price as of Thursday closing bell was only $2.95. That comes to nearly a 34% dividend.
This business of telecom and communication equipment has not exactly been the most stellar if you just look at the performance of the stock. Shares have traded in a range of $2.70 to $4.41. Still, the market cap at yesterday's closing price was $1.08 billion. The difference here is that Tellabs lists more than $1.14 billion in cash and short-term securities with what is effectively no long-term debt.
If you look further on the balance sheet, Tellabs has a net tangible asset value of more than $1.35 billion. Today's dividend hike still keeps the stock close to its book value.
The trick will be in the company's ability to operate smoothly. Thomson Reuters is calling for earnings to be -$0.02 per share on a 17.5% revenue decline to $1.06 billion in 2012. For 2013, its is expected to have earnings of only $0.01 per share on another drop in sales of 4.4% to $1.01 billion.
Tellabs shares are trading up 10% at $3.24 on the news this morning.
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Dividends & Buybacks, Technology, Technology Companies, Telecom, Telecom & Wireless Tagged: TLAB


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6 Government Surveillance Programs Designed to Watch What You Do Online
President Eisenhower was right on point about the military-industrial complex, but he could not have predicted the emergence of the massive surveillance state -- combining the government and private sector -- that bolsters it.
Sadly, neither President Obama nor his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, has the desire or moral courage to fight the growing power and influence of the Corporate Security State. We are witnessing the integration of spying on two levels, the government level (federal, state and local) and the corporate level (via telecom providers, web services and credit card companies).
If you are a user of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Craigslist or another popular site, the U.S. security state is watching you. An increasing number of federal agencies are employing sophisticated means to monitor Americans' use of social networking sites. Federal entities from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defense Department to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to even the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are involved in developing programs to track the American public online.
Here is a brief summary of some of the other programs.
1. Justice Department. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a report from the DOJ's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property section, "Obtaining and Using Evidence from Social Networking Sites," that describes how evidence from social networking sites can reveal personal communications that might help "establish motives and personal relationships."
It reports that monitored data from such sites can provide location information and "prove and disprove alibis." Perhaps most illuminating, it advises agents that "going undercover" on social media sites can enable law enforcement to communicate with suspects and targets, gain access to nonpublic information and map social relationships. The DOJ document notes that Twitter retains the last login IP address, but does not preserve data unless legally required to do so.
2. The IRS uses a variety of social media sites like Facebook, Google, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and Second Life to investigate taxpayers. It seems to have started this practice in 2009, providing agents with special training on social networking. The EFF posted the IRS' 38-page training that offers detailed tips to agents on how to conduct searches, locate relevant taxpayer information, narrow down and refine results.
3. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is seeking a tool that integrates all online information, including web searches, Wikipedia edits and traffic webcams.
4. The Defense Department has solicited proposals through DARPA for a $42 million "Social Media Strategic Communications" (SMISC) program, a tool that tracks social media and weeds out information. It has set four goals for the project: (i) to detect, classify and measure the development of ideas, concepts in hidden social media messages; (ii) specify the structure of the campaign and influence in social media sites and the community they create; (iii) identify the participants and intention in conducting a social media campaign of persuasion and measure its effect; and (iv) develop an effective counter-message to an identified campaign carried out against the enemy.
5. The FBI is soliciting a bid for a program that seems very similar to the DHS social-network monitoring program. Dubbed the "FBI Social Media Application," the program would have "[the ability] to rapidly assemble critical open source information and intelligence ... to quickly vet, identify and geo-locate breaking events, incidents and emerging threats."
In the FBI's 12-page solicitation, it requests a program that can quickly identify, display and locate alerts on geo-spatial maps and enable users to summarize the "who, what, when, where and why" of specific threats and incidents. Going further, it seeks to not simply detect "credible threats," but to identify those organizing and taking part in gatherings and to predict upcoming events. According to the FBI, "Social media will be a valued source of information to the SIOC [i.e., Strategic Information and Operations Center] intelligence analyst in a crisis because it will be both eyewitness and first response to the crisis."
An FBI spokesperson insisted, "[We] will not focus on specific persons or protected groups, but on words that relate to 'events' and 'crisis' and activities constituting violations of federal criminal law or threats to national security. Examples of these words will include lockdown, bomb, suspicious package, white powder, active shoot, school lockdown, etc." Rest assured, much like the assurances voiced by the DHS, the FBI insists that its monitoring won't be used to focus on specific individuals or groups.
6. Department of Homeland Security. A more aggressive monitoring program was recently revealed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) when it secured from the DHS a list of approximately 380 keywords that the agency tracks. The allegedly threatening terms were found in the DHS' Analyst Desktop Binder, part of its 2011 Media Monitoring Capability (MMC) program.
These terms are organized into nine categories:
Agencies – 26 terms, including "DHS," "FBI", "CIA," "Air Marshal," "United Nations" and "Red Cross";
Domestic security – 52 terms, including "assassination," "dirty bomb," "crash," "first responder," "screening" and "death."
Hazardous materials – 34 terms, including "hazmat," "nuclear," "leak," "burn" and "cloud."
Public health – 47 terms, including "ebola," "contamination," "wave," "pork" and "agriculture."
Infrastructure security – 35 terms, including "AMTRAK," "airport," "subway," "port," "electric" and "cancelled."
Southwest border violence – 65 terms, including "drug cartel," "decapitated," "gunfight," "marijuana," "heroin," "border" and "bust."
Terrorism – 55 terms, including "Jihad," "biological weapons," "suicide attack," "plot" and "pirates."
Emergencies and weather – 41 terms, including "disaster," "hurricane," "power outage," "ice," "storm" and "help."
Cyber security – 25 terms, including "cyber terror," "malware," "virus," "hacker," "worm," "China" and "Trojan."
The DHS has been engaged in monitoring social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and LinkedIn as well as blogs since at least 2010. Its effort is run through the Office of Operations Coordination and Planning (OPS), National Operations Center (NOC), and is entitled "Publicly Available Social Media Monitoring and Situational Awareness (Initiative)." Its ostensible purpose is to provide situational awareness and strengthen its common operating picture.
The scope of DHS' practice of social monitoring was unexpectedly revealed in a special congressional hearing, the House Subcommittee on Counterintelligence and Intelligence, headed by Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA), in February. Two DHS officials, Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan and Director of Operations Coordination and Planning Richard Chavez, raised the representatives' ire by appearing to be deliberately stonewalling on the scope and practice of the agency's social media surveillance.
Most disturbing, the DHS reps appeared unsure about the monitoring program's goals, how the gathered information would be used and whether it would be shared with other agencies. In an unusual show of bipartisan unity, Reps. Billy Long (R-MO), Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) joined Rep. Meehan in chastising the DHS officials.
Under intense congressional probing, DHS reps revealed that the keywords chosen for monitoring were drawn from commercially available, off-the-shelf database programs that were customized to meet its specifications. The agency was particularly interested in determining first witnesses to breaking events like the 2011 Tucson shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and others and the January 2012 bomb threat at an Austin school.
The DHS reps insisted that data gathered was only used to confirm other news reports and that information on private citizens was not being collected. In addition, they claimed that that all personally identifying information was regularly scrubbed from the agency's servers.
Few should feel comforted by the DHS assurances. At the House hearing, it was also revealed that the agency was involved in what appears to be an ongoing campaign to monitor the actions and beliefs of individual Americans engaged in community-based political activism. It compiled a report, "Residents Voice Opposition Over Possible Plan to Bring Guantanamo Detainees to Local Prison-Standish MI," that tracked community reactions to the proposed location of Guantánamo detainees in a local Michigan prison.
The DHS report is part of the EPIC documents acquired through a Freedom of Information request. It details that information was gathered from a variety of sources, including newspaper articles and responses, blogs by local activists, and Twitter and Facebook posts.
The House hearing also shed light on the DHS practice of outsourcing keyword tracking of social media through a sole-source contract to the giant defense contractor, General Dynamics. In 2011, General Dynamics had revenues of $5.5 billion of which 84 percent ($4.6 bil) came from government contracts. Earlier this year, it's Advanced Information Systems division was awarded a $14 million DHS contract to (in the words of a press release) "provide constant and continual watch operations for critical communications to the agency's National Coordinating Center." In addition, it will "identify the possible impacts of potentially disruptive events.
In keeping with the prevailing ethos of corporate unaccountability, it turns out if the General Dynamics employees are found to have misused the information garnered from a social network user, including a journalist or public figure, the employee must take a training course or, worst case, lose his/her job. No criminal penalties are specified.
A word to the wise, Big Brother is watching you.


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check out the Apps Apk video review for more of the Evernote App features
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First of a new series of blog posts we'll be doing keeping you up to date with what our artist family get up to.
Kicking off with the homies Scien & Klor of 123Klan who recently returned from Hawai taking part in the second annual Pow Wow!
Here's a few pics from the event robbed from Hypebeast and Booooooom!, hit those links up for full roundup. Looked like a fucking rediculous trip, big fan of Meggs over here and nice to see a Bristol boy in the mix too. Big up Will Barras!
Might have to take a trip over there next year and sweat our nuts off in Hawai 🙂
Tags: 123Klan, AnyForty Family, Booooooom!, Hypebeast, Meggs, Pow Wow, Will Baras


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The Sacrament of Communion is powerful, as we Catholics who engage in the Eucharist are receiving
The Body and Blood of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
A few weeks ago, I celebrated the †Corpus Christi (Most Precious Body and Blood)† at my family's Church, where our *Deacon's homily prompted this post in which I'll paraphrase his proclamation.
Deacon Dan's Communion Checklist
- Fall in line and remain in reverence ~ this is not a social gathering where we're here to see what everybody's wearing
- Look at the host ~ don't look away, as we're receiving this Sacrament
- Stay for the rest of the Mass ~ it's not time for us to leave just to beat traffic
While these may seem like simple steps, the Deacon pointed out how some don't put them into practice yet must be in play out of RESPECT.
One more rule of thumb: we must have a clear conscience when we receive Holy Communion ~ so regular confession is key.
Let us always celebrate this Fifth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary this way, as we receive our Daily Bread-turned into the Body of CHRIST.
Reverence Reference
* Vaughn, Dcn. Dan, MD. (2015, June 7). Homily: Most Precious Body and Blood (Corpus Christi) Mass. Holy Family Catholic Church.


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So this was absolutely amazing today.
We had a meeting and someone brought in a bag of "prizes" as an icebreaker.
Low and behold, one of the items being given away was a Kim Jong-il (father of Kim Jong-un, North Korea's current leader).
"Coincidentally," this just one day after the historic peace summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Why anyone would give a watch like this away is mind-boggling to me.
I am curious if anyone knows what the inscription on the back is?
Anyway, I think this watch is an amazing piece of history, especially from the isolated nation of North Korea.
I can only imagine what the history of this timepiece is and how it got here to NIST.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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In the midst of chaos, death, and sorrow one Japanese-American minister sees a new opportunity to spread the Gospel in a land that has basically rejected it.
Japan has a population of about 130 million and while the majority somewhat practice Shintoism and Buddhism in reality the younger generation is basically secular in their world view.
Only about one percent of Japan is Christian and the church has grown very slowly in the last 100 years or so. But the article also points out that the Gospel spread quite quickly there in the 16th century when Portuguese missionaries first brought Christianity to Japan. However for a number of reasons it fell into disfavor and was actually banned from the country for hundreds of years.
Doug Stringer, the half-Japanese, half-American founder of Somebody Cares America, is leading a team now working on the ground in Japan. It is Stringer's view that Christians need to work together as a team across racial and denominational lines in Japan in order to make any kind of real impact. The few Christians that there are in japan have unfortunately been divided and have seldom worked together in the past. Stringer is hoping that this will all change and the church will be far more united in the future:
"Crises draw people together, but some groups, even Christian groups, want to get their five-minute sound bite or 15 minutes of fame and they no longer really work together. It's like a fishing pole catching one fish rather than a fishing net woven together to catch a lot. We need to work together."
Stringer has hope that the Gospel and the church will rise up and meet the challenge amidst the ashes of destruction in Japan and bless the entire nation:
"I believe we can turn it around again in Japan for Christ. This is our opportunity to go to that one percent. We can see a nation of very honorable, but proud people in a desperate situation receive the love of Christ through God's people in a very tangible way. They will see the living Christ and meet the Hope of Glory because of it."
"We must leave a lasting equity for churches, pastors and missionaries—the Christians in Japan—so that out of this tragedy we can see lasting transformation. I don't know if I will have the opportunity to personally see those changes, but I want to empower believers in Japan to get past their differences and become part of something bigger than themselves—to see history in the making as hearts become open to the Gospel message."
According to the article, Stringer has received a number of personal prophecies over his life including one word that indicated that he could end up touching the royal family itself and government of Japan. Also, that he and his family might be instrumental in initiating a revival in that country.
We hope and pray that these words will be fulfilled through brother Stringer and others who are also called to break down the spiritual walls of resistance that has kept Japan from receiving Christ. Please pray with me for revival to break out among that honorable people. *Top


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Ammo shelves bare as gun owners stock up
There's a trend in gun ammunition that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
The trend: It's in short supply locally and nationally, from Walmarts to gun shops.
Gun owners are cleaning stores out of ammo on a regular basis, leaving shelves empty more often than filled.
As the gun control debate heats up in Congress and state capitols, buyers say they fear new weapon controls, a sentiment that's been building since the mass shooting of schoolchildren last December in Newtown, Conn. Some gun owners believe the government is hoarding.
Then there are those who say they buy what they can because if they don't, others will, and the shortage could get worse.
Looking at the empty ammo shelves of the Walmart Supercenter in Ormond Beach on Friday, Bill Crews said he noticed gun owners buying more ammo following President Barack Obama's re-election and then after the Newtown shooting.
"People panicked and started buying like crazy," Crews, 63, said.
He said he's not a fan of the current administration's leaning when it comes to the Second Amendment.
After the Newtown shooting, Obama launched an effort to strengthen federal gun controls and several states moved to tighten their laws. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to take up a gun control bill Monday.
Gun control advocates say such action is long overdue, and national polls suggest widespread support for measures such as universal background checks.
On Thursday, Connecticut became the latest to crack down as the governor signed a measure that adds more than 100 firearms to the state's assault weapons ban, creates a dangerous weapon offender registry and institutes eligibility rules for ammunition purchases — effective immediately.
"The guns they want to ban, I have them, but they're sporting guns," Crews said. "With these new laws, they're trying to make (law-abiding citizens) outlaws."
Many gun proponents nationwide, including Crews, are unwavering in their belief that, whether or not stricter laws are put in place, criminals are still going to get guns.
Lawrence Keane, whose National Shooting Sports Foundation is based in Newtown, said the nation's 100 million firearms owners drive the market for some 10 billion rounds sold annually, with demand and gun purchases increasing the past several months.
"People have been buying a plethora of firearms and whatever ammo they can get their hands on," said Adam Erdelyan, retail manager at Florida Gun Exchange in Ormond Beach.
Erdelyan said many are stockpiling, and manufacturers can't keep up with the demand.
"You have people who want to hobby shoot, and when you can't find ammo it makes that really difficult," Erdelyan said.
Retail managers like Erdelyan are often in the dark about the ammo supply, nearly as much as customers are.
"We don't know what we're going to get, when we're going to get it and how much it's going to cost," Erdelyan said.
He's expecting a shipment of various caliber bullets to the Nova Road location soon. On Saturday, the store had a limited supply of .327, .357 and .38 caliber.
Erdelyan said the purchase limit his store sets depends on what they have in stock.
"A lot of times we will set a limit because we'd like to spread the wealth," Erdelyan said. "But if we get a large batch in, we're not opposed to filling customers' needs or wants."
On Friday, Mick Cristelli paid a visit to Dick's Sporting Goods in Daytona Beach. He asked a clerk if the store had .22 caliber in stock — they didn't.
Cristelli, 61, who resides in Ada, Okla., but was visiting family in Daytona Beach, said he's seen the same lack of ammunition at home.
He said the manager of a Dick's Sporting Goods store in Tulsa told him customers will often wait in long lines before a store opens if they know a shipment of ammo has arrived.
"Even if you do wait, they have a three-box limit," Cristelli said.
Clerks in the sporting goods section at the Walmart Supercenter in Ormond Beach said they've seen customers wait in line for shipments of ammunition, hoping to buy as much as they can. The store has a three-box limit per customer per day.
On Saturday, Ormond Beach resident Roger Williams paid a visit to the Robert Strickland Shooting Range in Daytona Beach with his wife, something he does less often now that ammo is so hard to come by.
"You go to the stores and they only got one or two boxes," Williams, 54, said.
Locals have been surprised by the lack of even what most consider the most popular, and usually easy to come by, round.
Erdelyan said even .22 Long Rifle caliber bullets, some of the most popular and thus well-supplied ammunition, is hard to find these days.
Crews' wife, Judy Crews, 62, said she thinks survivalists or "preppers" are buying up most of the .22 caliber ammo, a practice fueled by the reality TV show "Doomsday Preppers."
Others have theorized much of the shortage can be attributed to the federal government.
Keane, whose group includes manufacturers, said the reports of massive federal purchases were not true. The government routinely buys products in bulk to reduce costs, and Homeland Security has said the latest purchases are no different.
Some police agencies throughout the country are having problems getting ammo, but local law enforcement is in good shape.
Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brandon Haught said the agency purchases its ammo on an annual basis, and there has been no discussion of having to cut back.
Supply is also not a current concern for the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
"We didn't want to get behind, so we went ahead and put in a big order," said Robert Crouse, Flagler sheriff's director of human resources and professional development.
The major U.S. manufacturers are running shifts around the clock to try and meet increased demand, Keane said.
This isn't the first time manufacturers have had to scramble to keep up.
Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg said the retail chain previously rationed in 2009, the year Obama entered the White House. However, sportsmen and tradesmen say the current shortages are nationwide, and the worst they've ever seen.
"I just don't know when it's going to stop," Bill Crews said.