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|December 9, 2009, 08:07 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 1, 2001
Posts: 9,590
In that case, I agree with you. In another, I've seen a buddy shoot a 2" J frame at 100 yards and do better than some people I know who shoot regularly with rifles at the same distance.
I think your right with the .25/.44 out of the Contender too.
Personally, I think the shooter is usually the weakest link, but thats me.
I would think if you had two good shooters, each with a good shooting gun they liked, using quality ammo the gun liked, I think you'd be hard pressed to decide what caliber was the better when comparing targets.
"If the rule you followed brought you to this,
of what use was the rule?"
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on." - Joseph Heller
|December 9, 2009, 10:16 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 9, 2006
Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania.
Posts: 4,871
Oldman: 1946 was a good year; my birthday too.
"Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games." Ernest Hemingway ...
NRA Life Member
|December 9, 2009, 11:57 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 6, 1999
Location: Richmond, Virginia USA
Posts: 6,004
"My question would be "Why would you use a 40 for bullseye shooting anyway"?"
The answer is they'd use it if it worked for them. Competitors use what works and what wins for them. They are constantly trying new gear in an effort to gain an edge or pick up a point or two. They'd shoot square bullets if they cut more centers than what they're currently using.
The fact is, they don't use .40.
P.S. - In addition to the .22 rimfire and .45 matches, there is a third.
".2.2 What kind of centerfire pistol should I use?
The rules allow any centerfire pistol of .32 caliber or greater to be used in the centerfire phase. Some shooters like the lower recoil of a smaller centerfire caliber and use a third gun. The rules also allow a lighter trigger pull on a centerfire gun. Here are some of the more common options: "
Last edited by johnbt; December 9, 2009 at 12:03 PM.
|December 9, 2009, 05:06 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 9, 2007
Location: Suburban Memphis, TN (Mississippi side)
Posts: 120
How does one address accuracy issues? I have semis in most of the usual calibers (Sig P6/P225, Glock 19, and Sig P228 - all 9mm; Sig P229 - .40S&W; Sig P220 - .45 ACP; S&W 686-4 - .357 Mag/.38Spl) along with a fair selection of .22s (Ruger Single Six and Bearcat; Ruger MkII 22/45; and a pair of Sig Mosquitos). I go to the range almost every week and rotate through one of the .22s and two of the others in each session. Some days freehand I'm dead-on; other days I can't buy the 10-ring with a $20 bill and "ringer" shooting for me. From rest, regardless of caliber, I terrorize the 9s and 10s. I'm long since reconciled to the idea mine is a "shooter" problem, not a gun or ammo problem. So, I shall happily continue to shoot them all and like the man said when asked how to get to Carnegie Hall? "Practice, man, practice..."
|June 30, 2012, 04:45 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: June 30, 2012
Posts: 1
.40 caliber
I would post pictures of this but it does it prove anything over the internet unless it's a video, so let me say this: I have 9 handguns. Of the 9, my most accurate is an H&K USP .40. Standing at 25 yards, I shot a 2.75 inch group. Who know what the accuracy truly is when rested and using Hornady ammo; I've not wanted to waste money trying to figure it out because you don't need it more accurate than that honestly. I shot a sub inch group at 11 yards rested though, one solid hole with Hornady ammo. The 2.75 inch group at 25 yards was PMC, surprisingly. 180 grain maybe? But in short, with the right trigger control, ammo, and gun, you can get sub 3 inch groups STANDING with .40 bullets. Hope this helped.
|June 30, 2012, 10:34 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 2, 2005
Location: Where the deer and the antelope roam.
Posts: 2,013
Maybe at first I would have partially agreed with him. There was something different about the 40, some manufacturers had difficulty at first getting everything right. One example is the Hi Powers that were made right after 40 came out, they were scary. Another was the Beretta 96D I was issued.
My rifle and pistol are tools, I am the weapon.
|June 30, 2012, 10:56 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 6, 2009
Location: Rocky Mountain West
Posts: 3,395
.40 is as accurate as any service cartridge, especially in loads meant for combat.
My PX4 in my hands is quite precise.
|July 1, 2012, 05:12 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 27, 2008
Location: Tampa Bay, FL.
Posts: 346
CZ 75 P-01 . CZ-75B . CZ 912 . CZ 920 . Glock 26 Gen 3 . Kimber Pro Crimson Carry . XDm 45 3.8 Compact . Ruger 22/45 MKIII
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text: I'm new to shotguns. Just cleaned mine for the first time today and it was a PITA. Bought a cheap Winchester cleaning kit @ Walmart which did ok, but does no one make patch pushers (jags) for shotgun barrels like they do for pistols? I use them on my pistols and rarely have a need to use wire brushes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Uncorked event features local wines, beer, foods
September 6, 2013
The second annual Nevada City Uncorked will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 14 in the downtown area.
Uncorked is a collaborative effort between Sierra Vintners and the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce.
There will be about 20 locations throughout the downtown area, each housing a different wine or beer and food combination.
Locations stretch from The Stonehouse to The Emma Nevada House, including locations on Commercial, Pine and Spring streets.
The venues include bed-and-breakfasts, the hotel, stores, restaurants and winery tasting rooms.
Tickets are $35 in advance (pre-payment required for online tickets), $45 day of the event and $30 for wine club members. This includes a commemorative wine glass to use at each wine tasting plus five food tickets.
Recommended Stories For You
Attendees can purchase additional food tickets at two for $5 or five for $10. Must be 21 or older to purchase tickets.
To purchase tickets online, go to http:// sierravintners.com. Or win two tickets to the event, courtesy of Outside Inn in Nevada City.
Go to the Outside Inn blog, which can be accessed through The Union's Web Connect, to enter the contest. For questions, contact the chamber at 530-265-2692 or info@ nevadacitychamber.com.


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Teradek Cube 155 HD-SDI Encoder with WiFi
- Wireless Camera-Top HD Video Encoder
- HD/SD-SDI Input
- Streams H.264 Files by WiFi / Ethernet
- Streams to Decoder / Website / Computer
- Saves to an Optional MicroSD Card
- Mounts Hot-Shoe / Cage / Rig
- Li-ion Battery / AC Power
- WebUI for Configuration and Control
- OLED Screen Displays Battery / URL
The Teradek Cube 155 HD-SDI Encoder with WiFi is a wireless camera-top video and embedded audio encoder. It connects to a camera by SDI and streams proxy files/dailies in H.264 to a decoder or website. You can stream by dual-band WiFi wherever a network is available, by Ethernet via an optional router, or by an optional 3G/4G modem connection. You can also store the files to a MicroSD card as the Cube features a MicroSD slot with support for up to 32GB cards.
For mounting, the Cube attaches either onto a camera's hot-shoe or onto a cage/rig by an included 1/4"-20 mounting screw. Aside from the SDI input, connections consist of an Ethernet port, a 1/8" line/mic input, and a headphone jack. A micro USB slot is available for charging and configuring.
The Teradek Cube has a rechargeable internal lithium-ion battery that lasts up to two hours. It can also be powered with the included AC power adapter or by an external battery via a 2-pin Lemo input. An OLED screen indicates what the remaining battery life is and also displays online status and the URL being streamed to. Optionally, Teradek offers camera batteries with 2-pin Lemo output so you can easily power both the camera and Teradek with the same battery. The following three 2-pin Lemo batteries can be used for power: the Teradek Canon BP-945, Teradek Panasonic D54, and the Teradek Panasonic VW-VGB6.
- SDI Connection to a Camera
- Streams proxy files in H.264 to a decoder or website
- Streams by WiFi, by Ethernet, or by optional 3G/4G modem
- Stores files to an optional MicroSD card of up to 32GB in capacity
- Attaches to a camera's hot-shoe or onto a cage/rig by a 1/4"-20 screw
- Powered by a two hour internal battery or by an included AC power adapter
- An OLED screen indicates battery life, online status, and the URL being streamed to
| 1x HD/SD-SDI input
1x RJ45 port
1x 1/8" line/mic input with adjustable gain
1x headphone jack with adjustable volume
1x micro USB slot
1x 2-pin Lemo power input
|File Transfer Method
| Dual-band 2.4/5.8G 802.11 a/b/g/n MiMO WiFi wherever accessible /
Ethernet 10/100BASE-T
Or by optional 3G/4G modem connection
|Supported Resolutions
| 1080i 50/59.94/60
1080p 23.98/24/25/30
720p 23.98/24/50/59.94/60
|Video Codec
| Compression algorithm: Baseline, Main and High Profile H.264
Main and Baseline profiles
Bit Rate: 250 Kbps to 10 Mbps
Built in video scaler and deinterlacer
|Video Streaming Support
| Network protocols: TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, DHCP, NTP, SSL, IGMP
Transport protocols: RTP, RTSP, RTP over HTTP, optional MPEG-TS
RTMP (Adobe Flash streaming)
HTTP live steaming
Point-to-point (TCP or UDP), Multiple Unicast (UDP), or optional Multicast (UDP+IGMP)
|Audio Compression
|AAC-LC, MPEG Layer 2
|MicroSDHC card slot with support for up to 32GB cards
| Cold-shoe for mounting onto hot-shoe mount
1/4"-20 mounting screw for attachment onto a cage/rig
|Power Consumption
(While charging): up to 10W
|Auxiliary Power Input
| Internal battery that lasts up to two hours and is charged via micro USB slot /
Included AC power supply /
Or by optional 2-pin Lemo batteries
|2.5 x 3.5 x .9" (6.35 x 8.9 x 2.3 cm)
|8 oz (226 g)
|Packaging Info
|Package Weight
|1.8 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|6.6 x 6.6 x 4.1"
- 110-240V AC Power Adapter
- 2 x Wireless Antennas
- Ethernet Cable
- USB Stick with TeraCentral Desktop Software
- BNC Cable
- Hot Shoe Mounting Adapter
- 1-Year Warranty
| Tanotis uses Payumoney as a payment gateway, We receive the amount paid by customer only when we deliver the product.
1. You make the payment.
2. Money is held with Payumoney.
3. Money is released to us only when the product is delivered to you.


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Planning Commission's Action on Buckwalter Place
Any opinions on Don Blair's comments yesterday regarding the planning commission's recommendations for the approval of Buckwalter Place, or on the whole project in general? I'll admit I've not been keeping up with this one to any great degree. Per Don Blair's comments that the project could be either great or awful I went to the company site for this project for a little more information. Buckwalter Ventures Looking at the aerial view on both the plan map and google I'm not certain on the location of the commercial component. The article says the northwest corner of Bluffton and Buckwalter parkways. Is it going somewhere in the orange area labeled Berkeley Commons or white area between 278 and Island West? The purple pie slice? (except that says "Municipal Tract") The map is a bit too small to read the land use legend.


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Two 20-year-old Pontiac men were shot after an altercation between two groups resulted in gunfire, deputies report.
One victim was wounded on his right arm; the other man suffered from a wound to his left leg, deputies said. They were both transported to McLaren Oakland.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Leanne Lane and Karen Court in Pontiac.
Witness say two groups of people were approached by a black Honda Civic, gunfire was exchanged and then the Civic sped off. Deputies believe the unknown suspect may have been driving the vehicle.
Both victims were reluctant in giving information, deputies report.
The investigation continues. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call 1-800-773-2587.


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historic farm and eco-resort
Immerse yourself in a magical solstice weekend of rejuvenation and relaxation with MCLW yoga instructors Catherine McMillan and Delphine Davidson.
$870/person (single occupancy) | $1250/couple (double occupancy)
*Local Special*: $470/person (includes everything except room)
Includes room, meals (2 breakfast, 2 dinners, 1 lunch), 4 yoga classes, Guest Speaker presentation, tax, and gratuity
The Stanford Inn's Mendocino Center for Living Well's presents our Solstice Whole Yoga Retreat – Bring your heart, mind and willing body for a truly personalized and unique retreat experience: Whole Yoga – a flowing yet personalized practice combining breath, movement, awareness and reflection. Enjoy the Stanford Inn Eco-Lodge's pampering comfort, nourishing food (at award-winning Ravens Restaurant), and loving surroundings. The retreat includes an exciting, fun, and interactive nutrition class and lunch with Sid Garza-Hillman, certified nutritionist and author of Approaching the Natural: A Health Manifesto (Roundtree Press, 2013).


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Investors eyeing a purchase of Illumina Inc ( ILMN) stock, but tentative about paying the going market price of $160.08/share, might benefit from considering selling puts among the alternative strategies at their disposal. One interesting put contract in particular, is the January 2016 put at the $115 strike, which has a bid at the time of this writing of $12.50. Collecting that bid as the premium represents a 10.9% return against the $115 commitment, or a 6.7% annualized rate of return (at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost).
Top YieldBoost Puts of the Nasdaq 100 »


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Views: 23
Thank you so much for all this wonderful information!! I am going to act on this of course!! When I have a few tips I will give them as well. I have heard good commentary about "squidoo"; check it out!
© 2017 Created by Jon Dale. Powered by


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Thuram, Makelele back for France qualifiers
PARIS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - France recalled Barcelona defender Liliam Thuram and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele for their first Euro 2008 qualifying games against Georgia and Italy.
In a third change to the squad who defeated Bosnia 2-1 in a friendly earlier this month, coach Raymond Domenech also recalled Lyon striker Sidney Govou.
AS Roma defender Philipope Mexes and midfielders Julien Faubert (Girondins Bordeaux) and Jeremy Toulalan (Olympique Lyon) have been dropped.
Thuram, who is France's most experienced player with a record 121 caps, had been mulling over his future since last month's World Cup final loss to Italy but said on Wednesday he was available for selection.
Makelele announced his international retirement after the World Cup after making 50 appearances for Les Bleus. However, Domenech said on Wednesday he spoke with him in an effort to convince him to continue his international career.
France will visit Georgia on Sept. 2 before hosting Italy at the Stade de France four days later.
Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon), Mickael Landreau (Paris St Germain).
Defenders: Eric Abidal (Olympique Lyon), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Juventus), Francois Clerc (Olympique Lyon), William Gallas (Chelsea), Gael Givet (Monaco), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Liliam Thuram (Barcelona).
Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Racing Lens), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Florent Malouda (Olympique Lyon), Rio Mavuba (Girondins Bordeaux), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan).
Strikers: Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyon), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Franck Ribery (Olympique Marseille), Louis Saha (Manchester United), David Trezeguet (Juventus), Sylvain Wiltord (Olympique Lyon).


text: This page is of the earliest known Jefferson County Map of 1856 with each Township broken down with the names of all the landowners and where the property was located on the maps. The map is from an original 1856 map which was in color as seen on the maps. Courtesy of Danice Ryan Brush Creek Twp Cross Creek Twp Island Creek Twp Knox Twp Mt. Pleasant Twp Ross Twp Salem Twp Saline Twp Smithfield Twp Springfield Twp Steubenville Twp Warren Twp Wayne Twp Wells Twp Return to homepage Copyright © 30 Oct 2005-2011 Danice Ryan All rights reserved. This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my consent.


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Jessica Perry Hekman <jphekman(at)dynamicdiagrams(dot)com> writes: > [snip] > My proposal, then, is that the Java driver should submit the > transaction request; wait for the timeout; if it goes off, submit a > cancel request; and then throw a SQLException. We would not handle > this in the backend at all. > Bruce agreed that this was a good point to ask what the rest of the > hackers list thought. Any input? I guess the $64 question is whether any frontends other than JDBC want this behavior. If it's JDBC-only then I'd certainly vote for making JDBC handle it ... but as soon as we see several different frontends implementing similar behavior, I'd say it makes sense to implement it once in the backend. So, what's the market? regards, tom lane
Next: From: Bruce Momjian Date: 2002-03-30 05:16:36 Subject: Re: timeout implementation issues Previous: From: Peter Eisentraut Date: 2002-03-30 01:57:34 Subject: Re: Ok, I lied about it working... TCP_NODELAY?


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Exhibition Rooms
Exhibition rooms in the West Building were designed to
be harmonious settings for works of art. To accomplish this, the architectural details in each gallery reflect
the place and period that produced the art displayed in it, so that the room itself becomes a second frame for
the paintings. Galleries 48 and 51 were finished with wood paneling to evoke the homes and style of the Dutch
seventeenth century. When the museum opened in 1941, A Polish Nobleman and other works by Rembrandt and his circle
from the Mellon Collection hung there. In 2001, A Polish Nobleman, now reframed, hangs in the same location.
One of the new Dutch Cabinet Galleries, completed in 1995, can be seen through Gallery 48.
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text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
Microsoft just released an interesting press release: Microsoft Closes Acquisition of DATAllegro
The important stuff from this press release:
Microsoft will offer a new solution based on DATAllegro's technology that extends Microsoft SQL Server to scale into hundreds of terabytes of data. The company will begin giving customers and partners early access to the combined solution through community technology previews (CTPs) within the next 12 months, with full product availability scheduled for the first half of calendar year 2010.
Some info from their website: DATAllegro v3 performs table scans between 0.5TB/minute and 10.5TB/minute. DATAllegro v3 offers new capabilities to handle complex workloads that are a mixture of near real-time loads, long analytical queries and short quick-hit queries. Improved workload management gives queries with low workloads higher priority, reducing the overall workload on the server. DATAllegro also provides a comprehensive architecture with a high-speed loader performing loads at rate of over 1TB/hour. The loading server or landing zone within the high-speed appliance network is used to provide a loading services with a minimal impact to queries being run.
You can read more about DATAllegro here http://www.datallegro.com/v3/index.asp
Is this extending SQL Server, or replacing SQL Server with the Ingres/Linux/USN platform? So what is the MS plan going forward, keep DATAllegro Ingrs/Linux? Can USN be adapted to SQL Server? Will there be a special buil for DW, where the complex lock levels and logging in a transactional engine are diabled? Supposedly column storage is vastly faster than row storage.


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Fant4stic 2: Here's Why That's a Terrible Idea.
Over the course of the past months, we've had time to see FOX's 2015 rendering of the Fantastic Four (or as the viewers have coined, from FOX's 'quirky' use of word-play, Fant4stic). The reviewers talked smack about it, and the fans chalked it up to critic cynicism, but then they saw it for themselves, and wholeheartedly agreed.
That having been said, I find it odd that such an article as this is even necessary, to oppose the notion of this cinematic failure's potential return to terrorize the poor, unsuspecting movie-going populace. Like, for real, what did we ever do to you, FOX? Okay, all jokes aside, though, FOX's work on the Fantastic Four has been awful. It started off as merely mediocre in 2005, but has since descended into 'terrible'.
I won't even bother you too much with details of why the previous movies failed: Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) and Fant4stic (2015) have each been railed on, in their own way, since their respective releases. This article is not that. Rather than concern readers too much with the cause, I think it best to focus now on the effects of continuing such egregious cinematic flops.You see, the '05 & '07 pair of Fantastic Four movies were actually, by many estimations, not completely awful fare. Sure, they focused way too much on the campy personal interactions of the team, rather than interspersing it reasonably with scientific exploration and/or superhero action. In all, though, they seemed, at least, to attempt capturing the essence of who the Fantastic Four were as a team.
And then Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer took that to the next step, adding the Silver Surfer, to help that world branch out into considering cosmic implications. On paper, it sounds amazing. The Silver Surfer, in the right hands, is a can't-lose character, and even better if he heralds the coming of the Devourer, the fearsome world-eater Galactus. And then…FOX made him a big cloud of cosmic dust.
Fan reaction, from that decision alone, was powerful enough for FOX to halt everything (despite the fact that there was supposedly a third movie, that would have introduced the likes of Reed Richards and Sue Storm's reality-bending child, Franklin Richards). Here is where I draw my issue. FOX looked at the reaction to that movie, and took that into consideration. They stopped while they were ahead.
Fast-forward 8 years, and FOX is at it again. They know better than to continue the story from the previous two-part arc (especially since Johnny has long abandoned his pyromania for more patriotic pursuits…). This time, they figure they could give us a look at a younger, more hip team; that lame campy feel could be pushed aside for a more 'grounded' and 'edgy' feel. Hey, it worked for Zack Snyder and Man of Steel, right? People universally accepted that movie's portrayal of Superman, right??
To the surprise of absolutely nobody at all, Fant4stic turned out to be pretty disastrous fare, both critically and financially. The very-prematurely-announced Fant4stic sequel was silently removed from FOX's slate of movies. Even the cast and crew rushed to distance themselves from it, from Kate Mara making smarmy jokes, to Michael B. Jordan joining the cast of a movie whose production schedule would directly clash with the making of a Fant4stic sequel (and with a rival studio, no less).
Still, less than a year later, we have Simon Kinberg at it again, declaring his interest in continuing the story, despite its varied and assorted plethora of shortcomings:
We didn't make a good movie. The world voted, and I think they probably voted correctly. And you can't make a good movie every time out – not everybody does. We actually have a pretty good batting average, all things considered. But I think we made many mistakes when we made that movie – mistakes that we learned from and we wouldn't repeat. We want to make another Fantastic Four movie. We love that cast.
I'm sorry, what?
Yeah, no, I have a problem with literally every part of this statement.
"We didn't make a good movie. The world voted, and I think they probably voted correctly." The world voted the same for FOX's portrayals of Daredevil, Elektra, The Punisher, Blade 3 and both Ghost Rider movies. What makes the Fantastic Four any different, such that it deserves yet a third attempt at re-imagining?
"And you can't make a good movie every time out – not everybody does." Every time out? FOX has yet to make a truly good Fantastic Four movie even once at bat.
"We actually have a pretty good batting average, all things considered." See all the previous listed movies, in response to the first part of the quote. And shall we get on the reception of the X-Men movies, which is spotty, at best? Just…just, no.
"But I think we made many mistakes when we made that movie – mistakes that we learned from and we wouldn't repeat." But would we be treating the new movie as the main movie, while acting like the events of the previous movie never happened at all? Cause otherwise, the mistake-ridden movie is still canon.
We want to make another Fantastic Four movie. We love that cast. You've made precisely no argument as to why it should happen, other than the fact that it was really embarrassing and disappointing for your studio to be associated with such a horrid, miserable cinematic fail-fest as the widely-dreaded and loathed Fant4stic.
I won't even pretend as though I am entirely impartial in my judgment of FOX's treatment of Marvel's comic properties. In an ideal world, Marvel would have movie rights to all of its characters, to use as they see fit. Though, at this point, the problem has gotten wider than merely the rivalry and competition between these two companies. It's become a matter of taking pride in the work you do.
The makers of Fant4stic probably slapped it together purely for the sake of keeping rights from reverting back to Marvel Studios; and while I hate that, I do understand the choice, from a fiscal standpoint. The characters, in the right hands, are huge money-makers, appealing to a large swath of sci-fi and superhero fans. What's the point of taking that consideration, though, if you don't even act like you believe it?
The actors were told not to read the comics. Come on, guy. Seriously. That sort of mistake, combined with the various dialogue, pacing and VFX blips is plainly disrespectful. Aside from even concerning yourself with whether or not it's good as a Marvel movie, or superhero movie, is it even really good generally as a movie? The answer to that, according to "The world" as Kinberg put it, is no.
And aside from any care about movie rights, or hating FOX or loving Marvel Studios, it is important that viewers not support plainly bad movies. Not liking the viewers' reception to your awful movie is not call for the studio to throw yet more dollars at you, and risk squandering yet more resources. If a movie is bad, and the studios saw fit to remove any future plans from a concrete schedule, it is cue for the story to be discontinued, and for the property to fall into the hands of new cast and crew.
Many mediocre/bad movies get sequel orders, but that trend should be condemned, not set up as the new norm. At this point, I'm less concerned about the property changing studios, than simply getting those poor, unfortunate Fantastic Four away from their current writer and director. FOX gave Fant4stic the green light, and the result was a haphazard disasterpiece that even they can't stand.
As my sports-fan friends would say, "Just take the L". Or am I being too harsh? Would you like to see a continuation of FOX's latest rendering of the Fantastic Four?
Please be sure to let us know, in the poll & comments below!


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Early drama, uncertainty will lead to an outstanding FedExCup Playoffs
Woods nearly forces playoff at Liberty National
In the final round of The Barclays, Tiger Woods hits a 26-foot putt from off the green on the par-4 18th hole to 3 inches and taps for par.August 27, 2013
By Larry Dorman, PGATOUR.COM Columnist
A lot of ingredients go into creating a truly memorable postseason playoff. To see them all at once, punch 1969 into the way-back machine for the seminal game that ushered in the NFL-AFL merger and defined the Super Bowl as America's most-watched game for the ensuing four-and-a-half decades.
The key element in the New York Jets still-shocking 16-7 win over the 18-point-favorite Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III was simple but crucial: the top came up big under enormous pressure. On the massive stage under the glaring spotlight, they brought their best and beat the best.
On Sunday, way across time and the Hudson River from New York City, in a totally different sport and a very different arena, something similar happened at The Barclays.
The FedExCup Playoffs came of age. The best players showed their best stuff and if the extraordinarily high level of play at Liberty National Golf Club and intense competition are indicators of what's in store for the remaining three events, then professional golf's season-ending show has finally reached the level envisioned seven years ago. Without question, the Playoffs are off to their best start yet.
Okay, so new Barclays champion, Adam Scott, didn't go all Broadway Joe Namath on everybody and guarantee a sweep of the remaining three events and the $10 million bonus that goes with the FedExCup. But the soft-spoken Scott, who earlier this season became the first Aussie to win the Masters, did ratchet-up his formidable game and charge to a bogey-free 66, roaring from 16th place to the top with a score of 11-under 273 that survived a late assault by the strongest group of contenders in Playoff history.
Reigning U.S. Open champion Justin Rose had a putt to force a playoff at the 18th, but it skittered past the hole. No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods, brought to his knees by back spasms in the 13th fairway only to get up and birdie two of the last three, also had a putt to tie from just off the green at the 18th .
After shooting a 65 that put him at 9-under and in the clubhouse lead more than three hours ahead of the leaders, reigning British Open champion Phil Mickelson shook his head over his lone bogey at the 18th hole, and accurately foresaw what was coming.
"I do believe, had I made one or two coming in, the course, with the wind picking up, it might have had a chance," he said. "But giving one back on the last, looks like I can probably head out of here early."
Exactly. The number would be 11-under and it would become elusive in a freshening breeze that put fire in the greens and turned up the heat on the leaders. Casualties included the usually-unflappable Matt Kuchar, who fell from a share of the lead at the ninth hole after a drive dove left into the water to set up a triple-bogey that began a slide of four more bogeys on the back. Kevin Chappell, who shot a course-record 62 on Saturday, took sole possession of the lead at 13-under with a birdie at the 10th but was derailed by a double-bogey at the 11th and three more bogeys and a double after that.
While all this, Scott was up ahead birdieing 16th hole and parring in to post the number that the best players in the game were not going to match, try though they might. A few words about Woods are in order, mainly for the way he managed to finish with his back seized up.
He originally felt it tightening after his tee shot at No. 2. As he was hitting his second with a 5-wood into the 13th hole, the back went into spasm, resulting in a vicious pull hook, maybe 50 yards left of the green into a water hazard. Woods literally went down on hands and knees in the fairway, grimacing. As painful as it must have been to know where he had just hit his ball, finishing the round would hurt more.
Hate to be self-referential, but I've had a herniated disk at L-5, S-1 for the past 30 years. It can seize up with or without warning. When it goes into spasm it can make you crawl.
Woods got up, finished the par-five hole with a bogey, bogeyed the 15th after missing the green and taking 3 from the edge, and needed to birdie the final three holes to tie. He almost pulled it off, birdieing the 16th and 17th.
His putt at 18 wound up demonstrating just how thin and sharp is the edge of the razor that now separates all the top players in the world. It was dead on line all the way.
"Thought I made it," Woods said. "It was a little double breaker and I thought I poured it."
His ball stopped one turn from going in. Whether he will be able to pick up next week where he left off on Sunday after the tie for second with Rose, Canadian ball-striking machine Graham DeLaet and a resurgent Gary Woodland is up in the air.
Much as the folks at Deutsche Bank might not like to think of it this way, a little uncertainty is not a bad thing for the Playoffs. If Woods is able to play, great. His lead in the FedExCup points race shrunk to just 162 points over Scott, who picked up 2,500 with the win. Even if he is unable to play at Deutsche Bank, if Woods returned for the BMW Championship three weeks hence, he would be unlikely to fall out of the top five players going into the finale at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club.
All of that, of course, depends on how the formidable array of players below him in the standings fare at TPC Boston. As competitive as they all are, they would no doubt want to see Woods healthy and ready to play. But, either way, they are ready to go, and that in itself adds more than a little intrigue going forward in these intense Playoffs.


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First and Only
Producing and exploiting a feature film adaptation of the best selling novel 'First and Only'.
First and Only Ltd. is the company making an exciting adaptation of a bestselling Kindle novel by author Peter Flannery.
The film is based on gripping novel that's had a truly exceptional response from the readers with the majority of online reviews on Amazon and Goodreads being 5 stars.
The business of First and Only Ltd. is to produce and exploit the film First and Only, as well as any sequels and related products derived from the original book.
- Film Director and Managing Director
- Producer


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A Canberra masseur has been cleared of rape charges over an incident with a 19-year-old woman in 2009.
It was the second time Estuardo Pazmino, 48, had been tried on the charges that he had raped a woman who worked in the same gym.
The first jury was unable to reach a decision.
In the ACT Supreme Court Mr Pazmino admitted having sex with the woman, but told the jury it was consensual.
His lawyer told the jury what he had done was not ethical, but it was not illegal.
After the week long trial, the jury took just one and a half hours to reach the decision of not guilty on all six charges.
In a separate trial in 2012, Mr Pazmino was found not guilty of 12 charges of committing indecent acts against six of his female clients between 2006 and 2009.
He maintained his innocence saying any inappropriate touching had been inadvertent.
Topics: courts-and-trials, sexual-offences, act, canberra-2600
First posted


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Moyes firm over Chelsea target Rooney
Manchester United manager David Moyes has reiterated Wayne Rooney is not for sale, amid a report from the Daily Mirror that the club have no intention of buckling under Chelsea's interest.
- Marcotti: A logical conclusion
- Blog: Sympathy for the Devil
Chelsea saw a bid for Rooney rejected by United this week, although the club are expected to make a second approach after Blues boss Jose Mourinho confirmed it is "Rooney or bust".
However, Moyes has reiterated his stance regarding the England international's future, stating: "The club's position has not changed."
Rooney is apparently open to a move away from Old Trafford after it was claimed he is "angry and confused", following comments from Moyes regarding his place in his starting XI.
But the Independent reports the Red Devils will seek clear-the-air talks with Rooney and his agent Paul Stretford in order to clarify the player's desire.
Rooney's head could be turned by Mourinho's Chelsea, with the Evening Standard alleging they are prepared to make him their "highest-paid player".
On Thursday, Mourinho reaffirmed his belief that Rooney needs to be playing regular first-team football ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
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Check out this great deal on the Finish Powerball Tabs Dishwasher Detergent Tablets, Fresh Scent, 90 Count~
- Finish Powerball Tabs are 3X concentrated cleaning power of regular Finish powder dosage
- Pre-soaking Powerball scrubs away dried-on food residues
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- Easy-to-use, pre-measured dishwasher tablets with clean, fresh scent
- 90 Powerball dishwasher tablets = 90 wash loads
(I just ordered these myself!)
Step One: "Clip" the $2.15 coupon (must be logged in to see it)
Step Two: Choose Subscribe & Save @ $13.18 (includes free shipping)
Final Price: $11.03 or less than $0.13 per tab!
Be sure to double check the price before you buy- Amazon prices change quickly!


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Be careful near the monument — often home to a beehive.
Arroyo Seco Loop off Highway 79
The Canyoneers 1:30 p.m., Sept. 20
Vocalist Greg Walker sang on such hits as "Black Magic Woman", "Storm,y" and "She's Not There" and has contributed to the success of three platinum albums for the the Santana Band.
The evening features heavy hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, a silent & live auction, and a featured performances by the Bunnell Strings as well as a full-length concert highlighting Greg Walker (also a vocalist for Herbie Hancock, Kenny G., Rodney Franklin, and Keiko Matsui)
The proceeds of this evening will enable the Museum to provide access to music making for everyone, regardless of income level, through in-school music for hundreds of students, interactive tours, and hands on activities for thousands of children, intimate concerts, and singular exhibits for people of all ages.
5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, 92008
Get directions
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FTC Charges "Cramming" Violated Federal Laws
In a deal that would provide more than $39 million in redress for U.S. consumers, American TelNet (ATN), one of the largest providers of "audiotext" services -- audio entertainment services offered over the telephone -- has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that ATN tried to collect charges for 900-number audiotext services from thousands of consumers, even though the services had not been accessed from the consumers' phones. The settlement also would resolve FTC allegations that ATN denied tens of thousands of consumers their rights under federal law to contest charges for ATN's 900-number audiotext services on the consumers' phone bills. In addition, the FTC alleged that ATN violated the FTC's Pay-Per-Call Rule by charging consumers for audiotext services provided through 800 or other toll-free numbers, by charging consumers for "preamble" disclosures required by law to be provided free at the beginning of a 900-number program, and by failing to adequately disclose price information in advertising 900-number services. The settlement would bar the illegal practices, require that $37.4 million in unpaid disputed charges be written off and would require $2 million in redress for consumers who disputed charges, but ultimately paid them.
"Consumers are frustrated when phantom charges for services they didn't authorize appear on their phone bills," said Jodie Bernstein, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The FTC takes cramming seriously and we will, as we have here, take swift action to stop it."
This is FTC's fifth case since March 1998 involving "cramming" -- placing unauthorized charges on consumers' telephone bills -- and related abuses of the telephone billing system. It is the first such case involving unauthorized charges that apparently resulted from crossed wires or fraudulent action by third parties either clipping on to telephone lines outside consumers' homes or hacking into telephone system computers. One FTC cramming case, against Interactive Audiotext Services, Inc., resulted in $13 million in consumer redress, and the three other cramming cases filed to date are still in litigation.
The action announced today marks the second FTC settlement with American TelNet.
In December 1994, ATN paid $2.5 million as part of a settlement of FTC charges that they illegally charged consumers for audiotext services accessed by dialing 800 or other toll free numbers, and failed to adequately disclose price information in solicitation messages urging 800- number callers to call audiotext services offered over international or 900-numbers.
In the complaint detailing the charges, the FTC alleges that ATN uses automatic number identification ("ANI"), a system similar to "caller ID," to capture the phone numbers from which calls to its audiotext services are placed. The ANI system enables ATN to submit billing data in electronic format to consumers' local telephone companies, which then include ATN's charges on the bills they send to customers. The ANI system is vulnerable to both unintentional technical interference - such as crossed telephone wires - and fraudulent interference - such as "clip-on" fraud or theft of telephone signals from cordless phones. Therefore, the system is not an infallible system for determining whether an audiotext service was accessed from a given telephone.
The complaint alleges that when consumers called ATN to notify the company that they had been improperly billed, ATN assured them they would investigate the matter and respond within 7 to 10 days. Instead, ATN immediately generated a form letter saying the bill was accurate and should be paid. In fact, the FTC alleged, ATN did not, at any point in its billing and collection procedure, conduct a reasonable investigation into the validity of the charges. Some consumer complaints were met with a notice stating, "ATN has conducted a thorough investigation of this matter and has sustained these charges. As a subscriber of the telephone line, you are responsible for the calls made from your phone." When consumers provided information that the call could not have been made from their telephones, ATN neither conducted an investigation nor corrected the bill. Instead, the FTC alleged, ATN threatened and harassed consumers who refused to pay disputed bills, claiming they would ruin their credit rating, sue them, or garnish their wages.
"ATN receives tens of thousands of complaints from consumers every year as a result of its deceptive and sloppy marketing and billing practices," the complaint states. "The negative impact on consumers is exacerbated by ATN's deceptive and aggressive collection practices."
In addition to its billing practices, the FTC alleges deceptive practices in billing for international audiotext services. In one case, a pre-recorded message assured consumers that "only international long distance rates apply." In fact, by connecting to the number, consumers were billed in excess of $4.00 a minute for ATN's audiotext services. The FTC complaint also alleges that ATN provided direct billing for audiotext services using a system that allowed bills to be sent to consumers who hadn't ordered and didn't use the service. ATN also overcharged subscribers by charging for the "preamble" that is required to disclose price and other material information at the beginning of 900-number programs. The FTC's 900-Number Rule requires that the "preamble" be provided free of charge. Finally, the FTC complaint alleges that price disclosure in advertisements for 900-number services violated the requirements of the 900-Number Rule.
The proposed settlement would bar the alleged deceptive practices and violations of the 900-Number Rule. In addition, it would require that ATN suspend billing during the investigation of disputed charges; establish a simple means for consumers to rebut the presumption that the ANI system has correctly tracked charges for an audiotext service to them; and provide consumers who dispute the accuracy of a bill a one-time credit. In addition, ATN would be required to write off $37.4 million in disputed charges owed by consumers who have refused to pay and will provide $2 million in redress for consumers who disputed charges, but who ultimately paid them.
The settlement contains record-keeping provisions to allow the FTC to monitor compliance.
The Commission vote to approve the settlement for filing was 4-0. The proposed stipulated final judgment and order was submitted today to the Honorable James Lawrence King, U. S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida, in Miami. It is subject to court approval.
NOTE: This stipulated final judgment is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaint and stipulated final judgment are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-FTC-HELP (202-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.
Contact Information
Office of Public Affairs
Bureau of Consumer Protection


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Business Objects and Cognos have long been considered the leaders in business intelligence platforms. But in a surprising new report, Gartner ranks Microsoft ahead of those companies in its ability to execute.
Gartner's "magic quadrants" are typically annual market evaluations that place software vendors in one of four quadrants within a square: niche players, visionaries, challengers, and leaders. Specific placement within a quadrant depends on a vendor's ability to execute, which moves them upward, and completeness of vision, which moves them to the right.
Business Objects, Cognos, and Microsoft were placed among the leaders in Gartner's just-released Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platforms, 2008. But the research firm placed Microsoft above the other two in its ability to execute, including the competitiveness and success of its BI goods and services, its viability and investment in BI, and the execution of its sales and pricing. In last year's BI platform report, Gartner put Microsoft in the challenger quadrant.
Business Objects and Cognos slightly outranked Microsoft in completeness of vision, which includes such things as market understanding, sales strategy, and product development and delivery strategy.
By placing the world's largest vendor of commodity software as one of the BI market leaders, Gartner is demonstrating how quickly BI is moving from a specialized, expensive technology into a commodity itself. The rapidly commoditizing BI market, many industry observers believe, is among the reasons Business Objects accepted a $6.8 billion buyout offer from SAP and Cognos took a $5 billion buyout offer from IBM.
In its report, written by James Richardson and three other Gartner analysts, the firm cites the attractiveness of Microsoft's integrated Office suite, its PerformancePoint Server released last year, and SQL Server to businesses standardized on Microsoft platforms. "The bundling and pricing of its BI products makes [Microsoft] an economically attractive offering that will be considered by many organizations," the analysts wrote, adding that Microsoft's large development community will further the platform.
They also wrote that customers cite Microsoft for having the "best BI software quality of all the megavendors, with over half of them reporting no problems with the software," and attribute this quality, in part, to much of its technology having been internally developed rather than acquired.
Other companies placed in the leaders' quadrant included Oracle, MicroStrategy, and SAS Institute, while Information Builders straddled the line between challengers and leaders. The leader ranking also is a move up for MicroStrategy, which Gartner ranked as a visionary last year.
SAP was ranked separately from Business Objects as a challenger, since SAP's acquisition of Business Objects was completed just a few weeks ago. Gartner ranked QlikTech and Tibco Spotfire as visionaries, and Actuate, Arcplan, Board International, and Panorama Software as niche players.
Gartner defines BI platforms as those that enable users to build applications that help organizations learn and understand their business. It divides these capabilities into the functions of integration, information delivery, and analysis.


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Dubai gets new prepaid card vending machines
Consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now purchase prepaid phone cards and parking meter cards with the introduction of CARDz vending machines in Dubai.
The machines offer 30 Emirati dirham (eight dollars) prepaid phone cards used to recharge mobile phones. They also offer Dh 30 cards used in public phone booths, as well as prepaid parking meter cards that can be used to buy the white parking tickets rather than having to use coins.
The automated vending machines have been installed at convenient locations throughout Dubai including shopping malls, universities, office buildings, and petrol stations. An expansion program is already in place for the region, with plans to have the machines available in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Lebanon. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
Top Headlines
- Card experts identify huge opportunity for Prepaid; Up to 85 percent transactions in the ME region rely on cash
- UAE Celebrates Earth Day with Reverse Vending Machines
- Nawras customers can now use credit and debit cards at self-service machines
- Dubai credit card boom officially over
- Mashreqbank UAE Gate Prepaid MasterCard launched


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Hi, I need some help with the Word List Manager.
I have tried to create the list of verbs in a range of verses of BHS version using the Word List Manager (WLM). When I got to the 'Create Word List' window; I have selected WTM as the version I want, wrote the range of verses, but when I got to the 'Filter words using' edit control, and try to enter the code *v* or *@v*, I cannot write but hebrew characters!!!! How can I write in western characters and enter the grammatical code?
Another question:
Recently the Resource Summary Window is not working and I don't know why. Before, when you positioned the cursor on a hebrew or greek word, il showed all the references in dictionaries and grammars. Now it is static, does not respond. Why? My computer's operating system is Windows vista.
Thanks again.


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Ask a Mechanic Online and Get Answers to Your Car Questions
Hello and thank you for trusting Just Answer with your question. I'm Dj and I will work with you on this.
Dings under the size of a nickel and small paint chips are considered normal wear. Scratches that can be polished out are also considered normal.
Dents and scratches that would have to be repaired at a bodyshop are billable.
Tire wear that is consistent with the mileage of the car is considered normal. Tires last about 35,000 miles on average. So if you have about 35,000 miles and the tires are worn out or just about worn out, that's expected. If you have 20,000 miles and the tires are worn out, that either abuse or lack of maintenance.
Wear on the seat edges is considered normal, cuts and burns are not.
Is there something in particular that you are concerned about with this vehicle?
Not really - but the last time that I gave a car back the dealer was very quick to bill me for some things that I thought should have come under the heading or 'normal wear'
Thank you.


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Destination Assistant
SQL Server 2012
The Destination Assistant component helps create a destination component and connection manager. The component is located in the Favorites section of the SSIS Toolbox.
Destination Assistant replaces the Integration Services Connections project and the corresponding wizard.
For instructions about how to add a destination and a connection manager using the Source Assistant, see Add a Destination using Destination Assistant.


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LAST week a few eyebrows were raised at the idea of drawing up underground heat from below Glasgow's streets, and the prediction that this could meet up to 40% of the city's heating needs.
I can understand why some people are sceptical; even in this relatively mild winter, it's hard to believe as we trudge about the streets that there's a ready supply of warmth under our feet.
But the study under way at Caledonian University will be looking at the disused tunnels and mineworks under the city's streets, which stay warm throughout the year and which could be tapped for cheap energy.
Glasgow wouldn't be the first city to use geothermal energy this way, but it would be a unique example in Scotland, and the benefits could be huge for a city where around a third of households live in fuel poverty.
That statistic is only likely to get worse as energy prices rise, unless we can do two things; cut down our costly waste of energy, and develop new sources of green energy.
Achieving those vital goals, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using energy more efficiently, will require a real transformation of our energy system.
But it must be done in a way which creates a social benefit too. I think that means more than just changing the technology. We have the chance to change the ownership structure too.
We're almost all completely dependent on a few multinational energy companies, and they will always put profit ahead of public interest.
The global factors driving up energy prices can't be wished away, and it's not all the fault of these firms, but their primary function is to make bigger profits for shareholders, not to serve their customers' best interests.
Right now we're in danger of missing the chance to change that.
There will always be an important role for the private sector, but we don't need to leave these few huge firms so utterly dominant.
Some European countries have successful publicly owned energy firms too, putting the profits from the industry back into serving the public good.
Some of them are developing renewable energy in Scotland. While I welcome the investment I can't understand why we shouldn't take the same approach ourselves, and reap the rewards for the public purse.
Creating a Scottish public energy company would be a tremendous legacy for generations.
We could start building it now, if local authorities used their borrowing power to invest in profitable sources of green energy.
Different technology would work in different places, and in Glasgow underground heat pumps could be a great way to start. Elsewhere wind, solar and hydro power could be options.
Income generated could be invested in public services, or in the housing stock to cut down on energy waste and save more money.
Ultimately, if Scotland votes for independence, we'd have the chance to put a national energy company in place.
There's a real chance we could make green energy the people's energy. I don't think it's a chance we can afford to miss.


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After all the Bicentennial's examinations of what the Constitution is, take one last look to discover who lives there. Someone lives there. The Constitution's inventors could not have produced so durable a document without a vision of the person to whom the laws and stipulations were directed. Before the season dissipates, look at the words one more time. Read them not as rules of the game but as the interior ruminations of a character, a hero, who in some strange conflicted combination of exultation and self-restraint has, for 200 years, found a way to live a life. What character? What life?...
Who Lives There?
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Interesting problem has appeared. machine details are in sig. I had a tweak of my LNB and decided to have a go at the SBS broadcasts in prep for my new tuner (Blackgold 3595, not arrived yet). However, in MC as soon as i ask to scan either a single or full transponder scan MC instantly closes with an unexpected error and restarts. Nothing logs in Event viewer or system logs.
There is nothing else plugged into the Dish, and everything works fine aside from that - sort of.
I'm sure my tuner card is on the way out as it is occasionally very poor signal, corrupted video/audio and sometimes "missing". My HVR3000 did the same until it stopped working completely, so I guess this one is dying too. Seems unusual tho that I am unable to rescan for sat signals. I am not going to uninstall and reinstall the card at the moment cause I'll have no TV at all if/when this stops working before my BG3595 arrives!


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Hotel JANA
Koliby 2, Přerov
(in the distance of 1.9 km from Žebračka (přírodní rezervace))
The four-star Hotel Jana is located in the area of a tennis club in the countryside on the outskirts of Prerov. This accommodation is ideal for corporate events, teambuilding holidays, as well as for lovers of spa treatments and tennis.
- Free internet
- Breakfast included
- Parking
- Pets


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Watching Johnson break onto the national scene in the 1979 NCAA championship game fueled the belief by players all over America that they needn't be pigeon-holed into certain positions simply because they were short or tall or strong.
You can count Plymouth High School senior Mack Mercer as one of those players who isn't limiting himself to just one place on a basketball court because of his one differentiating trait.
"I've always been the tallest guy," Mercer said. "I've actually had (growth) spurts, but I've always been tall."
Mercer will join a horde of talent today on the basketball courts at Ben Davis High School as the 11th annual Top 100 Showcase, which features the best high players in the state, begins at 2 p.m.
Mercer stands nearly 6-foot-10 in shoes, yet during games, he's often drifting along the three-point line waiting to catch a pass and drain a long jumper.
But that's not always the case.
"If my shot is not falling, I'll try to go to the block more and get things started that way," Mercer said. "It's a simple thing of balance."
Fortunately for Mercer, implementing that "balance" is a viable option for him. He possesses ability, agility and stability.
He has the ability to shoot from the perimeter, the agility to drive the ball, and the stability to hold his position on the block and score with a variety of post moves.
"It just depends on the matchup and who is guarding me," Mercer explained of deciding where to attack offensively from. "If I have a guy guarding me that is my size, I'll probably try to take him more off of the dribble. But if I have a guy who's smaller, then it might be a mismatch then I definitely like to post up."
The fact that Mercer is not only willing to post up often but also enjoys doing so is somewhat refreshing in this day and age when no one seemingly wants to go inside and bang with the big boys.
"If you can get closer to the basket, it is way easier to score," Mercer said. "That's the best shot on the floor."
Mercer's versatility, athleticism and size are the reasons why he is spending his summer sifting through NCAA Division I scholarship offers. He has Boston College, Indiana State and Belmont atop his list of preferences (not necessarily in that order), but several others are trying to get in the race for his services.
Unlike many high school players, Mercer doesn't really alter his game from the high school season to the summer circuit. He credits fourth-year Pilgrim coach Ryan Bales for designing an offense that takes advantage of everything Mercer can do.
Mercer helped Plymouth to a 21-4 record this past season as it advanced to the IHSAA Class 3A regional championship before falling to Andrean (70-60). He averaged 19 points per game, grabbed nearly nine rebounds per night and blocked an astounding 75 shots.
"Luckily, Coach Bales lets me roam and play the perimeter," Mercer said. "But in school ball, a lot of the guys aren't as tall, so I really like to get my dirty work done in the paint and score that way."The Fort Wayne area will be well represented at the showcase today. The following players will participate: Mason Coverstone (Columbia City, junior), Cole Hartman (DeKalb, junior), D.J. McCall (Concordia Lutheran, senior) and Justin Mitchell (Wayne, senior).
Last year, coaches from 64 colleges attended the event to evaluate the prospects.
More Information
ONLINEFor complete coverage of today's Top 100 Showcase, follow Tom Davis and Pete DiPrimio via Twitter at Tom101010 and pdiprimio, respectively.
Davis will provide an ongoing blog throughout the event at News-Sentinel.com with updates on recruiting, evaluations and more insight into the prep and college basketball scene.


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We Would Be Arrested for ______
With the arrest of Justin Bieber yesterday we thought it was only fitting to find out what we would be arrested for?
Both of us have never been arrested or committed a crime, but we opened it up to the listeners to decide what our infraction might be.
Some of the answers were pretty good.
- For andy. Assulting a driver after a road rage moment. For tosh pushing an old lady over that was in ur way of geting somewhere warm
- Tosh, stalking JT…and not knowing all the planets on Tuesday
- Tosh failure to clean windshield and Not knowing your state bird
- Tasha got arrested for beating people up that wore the t shirt of the band they went to see in concert and Andy got arrested for streaking and trying to kluck the national anthem
- Natasha arrested for indecent exposure. Forgets to put on pants when leaving house.
Those were just the texts.
What I have come to realize is people think I will go to prison before Andy. And I'm a half naked stalker.
Facebook had some different answers:
- By the looks of these pictures… Tasha would be stealing cats to add to her "collection" and Andy….living in a van down by the river
- Tasha -Kidnapping JT and hiding him in your garage.
- Pulling other radio stations bumper stickers off cars…. Hahaaaa
- Excessive twerking??
- Tasha would get arrested for inciting a riot at a Justin Timberlake concert and stealing his hair. Andy would be arrested and sued for illegally cloning JT for Tasha in his basement.
- For Looking too good! Hi Andy and Tasha!
- BRINGING SEXY BACK Go JT
- Throwing Skittles at the elderly and stealing helium to "enhance" their voices.
If we are to believe these predictions as to why we would go to jail, Justin Timberlake better bulk up his security.
What do you think? If Andy and I (Tasha) were to be arrested, it would be for ______.


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LeapFrog 22659 ClickStart Scout's Puppy Pals Game - Phonic Skills, Keyboarding, Mousing, Ages 3-6Item#: YYDS-L3554 | Model#: 22659
Currently Out Of Stock!
LeapFrog 22659 ClickStart Scout's Puppy Pals Game Product Details
Manufactured by: LeapFrog
Warranty provided by: LeapFrog
UPC No: 708431226593
Mfg Part No: 22659
Box Size:
( Length:0, Width:0, Depth:0)
Shipping Weight: 0.2600 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- LeapFrog logos are registered trademarks of LeapFrog. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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Blinc Kiss Me Eye Liner Reviews
Great!!I think the best part is the brush applicator. It's firm enough to give you control, yet flexible enough to allow you to draw a thin or thick line. The consistency is thin but pigmented to create a nice line. Easily removes with eye makeup remover. Stays on all day! No smudging or fading. — 5 years, 6 months agoPsy1ocke | 155 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
nope not for meI was super excited to open this product because I have Blinc's mascara and their eyelash curler, both are great products! If I were to say I had a normal use eyeliner it would be my Tarte EmphasEyes but I'm always open to trying new ones. I figured this product would blow me away. It claims to be waterproof, smudgeproof, and liquid. The formula is a fairly thin liquid and the brush is about ...read morethe length of my thumb nail which makes it a little too long to control easily. Lots of product gets on the wand which ends up on my face and fingers – annoying. Another thing I don't like about it is how when you put it on it sets nearly immediately which means if you make a mistake you have to really work to get it cleaned up, whereas most of my other waterproof liners give me a little time where I can attack the mistake with a q-tip. I suppose if you are an expert at applying liner and never need to clean up mistakes then this would actually be a good thing since it would dry and not smudge quickly. Another thing I don't like is getting it off. Since I shower in the morning I don't typically have "lots of hot water" to get on my eye to apply both warm water and force as the removal instructions indicate. I can't use just normal makeup remover to get it off. What I've had to do is warm up my makeup remover pads in my hands for awhile and then use them. I've only used it a few times but at this point I've decided it is just not for me so it is gone. — 5 years, 7 months agoslagoon | 51 reviews
Nice, but not spectacularWell, my aunt turned me onto this mascara a while ago and I was excited to try something new. I did like the special application - you're supposed to apply it differently, and it actually tubes your lashes. However, I didn't feel like it did that much for my eye lashes. They did look nice, but not as dramatic as what I get from the basic maybelline mascara. Also, after a while it actually started ...read moreto irritate my eyes. Not sure why it happened or took a while to do so, but I decided to switch to an organic one instead. — 4 years, 10 months agocjs26 | 4 reviews
Great eyelinerThis is a great smudge proof eyeliner. It will stay on all day and comes off easily with warm water & pressure (this does mean though that it will come off when you cry & rub your eyes, but that's ok). It does take a little practice, but I found the wand easy to adjust to. I have not had any trouble applying within the given time, and find that when I do make mistakes this product is MUCH easie...read morer to remove simply with my fingertips than your average liquid eyeliner~but you do have to correct mistakes immediately. It gets a 9 for two reasons: 1. The wand is usable, but it does seem like a few tweaks would make a better applicator. 2. If you look close as the day goes on, the eyeliner does "pull" on your skin some, making it the tiniest bit wrinkly looking, but it's really not noticeable. I only notice it when in comparison to my regular liquid eyeliner. Oh and I hate eye make up remover so the clean up is what really sold me on this product. — 5 years, 7 months agosummer_yarbrough | 2 reviews
Where has this been all my life?My eye makeup ALWAYS ends up under my eyes by the end of the day. This stays exactly where I put it--along the lash line--does not smudge, does not move, end of story. You do need a practiced hand, however, because you can't "smudge" this product. The line you make is the line you've got. I found that it does slide right off, all in one piece, like a little plastic strip, with warm w...read moreater and a little pressure. This lasts a LONG time--it takes so little to line the upper lid, and the package is larger than most liquid liners. However, the fact that it's packaged like a mascara means that when you pull the brush out, there's a lot of product on the brush and the stem of the wand, and I find that I waste a lot wiping off the excess. I would recommend buying a separate liner brush. — 8 years, 11 months agokayzee | 12 reviews
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Great Eye LinerThis is one of the best eye liners I have ever used! It does not sweat off when I work out or come off during a swim, but its not difficult to remove either. I love the fact that it just peels off when one washes their face. It comes in a bigger tube than most eye liners and it does not clump up near the beginning of the tube. It is a bit pricey, but I don't mind paying for quality product such as this one. The only thing I dislike is the applicator is a bit long. — 8 years, 11 months agoSunshine2696 | 2 reviews
Doesn't Come Off That EasyGreat product. but it claims that it can come off with the swipe of finger. It doesn't. Use makeup remover instead. — 9 years agoljclay | 37 reviews
Only buy in the blue packagingIf you can find the Kiss Me Eyeliner in the blue package, buy it. The brush is small and compact and glides on smoothly. I think it is a great product. HOWEVER, they decided to repackage their product and the new version comes in a silver tube and the brush is rounder and awkward. BOO HISS HISS. I say NO WAY!! The liquid inside is great. Choose the color you want and it stays on through tears an...read mored hours of wear. I would give the product HIGH marks in the old packaging but I can't find it where I live so...it is low I go. — 9 years, 8 months agomabyns | 12 reviews
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The BestThis is the best liquid liner I've ever used. Once it's on it stays until you take it off with water and a little pressure. I never have to worry about it ending up some place I didn't put it! — 9 years, 10 months agowesternnut | 11 reviews
It really does not flake or come off until you rinse with warm waterThe first time I tried the Blinc Eyeliner it irritated my eyes. I really liked how it worked though so I tried it again a few weeks later. I didn't have a problem and now I love it. It's perfect if you are going to go swimming or its hot out because it wont end up all around your eyes.You do need to practice with it because it can go on kind of thick. Rinsing it off is easy with warm water. It comes off in pieces and again does not smear in the process. — 9 years, 8 months agojensidea | 12 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 3 of 3 people said helpful
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An orange cat made a surprise appearance at Bradley Primary School to escort youngsters in a new walk-to-school initiative.
Cool Cat, a mascot loaned to the school's PTA by Blackpool Council, where two parents work, helped to spread the message of Walk to School week, which has the goal of promoting healthier habits, encouraging physical activity, conserving the environment and easing congestion.
It is the school's ambition to encourage parents and children to walk to school at least once a week and to run an initiative WOW - Walk On Wednesday, resulting in more children walking to school or using the 'park and stride' points at the village hall and Bradley Methodist Church car parks.


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Foo Fighters Announce September Date for Crowd-Sourced Richmond Show
The Foo Fighters have announced via Twitter that they will perform at The National in Richmond, Va. on Sept. 17. The show is the culmination of a crowd-funded campaign to get the Foos to play in the city for the first time since 1999.
The CrowdTilt campaign was started by Andrew Goldin, Brig White, John McAdorey and Lucas Krost, who had the idea to sell tickets to a show that didn't exist in hopes they would sell-out, garner the band's attention and bring the Foo Fighters back to Richmond.
The successful campaign brought in some big money from local businesses like Sugar Shack Donuts and Brown's Volkswagon, who each donated $5,000. All tickets to the show were sold out before the band even knew about it. The organizers were prepared to return all the money if the Foos refused to play.
Fortunately, the band decided to honor the request. As stated, they revealed the date in a tweet that can be seen below:
.@foofighters_rva @Tilt How's Sept. 17th @TheNationalRVA sound? Let's do it. If you pledged, check your email for details!
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 3, 2014
The Foo Fighters will release their eighth studio album 'Sonic Highways: The Album' on Nov. 10. It is available for pre-order here.
The band chronicled the recording sessions for an upcoming eight-episode HBO series titled 'Sonic Highways,' which will debut on Oct. 17, airing Fridays at 11 PM ET/PT.


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Savage 10 FCP-K, as good as it sounds??
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January 11, 2013, 05:49 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: August 1, 2010
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 4,329
Thinking more along the lines of a Vortex Viper PST 6-24x 50 FFP
Vortex fan here, own a couple- SFP, though...
Be sure you understand the difference between the two...FFP scopes are not my choice for long range because the reticle obscures the target at high magnification- and you just mentioned you have a concern about reticle size. Just sayin'...be sure...it's a matter of personal preference. The Viper 6.5-20 is a GREAT SFP optic for hundreds less. The Trigi's are a hunting optic...not geared for LR target use.
Whatever scope you decide on, be sure you have enough "up" elevation adjustment available. Usually isn't an issue with higher-end optics, and a 6.5 caliber boolit, just be sure to check (Vortex is never an issue, plenty of internal adjustment). When you go for a base, best to go with a 20 minute down-angle. No downside, and the extra adjustment is there in case you ever need it.
Good luck with the LRP. Like I said, that would be my choice if I didn't handload (and heck, a great one, regardless)- and when you start, it'll be that much cheaper to shoot.
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My Top 15 WrestleMania Matches: Part 2
by, 12-30-2011 at 03:47 PM (3902 Views)
Well Splashers, we are back for the second half for my top 15 WrestleMania Matches. In The first half we saw some great matches in the list like: Savage vs Steamboat, Rock vs Hogan, Austin vs Hart, and several others. The New Year is quickly winding down, and everybody is looking to party (Including Yours Truly.) So let's knock off the blabbering and start the Splashin!
My top 15 WrestleMania Matches 2 of 2.
07. WrestleMania 24
John Cena vs HHH vs Randy Orton© for the WWE Championship
This match had all the elements: A champion, whose arrogances is only matched by his ability. You had the face of the company, ambitious and will go the extra mile (That's Cena for you people who can't keep up.). And finally, we have the savvy veteran. Ready to go through anyone, or do anything to achieve his goal.
I remember Cena and Orton having one of the bigger feuds during the latter part of the decade, and even traded the title a few times in the process. As for this match, it was great! The action was right on, and the final moments of the match were perfect.
06. WrestleMania 23
Undertaker vs Batista© for the World Championship
At the time of this match, I was a huge Batista fan, and "The Streak" itself was becoming an early legend in WrestleMania history. As for the match, it was awesome! This match was back when Undertaker was still fresh, where he could fly over the ropes, and walk on the ropes with ease. Batista dished out everything he had to the Dead Man. He also took everything Taker had to offer, but the Tombstone Pile-Driver was just too much for Batista to handle. Undertaker would take his 15th WrestleMania victim at Ford Field that night.
05. WrestleMania 19
HBK vs Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels: While their gimmicks and personalities may be different, if you look at their size and wrestling techniques, you could say they are mirror images of one another. They are both high flyers, love to use submission moves, and they both love to steal their opponent's finishing move. Both Jericho and HBK can play the role of "heel" or "face" very easily. Yet over the years, playing the "heel" has come more naturally to Jericho.
This match went back and forth, in and out of the ring. The match even went into the crowd, where Jericho applied a "Walls of Jericho" on Michaels. Jericho pulled out all the stops to win this match, as he had HBK in "The Walls" one or two more times, and hit Michaels with his own move: Sweet Chin Muisc. But it was all for not. HBK eventually comes back, and hits his own Sweet Chin Music, and gets the win.
04. WrestleMania 12
HBK vs Bret Hart© in a 60 minute Iron Man Match for the WWF Title
If you look into the history books, and talk about some of the great PPV matches, you HAVE to talk about this match! While it's clear that Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are two different styled wrestlers, whenever these two get in the ring together, a volcano erupts! Even though both men were "face" in this match, the majority of the crowd was clearly rooting for HBK.
At the end of the hour no one got a pin-fall and it was 0-0, and everyone thought Bret Hart was going to walk away still the champion. Just then Gorilla Monsoon got in the ring and made a last minute judgment call. He ordered that the match must continue under "Sudden Death Rules". Several minutes and two Sweet Chin Music Kicks later, Shawn Michaels was WWF Champion for the first time!
03. WrestleMania 17
Team 3D© vs Christian & Edge vs The Hardys for the WWF Tag Team titles in a TLC Match
Earlier in the Splash, when I talked about the Ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, I mentioned how others would raise the bar in years to come. When you talk about a Triple Threat Tag-Team TLC Match at WrestleMania 17 for the WWF Tag Team titles? Raising the bar, is EXACTLY what these six men did!
When I watched this match, two phrases kept coming in my head: OH MY F*CKING GOD!! & HOLY SHIT!! I honestly cannot put into words the hell these guys went through. This is back when the WWE tag belts meant something, and tag matches actually had quality in the WWE/WWF.
02. WrestleMania XX
Chris Benoit vs HBK vs HHH© for the World Championship
I know what Chris Benoit did, but that's another story for another day. In 2004 Benoit had finally had his chance to shine in the wrestling business, as he had one of the best feuds with Triple H, and Shawn Michaels. That feud led to the main event at WrestleMania XX, and the World Title. I was a huge Benoit fan from way back to his WCW days, I was thrilled to see him win that title.
01. WrestleMania 25
HBK vs. Undertaker I
This WrestleMania match won several awards, from both inside and outside the WWE. From the feud, to the promos, even to the entrances, everything was perfect. Shawn Michaels was mocking The Undertaker through every step of the feud. This was the first time I honestly doubt the Undertaker was going to come out on top, and it was also the last. No wonder it's in the number 1 slot.
A lot of people would compare their match at WrestleMania 26 to their first match. However I thought their second match had nothing extra to offer, except for HBK's goodbye. After HBK lost the first match, and was coming out with a "My Journey" DVD at the same time as WrestleMania 26, I knew he was retiring.
Well there you have it Splashers. After looking at my list, I kept noticing one name that kept reoccurring in my list: HBK Shawn Michaels. He was in 6 of the matches I listed. Triple H and Undertaker were the runner-ups as they were tied with 3 matches each. I guess when you put it all together; it does prove that HBK really is "Mr WrestleMania!"….yeah I had to throw that out there. Until next time splashers…See Ya!
-Rick Starr @Rick Starr


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- //American Idol
PHILADELPHIA — TV shows live by the numbers and they die by the numbers.
At the moment, "American Idol" is being gashed with the Nielsen sabre.
Viewership for the Fox singing contest is down just over 20 percent vs. last year at this time, and ratings in the adult demographic (18-49 years old) have dropped an alarming 33 percent.
The best-case scenario for the network is that this is a just a temporary aberration, that fans over time have grown weary of the audition stage, which serves as a long pointless overture to the season, and that they will return once the real competition begins on March 1.
"I think 'American Idol's' slipping numbers reflect fatigue, especially among more engaged, savvy viewers, because the show is incredibly boring this year," says Andy Dehnart, editor of the website realityblurred.com via e-mail.
"The new judges brought some life to it last season, in part because they were new and unpredictable, but even they can't help the show slog through its ever-predictable, excruciatingly drawn-out audition rounds."
Recent history would suggest that those who abandoned ship will not be reboarding HMS Karaoke.
"American Idol's" audience peaked in 2006, averaging 30.3 million viewers per episode for Season Five (a number it is generally believed will never again be attained by an entertainment series.)
The fan base has shrunk every year since then (with the exception of last season, which we'll address in a moment). Thus far in Season 11," Idol" is averaging just under 20 million viewers.
Granted, that's a mob any network executive would trade her beach house for. Indeed, there's a good chance "Idol" will finish in May as TV's top-ranked series for a record eighth consecutive year.
But it's still a steep drop-off from the show's heyday. And there are other concerns.
"Every year, the median age (of the audience) gets older and older," says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research for Horizon Media in New York. "It started out in the low 30s and now it's creeping close to 50."
That trend, a liability for advertisers, has accelerated this season. "'Idol' is not only losing viewers," says Adgate, "the median age is almost three years older than it was a year ago."
Interestingly, "Idol" seems to be operating on some kind of delayed reaction. Severe audience declines were forecast for the show last season, due to the departure of hanging judge and founding faulter Simon Cowell.
But Fox went the glamour route, bringing in rock star Steven Tyler and sex symbol Jennifer Lopez for the judges' panel.
Suddenly, it was Simon who? Despite some rocky periods, "Idol" ended Season 10 with viewership up 4 percent. Not a stunning number, but still, the first upward tick since Taylor Hicks prevailed in Season Five.
The Tyler and Lopez gambit worked, but "Idol" may now be learning that you can't light the same fireworks twice.
"Last year, they came out with such a bang. It was such a novelty to see Lopez and Tyler. They really upped their game in terms of celebrity quotient," says Shirley Halperin, music editor for The Hollywood Reporter and author of the magazine's blog, Idol Worship.
"This year feels kind of like the sophomore album," she continues. "Everything seems a little ho-hum."
Another element cramping "Idol's" style is that the field of competitors has grown crowded over the years.
There are big budget shows like "The Voice" and "The X Factor" that are clearly patterned on the "Idol" formula. Young pop singers compete in many other prime time venues, from "The Sing Off" to "America's Got Talent."
And thanks to the massive success of "Glee," musical performance scenes, which only a short time ago were a rarity on TV, are now commonplace. "Gossip Girl," for instance, opened its 100th episode this week with a lavish staging of the show tune "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friends."
Yes, the hills are alive. Which makes it harder for "Idol" to differentiate its voice.
Fox certainly isn't helping its own cause.
"I think the fact that 'The X Factor' ended on Dec. 22 and 'Idol' began on Jan. 18 — they just didn't leave enough time in between where you could even start missing a singing show," says Halperin.
But the network is fortunate in one regard. It doesn't depend on "American Idol" as desperately as it used to. For years, Fox limped into January and waited for its miracle-worker, "Idol," to single-handedly make its year end Nielsen numbers respectable. That's changed.
"They've had a pretty decent season fueled by some first year shows like 'The X Factor,' 'New Girl' and 'Terra Nova,'" says Adgate. "Now they've got 'Alcatraz' and 'Touch' and that 'Bones' spinoff, 'The Finder.' That's a strong bench compared to previous years."
So "Idol," it's all right if after 11 years, you're showing your age. You've earned a bit of a rest.
"When all is said and done, when you look at this show and all it's accomplished," sasys Adgate, "it will go down as the most dominant show in the history of television."
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Stevie Wonder Takes a Knee as Green Day and Others Also Speak Out at Global Citizen Festival
// Notes from the Road
"The 2017 Global Citizen Festival's message for social action was amplified by Stevie Wonder and many other incredible performers and notable guests.READ the article


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Philadelphia High School Integrates Latest Technologies
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
TOM BEARDEN, NewsHour Correspondent: West Philadelphia has the reputation of being a rough part of town, not the kind of place that most cities would use to test out a new approach to public education. But this is where the school district has chosen to build what it calls the school of the future.
It's a gleaming $62-million edifice constructed on former park land. It's just down the street from the modest row house where ninth-grader Littleton Hurst lives with his mother, Eleanor Shockley.
ELEANOR SHOCKLEY, Parent: I think everybody here is excited about it, everybody. And the students that have been offered the opportunity to go there has been excited, as well.
TOM BEARDEN: One thing that has a lot of kids excited, every learner — they don't call them students — has a city-supplied laptop computer that they can take home. The laptops connect to the school's wireless network for high-speed Internet access. Littleton Hurst and classmate Quasan Baker are thrilled to have them.
LITTLETON HURST, Student: You can do everything faster. And if you do everything faster, that means you get more assignments. And the more assignments you do, the better your grade comes out.
TOM BEARDEN: How about you? How do you use yours?
QUASAN BAKER, Student: Well, it's, like, the same. Work, work and more work. That's all I do. I stay up late nights typing on my computer, finding out new stuff about it.
TOM BEARDEN: We spoke with the ninth-graders in the Interactive Learning Center, a library with very few books. Nearly all the reference materials are online. Shirley Grover is the school's principal, although she calls herself the chief learner.
SHIRLEY GROVER, Chief Learner, School of the Future: This is an opportunity to take technology, harness it, and harness the energy of adolescence by engaging them in relevant and meaningful learning. That's more lifelike, and we hope that we'll maximize their individual potential so that they can be those top scientists, those top mathematicians, those top problem-solvers.
TOM BEARDEN: Is the laptop that each kid has the key to all of this?
SHIRLEY GROVER: Yes.
TOM BEARDEN: That's the portal?
SHIRLEY GROVER: Yes. It's actually the lifeline, I think, to learning.
Serving as an example
TOM BEARDEN: Some are concerned students carrying those $1,500 computers through high-crime areas will be a tempting target for thieves, but so far there's only been one incident.
The school opened with great fanfare on September 7th, when the first students entered the building: 170 West Philadelphia freshmen selected by a lottery from a pool of over 1,500 applicants. A new set of ninth graders will be added each year until the building reaches its capacity of 750.
The school received a lot of media attention because it's a joint venture between the Philadelphia public school system and the giant software company Microsoft. Microsoft's founder, Bill Gates, has long expressed concern about the state of American public education.
BILL GATES, Founder, Microsoft: America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken or are flawed or under funded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By "obsolete" I mean our high schools, even when they're working as designed, cannot teach all our students what they need to know today.
TOM BEARDEN: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent $2.3 billion on education projects around the world. But having forged partnerships with corporations before, Philadelphia school district CEO Paul Vallas approached Microsoft directly for help. Microsoft agreed to supply brainpower but declined to actually pay for the school.
PAUL VALLAS, CEO, School District of Philadelphia: It was advantageous to us because, at the end of the day, the human resources is what we're seeking, and sometimes money can't buy high-quality human resources. And it's advantageous to them, because it's just not about them writing us a check. It's about them putting some of their best and brightest on a project that is dear to their heart and that they're committed to.
TOM BEARDEN: Mary Cullinane is Microsoft's point person for the project.
MARY CULLINANE, Director, Microsoft's U.S. Partners in Learning: Our goal here, though, was to demonstrate in West Philadelphia what's possible and then build resources and tools, best practices, case studies, assets on our Web site, quarterly briefings that we do, you know, four times a year, which schools from all over the world come to learn about what's happening in Philadelphia.
But what we didn't do is we didn't write a check. And we did that because we wanted other folks to look at this project and say, "We could do that, too."
Futuristic approach to education
TOM BEARDEN: Microsoft helped design every part of the school. For example, the classrooms don't have blackboards. They have electronic displays instead, for Internet access, videos, connecting with other classrooms around the world.
All learners have smart cards, electronic I.D. badges that register attendance, open lockers, and will even track calories consumed at lunch. There's the help desk located on the second floor for students to recharge batteries and get problems fixed. The biggest issue so far?
TEACHER: I need you to come up with a password, OK?
TOM BEARDEN: Forgotten passwords. There is no set schedule and location for classes; that information is posted online daily. This particular class was meeting in the school cafeteria.
TEACHER: You need photographs. You need interviews. You need to write something and also your aspirations for the future. Is that clear?
STUDENTS: Yes.
TEACHER: Thank you very much.
TOM BEARDEN: Students study traditional subjects, but instead of taking compartmentalized courses in algebra or American lit and doing conventional math and reading homework, they have a project-driven curriculum.
They are assigned issues to investigate and are expected to do original research. The idea is that dealing with real-world problems exposes students to many different fields of knowledge.
Teachers say the challenge is to use the technology to teach, not just teach the technology. Kathy Lee specializes in environmental studies.
KATHY LEE, Teacher: The software is marvelous. It makes my job easier. But I think, if I were to put on a scale of 1 to 10, I think I might make it like a 4 for me, personally, because for me it's the human interaction with the students, and it does allow me to open up doors that most teachers don't get the opportunity to do.
SHIRLEY GROVER: The 11 here, these two digits are not considered to be really high compared to the 50.
Creating a corporate culture
TOM BEARDEN: Principal Grover says the real innovation is creating a kind of Microsoft corporate culture in the school, a culture that demands success from both students and teachers.
SHIRLEY GROVER: The partnering on the outside is important to sort of have us -- we've always looked inwardly as educators. It's sort of like been our little world, and we've looked in. We thought we knew the answers to what needed to be.
And I think, over the years, what's happened is we've recognized the fact that we need to look outwardly, also, that is has to be dynamic, both inside and outside, because we're shaping kids for the world and not just for education.
TOM BEARDEN: In the school for only a month, ninth-grader Ryan Wheeler says that culture is already established.
RYAN WHEELER, Student: They want you to succeed, so they're like just, "Go ahead. You can do it. You can do it." They give us time. They want us to succeed, so they keep pressuring us to do -- because they're determined for us to take another step higher.
QUASAN BAKER: And I find it like we're making history right now, as to be the first lucky 170 to walk into the school of the future. And I find that amazing how I got accepted.
The public school system
TOM BEARDEN: But some critics wonder if the district can separate out all that's going on in the school to determine what's working and what's not.
DIANE JASS KETELHUT, Temple University: It changes how I think we work with kids and we help them understand what information is.
TOM BEARDEN: Diane Jass Ketelhut is an assistant professor of science education at Philadelphia's Temple University.
DIANE JASS KETELHUT: If I was a student and I went to a school that had been built 50 years ago, was run down, and I walked in everyday, the message I'm receiving is, "My school doesn't matter. Therefore, I must not matter."
I walk into a school that's $65 million was spent on, and I say, "Wow, I was selected for this school. I must matter. And, therefore, this is an important place to be, and I have to live up to the expectations of me."
And so it's very difficult to know whether what they're doing is because of their educational model, the business model, the technology, or just the fact that somebody spent time preparing and creating a good environment for learning.
TOM BEARDEN: And Professor Jass Ketelhut wonders about the rest of the kids in the system.
DIANE JASS KETELHUT: We have a school district here in Philadelphia that has 200,000 students in it, and yet they've spent $65 million fixing up one school for 500 students. While that's great and this is a model, is it a model for the rest of the Philadelphia schools?
It's unlikely they can afford to do that with the other 40 or 50 schools that are in the school district. And therefore, one wonders whether this is money well-spent from that aspect, whereas what could we have done to raise the level for all students somewhat, as opposed to a lot for a small group of students?
TOM BEARDEN: CEO Vallas says the system plans to create 3,500 classrooms of the future over the next 18 months, eventually providing every public school student access to the same technology that kids in the school of the future enjoy, even if it's not in a new building.
The school system says it has a rigorous, ongoing testing program to accurately measure whether the school of the future's approach actually has a future. They won't have definitive results for at least four years, when the students who started this school receive their diplomas.


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My vision is worst after my Upper Eyelid Surgery about 2.5 months ago. What can be the cause of this? What direction should I go in right now to help get some answers? Also, I did not have any dry eyes prior to the operation. Now, I am diagnosed with very dry eyes. Thank you!
Vision Worst After Upper Eyelid Surgery?
Doctor Answers 5
Vision Worse after Eyelid Surgery
Dry eyes can lead to corneal problems, which can cause visual changes. Dry eye symptoms usually resolve after upper blepharoplasty with time. Artificial tears in the meantime. See the ophthalmologist.
Vision Worst After Upper Eyelid Surgery?
There are reported cases of visual changes following upper eyelid surgery. You might want to have your eyes examined by an eye doctor or consult with an occulo-plastic surgeon. Most often these changes are temporary and are secondary to swelling and altered lymphatics due to the surgical trauma.
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Vision change after blepharoplasty
You should an ophthalmologist or oculoplastic specialist for evaluation. It may be related (dry eyes, etc) or unrelated.
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Vision change following an upper eyelid blepharoplasty
You are reporting two problems of concern, vision problems and dry eyes following a blepharoplasty. The two may be directly related. I would schedule an appointment with your ophthalmologist to determine the etiology of these two problems. Hopefully your condition can be medically treated and are temporary.
Vision changes after upper eyelid surgery
It is not uncommon to experience vision changes after eyelid surgery. These changes are usually temporary and can be related to factors such as swelling and dryness. Occasionally the position of the upper eyelid changes enough that a new prescription for glasses or contact lenses is needed. As a general rule, if vision does not stabilize within a month or so after surgery and your surgeon cannot pinpoint the reason for your symptoms, it is a good idea to see your eye doctor.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.