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Blog Archives
6×6(x6) challenge
State of the blog: I'm still alive!
Over the past little while I've had a big case of the whatevers, in the fact that I have had not much drive to work on my blog. However, thanks to the friendly pestering of some fellow bloggers, I've decided to try to get back into the swing of things.
Also, I've had a little something – or someone – that has kept me busy for the past week.
Meet The Spawnling, born last Saturday. She is absolutely adorable and is totally in control of our house already. She's going to have her daddy wrapped around her pinky so very quickly, I'm sure.
The Challenge
Go into your image folder, open the sixth sub-folder and choose the sixth image. Show the image, and share some thoughts about it. Challenge six new bloggers, and link to them.
Fannon at Dwarven Battle Medic started to complicate things a bit by making it more than just one folder, which Aidrana from Miss Pew Pew followed – and since they bugged me, and I want to write, you get more for your non-spent money!
1 – World of Warcraft (852 pictures total)
I used to have more pictures, but unfortunately after reformatting a few times there were some that had been lost. Thankfully this one was saved, which was my very first screenshot of my main character. At the time his name was Asok (after the Dilbert character), and is now Korath – the closest I can get to my usual name as I could on the Thrall server.
As you can see, he is very much a baby character. This was during Burning Crusade when I was leveling up with my wife's new character, as she had just recently bought WoW and was leveling her way through it. Back in the day, you had to go all the way to Silvermoon just to train Jewelcrafting for the Horde, as you had to go to Exodar for the Alliance. Those days sucked.
2 – Muse Concert (6 pictures total)
Unfortunately, these were very bad pictures taken with my old mobile phone. Thankfully it is now dead, and I have a new fancy iPhone 4S to replace it. However, amazingly enough the pictures are somewhat recognizable. Muse is my favourite band, and my wife and I were fortunate enough to see them in March 2010.
3 – Blog Stuff (144 pictures total)
What I do is whenever I have anything specifically for the blog from something else, I would usually save a copy of it in my Blog folder, renamed for whatever purpose. However, in this case since I'm using something that I've already done… then I don't bother.
I have only a few sub-folders: one specifically for third party images, so I know which ones are mine and which ones are not; one for my Screenshots of the Week (which is definitely not weekly anymore); and a sub-folder of the SSOTW where I move over the images that I have used.
Why hello, Archaeology survey tool from my Archaeology 101 guide.
4 and 5 – Third Party and Screenshots of the Week (52 pictures total)
As mentioned above, these are just pictures from my separate sub-folders.
Howling Fjord is still one of my favourite zones for many reasons. It was one of our first tastes of Wrath of the Lich King, and it really sets the tone for this Northern land. Living in Canada, I'm fortunate enough to see the real Aurora Borealis from time to time, and it never gets old. I just love it so very much.
The Verming concept art was one that just made me laugh so very much. We were watching the BlizzCon live stream this year, and they had this during the Mists of Pandaria preview panel. I can't wait to kill these guys, as I'm pretty sure that they're the new kobolds or murlocs and we'll hate them soon enough.
6 – The Spawn/The Spawnling (1964 pictures total)
What parent doesn't like to take pictures of their kids? If anyone follows me on Twitter, they'll know that I refer to my kids as The Spawn and the new one as The Spawnling. I'm a bit paranoid so I prefer not to use their real names, as Fannon from Dwarven Battle Medic frequently uses the same idea with the Dwarfling.
The Spawn is two and a half years old, and The Spawnling is a week old now. We have our hands full with them, but as I've said many times – being a Dad is the best job in the world.
This picture happened to turn out really well. I was trying to get a picture of The Spawn with my iPhone, and of course he was running around. I figured I'd see what happens, and it ended up being one of my favourite pictures.
Bonus – Too much cute to handle
It's quite handy having a phone to capture some great moments. Of course, when The Spawnling was first born we weren't sure how The Spawn would react. Thankfully, he's been an amazing big brother – we just really hope that it continues.
Challenging Others
The last part of the challenge was to tag six other bloggers to do the same thing. Unfortunately, most of the bloggers that I know have already done this challenge, so I'm going to call out a fellow Band of Thorns member to get off his butt and update his blog. Sharden of 15 Minutes of WoW – I hereby challenge you!
Next Steps
Thanks to my blogger friends, I should be back into the swing of things. With having two children under three in the house now, updates will most definitely not be as consistent as I would like, but I will try to keep things going as much as possible.
Here's to a new chapter, I hope that it turns out to be as good on paper as it is in my head.
Boredem and changes
Over the past while, I have to admit that I haven't been playing much World of Warcraft. It's not that there is nothing to do – far from it – but there just really isn't much that can keep my attention lately. I find that I'm logging on for a random heroic or two, but after that I'm finding that I can't keep interested.
I've come to realize that finally, after over seven years of playing, I'm mostly bored of WoW. There have been times where there have been some gaps where I haven't had as much fun, but it never has been like this before. Even though there are things coming up with Mists of Pandaria that look really cool, at the very least we're around 6-7 months away from that. When the time comes, I'll definitely pick it up and play it, but there's just the problem about the time from now until then.
Previously, I had a solid raid team that I would work with twice a week and work through the raid content. Not having this sort of anchor has affected me more than I ever thought, as the only person who I spend much time with when I'm playing WoW at all is my wife (not that this is a bad thing, it's just that I would like to have more acquiantances). Even though I have joined a guild on my Death Knight that has a great number of people, unfortunately I have yet to find a suitable raid team that works with the times that I'm available.
With all of this being said, I'm playing other games and having some fun doing different things. I purchased Terraria and Portal 2 during the Steam Christmas sale last year and have started playing them again, and this year I've purchased Skyrim and Bastion, along with being fortunate enough to get into the Diablo III beta. Between these five games, I'm keeping myself quite occupied and not really missing WoW very much.
As I've said many times before, I'm a Blizzard fanboy and will continue to be one. I still really enjoy WoW, but as many other people do, I think I'll just play it less than I have in the past. When the New Spawn comes in February, it's quite possible that I might be doing some Archaeology at three in the morning while feeding the baby.
Maybe I'll get lucky and get into a raid team that works for me, because I know that it will re-kindle my interest in the game. The future holds many unknown things, and what I will be doing with my spare time to have fun is most definitely one of them.
Screenshot of the Week – November 19
This isn't a weekly feature anymore, obviously, but that doesn't matter!
Being Canadian and experiencing the Northern Lights on a number of occasions, I will never get tired of seeing them. Blizzard did a great job of making them in-game in Northrend, especially in Howling Fjord. This view looks toward Utgarde Keep, just over a Vrykul settlement. A moment of peace in an otherwise war-torn zone.
Guild Reputation
Guild reputation was a brand new feature that came out with Cataclysm and combined with the guild perks, rewards, achievements, and other stuff like that. Your guild levels and gets perks, and the more reputation that you have with the guild (by killing bosses in a guild group or doing daily quests), you get access to more of the rewards.
I'm not talking about any of this.
As I had mentioned before, I recently joined the AIE guild with my Death Knight on the Earthen Ring server. I was looking for an alternative place to hang out and find somewhere that had a better raiding schedule. After being in the guild for about a month, I've found that I'm rarely ever spending any time on my Druid anymore and mainly hanging out on my DK.
Many times I'm doing random dungeons for the Valour and Justice points, daily quests, a Baradin Hold run, or whatever the case may be. Yet, I could easily be doing these things on my Druid as he also needs some upgrades as well. At this point, I've all but decided that I will be moving him over to AIE soon-ish.
Getting used to a new guild is tough, and even more tough when there's so many people in it. At any point in time, there's at least over one hundred people online, and it's hard to see familiar faces when there's over 7000 to pick from. That being said, AIE is fortunate in the fact that the guild as a whole is very well run and has a great culture by itself that people seem to embrace easily.
For an example of the guild culture, twice a year they have craft fairs. People give up a ton of materials from each profession to help others level up theirs. I've heard stories of people maxing whatever profession they are (even the annoying ones like Leatherworking and Blacksmithing) within the short period of time that the craft fair is on. This is a guild culture that I can support without a problem.
The Instance podcast has definitely made AIE popular, and is the reason why I decided to join. Yet, even though it was the podcast that got me there, it's the people who keep me there. During BlizzCon, there were a bunch of volunteers who made a guild hall in one of the nearby hotels, which was basically a place for guildies to hang out when they weren't at the convention. Some people flew down there just to go to the hall, rather than the convention itself. Goodie bags were made specifically for this, and it was a whole event contained within that hall.
Just by these few examples, it's obvious why I've decided to try out this guild. The reputation that it has gained from the amazing people who are members is truly awesome.
As a whole, I've had enough experience with AIE that I want to continue my association with them. The reputation that a guild has outside of the reputation panel is extremely important. If you don't enjoy being in a guild, why bother getting Exalted with them?
Does Guild Size Matter?
Guilds have always been a key factor to World of Warcraft and most MMOs. When Cataclysm launched and the guild system was reworked, they became even more integral to the gameplay. While not required to do anything, they make life a whole lot easier with the perks that they provide.
I had mentioned before that I created a new character on a different server to try and get a new play experience. Since then, I have successfully joined the guild Alea Iacta Est (AIE) on the Earthen Ring server. This guild might ring a bell for some people as being one of the biggest in all of WoW. As far as I'm aware, there are over 7000 players spread out across a number of "co-guilds", since there is a cap on how many characters can be in an guild. At one point, everyone was all in one guild, but the guild panel would stop showing people past a certain number.
My Death Knight that I was leveling just recently hit level 84, and is now a member of AIE Libertas. This is just a slight change from where my Druid is, back on the Thrall server. Band of Thorns is a very small guild, and might have about 10-15 people on at most at any point in time – usually during raids. Both guilds are level 25 and have all perks available.
So, does the size of the guild matter? It certainly does… to an extent.
One of the first things I noticed was just the fact that there's always somebody on. Even if not in the specific co-guild that I'm in, but through one of the addons that makes guild chat go between all guilds, someone will be there. Even so, even in my co-guild I have yet to be on at a time where there's less than 10 people on.
Along with that, with more people comes more help that can be available. Something simple as having some lockboxes to open, I asked in guild chat and I had five people who were willing to help out. I would normally have to wait for a while for a rogue to appear to help out, but now I have a number of people ready right away.
Raiding is a very different situation. There are a great number of raid teams in AIE, and a new team can easily be formed by starting a signup for a regular time. Rather than just having one chance to make the raids per week, I'll now have many teams to choose from or be able to start a new one if needed.
The only downside that I have had so far is the fact that the guild is so big. I want to get to know people, but with so many people out there it's hard to find the same people to talk to time after time. I know everyone in Band of Thorns, so far in AIE I don't know anyone. At the same time, I've only been in the guild for about two weeks so far, so there's definitely time to make it work.
There are plenty more options available in AIE than I currently have in Band of Thorns. More than once, I've thought about transferring my Druid over to Earthen Ring and joining in with him as well. The problem that I have is that I've been with Band of Thorns (in one way or another) since the game's launch, and have never not been in the guild. There are people who I've known through the guild since the very beginning, and it's very hard to let go. I wouldn't sever all ties, but at the same time I want to keep my main character active.
Lots of things to consider. All I know is that I've been playing my DK a lot more than my Druid, for the main reason that I have stuff to do again, and I'm enjoying the people I play with.
Excrement Excavations and YOU! (or, worst quests in WoW)
This is part of a Blog Azeroth Shared Topic – check out other articles about this topic from great authors around the WoW blogging community!
One of the very first things that anyone will do when they log into World of Warcraft on a new character will do is accept a quest. There's a big shiny yellow exclamation point above a nearby NPC that draws you in and compels you to right-click them. Then, for whatever reason, if you kill enough pigs you'll get a reward! How awesome is that?
More often than not, it's very awesome. Even moreso since the Cataclysm old world redesign, WoW's quest design has been amazing. Not too long ago, I did an article about some of my favourite quests in the game. This time we're going the opposite way, to some examples of the worst quests that are out there today. Not surprisingly, they mostly come from Outland and Northrend – but this is partly because I haven't done all of the new content yet.
RNG – the bane of all existence
The infamous random number generator (RNG) can be one of the best or worst things in the game. It is blamed for drops from mobs and bosses, block/parry/dodge/hit/miss chance, spawn rates, and quest item drops. There is a reason why the RNG is hated so much, and it's because of the simple fact that it's so very random.
Any quest that does not have a 100% chance to drop your item has the possibility to require you to spend an unhealthy amount of time trying to get what is required. Lately it seems that the drop rates for many quests have been improved, but there are many that are still very annoying. Good examples are in Zul'Drak, the quests to collect bat wings and spider ichor.
Isn't killing a BAD thing?
Falling in line with the RNG is the "kill mobs until something happens" style. Apparently the leaders or commanders of certain groups of mobs only appear after a certain amount of people die. It makes me very glad that I don't serve under them.
Three examples that came to mind immediately are all from Northrend. In Howling Fjord, you have to kill a number of Vrykul until the commanders show up for you to impale with a battle standard. In Zul'Drak, shortly after going to Zim'torga, many trolls need to die in order for certain mobs to show up and take their shinies. I just did this quest again yesterday, and it took way more time than it should have.
Excrement Excavations
This post could not happen without some mention of the poop quests. First appearing in Burning Crusade, there has been some sort of quest like this in random places since. To this day, my wife won't do the Hellfire Peninsula one.
The above-noted quest is called Shizz Work, and is given by a goblin foreman near Thrallmar. Part of a quest chain and open to both factions, it involves using a flute to summon a felhunter and digging through its "leavings" to find some keys. After digging through each pile, you get a debuff called "Stanky" that doesn't do anything but give you a green smelly aura.
Good idea, but enough already!
Once Blizzard finds a quest mechanic that they like, they tend to stick with it. Sometimes a bit too much, at times. There are quests where it's a fun mechanic, such as taking an abomination and blowing things up with it, but the amount of things required to blow up is a bit much.
A good example of this is the a quest in Zul'Drak for Drakuru to require a total of 60 trolls to be killed to draw out the three chieftains. I really enjoy things exploding, but it could have easily be done in half the amount of trolls and have the chieftains come with every 10 instead of every 20.
In closing…
Thankfully there is a good variety of types of quests in the game. Blizzard has done a great job, especially in the new Azeroth, of mixing things up. I hope that eventually we'll see a revamp of Outland and Northrend, and with that we can see some of the new mechanics introduced to these areas.
Firelands Nerfs and Me
Recently Blizzard announced that there was going to be a nerf in the difficulty of Firelands bosses, for both regular and heroic modes. For a lot of people this came as a surprise, as the Tier 11 content wasn't nerfed until Firelands was released, and heroic modes were kept on the same difficulty. The reaction has been mixed: some are very happy that this will let them see the content before the next raid patch comes out, and some are very upset that the content is a pushover now and their previous work is all for naught.
My thoughts are somewhat in the middle. Unfortunately, due to my real life scheduling situation and some very frustrating timing for being rotated out of a raid spot, I have yet to see an actual Firelands raid. I did a trash run during the first week as well as a few attempts on Rhyolith on another week. No kills or loot from the instance at all for me.
Because of my situation, I'm a bit excited about the nerfs. This means that when the time comes that I'm actually able to raid, there's more of a chance that we'll clear through the bosses and I'll be able to get more Valour Points and good loot. Rather than taking the rare chances that I actually have to raid (so far I've been available for three nights of raids since Firelands released) and beating my head against a wall because of stalled progression, I will have a good chance at stuff that most of my guild has had for months.
However, I see where the regular raiders are coming from in their frustration. They've been working on this content for a while, learning the fights week after week and making steady progression. Perhaps there's a guild who was on the verge of taking down a certain boss after many attempts, and all of a sudden the fight is easier by 15%. It's a little bit of a downer, as the pride in taking things down at full strength is a great feeling.
In the end, this means that more people will be able to see more content. We don't know any sort of estimated time of arrival for 4.3 and the new (hopefully) awesomeness that awaits there. In the meantime, people who have yet to see all of Firelands will be able to do so. More people will get better gear, meaning that when the next patch finally does arrive, they'll be better geared for the new content.
I know that our guild has been 6/7 for normal Firelands, so I'm sure that many of my guildies are feeling the frustration. Hopefully the frustration will pass when they realize that they're getting new goodies and will look forward to beating Deathwing to a bloody pulp.
4.3 Instances of Awesome (I hope)
Looking around the WoW news community this morning gave me quite a bit of happiness. 4.3 looks like it's going to be incredibly awesome – and even though the word is used entirely too much these days, the word we're looking for is epic.
On top of the other features of the patch (transmogrification, void storage, raid finder tool, Darkmoon Faire revamp, among other things) we get the best part: the Deathwing raid and 5-man dungeons. Interviews were given from Tom Chilton and Greg Street (aka Ghostcrawler) across a few websites, and a bunch of information was given.
Basically, there will be three 5-man dungeons giving the story leading up to the Deathwing raid, all involving the Caverns of Time:
- The first one ("End Time") will be a dystopian future where Deathwing won and the world has been destroyed and remade the way he likes – all in ruins. The idea behind this is convince Nozdormu that he needs to get involved and help, or else there won't be much of anything to watch over.
- The second one ("Well of Eternity") will be during the War of the Ancients, where Deathwing first betrayed the aspects and created the Dragon/Demon Soul. It looks like we join Thrall to get the Demon Soul to use as a weapon against Deathwing in the present. Basically using the power to overload the essence within him, causing the big black dragon to burst from within.
- The third one ("Hour of Twilight") will be a flight to Wyrmrest Temple to begin the fight against Deathwing, raid-style. Along the way there will be battles against many foes trying to steal back the Demon Soul and prevent you from attacking the big bad guy, likely lots of Twilight people.
The final battle against Deathwing ("Dragon Soul") is in an instanced version of Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight (hopefully including the changes that happened in the Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects novel), with fights around and in the temple itself. At one point we get to be on Deathwing's back, trying to pry off his armour plating to get to his fleshy bits underneath. Apparently there will be a "balance" mechanic, as Deathwing isn't just going to be flying in a straight line – the raid will be a bunch of fleas on his back that he wants to shake off (do a barrel roll!).
Eventually, Deathwing ends up at the Maelstrom where he becomes a bit of a conglomeration between himself and an Old God minion. The phrase used in the interview with Ghostcrawler says that they call him "Cthulhu-Deathwing", tentacles included. All in all, this raid looks like it will be living up to my expectations and more.
Also included with this will be a new legendary, a set of two daggers for rogues specifically. This quest line will involve the uncorrupted black dragon egg that was the subject of a really good questline in the Badlands. At the end of it, there's nothing said about the future or fate of the new whelp, but it looks like we'll find out shortly.
For more reading, check out interviews at Joystiq, MMO-Champion, and Tankspot. The official World of Warcraft community site also has a bunch of information.
Screenshot of the Week – September 10
This week we have a view of the Tol Barad prison, main block at the middle of the island. Within these walls lie loot pinatas, and easy valour points for all.
The plan is to be back to regular articles coming this week.


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Blown tire causes rollover, 3 injured
Three people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident near Bridgeport Friday evening.
The Morrill County Sheriff's Office said that a driver side's tire blew out on an eastbound vehicle, driven by 17-year-old Autumn Jacobucci of Gering. Jacobucci lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled two times before landing on it's side.
The front seat passenger, 79-year-old Lee Estrada was pinned under the vehicle, and had to be extricated from the vehicle.
Estrada, Jacobucci, and her 16-year-old brother Tristin Jacobucci of Gering, who was a rear seat passenger were all transported to Morrill County Hospital in Bridgeport with non life-threatening injuries.
The accident occurred around 5 p.m. about two miles west of Bridgeport on Highway 26 and 92. All three occupants were wearing seatbelts.
© 2014 Rural Radio Network. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information

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Murder trial: No prints on alleged weapon (From Oxford Mail)
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Murder trial: No prints on alleged weapon
10:30am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in News
The trial of three people accused of the murder of homeless man Denis Witney continued yesterday.
Wayne Cattell, 37, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, Daniel McCollin, 30, of Blay Close, Blackbird Leys, and Joanne Moriarty, 29, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, all deny murder.
Andrew Townley, a forensic laboratory officer for Thames Valley Police, told the jury at Oxford Crown Court that no fingerprints were found on a lager can that it is alleged was used in an assault on Mr Witney.
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DescriptionBrand new collectible card game with alchemy and magic.
Play an Alchemy duel against your opponent hidden in the second tower! Its similar to Ants or Castle war game.
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The game has 75 card for free. Dozens of achievements, 10 levels and boosters packs. Card exchange and etworking events coming soon.
Build your tower to 100 or destroy opponent's one to 0 to win
Use your cards to invoke a powerful magic.


text: For a very long time, I believe that there is some sort of "deal" for every game between the two clubs over the years, not hoodoo stuff. But the game on Saturday, in the second half, when the score became 2-3, a strange thing happened, the ball just seems to stick to the legs of the Utd players, for the rest of the game, like magic. It was not real to me. However, no penalty, none of the three are very likely to be given by Mr Chris (not Hoy) Foy in the game on Saturday, it was not real, as well.


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Associated Title(s): Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Chemistry - A European Journal
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Article first published online: 26 AUG 2014 | DOI: 10.1002/cplu.201402195
Lean on Me: Modular formation of functionalized polyphosphines is a general solution for generating localized high-density phosphorus donors on supports. The conformational arrangement of P donors in the immobilized catalysts is evidenced by 31P NMR spectroscopic "through-space" coupling. Pd-catalyzed direct CH arylation of heteroaromatics with chloroarenes illustrates the performance of these polydentate catalytic materials.
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Down to the wire: Ordered single-crystalline Cu2CoSnS4 nanowires with a [112] growth direction are described. An optimal solvent of diethylenetriamine is critical for the formation of single-crystalline Cu2CoSnS4 nanowires (see figure). A thin film prepared from Cu2CoSnS4 single-crystalline nanowires displays a clear photoelectric response, which suggests potential applications in photovoltaic devices.
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Energetic materials: Following the recent trend in the synthesis of new energetic materials with high densities and stabilities, the first bistetrazole 2N-monoxide was prepared (see figure). 5-(1H-Tetrazolyl)-2-hydroxy-tetrazole and several energetic salts were synthesized, characterized, and compared with RDX and other energetic tetrazole-N-oxides.


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A crop of American cockroaches brings in serious cash.
The Jerusalem Township fire department wants to be ready when the swimming season starts.
The dive team conducted a joint training session today at the Oregon YMCA with lifeguards from Maumee Bay State Park.
The bay is, of course, much more murky than a swimming pool, but this gets the fire fighters in the water and allows them to learn the techniques the lifeguards use in a rescue.
"Safety is the most paramount feature we have here. Our divers are the first and foremost importance to us, so having one system and then a backup system and pre-planning and operations is critical," said Fire Chief Tony Parasiliti.
"The training will likely be put to use as it gets warmer outside," he added.
Just last week the fire department rescued three people from a capsized boat.
Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.
730 North Summit Street
Toledo, OH 43604
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People don't usually look at rocks closely. So when they find a stone that intrigues them, they don't know what to do, except to ask someone like me for a quick answer. After many years of doing so, I hope to help teach you some of the things that geologists and rockhounds do. This is what you need to know before you can identify rocks and give each one its proper name.
Where Are You?
The first thing I ask a questioner is, "Where are you?" That always narrows things down. Even if you aren't familiar with your state geologic map, you already know more about your region than you suspect. There are simple clues all around. Does your area contain coal mines? Volcanoes? Granite quarries? Fossil beds? Caverns? Does it have place names like Granite Falls or Garnet Hill? Those things don't absolutely determine what rocks you might find nearby, but they are strong hints.
This step is something you can always keep in mind, whether you're looking at street signs, stories in the newspaper or the features in a nearby park. And a look at your state's geologic map is intriguing no matter how little or how much you know.
Make Sure Your Rock Is Genuine
Make sure you have real rocks that belong where you found them. Pieces of brick, concrete, slag and metal are commonly misidentified as natural stones. Landscaping rocks, road metal and fill material may come from far away. Many old seaport cities contain stones brought as ballast in foreign ships. Make sure your rocks are associated with a real outcrop of bedrock.
There is an exception: many northern localities have lots of strange rocks brought south with the Ice Age glaciers. Many of the state geologic maps show surface features related to the ice ages.
Now you will start to make observations.
Find a Fresh Surface
Rocks get dirty and decay: wind and water make every kind of rock slowly break down, the process called weathering. You want to observe both fresh and weathered surfaces, but the fresh surface is most important. Find fresh rocks in beaches, roadcuts, quarries and streambeds. Otherwise, break open a stone. (Don't do this in a public park.) Now take out your magnifier.
Find good light and examine the rock's fresh color. Overall, is it dark or light? What colors are the different minerals in it, if those are visible? What proportions are the different ingredients? Wet the rock and look again.
The way the rock weathers may be useful information—does it crumble? Does it bleach or darken, stain or change color? Does it dissolve?
Observe the Rock's Texture
Observe the rock's texture, close up. What kind of particles is it made of, and how do they fit together? What's between the particles? This is usually where you may first decide if your rock is igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic. The choice may not be clear. Observations you make after this should help confirm or contradict your choice.
Igneous rocks cooled from a fluid state and their grains fit tightly. Igneous textures usually look like something you might bake in the oven.
Sedimentary rocks consist of sand, gravel or mud turned to stone. Generally they look like the sand and mud they once were.
Metamorphic rocks are rocks of the first two types that were changed by heating and stretching. They tend to be colored and striped.
Observe the Rock's Structure
Observe the rock's structure, at arm's length. Does it have layers, and what size and shape are they? Do the layers have ripples or waves or folds? Is the rock bubbly? Is it lumpy? Is it cracked, and are the cracks healed? Is it neatly organized, or is it jumbled? Does it split easily? Does it look like one kind of material has invaded another?
Some kinds of structural features, like concretions, folds, ripples and slickensides, appear in this gallery of geologic features and processes.
Try Some Hardness Tests
The last important observations you need require a piece of good steel (like a screwdriver or pocket knife) and a coin. See if the steel scratches the rock, then see if the rock scratches the steel. Do the same using the coin. If the rock is softer than both, try to scratch it with your fingernail. This is a quick and simple version of the 10-point Mohs scale of mineral hardness: steel is usually hardness 5-1/2, coins are hardness 3, and fingernails are hardness 2.
Be careful: a soft, crumbly rock made of hard minerals may be confusing. If you can, test the hardness of the different minerals in the rock.
Now you have enough observations to make good use of the quick rock identification tables. Be ready to repeat an earlier step.
Observe the Outcrop
Try to find a larger outcrop, a place where clean, intact bedrock is exposed. Is it the same rock as the one in your hand? Are the loose rocks on the ground the same as what's in the outcrop?
Does the outcrop have more than one kind of rock? What is it like where the different rock types meet each other? Examine those contacts closely. How does this outcrop compare to other outcrops in the area?
The answers to these questions may not help in deciding on the right name for the rock, but they point to what the rock means. That's where rock identification ends and geology begins.
Getting Better
The best way to take things further is to start learning the most common minerals in your area. Learning quartz, for instance, takes only a minute once you have a sample.
A good 10X magnifier is worth buying for close inspection of rocks. It's worth buying just to have around the house. Next, buy a rock hammer for efficient breaking of rocks. Get some safety goggles at the same time, although ordinary glasses also offer protection from flying splinters.
Once you've gone that far, go ahead and buy a book on identifying rocks and minerals, one you can carry around. Visit your nearest rock shop and buy a streak plate—they're very cheap and can help you identify certain minerals.
At that point, call yourself a rockhound. It feels good.


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Aurora, 'Dark Knight' shooting: Film industry reels from mayhem at Colorado theater
Mayhem occurs every day in movie theaters. But when the violence moves from the screen to the aisles, as happened early Friday morning during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Colorado, cinema managers are as shocked as audiences.
"The film industry is a close-knit community and this tragedy affects us all," said Stephen Lightman, CEO of Memphis-based Malco Theatres Inc., which operates 30 cinemas in five states.
The Colorado shooting may have been unprecedented in U.S. history. Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the Washington-based National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), the trade organization that represents about 30,000 of the nation's 39,000 movie screens, said the tragedy apparently was the first of its kind in an American cinema. Murders have occurred, but not Columbine-style premeditated massacres.
"When violence does occur in a movie theater, generally it involves disputes between patrons that get out of hand," he said.
The tragedy interrupted what otherwise likely would have been a celebration of record box-office receipts and a validation of the relevance of the traditional movie-going experience in a culture increasingly distracted by handheld devices, flat-screen televisions, "streamed" on-demand films and other stay-at-home incentives.
"Obviously, we're all just sort of stunned right now, because this was the entertainment event of the year, probably, all over the world," said Malco's executive vice president, Jimmy Tashie.
The final chapter in director Christopher Nolan's ambitious "Batman" trilogy -- which began in 2005 with "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight Rises" -- currently is on 4,404 screens nationwide.
The movie opened at midnight Thursday at 3,825 theaters (including 330 premium-priced IMAX screens). It earned $30.6 million, for the second-biggest midnight debut ever (behind the final "Harry Potter" film).
The Aurora "movie massacre" -- as it has been dubbed by CNN -- occurred during an opening-night midnight screening, when a gunman opened fire inside the theater. Twelve people were killed and at least 59 injured, according to CNN reports. A man identified as James Holmes, 24, has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Running an epic 164 minutes, "The Dark Knight Rises" has garnered mostly positive reviews, if not the raves of its predecessor, "The Dark Knight." The 2008 film featured Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal of the villainous Joker as a nihilist or apolitical terrorist. According to some reports, the Colorado shooter identified with the Joker.
The new movie's villain, Bane (Tom Hardy), also is a champion of "apocalyptic" public violence, according to The New York Times. Variety reported that "The Dark Knight Rises" portrays "a cataclysmic vision of Gotham City under siege," while Salon dubbed the film an "evil masterpiece."
Because digital technology had made movies more accessible than ever, "exhibitors" -- the industry term for the businesses that exhibit movies to paying customers -- are particularly sensitive to anything that might discourage moviegoing. Even so, indicators Friday suggested "The Dark Knight Rises" would continue its frantic pace. A Deadline Hollywood headline reported: "Warner Bros Seeing No 'Dark Knight Rises' Slowdown In Box Office Business."
Many movie theaters regularly employ security guards to discourage unruly behavior. Sometimes plainclothes officers work theater auditoriums, looking for "pirates" using handheld recorders to make illegal copies of the movie. Serious violence in theaters is rare, however, even though close to 1.4 billion movie admissions occur every year in the U.S. and Canada, according to NATO.
Past outbursts typically have been blamed on the demographic appeal of the movie. The opening weekend of John Singleton's "Boyz N the Hood" in 1991 was marred by what police described as gang-related violence in theaters coast to coast. More than 30 people were injured by gunfire, and a Riverdale, Ill., man was shot and killed.
"When the violence erupted in theaters, it was like a stab in the heart," producer Stephanie Allain told the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier, violence accompanied the release of "The Warriors," a 1979 "gang" movie. The negative press that followed three killings involving moviegoers in separate incidents on the East and West coasts inspired Paramount to pull some advertisements from the film.
Even in fiction, movie-theater violence is relatively rare. In "The Blob" (1958), the title amorphous creature sends an audience fleeing in panic after it enters a movie theater through the projection booth. In "The Tingler" (1959), a centipede creature discovered by Vincent Price escapes into a cinema."


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Fuel thieves skipped the gas station and stopped by a farm to fill up their pickup trucks.
The Tuscola County Sheriff's Department is asking for tips in connection to the thefts. The undersheriff said someone stole gas at least three separate times from a farm on Frankenmuth Road.
The owner caught images of the thieves of a trail camera. One picture shows two men along with a dark pickup. Another picture shows a lighter colored truck with racing stripes.
If you have any information please contact the Tuscola County Sheriff's Department at 989-673-8161.
Copyright 2013 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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SENSATIONS Virginia Tech a cappella by sen-sa-tions-what - over 5 years ago
"We LOVE our new tee shirts made by CustomInk, and wore them to our last a cappella concert of the year! CustomInk's fast delivery, and low prices are great for us poor college students. We have always had great customer service."


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The invisible man is the Rodney Dangerfield of movie legends, consistently getting no respect since his glorious introduction in 1933. The Invisible Man was a high point in Universal's classic monsters series, distinguished by James Whale's witty direction, Claude Rains' star-making turn in the title role, and, of course, John Fulton's marvelous special effects, supported by Arthur Edeson's distinguished photography.
But invisibility quickly became a cheap gag. Over the years, audiences have seen--or rather, not seen--The Invisible Woman and The Invisible Kid, and the Disney comedy Now You See Him, Now You Don't. The Invisible Man met Abbott and Costello (twice, in his own movie and the conclusion of Meet Frankenstein), and then it was all downhill, culminating in Steve Guttenberg--Steve Guttenberg!--as The Man Who Wasn't There, a flop 3D comedy in 1983. Chevy Chase was a modest improvement in Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), the most recent appearance by the chronically diminished character, but its box-office proved as invisible as Chase.
Hollow Man, which Columbia Pictures is scheduled to release on August 4, aims to pump new blood into the ailing mythos, and director Paul Verhoeven is certainly the helmer for the task. Blood--lots of it, and a mean humor besides--flows freely throughout his sci-fi oeuvre, which includes RoboCop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers. All these Verhoeven epics, plus Spetters, Soldier of Orange, and Showgirls (see the October 1995 LD for the lowdown on its lap dancers), were shot by Jost Vacano, ASC. Hollow Man marks their seventh collaboration, and reteams other Verhoeven vets, among them producer Alan Marshall, production designer Allan Cameron, and Scott Anderson, visual effects supervisor of Sony Imageworks, which in postproduction added impressive spaceship effects into Starship Troopers.
This time, the goal was to subtract the star, Kevin Bacon, from every frame of footage, to create the most convincing invisible man ever. "I went for absolute realism," says Vacano. "The photography is about making the unbelievable believable for the audience."
Much of Hollow Man takes place deep beneath the Pentagon, in a high-tech lab built amidst the ruins of a long-abandoned atomic bomb shelter. There, a team of scientists develops a formula for invisibility, a discovery with obvious tactical advantages for Uncle Sam's soldiers. And, also, for group leader Sebastian Caine (Bacon). A team player on the surface, Caine nurses a secret grudge against fellow experimenters Linda Foster (Elisabeth Shue) and Matt Kensington (Josh Brolin), for Kensington has displaced Caine in Foster's affections. Rendered invisible once the formula (if not the antidote) is perfected, Caine creates unseen mischief in the complex and aboveground. Once his colleagues figure out his game, Caine throws off the flesh-like latex appliances that allow them to see him, and goes on a homicidal rampage as his delusions of grandeur boil over into insanity.
Vacano says 85% of Hollow Man transpires within this elaborate underground set, built on the Sony lot's Stage 15, as the cat-and-mouse plot progresses. "It's a whole world down there, with many different rooms, and all connected by tunnels, hallways, and corridors. Some of them are straight, but many of them are as curved as a pretzel that you might find in a German bakery," laughs the DP, whom Lighting Dimensions contacted at his home in Munich. "And it's all colorless--everything is a shade of gray."
Though the set, which measured 250' long by 150' wide (76x46m), is underground, Vacano says it has an interior (the lab) and an exterior (the disused generators, air compressors, and the "rotten concrete stuff" of the test site). "The interior is steel and metal, but mainly glass. And the glass walls lean outside a little bit, so when the actors looked into them, they could see past the top of the set in the glass. Which meant, unlike a typical film set, we had to put a real ceiling in, and light it."
This practical consideration made the use of most film lighting instruments impossible. "I wanted the set to look as if it were being lit by available light, and, photographically, I wanted it to be shot as it appeared, without the use of additional gear. So the lights had to be built in, as part of the architecture Allan had designed. You can't use traditional equipment that way." But the DP, a fluorescents fan ("the film is lit by fluorescent light almost exclusively, even the faces") could use his favored Kino Flos--about 1,100 in all.
In preproduction, Vacano consulted with Cameron and the art department to develop custom-made Kino Flo fixtures that could be placed overhead and not conflict with the style of the set design. "I told them where I needed them to be placed, and that I needed four 3200K bulbs together in each one, mounted side by side, to give them enough lighting strength. They were always going to be seen by the audience, so they had to fit in with the set construction. As many of the corridors are curved, the fixtures had a curved design as well. We used different lengths, either 4', 6', or 8', depending on the set structure in a given area."
"If it was Kino Flo, we were using it," laughs gaffer Leslie Kovacs, who last worked with director Verhoeven on Basic Instinct, shot by Jan De Bont. "Everything from the Wall-O-Lites to the Image 80s, and its new product, the Digital Image 80s. It gives you remote control in the unit, so you can turn one off or strobe or chase them, as they go through a DMX controller."
And Vacano did want control. "I wanted the film to show the passage of time, from day to night, though of course there are no windows underground," he says. "I couldn't do much with the overhead lights, which, when the characters aren't working, are simply turned off. But I could suggest different times with states of lighting." For this, he used, appropriately, invisible lighting. "The side paneling in the tunnel walls has single or double Kino Flos installed along it, but these are covered with boards in front of them--you can only see the light produced, and not the fixtures themselves. There were always two tubes, and I had them separated: I would use the top ones to make light stream up the walls, and the bottom ones to make the light flow downwards. We could switch them on at high or low output, or take one or two of the bulbs out, so it would register as a different time in the film. Or I would kill the overhead ones completely, so I would just have this horizontal sidelight, outlining the tunnels in a 3D way."
"We did all these light changes," Kovacs recalls. "Apart from the eight-footers, Kino Flo only makes its fixtures in doubles, and the ballast could only take two eight-footers. Each fixture had four Kino Flos, but some had an additional two on the top (the ones with the six Kino Flos are part of the lab's ceiling). That's three ballasts, and they had to be tied together, which made for cabling craziness. It cruised when we finished it, but it took us a long time to do it." Vacano says it took four weeks to pre-rig the set, and four weeks to pre-light it (in some connecting tunnels, with Optima 32s that were less expensive than the Kino Flos), "but I had it all lit before we started shooting. We switched it all on, and we started right in."
The color temperature demarcated the "inside" and "outside" of the set. "In the old corridors, and in the background outside the lab, we used overhead Chinese lanterns with 2900K tungsten bulbs, and tungsten patterns on the walls. It all has a warm feel to it, as do the aboveground apartments where the characters live--cozier, with a lot of diffusion. This is in contrast to the lab, which is sterile and colder, and a little bit bluish, at 3200K with the Kino Flos."
As most of the film takes place within the "closed, compressed" confines of the underground set, Vacano (an Academy Award nominee for the ultimate expression of claustrophobia, the U-boat drama Das Boot) elected to shoot the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. "And with 540 effects shots to complete in the film, financially it was more sensible to go that way rather than anamorphic."
Most of those shots, of course, are given over to the invisible protagonist. Making him feel right at home in his palatial cavern was one of Vacano's primary aims. The DP worked as closely with Scott Anderson on these effects as he had with Cameron on the set lighting, and also with Bacon. "The role was hard to cast, to the point that we had to postpone shooting from September 1998 to April 1999, because most actors want to show their face"--apparently today's thespians did not recall how much the 1933 film boosted the visibility of its star. "But Kevin was really good, and so cooperative."
He had to be. Anderson's special effects formula (see "Illuminating invisibility," page 71) required the actor to be encased in green, blue, or black makeup, right up to matching contact lenses. The number of special effects shots ballooned from 400 to 540 as the project was nurtured: Imageworks handled the body effects, and the Tippett Studio, which created the bugs in Starship Troopers, did most of the 140 steam, smoke, and water shots.
"Mostly, we used green, the best color to use to pull mattes off Kevin's body," says Vacano. For scenes where the scientists literally try to smoke Caine out, revealing his corporeal form in the haze, blue was used to obtain the best mattes. "There is a murder scene where he's underwater in a swimming pool, and looks like a human-shaped air bubble. The water was a blue-green, so neither of those colors would work. So we used black, to contrast Kevin with the brighter water around him."
All this differs from traditional blue- and greenscreen photography, which the DP is well-versed in. "There, it's important to have the screen lit uniformly, so there are no contrasts. But a three-dimensional head or hand is not a constant, like a screen; they move. First, you light for the mood of the scene, and then the actors around him. They can get very close to him, but you have to avoid shadows, like the shadow of a nose across the green face. That makes the effects more difficult to achieve--the shadow blocks out the green. And then you have to fill in the green face, without that light touching the other actors. Often we would use more fill light than was necessary on the green face, which helped the computers reconstruct our lighting setups for the digital effects. More light made the face work as a kind of greenscreen and made it easier to pull mattes from it--you had to see the green first to take it out and properly adjust the shot to the correct lighting."
"Jost and I would talk about my technical requirements and the creative ones, and how we could work it all out. Jost really understands how to get what he needs and how to help us get what we need," says Anderson. "In the transformation scenes, either Elisabeth or Kevin is on the bed, and we're lighting it for an invisible man really being there, so you light it one way. Jost would give us extra shadows so that you could really show off the impressions in the bed; if the bed wasn't really indented, that wouldn't be apparent in the scene, and he'd say, 'I got it this way,' so I could be clued in, mentally, as to what the overall lighting intent was and work with it and replicate it in postproduction."
Anderson and Vacano, who manned Arriflex cameras for the shoot, decided to simplify the massive matting requirements by using Kodak's SFX 200T stock, a special 200ASA, throughout. "A 500ASA would be more convenient with all our fluorescent lights, but SFX 200T is specially made for pulling mattes, and with all we had to do I decided to stay with it the whole time," Vacano says.
As Hollow Man is a large-scale summer thriller, the meeting of a properly lit set, and a properly lit invisible man, can only end in bedlam. Kovacs describes a chase sequence, one of which sent Shue to the hospital during the course of the lengthy shoot. "She's chasing Kevin with this makeshift flamethrower, which sets off the sprinklers and floods the set. Everything we used had to go through a shock block. Interestingly, the hallway set was built with a 11/2" gap so it didn't go all the way to the floor; the water flowed underneath it. The effects department had built weir walls, and used sump pumps that recirculated the water back into the set. It wasn't like we said, 'Let's just use as much water as we can until we run out, and that's it;' it was a continuous immersion."
The Kino Flos play a starring role in the grand finale, which takes place in an old, but functional, elevator shaft (the only way in and out of the lab) as Caine grapples with his pursuers while explosions rip through the facility. "The old Sony lot has an eight-story parking structure; the construction crew built a 60'-tall (18m) shaft off it. To light the elevator cars, we put Kino Flos in each one and relied on Allan to create aged, haphazard-looking fixtures to house them," Kovacs says. "The problem with the shaft was, it was already built--the builders said, 'OK, boys, it's all yours.' So the effects guys installed an elevator car; we put a couple of inches of rubber across the top of that and we had them run us up and down as we attached our lights. It was a little crazy, as we ran miles of extension cord to a certain spot within the structure to enable central control, rather than have everything on a bunch of different floors with many people to coordinate it."
"I had a lot of units--which looked like rotting worklights--in all four corners of the old shaft. Some appear to be working, and others appear to be broken," Vacano elaborates. "I didn't want to overlight the shaft; I only wanted to use light wherever it was needed, and keep the others off. If I used a rotten one, the next one would be off, so you always have the feeling that some are on and some are off, but you never know which ones. I had the opportunity to play with existing lights without showing that they were all burning. I went for realism--I said, 'This is the old shaft, so some of the service lights are broken already, which is very atmospheric.' But sometimes, I would use the broken ones, and 'break' the good ones, so I could always manipulate the environment. In the shaft, as a general rule, I had three bulbs in each fixture, which could be used at high or low speed; I would just, for example, use one bulb, very dim, low output, minus any gels, to frontlight the actors, and usethe backlights at high speed, to really work with contrast. I think about 90% of the last 10 minutes of the film was shot that way, without any additional lighting."
Such is the bond between DP and director that Verhoeven approved this risky setup without hesitation. "I explained to him my feelings and he said, 'Oh? If you can manage it, it's great. Just do it,' " Vacano laughs. "Once I have an idea, I think through all the problems and manage it."
After months on the blazing or bedraggled sets, three weeks of night exteriors in Washington, DC, proved a comparative breeze. The exterior of a popular local restaurant was rebuilt and relocated to the top of the Department of Labor, and offered a spectacular balcony view of the city's most famous monuments at night. "But there's a big area around the Capitol where you can't put any lights, so we had to light it from far away, using two big Musco Lights and 6k and 12k HMIs. And we shot it the whole night long--no magic hour for us. Magic hour--always what you dream about but can never afford," Vacano laughs.
Reflecting upon his contribution to restore the invisible man to his proper place in the pantheon of cinema legends, the DP says, "Fluorescents are nothing new, but this is a pure fluorescent film. I've never made a film that depended on those lights as much as this one." Vacano will return to Los Angeles later this month to time the prints--the results of his work, and his Hollow Man collaborators, will be transparent for all to see in August.
DIRECTOR Paul Verhoeven
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jost Vacano, ASC
GAFFER Leslie Kovacs
BEST BOY/RIGGING GAFFER Benny McNulty
RIGGING/LIGHTING TECHNICIAN Thomas Holmes
LIGHTING CREW Kenny Ballantine, James Bradfield, Scott Gaal, John Haselbusch, Matt Hawkins, Jason Kilgore
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Allan Cameron
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR Scott Anderson/Sony Imageworks
Underground Lab Facility (6) Kino Flo Wall-O-Lites with frame and eggcrate (16) Kino Flo Image 80s with frame and eggcrate (122) Kino Flo 8' 2Bank systems (46) Kino Flo 8' single bank systems (74) Kino Flo 6' single bank systems (66) Kino Flo 4' single bank systems (8) Kino Flo 4' 2Bank systems with extra extension (128) Kino Flo 4' 4Bank systems with extra extension (26) Kino Flo 2' single bank systems with extra extension (6) Kino Flo 2' 2Bank systems with extra extension (10) Kino Flo 2' 4Bank systems with extra extension (12) Kino Flo 9" Mini Flo kits with cigarette lighter adapter (14) Kino Flo 15" Mini Flo kits with cigarette lighter adapter (52) LTM Pepper 100W/200W globes
"There are two ways to create an invisible man," says Scott Anderson. "One is to shoot the scene without him and put in all the effects digitally, and the other is to take your actor, have him perform, and fix him. We decided to do the latter, and be dependent on his performance. I knew we would have really great animators for the show, but there's really only one Kevin. The choices we would make, and Paul would make, were all slightly different than ones Kevin would make. It's that collaboration that makes Kevin's performance consistent."
Anderson knows from invisible men. An Oscar winner for Babe, he was Industrial Light & Magic's lead animator and compositor on Memoirs of an Invisible Man. "This is a long way from Memoirs," he explains. "There was very basic digital compositing used, and simpler optical effects. Technology has finally caught up with the invisible man; you couldn't have made this film even a couple of years ago." Which is how long Anderson has been attached to this project.
Verhoeven likes an active camera; not for him the old door-opening-by-itself tricks of past invisibility yarns. "Here, the effects live in and around, and touch and grab, and affect, the real world." Hollow Man makes sophisticated use of thermal imaging, which the scientists use to track the killer Caine. "We used an actual digital thermal video camera, from Raytheon, that is used for military and surveillance applications,and worked with Jost and his crew to adapt it to motion picture technology. The camera department at Imageworks machined parts and adapted its rig to the bases of the Arriflex cameras, and Steadicam and pogo-cam, and even motion control." (Vacano adds that Bacon was photographed nude with this heat-seeking camera, though the abstract nature of the images should spare him any embarrassment.)
In the scene pictured above, Caine is being monitored with electrodes, as members of the effects and lighting crews, and Vacano (right, in the plaid shirt) set up the shot. "Basically, we're setting him up to take him out of the shot," says Anderson. "An invisible man throughout an entire picture is boring, so the electrodes will represent him here. In postproduction, we can repair the background for where he was sitting, if need be. And that does include digital effects, so some of the electrode wires will end up being practical, others digital, and it's a constant shifting world--no one technology is in play at any given time."
Anderson credits teamwork for the seamlessnesss of the final result. "It wasn't like we were in to do this and were out again--even if we weren't involved in a shot we had someone on the set, as our effects had to live in that world, which Jost photographed in such a strong style that allowed us to blend in. Everyone--the set, lighting, prop, makeup, and costume personnel--worked so closely with us."
Though teamwork may be the real secret of invisibility, Anderson does hope audiences will spare a moment or two to think of Imageworks and its 350 staffers. "The end sequence is coming together so well, and it feels so much like Kevin, that we're almost afraid they won't notice how hard it is. That is our job, of course, but we don't want it to go by too unnoticed," he laughs. "It's a phenomenal representation of the human body, and I think people will accept it, but it's astonishing to think that someone can look at that and not feel our pain."
Photos: Stephen Vaughan/SMPSP.


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By SHAWN RYAN
---- — PLATTSBURGH — A father and son are supporting one another as they both battle cancer.
Twenty-year-old Alex Fleming was diagnosed first, this past July. The psychology major, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, was fighting through persistent back pain while he went to school full time and worked two jobs.
But the back pain proved to be caused by a tumor in his abdomen that was pressing on a nerve. He and his parents, Shawn and Diane, learned that what had started out as testicular cancer had spread quickly to his abdomen, lungs and liver.
Shawn, a pediatric nurse at CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, became Alex's go-to person as he started his first three-month course of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, Shawn was noticing his own persistent hip pain while he juggled work and, with Diane, cared for his son.
On Aug. 3, he learned that his hip pain was a symptom of stage 4 bone cancer. By the time he was diagnosed, the malignancy had spread into his lungs.
The caregiver had become the patient.
"It's hard to give myself up to being the patient," Shawn said recently from his Plattsburgh home. "When I got taken out of work, that was stressful."
There are about 80 known types of bone cancer, he explained, with no specific treatment for any of the identified types. His bone cancer, however, is not identifiable. If an initial round of chemotherapy isn't successful, doctors will try another, hoping for the best.
"We kind of joke about it (their cancers)," Shawn said. "That's kind of a coping skill. I think it has brought us closer together."
Shawn has had one surgery already to remove tumors from one of his lungs and has just started his own course of chemotherapy at the Vermont Cancer Center in Burlington.
While the Flemings are dealing with the physical and psychological shock of the catastrophic illnesses, the financial clouds are gathering. Shawn and Alex haven't been able to work since their diagnoses; Alex has had to take the semester off, as well.
And an earlier knee injury forced Diane to leave her job, too. She had been scheduled for surgery when Alex was diagnosed.
Her surgery has since been put off indefinitely.
Diane's sister Carrie McDonald and other family members have organized a raffle to help the Flemings with their everyday expenses, as well as the growing cost for therapy-related travel and incidentals. Friends and local businesses have come together to donate items for the raffle, but more help is needed. Currently, more than 50 prizes are up for grabs.
The headline prize, so far, is a Thompson black powder rifle, donated by Dick's Country Store in Churubusco, where it is on display.
Shawn said what has touched him the most is the outpouring of support he, Alex and Diane have received from friends and family.
"It's people who care about you, wanting to do something to help. People are always offering their help, so what do you tell them to do?"HOW TO HELP A raffle has been organized to help the Fleming family with expenses, with the drawing set for Nov. 2 at the American Legion post in Chateaugay; winners need not be present when their names are drawn. Buy tickets, priced at $5 each, at Dick's Country Store in Churubusco; Jreck Subs and Lucky Strike Lanes in Malone; or by contacting Sue Hebert or Stacey Wood at CVPH Medical Center. McDonald can also be contacted directly for tickets. Carrie McDonald, who is selling tickets, too, has also set up a Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/9x7o9kw in support of the fundraiser. Businesses and individuals who'd like to donate items can reach Carrie McDonald at 497-3235 or call or text 651-7930.


text: This book houses a collection of images of the Vriend family green house. I originally took these pictures with a different purpose in mind, and had recently decided I would put them together for our family to enjoy. With the passing of my Uncle, who had planned to rebuild the green house, I immediately decided it should be a tribute to him, and his years of growing and nuturing. This has brought much more meaning to the work as a whole, for me, and hopefully to all who open it's pages from here forward.


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Written by Nicole Levins | March 11th, 2013(0)
Use that extra daylight to catch up on your green news:
We're green. We're nature-lovers. We are Conservancy Talk. Hear Nature Conservancy staff and invited experts share their voices on today's conservation issues — in our uniquely rigorous, science-based way. Learn more


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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a down year on defense in 2009. Tampa Bay's defensive decline started at the end of the 2008 season, resulting in the team losing their final four games and knocking them out of playoff contention with a 9-7 record. After former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin announced his decision to leave the Bucs to coach at Tennessee with his son, Raheem Morris was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator. A month later, the then 32-year old defensive coordinator was promoted once again to head coach after the Bucs fired Jon Gruden.
With Morris taking on the responsibilities of being a new head coach, the team signed former Dolphins, Packers, and Broncos defensive coordinator Jim Bates to run the defense. Under Bates, the defense struggled mainly because the personnel did not fit what he wanted to do. The players were uncomfortable in his system and a change had to be made. After 10 weeks of poor performance on defense, Bates was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator and Morris took over starting Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons. This offseason Morris has remained the defensive coordinator and he wouldn't have it any other way as he loves coaching the defensive side of the ball.
"Most of my time on the field is spent with the defense. There is no doubt about that," said Morris. "The part of the time I spend with the offense is when we go inside and I sit down with Greg Olson and we get a chance to simulate as many situations as we can, so when a situation comes up in a game we are prepared in what we do, and we go out and execute. Coach [Rich] Bisaccia is my special teams coordinator, so he helps out a lot in that. Coach [Greg] Olson he helps out a lot in that. Really as a threesome we figure out what we need to do."
The first-year head coach went back to a system that the players were familiar with and better fit into when he took over the playcalling on defense, which resulted in the unit showing great improvement. Veteran middle linebacker Barrett Ruud is a witness to the passion that Morris has for this role, as Morris calls all of the plays into him to relay to the rest of the defense.
"It's interesting because I think when he first took over I don't know if he thought that he would be able to manage the game and call a defense and now when you talk to him he's like 'I don't know how I couldn't ever do this' because he likes it so much more," said Ruud. "He likes being able to call his defense and manage a game. I think he really likes his role right now."
Although the Bucs finished with the 27th ranked defense and allowed the sixth most points in the in league, averaging a total of 25 points given up per game, they finished the final six games playing with a new found confidence under Morris. This translated into a better overall performance than how the defense previously played with Bates.
Tampa Bay's defense will now spend a whole offseason learning the intricacies of Morris' Tampa 2 hybrid system and the players hope to continue improving under his guidance. Ruud, who is the quarterback of the defense, likes the new twists that Morris has incorporated into the Tampa 2, making it his own unique version of the popular defensive scheme.
"It's a new defense," Ruud said. "It's not like we're playing the 2007 Bucs defense. It's a lot of new things, but [Raheem Morris] has incorporated a lot of the old and the new. He's blended it well together and I really like what he's doing. He's taking advantage of what we have on defense. [Morris] can play a little bit more under [front] because Quincy [Black]'s probably one of the better under linebackers we've had since Al Singleton."
The area that Tampa Bay's defense struggled with the most last season was stopping the run. In fact, they ranked dead last in the NFL allowing 158.2 yards per game. The Bucs felt it was important to upgrade that aspect of their defense and did so when they drafted Oklahoma product Gerald McCoy in the first round and UCLA's Brian Price early in the second round.
Another area the defense is looking to improve on is their pass rush. Tampa Bay finished 26th in the NFL in sacks, getting to the quarterback 28 times in 2009, which was only one less than 2008's sack total. Rookies McCoy and Price can also help out in that department, as they have shown tremendous pass rush ability in college. The combination of McCoy, Price, and second-year defensive tackle Roy Miller should help the team's outside pass rush too by collapsing the pocket and getting more inside penetration than what the team had in previous years.
One player that is expected to get more playing time this year along the defensive line and contribute as a pass rusher is defensive end Kyle Moore. Moore was rehabbing an injury for the first half of his rookie season and now has an entire offseason to get reps with the rest of his teammates and learn the defense. The second-year USC product also recently lost weight after having to put on a few pounds to play in Bates' system. Now that Moore is playing at his natural weight and has another offseason to learn the defense, he should be ready to make an impact rushing from the outside and also playing inside in certain situations.
Other defensive ends the Bucs have on the roster that the team expects to provide pass rush are veterans Stylez White, Tim Crowder, and Michael Bennett, along with a handful of rookies including seventh-round pick Erik Lorig and rookie camp standout James Ruffin. These players will be competing for roster spots and playing time at defensive end, but they won't be relied on for producing all of the team's pass rush. Morris will continue to find ways to creatively use all of his personnel on defense to cause havoc in the backfield of opposing offenses.
The Buccaneers have installed a good portion of their defense during the team's offseason practices. Morris has been able to get some looks at his new players while adding some new wrinkles to his defense. During Monday's mini-camp practice the Bucs defense was able to simulate some game-day scenarios.
"Being on the sideline rather than being in the middle of the field as an administrator," said Morris. "I was over there calling calls for the defense. I got to relay it to the play signal caller. I got to get the personnel from one of my coaches. I got to get the down and distance from one of my coaches, and I got to give it out there to Barrett.
"Today it was more about the call to the Mike (middle linebacker). To the personnel to the down and distance, and not being scripted. The other thing is it was a great day. During seven-on-sevens and you call a blitz with a dropping end. A couple of those situations happened to. You don't want to call a timeout to ruin the rhythm of practice, but it is funny for the quarterback as they throw to the wide-open man."
The secondary is the strongest part of this defense. After struggling early in 2009, the defensive backfield finished 10th overall in that category and recorded 19 interceptions. Even more turnover opportunities should come this season with a stronger pass rush. The team also drafted cornerback Myron Lewis in the third round to add competition to the nickel CB spot and signed Sean Jones in free agency to compete at safety. Adding these pieces alongside Ronde Barber, Aqib Talib, Tanard Jackson, and Sabby Piscitelli should only improve the unit that is now coached by Jimmy Lake.
"[Jones] and Sabby [Piscitelli] have competed the whole camp," said Morris. "They've been going at it. One day Sabby is up, one day Sean Jones is up. They have been out there and they have been playing. Today was Jones' day and tomorrow will be Sabby's day. They are both going to go out there and compete hard. That is the beauty of OTA days. That is the beauty of training camp. Watching guys compete, and watching guys that want to play. I'm really enjoying watching this competition. To both of their credit, they complement each other when they play together."
During preseason games the competition between Jones and Piscitelli will be heavily scrutinized. In those games the players are able to tackle, and missed tackles by Piscitelli and others contributed greatly to the team struggling to defend the run last season.
Whoever wins the starting strong safety will have some talent playing around them. The Bucs defensive leader Ruud has confidence in the abilities of the players that play behind him.
"We've got guys in the back end like Tanard [Jackson] and Ronde [Barber] who are very versatile," said Ruud. "They can do multiple things, so [Raheem] is basically taking advantage of what we do well on defense."
The Buccaneers claimed a player away from a division rival on Monday with the acquisition of safety Matt O'Hanlon from the Carolina Panthers. O'Hanlon was signed by the Panthers after going undrafted out of Nebraska. In his collegiate career O'Hanlon totaled 132 tackles, four tackles for a loss, two sacks, seven interceptions, and 10 passes defensed. Last season O'Hanlon had six interceptions. The Buccaneers released backup safety Emanuel Cook last week.
The Buccaneers 2010 rookies get their 2010 Rookie Club off the field activities started this Thursday and Friday when the Bucs first-year players do some work with area youth groups. On Thursday the Bucs rookies will be in Tampa to host at-risk youth for a bowling outing. On Friday they host youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs in the Orlando area at Universal Orlando.
Jones discussed yesterday's practice and what Morris told the team at the end of the practice.
"He just told us we need to be intense at all times. He said we've been practicing and playing very well, but we need to be intense at all times because he's trying to make these mini-camps and training camp as much of a game-like situation as possible. He just wants us to be intense and on top of everything at all times.
"I don't think he thought we slacked off. As a good coach, as a great coach, you want to motivate your guys when it's time. Today it's hot. It's the second practice and it's the first time we've had two-a-days in a while. He just wanted to motivate us and keep us going because it's a long season. We just want to go out there and play and win and that's what we're going to do out here."
Pewter Report's Eric Dellaratta contributed to this report.


text: Using Qt S60 Garden release, I created a QMainWindow type application. I want to show the application in full screen mode. So I called the function showFullScreen(). The display looks fine. But under this mode the two soft-keys don't work. For example, it doesn't show option menu even if you click the "options" soft key. Is this a bug? If not, is there any way to enable the soft-keys while using full screen mode.


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Sapphire 7850 OC: jumping into the Mainstream
In December we saw AMD release their new lineup of video cards, first with the 7900 series. This was their high end high performance and sadly high priced lineup. The price point was higher than many expected and generally higher than most reviews thought it should be. In February AMD brought round two of the new card lineup to us with the 7700 series. These cards are meant for budget minded gamers and again on release many thought the pricing was a bit high to the performance offered. So how will AMD fair with round 3?
For the third round AMD is aiming squarely at the performance gaming market with the release of the 7800 series. For this review we were supplied by Sapphire with a 7850 based card, specifically their overclocked division. The 7850 is targeted right at the nVidia GTX 560 ti with a price point that should show up around $250.
Four our testing we put this card into a 2500K based and 3820 based system for testing. We started with our normal round of games, this time working with Skyrim, Reckoning, Supreme Commander II, Dirt 3, Batman Arkham City and Civilization V. All of our testing was done at 1080 resolutions with the in game settings put to the highest offered.
The overall game play experience was pretty much the same for the 6950 and 560 Ti we used for testing. However this is something we have come to expect, the leap from one generation to the next in the mainstream seldom makes a noticeable bump. So next we move to benchmarking to see if there is a difference.
As we began benchmarking the 7850 began to shine as it repeatedly showed on average an almost 20% boost in performance. In fact the performance numbers were so good we pulled another card into the mix, the GTX 570. Priced higher than the expected price of the 7850 this was nice to see, the card was running right with and often besting the 570. We turn to synthetic benchmarks such as 3dMark 11 and Heaven and again saw this card pushing the 570 hard.
Now in fairness the card to sent to us by Sapphire is an overclocked card, the normal clock speed of the 7850 is 860 MHz and this card is out of box running at 920 MHz. This extra boost pushed the performance up over stock for sure but that does not change the fact that this card is running head to head with a more expensive card. However it is not just that the 7850 is less expensive.
When you first look at this card and release the graphic power it brings to the table your first reaction is, WOW this is small. As you can see from this comparison with a 6950 the 7850 is a very small card.
It is however not just the size of the card that is small, so is the power consumption. The total system power of the test system using the 7850 was almost a full 75 watts lower than a 560ti and around 50 watts lower than a 6950, over 100 watts lower than the 570. That's some pretty impressive load reduction over cards that are about the same speed or slower.
When we move to noise level things get even better. The Sapphire 7850 OC uses a custom dual fan cooling solution. The result is a very quiet card. During gaming on headphones, if you were not on the headphones you could noticeably heard the 560ti, 6950 and 570 all kick up to higher fans speeds. Despite even longer gaming session I never have heard the 7850 kick up the fans audibly.
The combination of a lower power package and an excellent cooling system has resulted in a card that just does not seem to ramp up much when it heats up. The reason is that cooling solution tied with that lower power usage translates into less heat. At no time, in our Level 10 GT case could we push the 7850 over 55C while gaming. All three of the other cards pushed to near or over 70C in the same case.
Sapphire has once again stepped up to the plate with the 7850 OC. The build quality and the great custom cooling solution are something we have come to expect from Sapphire over the years. The card comes with a solid set of connection options including HDMIO, DVI, Displayport, VGA adapter, HMDI to DVI adapter and mini Displayport to full size Display Port. The card makes use of a single PICe 6 pin connector for power.
While this card is overclocked out of the gate it still has a lot of headroom. I was able to hit the limits imposed in the drivers for both the GPU and Memory for the card with no issues. The card still ran perfect and the temps never crested 60C when gaming. Even better, even with the overclock the card still using less power than the 560ti, 6950 or 570 at stock speeds. At these speeds it was beginning to push at 580 stock benchmarks.
While this card performs well it has a few obstacles to overcome. First this card is put into one of the hardest segments of the GPU sales to be in, the mainstream. The reason this segment is so hard is that it is full of cards that despite being older, all still deliver amazing gaming experiences.
Additionally since the card is not yet on the shelves we are still not 100% sure on the pricing. The claims out of AMD are we should see this near the $250 price point but that seems a bit steep. Especially when you realize the next card down on the AMD chart is at $150 to $160. That is a large gap in the pricing structure and we hope to see that gap close over the next few months.
Having looked at the 7700 series and now the 7800 series, I can tell you the card I like the best is the 7850. The $250 price point is a bit steep but not outrageous when you take all factors into account. The card will easily give any gamer on a 1080 display enough horsepower for an amazing gaming experience in any game they want to play. Sapphire has taken the base design and one upped it with an excellent cooling solution that will let you push the potential even farther on this card making it an even bigger value for it's performance.
In the press deck AMD gave us during our briefing for this release we told serious gaming began with the 7850. Normally I ignore marketing hype but in this case they are correct, this is a great place with the current cards on the market for serious gaming to begin. However I would go one step further, if you gaming rig is going to be a single 1080 monitor then this is were it ends as well. Anything past this will not push the gaming experience enough to surpass this card with the current market. This single card is the real sweet spot for gamers right now.
Sapphire HD 7850 OC Review Aired 17 March 2012


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The majestic wonder of the Northern Californian coast has drawn lovers to its shores for centuries. Jacob (Jeremy Bilding) and Brett (Trent Locke), for example. They are seemingly inseparable, bound to each other like the sky holds on to the clouds. But in a land of impulse and desire, the hunger for more is all but undeniable, even for the most loyal of lovers. On this journey, the hunt to satisfy the irresistible craving brings them to a street hustler named Marc (Christian Wilde), here on the streets of San Francisco.


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Follow the Jingle Bell 5K on Facebook!
Timed Course around Marywood's Campus and Prizes for Top Finishers
Wear your Christmas sweater, Santa hat & elf stockings! Prizes for showing your holiday spirit!
Post-Race Party Features a live DJ, Hot Chocolate, Cookies, photos with Santa, Holiday Spirit Contest & More!!
Click to download our Jingle Bell 5K Registration Form
Registration Fee: $15 BY NOV. 24 (With T-Shirt)
$20 Late/Race Day Registration (T-Shirt Not Guaranteed)
$8 Child Registration - Ages 14 & Under
View Parking and the Course Map.
Parking for race participants is available at the Nazareth Student Center (Point A on the map) on Adams Ave.
Race day registration will be inside the Nazareth Student Center, second floor Fireplace Lounge.
The run will benefit Marywood's 2014-2015 Alternative Break Service Trips:
Duran, Ecuador - Rostro de Cristo
Rostro de Cristo is a Lay Volunteer Program committed to challenge young people to deepen their spirituality and education by living and working among the poor. Arbolito is a developing community in Duran, Ecuador that was constructed in 2002. Students will serve with the local church, local hospital clinic, local nursery school, soup kitchen, and community improvement projects.
San Antonio, Texas - Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR)
DOOR is a faith-based network that is devoted to providing opportunities for service, learning, and leadership development in urban areas. Participants will be introduced to the diverse culture of San Antonio, Texas. Participants will focus their services on helping specific areas of homelessness, social concerns, and helping those who struggle to afford housing or daily living costs.
New York City, NY: Youth Service Opportunity Project (YSOP)
Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP) is committed to helping young people become part of the solution to societal problems by showing them how even their smallest actions make a difference in the lives of others. YSOP works with over 30 different organizations in the Washington, DC area that provide a wide range of services including food, shelter, clothing, medical services, job training and much more. Participants will visit a different site each day.
Franklin, West Virginia: Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity
Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity has 23 years of service in partnership with low-income families in Eastern West Virginia. Since 1989 Almost Heaven Habitat has built and sold over 110 new houses in partnership with low-income families making their dream of homeownership a reality. Participants will work with construction supervisors in building and restoring homes in this West Virginia community.
Philadelphia, PA- St. Vincent de Paul Center
Participants will serve at-risk youth, elderly people, and homeless individuals in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Participants will serve, reflect upon their experience and the impact the poor and marginalized have had on their lives, how they can continue to serve as their return to their schools, communities, and families. Students will also learn about the Vincentian Charism, Catholic Social Justice teaching, causes of poverty, possible solutions and systemic change.
Exmore, Virginia - Eastern Shore Habitat for Humanity
Eastern Shore of Virginia Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian ministry which serves two of Virginia's poorest counties on the rural Delmarva Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Exmore, Virginia is a family friendly small town that offers great hospitality. This Habitat for Humanity location provides home ownership for those living in substandard housing and not eligible for conventional loans.
Guatemala: San Lucas & Chichicastenango
Participants will be immersed in local culture, working with the San Lucas Mission on a number of community development projects: school, hospital, reforestation, heat-efficient stove replacement, building a playground or coffee co-op. Participants also travel to Chichicastenago to a residence for girls and engage children in a school.


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Maldon district: 'Tango Smithy' is volunteer of the year (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting MBS to 80360 or you can e-mail us Click here for details »
Maldon district: 'Tango Smithy' is volunteer of the year
1:08pm Wednesday 5th December 2012 in Local News By Emma Robinson, Reporter
A Special Constable still serving the Maldon district at the age of 68 has proved there is plenty of life left in him yet by scooping a top policing accolade.
Keith Smith, 68, of Maldon's Neighbourhood Police Team, was given the Special Constable of the Year award in recognition of his policing achievements in the Maldon district.
Mr Smith, who has volunteered as a special constable for over 15 years, often focuses on policing traffic, earning him the nickname Tango Smithy.
A spokesman for the senior command team at Essex Police said: "At sixty eight years old Keith Smith is currently one of the oldest serving special officers but his commitment to the Special Constabulary puts many of his younger colleagues to shame."
See this week's MBS for the full story.
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