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Mourning Joe…Dillon.
The texts lit up Matt Silverman's phone before 7 am Wednesday, when Mike Barnicle and Willie Geist asked a guest for a ground hog World Series prediction and the first two words of the answer were "Tampa Bay." The Rays president knows that February promises won't get a ballpark built or even a profit turned, but that "it's good for people to be reminded what this team has done in this division, in this market and with our payroll."
"People need to be reminded," says the face of the franchise, Evan Longoria. In Longoria's six seasons with the Rays, his team is the only team in the American League East to have won at least 90 games five times in six years, and in every one of those years did so with the lowest payroll in the division that considers itself baseball's S.E.C.
...The people of Tampa shouldn't need to be reminded of what winning 90 games five of the last six years means, which the Yankees and Red Sox haven't done. They've done so despite a system that punished small market teams that are run well and reward big market teams that are inefficient businesses in terms of the draft. They've done it even if there are many who think the Rays and Tigers should flip divisions.
On the first day of March, almost every baseball person one talks to mentions the Rays as the team to beat in the American League if Price stays. One of these years the World Series is coming back to The Trop on The Island, Longoria is going to be the MVP, and the people from Sarasota to Fort Lonesome, Orlando to Indians Rock Beach are going to realize what they have, and what they'll miss if nothing gets done and they move to Montreal.
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.1. PASTE Thinks This Trout Kid Might Be OK (Zeth) posted on March 02, 2014 at 03:01 PM #
I know a lot of people who superficially will claim to have gotten into whatever career they're in because they were passionate about it, but in truth are just there because when it was time to pick a degree that's where they thought the steady paychecks would be. Currently the most popular such category is nursing.
Personally, I think the Rays don't have great chemistry. More than once they've mailed it in when things started to fall apart. Then there's Price's ######## about Papi...the general persecution complex they carry.
"all that hate's gonna burn you up son."
The best advice my old man ever gave me was that the best feeling in the world was actually getting up in the morning and wanting to go to work.
I have no idea what any of the above is talking about
I have no idea what any of the above is talking about
It's about being a Red Sox fanboy.
"He knows how I've pitched him for the last probably year-and-a-half, two years," Price said. "So he steps in the bucket and hits a homer. And he stares at it to see if it's fair or foul, I'm sure that's what he would say, but as soon as he hit it and I saw it I knew it was fair. Run."
Chemistry matters in my opinion. I don't think it matters nearly as much as some of the media believe but it helps. It's not going to make a 60 win team a 90 win team or anything but I think it can make an 85 win team a 90 win team.
My personal happiness went up a good bit when I started viewing my jobs as the means to have the money to do stuff I care about
Clearly a hate-filled message deserving of karma, especially coming right after the game from a guy who gave up a home run to extend the other team's lead in a postseason game. And I don't even like Price all that much.
I suppose that makes the Rays...the Cardassians?
Personally, I think the Rays don't have great chemistry
the division that considers itself baseball's S.E.C.
the division that considers itself baseball's S.E.C.What -- several of the teams are going on probation for recruiting violations?
Is no one but me disturbed by this remark?
Is this a job that's 40 hours per week or 60? If the former, find your passion elsewhere. My personal happiness went up a good bit when I started viewing my jobs as the means to have the money to do stuff I care about when I'm not working.
I know people really like their "careers" and such, but I work solely for the cash.
Is no one but me disturbed by this remark?
This is exactly it for me. Yes, I hate my job. But, it allows me the money to do things I like to do when I'm not working. If I could find something I liked doing that allowed me to afford even just a little bit of what I have away from work now, I'd quit tomorrow.
How many divisions have had 3 teams with better than .500 record since 2005?
The AL West. Though until last year, they managed that with only four teams.
I couldn't do that. I like working.
I'm talking about each and every season the AL EAST has had at least 3 teams with better than a .500 record. (I probably should have worded it better)
no the karma is for playing "Sweet Caroline" in TB after Rays victories over the Red Sox. The karma is for their faux outrage and the stupid Coco Crisp stuff.
The things I'm passionate about won't pay the bills because 1) I'm not good enough at it to get paid to do it, or 2) there's no pay for it at all.
AO, can you do both? I also have a 40-hr/week IT job, but my passion is coaching kids baseball. I don't have the credentials to go coach a JV HS team, and would take a big pay cut to do it. So I volunteer at the local little league and coach about 50 games a year.
Only once, in 2008 when they won a dramatic seven game ALCS against Boston then got rained, cold and beaten by the Phillies in the World Series, have they made it past the division series, which may have lessened their dramatic appeal in a small market trying to support three major league sports franchises."
For the love of God, get Peter Gammons an editor.
That is one crazy sentence-"then got rained" Rained on? Rained out? ":"lessened their dramatic appeal in a small market" As a small market? They have poor dramatic appeal?Their dramatic appeal was reduced? Are we talking about playing good baseball, appeal or attendance?
And:" They hear that because they are built around depth, creativity and flexibility and the need to trade a Matt Garza or James Shields after four service years, that they therefore are not built for the post-season, but Longoria, James Loney and other players don't buy its entirety.
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Join us on a special Pre-Blizzcon special! We talk getting ready for Blizzcon and about some of the 3.2 changes and we even get a visit from a special guest.. I wonder who it could be…
SPONSORED BY: Buff'D – Player Powered WoW News (Contest Info)
General News
Blizz tells WCRadio, nogo to live-stream Blizzcon. (link)
Blizz announces Ozzy comeback raid! I mean Onyxia!. 3.2.2 (link)
- mount
- pet
- 10- and 25-man revamped raids
End of Arena season 6 coming soon and 3k Honor cap lifted. So get your PVP on.
WordPress 2.8.4 is available! Another security fix. Fixes security issues missed in the 2.8.3 release. Are we done yet?
Hot Topics from the Nether!
Blizzcon FAQ (link)
My recommendations:
Carry a bag, include the following:
- wear comfortable shoes
- Bottle of water
- Source of protein (thinking meat sticks or nuts)
- Notebook and pen
- Jacket
- Gum
- Camera/camcorder (and charger for devices)
- Wear comfortable shoes
Our schedule for the con:
- Thursday night Wow.com meetup at the Tangerine
- Friday morning In line for the con, look TNB Tshirts Say HI! Watch Twitter.
- Friday night 9 @ meetup
- Saturday watch twitter! Live Blogging as @FimBlizzcon and @NibBlizzcon
- Sunday: Raid Disneyland.
Next week…
Next week we're at Blizzcon. We may release a show from recordings made at Blizzcon. The week after we'll review Blizzcon and may have special guests.
(Opening song "Monster Techno Blues" is preformed Joe Sibol, additional song credits: Phonecasting – Foggy Monutain Morning, Joe Sibol – Hot Sexy Girls Instrumental, provided by podssafeaudio.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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On Sept. 26, the European Commission announced that Bulgaria and Romania would join the European Union even earlier than previously planned. The two former Soviet satellites will join the EU on Jan. 1, 2007, instead of 2008.
For the European Union, the accession of the two East European countries marks the end of a long cycle of eastward expansion, swallowing up former communist states. Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey will now have to wait indefinitely, while neither Ukraine nor Moldova are on the agenda at all.
But the real significance of the announcement last week is not just a question about the future of the states in question. The accession of Bulgaria and Romania has created a precedent that radically overhauls the nature and organizational principles of a united Europe. Both Bulgaria and Romania were accepted into the union essentially as second-rate members.
Previously, all members of the European Union — at least on paper — enjoyed equal rights. In point of fact, of course, this was far from the case, and the accession of countries from Eastern Europe drastically changed the nature of the union. From a club of rich nations at roughly the same level of development and with similar political, cultural and social institutions, the European Union has become an organization comprising two groups of countries with fundamentally different economies and societies. The dominant position of the West vis-a-vis the eastern periphery has been entrenched by economic practice and has made possible what is essentially colonial exploitation of the East's resources. A confederation in form, it is becoming an empire in essence, with all of the attendant consequences — the most important of which is the erosion of democratic institutions in the West itself. The union of Western democracies with the corrupt regimes of the eastern part of the continent, where parliamentary institutions are no more than a facade for oligarchic rule, is evidence that a united Europe will cease being a community of free citizens.
Public opinion in the West quickly realized what was going on, hence the almost unanimous popular discontent with the expansion project. If it had been put to a popular vote, it would have been shot down in flames. Disillusionment has also set in in East European countries, where people have noticed that, instead of the promised economic boom, the union of East and West has only brought with it new problems. The votes against the Constitution in France and the Netherlands was only the first political symptom of the crisis.
On paper, however, the expansion looked like a process that was almost democratic. Formally, at least, no one resolved to divide Europeans into first- and second-class citizens. Previously, there were associate members, who did not have full rights. But only now have states within the union been officially and publicly deprived of some of their rights.
Formally Romania and Bulgaria have failed to meet a number of the conditions for membership, so they effectively are not full members. But other countries accepted earlier also did not meet all these conditions. Indeed, violations were flagrant and widely acknowledged, from the level of corruption in Poland to the absence of civil rights for the Russian-speaking populations of Estonia and Latvia. This did not stop them becoming full-fledged members. Even worse, ruling elites in the "new European states" have not shown the slightest interest in dealing with these problems. In some respects, the situation has gotten worse. Mass popular unrest in Poland and Hungary and the ongoing crisis with Russian schools in Latvia are stark examples.
It might look like Brussels has taken a look back and, in order to avoid making the same mistakes, has erred on the side of caution with Romania and Bulgaria. But if this is supposed to be a cure, then it is worse than the illness itself. Inequality among states inside the community undermines very elementary principles of democracy and federalism.
Of course, officials at the European Commission are not really interested in the fate of democracy in "Old Europe." They have other problems. And the decision regarding Bulgaria and Romania is nothing less than a natural step in a broader process in the evolution of the EU — from a democratic community to something like a modern equivalent of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Moscow Times, 5 October 2006 Copyright 2006


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Chapter 13 LICENSES, PERMITS AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS REGULATIONS*
Section 13-414 License cards.
(a) The business license administrator shall issue to each licensee a license card containing: the words temporary business license, the period for which the license is issued, the number of the license and the place where the business may be conducted.
(b) A temporary special events license shall be valid for a definite period not to exceed fourteen (14) consecutive days. The duration of the license shall be determined by the number of days of the trade show. A license granted for fewer than fourteen (14) days may be extended up to the fourteen (14) day limit if the temporary special event is extended. If the event is rescheduled due to inclement weather, the license shall be valid during the rescheduled period not to exceed fourteen (14) consecutive days.
(c) The license shall be posted conspicuously at the location of the temporary special event.
(d) The license is not transferable.
(Ord. No. 17023, § 1, 9-17-01)


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A Miroslav Klose brace and screamer from Antonio Candreva gave Lazio an easy 3-0 win over Palermo in rain-soaked Rome.
The German's first goal came from a volley six minutes before half time. A high clearance from the Palermo defense was chased down by Alvaro Gonzalez. Rather than see the ball out for a corner, the Uruguayan turned Santiago Garcia and his right-sided cross was met by the waiting Klose.
Candreva added a stunning second ten minutes after the restart, unleashing a 25 yard shot which looped over the outstretched arm of Samir Ujkani, and beating the Albanian at his near post.
Palermo rarely threatened, but Federico Marchetti did well to parry a Josip Ilicic shot after the Lazio defense made a hash of a clearance in the penalty area.
Klose put the game beyond Palermo seven minutes from the end, chesting down a Senad Lulic cross, before stepping past two defenders and calmly stroking the ball past Ujkani.
It's two wins from two league games now for the Eagles, while it's two heavy defeats in a row for the Sicilians.


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Oakland Raiders
Pat Sims - DT
|6' 2"/ 335 lbs.
|Fort Lauderdale, FL
|Years played
|2008, 3rd round, 14th pick by Bengals
Raiders RB Bush questionable for opener
Raiders RB Michael Bush is listed as questionable for the season opener Sunday against the Titans after breaking his left thumb this preseason.
Ex-Giants DT Alford signs with Raiders
The Raiders have added to their defensive tackle corps, signing ex-Giant Jay Alford.
PFW presents Golden Toe to Raiders' Lechler
Pro Football Weekly was proud to present its 2009 Golden Toe Award, given to the NFL's best kicker or punter each season, to Raiders P Shane Lechler last Thursday, prior to the Raiders' final preseason game against the Seahawks.
Asomugha: Defense not hitting on all cylinders
If the Raiders are going to make a run in the AFC West, their defense, particularly against the run, is going to have to be much improved in 2010.
Raiders have talent; do they have depth?
I picked the Raiders to beat the Chargers in the AFC West, writes PFW's Eric Edholm, but I am concerned for one major reason: depth.
Raiders could win 10 games ... or more
A year ago this time, I picked the Saints as my surprise team for 2009. Score one for this usually-awful-at-predicting-this-kind-of-thing writer. Feeling saucy, I'll go out on a limb again. As their fight song goes — yes, pro teams used ...
Asomugha feeling sense of urgency in Oakland
In an exclusive interview, Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha told PFW he would feel like he let people down if he left Oakland without winning a Super Bowl.
Raiders WR Schilens out 3-6 weeks
Raiders head coach Tom Cable said Sunday that starting WR Chaz Schilens will miss 3-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
Injuries more significant than thought for Raiders' Campbell, Bush
Head coach Tom Cable said Sunday that QB Jason Campbell's injury is more significant than a stinger, and RB Michael Bush will have a surgical procedure on his left thumb.
Searching for QB help next year?
PFW's Eric Edholm identifies the teams that are most likely to seek QB help before the 2011 season begins a year from now.
Raiders WR Schilens may need surgery
WR Chaz Schilens may need knee surgery, Raiders head coach Tom Cable told reporters in a conference call Monday.
McFadden is an unloaded weapon
Despite his arsenal of athletic gifts, Raiders RB Darren McFadden should be avoided until late in fantasy drafts.
Raiders QB Frye out for the season
Raiders QB Charlie Frye will miss the 2010 season after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his wrist.
Raiders WR Heyward-Bey still a major question mark
The reviews of Darrius Heyward-Bey's training camp haven't been glowing.
Campbell enjoying full support of Raiders
We hear Jason Campbell is having a solid training camp, but team observers say comparing him to Jim Plunkett was a huge stretch by Raiders owner Al Davis.
The Oakland Raiders have agreed to terms with Sims.||||||| Sims played just eight games last season for Cincinnati after beginning the year on the physically unable to perform list with a hamstring injury. He had 12 solo tackles and one interception as a reserve. He has five sacks in 60 career games.
The Bengals added Sims to the 53-man roster on Friday, adding depth to a defensive line that has struggled to get pressure on the quarterback lately.||||||| Sims missed training camp and the first eight games because of a hamstring injury. He'd been on the physically unable to perform list. Sims has started 23 games in his five-year career with the Bengals.
The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a deal with Sims on Saturday.||||||| Sims, who was an unrestricted free agent, has spent his first four seasons with Cincinnati and started 23 games. He played in 11 games last season before an ankle injury ended his campaign and totaled 28 tackles with one sack.
The Bengals have placed Sims on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday after learning his left ankle was more severely hurt than initially thought.||||||| The defensive tackle sat out a 35-7 loss in Pittsburgh with the injury, but hoped to be recovered before the end of the season. Coach Marvin Lewis says additional tests indicated the injury was too severe. Sims wore a protective boot on the left foot Wednesday and declines to talk about the injury, other than to say he is disappointed he won't get a chance to play again.
The Bengals put Sims on injured reserve with a broken forearm, suffered during a 37-0 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday night.||||||| Cincinnati replaced him on the roster by signing cornerback Keiwan Ratliff on Monday. Ratliff was a second-round pick in 2004 who played parts of four seasons in Cincinnati.


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Artist in Association: Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Artist in Association: BBC Symphony Orchestra
Associate Artist: Southbank Centre
One of the pre-eminent composer-conductors in the world today, Oliver Knussen (born in Glasgow in 1952) is presently Artist-in-Association with both the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. The recipient of many awards, including the Nemmers Prize in 2006, he has been Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival (1983-98), Head of Contemporary Music at the Tanglewood Music Center (1986-93) and Music Director of the London Sinfonietta (1998-2002). Together with Colin Matthews he founded the Composition and Performance Courses at the Britten-Pears School in 1992.
Among his best-known compositions are three symphonies, concertos for horn and violin, several song cycles, works for ensembles and for solo piano, and the operas Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop! written in collaboration with the late Maurice Sendak.
His 60th birthday was celebrated with special events in Aldeburgh, Amsterdam, Birmingham, London and Tanglewood.
"Knussen's performance had plenty of panache, beauty and thrilling orchestral colours" (Tim Ashley, The Guardian, August 2013)
"Oliver Knussen draws out not only the pungency of Britten's language but also its almost touchable beauty and Mediterranean warmth… it's hard to imagine a more welcome addition to the Britten discography in his centenary year." (Andrew Clark, Financial Times, January 2013)
"Knussen's conducting is exemplary." (Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, February 2013)
"If sheer native talent is our yardstick for ranking British musicians, Oliver Knussen must stand among the highest of any century. As a conductor he has a precision and coiled energy which can make an orchestra dance and he's the supreme advocate of British composers." (Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph, November 2012)
"It's a positive joy to watch him conduct [his music], too: the precision of the baton and the lucid, spare gestures of the left hand are outward and visible signs of the clarity, aural finesse and coherence at the heart of his writing" (The Times, November 2012)
"Knussen's trademarks are a pellucid transparency, and a sense of the unerring rightness of every note in constructions of dazzling intricacy" (The Independent, November 2012)
"Composer Oliver Knussen tends to get to the heart of things, writing with a knack for concision that borders on alchemy" (The Guardian, April 2012)
"Knussen's brush was something else: elegant, fine-haired, perfect for capturing the subtlest motions of clouds and ocean or the glitter of the central torchlight parade." (The Times, May 2012)
"He conducted it in the same characteristically fastidious, inspired way, embracing extremes of time and of feeling that underline a life-affirming humanity" (The Guardian, June 2012)
"Oliver Knussen and his players are expert interpreters." (The Observer, March 2010)
"The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group was conducted by Carter's champion, Oliver Knussen, whose own exhilarating Coursing began this Maltings programme, and who gave an alluring account of a new piece for 10 players by Helen Grime." (The Sunday Times, June 2009)
"The force that is Oliver Knussen continues to make his presence felt at Birmingham, where he has been artist-in-association to the Contemporary Music Group since 2006. His authority and interpretative insight ensures performances of vibrant intensity. This programme, where he had paired two of his own compositions with two by Julian Anderson, and included Roberto Gerhard's 1969 score, Leo, by way of balance, was exactly that." (The Guardian, March 2009)
"Knussen's players ricocheted through the fray with typical guts and joy." (The Times, January 2009)
HarrisonParrott artists shortlisted for 2014 Gramophone Awards
Oliver Knussen opens the Edinburgh International Festival
Sakari Oramo to conduct Last Night of the Proms, which also stars Proms Featured Artist Janine Jansen
Library of Congress celebrates Oliver Knussen with week long residency
Jamie Barton nominated as Young Singer of the Year in International Opera Awards
Recordings featuring six HarrisonParrott artists win 2014 ICMA prizes
Steuart Bedford & Oliver Knussen CDs shortlisted for BBC Music Mag Awards
Recordings featuring ten HarrisonParrott artists have been shortlisted for 2014 GRAMMY Awards
Oliver Knussen conducts Britten Centenary Concert at Snape Maltings
Sol Gabetta wins two ECHO Klassik awards for 2013
Twelve HarrisonParrott artists shortlisted for 2013 Gramophone Awards
HarrisonParrott artists and touring orchestras feature in BBC Proms
Oliver Knussen conducts Boston Symphony Orchestra
Oliver Knussen celebrated in Barbican's Total Immersion series
Oliver Knussen returns to BBC Symphony at the Proms
Oliver Knussen wins Outstanding Musician Award
Knussen celebrates 60th Birthday as Artist in Residence at Aldeburgh Festival
Oliver Knussen tours major US orchestras
Oliver Knussen conducts both CBSO and BCMG with Pierre-Laurent Aimard at closing concert of Aldeburgh Festival
Oliver Knussen conducts Britten's Rape of Lucretia in Aldeburgh Festival, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
Oliver Knussen celebrates life and works of Takemitsu in Japan


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May 1, 2014
Our Five Core Demands of the hunger strikes have not been met. And we see that reform always equals revisionism, which means it's no change. The food has literally gotten worse, although for a month they attempted to adequately feed us. The medical care continues to be inadequate. The educational programs and privileges are not afforded, and prisoners are still made to suffer in these inhumane conditions, now familiar to us for years on end.


text:
More From Fultondale
JCB donates machines to Georgia, Alabama cleanup
Posted by Marcia Gruver Doyle on May 13, 2011
JCB has donated the use of various machines to assist with cleanup efforts in Georgia and Alabama. John Patterson, chairman and ...
Do you want some tips to stay safe on the job site?
Equipment World has created an entire section devoted to safety.
Here are the most recent tips we've posted:
Hauling headaches: Know your load limits when trailering equipment
One-man machines: The operator should be the only person on a wheel loader


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Blue Bottle has quickly become a San Francisco institution. Its Mint Plaza café was opened in 2008 in the rear of the elegant 1912 Provident Loan Building. In contrast to the limestone-clad Mint across the street, the café is sleek, modern and, of course, home to some of the best coffee in town.
"The poached eggs are cooked perfectly, and come served on inch-thick chunks of fresh toast. Yum."
Perhaps the most compelling, is the five-light siphon bar, manufactured by the Lucky i. Cremas company of Japan – the first of its kind in the United States. Here we feature a menu of three single origin coffees which changes weekly. Next is the Kyoto-style iced-coffee apparatus, which produces a delicate, refined, fragrant cold brewed coffee.
Last but not least is the one-group San Marco lever machine. Clad in glorious rounded copper, it was our first machine. We think was built in the late 1970s. The selection of single origin coffees changes weekly. At the other end of the shop (and spectrum) is a thoroughly modern four-group La Marzocco GB5, with which we make our 17 ft. Ceiling espresso blend. We grind and brew drip coffee individually on a drip bar of our own design.


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The Advising Resource Center (ARC) in MSR 180 is the centralized location for undergraduate, undeclared and general education advising needs. The suite also houses Career Services, EOP, Parents Program, Promise Scholars and Veteran advising.
Attention: For all advising related to academic majors including advising holds, see your major department.
Additional Services
For more information on these services, click here.
Walk In Advising
Monday – Thursday 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Most general advising questions can be handled on a walk in basis. You may walk in to MSR 180 and see an academic advisor without an appointment. See our FAQ's for more information about typical walk in questions. Also, the Lower Division.pdf and Upper Division.pdf General Education (GE) Requirement planning guides are helpful in tracking your GE progress.
New Student Orientation YouTube Video Series
Video Series Quick Links
Student Financial Services Video Series


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Dear Copper and Blue Community,
I'm calling as the GM of the Philadelphia Flyers attempting to make a deal. It's no secret that we here in Philly need help on the back end. We believe in the hype that this year's draft is one of the best in recent memory and would like to make you an offer. We would like to make a deal involving your eighth overall pick without having to give up our eleventh overall pick.
Looking at the Oilers roster, the Flyers and Oilers could be very compatible trading partners. You guys could use a proven top six forward, another top-9 forward, and a top 4 defender. Here are the pieces that the Flyers think would fit into those holes.
Matt Read scored 47 points in 79 games as a 25-year-old rookie. He followed that up this year with 24 in 42, which is roughly the same pace as last year. With Read being an older player, he might have hit his ceiling, but that doesn't mean he's not a very good player. He can play the PP or the PK and best of all, he still has one more year left on his entry level deal paying him under a million bucks a year.
Scott Laughton was drafted 20th overall in last year's entry draft. After 53 points in 64 games as a draft eligible 17-year-old, Laughton took his game to a new level this year. He earned a five game tryout with the Flyers, and impressed with his two way ability. His 56 points in 49 games in the OHL this year was a nice boost over last year. He finished his season scoring 3 points in 6 games in the AHL. Laughton projects as a center who can play against other teams top players, and could possibly do it next year. I think if he's a Flyers he'll be with Couturier on our shut down line. I am not too familiar with the Oilers system, but I've done a fair share of research and I don't think you guys have a two-way center prospect at the level of Laughton. Ian Laperriere, who is now a scout for us, has said that he's been told by other scouts that Laughton has been the best player in the OHL this past year.
Nick Cousins was our third round selection in the 2011 draft, a pick acquired from our Jeff Carter trade with Columbus. We snagged Cousins when he put up 68 points in 68 games in his draft eligible year. He was anointed our top prospect after he improved his point total to 88 in only 65 games in his second year in the league. He was the center of a sexual abuse case this summer, but was not charged and all of that seems to be in his past. His hockey game took off this past year as he lit up the OHL to the tune of 103 points in only 64 games. He projects as a potential second line offensive winger with questions about his defensive ability. He's compared to Brad Marchand by everyone, so that should speak for his role as an agitator.
Nick Grossman is only 27 and he's signed until 2016 at only 3.5 million dollars per. He was on the flyers top PK unit, which finished top-5 in the league and is a big, strong, porch clearing defender. He's not the quickest or the best with the puck, but he is smart enough with his positioning to make up for it. He's extremely physical along the boards and in front and could provide an immediate boost at a great price.
Andrej Meszaros is only signed for one more year at a modest $4 million. At 6'2" 223 lbs. his skating and puck moving abilities are quite impressive. At only 27 years old he's put up 32 points or more 4 times already. He won the Flyers' top defender award in 2010-11 over Kimmo Timonen and would be a great fit as a top-4 puck mover in Edmonton.
Draft Picks:
2013 41st overall, 71st overall (and all of our later round picks)
2014 (still have all of our picks)
Our offer is any of the above forwards, either of the above defenders, our 41st overall, and our 2014 second round pick. You guys drop from 8 overall to 41st this year, pick up a second rounder next year, get a top-6 forward, and a top-4 defender?
What are your thoughts?


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Yellow Pages Box Elder, South Dakota
News section:
Business World
Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:23:14 GMT
Despite lip service, Silicon Valley venture capital still a man's world - West Point Tidewater Review
Despite lip service, Silicon Valley venture capital still a man's world - The numbers compare to 15 percent of executive officers at Fortune 500 companies, 24 percent of tenured faculty at U.S. business schools, and 20 percent of the U.S. Senate - all areas that have shown gains for gender parity in recent years while . .
Fri, 15 Aug 2014 23:10:36 GMT
While the investment world fixates on Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway stock cracking $US200,000 per share for the first time, there are some other listed company where you'd get little change for that kind of money. Take US-based Bactolac . .
Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:00:04 GMT
New York Times- - New York TimesGermany won the World Cup last month with seven Bayern players; eight others were also on World Cup rosters. Now the team is in the United States, having defeated Chivas Guadalajara of Mexico, 1-0, on Thursday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., . .
Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:04:45 GMT
âOnline technology is the key to giving us this lifestyle,â Nalisha said, but learning to run the business on the road was the easy part. For some, accepting the idea and getting over fear can be the real challenge. âMindset is everything,â she said .
Wed, 20 Aug 2014 22:49:19 GMT
Hostages from countries such as the United States or Great Britain, which do not pay ransom, are more likely to be executed or put on display for political purposes, he says. Freelance . STORY: Obama: "The entire world is appalled' by beheading .Worldwide rage as Islamic state militants behead US journalistBusiness StandardREUTERS/Evan Vucci/PoolBusiness InsiderISIS Pressed for Ransom Before Killing JournalistNew York TimesGulf Business News -U.S. News & World Reportall 5,107 news articles .
Mon, 11 Aug 2014 23:50:47 GMT
US can't be in business of nation- - Washington PostLooking back at Iraq and the years when more than 100,000 U.S. troops were there, the president on Saturday correctly said, âOur military is so effective that we can keep a lid on problems wherever we are if we put enough personnel and resources into .
Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:00:23 GMT
World's biggest container shipper lifts earnings outlook, a good omen for ... - U.S. News & World Report
World's biggest container shipper lifts earnings outlook, a good omen for . - Maersk did not specify in what regions its activity is growing, but the WTO sees trade increasing in the United States, some parts of Europe and many developing countries. The Copenhagen-based group, which also has operations in the oil and drilling .
Mon, 04 Aug 2014 02:44:51 GMT
SAO PAULO -- Move over Beverly Hills: image-conscious Brazil has overtaken the United States as the world's capital of cosmetic surgery. O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper on Sunday quoted official figures as saying the South American giant had recorded . .
Wed, 20 Aug 2014 19:06:39 GMT
Irish Independent - "And I believe that a new world order [supports us], because we've been supported the world over, since the organization of bodies like MERCOSUR, like CELAC, like UNASUR, like 100 academics have presented to the U.S. Congress, like. many articles .Tearful Argentine president fights back â and the law is on her sideIrish Independentall 267 news articles .
Thu, 21 Aug 2014 04:46:25 GMT
Russia closes McDonald's restaurants for 'sanitary violations' - "McDonald's is a leader in the field, especially when it comes to standards," Goncharov told the business newspaper RBC Daily. "For instance, when we opened our company, we copied them in a lot of ways. For us, they were an example of how to work.The Most Popular McDonald's In The World Is In Russia, And It Just Got Shut DownBusiness Insider AustraliaRussian watchdog shuts four McDonald's restaurants in MoscowReuters CanadaRussia shuts four McDonald's restaurants amid Ukraine tensionsSun Sentinelall 114 news articles .


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The International Astronomical Union has invited the public to suggest official names for 20 to 30 planets outside of our solar system »
The discovery of two planets orbiting our closest red-dwarf neighbour, Kapteyn's star, within the habitable zone, has been told through the eyes of a sentient drone in a sci-fi short story »
Taking life beneath the Earth's surface into account, a computer model has found that planets could be warm enough to host life at least ten times further away from a host star than previously thought »
A team of astronomers has identified a planet with a similar mass to Earth that travels in front of its host star. Despite these similarities though, measurements show it's also 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth, which suggests its surface will be far different to that of our own planet's »
Thanks to Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope, two separate teams of planetary scientists have spotted faint signs of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets outside of our solar system »
A new study makes predictions about the length of time that life will be possible on Earth but its author is more interested in life on other planets »
Astronomers have detected a lava world that orbits its star every 8.5 hours -- one of the shortest orbital periods ever detected »
A pair of astrophysicists has published a paper suggesting there may be less exoplanets than previously thought, due to a potential miscalculation of how dust rings orbit stars »
Nasa's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope may have some hope left in it yet for its extended mission »
Nasa's Kepler space telescope, whose job has been finding and characterising planets around other stars, has suffered a potentially mission-ending hardware failure »
Data from the Kepler telescope has been used to discover another gas giant orbiting a star, but this time via a totally new technique that relies upon Einstein's special theory of relativity »
Kepler engineers prepare for failure of second manoeuvring wheel, which could end the Kepler telescope's current mission »
Nasa scientists have discovered two exoplanets which are completely submerged under water »
TESS will be first spaceborne planet-hunter with ability to scan the whole sky at once »
On 13 March the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma), the largest astronomical project in the world, was inaugurated »
Researchers have carried out the first remote reconnaissance of a solar system 128 light years from Earth, using a new telescope imaging technique to reveal the chemical composition of four exoplanets »
A team of astronomers has published a paper suggesting we hunt for life on exoplanets by checking out their surface colours for signs of lichens that survive in extreme conditions »
A new study of extrasolar planets suggests that super-Earths -- rocky worlds significantly bigger than Earth -- more closely resemble smaller versions of Neptune »
Nasa's phenomenally successful planet hunter, the Kepler space telescope, has temporarily shut down operations after problems with part of the system that orientates it to keep it pointed at its stellar targets »
Volunteers from the Planethunters website have identified 15 new habitable planet candidates amongst data collected by Nasa's Kepler spacecraft, including a Jupiter-sized planet whose moons could possibly support life »
There are a million guides out there explaining how to survive your first night in the dangerous world of Minecraft, but what do you do after that? »
The new working environment is at once rec room and high street, coffee bar and potting shed »
Wired.co.uk reviews the 4G EE Eagle tablet »


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Today I uploaded a Windows Phone 7 sample game to codeplex which demonstrates physics, gestures, perspective transforms, multitargeting, sound and GPU acceleration.
This Shuffleboard game was created as the basis for a Coding4Fun tutorial, which will be available soon on the C4F Website. I don't want to spoil the fun for the official tutorial release so I won't go into much detail here, but this demo should be helpful for folks wanting to quickly create physics based games for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 devices.
When the tutorial is released, it will include a video walkthrough showing step-by-step creation using Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend 4. Look for updates on the release, but in the meantime here are some more resources for creating physics-based games in Silverlight:
Windows Phone 7 Developer Tools Install Info (Tim Heuer)
Physics Games in Silverlight on Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7/Silverlight Performance
Windows Phone 7 Developer Portal
How To: Handle Manipulation Events
Forums on Silverlight.net
Forums on WindowsPhone
I've been working on an idea for a Windows Phone 7 game and I'd really like your feedback and ideas.
In DroppyPop, you control a rag doll which is falling through an endless sky of balloons. Pop as many balloons as you can for points while avoiding the bombs and baddies along the way.
I've been developing DroppyPop using the methods I described in a previous blog post, namely using multi-targeting to create both a Silverlight Web version and a Windows Phone 7 version using the same source code. I develop about 90% of the time in the Silverlight Web project, and then use Linked Files from a Windows Phone 7 project to build a version for WP7. This has a couple of major advantages:
This method has been working great for me, and there are only a few instances where I need to use compiler directives to use different logic for the two platforms. This is possible because Microsoft did a fantastic job on the port of Silverlight for the Phone!
Your Feedback... Please!
Let me know what you think of DroppyPop. Does the concept work? Are there any bugs? Would you pay 99 cents for the full version? :)
You can leave feedback here in the comments, or inside the game under Options/Feedback.
You might be aware that when you publish a Silverlight XAP on the web, your source code is very vulnerable to prying eyes. A XAP file is in a ZIP compressed format, and the contents are .NET Assemblies and resources which can be disassembled easily using a tool like .NET Reflector . Although there is no sure-fire way to stop someone from copying your Silverlight application logic, obfuscation can at least make it a bit more difficult to hack through.
There are a few obfuscators out there that support Silverlight, but they can be pricey. However, Babel Obfuscator started out as a community project and still maintains a freeware edition. Additionally, it appears that the new version of Babel has corrected some issues with obfuscating Silverlight assemblies.
Here is how you can use the free edition of Babel Obfuscator to encrypt your Silverlight assemblies: (I should mention, if you do have $149 laying about, I recommend buying the Pro version of Babel which has XAP support)
1. Download the Free edition of Babel Obfuscator.
2. Download the Free 7-zip compression utility. We'll need this to update the obfuscated assemblies in our Silverlight XAP file. If you are happier with a different ZIP utility, go ahead and use it instead.
3. Inside your Silverlight solution, right-click the Silverlight project and select Properties.
4. Go to the "Build Events" tab and add the following inside the Post-build event command line:"C:\Program Files\Babel\babel.exe" $(TargetPath) --noildasm --nomsil --noinvalidopcodes "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a $(TargetDir)$(ProjectName).xap $(TargetDir)BabelOut\$(TargetFileName) -y -tZIP
This post-build event will run the Babel Obfuscator against your assembly, which places it into a "BabelOut" subdirectory. Then we use 7-zip to bring that updated, obfuscated assembly back into our XAP file.
We can use a tool like .NET Reflector to see what the obfuscator does for us. Here is some example before-and-after code showing an example of the obfuscation.
private bool IsRagDollPart(string part); private void LayoutRoot_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e); private void LayoutRoot_KeyUp(object sender, KeyEventArgs e); private void MainPage_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e); private void newObstacleExplode_Exploded(ucObstacle source); private void newObstacleExplode_Exploding(ucObstacle source); private void PositionBalloon(ucObstacle obstacle); private void PositionEnemy(FlyingEnemyBase enemy); private void PositionPowerUp(PowerupBase powerUp); public static double RadiansToDecimalDegrees(double radians); private void ResetLevel(); private void ShieldActive(bool isActive); private void ucExplosion1_Exploded(ucExplosion source); private void ucMainGame_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e); private void ucMainGame_KeyUp(object sender, KeyEventArgs e);
private void (bool ); private bool (string ); private void (object ); private void (); private void (PowerupBase ); private void (bool ); private void (ucObstacle ); private void (ucExplosion ); private void (); private void (ucObstacle ); private void (ucObstacle ); private void (PowerupBase ); private void (FlyingEnemyBase ); private void (object , KeyEventArgs ); private void (object , KeyEventArgs );
Thanks to everyone who attended my session at Code Camp 13 in Waltham, "Windows Phone: Silverlight for Casual Games." It's great to see so many people sharing my excitement for Windows Phone 7!
In this session, we talked about the new hardware, Silverlight support, the Emulator, GPU Acceleration, monitoring performance, Behaviors, sound support, input, and monetization of your games.
As promised, here are my slides and demos from the talk.
And here are some links to get you started with creating fun games with Silverlight for Windows Phone 7:
Install Checklist for Windows Phone Development
Windows Phone 7 Developer PortalPhysics Games in Silverlight on Windows Phone 7
If you're creating a graphics intensive application (such as a game) for Windows Phone 7 (WP7) using Silverlight, you're going to want to maximize performance for both the emulator and your Silverlight code. Let's look at some ways to maximize both of these.
WP7/Silverlight Graphics Performance
WP7 devices have a separate GPU which is optimized for handling graphics operations such as displaying, scaling, rotating, and 3D. Silverlight on WP7 has the ability to use that GPU, which can greatly increase graphics performance. It does this by allowing a "snapshot" of a visual, called a Bitmap Cache, to be handed over to the GPU for manipulation.
Emulator Performance
Ensure the Emulator can use your Host's GPU.The Emulator can take advantage of the GPU on your computer to render graphics, greatly increasing its performance… but only if it meets a couple of requirements.
1. Make sure your video card supports at least WDDM 1.1 and DirectX 10.
a. From the Start Menu, select Run and enter dxdiag
b. Go to the Display tab and ensure that the DDI Version and Driver Model are 10 or better and 1.1 or better, respectively.
c. To be extra sure the Emulator will like your video card, create an XNA Windows Phone Game. This project template is a bit pickier with GPU support.
i. Start up Visual Studio and create a new XNA Game Studio 4.0/Windows Phone Game.
ii. Run the project. If you get the following error, then the Emulator will not support your GPU. Deploy failed with the following error: The current display adapter does not meet the emulator requirements to run XNA Framework applications
… However, all is not lost. It could be that you just need to upgrade your video card drivers. Visit the site for your video card manufacturer and see if they have some newer bits (This one actually worked for me J)
Enable Virtualization in your BIOS
Support for Virtualization at the CPU level is provided on newer processors. This can significantly increase the speed of emulators, allowing them to talk more directly to the CPU, instead of a software layer. Because this is a CPU-level function, you need to go into your computer's BIOS to enable it (it will normally be OFF by default, so you will need to switch it on).
1. Reboot your computer and look for the magic BIOS key. It could be Ins, Del, a Function Key, it all depends on the BIOS version.
2. Once inside the BIOS, look for a category named "Virtualization" or something to that effect. Switch all of those options on.
I'm sure there are some things here I missed or just didn't know about, so please give me your comments. Here are a few links to other resources on the topics above:
Silverlight Performance on Windows Phone – Seema RamchandaniWP7 Developer FAQSilverlight 3: GPU Acceleration + Bitmap Caching – My Blog
The PathListBox control is a cool new addition to the Blend 4 SDK, and allows the elements inside a ListBox to lay out along any Path control shape. You'll need to install the Blend 4 SDK to get access to the PathListBox control, but note that this is available outside of Expression Blend 4 (you don't need to purchase or install Blend 4).
One of the neat bonus features of the PathListBox is that you can animate the Path that it is bound to, and the items will follow the animation! This gives Silverlight functionality similar to the AnimationUsingPath class that WPF has had since .NET 3.0, and provides basic Motion Path Animation.
Let's see how we can use PathListBox for some interesting effects.[VIEW DEMO] *Requires Silverlight 4*
- Open Blend 4 and expand the Asset Library. To quickly find the PathListBox control, type PathListBox into the search box.
- Draw a PathListBox control onto the artboard, and give it a name of "pathListBox1"
- In order for the PathListBox to determine the shape that its Items should follow, you'll need to draw out a Path control. Select the Pen tool and draw out a shape.
- We only want to use the Path for its shape information, so let's hide its visual representation. Set the Fill and Stroke to "No Brush" (you can quickly do this by select "Reset" from the Advanced Property Options – that little square to the right of the brush selection).
- Now, select the PathListBox control, and in the Properties Panel, go to the Items Layout category and click the Artboard Element Picker. Then select the Path that you created in the previous step by clicking on it in the Artboard.
- Select the main UserControl in the Objects and Timeline Panel.
- Go to the Events Panel in the Properties Panel and double-click the Loaded event.
- Add a little bit of code inside the Loaded event, which fills the PathListBox with an array of characters (note that we can data bind a character array to the Items Source of a control):private void UserControl_Loaded(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e){ // TODO: Add event handler implementation here. string data = @"This is the theme to Gary's Show, the theme to Gary's show. Gary called me up and asked me if I'd write his theme song."; pathListBox1.ItemsSource = data.ToCharArray(); }
- Run the project by hitting F5. The characters follow the Path. Weird effect, eh?
- Let's try animating these chars. Add a new Storyboard named sbAnimateChars.
- Select the Storyboard (by clicking its name just above the Objects and Timeline Panel), and set its RepeatBehavior to "Forever"
- Fast-forward the timeline for the storyboard a second or so.
- From the toolbox, grab the Direct Selection tool and drag around the points within your Path element (Blend records changes in Path points within a Storyboard for you).
- Add another line of code into the MainPage_Loaded event handler, to start the Storyboard up:sbAnimateChars.Begin();
- Run the project. You'll see the characters animated on the Path.
The Physics Helper Library now supports Windows Phone Development!
* UPDATE 05/17/10: Fixed for April Refresh of WP7 Tools
If you want to create some fun physics-based games for this upcoming platform, you'll first want to first visit the Windows Phone Development site and download the tools you'll need.
The Physics Helper Library is a collection of Behaviors and UserControls that make is easier to create 2D physics games in Silverlight using the Farseer Physics Engine. The Physics Helpers have gone through several different iterations – in their original release for Silverlight 2, they were solely UserControls; in Silverlight 3 support for Behaviors was added, and later WPF support was added into the library, thanks to contributions from the community.
Now that everyone, including myself, is hyped about Silverlight on the Windows Phone, I was eager to get the library working under the new emulator, and it turns out that it didn't take much effort at all because of the great job the Silverlight team did to make Windows Phone a "real" Silverlight (version 3) implementation!
Because Windows Phone contains a true Silverlight 3 implementation, assemblies are binary compatible, and you don't even need to recompile the Physics Helper assemblies for the Phone. In fact, all I needed to do was remove a reference to System.Windows.Browser (as that is missing on the phone), and I was up and running.
Pete Blois (on the Microsoft Blend team), has also ported his Box2D Engine based samples to the Windows Phone and created a really neat physics based game which he demoed at MIX10. If you want to check out the Box2D engine instead of Farseer, you can check out Pete's work.
The Windows Phone doesn't have any useful hardware buttons for games, so you can bet that the Accelerometer on the device will be very important for input. Mike Harsh gave a great presentation at MIX where he explained the axes of the Accelerometer:
As the device is tilted, you'll usually get a value between -1 and 1 for each axis. I say usually because if you fling the device around you could actually get a bigger number – that's because the value is based on G-force. At least, that is the idea, I haven't had my hands on an actual device to confirm J
The problem is that the emulator included with the Windows Phone developer tools does NOT simulate an accelerometer. But in chatting with Pete Blois, a good workaround for now is to use a mouse drag event to emulate the accelerometer "tilt." You can see this method in the Sample project at the top of this blog post. Note that there is an "AccelerometerWrapper" class which handles the Perspective Transform and mimicking the Accelerometer with mouse movements. Again, I haven't tested this on an actual device but from what I've heard this is a good simulation of the accelerometer data.
Let's dissect the sample a bit. Because of the similarities in code between browser-based Silverlight 3 and Phone-based Silverlight 3, I am taking the approach of a single solution that contains both a SL3 project AND a Windows Phone project. Then I am using a linked file to reuse the exact same code for the main game user control (ucMainGame):
I think I will stick to this approach because it will allow supporting multiple platforms (web + phone) with a single project. And to be honest I'm not all that happy with the Windows Phone Emulator's speed so for most debugging tasks I can stick with the Silverlight 3 web project.
If you're new to the Physics Helper, check out the videos and info at http://physicshelper.codeplex.com.
If you're new to Windows Phone Development (like all of us), you'll be happy to know that 90% of the game is knowing Silverlight. But for the other 10%, check out these sessions from MIX:
Changing our Game – an Introduction to Windows Phone 7 Series
Authoring for Windows Phone, Silverlight 4 and WPF 4 with Expression Blend
Overview of the Windows Phone 7 Series Application Platform
Building Windows Phone Applications with Silverlight, Part 1
Building Windows Phone Applications with Silverlight, Part 2
Silverlight Performance on Windows Phone
Silverlight 4 introduces GPU Acceleration to Perspective 3D Transforms (PlaneProjection), which allows much better performance with simple 3D effects. Perspective 3D Transforms were originally introduced in Silverlight 3, and allow 2D visual elements to be rotated in 3D space. Consider the example below…
An image element, plain and simple.
The same image element, with a PlaneProjection applied to simulate 3D space.
The problem in Silverlight 3 was that PlaneProjection's were rendered using software instead of the video card (GPU), so you could quickly peg the CPU if you overused this transform effect.
So how much faster is a PlaneProjection when using hardware acceleration? Well it all depends on your video card, but chances are it's crazy fast J Here is a little sample that will let you compare software vs. GPU rendering in Silverlight 4:
VIEW THE SAMPLE WITHOUT GPU ACCELERATION. Add a bunch of phones and notice how the framerate starts to drop.
VIEW THE SAMPLE WITH GPU ACCELERATION. Add a bunch of phones and notice how the framerate remains consistently high.
DOWNLOAD THE SAMPLE. Requires Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight 4.
We can apply hardware acceleration to a Perspective Transform in the same way as any UI element:
1. First, enable GPU Acceleration at the plug-in level. Open you Silverlight host html page, and add the following parameters to the plug-in. enableGpuAcceleration – required for any acceleration to take placeenableCacheVIsualization – if true, then any elements that are not cached will be tinted a color.enableFrameRateCounter – will show a framerate counter at the top-left of the plug-in window.<object data="data:application/x-silverlight-2," type="application/x-silverlight-2" width="100%" height="100%"> <param name="source" value="ClientBin/AccceleratedPersp3DSimple.xap"/> <param name="onError" value="onSilverlightError" /> <param name="background" value="white" /> <param name="minRuntimeVersion" value="4.0.50303.0" /> <param name="autoUpgrade" value="true" /> <param name="enableGpuAcceleration" value="true" /> <param name="enableCacheVisualization" value="false" /> <param name="enableFrameRateCounter" value="true" />   </object>
2. Next, apply a PlaneProjection to a visual element (in this case we'll apply it to an Image element), and add in a CacheMode="BitmapCache" attribute.<Image x:Name="phoneFront" CacheMode="BitmapCache" Source="phoneSkin.png" Stretch="Fill" Width="303" Height="587" > <Image.Projection> <PlaneProjection x:Name="rotateFrontY" RotationY="0" GlobalOffsetZ="0"/> </Image.Projection></Image>
3. That's it! The PlaneProjection will now be rendered by the GPU.
This simple example makes it look easy, but as you get into more complicated examples you may run into issues. Keep in mind the following:
1. Not all video cards are created equal. You will see entirely different performance and caching thresholds on different GPU's. And on some low-end Netbooks, you may actually see worse performance when caching is turned on.
2. The content of the PlaneProjection needs to stay static in order to keep the Cache valid. Think of the cache as a snapshot of the contents of the PlaneProjection which can be manipulated by scaling, clipping and perspective transforms. But if any of the contents are animated, it can invalidate the cache and you will lose most benefits of GPU acceleration.
3. Be careful when setting properties on Visual elements such as Visibility. The Silverlight property system does not check if a property is "really" changed from its previous value, so if you change values often, you can incur extra rasterizations. If you look at the sample code, you'll see that a _state flag that tells when to change Visibility to cover this issue. Thanks to David Ferguson at Microsoft for this tip!
You've probably heard the rumors during the past weeks, but at the Mix10 Keynote this morning, ScottGu and Co. confirmed all of the leaks about Windows Phone 7 Series !
You can download the tools you need now, including Silverlight and XNA development libraries and a Phone Emulator.
Microsoft has created a stringent list of requirements for hardware manufacturers, which should keep a consistent experience across devices, while keeping competition high among manufacturers (and therefore pricing low!) Back in the day I did some Pocket PC development and it was challenging to make sure your application worked with each device and processor type. Another problem was the different hardware buttons that each device had, and the Key codes that they raised through events. New Windows Phones will have three consistent buttons: Back - Start – Search.
There will also be some great monetization opportunities. First, you can place your applications on the MarketPlace as a pay-for-download product. And in the Keynote, we saw that ads can also be displayed over your app for ad-based revenue.
So what kind of applications will the device handle? There were several sample apps shown but definitely the most hardware intensive was "The Harvest" (this was first shown at the GDC conference last week), which showed a complete 3D dynamic environment.
Needless to say I am very excited about this new Silverlight platform! I will embrace it first for casual games development using Silverlight, and will be sharing my development experiences in future blog posts!
Looking for great free training in Silverlight and Expression Blend? The Expression Blend Evangelism Team at Microsoft has just released .toolbox, an online training source for designers and developers!!
One of the unique aspects of the .toolbox training is that it enlisted the talents of real-world design agencies to create the sample applications you use in the training. I think this makes for challenging and realistic training scenarios. I personally created several of the .toolbox training modules, and it was equally challenging as a trainer to pull apart the awesome creations from the top-notch design agencies and form useful training modules from them.
.toolbox has some other great features including an Avatar and progress tracker where you can earn badges as you complete different levels. I hope you'll find the .toolbox modules a great free training resource!
Here are links to the modules I created for .toolbox:
GamesThis module shows you how to build two different games using Behaviors and States. You'll create a Pong style game and a Space Invaders style game as you learn about these powerful Silverlight features.
Sound MixerThis module introduces you to the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern. Throught the lessons, you'll implement the View portions (UI) for a Sound Mixer prototype.
RecruitHere we'll look at how to design a Line of Business (LOB) type application. You'll use States, Databinding, Maintenance Improvements, and how to take the application Out of Browser.
PortfolioThis module breaks down an existing Silverlight site template and examines ways of improving it through using design methods, refactoring, adding a splash screen, behaviors and resources.


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Food Drive Registration & Materials Order
Empty Bowls 2014 admission tickets will be sold at the door between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. March 27 due to the generous donations of bowls by local artists. Raffle tickets will continue to be sold at the event. (The purchase of Empty Bowls 2014 tickets online ended at 4 p.m. March 26.)
Each year, Partner Agencies can register for the annual conference in the Partner Agency Center on the Agency Conference page.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Lead Rider and Honorary Chair
Details to come on this family bicycle rally benefiting Tarrant Area Food Bank's Food for Kids programs including Kids Cafe, BackPacks for Kids, School Pantries, Summer Packs for Kids and Summer Meals.
Kick the Can Team Registration: For the 31st Kick the Can on Friday, Nov 8, 2013, team registration was at capacity by Oct 16. Teams may sign up for the waiting list in case a team drops out before the day of the event. This year's event is on the second Friday of the month in the new Sundance Square Plaza that will have officially opened the first Friday of November.
Orders can be placed in November each year. See the 2012 Holiday Card.
Any questions about registering or making reservations for events listed in this section can be directed to the following staff:
Empty Bowls, Food Drives, Kick the Can:
Francie Cooper
Community Events Director
817-332-9177, ext. 110
Agency Conference:
Lori Pope
Agency Capacity Manager
817-332-90177, ext.102
Ride for Kids—Gear Up to End Hunger (Oct 25, 2014):
Becky Delaune
Business Development Director
817-332-9177, ext. 132


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21st International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach, Austria
August 30 - September 7, 2014
Welcome to the website
of the International Johannes Brahms Competition for piano, chamber music,
violin, viola, cello and voice at Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Carinthia,
Austria. In 2014, the competition will take place from August 30 until September 7, 2014. We would be glad to welcome you to Pörtschach this summer, whether as participant
or as visitor.
UPDATED: The competition schedule
Visit our our Facebook page
A Step-by-Step Guide to the Competition:
Read about what's special at the Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach
Get to know our members of the jury
Study the competition
rules and regulation
Register online for the competition (open from April until July 1, 2014)
Plan your stay at Pörtschach: arrival, places to stay, competition schedule
Enjoy your time at the competition!
We are looking forward to meeting you at Pörtschach this summer!
Would you like us to keep you updated about the next competition via email? Please sign up to our newsletter below:
Member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation
If you have any questions concerning the competition or experience
technical problems accessing the information on this website, please do not hesitate
to contact us by clicking here. We are always there to help
Möchten Sie die DEUTSCHE VERSION dieser Website sehen? Klicken Sie hier!.
Johannes Brahms Competition
TweetFollow @brahmscomp
© 2003-2014 Johannes-Brahms-Gesellschaft Pörtschach


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Announcements from the 5th Annual Linux Collaboration Summit
The Linux Foundation kicked off the 5th Annual Linux Collaboration Summit with four announcements: the formation of the new High Availability working group, the release of the Carrier Grade Linux 5.0 specification, Yocto Project Release 1.0 availability, and the 20th Anniversary Video Contest.
20th Anniversary of Linux Video Contest was launched and to help inspire people to produce and submit a video, the Linux Foundation kicked off this celebration with the release of "The Story of Linux" video. Linus Torvalds, Linux creator, will choose the best video and the winner of the 20th Anniversary of Linux Video Contest will be announced at LinuxCon in Vancouver. For those who are interested in submitting a video, the submissions should show and celebrate the impact of Linux on computing, business or culture over the last 20 years.
Yocto Project 1.0 was released. The Yocto Project is an open source collaboration project that provides templates, tools and methods to help you create custom Linux-based systems for embedded products regardless of the hardware architecture. More information about the the 1.0 release can be found in the release notes and on the Yocto Project website.
The release of Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) 5.0 specification announced. Since 2001 The Linux Foundation's CGL workgroup has been collaborating on CGL gaps and requirements, and release of CGL 5.0 covers several specification categories that include Availability, Clustering, Serviceability, Performance, Standards,Hardware, and Security. The Linux Foundation says that currently there are six CGL distributions from major Linux distributors including Novell, MontaVista and Wind River, which are all registered as CGL-compliant.
The full CGL 5.0 specification is available for review on the Linux Foundation Website.
The formation of the new High Availability working group announced. According to the Linux Foundation, the Working Group will bring together projects and stakeholders to collaboratively define the open source HA software stack and prioritize featuresbased on input from developers, vendors, and customers. The projects participating in the forum hosted by The Linux Foundation include: corosync, DRBD, GFS2, hawk, Linux-HA, Linux Virtual Server, luci, OCFS2,Open Clustering Framework, and pacemaker. Enterprise Linux distributions such as as Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu, are already incorporating this technology and plan to contribute to the working group.
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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ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC)- Disaster training allows emergency response crews to sharpen their skills in the event of a tragic event. Specific scenarios are selected to offer a wide range of challenges, and this year's subject could be the most unique topic yet.
The term "epidemic" is enough to send a chill down your spine, and that is exactly why the Center for Disease Control has communities doing drills, but Rochester added a twist.
"To get younger learners and get the communities interested in epidemics, they came up on the zombie theme because it was very popular," says Walter Franz, an organizer for the disaster drill.
Yes, he did say zombies.
The CDC has protocol in place in case of an infectious outbreak, or what some would call a "zombie apocalypse." Mayo Medical students and Boy and Girl Scout volunteers experienced first-hand what it may be like if a disease breaks out.
"They're learning how to do litter carries, they're learning how to stay calm in a very difficult situation," says Elizabeth Hillebrand, a Mayo Medical student. "Our main goal is to keep everybody safe and to have them have fun in this type of environment."
While a zombie apocalypse may be a bit unusual for a disaster drill, it does get everybody ready for realistic scenarios and even more than one tragic event.
"Working as a team, following direction and instruction," explains Franz. "We think that is absolutely invaluable and that extends to all our learners. There could be a mass epidemic and we may have to deal not so much with trauma or some type of infrastructure collapse, but a large number of patients and all of the natural confusion that develops."
As long as they were able to avoid those pesky zombies, everyone who participated is taking away a wealth of experience, just in case we ever actually face them.
The Boy and Girl Scouts who were there also earned valuable merit badges for what they learned at the drill. Organizers also say a zombie apocalypse drill prepares everyone for multiple types of disaster scenarios, making the training even more useful.
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All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service and Mobile Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
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Multiple Virtual Desktops in Windows 7
Most Linux desktops / window managers support it out of the box: Multiple virtual desktops.
I really miss this feature on Windows 7. But a great tool for managing virtual desktops under Windows is Dexpot.
It's a great alternative to VirtuaWin and free of charge for private use.
(Note: Opinions expressed in this article and its replies are the opinions of their respective authors and not those of DZone, Inc.)


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Dedicated to Deposits:
Deals, Data, and Discussion
Savings Accounts
Checking Accounts
CD Rates
Money Market
IRA Rates
Featured Savings Rates
Featured Accounts
General Questions/Other
HSBC Faces New Money Laundering Claims In Argentina
HSBC Faces New Money Laundering Claims In Argentina
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 - 8:24 AM
HSBC Trust Company
Argentina has alleged that the bank used "fake receipts" to facilitate money laundering and tax evasion, and launder 392m pesos ($77m; £50m). The country's tax authority said it had filed criminal charges against HSBC. HSBC said that it would cooperate with the investigation, adding that the allegations were "of great concern". "We are committed to working cooperatively with authorities to ensure a thorough review and appropriate resolution of the matter," said Lyssette Bravo, a spokeswoman for HSBC. Last year, HSBC agreed to pay US authorities $1.9bn (£1.2bn) in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case.
BBC News - HSBC faces new money laundering claims in Argentina
2,683 posts since
Apr 6, 2010
Rep Points: 14,546


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SUBWAY BEAST MODE CHALLENGE 2014 | Benefiting Marshawn Lynch's Foundation | INFO & SIGN-UP |
The Kinect Is Out This Week!
Kinect, the Xbox360 accessory that lets you play games without a handheld controller, finally hits stores this Thursday. In addition to using your body in lieu of a controller, it accepts voice commands, uses facial […]


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SPECIAL OFFER: - Limited Time Only!
(The ad below will not display on your printed page)
Steer clear of products that promise a deep clean, since that usually means they strip oil from your skin. "Toner is the first thing you should give up," says dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, founder of Marmur Medical in New York City. "Also stay away from face washes that contain benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, or strong detergents. They're too harsh and they really dry out your skin." An oil-based or creamy cleanser is a better bet right now.Mineral Fusion Ultimate Moisture Facial Cleanser, $13


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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Shoppers soon won't be able hit the stores at "The Summit."That's because it's getting a new name -- and in just a few hours, the new owners of the shopping center will announce what it will be called.
M&J Wilkow, a Chicago-based full-service real estate firm, recently took over management, and part of the new agreement stipulates that the property be renamed.
It asked the public for ideas. Those who voted were entered into a drawing for a $500 shopping spree.
The event tonight starts at 6:00 and includes live music, the prize drawings and free gifts.
Copyright 2013 by WDRB News. All rights reserved.
624 W. Muhammad Ali BlvdLouisville, KY 40203


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Verdicts & Settlements
Strauss-Kahn Reportedly Reaches Settlement with Maid Who Accused Him of Rape
Posted Nov 30, 2012 9:31 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund, has reportedly reached an agreement to settle a civil suit filed by the hotel maid who accused him of rape.
The New York Times attributes its information about the purported deal to "people with knowledge of the matter." Details of the agreement weren't known, although the French media reported that Strauss-Kahn would pay $6 million to the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, the Times says.
An Associated Press report says Judge Douglas McKeon of New York facilitated the deal. The judge also reportedly facilitated a separate agreement to end a suit Diallo had filed against the New York Post for a series of articles that called her a prostitute. The AP account relies on a person familiar with the case.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: "Judge Finds No Immunity for Strauss-Kahn in Maid's Civil Suit, Calls Claim a 'Hail Mary Pass' "
ABAJournal.com: "More Legal Headaches for Strauss-Kahn as France Launches 'Aggravated Pimping' Probe"
ABAJournal.com: "Judge Tosses Rape Case Against Strauss-Kahn"
ABAJournal.com: "Strauss-Kahn Accuser Files Libel Suit Against NY Post over 'Hooker' Claim"
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Only Believe By LATRESE - Music Videos
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Jasper is discontinued since Mar 05, 2014. Old customers will still be supported in our ticket system. Please check out our new Wordpress theme for education – University – Education, Event and Course Theme
You might want to see more Wordpress Themes
Jasper is a multi-purpose WordPress Theme. As the design and functions focus on education, it is perfect for Education organization, Events websites. WooCommerce is also integrated that makes Jasper suitable for any purposes.
We really appreciate if you rate and leave comments so we can make better products.
Installation Guide Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrwW00S8wX4
6 Sample colors
Unlimited custom colors
Unlimited Skin Customization – You can choose your own background photo
1. Fully Responsive Layout
2. Build pages easily with Powerful Gantry Framework
3. Built with Twitter Bootstrap Framework
4. E-commerce ready – Fully WooCommerce Integrated
5. Revolution Slider (worth 15$) + 2 Bonus Sliders (FlexSlider & NivoSlider)
6. 2 Sleek Portfolio styles
7. Fully Customized for Education Site With special custom post types: Professors, Event, Learning Courses
8. 18 Sidebars
9. Many Custom Widgets
- 4 built-in widgets
- Advanced Search included (worth $11)
- Latest Custom post type
- Jasper Recent Post
- Your Social Pages
- 10+ widgets by Gantry and WooCommerce
- Many other widgets / plugins supported
10. Lots of Shortcodes including Easy Tab Widget by CactusThemes (worth $9)
12. Unlimited layout
13. Advanced Typography
14. 3 Compare table styles
15. 6 Post formats supported
16. Social ready
17. Detail Installation Guide with Video
18. Demo Content Ready
19. Translation Ready
20. 500+ Google Fonts
21. PSD files included
22. Dedicated Support Team
Credits to:
Bootstrap http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/
Gantry Template Framework http://www.gantry-framework.org/
WooCommerce http://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/
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Latest Twitter Sidebar Widget http://www.tacticaltechnique.com/wordpress/latest-twitter-sidebar-widget/
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Pumpkin flavor is synonymous with autumnal baking, but pumpkin puree serves as a healthy substitute year-round. For oil, the ratio is one to one — one cup oil is simply replaced with one cup pumpkin puree.
To substitute pumpkin puree for butter, multiply the amount of butter by 3/4. If a recipe calls for one cup, use 3/4 cup puree in its place. If you're not ready to give up all the butter, consider splitting the bill. For one cup of butter, use 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. And be sure not to grab pumpkin pie filling at the store when you're looking for puree! It's easy to mix them up, but you won't be happy with the results.
If want to taste a recipe that makes the most of pumpkin puree, try one of these perfectly seasonal sweet treats.
Pumpkin Bread PuddingThis vegan bread pudding is a low-calorie treat that requires nearly zero prep time. It has all the flavors of traditional pumpkin pie you love but with far fewer calories.
Skinny Pumpkin-Banana BarsThe combination of fruit flavors in skinny pumpkin-banana bars helps keep the consistency light and moist without the extra calories. If you're on a dairy-free plan, a few simple swaps will make this recipe vegan-friendly.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip CookiesThese tasty pumpkin oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies are only 90 calories per serving. Cinnamon and nutmeg help bring comforting spice flavors to the table, but there's also the inventive addition of a little coconut oil.
Keep reading for two more treats that use pumpkin puree.


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About Robert A. Harris
Version Date: October 15, 2010
April 20, 2009
General Information:
ROBERT A. HARRIS taught at the college and university level for more than 25 years before retiring to write full time--a great time of life that lasted four years. He has written on the use of computers and software in language and literature study, using the Web as a research tool, the prevention of plagiarism, creative problem solving, and rhetoric. His most recent work centers on the integration of faith and learning. Dr. Harris holds the Ph.D. in English from the University of California at Riverside. He currently works as manager of a team of instructional designers and a media unit (graphics, video) in the corporate world.
Curriculum Vitae:
B.A. in English, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1972, with High Honors
M.A. in English and American Literature, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, 1973
Ph.D. in English, University of California, Riverside, 1982.
Teaching Experience:
Professor of English, Vanguard University of Southern California, 1996-2001.
Associate Professor of English, Southern California College, 1990-1995.
Assistant Professor of English, Southern California College, 1985-1989.
Part-time instructor in English at the University of California, Riverside and Southern California College, 1975-1985.
Harris, Robert A.
The Integration Of Faith And Learning: A Worldview Approach
Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59244-671-X.
Harris, Robert. "Why Christians Should Examine All the Wares in the Marketplace of Ideas,"
Christian Research Journal
26:1 (2003): 62-63.
Harris, Robert.
Power Google
. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2003.
Harris, Robert A.
Writing With Clarity and Style: A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers
. Glendale: Pyrczak, 2003. ISBN 1-884585-48-5.
Harris, Robert A.
Creative Problem Solving: A Step-By-Step Approach
Los Angeles: Pyrczak, 2002. ISBN 1-884585-43-4.
Harris, Robert A.
Using Sources Effectively 3rd Edition
. 3nd ed., Glendale: Pyrczak, 2010. ISBN 1-884585-93-0.
Harris, Robert A.
The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, and Dealing With Plagiarism
Glendale: Pyrczak, 2001. ISBN 1-884585-35-3.
Harris, Robert.
A Guidebook to the Web
. WebQuester Series. Guilford, CT: Dushkin McGraw-Hill, 2000. ISBN 0-07-235083-0.
Harris, Robert. "Variation Among Style Checkers in Sentence Measurement,"
TEXT Technology
. Summer, 1996.
Harris, Robert and Alain Trottier.
Words Count,
a Windows-based text-analysis program, June, 1995.
Harris, Robert.
Stories from the Old Attic
. Costa Mesa: Privately Printed, 1992. Accepted in April of 1995 for electronic publication/distribution over the Internet by Project Gutenberg. Publication 240C.
Robinette, Phillip and Robert Harris. "A Conflict Resolution Model Amenable to Sociological Practice,"
Clinical Sociology Review
7 (1989): 127-140.
The Virtual Salt
a blog about a person who suffers from schizophrenia.
The Blog of Dogs
a blog written by his two Chihuahuas (see below).
Presentations on Plagiarism:
In the past, Dr. Harris made presentations to faculty, administrators, and occasionally students about the plagiarism issue. He no longer does so. Past presentations include these:
Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio. November 5, 2004.
Association of Christian Schools International Teachers Convention, Anaheim, California. November 24-25, 2003.
University of Phoenix, Sacramento, California, April 12, 2003.
University of Phoenix, San Diego, California. March 8, 2003.
Pulaski Technical College, Online Discussion. February 20, 2003.
Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa. February 17-18, 2003
Association of Christian Schools International Teachers Convention, Anaheim, California. November 25, 2002.
DeVry University, Long Beach, California. September 20, 2002.
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. May 17, 2002.
University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. May 15-16, 2002.
Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario. May 14, 2002.
Western Chapter of the Conference on Faith and History. Costa Mesa, California. Vanguard University of Southern California, October 26, 2001.
Association of Christian Schools International Teachers Convention, Anaheim, California. November 20, 2000.
Wolf and Bear are the two Chihuahuas who live with Dr. Harris.
VirtualSalt Home
Copyright 2004, 2009 by Robert Harris
How to cite this page
w w w . v i r t u a l s a l t . c o m
About the author:
Robert Harris is a writer and educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience at the college and university level. RHarris at virtualsalt.com (Use the standard email address form with the "at" sign and no spaces. I've represented my email address this way to avoid virus harvesting of email addresses on Web pages.)


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Seen at the Movies:
One of the highlights of the ongoing New Directors/New Film Series, Kim Ki-Duk's beautiful Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, opened its commercial run in New York this past weekend. This South Korean film is as simple as its title, charting both the seasons of the year and of life in general through the perspective of a tiny Buddhist hermitage floating in the middle of a lake. An old monk and his young student are the only permanent human inhabitants, though other people come and go and various animals share the unorthodox accommodations. In the opening segment, the student is a child and learns a valuable lesson about cruelty to living things. In the next, he is a young man who falls in love with a visiting young woman and leaves with her. As autumn of another year falls, he returns a criminal, only to be taken away by police. Many years later, he returns to the monastery to take over for the old monk, who has died.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Sony Pictures Classics
Describing Spring, Summer… can make it sound like a parody of Buddhist teaching, but the film doesn't play that way. As expected, it's a slow, quiet piece of work, but the almost surreal oddness of its setting, its occasional, startling eruptions of passion and brutality, and the genuine feeling of transcendence by its conclusion, add up to something quite memorable. And the movie, photographed by Baek Dong-hyun, is often jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It's interesting to note that not only is the floating monastery a set (designed by Oh Sang-man), but that the lake is actually a 200-year-old manmade pond, created to reflect the surrounding mountains. Artifice has never looked so natural.
A South Korean drama of quite a different stripe, E J-Yong's Untold Scandal also played the New Directors series this week, though the film has yet to secure an American distributor. This is yet another adaptation of Chloderos de Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses, this time set during Korea's 18th-century Chosun dynasty. J-Yong actually adheres quite closely to Christopher Hampton's stage and film adaptation of the epistolary novel, making necessary adjustments for the setting, which was a good deal more prudish than pre-Revolutionary France. Though the movie is not as effective as the 1988 Dangerous Liaisons, the basic story of poisonous deceit and seduction is a powerful engine that carries all before it. Jung Ku-Ho's production design and costumes are suitably sumptuous, and the film is handsomely photographed by Kim Byung-il.
Untold Scandal
On the home front, Joel and Ethan Coen's The Ladykillers, a remake of the classic 1955 British comedy, never gets a proper rhythm going. The setting is transposed to contemporary Mississippi, as a band of thieves infiltrate the home of a clueless old lady Irma P. Hall) and tunnel from her basement to the vault of a nearby casino. Tom Hanks, fitted with a goofy dental appliance, gives his all in the old Alec Guinness role, the garrulous and professorial leader of the pack. The thieves pose as a Renaissance music group, surely the first in the history of the world to include such motley participants as Damon Wayans and J. K. Simmons. The whole thing seems ridiculous but rarely funny; it's an uncharacteristically tired endeavor on the part of the Coen Brothers. Even the efforts of their ace technical team, including DP Roger Deakins, production designer Dennis Gassner, and costume designer Mary Zophres seem proficient but uninspired. Time for a recharge, boys.--John Calhoun
The Ladykillers: Melinda Sue Gordon/Buena Vista Pictures
Seen in Las Vegas: Wow! That's the best word to describe Elton John's new show, The Red Piano performed in The Colosseum at Caesar's Forum in Las Vegas. Yes, this is the Celine Dion venue, and Elton John has signed on for at least 75 performances over the next three years as Dion takes a break in her busy schedule. Elton's show is a "best of..." or career overview concert paired with giant eye-popping video images by photographer David LaChappelle who directed and designed this extravaganza. The scenery, built by Scenery West in Los Angeles, is a real show-stopper, and ranges from a collection of Las Vegas neon signs that lay on the stage to larger-than-life inflatables, from big red roses to a 40'pair of women's legs in high heels, 40' breasts that hang over the audience, and such suggestive images as bananas, cherries, and a lipstick tube. Giant neon letters spelling ELTON are based on old hotel signs from Las Vegas. These fly in and have various flashing and chasing effects run by lighting designer Kevin "Stick" Bye on a Virtuoso console that has been linked to the in-house lighting system installed for Celine Dion. Bye has adapted the house rig put in by Dion's LD Yves Aucoin, and has tailored his usual Elton John lighting designs to fit the nature of The Red Piano where the video plays such a large role in the overall look of the show. The video images range from a backstage fantasy with the young Elton John (played by Justin Timberlake) in "Rocket Man" to Las Vegas showgirls, a diabolic love duet, a tribute to Marilyn Monroe with a look alike vamping on the screen, and live images of Elton John. The images are projected on a massive curved LED screen by Mitsubishi (installed for the Celine Dion show) that is 120' wide by 40' high. The name of the show is taken from Elton's red lacquered, grand piano that sits stage right on a star-shaped platform, with his band on risers to his left. For Elton John fans this is like an ice-cream sundae with a cherry on top: a great live performance with extra pizzazz, Las Vegas-style. –Ellen Lampert-Gréaux
Elton John's The Red Piano in Las Vegas
Seen on Broadway: The train-set farce Twentieth Century never builds up a full head of steam in its Roundabout Theatre Company revival but emerges nonetheless as an entertaining trip back into the golden age of screwball farce. In adapting the classic Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play, Ken Ludwig (Crazy for You) has lopped off a few characters, changed the sex of another (giving Julie Halston another welcome second-banana role on the heels of Gypsy), and for some obscure reason moved the action forward from 1932 (when the show premiered) to 1938. It may as well as have been 1934, the year Howard Hawks fashioned his fresh and funny film version from the material, and cast, indelibly, John Barrymore and Carole Lombard in the leads. [The play was also the basis of the 1978 Betty Comden and Adolph Green musical, On the Twentieth Century, which has yet to make it past the station where revivals of 70's musicals are concerned.]
Roundabout Theatre Company's Twentieth Century(left to right): Alex Baldwin, Dan Bulter, Anne Heche, Julie Halston, Tom Aldredge.
©2004, Joan Marcus
As Oscar Jaffe, a down-and-out Broadway producer, and Lily Garland, his protégé-turned-Hollywood sensation, Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche are ideal sparring partners in love and intrigue. Trailing their own tabloid histories behind them, they take obvious delight in matching wits and egos, as Oscar connives to woo Lily back to the stage, by hook or by crook. [The unlikely bait? A New York version of the Oberammergau Passion Play, with Lily as an emerald-encrusted Mary Magdalene batting seductive eyes at her husband, Pontius Pilate. Don't ask.] The action unfolds aboard the Twentieth Century, a swanky Art Deco train set handsomely appointed by designer John Lee Beatty. The audience applauded every time its two connected sleepers and adjoining lounge moved into position across the proscenium stage at the American Airlines Theatre (an appropriate home for such a "transporting" revival), and Beatty has also devised a faux Grand Central Terminal entryway for the coda. Acme Sound Partners added in all the required bells and whistles. My one complaint: The considerable empty space above the set should have been more consistently replaced by the starry skyline that twinkles in and out of Act II.
Presumably, it was felt that the stars below would distract from such considerations, and that they do. It takes a few minutes to adjust to Baldwin's affected accent and appearance; let's just say there's more of him to enjoy, and that he really fills out a purple smoking jacket embroidered, in gold, with the masks of comedy and tragedy on its pocket. Once he establishes a rhythm, and throws himself into the show's most famous line ("I close the iron door on you!"), he's fine, and better than that once Heche makes her entrance. You may recall that Baldwin killed her in the film The Juror, in 1996, but it's Heche who slays the audience this time, in some stunning costumes created by William Ivey Long. Now that she's free and clear of alter egos and the like she clearly wants to lighten up, and what nicer way to do that than in a startling black pantsuit and plenty of jewels? Diamonds are this girl's best friends, and they sparkle under Peter Kaczorowski's unfussy lighting. I also liked the Hollywood sheen of her hair, a look credited to Paul Huntley, who knows that in a show like this his work is made for mussing once the characters start falling all over themselves and each other. Typical of a mixed season Twentieth Century could have been better—Ludwig could have made a few more cuts (the illicit lovers are vestigial to invisible in this staging) and director Walter Bobbie could have sped it along even faster—but Heche, a vision of comic loveliness whether in that pantsuit, a beaded dress, or jammies, keeps the production on track.— Robert Cashill


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