text:
LinuxFest Northwest 2011: Calls for Exhibits and Presentations
LinuxFest Northwest, which will be held in Bellingham, Washington from April 30 through May 1, is calling for exhibit and presentation proposals.
Registration and the call for papers for LinuxFest Northwest is now open.
There are many ways for the community to participate in LinuxFest Northwest, including a mailing list, an IRC Channel (#lfnw @ irc.freenode.net), and forums.
The FAQ page provides additional information about this event.
Issue 167/2014
Buy this issue as a PDF
Tag Cloud
Tool Predicts Which Websites Will be Compromised
Carnegie Mellon researchers say 3 million pages could fall down the phishing hole in the next year.
SSH Key Management Guidelines
The US government rolls new best-practice rules for protecting SSH.
Knoppix 7.4 Released
Klaus Knopper announces the latest version of his iconic Live Linux system.
PHP Attack Puts WordPress and Drupal at Risk
All websites that use these popular CMS tools could be vulnerable to denial of service attacks if users don't install the updates.
Heartbleed Bleeds On
According to a report, many potential victims of the Heartbleed attack have patched their systems, but few have cleaned up the crime scene to protect themselves from the effects of a previous intrusion.
Drone Brain Goes Open Source
DARPA and NICTA release the code for the ultra-secure microkernel system used in aerial drones.
Password Management Services Vulnerable to Attack
Should you trust an online service to store your online passwords?
New Raspberry Pi Adds Two USB Ports
New B+ board lets you build cool things without the complication of a powered USB hub.
Microsoft Grabs No-IP.com Domains
Redmond rushes in to root out alleged malware haven.
Firefox Steps into 3D
New initiative will bring futuristic virtual reality effects to the web surfing experience.


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The door is always open at Glass King, where specialists welcome and encourage customers to drop in at any time to discuss all things auto glass. The shop dispatches these specialists to driveways across Tulsa, where they patch up small chips in windshields, windows, or your chauffeur's glasses. For unfixable jobs, the team carefully removes busted glass from the vehicle before installing brand-new sheets.
What makes your business stand out?
The service! We want the car wash experience to be a destination and not just a chore. That's why we make your visit a personal one. We interact with our customers more than the average car wash. We pride ourselves in bringing the fun back to car washing. Most of our business is repeat business, and from customers that have been coming to Hank's since we first opened. We are the only car wash in Broken Arrow with The Foam Wall (available on our $16 Ultimate Wash Experience). This is why we are Broken Arrow's Favorite Car Wash.
What inspired you to run this business?
I have worked here for over two years and love working here because of how important we make the customer. They are not just a number—they have a name. I love it because we strive for excellence at all times, and aren't satisfied with mediocrity. We are always trying to improve and get the cleanest car possible while also having the best value in town.
What is your most popular offering?
Our VIP Monthly Club Card. With it, you can wash any vehicle you want up to 10 times a month for one monthly charge. Prices start as low as $15 month. Unlike most car washes, we give you the option of choosing from all of our wash packages and allow you to wash more than just one vehicle. We have also had many contests on Facebook, with prizes ranging from manicures, pedicures, massages, local business's gift cards, a year's worth of free car washing, and other exclusive deals and offers. We now offer a $3 Quick Wash every day of the week. Wacky Wednesday [is also popular.] Our new promotion is that our $16 and $12 washes are $3 off every Wednesday.
What is the best reaction you've ever gotten from a customer?
Our best compliments are always about our employees. They tell us that we have the friendliest staff. We also love that our customers say that their vehicle shines brighter when they visit Hank's as opposed to other car washes in the area.
What's your favorite part about your job?
[My] favorite part of the job is being able to be an integral part of the Broken Arrow community and establishing relationships with our customers. I love interacting with our customers and helping to bring a smile to their day. Knowing that I am treating every customer like family makes me smile and makes me feel like what we are doing is successful. That's why a motto we go by here is "a business that makes nothing but money is a poor business."
What began as Tulsa native Ted Robertson's humble downtown garage in 1962 has earned its place as a local automotive institution, where ASE-certified mechanics ensure long engine life with expert maintenance, repair, and tire services at all 11 Robertson Tire locations. Members of the Robertson family still proudly oversee the business, celebrating a half-century in operation, three generations of family ownership, and a mantel dangerously overflowing with awards. Tires from renowned brands such as BFGoodrich and Hankook?as well as fuel-efficient models from Michelin and Goodyear?cap car axles with firm traction and computer-balanced fits, and flushes, repairs, oil changes, and inspections keep engines purring. In addition to repairing cars, trucks, and utility vehicles, the community-minded staff supports local and national charities such as Operation Smile and reduces carbon tire treads with eco-friendly products and tires.
For more than three decades, Clear Water Car Wash has empowered patrons with the choice of automatic or self-serve washes with full access to cleaning products and eco-friendly services. After cars go through the gauntlet of dirt defeaters, drivers augment outer shines with self-serve options including car-care vending machines and free dual-motor vacuums. The staff at Clear Water balances their care for all things auto with equal aid to humans, granting local fundraising groups access to the self-serve bays for car washes or lemonade stands powered by high pressure hoses.
Most Popular Service: Automotive repair and transmission repair
Reservations/Appointments: Required
Established: 1962
Staff Size: 2?10 people
Average Duration of Services: 2?4 hours
Brands Used: Valvoline, BorgWarner, Bosch, Castrol
Pro Tip: Call ahead to schedule [your] service for faster service time.
Since 1988, Auto Care Super Saver has been helping car owners save cash with maintenance punch cards redeemable at local auto shops throughout the course of a full year. These cards come loaded with all kinds of prepaid services, including at least three full-service oil changes with up to 5 quarts of oil, lube, and a new filter. Depending on the location, punch cards may also feature tire rotations, brake inspections, engine-light readings, air-conditioning performance tests, and other repairs and inspections essential to a car's well-being. Customers can transfer the punch card's benefits to any ride, ranging from station wagons to sports cars to feral merry-go-round mounts.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Fast-growing Amazon.com continues to gobble up talent from the Seattle tech community. The latest addition is Scott Blanksteen who just left his gig as CEO of Founder's Co-op-backed AppStoreHQ to become director of product management for Amazon Digital. That's the group responsible for delivering the Kindle and Kindle Fire. (Just last week we reported that RealNetworks vice… Read More


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CHEERS to Penn State York on the classes being held at Hanover's public library. There are currently three courses that were offered for the spring semester, but officials say that number is likely to grow, thanks to the fact that enrollment tripled from the fall semester. And these courses are open to adults as well as to high-school juniors and seniors, which makes for an interesting mix in the classroom. We've said it before and we'll keep saying it: This is great - but it really demonstrates the need for Hanover to have its very own community college.
Along those same lines, CHEERS to Bermudian Springs School District for becoming a full member of the Adams County Tech Prep Consortium. Bermudian joins Gettysburg, Conewago Valley, Fairfield and Littlestown districts in making this technical education program available to its students. For years, we couldn't understand there wasn't more of a push for a countywide tech school. But with Gettysburg leading the way, a serious effort was made to expand that district's program and open its courses to students from other districts. Now, the consortium functions as a de facto tech school, so very valuable for students who can't or don't want to go to college, but who want post-secondary education geared to a particular career path. We can't say enough about how important it is for students to have those options.
CHEERS to word that Gov. Corbett is coming to Hanover in March. The governor will be the keynote speaker at the York County Republican Committee's first-ever Lincoln Day Dinner. As near as we can recall, the last time a sitting governor came to the forgotten town, it was Tom Ridge. We don't remember why he was here, but we remember that he enjoyed some famous wieners while he was in town. We really don't think Hanover is that tough to find, but if you happen to see a big black limousine circling around town on March 14, please direct Gov. Corbett to the Hanover Elks lodge on Forney Avenue.


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I popped into Dwell on Design held in Los Angeles last week with my dear friend, designer Amanda Pays and we had such a great time walking around the show. I've been going to this design event ever since it first started and this year, I was so encouraged to see many more building/design companies offering non-toxic materials. The choices are so attractive and inspiring! I especially liked the ingenuity of the Bad Beetle company, who repurpose pine trees that have been devastated by the mountain pine beetle, into unique Apple accessories.
In case you couldn't make it to the show: http://www.dwell.com/dwell-on-design/
For inside your walls: Fabulous insulation from americanlimetechnology.com, made from 95% plant based hemp.
For your floors: distressed looking wood planks painted with low VOC, water -based paints + coatings, from timelinewood.com. Lumber is not recycled or repurposed wood but is from FSC certified mills.
For your walls: upcycled newpapers are handwoven on a loom (!) and then paperbacked to make Newsworthy from weitznerlimited.com
For your patio: make your own free standing raised garden beds. Scoutregalia.com offers 2 different size steel brackets.
For fun: Stencils Rock! This one is from ecorglobal.com, a company that actually makes eco-friendly tables from 100% recycled. 100% USDA certified bio-based fiber resources.
For your foot!


text:
Real Name:
Tarzana, CA
Best meal I ever ate:
Brennan's Banana Fosters, Club 33's Macaroons, and Pizzeria Mozza's Bianca Pizza.
My current drink of choice:
I drink way too much Coke Zero right now.
I really wish I could:
Walk into any restaurant, order whatever I wanted, and the check would be taken care of.
My "Go-to" dinner party dish:
I'm the guy you go to for anything dessert.
My favorite comfort food:
My top 5 favorite restaurants:
Spago (Beverly Hills), Saddle Peak Lodge (Calabasas), Pizzeria Mozza (Hollywood), Shake Shack (New York)
My most tattered cookbooks:
I had cookbooks but now I get all my hair brain cooking ideas online. The curse of a small apartment.
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text:
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Expired Property Listing
This property is disabled.
River Front! Best spot on the river-float from the house. in New Braunfels
- bedrooms 3
- baths 3
- sleeps 8
- pool no
- hot tub no
- pets allowed no
- type House
- community Cliffview
rates (USD)
/ night
$ 1,500 - $ 3,000 / week
vacation rental description
Cliffview Condominiums are located on the Guadalupe River, 20
minutes from downtown New Braunfels on River Road between the second and third
crossings. Enjoy the scenic cliff-side and beautiful 300 feet of DIRECT RIVER ACCESS right out your front door! Tube rental and shuttle service is provided on site. You can enter the
river here and exit at a variety of places up and down the river and be
returned to the property. This location is perfect for playing in the river or
just relaxing as you watch others float in the river below. Also if you enjoy
live music, the property is short drive to River Road IceHouse, & Gruene
Hall. If you are a lover of antiques, the home is less than 10 minutes from the
towns of New Braunfels and Gruene, which provide antique shops as well as many
unique shops where artisans sell their wares. The home is also close to great
BBQ as well as several outlet malls. If you get tired of playing in the river,
"Schlitterbahn", a wonderful water park is located in New Braunfels.
The new Disposable Container Law in New Braunfels does not apply to our
section of the Guadalupe River. Ban applies to the Guadalupe River within the
City Limits of New Braunfels.
This is a NEWLY CONSTRUCTED luxurious 3BR/3Bath. Open Kitchen/Dining/Living room
with many amenities. Full Kitchen with dishes, all appliances and cookware
provided. 3 flat screen HD TV's with Time Warner Cable and wireless internet.
The home also has a washer and dryer.
Boating, water-skiing and sailing can be found 10 minutes away at
Canyon Lake. The drive up River Road to the lake is notably one of the most
scenic areas in Texas. Watch for deer and other wildlife along the way!
house rental amenities
We will provide:
Sheets & Pillows, Bath Towels, Basic Cooking Utensils, Cable TV, Microwave,
Coffee Maker, Gas Grill, Picnic Table. Each bathroom will start out with (2)
rolls of Toilet Paper
You will need to bring: Friends,
Family, Beach Towels, and some good food.
This brand NEW 3 bedroom, 3 full bath house is fully furnished with a 55" flat
screen HDTV & DVD player in the living room; perfect for unwinding after a
long day on the river. The house has WIFI, washer and dryer for personal use,
and private Gas Grill. The kitchen has large open layout with granite counter
tops & a bar, in addition it also includes all of your standard appliances
including a coffee pot, blender, and microwave. ALL THE KITCHEN UTENSILS are
also included (silverware, dishes, pots/pans etc...)
Just outside is great fishing or just watching tubers/boaters from the deck. You can
also take your lawn chairs down to the banks on the pebble beach or grassy
areas. The Lodge has two private outdoor areas with personal Gas Grill, porch
swing, tables and extra seating. It also has a grassy yard directly in front of
the lodge for outdoor games. It has a gated entry for security and covered
parking beneath the house.
Master Bedroom has a Queen Size bed, flat screen TV and private Bathroom #1 with
walk-in shower.
Bedroom #2 has a Queen Size bed and flat screen TV
Bedroom#3 has two sets of twin bunk beds (4 beds)
Bathroom #2 is in the hall with a tub and shower.
Bathroom#3 is on Ground level with shower for cleaning up after having fun on the
activities and attractions in New Braunfels Texas
If you are a lover of antiques, the home is less than 15 minutes from the towns of
New Braunfels and Historic Gruene, which provide antique shops as well as many
unique shops where artisans sell their wares. Not only does Gruene have lots of
shopping and great food, it is also home of the famed "Gruene Hall, which
has served as a springboard for many Texas musicians, a great place for dancing
or just enjoying the music. You might even enjoy learning the Texas Two-Step!
The home is also close to great restaurants as well as several outlet malls. If you
get tired of playing in the river, "Schlitterbahn", a wonderful water
park is located in New Braunfels. Boating, water-skiing and sailing can be
found at Canyon Lake. The drive up River Road to the lake is notably one of the
most scenic areas in Texas. Watch for deer and other wildlife along the way!
You will be a short 35-mile drive from San Antonio where you will find Six Flags,
Fiesta Texas, Sea World, the famed San Antonio Riverwalk as well as delicious
Mexican food. The Alamo along with several other missions located in San
Antonio makes for an incredible day out. There are numerous tour buses that can
take you to experience the sights and sounds of San Antonio.
The state capitol of Texas is located 45 minutes away in Austin, which has great
nightlife featuring many of Texas' finest musicians. You never know what great
and noted name will appear at some hole in the wall bar!
For you golfers, there are courses located in New Braunfels as well as San Antonio.
Austin is home of some of the finest courses America has to offer.
This location is the BEST on the river. You can float in the river or raft it, find
a nice place to sit on the limestone to watch others play, or just enjoy the
privacy of your own deck as you relax. During the fall, there are many
festivals in the area, including "Oktoberfest" and
10 Min. from Gruene (Quaint Antique Shops
& Winery) Gruene Dance Hall (oldest in Texas) Gruene Whitewater Amphitheater
(Name Artist Perform)
10 min. from Canyon Lake (swimming/beaches/boating), Canyon Dam
15 min. from New Braunfels… Schlitterbahn Water Park
45 min. from San Antonio (Six Flags, Fiesta Texas, Sea World, Alamo)
1 hour from Austin (State Capital, Great Night Life also)
River Road Ice House
Great Area Restaurants & Shopping
Wildlife Parks, Caves, Fishing, Museums, Golf Courses
We rent only to persons over 25. Visa or MasterCard required for deposit. A
parent must accompany students. Sorry, no exceptions.
The new Disposable Container Law in New Braunfels does not apply to our section of
the Guadalupe River. Ban applies to the Guadalupe River within the City Limits
of New Braunfels.
vacation rental rates
Summer Season - May 1 - Sept. 15
Week nights (Sun.-Thurs.) $550/nt. w/ 3 nt. min. stay
Friday/Saturday nights - $600/nt. w/ 3 nt. min. stay
Holidays - $600/nt. (w/ 3 nt. min. stay)
Value Season - Sept. 15 - May 1
Week nights (Sun.-Thurs.) $350/nt. (w/3 nt. min. stay)
Friday/Saturday nights - $400/nt. (w/ 3nt. min. stay)
Holidays - $400/nt. (w/ 3nt. min. stay)
$500 refundable Security Deposit placed on Visa/MC
$75 Cleaning Fee (Mandatory)
A 10% tax will be added to rental fee.
Must be 25 years or older to rent this property.


text:
Shadow Labrys joins Persona 4 Arena Ultimax with her monstrous axe and even more monstrous Persona, Asterius.
Views: 2,408 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Sho may lack a Persona, but that doesn't make him weak! See him in action in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
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Minazuki throws his powerful new Persona, Tsukiyomi, into the mix in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
Views: 2,186 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Join forces with the Legion of Doom to put a stop to Brainiac's diabolical plan to shrink the Earth and take the power of the Lantern Rings in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham!
Views: 7,660 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Get caught up on the Tales story to prepare yourself for Tales of Xillia 2 in this 15 minute recap!
Views: 1,108 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is about to get dangerously cheesy.
Views: 1,639 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Every choice counts in Tales of Xillia 2, available now!
Views: 1,637 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Bandai Namco Games unboxes the brand new Tales of Xillia 2 US Collector's Edition!
Views: 673 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Plunge deep into the golden age of piracy in Raven's Cry!
Views: 3,627 | Posted: 08/20/2014
Master absolute air superiority in 10 new solo missions that will make you comfortable in any pilot's danger zone with Grand Theft Auto Online!
Views: 13,048 | Posted: 08/19/2014
Week of
Aug. 17
Week of
Aug. 24
Week of
Sep. 14
Release Date: 08/19/2014
Xbox 360, PC, PS3
Release Date: 08/26/2014
The second of a DLC trilogy adding more content to Dark Souls II.
PS3, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: 08/26/2014
PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox 360
Release Date: 08/26/2014
A suvival horror game from the creator of the Resident Evil series.
, Vita, PS3
Release Date: 09/16/2014
Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: 09/20/2014


text:
Unlike so many other genre conventions, Creation Entertainment has a strict company policy not to "oversell" our conventions. In other words, every patron, no matter what bracket of ticket they purchase, will have a seat in the main auditorium where the major guests appear and events take place. Nothing upsets us more than hearing about other conventions that sell tickets to patrons and then those very same patrons have to wait on additional lines inside the facility to get into (or sometimes not!) the main theatre. An important Creation Entertainment difference we want you to know about!
The Creation difference extends to our 40 years experience in running fan conventions. In the last few years we've seen promoter after promoter fail taking hard earned ticket money down with them. Inexperienced promoters, often first-timers, use celebrity images and names to get ticket money which they use to hopefully pay their expenses. When that fails they've already gone through "your" ticket money and they collapse leaving no recourse for ticket holders. They say "buyer beware" but this has happened in Twilight, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Firefly fandom (to name just a few) and we really feel for those great fans who have lost their ticket money and upset travel plans.
**All Convention tickets have a $7.75 shipping/handling fee charged per ticket ordered. This applies to all online, phone, fax and mail orders.
***Attention Attendees: Do not purchase Creation Tickets from scalpers or anyone trying to offer tickets as you arrive at our convention locations. Each ticket is checked for authenticity at the door with a scanner and we can not let you in if your ticket is counterfeit (which has happened recently). Each ticket once scanned makes any and all copies of that same one of a kind scan void and we can only let the first person in with it. Please ony buy your tickets only from Creation in advance or at the door, we seen too many nice folks lose their hard earned money this way and be turned away. Thanks, we appreciate your support!
Just drop Toni a line at the link below, mentioning the convention you are interested in!
A separate email is required for each show you wish to volunteer for. A separate email is required for each person volunteering. All volunteers must be 21 yrs or older.
We really appreciate your help in publicizing this event on-line. Grab our banners to put on your site!
Click Here!
ALL GUESTS are contracted to appear and all convention contracts specify that appearances are tentative and subject to change as film and television work demands take precedence as can a personal conflict. Our events will take place whether a specific guest cancels or not (we always try to book replacements) and therefore we can not issue admission ticket or ticket package refunds if a particular guest does not fulfill their appearance contract. Of course we will always refund separately purchased photo ops and autograph tickets for a guest if they cancel.
We know that taking photos makes the convention even more fun and we thought it would be a good idea to share our photo taking policies for you before you arrive at the convention so you can prepare. In the auditorium, photo taking is encouraged, but only from your seat. It is unfair to run up to the stage and block the view of others who have paid for reserved seats in front of you. Even if there are empty seats, patrons must sit in the seats they paid for to be fair to everyone. Due to fire marshall regulations everyone must be seated during performances. Please also be courteous to your neighbors when taking pictures. Photo taking is not allowed during autographing sessions nor during the photo ops. Only those people who have autograph tickets may come up to get autographs. At the Gold Exclusive Parties and Breakfast: photo taking is encouraged when the guests arrive (but only from your seats). After a sufficient time for all to get their photos we ask that your cameras be placed down so the celebrities can enjoy their time at the two food functions. Thank you for understanding the need to have these few rules so everyone is safe and has fun.
The vast majority of our guest celebrities take questions from the audience during their on-stage time. Therefore it is incumbent upon those that ask questions to make them ones that allow our mutual shared time with the celebrities to be enjoyable, interesting and entertaining for all (including the guest). Asking for hugs, telling stars we love them (we all do, that's why we're here), giving gifts, getting into long personal stories, or worse, is not acceptable for this format and, in fact, is quite self-centered when you are in essence "representing" all of fandom to a celebrity. Join us in trying to make this convention the best entertainment for everyone!
In the event of convention cancellations or date changes Creation Entertainment is not responsible for patrons' costs involving travel or hotel accommodations or any other non convention ticket expenses.
Advance ticket sales are generally turned off early to mid-week of the week of the events. Tickets, if they are not sold out, are sold at the convention of course.
Here's a pic of the legendary sci-fi author/genius Isaac Asimov, a frequent visitor to our early conventions and quite a character as well! It is amazing that we got to work with him after reading so many of his books.
Comic book and entertainment fans owe much to the legendary JACK KIRBY, the revered talent who co-created the Marvel mythology and made many early appearances with us, among his most devoted followers. Although his passing never allowed Jack to see the amazing success of his characters in film we do know that his appearances at conventions always brought down the house!
It is always great when we can personally thank a performer for an absolutely beautifully done job and that was just the treat when John Noble appeared in Feb of 2013 wrapping up his epic FRINGE series, one of our all-time favorite shows!
The beautiful and talented Alfre Woodard graced her stages to reminisce about her appearance in Star Trek as Lily in the movie Star Trek: First Contact, but of course she is best known for being an Academy Award and Grammy nominated actress as well as having an incredible 17 Emmy nominations (winning four).
Our Vegas Star Trek Convention is ALWAYS full of surprises! Sir Patrick Stewart joins William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in this once in a lifetime moment! We're glad we were there!
In 2006, space pioneers, astronauts Wally Schirra and Alan Bean, guested at Grand Slam: it was an honor!
Photo Credit: David Livingston
Three of the most popular actors on the planet graced our stages along with their The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn director: Bill Condon, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner helped us make history at an official fan gathering done in conjunction with the press junket and in association with Summit Entertainment.
Our first convention program in 1971, ticket prices were $1.50 a day and our special guest was legendary comic artist superstar Jim Steranko!
We even had time to publish 6 issues of a popular comic art fanzine called Infinity when we were teenagers. Back in the days before the internet, printed fanzines and conventions helped keep fandom connected.
When we ran The Official STAR WARS Convention we brought in Gene Roddenberry as a surprise and this moment in time was a true highlight. Gene was a great mentor of ours and he is always in our thoughts, especially when we gather for our Official STAR TREK Conventions.
LOST was one of the great TV series of all-time and we were proud to be an official licensee for the show. Here three of the stars, Ian Somerhalder, Evangeline Lilly and Naveen Andrews, grace our stages in a Creation Convention appearance.
Two of our most popular celebrity guests from the Stargate franchise making their only Creation appearance together on stage: Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping! We love following their careers post Stargate and look forward to enjoying their work for years to come!
How's this for cool? Arnold as THE Terminator at our Official T-2 Convention, an awesome occasion!
A VERY special moment in Creation History
BILL SHATNER & LEONARD NIMOY toasting the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek on the exact day, 4 decades later, that the original series began its TV run! Taken in Chicago at Creation's Salute to Star Trek's 40th! Thanks, Bill and Leonard for being such a big part of Creation Entertainment! Who would have thought that as kids that watched classic Trek, that one day we'd be working with these show biz legends!
History is made again at Creation when LEONARD NIMOY passes the ceremonial "#1 Vulcan" tee-shirt to the new Mr. Spock ZACHARY QUINTO. It all happened in front of the audience at Grand Slam XVI. Creation Conventions: it is ALL about making wonderful memories like this!
Superstar Legend Jack Nicholson made the "Creation" scene, a definite ultra-cool moment in our 40 plus year history!
Growing up watching THE AVENGERS was a particular joy so when Patrick Macnee joined the Creation line-up of stars it was a joyous occasion for us and his many fans!
It's never happened before or after but it was another of our proudest moments: having four STAR TREK Captains share the stage. Let's hope we can pull it off again some day and add a few more?
Long-time Creation friend (and early fan attendee turned superstar producer) DEAN DEVLIN brought along friends Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer to one of our shows. Dean is currently behind one of TV's greatest shows LEVERAGE!
The impeccable Ricardo Montalban created Star Trek's most popular villian as Khan but in person he truly was one of a kind and his two appearances for us were definitely amongst the most memorable! He is sorely missed by all Trekkers and was indeed a Hollywood classic himself!
Gracious and supportive to us as ever William Shatner made sure first time Creation guest star Joan Collins (in her only convention appearance) was comfortable on stage, reunited decades after their ultra-popular classic Trek appearance together!
As promised, a seat for all! Here's a scene of the amazing theatre we used for years for our Las Vegas Star Trek Convention. At Creation shows: no waiting and worrying about seeing the stars!
Pretty Cool we'd say to have welcomed the ultra talented Elijah Wood as Creation promoted several Official LORD OF THE RINGS events. We can't wait to do it all again for the new films!
Here's some shots of Leonard Nimoy's last convention appearance (courtesy of Paul Harvath), taken at our Chicago 2011 Official STAR TREK Convention. Thank You Leonard for your three decade association with Creation: we've loved every minute of presenting you to your adoring fans (of which we number ourselves!):
Leonard Nimoy's emotional farewell to Star Trek Conventions: 2011 Chicago
These guys are HILARIOUS on stage together and we love having them at our events: true superstars of the genre: Jonathan Frakes (now busy directing) and Brent Spiner!
Schedule Now Posted!
(Click for details...)
Online tickets have been taken off sale.
Now tickets listed as available on this website can be purchased at the door.
THE Official XENA Convention:
The XIX Celebration
The Final Journey, Part Three
Los Angeles(Burbank), CA
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
February 7-9, 2014
Burbank Marriott Convention Center
2500 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, California 91505
Times: Hours to be announced
LUCY LAWLESS: At Creation, after 40 plus years and over 2,000 conventions one super-talented actress is our all-time favorite guest and she, of course, is the incredibly versatile, always entertaining Lucy Lawless. Through a string of memorable characters, including of course her iconic role of Xena: Warrior Princess, Lucy remains one of the world's most popular stars and the fact that she will be with us headlining on Sunday is sensational news for all! This year, for the first time, along with doing solo photo ops Lucy will also be doing duo photo ops with Renee! Each photo op can have up to two fans each! Of course Lucy will also be appearing on stage. She will not be signing autographs at this convention although we tentatively will have pre-signed photographs to display and offer.
Appearing Sunday
RENEE O'CONNOR: Dynamic, moving, and incredibly loyal to her legions of fans Renee has proven to be far more than her "legendary" character of Gabrielle on Xena. A thought provoking director/producer Renee continues to act and be a force for good as a lecturer. Renee long ago captured the hearts of a world wide audience and we are always proud to have her with us. Renee joins Lucy by appearing on Sunday, doing solo photo ops and also duo shots with Lucy for the first time. Renee is also doing a workshop on Saturday, details within and will be signing a limited number of autographs on Sunday.
Appearing Sunday
Michael Hurst
Iolaus/The Widow Twanky
Appearing Saturday
Jennifer Ward-Lealand
Boadicea / Zehra
Appearing Saturday
Hudson Leick
Hudson will appear on stage Friday and attend the Sunday Breakfast.
She will also be conducting two different workshops during the weekend, check below for more information.
Steven L. Sears
Appearing on stage Friday
Meighan Desmond
(Discord and Sturgina)
Appearing Sunday
Darien Takle
Appearing Sunday
Brutus in four episodes of Xena, David also starred in Farscape
Appearing Saturday, David will also sign autographs and do photo ops on Saturday as well
Tsianina Joelson
Appearing Friday
The Widow Twanky
Illustrious dancer and instructor
We are pleased to announce that The Widow Twanky will be making a rare public appearance on stage interviewed by Jennifer Ward-Lealand and she has also graciously agreed to pose for photo ops, all on Saturday
Appearing Saturday
Appearing Saturday
Ted is not signing autographs or doing photo ops at this convention, just appearing on stage.
Paul Lynch
Director of Xena episodes Crusader and One Against an Army
Paul's directing career includes episodes of Sliders, F/X: The Series, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Outer Limits, RoboCop, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and many more. Paul will be giving a 45 minute talk on Friday and will sign complimentary autographs for those who wish to meet him.
Here's the official convention tee-shirt design: we hope you like it as much as we do! (Click to view larger)
Introduction to Awareness Workshop with Renee O'Connor (to take place Saturday of the convention, limited to a small number of attendees).
Based on the work of Mary Rocamora, a non profit school for adults, www.Rocamora.org
Awareness is the practice of paying attention to thoughts and emotions with sincere curiosity and withholding any judgments or expectations on what we are truly feeling. This two hour introductory class includes observing our conceptualizations of the Self, as a contrast to realizing our natural essence of Being love, compassion, and light.
The workshop price is
There's no doubt that the Xena cast was multi-talented and each year at The Official XENA Convention we have the pleasure of presenting some of our guests in a delightful evening of live entertainment. Some truly wonderful moments have been had at the Xena Celebrity Cabarets and 2014 should be no different. This event is complimentary for our Gold and Silver Weekend Patrons. For others, general admission tickets will be offered at the convention only for $20 each. PERFORMERS SCHEDULED ARE HUDSON LEICK, DARIEN TAKLE and STEVEN L SEARS.
YOGA CLASSES with HUDSON LEICK
Friday Morning from 9am to 11am
Please bring a towel, water, and be in loose clothing.
Class is suitable for everyone, even beginners. Hudson Leick is a member of the California Yoga Teacher's Association. She has been studying yoga for over sixteen years and taught for more than thirteen, and has done her teacher's training with renowned yoga masters such as Ana Forrest, Erich Schiffman and Gurmukh. Hudson specializes in Kundalini, Hatha, and a modified version of Ashtanga yoga, and her classes are a subtle blend of these methods. She has also studied Vipassana meditation in Nepal, and the 5Rhythms® based on the teachings of Gabrielle Roth.
$119 limited to 60 participants.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
ALL NEW! HUDSON LEICK'S "FREE FORM DANCE" WORKSHOP (Saturday)
Hudson Leick is planning a new "free form dance" workshop for Saturday described as such: The practice of 5Rhythms dancing which is often described as moving meditation, was created in the late 1960s by Gabrielle Roth, who distinguished five rhythms common to all humans....
When she combined these rhythms together, Gabrielle Roth discovered they can liberate the creative spirit inside each of us, regardless of our body type, age, or ability. There are no specific steps to learn, no choreography to memorize, and most importantly: no way to do it wrong.
In dancing the 5Rhythms, Gabrielle said, "they initiate us back into the wisdom of our bodies and unleash movement's dynamic healing power."
THIS CLASS HAS A LIMITED ATTENDANCE and is priced at $119.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
Come to enjoy fellow fans, come to sing, come to laugh, come to party! As an extra treat for all of our great attendees Creation Entertainment is happy to present this special FREE EVENT for all on Friday night! You never know who might show up and it is a great way to mix and mingle! Exact times and locations will be announced, but start practicing your number now!
The famous Creation Entertainment Costume Parade Competition is always a highlight of the convention. Set for Saturday here is your chance to show off your creative abilities by dressing as any character or making up your own. The winner goes home with a $250 gift certificate but we have prizes for everyone who enters!
Another way that fans can show off their love of the shows we're honoring is by entering our famous themed CENTERPIECE CONTEST! This event takes place at our DISCO AND COCKTAIL PARTY (Saturday Evening) and is for Gold Members attending the event this weekend! Create the very best centerpiece that touches the hearts of our judges and the themes of the convention and you might just win a special $250 Gift Certificate! Just be "GOLD" and bring your entry to the party and that's all it takes to enter! CELEBRITY DROP-INS to the party will be announced in the days to come!
COMING TO THE CONVENTION, click here for details...
Rules: one music video about XENA may be submitted on DVD only (please no computer- based media like CD accepted). PLEASE USE ONLY NTSC FORMAT FOR YOUR DVD. Entries are judged on the following criteria: video quality, audio quality, editing quality, inventiveness, song selection, and originality. Humorous submissions are encouraged. Entries can not be returned, and person submitting entry is granting Creation the right to play this entry in perpetuity at Creation events worldwide and/or on line at the Creation website(s). Creation does not sell music videos so your entry will never be sold as a commercial product, just presented at our events/on line. Winners will receive a $100 gift certificate good for Creation products. . We do not announce winners until the event.
Note: Due to the high volume of entries for our Music Video Contests, we are forced to limit entries to those people actually attending the specific show they are entering for. You do not have to be present for the actual showing of your video, but you must claim your award on site before the end of the weekend or your award will be forfeited. CONTEST SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED AT OUR OFFICES BY 40 DAYS PRIOR TO THE OPENING DAY OF THE CONVENTION. Please note that fans should not use footage from other than the shows we are honoring even if it features the stars of the current show the convention is about.
Creation XENA Music Video Contest 2014
217 S. Kenwood
Glendale, CA 91205
This will now be available on site at the convention on a first-come, first-served basis.
Make sure to be on our FREE XENA fan
EMAIL BULLETIN LIST to get the latest updates.
Please make sure to bring ALL your printed out tickets to the convention as we can not replace any tickets forgotten or lost. This holds true for all ticket-buyers domestic and outside of The United States as we no longer have a will-call or hold ticket desk. Our convention sites generally have a business office where you can print out your tickets if you have left them home by mistake. Once you present your ticket(s) at registration, photo op areas, or autograph sessions they will be scanned for legitimacy and one-time use only. Thanks!
Customer Support E-Mail: ANY problem you have please write to us at:
and we'll look into it and get right back to you. Thanks!
NOTE: You may buy Photo Op and Autograph tickets before buying an Admission ticket, but you need an Admission Ticket in order to use the Photo Op and Autograph tickets. Please buy an Admission ticket as soon as you can as we can never guarantee Admission tickets won't sell out before the show. Join our Free Email list to get updates on ticket availability.
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU GO GOLD, the absolute best way to attend the entire convention and get all the extras...
1) The very best reserved seat for daytime convention main auditorium events all three days. Here you will see all the guests, events, and attractions in a comfortable theatrical setting. You will get to pick your actual seat in the theatre during the ordering process.
2) Complimentary in-person autographs from attending celebrities Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Meighan Desmond, Darien Takle, Tsianina Joelson and Brittney Powell. You will also receive, tentatively, a pre-signed autographed photo of The Widow Twanky sometime during the convention. Purchased separately the value of these autographs is a large part of the cost of the entire package itself, so you know it is a hot deal!
3) Complimentary admission to the amazing Xena Celebrity Cabaret. Keep the same great seating for this CABARET PERFORMANCE featuring talented guest celebrities entertaining our audiences. Always a great highlight of the weekend's activities!
4) Complimentary admission to the exclusive to Gold Patrons Disco and Cocktail Party. This is a wild party that celebrities come by for and a marvelous time is had by all.
5) First to get autographs for all those signing in the theatre on a complimentary basis for Gold Patrons. For these signings we go row by row and you are in the front rows.
6) Wristbands for immediate entrance without waiting on line after initial registration.
7) Pre-Registration fun: You get your credentials prior to the convention opening and you'll also get first look at all the special Xena souvenirs.
8) Special collectible credential laminate for Gold Weekend Patrons.
9) And our favorite benefit, complimentary seating and breakfast at the famous Sunday Morning Exclusive to Gold Patrons Xena Celebrity Continental Breakfast and Charity Silent Auction. Join fellow fans and celebrities in a great morning and we'll be raising money for worthwhile charities with our silent auction! First guests are Hudson Leick, Meighan Desmond and Darien Takle.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
*Please note that if you have autographs as part of your ticket package benefits you will need to have something for the celebrities to sign. They will sign anything you bring from home and there is a wide assortment of photos and other collectibles on sale at the convention.
SILVER WEEKEND PACKAGES (formerly called Preferred Weekend Packages)
After the Gold Weekend Packages, the SILVER WEEKEND PACKAGES are the best, most upscale available way to attend the weekend festivities. Heres what is included in your SILVER Weekend Package:
1) Right after our Gold Weekend Package seats, Silver offers you the best seating for daytime convention main auditorium events ALL 3 DAYS. Your seating will be behind or to the side of the GOLD WEEKEND patrons.
2) Same great seating for the Friday Night XENA Celebrity Cabaret Show. One of the highlights of the convention every year is our popular evening performance show that has selected guests in performance cabaret format. Artists to be announced on the convention site.
3) Complimentary autographs from many of the attending celebrity including Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Meighan Desmond, Darien Takle, Tsianina Joelson and Brittney Powell.
These in person autographs, when the list is completed, if bought separately, would cost approximately $155 so you can see what a great deal this particular ticket package is! * This list is tentative and subject to change.
4) Amongst the first to get autographs when done row by row as you get your signatures right after the GOLD WEEKEND patrons!
5) Wristbands for immediate entrance without waiting on line after initial registration.
6) Pre-Registration fun the night before the convention. Not a necessity to attend, but always a lot of fun!
7) Admission to the vendors area of course!
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
*Please note that if you have autographs as part of your ticket package benefits you will need to have something for the celebrities to sign. They will sign anything you bring from home and there is a wide assortment of photos and other collectibles on sale at the convention.
This option is the most economical way to attend all three days of the convention, offering you a non-reserved seat in the rear of the theatre. You get to see all the guests and attractions at a great price. This option does not include autographs.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
Here is the absolute best way to attend any one or two days of the convention. You get a reserved seat in the theatre where all the guests and events take place and this seat is yours come and all day. This option does not include autographs but where available you can pick these up separately below or at the convention.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
This option is the most economical way to attend any one to two days of the convention. You are guaranteed a non-reserved seat in the rear or to the side of the theatre. You will see all the events and guests programmed during the days of your attendance.
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
Autograph and Photo Op Tickets do not include admission to the convention. You must have an admission ticket for the convention in order to redeem autograph and photo op tickets.
NOTE: You may buy Photo Op and Autograph tickets before buying an Admission ticket, but you need an Admission Ticket in order to use the Photo Op and Autograph tickets. Please buy an Admission ticket as soon as you can as we can never guarantee Admission tickets won't sell out before the show. Join our Free Email list to get updates on ticket availability.
Autograph and Photo Op Tickets do not include admission to the convention. You must have an admission ticket for the convention in order to redeem autograph and photo op tickets. Photography is not allowed during the autograph sessions.
Here's the rare chance to get an in-person hand-signed autograph by your favorite celebrity. We do autographing row by row for those that have them included in their packages followed by additional autograph tickets called by number. If autographs are part of your ticket package you can get any additional signatures you've purchased the first time you come up. You must bring an item for the celebrity to sign: you can bring something from home or purchase an officially licensed photograph or souvenir at the convention. The autograph tickets are available in limited supply, please order soon. THANKS!
** Please note that we can not accept "on cell phone" tickets for autograph and photo op sections so you must print them out at home and bring them to the convention on paper, not your phone. Thank you! We can accept "on cell phone" tickets for admission however.
LUCY LAWLESS Due to scheduling Lucy is unable to sign at this convention, however she is able to do photo ops and for the first time, duo photo ops with Renee!
RENEE O'CONNOR $50 (Sunday) Limited Availability
MICHAEL HURST $25 (Saturday)
JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND $25 (Saturday)
HUDSON LEICK $25 (Friday)
MEIGHAN DESMOND $20 (Sunday)
DARIEN TAKLE $20 (Sunday)
TSIANINA JOELSON $20 (Friday)
*New DAVID FRANKLIN $25 (Saturday)
*New BRITTNEY POWELL $25 (Saturday)
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
Note: Patrons must bring an item for celebrities to sign. You can bring something from home or purchase a photo or other collectible in the vendors room. Please feel free to purchase as many autograph tickets of a particular celebrity as you'd like.
Photo Op Tickets do not include admission to the convention. You must have an admission ticket for the convention to enter into the photo op areas. Due to security considerations and guest concerns we cannot facilitate the giving of gifts to guests at the photo op sessions. LIMIT OF TWO FANS PER PHOTO-OP, NO EXCEPTIONS PLEASE! TWO FANS CAN BE IN THE PHOTO OP FOR THE PRICE OF ONE PHOTO OP TICKET.
Your photo will be taken by Creation's all knowing and super-powerful official staff photographers. They take the best pictures, make the stars comfortable & willing to pose more freely with fans, and generally are beloved by all. JUST CLICK TO OUR E-MAIL FEEDBACK SECTION TO READ ABOUT HOW GREAT CREATION PHOTO OPS ARE! Please read: PHOTO OP F.A.Q.
** Please note that we can not accept "on cell phone" tickets for autograph and photo op sections so you must print them out at home and bring them to the convention on paper, not your phone. Thank you! We can accept "on cell phone" tickets for admission however.
LUCY LAWLESS $169 (Sunday) Limited Availability
RENEE O'CONNOR: $70 (Sunday) Limited Availability
MICHAEL HURST: $40 (Saturday)
JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND: $40 (Saturday)
HUDSON LEICK: $45 (Friday)
MEIGHAN DESMOND: $40 (Sunday)
DARIEN TAKLE: $40 (Sunday)
TSIANINA JOELSON: $40 (Friday)
THE WIDOW TWANKY $40 (Saturday)
*New DAVID FRANKLIN $40 (Saturday)
*New BRITTNEY POWELL $40 (Saturday)
LUCY and RENEE TOGETHER WITH YOU! $299 (Sunday) First Time EVER!!!!
MICHAEL HURST and JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND AND YOU! $75 (Saturday)
THE WIDOW TWANKY and JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND $60 (Saturday)
Available tickets will be on sale at the convention.
Burbank Marriott Convention Center
2500 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, California 91505
Come to fabulous Southern California and enjoy all the legendary sites and sounds that have made LA "the place to be" for those who enjoy movies, television and all of show business. Our convention hotel is newly renovated and looking good! Click on through and make your visit to the convention into a full scale vacation! Escape the cold: LA is waiting for YOU!
Special Rate is available until: Monday, Jan 06th 2014
Xena Group Rate $134.00 per night for singles, doubles or twins
Reservation Number: (818) 843-6000
Code: XENA or XWP
Where's What?
Theater: ACADEMY BALLROOM 1, 4-6:
Vendors: ACADEMY FOYER
Photo Ops: SUNSET ROOM
Thanks for being with us! We really appreciate your visit and we want to make sure you have the absolute best time! With that in mind a few rules to keep everyone safe:
1) Photo taking from your seats only, do not rush the stage when guests appear.
2) PHOTO OPS are done on a first come/first taken basis. PLEASE be on time as they move very quickly and once over we cannot repeat. There is no special placement on the Photo Op line for any ticket holder, except Backstage VIPS who may go first or unless otherwise noted in schedule.
3) Please have your items for signature out and ready during autograph sessions. Personalizations are at the discretion of the celebrities signing and/or may be affected by guest flights and other scheduling issues. You must bring something to have signed, either something from home or a photo or souvenir from the convention.
4) Our volunteers are here to help you and we thank them for doing so. However if you have an issue with ANYONE or ANYTHING please let us know during the convention so we can solve the problem as it is happening. Speak to the tech booth and/or MC or registration.
5) Please sit ONLY in the seat you paid for.
6) At the request of our guests, ABSOLUTELY no video or audiotaping PLEASE!
7) Please turn cell phones off and kindly refrain from talking when a speaker or event is on stage.
8) PHOTO OPS may be picked up in the photo op room when available, but not during a photo op session so we don't interrupt the photographer.
9) ONLY ONE QUESTION MAY BE ASKED TO A CELEBRITY BY A FAN. PLEASE NO PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT YOURSELF, ASKING FOR HUGS, OR TELLING THEM WHY YOU LOVE THEM (that's why we're all here!).?
10) During autographs we generally call row by row or by number.
If you have trouble standing let us know. If you are in wheelchair or scooter please go with your row or by your number.
Stay in touch at?www.creationent.com
THANKS TO OUR VIP BACKSTAGE FOLKS: GET YOUR CREDENTIALS AT REGISTRATION AND HANG OUT BACKSTAGE DURING THE DAYTIME, ALL 3 DAYS! ENJOY & THANKS! A schedule to meet our stars will be available there: meetings will take place in the Vine Lounge.
Friday, February 7
9 am to 11 am YOGA CLASS WITH HUDSON LEICK. Please bring a towel, water, and be in loose clothing.
Class is suitable for everyone, even beginners. Hudson Leick is a member of the California Yoga Teacher's Association. She has been studying yoga for over sixteen years and taught for more than thirteen, and has done her teacher's training with renowned yoga masters such as Ana Forrest, Erich Schiffman and Gurmukh. Hudson specializes in Kundalini, Hatha, and a modified version of Ashtanga yoga, and her classes are a subtle blend of these methods. She has also studied Vipassana meditation in Nepal, and the 5Rhythms® based on the teachings of Gabrielle Roth. TICKETS are available at the door of the class for $119 (cash only for entrance). IN PRODUCERS ROOM A AND B, EAST TOWER.
9 am to 12:15 pm: Vendors Room Set-Up/Vendors Only
12:00 pm to 12:45 pm Pre-Registration for Gold Weekend Patrons
12:15 pm to 6:30 pm Vendors Room Open
12:45 pm to 1:15 pm Pre-Registration for SILVER Weekend Patrons.
1:20 pm to 6:30 pm Registration Open for All Patrons
1:30 pm to 6:30 pm Xena Convention Theatre Hours
1:50 pm Music Video Open
1:55 pm Welcome from Sharon Delaney
2:00 pm Music Video Presentation
2:05 pm TSIANINA JOELSON (Varia)
2:45 pm Music Video Presentation
2:50 pm STEVEN L. SEARS (Co-Executive Producer/Writer)
3:30 pm Music Video Presentation Mix
3:35 pm XENA YES/NO TRIVIA GAME: Win valuable $100 gift certificates by knowing it all about all things Xena... be in the audience to play!
----- 3:35 pm Photo Op with Tsianina Joelson, tickets at registration for $40
4:05 pm Music Video Presentation
4:10 pm PAUL LYNCH (Director of episodes Crusader and One Against an Army)
4:55 pm Music Video Introduction
5:00 pm HUDSON LEICK (Callisto)
6:00 pm Music Video Presentation
6:10 pm On One Side of the theatre: AUTOGRAPHS with Tsianina Joelson complimentary for Gold and Silver Weekend patrons called row by row and then for anyone with an autograph ticket for either or both celebrities, called by number. Autograph tickets for Tsianina are $20 and are available at registration.
6:10 pm IN THE BACK OF THE THEATRE: stop by and meet director PAUL LYNCH and get his complimentary autograph.
----- 6:30 pm Photo Op with Hudson Leick, tickets at registration for $45. Please get this done and then come back to theatre for autographs, if applicable to you. Thanks!
7:15 pm On The Other Side of the theatre: AUTOGRAPHS with Hudson Leick, called by number with pre-convention purchased tickets going first. Her autograph ticket, available at registration, is $25.
10 pm The Celebrity Cabaret: Live entertainment with HUDSON LEICK, STEVEN L. SEARS and DARIEN TAKLE. This event is complimentary for Gold and Silver Weekend Patrons (keep your same great seats). For others, tickets (general admission) are $20 available at registration.
(Approximately) 11:00 pm Creation's FREE TO ALL KARAOKE PARTY! Mix and mingle, have fun, and come to sing! Surprise guests are always a possibility! Note: seats are not reserved for this function. The DJ will be in the vendors room 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm today, please make sure to pick out your song selections at that time!
Saturday, February 8
9 am to 11am: RENEE O'CONNOR "Introduction to Awareness" WORKSHOP, SOLD OUT. In The Main Theatre, open only to those with Workshop Tickets.
9:30 am to 10 am Vendors Room Set Up, Vendors Only
10 am - 7 pm Registration and Vendors Room Open.
----- 11:05 am to 12:05 pm One Hour Meet and Greet with Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand. PARLOR 123 EAST TOWER. SOLD OUT!
11:45 am to 7 pm Theatre Open
12:15 pm: Welcome from Sharon Delaney
12:20 pm Music Video Salute
12:25 pm BRITTNEY POWELL (Brunnhilda)
1:10 pm Music Video Salute
1:15 pm THE XENA MOVIE PITCH GAME: OK, here's your chance to pitch (in 45 seconds) your great plot! The winner of the best idea gets a $100 gift certificate.
----- 1:30 pm Photo Op with Brittney Powell, tickets at registration for $40
1:45 pm Music Video Mix
2:05 pm THE WIDOW TWANKY (illlustrious dancer and instructor) interviewed by Jennifer Ward-Lealand
2:45 pm Intermission and Stage Reset
----- 2:50 pm Photo Op with The Widow Twanky with Jennifer Ward-Lealand, tickets at registration for $60. If you have a meet and greet with Brittney you may go first.
----- 2:55 pm One Hour Private Meet and Greet for TEN lucky fans with Brittney Powell in PARLOR 123 EAST TOWER. Please check at registration on Friday or Saturday for availability
3:15 pm NO MINIMUM BID AUCTION of XENA and SCI-FI COLLECTIBLES!
4:10 pm Music Video Presentation
4:15 pm DAVID FRANKLIN (Brutus)
4:50 pm Music Video Presentation
4:55 pm MICHAEL HURST (Iolaus) and JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND (Boadicea/Zehra)
6:00 Music Video Presentation
6:00 pm IN THE VENDORS AREA David Franklin will sign autographs for those with his autograph ticket, available at registration for $25. If you have photo ops with Michael and/or Jennifer get thosse done first and then come out and see David in The Vendors Area.
----- 6:05 pm Photo Op with Michael Hurst, tickets at registration for $40
----- 6:15 pm Photo Op with Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand and YOU! Tickets at registration for $75
----- 6:30 pm Photo Op with Jennifer Ward Lealand, tickets at registration for $40
6:40 pm The Creation Xena Costume Parade: come in your finest Xena character wear and vie for audience applause and prizes including a $250 gift certificate. Everyone who enters wins something! Contestants please be in the audience 10 minutes before costume parade time.
7:20 pm ON ONE SIDE OF THE THEATRE: Autographs with Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and Brittney Powell, complimentary for Gold and Silver Patrons (called row by row) followed by those with separate tickets (called by number with pre-convention tickets going first). Autograph tickets are available at registration for $25 for any of these three celebrities. If you have Hudson's Dance Class you may go first.
----- 7:20 pm Photo Op with David Franklin. Tickets at registration for $40. If you have autographs or Hudson's Dance Class you may go first for this photo op.
---- 7:45 PM HUDSON LEICK Free Form Dance Workshop, tickets at registration for $119. Two Hour workshop. If you have tickets for this get your autographs first: go to the head of the line. Tickets for the workshop are available at registration during Friday and Saturday during the day. THE VINE ROOM A. A full description of this workshop is at our website at www.creationent.com
10:15 pm OPEN ONLY TO GOLD WEEKEND PATRONS in The ACADEMY BALLROOM Saturday Night Disco and Cocktail Party & Centerpiece Contest with celebrities, music, and fellow fans! Tentative guests MICHAEL HURST, JENNIFER WARD-LEALAND, HUDSON LEICK, DARIEN TAKLE, and BRITTNEY POWELL plus THE GREAT XENA CENTERPIECE CONTEST: bring your entry: your participation helps make the party extra special! The winner will receive a $250 Gift Certificate. Note: please take photos of guests as they enter the party, then put your cameras away so guests can mingle.
Sunday, February 9
7:30 am to 9:30 am: Sunday Celebrity Continental Breakfast exclusive to Gold Weekend Patrons with tentative guest stars HUDSON LEICK, MEIGHAN DESMOND and STEVEN L SEARS. Photos allowed as guests enter the room, then we ask you to put your cameras away so we can escort the guests to your table and they can meet everyone and chat in a relaxed manner. Don't forget to bid at the charity silent auction! ACADEMY BALLROOM 2-3
9:00 am to 9:15 am Vendors Room Set-Up, vendors only
9:15 am to 6 pm: Theatre Opens and Registration, Vendors Room are also open
9:45 am Music Video Open
9:50 am Welcome and Video by Sharon Delaney
10:05 am DARIEN TAKLE (Cyrene)
10:55 am MEIGHAN DESMOND (DISCORD AND STURGINA)
11:40 am XENA "STUMP THE EXPERTS" TRIVIA COMPETITION: Great prizes for those who are truly masters of information on all things Xena! Be in the audience to participate!
----- 11:45 am Photo Op with Darien Takle, tickets at registration for $40
----- 12:05 pm Photo Op with Meighan Desmond, tickets at registration for $40
12:10 pm Music Video Presentations
12:25 pm TED RAIMI (Joxer). Note that Ted is not doing signatures or photo ops this convention.
1:10 pm INTERMISSION/LUNCH & STAGE RESET
2:00 pm NO MINIMUM BID AUCTION of Xena and Sci-Fi collectibles
2:50 pm Music Video Mix and Introduction
3:00 pm LUCY LAWLESS (Xena) and RENEE O'CONNOR (Gabrielle)
4:30 PM Music Video Presentation
----- 4:35 pm Photo Op with Lucy Lawless, A few tickets remain at registration for $169 .
----- 5:20 pm Photo Op with Lucy and Renee and YOU! A First! tickets at registration for $299, very limited availability.
----- 6:00 pm Photo Op with Renee O'Connor, tickets at registration for $70
6:30 pm ON ONE SIDE OF THE THEATRE: AUTOGRAPHS with Darien Takle and Meighan Desmond complimentary for Gold and Silver Weekend Patrons who will all be called row by row, followed with those with autograph tickets (with pre-convention bought tickets going first). Autograph tickets for either celebrity are available at registration for $20 each.
6:50 pm ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE THEATRE: Autographs with Renee O'Connor, called by number with those who bought pre-convention going first. Tickets available at registration for $50
7:15 pm GOLD SEAT UPGRADES FOR 2015 CONVENTION: THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: THE OFFICIAL XENA CONVENTION: THE ABSOLUTE LAST JOURNEY.
We're going out in style for the 20th anniversary and we hope you'll join us for one very last time: FEBRUARY 20-22, 2015. For all those who signed up for next year and want to try to get an even better seat. After this process is over anyone who wants to pick out their seat from what is left may do so. See promotion flyer in this booklet for more information. THANKS!
All guests and scheduling is tentative and subject to change.
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NOTE: ALL TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-EXCHANGEABLE. ABSOLUTELY NO AUDIO OR VIDEOTAPING ALLOWED AT ANY CONVENTION. Still photography is for personal use only - public dissemination and commercial use strictly prohibited.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WDRB) – The surest sign that Tom Crean has fixed the Indiana University basketball team isn't the game-winning shot Christian Watford made against Kentucky last season – no matter how many times ESPN shows it.
The pair of 2012 NCAA Tournament victories last season or starting this season ranked Number One with Cody Zeller featured on multiple magazine covers? Wrong again.
Here's the correct answer: The incessant chirping and groaning about an IU team that stretched its record to 17-2 (5-1 in the Big Ten) by dusting Penn State, 72-49, in Assembly Hall Wednesday night.
The half-court offense? Folks are demanding more efficiency against a zone.
The bench? Not producing the way it did in December.
The 40-minute intensity? Letting too many teams back into games.
Tony LaRussa and Jack and Jackie Harbaugh were the celebrity guests for the Penn State game? I'm waiting for somebody to howl that Jim and John Harbaugh should have left their Super Bowl preparation to support the Hoosiers, too.
Imagine if the Hoosiers had lost to Miami by 27 or to LaSalle by one, instead of to Wisconsin by five and Butler by two.
For three seasons Crean suffered the heartburn of being out-manned. Last season was the inevitable celebration of winning when the world expects you to keep losing.
The news cycle has shifted again. It always does. Now the Hoosiers have officially returned to the land of Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina.
When you win, you have not won by enough. When you win by plenty, you should have won by more than plenty.
When you lose?
You know the answer. Hide the razor blades and turn off the radio.
Welcome to The Sky Is Falling 101. Several sections in Assembly Hall collapsed last week after Indiana lost to Wisconsin. The howling was even louder than it had been in December when Butler defeated Indiana in overtime.
The truth is that Indiana has settled into the large pot of teams that belongs in the Top 10 and has the skills to make a formidable run in the NCAA Tournament.
Final Four? Might get there. Might not – just like about 30 other teams I could name.
Although the Hoosiers were ranked Number One in November, this was never a team that was going to crackle through an entire season without getting popped a few times. Everybody gets popped in college basketball these days. Check the scoreboard.
Even Crean knows his team needs to get better. He wants to tighten his playing rotation and get the bench generating more heat again.
"The thing I look at our team right now is they are really trying to put themselves in a place where they can hang their hat on the defensive end," Crean said. "And they're getting there.
"The other day we told them there are two teams in the country that are top 10 in field goal percentage defense and field goal percentage offense. And we're one of them. We want to stay in that position."
It's risky to draw conclusions after a victory against a team that has lost all seven of its Big Ten games, but this showed where Indiana has improved – and where it needs to improve.
Yogi Ferrell, the team's freshman point guard, is playing more like a junior. He's shooting with more confidence and driving without fear. He scored 15 –with only one turnover. Victor Oladipo remains Indiana's most efficient player, getting his game-high 19 points off seven field goal attempts.
"It's just getting in the gym," Ferrell said. "Will (Sheehey) and Vic have tremendous work ethic and they keep pulling me in there."
The scouting report on Indiana is that Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford are the team's three-point shooters. They made three of eight against Penn State, but Ferrell, Oladipo and Will Sheehey were the guys who stuck eight of nine threes.
That's how Indiana was able to win by 23 on night when Zeller had two points, failing to score a field goal for the first time in his 55 games at IU.
"He might have had a slow night, but he's doing what it takes to win," Oladipo said. "Cody did a lot of other things to impact the game. He played tremendous defense. He still had 10 deflections."
"It's basketball science," Sheehey said. "When you get a stop it leads to baskets on the other end."
A seven-day, three-game stretch that begins Sunday in Assembly Hall will set the agenda for the push into the second half of the Big Ten season. Michigan State visits Sunday – and the Spartans lead the Big Ten with a 6-1 record.
Wednesday brings a road trip to improving Purdue. On Saturday Feb. 2, ESPN will bring its College GameDay cameras here for the first time during the Crean Era. Why? Michigan, the new Big Ten favorite, will be in Assembly Hall. It's as difficult as any three-game stretch Indiana faces this season.
"We're not trying to beat Penn State," Oladipo said. "We're trying to beat everybody in the country."
Copyright 2013 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
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text:
I play an Oculus Rift demo that simulates death by beheading (Spoiler: it's deeply disturbing)
The blade going through your neck sounds like someone dropping a wet steak. Your view falls forward, and begins to roll. The head tracking is turned off. "You just got what's coming to ya!" an angry voice shouts. Your eyes close, and you die. There doesn't seem to be a button to reset the game.
I've played through a variety of games and tech demos for the Oculus Rift, but Disunion, an experience in which you are beheaded by guillotine in a first person view, is by far the most disturbing. The characters in the game look like cardboard cut outs, and there is no blood. You don't actually see your body. But you do get a chance to feel, in some small way, what it's like to die.
It feels like a snuff film, except for that fact that you're both the victim and the voyeur. You're supposed to… what? Enjoy the sight of your own death? During the video of the creators demoing the game you see people hitting the back of the "victim's" neck in time with the blade. It already feels too real, I can't imagine any actual physical sensations coinciding with the moment where your head leaves your body. My neck already feels strange after playing four or five times.
You take the Rift off your head, and it's odd to feel pleasantly surprised to be still connected to your body. Everything works. It was just a game.
If you want to double-down on the oddity of the whole thing you can turn around and look up to watch the blade come down, before your view rolls with your decapitated head. Put a wooden block on the ground and kneel over it while wearing the Rift. You can role-play your own execution with as much verisimilitude as you'd like. Why you'd want this to feel more real is beyond me, but that is certainly an option.
I've spent the past few weeks inside virtual reality doing things I have never dreamed I'd get a chance to do in real life. I've been in space. I've driven all sorts of interesting vehicles. I suppose it was only a short amount of time before a team wanted to show us how it would feel to die. You don't fail at a task before losing your head, being killed is the entire point of the game. This was an interesting experiment, and I'm glad I was given a chance to try it, but it's nothing I want to go through again.
If you have an Oculus Rift dev kit, you can try it for yourself. It's not fun.


text:
Biologist Jodi Holeman is working to eradicate a potentially lethal mosquito that's recently swarmed her community in Clovis, Calif. She's collected more mosquito eggs than she can count.
"As many as 192 eggs in a single trap that's been there all week," Holeman said.
And that's just in one trap. She has 150 traps.
The white-spotted mosquitoes, known as Aedes aegypti like to feed on humans and can transmit deadly diseases like yellow fever and dengue with a single bite.
Holeman and her team have trapped hundreds of adults and found nearly 1,000 eggs in Clovis since the mosquitoes were first spotted there in June. Holeman found at least 50 in her own front yard.
Now, one has been discovered 10 miles away in Fresno, so biologist Tim Phillips is leading a crew to warn residents.
"The nightmare is it gets established and we have locally transmitted disease," Phillips said.
And Phillips says there's no guarantee they can stop it.
The mosquito has infested at least 13 states and Washington, D.C.
Clovis resident Mercedes Hernandez says her son came home with bites right around the time the mosquitoes started popping up.
"It's scary, it's nerve-wracking," she said. "Now, I'm not going to have any piece of mind outdoors."
So far, none of the Clovis mosquitoes have tested positive for deadly diseases, but the potential has Holeman hoping for a bitter winter which could kill off the pests, at least temporarily.
That deadly breed of mosquito is blamed for infecting at least 18 people with dengue in Florida last month. Dengue is treatable if it's caught early.
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04-28-2006, 05:45 PM #1Rookie
- Join Date
- Dec 1969
- Posts
- 122
How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
I read that Cromrartie ran a 4.4 40 yrd dash and that sent his stock soaring high enough we might take him (someone who's only started at CB once) as a 17th pick. I read how 1st day picks are generally physical specimens that managers can justify spending the money on, and how people with performance and character get picked afterwards (and often those with performance and character end up doing better.)
I read how Randy Moss ran it in 4.25 and only Deion Sanders with 4.23 did better. This is the same Moss who told Brad Johnson back in '98 that if he see him running side-by-side with anybody who runs it in 4.3 or more, that he's really toying with them and to lobb the ball as far as he can and Moss will catch up with the ball (something we've seen our share of times), saying "you can't overthrow me." Brad said he wasn't being cocky about it either. In fact Moss has offered to pay $5 to the first QB who can overthrow him and so far no one has been able to. Then I came across this article, which was a very interesting read:
Dash of doubt
The NFL treats 40-yard dash times as sacred. But if those numbers are true, many players are faster than Olympic gold medalists and their clockings should be eyed with a dash of doubt
By Mark Zeigler
April 18, 2005
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Kirk Morrison tries to improve his draft standing by running the 40-yard dash for scouts in the San Diego State weight room.
There is no official world record for 40 yards.
The shortest distance that the IAAF, track and field's international governing body, recognizes for world-record purposes is an indoor 50 meters, or about 54 yards. It is 5.56 seconds and it was set by Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey in 1996. There is also a world record for 60 meters – 6.39 seconds by American Maurice Greene in 1998.
But it is another Canadian, Ben Johnson, who is believed to have run 40 yards faster than any human in history. Johnson is best known for injecting copious amounts of steroids and winning the 100 meters at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul in 9.79 seconds, only to have his gold medal and world record stripped after failing a post-race drug test.
Timing officials have since broken down that famed race into 10-meter increments, and Johnson was so preposterously fast that he went through 50 meters in 5.52 seconds and 60 meters in 6.37 – both under the current world records at those distances. He went through 40 yards that day in 4.38 seconds.
He was running in spikes . . . on a warm afternoon perfectly suited for sprinting . . . with a slight tailwind . . . with years of training from arguably track's top coach, Charlie Francis . . . with Carl Lewis and six others of the fastest men on the planet chasing him . . . with 69,000 people roaring at Seoul's Olympic Stadium . . . with hundreds of millions of people watching on TV . . . with the ultimate prize in sports, an Olympic gold medal, at stake.
And, as we learned later, with muscles built with the assistance of the anabolic steroid stanazolol.
Four-point-three-eight seconds.
Then again, maybe Ben Johnson isn't the fastest 40-yard man in the world.
Maybe half the NFL is faster.
It can be the most important few hours of a football player's career. It is the day NFL scouts come to campus to determine whether prospects have what it takes to play at the next level.
Players are measured to the quarter-inch. They're weighed to the half-pound. They do a vertical jump and a standing broad jump. They see how many times they can bench-press 225 pounds. They do a 20-yard shuttle drill and something called a three-cone drill. They are put through a short workout specific to their position.
But it is something else that commands everyone's attention, something else that interrupts the businesslike atmosphere of players shuffling from one station to the next. Something else that causes scouts and spectators to snap to attention.
The 40-yard dash.
It is the day's shortest event, and the most critical. No other statistic carries more influence for an NFL prospect, no single number has more impact on his draft fortunes. It's not called Pro Scouting Day or Pro Prospect Day or Pro Workout Day. The sign taped to the weight-room door at San Diego State on March 19 says: "Pro Timing Day."
Or as local football agent David Caravantes puts it: "There's football speed and there's 40 speed, and the scouts will all tell you they understand that and game film is the most important thing. But how many defensive backs who ran a 4.6 are left on the draft board ahead of guys who ran 4.3?
"I'll give you another example. There's this DB who was originally projected as a first-rounder. But he didn't run the 40 that fast – something like 4.6 instead of in the 4.4s – and now they're talking about him slipping to the second round. Well, he's looking at a minimum $4 million signing bonus if he goes in the first round and only about $1.6 million if he goes in the middle of the second round.
"You do the math."
The players are inside the SDSU weight room being measured and weighed. In the hallway outside are their agents, pacing. Nervously. Occasionally they'll walk outside, look up at the sky and stick out an upturned hand to feel the raindrops.
This is not good. The plan, according to the schedule on the weight-room door, has the players lifting and jumping inside and running the 40 outside on SDSU's synthetic-turf practice field. The course marked with cones has them running on a spongy, soggy, uneven turf into a chilly wind with a dark sky spitting rain.
That's not good for 40 times, and that's not good for business.
The players leave the weight room and begin to warm up in the wind and rain. The agents squirm even more. They huddle with players, and soon the players are marching back into the weight room, demanding that they run inside on a strip of rubberized track laid between the various lifting machines.
The fastest of the players at SDSU's Pro Timing Day, which also includes a half-dozen prospects from small West Coast schools, is Aztecs safety Marviel Underwood. Players each run the 40 twice, and Underwood is clocked in a hand-timed 4.38 both times.
Other prospects run their 40s at the annual NFL Scouting Combine in February inside Indianapolis' RCA Dome, where this year Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones went 4.37. Jones is 6 feet 6, 242 pounds.
It's also where Jerome Mathis, a wide receiver from tiny Hampton College in Virginia, sent his stock soaring with a reported 4.32. Some scouts apparently caught him sub-4.30. Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcels told people his stopwatch showed 4.25.
Never mind that Mathis was running on the RCA Dome's notoriously slow artificial turf, or that he was running alone without the aid of fellow competitors pushing him. Or that his left hamstring was wrapped because of a slight muscle strain.
Ben who?
There are the legends about the 4.17 Deion Sanders ran in high tops when he was at Florida State, or the 4.15 by a cornerback from West Virginia, or the 4.0-something a high school kid ran down in Texas.
Hogwash, all of it.
Track coaches go to Pro Timing Days, and they see scouts starting their stopwatches with their thumb, which has a slower reaction time than the index finger. They see them crowding the finish line and anticipating – guessing, basically – when someone will cross it. They see running surfaces that weren't professionally measured or leveled. They see no starter's gun, no automatic timing device, no wind gauge.
Grizzled track coaches love to say that the "clock doesn't lie." Well, it does in football.
Say someone clocks a hand-timed 4.35 in an NFL workout.
The accepted standard to convert a hand-timed event to its automatically timed equivalent is to round up to the nearest tenth of a second – in this case 4.4 – and add .24 seconds. Now you're at 4.64.
Most football 40s don't go on a starter's pistol but on an athlete's motion. The average reaction time among elite sprinters (from the gun to the moment they exert pressure on the starting block's electronic pads) is about .15 seconds; for a football player with little track experience it probably would be closer to .2. Add that in, and you have 4.84.
Now say it's a breezy day and you're running with a tailwind. Say it's 10 mph. Accepted track tables say that would provide a .07-second advantage over 40 yards. Add it in, and your 4.35 is suddenly a 4.91.
There's no shame in running a 4.9-second 40, of course. World-class sprinters get a bad start or get a cold day, and they go through 40 yards in the high 4s, too.
But NFL scouts aren't comparing their times to Ben Johnson in Seoul in 1988. They're comparing them to other players at a particular position, and that might be an even more dubious endeavor.
The hope was that the top 300 or so prospects invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis would all run indoors under the same conditions with an automatic timing device. A great idea, in theory. But players are controlled by their agents, and why run on a slow surface with automatic timing in Indy six weeks after the college bowl season when you can run at your home campus on a lightning-fast track with the leniency of the stopwatch while having another month to train under an expert sprint coach?
Two years ago, 32 running backs were invited to Indianapolis. Thirteen ran the 40 there.
Enter the Pro Timing Day. There were more than 150 this year, most jammed into a three-week period in March, most held in a dizzying blend of conditions and surfaces.
Take March 23, when there were pro days at 11 campuses. North Carolina State ran its 40s indoors in the weight room on a rubber floor. USC ran outdoors on a state-of-the-art track with a crosswind. Southern Illinois ran outdoors on FieldTurf in breezy, 42-degree weather. Southern Mississippi ran outdoors on FieldTurf but in still, 65-degree conditions.
Virginia ran outdoors on a Tartan track, Northern Colorado outdoors on artificial turf, Northern Iowa in a dome, Georgia Southern and Bowling Green outdoors on grass, Boston College indoors on rubber. Lambuth, an NAIA school in Jackson, Miss., had its offensive line prospect run on a cracked tennis court.
A couple weeks earlier, Louisiana-Monroe held pro day in a basketball gym.
NFL teams have their own formulas for adjusting times based on the conditions, subtracting a tenth here, adding .12 there. But really, how exact a science can it be?
"Nowadays, perception is reality," says Paul Turner, a University City High alum who played a season at receiver for the Buffalo Bills and trains college players for their pro days. "If they say it's a 4.29 and they have it written down, well, it must be a 4.29."
Pro Football Weekly's 2005 Draft Preview is a 200-page analysis of the top prospects in painstaking detail. Below each player's name and position are three numbers: his height, weight and 40-yard dash time.
Why 40 yards? Why not 20? Why not 60?
The short answer is, no one knows. Draft historians will tell you the NFL stole the idea from colleges and that it came from an era when races were run in yards and not meters. The reasons the NFL went from 50 yards, its former measuring stick of speed, to 40 yards are more ambiguous.
Some say 40 yards represents the distance between where players are aligned – from the running back to the free safety. Some say it is the longest distance a receiver can realistically cover before the quarterback is sacked. Some say it's the point when most people begin losing their form and slowing down, making it a better judge of a person's raw speed.
The counter argument, of course, is that players rarely run 40 yards in an unimpeded straight line during a game. That there is a difference between pure speed and playing speed. That about three inches separate a player who runs 4.49 and a 4.50.
That Blair Thomas ran a 4.4 and the New York Jets took him with the second pick in 1990, and Emmitt Smith ran a 4.7 and slipped to 17th.
All of which is true.
Veteran La Jolla-based agent Jack Bechta says Ron Wolf, the former general manager for the Green Bay Packers, explained it best to him once.
"He told me that there are guys who are fast but play slow, and that there are guys who are slow but play fast," Bechta says. "He told me that, sure, there are exceptions, but you can't have a team full of exceptions. Their thinking is, you can't take a good football player and make him fast, but you can take a great athlete and make him a good football player.
"You need a baseline, a common denominator, and that's what 40 times are. They are like minimum qualifying standards."
So college players finish their senior seasons and have their agent hire a speed coach like Turner, or enroll them in one of several speed schools (at upward of $10,000) for the sole purpose of lowering their 40 time by two-tenths of a second. They learn how to start. They learn how to run with their feet higher off the ground, which goes against accepted football practice of low, quick feet necessary for rapid changes of direction.
Some, no doubt, succumb to the temptation of anabolic steroids considering they are no longer under the auspices of the NCAA's testing program and don't yet quality for the NFL's.
Even then, experts say, there is little you can do to make you appreciably faster. The major component in speed is the ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscles a person is born with. Rahn Sheffield, SDSU's longtime track coach, acknowledges that "only 17 to 19 percent" of speed can be developed.
"Every coach and athlete is fascinated with one thing, and that's raw speed," says Sheffield, who trains about a dozen pro prospects for their 40s each year. "That's the one thing that every athlete doesn't have, the one thing that's unattainable for some people. Speed is the one thing they can't coach.
"They talk about genetics and genetic codes. Well, this is their way of gauging that."
04-28-2006, 05:47 PM #2Prophet Guest
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
Where's the link? I remember reading this article a while back. I don't think any of these stats are worthwhile by themselves, just another thing to consider when comparing between players. Short bursts of speed are important at many positions, the 40 yd dash may not be the best way to measure that.
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
Very good article.. I've always been sceptical of 40 yard dash times because they're so imprecise.
04-28-2006, 06:06 PM #4Del Rio Guest
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
"Wall of Giant Text crits you for 9475 damage"
You are dead
04-28-2006, 06:26 PM #5Rookie
- Join Date
- Dec 1969
- Posts
- 122
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
there was also Jerry Rice too:
This might upset Jerry to say this, but I don't think he was overly blessed with skills. Half of the receivers in the league could beat him in a foot race. But Rice was better than them all, and he was better by a lot. It was not necessarily his speed, but his ability to cut and accelerate. Rice might not beat many guys in a straight 40-yard dash. However, if the race started with a 10-yard out, followed by a 40-yard dash, not many receivers could match him because he got in and out of his cuts so easily. I also believe that while most 4.4 sprinters were faster than Jerry, very few of them could run 4.6 by the fourth quarter. Jerry seemed to get faster as the game went along due to his conditioning. The other thing that nobody talks about is his toughness. I never saw him flinch...never.
His average foot speed is why 15 teams passed him (including the Bengals, who took Eddie Brown) in the 1985 NFL Draft. But Bill Walsh saw something special, which in turn made him and the 49ers organization something special for years to come.
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
Del - You are being politically incorrect to use the word DEAD. I think you meant to say that due to the lack of air that is normally ingested into your being through the lungs the oxyegyn level is too low in the veins that pump the blood from the heart to the brain. Thus lowering brain activity to such a level that your organs may not function at a minimal capacity to remain lucid!! The motionless activity is an assumption that you may no longer be able to function in society and are found to be useless and therefor should be disposed of in an apporpriate manner. Unless you are are a Dem. (or Cajun) than it is hard to determine a difference.
Now you may get by with that definition by the politically correct police but I am sure we will have a ruling once the definition has been read and dissected by the far left!!
Stay tuned, remember all rulings are in favor of total lunacy and anyone who differs from their biased ruling will be dubbed a racist, bigot, sexist, rep., Conservative or any other derogatory word thought of as demeaning. Also remember only DEMS and left wing fanaticals may slander or liable people and if you challenge them on it you will be again dubbed racist, bigot, sexist, rep., Conservative.
This will probably close this thread even though I am being sarcastic Cajun and others will bring some form of politics into it. Bush may even be responsible for the amount of methane cows produce while flatulating.
There s only two things stopping you - fear and common sense!! The Truth you CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
"Prophet" wrote:
Where's the link? I remember reading this article a while back. I don't think any of these stats are worthwhile by themselves, just another thing to consider when comparing between players. Short bursts of speed are important at many positions, the 40 yd dash may not be the best way to measure that.
Thanks to Josdin for the awesome sig!
Re: How important is the 40 yrd dash in the draft?
"Prophet" wrote:
Where's the link? I remember reading this article a while back. I don't think any of these stats are worthwhile by themselves, just another thing to consider when comparing between players. Short bursts of speed are important at many positions, the 40 yd dash may not be the best way to measure that.Thanks for the sig Pack93z
I love when you take breaks from plucking your unibrow and grunting/slapping to makes posts in this forum
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