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This site is dedicated to reviewing downloadable mobile games for your iPhone, iPod, and other PDAs.
In addition to reviewing these games, we also design and market our own games through
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The Market
The electronic online mobile game market is exploding. Especially with the advent of the iPhone, geeky entrepreneurs are emerging from closets all around the world. Ge Wang is a good example. An assistant professor at Stanford, Wang was convinced by a friend who ran two successful high-tech companies before dropping out of the corporate world, to put up some seed money and start a company called Smule.
Smule created four applications priced at a buck each ... a virtual lighter, a virtual firecracker, a voice changer that can make you sound like Darth Vader or an elf on helium, and program that turns the iPhone into an electronic wind instrument. The last application, released in November 2008, racked up 400,000 downloads in less than a month. Smule, which originally set a goal of taking in $100,000 in revenue in 2008, made closer to $1 million.
Smule is riding the latest phenomenon to sweep across the tech industry. Thousands of developers are writing applications for the iPhone and selling them through Apple's App Store. Apple launched the App Store in July 2008 and has delivered more than 300 million downloads of more than 10,000 applications. Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, said they have never seen anything like it.
Half the fun of owning an iPhone is trying out all the cool new apps you can put on it, and developers are cranking them out at a feverish pace. Pangea Software has created several hit games for the iPhone.The owner has been writing games for Apple computers for 21 years and says he's never seen anything like the iPhone application phenomenon, which this year will deliver $5 million in revenue for Pangea.
The surge of mobile computing using cell phones and PDAs is making millionaires out of savvy techie geeks. Not only with games but with all mobile applications. The mobile-computing space looks a bit like the early days of personal computers, when different operating systems were competing to be king. A half-dozen smartphone platforms compete in the market, including Symbian (used by Nokia), Windows Mobile, the BlackBerry and Google's Android. Yet another is on the way from Palm, maker of the Palm Pilot and the Palm Treo.
Where things will be a year from now is anyone's guess. But for now, the little guys are happy to be riding on Apple's coattails.
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Czech Republic, 2011, 81 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subjects: African-American, Documentary, Social Issues, Technology/Science
Program: Documentary FilmsLanguage: Czech English Subtitles
DIRECTOR: Martin Maracek
Producer: Vit Klusak, Filip RemundaEditor: Martin MaracekScreenwriter: Martin MaracekCinematographer: Jiri MalekPrincipal Cast: Milan Smrz, Tomás Tozicka, Joseph Munamweemba, David Mwansa
Martin Maracek's documentary about the collision of European noblesse oblige and Third World improvisation recalls the high impulses and unavoidable follies of the colonial era in Africa—and the ways that humans can delude themselves in the name of doing good. Maracek has a firm grasp of the absurd.
As the film opens, a pair of government electricians from the Czech Republic, Milan and Tomáš, are returning to the remote Zambian village of Masuku to check up on the solar-panel system they built a few years earlier to bring electric power to the local school, a clinic, and several houses. They find the whole thing in shambles, thanks to the Masukuans' creative tampering. Cables have been cut. Pumps, regulators, and water taps are broken. An entire workshop has vanished. Because of battery overloads, houses are in danger of exploding. "It is the problem of animal in man," one local resident explains. While the profane Tomáš explodes in frustration and the electricians struggle to repair the damage, they glimpse at least one truth. "We really don't know their social system," Milan laments. "We can't pretend that we are saviors or messiahs here."
So much for the glories of cross-cultural aid: what we see in Masuku is a major short circuit. In the attempt to illuminate the "dark continent," the Czech technicians wind up cursing in the darkness themselves. It might have been more advisable, the film gently suggests, to behold the beauty of the constellations blazing across the African night sky. You know, God's lights.—BILL GALLO
In cooperation with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Colorado, Bohemian Productions
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Pickles The Parrot Returns: My Continued Adventures with a Bird Brain
by Georgi Abbott
- #623 in Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Pets
- #24 in Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Pets, Birds
- #24 in Nonfiction, Home & Garden, Pets, Birds
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A young couple happened by and stood at the fence to watch and talk to me while I was working. I stood on the bridge in the middle of the lake with my back turned to them while I worked on a particularly large chunk of algae floating amid the reeds. I must have disturbed a fish that had been hiding in there because he hit the surface with a splash and Pickles yelled out "Fishy eat a bug!" He says this when fish rise to the surface to feed on insects.
"Oh! They eat bugs?" the girl asked. She obviously hadn't noticed Pickles in the foliage just to the right of her. "That was my bird," I said, over my shoulder.
"The fish eat BIRDS?" she remarked.
"No, no," I said, "That's my bird in the bushes. He said that, not me".
She quickly spotted him and said, "He talks? You mean, he talks and actually knows when a fish eats a bug??"
I told her that I wasn't sure if Pickles really understood but yes, if a fish splashes, we've taught him to say that.
"Wow" she said and turned to start a conversation with Pickles but he was too intent on watching me. "Can you make him say that again?" she asked.
I wasn't sure if he would and the fish had all been scared to the bottom, away from my stick, so I went and got some fish pellets. I stood on the bridge facing them and tossed a handful into the water between them and me. The fish exploded from the surface like a school of piranha, soaking me and splashing Pickles and our two guests.
Pickles went ballistic in his cage, furious that he was getting wet and started yelling, "What are you doing???" I ran over to calm him down and as he clung to the far bars, I told him there was no more water but he still eyed me suspiciously. "No fresh water" he spat and I told him it was all gone, and that it wasn't exactly 'fresh'.
He climbed back down to his perch and sat nicely while I talked to these people over the fence. They were enthralled with Pickles and chuckling over his little fit and comments. A couple of minutes later, they took their leave and I bent over to pick up Pickles cage to take him to the aviary but just as I reached for it, I pulled my hand back in horror. Pickles had snatched a leaf off a shrub and was pulling it through the cage bars. A spider clung to the edge as he held it in his talons and began to chomp on the leaf. Pickles is scared of spiders and so am I. It was a wispy spider, not one of those big bodied ones and I watched as it spun a strand of webbing and dropped to the perch beside him. Pickles continue to chew on the leaf, oblivious to the little critter. I watched in horror as the spider crawled up his leg, on to his chest and scampered to his back and paused on the top of Pickles' head. Crap. I wasn't about to save him.
I almost let out a scream as the spider carried on and moved down Pickles' forehead and paused again, right between his eyes. Ever see a parrot go cross-eyed? Pickles dropped his leaf and nonchalantly snatched it off with his talon and shoved it in his mouth. I'm pretty sure he thought it was one of his downy, spidery feathers that were good to chew on, like gum. I stared in disbelief as he began to roll it around with his tongue while a couple of wispy legs dangled outside his beak. I guess Pickles got a taste of it and stopped dead with a stunned look on his face, eyes as big as saucers, then snatched it from his beak with his talon and attempted to toss it away. But it stuck. Then he seemed to realize what it was and stood shaking his talon in an attempt to flick it loose. A couple of shakes later, the spider fell to the bottom of the cage and Pickles began flapping around to get away from it. It's a small cage, with nowhere to go, so he couldn't escape the scary arachnid ...
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- Georgi Abbott, June 2011
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A TV commercial promoting the Freedom From Religion Foundation — featuring Ron Reagan, the "unabashed atheist" son of President Ronald Reagan, who quips he's "not afraid to burn in hell" — will air on many major regional markets this Sunday during the "Cosmos" show on Fox national broadcasting.
The riveting update of the original Carl Sagan series, written by Ann Druyan, his widow, features Neil deGrasse Tyson, and is a promising vehicle for FFRF, a state/church watchdog that serves as the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics).
FFRF's commercial was rejected for national "Cosmos" airing because it's an advocacy ad, but FFRF was able to secure broadcasting during the program in major metropolitan markets. These are: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando, Seattle and Madison, Wis., home turf of FFRF.
The ad reads:
Hi, I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I'm alarmed by the intrusion of religion into our secular government. That's why I'm asking you to support the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics, working to keep state and church separate, just like our Founding Fathers intended. Please support the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ron Reagan, lifelong atheist, not afraid of burning in hell.
The 30-second spot debuted May 22 on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. Reagan's an honorary director of FFRF. Reagan was previously awarded FFRF's Emperor Has No Clothes Award, a statuette depicting the legendary emperor, which is reserved for public figures who make known their dissent from religion. (Read acceptance speech here.)
Scroll to end to see cities, stations and times.
"We think Ron deserves so much respect, for unflinchingly coming out as an atheist even in the 1980s," said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. "We're honored by his lending his name and support for FFRF's advancement of reason, freethought and a secular government."


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Zhou Xun receives Order of Arts and Letters medal2014-02-24 10:01 Global Times Web Editor: Li Yan
Zhou Xun Photo: Courtesy of BigMovie
Chinese actress Zhou Xun received a Chevalier medal in the Order of Arts and Letters from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at the Embassy of France in Beijing on Friday. Following Chinese stars such as Zhang Ziyi and Liu Ye, Zhou's name has been added to the growing list of stars in China's film industry.
Established by the French Minister of Culture in 1957, the Order of Arts and Letters is awarded to luminaries that have "significantly contributed to the enrichment of France's cultural inheritance."
Minister Fabius praised Zhou for her contribution in film, public welfare and cultural communication between China and France.
He especially mentioned Zhou's early movies Suzhou River (2000), which won her Best Actress at the 15th Paris Film Festival, and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002), a China-France produced movie nominated at international film festivals including the Golden Globe Awards and Cannes.
"I don't know what you call a knight in Chinese, but you can refer to her (Zhou) as 'Madame Knight' now," he said during the investiture.
"I'm not one of the nobility, just a common person. The only thing I'm proud of is I have always strived to be a better person. That is the spirit of a knight in my opinion," Zhou said.
Zhou Xun promotes UN public-service film2012-07-20
Actress Zhou Xun tries on directing2012-01-05


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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Tuesday was a banner day for Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher and his group of newcomers.
The Wild got a goal from Sean Bergenheim, a two-point game from Chris Stewart and 30 saves from Devan Dubnyk in a 6-2 win against the New Jersey Devils at Xcel Energy Center.
The Wild are three points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Winnipeg lost 5-4 to the St. Louis Blues.
Minnesota (37-23-7) has won six of its past seven games and nine of 11 to climb within three points of the Chicago Blackhawks for third place in the Central Division.
The goal was Bergenheim's first with the Wild. In his previous six games since being acquired from the Florida Panthers on Feb. 24, Bergenheim had been held without a point, and coach Mike Yeo dropped him to the fourth line with center Kyle Brodziak and right wing Erik Haula on Tuesday in an effort to spark him.
The move worked; Bergenheim not only scored, he hounded the puck all night.
"You can look at [being moved to the fourth line] as a punishment if you want, but it really wasn't," Yeo said. "We were surrounding him with a couple of players that would help him play the kind of game he needs to play. He responded really well and that line was dangerous all night."
Starting his 26th consecutive game, the longest streak in the NHL since 2011-12, it was Dubnyk who kept the Wild afloat in the first period before their offense took over.
Dubnyk, who Fletcher got from the Arizona Coyotes in a Jan. 14 trade, made 15 saves in the first, several of the Grade A variety, to keep the game scoreless until Bergenheim scored at 18:57.
"There were a lot of uncomfortable moments out there," Yeo said. [Dubnyk] was excellent the second half of the first period. We were really good the first half, then they started to take over. He gave us a chance to settle things down a little bit and grab that lead. That was huge."
Bergenheim scored on a shot from the left circle off a Brodziak pass from behind the net. It was his ninth goal, first since Jan. 29.
"This was a better day," Bergenheim said. "I think there's still stuff that can be improved and I'm going to keep on working on those things."
Stewart scored his 13th goal, second with Minnesota, on a rebound 13 seconds into the second period for a 2-0 Wild lead.
Stewart also assisted on Minnesota's next goal for his first multipoint game since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres minutes before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 2. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon one-timed a perfect set-up by Mikael Granlund from the right face-off circle at 4:23.
New Jersey (28-29-10) closed within 3-1 at 10:03 when Dainius Zubrus scored his first goal since opening night, ending a 49-game goal drought.
Thomas Vanek scored his first goal of the night when he cleaned up a rebound in front of goaltender Cory Schneider at 13:01.
"They were hungry, they beat us to loose pucks and really took over the area in front of the net," said Devils interim co-coach Lou Lamoriello.
Minnesota went ahead 5-1 at 1:18 of the third period when Jason Pominville capped a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play with a blast from the slot that eluded Schneider's blocker.
Schneider was lifted 12 seconds later for Keith Kinkaid, having allowed five goals on 30 shots. It was the first time since Dec. 13 Schneider had allowed more than three goals in an appearance, a span of 28 games.
"When you don't come prepared to play from the goalie on out, it's going to be a long night," Schneider said. "As a group we know we can all be better."
"We let [Schneider] down in front of the net," Devils forward Scott Gomez said. "There's one we're never gonna blame and it's him. It starts with him, and he's one of the best in the world. We have to be stronger for him for sure."
Vanek scored his second of the game on a tip-in at 8:18, and Gomez answered 22 seconds later on a tap-in from the side of the net.
Forward Steve Bernier assisted on each Devils goal. He has five assists over the past two games.
Wild forward Zach Parise, playing in his third game against his former team, had two assists.
"Right from the start we were ready to play," Parise said. "We did a good job of pressuring their D-men into making some mistakes and getting a lot of zone time because of that. I thought our transition was really good too. We pick up the puck a lot and got there before they were able to set up in their 1-2-2, so that was a big part of our game."
Kinkaid made seven saves over the final 18:30.


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Female workers at two state agencies were allegedly being paid thousands of dollars less to do the same work as their male counterparts.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against two Texas agencies last week, alleging that a group of women employed by the state in 2010 were making thousands of dollars a year less than the men who worked in their department -- even though the men and the women "all performed work requiring substantially the same responsibility," according to the lawsuit.
The women -- Monica Bosquez Mota, Tina Lewis and Dalinda Newby -- all worked for the Texas Department of Rural Affairs in 2009, before that agency was dissolved and its legal obligations were passed along to the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas General Land Office, the two agencies named as defendants in the suit.
Bosquez Mota filed a discrimination charge against the TDRA in 2009, then the department allegedly gave pay bumps to Bosquez Mota, Lewis, Newby and a fourth woman who shared their title the following year, according to the Justice Department lawsuit. Before their pay raises, none of the women were making more than $72,522 a year, the suit alleges, while the lowest-paid male member of their team with the same title made $79,631 a year.
Following the pay raises, the suit claims, the women were making salaries that were "closer, but not equal to, the salaries of similarly situated men performing substantially the same work."
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples told the Houston Chronicle that the Department of Justice was taking "an unnecessary shot at Texas" with the suit "for obvious political purposes." Staples called the DoJ's press release on the matter "grossly misleading."
While the Texas case has yet to be resolved, it's not the first time employers have been accused of paying women less than men to do the same job. Women nationwide earn just 77 cents for every dollar men earn, and the gap seems to persist no matter what occupation you're looking at, according to research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research.
In Texas, the disparity is actually a bit smaller than the national average -- Texas women reportedly earn 80 cents for every dollar that Texas men make -- but there's still a large gap in male and female earning power.
Legislation came before the Senate last month that, if it passed, would have helped shrink the pay disparity between men and women. The bill, known as the Paycheck Fairness Act, would have required employers to demonstrate that any pay differences between men and women in their workplace arise from work-related reasons like education and experience.
But Senate Republicans closed ranks against the bill, and blocked it from passing.
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I can hear the collective groan gathering on the horizon, but I'm going to report on this, anyway. "The Grudge: White Ghost" and "The Grudge: Black Ghost", the latest installments in the long-running series, is headed to Region 2 DVD on April 19th. Who knows? It might be good. I'm just kidding.
Almost as soon as the movie was over, genre-friendly distributor Magnet scooped up North American rights to Gareth Edwards' buzz-heavy creature feature "Monsters". Here's hoping the flick receives a healthy theatrical release later this year.
Rumor has it that there's a strong possibility that Frank De Felitta's made-for-TV chiller "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" is headed for DVD. VCI Entertainment is behind the project. If you haven't had a chance the see the movie yet, you're definitely in for a treat. Creepy!
If you're excited about Timur Bekmambetov's "The Last Witch Hunter", you'll be pleased to learn that a plot synopsis has finally hit the web. Spoilers abound, so tread carefully. Very, very carefully.
Big giant river monsters should be scary when they pick up entire planes, but something about whatever's floating around in the new clip from "Monsters" just sounds adorable. You don't get to see the beast but you do hear a little cry it lets out from below the water. Honestly it sounds like something you'd feed fish in SeaWorld. Sure the flashing lights it let off might be some form of radiation but let's give the little bugger the benefit of the doubt.
For a time there, these lists were coming in faster than I knew what to do with them! But alas, now I think I'm back on top of the heap, and here to present another one! Fresh off the wild success of their latest album, "Awake," singer John Cooper took a moment to sit down and hash out a list of his favorite monsters to go with their first single, "Monster." He's a man with little in the way of introduction, but they have an imminent tour coming up with Shinedown and Puddle of Mud, so I imagine he's a little busy.
"The Mist" opens in a sleepy Maine town as a deadly storm is rolling in. Once it has passed, we see that the aftermath has left a pretty sizable hole in the house of our protagonist David (played by Thomas Jane). David then takes his child Jake and his neighbor Brent (played by Andre Braugher) into town for supplies, leaving his wife at home. As most of you have probably figured out by now, he doesn't ever come back.


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Games for the whole family
A small overview about a few of our Apps
Go on an exciting journey through a medieval fairytale world with the little knight Vincelot! Together, you'll encounter many new friends, funny animations and challenging mini-games in a beautifully hand-drawn 2D world. Quick! Put your armor on and off we go!
Go on a colorful journey with the dog DogBiscuit! Travel through the orchard, along the seaside and even through the universe! Meanwhile you meet lots of new crayon friends and design many colorful objects. It's your own choice how DogBiscuit's world should look like!
Finally you can open your own hotel for cats and decorate it just as you wish to! If you care for your kitties, cure them from illnesses and play with them, they'll soon be able to return to their owners happily and healthy.
Open your very own dog hotel and care for many cute dogs! You can decide how to decorate the cages – from pirate-bathtubs to the sausage bowls. Care for cute labradors and little beagles and train them to do impressive tricks and parcours!
WildLife America
The rangers need your help! In the wildlife sanctuary, more and more injured animals arrive every day. Dress the majestic wolf's wounds and vaccinate the cheeky raccoon, so that they can be passed on to bigger reservations and parcs as soon as they're well again.
Head off to the animal rescue Sunflower! Each day there are new animals arriving and slowly but surely, the old professor won't be able to care for all the cats, dogs and hamsters anymore. Now it's up to you: groom, feed and play!


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Event 26.07.2016 - 31.08.2016
Summer Open Days
Since the establishment of its first hotel school in 1982, the Swiss Education Group has grown to become a world leading hospitality education network. The outstanding success of the Swiss Education Group has set new standards in the hospitality industry and provides inspiration to its graduates.
Since the establishment of its first hotel school in 1982, the Swiss Education Group has grown to become a world leading hospitality education network. The outstanding success of the Swiss Education Group has set new standards in the hospitality industry and provides inspiration to its graduates.
Staying true to the traditions of Swiss hospitality management, all programmes of the Swiss Education Group combine academic learning with practical experience and are designed to meet the needs of hospitality employers. All member schools are subject to a stringent academic quality assurance which ensures students receive the renowned high-level of Swiss education.
Based on the philosophy of César Ritz, founder of the famous Ritz-Paris hotel, the programmes of César Ritz Colleges focus on luxury, excellence, service, care and innovation. The experienced faculty of our hotel management school provides education that will help you to succeed and become a leader in a competitive world. Awarded with an impressive list of accreditations César Ritz Colleges provides world-class quality in hotel and tourism management courses.
Located in the center of Europe the Culinary Arts Academy introduces you to culinary philosophies and modern trends. As an international institute for culinary education it focuses on practical kitchen skills and theoretical management classes. With tailored practical classes and paid internships in some of the most renowned Michelin-starred restaurants Culinary Arts Academy shows you the best ways how to become a top chef. You are given the opportunity to demonstrate your innovative ideas and develop your own business plan as a master in restaurant and culinary management.
As the birthplace of hospitality, Switzerland presents the best conditions in the world to study hospitality management. The international reputation of the school and a supportive learning environment contributes to the potential success of students when they enter the professional field. The hospitality management courses at Hotel Institute Montreux, that combine Swiss hospitality practices and contemporary American management expertise, prepare students for top management jobs around the world.
The inspiring programme at IHTTI School of Hotel Management emphasizes leadership and personal development. The combination of studies in hospitality management with the principles of branding, luxury and hotel design allows you to become a leader in hotel and design management. The staff at IHTTI School of Hotel Management will prepare you for a career in the luxury and design industry as part of the next generation of hospitality managers.
The Swiss Hotel Management School is known as one of Switzerland's leading hotel management schools. It offers a wide range of renowned programmes such as a Master in Hospitality Management or a Master of International Business with focus on spa and resort management. By introducing you to key components of event planning during the events management courses allows you to enhance your career opportunities and master the complexity of high-end events.
Swiss Language Club, member of SEG, has 30 years of experience in organizing summer language camps in Switzerland combining an excellent language education with a wide range of leisure, sports and sightseeing activities.
The five schools of the group are spread over seven stunning campuses located in both the French and German speaking regions of Switzerland. More than 5,000 students are welcomed each year from over 80 different nationalities, offering a multicultural environment in which students study and live.
Twice a year
Join our International Alumni Network
The Swiss Education Group has built strong ties with hospitality leaders across the globe.
Swiss Education Group organises various events throughout the year for its students.
The Competitive Advantage
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Peaceful country known around the world for the beauty of its landscape.
A member of our admissions team will call you back and will be pleased to answer your questions.


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EW interviewed the main "Jennifer's Body" folks at
SDCC 09 in this video, including director Karyn Kusama, writer Diablo Cody, producer Jason Reitman, and star Megan Fox. A warning: Megan Fox dishes out the movie's plot (up until people start dying), so if you want to go into the movie cold, turn off the sound until 1:10 of course be warned that if you do that you'll miss the dirty talk!
Of all the things that have come out of Comic-Con by far "Tron Legacy" is what I'm most excited about. Yes it's still two years away and yes it will probably end up being awful but the trailer which was released this past weekend looks so freakin awesome I almost threw up on my keyboard.
Warner Brothers revealed the poster to their upcoming comic book adaptation "Jonah Hex" at Comic-Con. Click on the image at left to see it bigger!
This MTV articlehref> goes into how Brolin ended up involved after having issues with the script early on, but also makes him sound like the film's dictator.
If I know anything about lovers of Metal-related irony, it's that they absolutely never get sick of it. Nothing proves this more than Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse." Not content to let "Brutal Legend" steal their thunder in the Metal game genre, Konami and Frozen Codebase have unleashed a pre-alpha build of "Metalocalypse: Dethgame" upon the world of SDCC. It seems that the reaction to very early build has turned out to be a bit lukewarm:


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Goaltending isn't among issues that need team's off-season attention
Monday, 04.20.2009 / 3:59 PM ET / Features
By Rob Brodie - OttawaSenators.com
|Alex Auld is eager to join what figures to be a fierce goaltending battle when the Senators assemble for training camp in September (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images).
While Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray expects to make some moves in the wake of the team's first post-season miss in 12 seasons, there's at least one area that doesn't figure to require much of his attention. That would be at the goaltending position, where trade deadline acquisition Pascal Leclaire figures to give a boost to the tandem of Brian Elliott and Alex Auld, who performed capably down the stretch.
"We've got three (goaltenders) now," said Murray. "They all think they're No. 1. I like that. That's where we are at this point in time. I don't know that there's any reason to try to change that, unless somebody came along and made a huge offer to me over the summer."
It's generally assumed that Leclaire, the former starter with the Columbus Blue Jackets, will slide into the same role in Ottawa. But Auld and Elliott are both hungry to get their share of minutes in 2009-10, after each saw plenty of action with the Senators this season. Auld posted a 16-18-7 record with a 2.47 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, while Elliott went 16-8-3 with a 2.77 GAA and .902 save percentage.
Both are heading into the summer in the same frame of mind – positive about the way the past season finished, but eager for even better things in the campaign to come.
"I feel pretty good about my year," said Auld, who was signed to a two-year contract as a free agent last summer. "I had no idea how many games I'd play coming here, and there were stretches when I was able to play a lot. I feel that I was able to maintain a fairly high level of consistency.
"You want to improve every year moving forward but (the season) was okay. It's tough to evaluate when you're not where you want to be, but I think I can step back and say I did some good things."
Elliott began the season in the American Hockey League with the Binghamton Senators, hopeful he'd get the call at some point. He wound up seeing action in 31 games, with Ottawa head coach Cory Clouston declaring him the team's most improved player since the start of the season.
"I had no idea how many games I'd play coming here and there were stretches when I was able to play a lot. I feel that I was able to maintain a fairly high level of consistency ... I think I can step back and say I did some good things." - Alex Auld"Sometimes, it' s hard to look at the big picture," said Elliott, 23, in assessing his season. "You focus on the last game that you played and you just want to get better every day. But I accomplished the goal of being an AHL all-star and getting up into the NHL and succeeding to a point that I was happy with.
"You just have to look at it as a whole, and I think I've improved a lot over one season. I'm just excited for next season to get into the weight room and start summer sessions with my goalie coach (Mike Valley), working hard and trying to get better even more than last year."
With Leclaire now in the mix, it figures to be a fierce battle between the pipes when training camp begins in September. Auld, for one, is ready for the challenge.
"I feel I played well enough to make it tough on Bryan to make decisions," he said. "We'll see what happens. Ultimately, that's a question for him. I'm just going to prepare as hard as I can this summer so coming into camp, I'm ready to go and ready to earn ice time."


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Ueshiba's Aiki
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
Re: Ueshiba's Aiki
Ken McGrew
Did you miss the post above while you were typing?
People have every right to post, but not to use personal attacks and try to drive other people away in order to win.
Again, I think that your manner coming in did yourself a disservice. I think it was you who should have apologized for the manner in which you approached this -particularly to me- so everyone could have re-set. You angered/irritated quite a few people. Not by the debate you wanted to have but rather your manner.
I listed what I took to be what people say they are doing. Am I getting it wrong in the list I gave?
Yes almost completely. It doesn't help that you misquote them as well.
I have presented lots of counter evidence and argumentation that undermines the evidence that you and your supporters have presented. Not to win for the sake of winning. I don't understand how you can say I have presented no counter evidence.
In fact many of things I do teach are also outlined in some of your supposed
arguments. It's why people are struggling to take you seriously. It's as if I am teaching
the sky is blue
, and you are arguing that
the sky is blue
. Sorry, but we can't help but laugh.
don't see any reason why the thing you are trying to describe can't exist at the same time that the things I'm describing, that O Sensei wrote, that others wrote and said about him, can't both exist within Aikido. There is a time to blend externally and throw. There's a time to connect internally, move a person (maybe even for their own good), and either throw or not throw. The fact that you feel that you found some evidence for your interpretation does not prove that O Sensei had not expanded on the art in ways that were important and not the result of yo ho. Yo ho may be the secret for the grounding demonstrations that O Sensei did. That doesn't mean that they are the secret for everything else he did. That is a basic mistake in logical argumentation. No offense intended by saying so.
Good grief, man you are now stating what others stated to you. They
both exist AT THE SAME TIME. This is getting rather bizzare.
It's a lot to ask us to reject the things that O Sensei said to his students that were passed on to us. It's a lot to say that our teachers are just doing tricks that aren't Aiki. Translation errors can't erase the mountain of data here. Especially when you have so few translations to point to.
We have to go by what O Sensei said and what he passed down.
That doesn't mean that I think you suck at whatever you are doing. I trained with Ki society for a while. They were very good where I trained. Good Aikido. Effective. But not, in my opinion, for the reasons that they thought it worked. Still, very good Aikido.
I have never said to reject what Ueshiba said.
"We have to go by what O Sensei said and what he passed down."
My argument is that you have never read what he actually DID SAY and pointed to as his aiki.
Oddly this is very clear to most who have read what I write, and a source of our disagreement on aikiweb, yet somehow you missed that.
Other than from myself, I have never read anything presented on the way Ueshiba moved that was correct-until the recent translations appeared and Ueshiba stated essentially what I have been saying all along. And the majority of the aikido I have seen is not what he was doing. FYI, comparing me to ki society further proves you have absolutely no idea of what I do or am talking about. In fact, it serves as a perfect example of that point. And it is another example that hundreds of teachers know is different and you don't. It would serve you well to know you do not know me or what I do, and leave it at that.
Oh well.
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Why not RENT a Lakehouse on Barren River Lake while you are viewing houses or lots for sale? Check out other website for Lake Rentals, LakeHouseVacations.com. Here is a link to vacation rentals on Barren River Lake:
Barren River Lake Vacation Rentals
If you're considering lake homes for sale in Kentucky, look 90 miles northeast of Nashville to the Barren River Lake. Constructed in 1964, the lake not only helps to curb seasonal flooding of the Barren River, but it also serves as a playground for recreation enthusiasts all year long.
Barren River Lake meanders through Allen, Monroe, and Barren County, spanning across 10,100 acres of land. The natural integrity of the lake is preserved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, providing premium outdoor conditions. Anglers appreciate the lake's clean and inviting waters, as they host a variety of fish. Catfish, crappie, and bluegill populate the lake in strong numbers, along with hybrid, white, largemouth, and yellow bass. Catfish fishing is sublime at night, and it's recommended you cast your rod during their spawning season in June. There's also a good chance you might catch a 15-inch or larger largemouth bass.
Even if fishing isn't your sport of choice, there are countless other reasons to test the water. Before diving in, stop by the Barren River Lake State Park Marina, which features rental boats and pontoons, 100 open boat slips, a boat launch, and praise-worthy customer service. Once on the lake, feel free to jet along in a high-speed boat, splash around swimming, or skip across the surface on a jet ski. While you're at it, explore the lake's three largest islands, two of which are about one square mile each and sit in the widest portion of the lake. Lake properties for sale have the best spot in town, surrounded by water revelry at its best.
With miles of shoreline to indulge in, there's just as much fun to be had off the water as on. Enjoy the scenery with a picnic or test your aim by hunting in the back hills. The Barren River Lake is surrounded by several well-maintained hiking and horseback riding trails, in addition to basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts. Lakefront properties have full access to these amenities, and they also enjoy spectacular sunsets.
Lake-view cabins also reside within steps of some of the state's best golfing. Since it's ideally located along Kentucky's prized golf trail, the lake hosts its own top-notch golf course, the Barren River Lake State Resort Park. The course is both challenging and addictive, ensuring you'll return to it time and time again. If you'd like to live on a Barren River Lake Golf Course, visit GolfHomes.com for property listings and details.
Two epic geocaches are stashed around the lake awaiting true treasure hunters, while the Mammoth Cave National Park invites the anyone with an appreciation for the mysterious to play in the dark a while. The Barren River Lake celebrates the outdoors by making the wild feel like home.
This 10,050 acre lake is located in Barren and Allen counties. Warm water fish species dominate the creel, with stockings of striped bass in the lake and rainbow trout below the dam. Black bass, bluegill, channel catfish and crappie are found in large numbers.


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Your Quote on Food, Cooking, Eating, or Italian FoodSince eating is something we all have to do every day, it can be a daily opportunity to really enjoy good food with good friends.
Your Favorite RecipeLasagne stracciata. It is the quintessential peasant food in the sense that the entire body of the dish (which is basically a soup) is made from the pasta water. The pasta is made just with flour and water, no eggs, and a little sautéed guanciale (or pancetta) and onions. For me, there is no greater comfort food than a soupy pasta.
Most Underrated/Mis-understood IngredientGarlic—though maybe "misused" is the better word here. Frequently, way too much garlic is used, and often it's not incorporated into the dish at the right time or in the correct way—which makes it overpowering when it doesn't need to be. I use garlic in almost all my cooking, but in a very understated way—just so it adds to the layering of flavors. Garlic is best if you lightly fry it in the olive-oil base of your dish, and then, most likely, it can even be removed at that point. Also, garlic needs to be watched carefully—the golden color is optimal, but anything under or over that point will add a bitter or burnt taste.
Your Best Kitchen TipAlways keep your pasta water…it's a lifesaver. It can bring a dying sauce back to life.
If you were a food or dish, what would you be?Risotto – who wouldn't want to be a tiny grain of rice that is drenched in some of life's most indulgent ingredients….butter, wine, rich homemade stock, and Parmigiano Reggiano!? Then, after careful attention and love, you become plump and creamy. The before-and-after transformation is truly remarkable… imagine being that little grain! Watching risotto is better than any make-over show.
Pantry or Fridge Must HavePancetta. I can't function in the kitchen without pork fat of some kind.
Some of your earliest memories of cookingStanding on a step stool to reach the table in our "second kitchen" in my parents' basement, learning how to roll gnocchi next to my mother. For years, mine were so ugly, that we couldn't serve them to guests with the rest of the gnocchi, so we made a special dinner later in the week when just my mom, dad, brothers and I would eat all the "ugly" ones. I'm proud to say that many years later, my gnocchi now make the first cut.
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When I made the decision to move away from the iPhone I didn't do it lightly. I have had this phone for 2 years, and during that time, it has become my primary means of communication, and audio entertainment. 3 years ago when the iPhone was initially released I saw it as an amazingly breakthrough device, but felt the price tag $799 subsidized was outrageous. At the time I owned a Razor on Verizon, and I wanted to move into the smart phone realm so that I could answer emails while not being attached to my PC. The lineup of phones on the Verizon network was less than stellar, so I accepted a Blackberry 7250 from my company. I carried the Razor and the Blackberry around for a year. Apple and AT&T then cut the prices 6 months later and released the iPhone 3G in 2008. This was both affordable and appealing as the phone had 3G capabilities.
So I took the leap to AT&T and purchased an iPhone. My experience with the iPhone can best be described this way;
I love the interface and the design, and truly believe the people who designed it are some of the best in the Software and Hardware industry. They should be commended for completely changing the Smart Phone game. Their lead designer Johnny Ive is a master, the likes of which you do not often run into. Game changers by the mere meaning of the word are few and far between, and Mr. Ive is a game changer. Without these breakthroughs, I don't believe we would have ever heard about the Android operating system, or found ourselves choosing between different phones within the Android lineup.
With all that said.. The AT&T network is just horrible. I am often surprised when a carrier's network is strong in rural out of the way places like the middle of North Dakota, or in the mountains of Wyoming, but when it drops calls in major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, NYC, Philly, Milwaukee, Minneapolis etc, I get a bit miffed. I have seen the iPhone drop calls in all of those places which is very frustrating. Lately the iPhone was having a small problem with echoing my callers voice back to them.
It's pretty annoying to find that all my conversations turned into "why is my voice echoing", "I dunno, maybe it's my iPhone", "you need a new device, call me when you get home."
So I purchased a Droid X last week and received it on Friday.
My initial impressions
The device is gorgeous. The interface is as good as, if not better than the iPhone. The phone seems as if it was designed for multimedia from day one. The camera takes a bit of getting used to, but it's fully integrated with social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The video recorder works well.. and it's easy to switch from camera to video recorder with just the push of a simple on screen button. I am not sold on the MotoBlur interface in that it comes with a lot of Widgets that I don't need while also forcing the Blockbuster app onto your phone. There are ways to delete these applications, but I wouldn't recommend that for the faint at heart. I have only four widgets on my screen, one is a Google search widget, one is a Calendar reminder widget, a fast contact widget, and a multimedia widget that lets me cycle through pictures or videos. For those of you not familiar with Widgets, these are small programs that stay resident on your desktop for fast access. Things like calendar, notes, digital clocks, RSS reader etc. There are widgets for Windows, Mac, Linux and now Android.
All of my contacts were already being synced with Google Contacts, so it was really easy moving over to Android. I also instructed it to pull all of my contacts from Facebook as well. There are a few instances now of multiple entries in my contact list, but that's no big deal. I will probably write an application for clearing that out, and release it to the world for free someday.
Battery Life
The battery life on this thing is horrible. Not as bad as the HTC EVO but bad enough. I recommend that when you get your Droid.. allow the juice to run completely out of the device to the point where it shuts down, then charge it back up. My experience doing this really improved the battery life.
Update: I think this was a result of me running the GPS and WiFi while trail running yesterday morning. In normal operations it doesn't seem that bad.
Things the Phone Has To Do Well
Your smart phone has to do the following things well to be even considered useful these days. It has to be able to make and receive calls, send text messages, read and write email, surf the net, work with the social web, maintain your contacts, and schedule and track appointments.
In these areas the Droid X excels. You can setup multiple GMail accounts with ease. You can set up Yahoo, Exchange, and other email accounts directly on your phone as well. Typing Emails & Text Messages is a pleasure as you can move back and forth between portrait and landscape mode easily. The keyboard is also very responsive. When you get an email, and the sender is not in your contacts you can easily add them. You can setup your calendar to sync with your gCal which means you can move between your PC and your phone without losing the appointment information.
This phone is on the Verizon network, so you get all the goodness of amazing coverage and good call quality.
All in all it does the Smart Things extremely well.
Most people use iTunes or Windows Media these days to manage their multimedia files and to sync to their phones. I don't like either one of these apps because of the bloatware that comes with them. Most of the time, I just simply want to cut and paste a music file, or a music folder to my device and call it a day. Well iPhone limited me from doing this because of some Apple don't trust the users mantra. I am not sure about Windows Mobile 7, or WebOS but Android completely opens the important folders to your windows explorer. You can do the copy and paste thing or you can use an app like doubleTwist. It's a public beta so be warned. I have had a few crashes with this app and the sync seems unbearably slow, but it does import your iTunes playlist allow you to subscribe and download podcasts, and it does sync with the Droid X. iTunes version 1 had a few snags too so this is to be expected.
As I have mentioned before, the camera and video recorder are pretty slick with a few scene type features and the ability to edit your photo's. The Zoom works as expected which is not great on most Smart Phones.. though the focus action could do a better job. It's okay to force the user to have to touch the screen to focus, but the software should immediately focus at that point rather than waiting for you you half press the picture button. A software update in the future will most likely fix this.
If your moving from an iPhone there is not a 1-1 correlation between iPhone apps and Droid apps.. however I have found many viable alternatives that I have been able to use instead.
There is of course the Facebook app and TwitDroyd for the socially minded. Yelp is available for those looking for a place to eat or party. Audible is available for those Audio Books you're into. There is an FM radio embedded in this guy as well.. which works really well!! Kindle is available.. Flikster for movies.. Pandora of course.. and the list goes on and on. Even Zillow can be found in the app store and that integrates well with maps.
To say the least you can always find something that mimics the iPhone apps that your used to and in some cases the apps are actually better.
Over the last week or so, I have used the navigation app to and from work along with my car mount. The Car mount is awesome. It's basically a suction cup car mount that attaches to your window that acts as a docking station. Once it's in place, you can plug it into your cigarette lighter (who uses this for cigarette's anymore) and the mount acts as a charging cradle for the phone. When you plug the Droid X into the mount, the car app immediately engages and your shown a very useful screen that allows you to easily navigate quickly around the phone. The screen is split into 6 regions, Music, My Location, Calling, App, Voice Search, and Close.
The Navigation App though has some kinks to work out. It's based on the Google Maps Navigation Application, and provides your typical 3-D navigation screen that very clearly represents the streets, how long to go to the next turn, and gives you voice directions. The screen and information is displayed perfectly on the 4.3 inch screen and makes your route very clear to follow. However, it keeps switching from navigation to text directions, without me pressing a button. EDIT: The problem for me had to do with a defective car mount. After replacing the car mount, it worked amazingly well.
The other thing I noticed was that the GPS really makes the phone very hot. I am not sure if this is common with other Droid X's or just mine.
All in all I do really enjoy the phone. It's amazing the things you can do with it, and I love the idea it's so much easier to tweak than the iPhone.


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The Survivorship Clinic team is guided by the latest research findings as we provide care to cancer survivors. We also conduct research studies to learn more about the long-term and late effects of cancer treatment and to improve the quality of life for survivors.
Projects range from studying the long-term cardiovascular effects of cancer treatment to examining the factors that determine emotional adjustment and quality of life. If you meet the requirements for a particular research study, you will be invited to participate.
To help us guide your survivorship care and identify people who are eligible for research studies, all patients entering survivorship care are asked to complete questionnaires about their physical, emotional, and medical experiences.
You may be interested in Seattle Cancer Care Alliance clinical studies to improve treatment for after effects of cancer therapy and to lower risk of future cancers.


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A plate metal detector installed in bonded-type conveyor belt systems where the height of the product stream will not exceed 100 mm.Show more
Enclosed-aperture tunnel metal detector, installed in bonded-type conveyor belt systems for applications requiring higher scanning sensitivity.Show more
An inline chute magnet system for use with fibrous materials and materials that tend to bridge, which has proven effective with very high throughput rates and tubular pressure conveyor systems. Hinged stainless steel plates swing out for easy cleaning of the magnet blocks.Show more
The PROTEX E range of single-face metal detectors is used to inspect sheet materials (1.0 - 4.0 m) and pinpoint any metal fragments. They provide outstanding detection results, even when the distance between product and sensor surface is quite large. The sensor surface is divided into 256-mm wide segments. Installation is easy and cost-effective, thanks to a plug-in shaft and pedestal bearing.Show more
The RAYCON series is a product inspection system with an integrated conveyor belt that is used in wet or dry applications to inspect packed or unpacked piece goods. RAYCON allows accurate inline detection of foreign objects of magnetic or non-magnetic metals, glass, ceramic, stone, bone, PVC, rubber, etc., even in metallic or metal-coated packaging. It also identifies product defects such as broken, deformed or missing product.Show more


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EAU CLAIRE, Wisc. (WEAU) - A 14-year-old sexual assault victim spoke out after her attacker was sentenced.
Stephen Lemere, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting the girl.
Charges of reckless endangerment and strangulation were dropped against Lemere.
While in jail, he was also accused of beating an inmate who was convicted of murder, but prosecutors said because of the length of Friday's sentence, they requested that charge to be dismissed.
Lemere was also ordered to spend 15 years on probation after his release.
The victim, Cearra Cook, said it all started with text messages. Cook, then 12-years-old, was staying at her brother's house in Eau Claire last May, when his wife's co-worker Lemere, was at the house, texting Cook, asking her to have sex with him. After saying 'No,' and feeling uncomfortable, Cook said she went into the kitchen and then, was caught off guard.
"He grabbed me by the neck and held a knife to my neck and said if you tell anybody, I'll kill you. Then he put me in a choke hold and strangled me and he pushed me up against the fridge and started touching me innappropriately," Cook said.
Fearing for her life, Cook said she ran out of the house and called her mom, who called police. Lemere was arrested and charged with the assault. Now, more than a year later, Cook said the effects of that night remain.
"I couldn't really trust anyone that I didn't know. After that I kinda got over it, but not really. I still have nightmares," she said.
"She's very strong. She's been through a lot in the last year," Cearra Cook's mother, Tammy Cook said.
But on Friday, things changed.
"I can start a new life now," Cearra Cook said.
After 15 months of court dates and a guilty plea, Lemere was sentenced to prison until after his 54th birthday, a relief for the Cook family.
"I was pretty surprised and I just am happy that he's put away," she said.
Cearra Cook said she hopes others can learn from what she went through.
"If you ever get in this position ... you should tell somebody and don't hold it back and never give up." "I am strong and I hope (other victims) are too."
Staff at the Chippewa Valley Advocacy Center also recommended reporting crimes to police, therapists or counselors to offer help for victims and to begin criminal investigations.
- It's WEAU 13 news policy not to name sexual assault victims, but in this case, the family approached the station and wanted to share the story in hopes of helping other victims.


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When you run into a metal band who's main lyrical themes are warriors, dragons, self confidence, and metal itself, you know what this will end up being. Some uplifting power metal with nothing special to offer. We've all been there, finding a band that sounds and looks really cool but ends up being a disappointment.
Dream Evil's debut begins with the song "Chasing the Dragon," a catchy opener with soaring vocals from Niklas Isfeldt "In Flames You Burn" opens with a nice acoustic passage and blows up with bombarding drum work and heavy hooks. "The Prophecy" is a faster track, typical of the genre, but it's still quite good. Of course, horses, steel, power, metal, and beasts are the lyrical them here. "The Chosen Ones" is probably this bands most popular song, for good reason. It's the best on here with it's ballad like feel and emotional tacks here and there.
"Losing You" isn't too bad, but it lacks the magic the rest of the album has.. "Heavy Metal in the Night" is one of the anthems here, which leads me to one of the oddest songs I've ever listened to. "H.M.J. (Heavy Metal Jesus) is about, well, a heavy metal Jesus. Without analyzing the lyrics, this song is absolutely nothing special. However, it's so funny it's hard not to like. Odd, but enjoyable. "Hail to the King" is also pretty good, but it also lakes quality like "Losing You."
The Production is strong, everything is audible, no problems there. Snowy Shaw is here on drums. I've never liked Snowy Shaw, very overrated drummer. However, I must admit he does a good job here. Peter Stalfors is a great bass player, actually one of my favorites. Fredrik Nordstrom and Gus G. (whose considered to be one of today's top shredders) are both fantastic guitar players. A great duo who perform well together, all the main riffs on this album are catchy in some way. As I mentioned earlier, Niklas Isfeldt is an amazing singer. His powerful, soaring, and productive voice drives this album to a new level.
This album is catchy as hell and will be stuck in your head. The overall feel of this is monotonous and somewhat overdone, but I suppose that's all in the fun. This is a solid record and worth checking out for sure. Just try not to take it too seriously, great purchase.
(Note: I'm reviewing the Japanese version with the tracks in the "correct" order following the storyline and with the extra track Dragonheart)
Dream Evil's debut has often been tagged as a ridiculously cheesy, over-the-top bunch of unoriginal, fantasy-driven songs. And while that tag is correct, they have taken this often bad recipe (e.g. Rhapsody) and turned it into something worthy of repeated listens.
Everything that makes the standard power metal album is there: medium to high pitched and lean vocals, mid-heavy guitars, choirs, cheesy keyboards, lots of catchiness and a super clean production. But this album adds one more thing to the overdone formula and it's its charm. Not the most exact explanation I know, but I can't find a better one.
Isfeldt's vocals are very spot on and are a good change among all the Kiske and Kotipelto imitators that plague the genre. He sings mostly in a medium to high pitch and can definitely hit the higher notes without much problem, while he retains the super clean trait. A more poppish voice can be heard in Losing You, track no. 4 in my version, which by the way is an over-cheesy ballad.
The main thing in a metal album is and should always be the guitars, and here the team made of virtuoso Gus G. and the renowned producer Fredrik Nordstrom (who also took up keyboards) is very good. The guitar tone is very spot on and heavy but not over-distorted. To this heaviness also has contributed the slight but hearable down-tuning applied, probably to Drop D or Standard D. The riffs are rather unoriginal but still well executed and these guys definitely know how to write a bunch of songs, the main riffs in "Chasing the Dragon", "Hail to the King" and "The Prophecy" can prove this by a long shot.
The soloing is handled by Gus G. and, as has been expected of him ever since, is top notch. While not innovative or revolutionary Gus can shred in a neoclassical vein or in a more "classic metal" way, both of which are fast yet catchy.
The last factor remaining here and the one which generates more controversies are the cheese and the funny stuff. The lyrics are on the cheesy side, and tell a typical story about chasing a dragon and fighting for your king etc etc, with the inclusion of "Losing You", a ballad about losing a girl when going to his trip to kill the dragon. Needless to say, some mozzarella might actually come out of your speakers at this point. Also, for a lesson in cheese, check "Chosen Ones" with its huge choirs and march-like drum beats, while singing about how they are heroes now after killing the dragon and returning home victorious.
The fun is also there, especially in "Heavy Metal in the Night" but mainly in "H.M.J.", short for Heavy Metal… Jesus. These lyrics are a complete lol, and are a must-read.
There is some filler however, like "Kingdom of the Damned" or the aforementioned "Heavy Metal in the Night" which despite the funny things seems less inspired musically than some of the other tracks. The band shows here and will confirm with later albums that they just can't produce excellent mid-tempo stuff and should stick to the fast numbers in order to avoid writing complete filler.
Highlights? "The Prophecy" along with "Chasing the Dragon" due to their extreme headbanging qualities.
If you like cheese in your daily metal, get this.
Before they got into the whole metal as a religion craze and basically turning themselves into a quasi-tribute band, Dream Evil played power metal geared towards the rank and file Dungeons and Dragons metal head. One look at the album art on their debut draws up images early Hammerfall and Nocturnal Rites releases featuring armored warriors off to some epic battle with blazing riffs and blistering Malmsteen-influenced leads as their trumpet calls. Even the album's ending track features an orchestra tuning their instruments before exiting (put this at the beginning of the album and you get NR's "Tales of Mystery and Imagination").
Musically we get a fair mix of up tempo power metal riff monsters, mid-tempo 80s rock, Manowar true metal anthems, and even a cheesy power ballad in the same mode as Hammerfall. Originality isn't really much of a concern with this outfit on any of their releases, but at least here they've avoided becoming the metal cult wannabes that try to write themselves into the book of heavy metal. Gus G's guitar soloing is probably the most unfettered of anything he's done outside of Firewind, which is a definite plus as his solos tend to get better the longer he goes.
The vocal approach on here is surprisingly unpretentious, mostly due to the lack of half-hearted attempts at invoking Rob Halford. Niklas Isfeldt tends to shine the best in his middle and upper-middle range, where he tends to sound a bit like a hybrid of Klaus Meine and Joacim Cans. When he hits the high notes it doesn't sound forced and he is able to blend in well with backing vocalists during the choruses, something which a few bands don't seem to quite be able to pull off well, particularly seasoned veteran Timo Koltipelto, who was likely an influence on Isfeldt.
When considering the songs individually, everything is compact but well realized, except perhaps the ballad "Losing You" which drags on and brings out the worst aspects of Hammerfall's hit or miss ballad approach of late. "In Flames You Burn" is fast and catchy, almost like a better produced "Where the Dragon Lies Bleeding". "Kingdom of the Damned" has a solid opening riff, solid Priest emulation with a touch of knight-like gallantry. My pick for the best song on here is "The Chosen Ones", mostly for the triumphant chorus which sounds like an army of Vikings chanting hymns of Valhalla. "Hail to the King" is also pretty solid; the riffs are a little be derivative of Hammerfall's "Legacy of Kings", as is the case with the speed metal bruiser "The Prophecy", which sounds extremely similar to Nocturnal Rites' "Pentagram".
Amongst power metal's stronger 3rd tier bands is where Dream Evil hangs its hat, nothing original to speak of, but competent enough to rival many of their elders. "Dragonslayer" represents a less comical band that still knows how to have fun rather than sweat about sounding too much like someone else. If you want power metal with a bit more edge, Firewind and 1990s Nocturnal Rites would be where to go. However, if you do pick up a Dream Evil album, get either this one or "Evilized", you'll thank me later.
You know I had always thought that Dream Evil were just a laughably terrible band, that played nothing but cheesey, fluffy weak power metal. But after giving them a chance and listening to this album in it's entirety I realize these guys kick ass. I mean they have such a reputation of being cheesey beyond belief, but the music(at least on this album) is seriously good and seriously heavy most of the time. Lyrically they sound like they spent too much time in their parents basement playing D&D and listening to Sign of the Hammer, but it's all in good fun.
These guys are all great musicians as well. Some of the best, heaviest riffs I've heard from a modern band. And the drumming is always spot on. I do think their vocalist suffers a little bit from James Labrie/Joacim Cans syndrome, in that he has a pretty good voice and he's very technically sound, but he doesn't really have alot of range. And sometimes his voice is just TOO clear and comes off a little bland, but that's being pretty harsh because most of the time the guy kicks ass. And his sense for melody is awesome, tons of catchy as hell choruses to be found on here.
I'll give a quick run-thru of my favorite songs off the album:
The aptly titled In Flames You Burn kicks serious ass, probably my favorite song on the album. After a nice little accoustic intro(their vocalist sounds great here) the song kicks into high gear and turns speed metal on us. Awesome verses and an even better chorus, this is really heavy, quality power metal here. Near the end the music kinda stops and a shredding solo comes in, awesome awesome song and one of my favorite power metal songs ever.
Save Us is a nice heavy rocker like Chasing the Dragon only a little better, with a nice driving rythym. Although the vocal melody in the verses does seem a bit akward, they make up for it with great riffs and I love that part where he goes "you got to fight!" and a heavy chug comes in. Kingdom of the Damned is another great power metal song, very infectious chorus and some great riffs and melodies.
The Chosen Ones is incredibly epic, like mid era Blind Guardian in it's epicness. Very over the top, ridiculous lyrics but I love it. That solo is crazy, very inventive and with a great sense of melody. Heavy Metal in the Dark is about as cheesey as you might expect a song with that title to be. The verses have an awesome driving rythym that sounds like an army marching swiftly to battle. Some really heavy riffs and a nice vocal delivery. And Hail to the King closes off the album nicely, another heavy rocker.
I would definetly reccomend this album to anyone who likes Hammerfall, Gamma Ray, Nocturnal Rites, etc. Just good, heavy power metal(not too fluffy because it still has some balls.) Just put this album in and rock out.
Normally im not a big fan of power metal, infact i loathe it, but this is one of the few records that has won me over. I dont know why, but Dream Evil just have this brilliant, catchy and cheesy style of music that you cant say no too. Where this album does it for me is that i dont think they are taking themselves seriously in their cheesy lyrics( see Heavy Metal Jesus, The Chosen Ones, Heavy Metal in The Night) as opposed to other bads ie. Blind Gaurdian.
The instruments arent playing anything ground-breaking however they know how to write a great riff, such as The Profecy and Heavy Metal in the Night. The drums have some nices kick patterns in Save Us and are constant throughout. The vocals are my kind of power vocals, the ability to sing in a relativly normal key( ie. not 3octaves higher) however songs like Losing You do nothing for me.
All in all this is a good cheesy, mostly fast paced offering. Where as i cant stand Blind Gaurdian bands as such because of their stupid lyrics, choir vocals, hyper speeds and serious attitude, Dream Evil play a more 80's fast catchy and definatly tounge in cheek brand of Power/Heavy metal.
Based on the music, this is a fantastic album, one of the best power metal albums I have heard and probably my favorite album so far of 2002. It does have a couple of weird flaws that I will detail later.
The music is top notch, especially the great guitars with lots of fast and intricate work throughout. The singer is also very good. At no time was I left needed more musicianship.
A few of the lyrics seem to be Christian themed and certainly the song "H.M.J." (Heavy Metal Jesus) is Christian themed. However it's not preachy, I don't even call it Christian metal, it's just there. If you are a Christian you will probably appreciate it and if you are not Christian you will probably not notice it.
The songs together tell a tale, not so oddly about hunting and killing a dragon. However the songs seem to be out of order. In #1 they spot a dragon. In songs #2-5 they are fighting and chasing the dragon back to it's homeland. In song #6 they return home conquering heroes having killed the dragon. Then in song #8 they are back arriving in the dragon's homeland ready to fight it, this really confused me. I think song #6 should be at the end of the album. The song in question is "The Chosen Ones" and is the best song on the album so perhaps they sacrificed the storyline to move it to the heart of the album.
As stated above "The Chosen Ones" is the best song on the album, it's theme about the glory of conquering heroes is a recurrent theme in power metal and one that I personally cannot get enough of. "Chasing the Dragon", the album's opener is also stand out as is "Losing You" the album's power ballad. In several places the word usage on the album is odd, I think the lyricist might not have a complete grasp on the English language. The lyrical themes are of might, glory and dragons found so often in power metal. These types of lyrics usually have people loving it or hating it, I am sure you already know to which category you fall. Personally I love it.
Pointing out the couple of small flaws is just nit picking on my part, this is a phenominal album and if you like power metal you should pick this one up.


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President's house open
MC landmark built in 1822 offered as fundraising venue
May 10, 2013
The historic Wilcox-Mills House on Fifth and Putnam streets has been the home of Marietta College presidents for more than seven decades....
This Pres. and his wife are great folks..they enjoy, laugh,and appreciate students. This is a real blessing after too many years of seclusive, grouchy, unfriendly Jean Scott.
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Nasty comment about the former president I thought she was very nice, certainly not grouchy. Did your mother never teach you not to say anything about someone if it was not nice?a a nice article about the current president opening his home , was your opinion of Ms Scott really needed? Does it make your day?
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Under Bruno's watch...I just heard their newly appointed leader of their business programs used to be a oach and their Athletic Director??? Bruno seems nice...being nice does not mean effective leadership.
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UCL Biosciences
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1st Year Students 2015
Will you be starting a new undergraduate course in UCL Biosciences this September?
For further information, including induction week timetables and joining instructions, please see our Undergraduate Induction Week webpages.
IBSc Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology
This programme, based in England's oldest biomedical science department, aims to give IBSc students the opportunity to study and perform original research at the highest level. The programme offers access to an unusually wide range of research projects and taught modules provided by internationally-renowned scientists and teachers.
What You Will Study
Students arrange projects directly with the supervisor of their choice; see Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB) Academic Staff List. Students also have the option of selecting appropriate projects from other UCL departments. In CDB laboratories, students effectively become full members of the research team for up to six months. It is not unusual for IBSc projects to result in journal publications for student researchers.
The programme is supported by induction sessions and small group tutorials that cover key practical issues such as: Basic research skills; scientific method and philosophy; reading and understanding scientific papers; writing and presenting research reports; and, how to give an oral presentation.
Core Module:
Other modules may be selected from those run within the Division of Biosciences (with codes BIOC, BIOL, NEUR, PHAR or PHOL; some may have prerequisites), and occasionally from outside the Division. Approval of module selections must be obtained from the Programme Tutor. Module descriptions are found in the Faculty of Life Sciences Module Database.
Further Information
For further information on how to apply, please see the Medical School Application page.
Further further information on the programme please contact:
IBSc Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology Tutor: Prof. Tim Arnett
E-mail: email@example.com; Tel: +44(0)20 7679 3309; internal x 33309
IBSc Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology Administrator: Helen Jefferson-Brown
E-mail: email@example.com; Tel: +44(0)20 7679 2200; internal x 32200


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Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:34 pm
Post subject: Tender Belly
My tummy is so tender even Lexi sitting on my hurts Nothing can touch it at all
Its a constant pain prob at the top of my uterus that hurts even more when baby moves about that way.
Ive also had more stbbing pains in my lady parts today that have nearly doubled me over. Is this just stretching or do you think I should ing MW in the morning? :
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:47 pm
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:14 am
Post subject:
Hi hun...did you ring mw?
I have an uncomfortable pain at the top when she turns breach and she kicks down in my foof which is really uncomfortable. Never as bad when she's head down or transverse. But I'd say it's always best to ring mw if it's actual pain that doesn't ease xxx
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:23 am
Post subject:
Yep i rang and she said i cant help u ring mat ward I honestly only wanted advice. I didnt ring thr hospital cos im pretty sure thats it stretching pains cos i can actually feel my stomach is so tight an when she sticks her little bum out its sore.
Im at the hospital next wk so ill mention it then but id it does get worse in between i will ring xxx
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:55 am
Post subject:
I've been having the same. Unrelated to that I went into labour ward on Saturday with visual disturbances, just to check I didn't have high bp like last time, (which I didn't ) but when she examined me baby is fully engaged and I'm 1cm dialated. That's what all the stabbing pains down below have been. I've even been struggling to walk some days. My bump is also sore and has been for weeks. Mw said its her size.
Maybe things are happening for you too


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Last updated February 7, 2015. Created on February 17, 2008.
Edited by novid, camorim, Tor Arne Thune, jhodgdon. Log in to edit this page.
Adding support for RTL (Right to Left) languages involves overriding the lateral styles through cascades and naming the file based on the style sheet it is paired to. The inclusion of the RTL style sheet is automated. The inclusion of the file depends on the language settings set for the site.
For example, in the core theme Garland, "style.css" is the main style sheet. It also includes "style-rtl.css" for right to left languages like Arabic, Hebrew or Persian. The inclusion of the two styles always loads with the main style first and the RTL style second. This allows cascading of all the rulesets within the two files without having to worry about specificity in the selectors used in the RTL style.
There is a coding standard to keep the rules organized. Rules that are dependent on the lateral positioning or dimensions should be commented with
/* LTR */ indicating that the property is specific to a left to right layout. This includes floats, margins, padding, etc. Inline text should flow automatically as long as the theme sets the language direction of the document through the "page.tpl.php" template.
Example base style:
ul.primary-links {
margin-top: 1em;
padding: 0 1em 0 0; /* LTR */
float: left; /* LTR */
position: relative;
Corresponding RTL style:
ul.primary-links {
padding: 0 0 0 1em;
float: right;
While working with the main CSS file, this makes it easier to spot where changes may be needed in the RTL style.
Note that if your theme overrides a module style, the associated RTL style will be omitted unless it is present in your theme.
Looking for support? Visit the Drupal.org forums, or join #drupal-support in IRC.
thanks شكرا
I do not agree with the rule
I do not agree with the rule you mentionned (it would be good to have the source). Using that rule is "OK" if you have a main website using LTR and RTL is an option.
My approach - and this is what worked best for me until now - is to have 3 files:
- style.css should not contain anything that is "right" or "left" like (margins, padding, float, positions)
- style-rtl.css for rules that should only be used for RTL languages (Arabic for example)
- style-ltr.css for rules that should only be used for LTR languages (English for example)
This method fixes these things amount other:
- It doesn't assume that the website is LTR by default
- It doesn't "load" unused code, i.e unused CSS declarations and comments
- It doesn't force you to declare properties twice, I'm thinking about top and bottom margins or paddings: "margin: 0 10px 0 0;"
- It make separation of direction related code easier, one file for RTL declarations, one for LTR declarations and one for standard rules that will be used no matter what the language is.
Another thing worth mentionning is that the majority of programmers and more importantly theme designers use unfriendly CSS rules in terms of localizations, take this example:
// Example from a coder that is not aware of RTL
margin-right: 20px;
// To make RTL you have to do this,
margin-right: X /* You have to find (with firebug) what the value is if you disable the rule declared earlier*/;
margin-left: 20px;
Yet another thing worth mentionning for people who make themes is that they should:
- Avoid using left/right in ids and classes, instead use start/end or first/last
- Avoid using
text-align:left/rightand use


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Archive for June, 2010
Normalizing Disruptive TechnologiesAuthor: Debra Baker
Until I went to work for an electronic discovery company a few years ago, I never understood the concept of disruptive technology in the legal profession. It never occurred to me that lawyers would perceive as a negative something that has the potential to improve the way they do business.
Coming from a background in law firm client relationship management, I saw—and still see—an opportunity for law firms to adopt electronic discovery on a firmwide ("enterprise") basis and use their ability to streamline document review as a client service strategy.
For a host of reasons, that didn't happen. Instead, corporate legal departments saw how discovery technologies could provide them with more control over their documents and help them better manage outside counsel.
That's not because general counsel are any more innovative than their law firm counterparts. Most GCs, if given a choice, would focus on the legal issues their company faces and ignore operational issues altogether. But corporate counsels don't have a choice. They receive outside pressure to cut costs from the C-level suite and their boards. Technology is a normalization factor.
Law firm partners don't have the benefit of that outside party looking in and applying pressure. It's not that they don't know the benefits technology has to offer. They just lack sufficient pressure to take the proactive steps. The sense of urgency hasn't been there. They perceive the technology as disruptive.
Whether it is a document review platform, time-and-billing software or any other piece of technology, law firms need to start viewing technology the way their clients do.
Here are a few suggestions:
Incorporate technology into your client development strategy. When a client announces they are implementing a new piece of technology, find out why. Use the announcement as an opportunity to get client feedback. Ask why they chose the product; why they chose to bring it in house; whether the technology is part of a broader strategy and what that strategy is.
Ask for a seat at the table. If your client has a technology committee, ask if you can participate. It will give you the opportunity to better understand your client and the issues their executive or legal team faces. It will also give you an opportunity to provide value back to your firm.
Stop playing defense. If you think your client is making the wrong decision about their use of technology, play offense. Develop your firm's technology value proposition and ask for an opportunity to demonstrate how you and your firm can do it better. There is not a GC in the world who wouldn't listen to that conversation.
To me normalizing disruptive technology is as much about client relationship management as it is about matter management. There are only upsides for law firms in being part of that change.
It's A Dog's Life: The Art of DisciplineAuthor: Debra Baker
Everything I know about business, I learned from my dog Star
My husband and I are both in training. Steve is running the Chicago Marathon with hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon next April. I'm running in the America's Finest City half marathon here in San Diego with the hopes of … finishing.
Star is my training partner, at least on days when I have short easy runs. She's not much of a pace dog. When she runs with me, she sets my pace back about two minutes per mile. Nevertheless, she offers me what I need most: Discipline.
No matter how I feel in the morning, Star is there to get me going. If I try to roll over, she licks my face until I eventually get out of bed. If I try to grab a cup of coffee and crawl back into bed, she starts chasing her tail, barking incessantly. Star can't be ignored. Without her, I would probably skip half my morning runs.
Star understands discipline is the key to achieving a goal, whether it is a long race or attracting new clients. All the natural talent, planning and genuine desire to build business will not make you successful unless you execute on your plan in a consistent and ongoing way.
Business development is much the same way. There is seldom instant gratification. It takes time to build a foundation that will yield a return on your investment. Sometimes you wonder if your efforts are making any difference at all.
That said, once you reach that first milestone, it easy easy to look back and see how all the time and effort put in along the way ultimately paid off.
Last weekend, I ran for 100 minutes, probably the furthest I've ever run in my life. I didn't go far enough to finish a half marathon, but I did reach double digit mileage numbers for the first time. It was also the first time I could feel my efforts starting to pay off. I have Star to thank for that.
So think of Star the next time you don't feel like going to a networking event, delay asking a client for feedback or can't bear the thought of writing another article. She always keeps me going. Maybe she'll help you too.
Lawyers as Technologists: Making the Most of Legal Technology TradeshowsAuthor: Debra Baker
I'm heading up to Legal Tech West in Los Angeles today. Shows like these always remind me of the importance technology plays in demonstrating value to clients.
Legal technology tradeshows tend to be full of vendors and law firm IT staff. There is a lot of knowledge in these rooms. Too often, however, the crowds are singing to the converted rather than reaching the partners in management positions with decision-making authority. Lawyers who do attend often do so passively, securing their CLE credits and hitting the tradeshow floor to find the latest giveaway to take home to their five-year-old.
My partner Cathy Kenton just finished an article targeted toward our legal vendor clients called, "5 Last Minute Tradeshow Success Tips for Legal Vendors." The article was focused on how legal vendors can maximize their return on investment when exhibiting at trade shows.
It strikes me that lawyers could use some tips on how to maximize their time at tradeshows as well, so here are three simple approaches I recommend for the lawyers heading to Legal Tech or any other show featuring legal technologies.
1. Have a plan. Know your firm's business strategy and the types of technologies you use or are considering in order to achieve their goals. Once you know what you are trying to accomplish, you will be in a better position to evaluate what vendors at the show have to offer.
2. Bring a friend who understands the end game. In my experience, there is often a gap in knowledge between what lawyers want to accomplish and what technology does. As a result, the technology ends up frustrating. Walk the tradeshow floor with your CIO or a vendor-agnostic advisor who can help you connect the dots. For example, I like to walk the floor with my clients. I learn from their conversations with the vendors and am often able to help them consider ways to leverage technology that they have not considered before. It's a win-win for both of us.
3. It's not all about the next new thing. Most firms have invested significant amounts of money in legal technologies but few know how to leverage all the bells and whistles to get the best value for your money. Visit with vendors whose technology you own. Come armed with specific things you are trying to accomplish and ask them for best practices they've learned from their other clients.
Technology tradeshows like Legal Tech give attorney leaders the opportunity to step out of the day-to-day and start considering long-term opportunities to leverage technology to achieve business goals.
Everything I know about business development I learned from StarAuthor: Debra Baker
My dog Star is a 90-lb lab who stands close to five-feet tall when fully erect.
That's typically how you'll find her if you visit my house. She likes to stand with her front paws on the porch wall, so she can seek out a neighbor or passerby. We always know when she's found someone willing to show her some attention because her tail starts beating like a rapidly ticking metronome.
Star is not a brain surgeon, but she has a lot she could teach about business development. The truth is, when it comes to building relationships, Star is… well… a star. For this reason, I'm dedicating my Friday "lite" postings to the business lessons that Star has mastered.
It's a Dog's Life: The Art of Networking
For many lawyers, and people in general (myself included), the hardest part of relationship development can be starting the relationship, particularly if you don't have someone who can make an introduction. If this is the case for you, Star might be able to help.
Star's 7-step approach toward first meetings typically goes something like this:
1. Star sees target.
2. Star jumps on target.
3. Star licks face of target.
4. Star retreats to all fours.
5. Target pets Star on head.
6. Star rolls on back.
7. Target rubs Star's belly.
With that, the relationship is set in place. While Star could certainly benefit from some refinement in technique–she has been known to knock down a neighbor or two–she has the fundamentals mastered. I think there is something we all can learn from her when networking: Always Smile. Be approachable (see paragraph 2, tail wagging technique). Don't be afraid to make the first move.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Taking the First Steps Toward Value-Based BillingAuthor: Debra Baker
At the center of the discussion about building a value-based law firm is the topic of fee arrangements, specifically the desire to move away from hourly based billing toward alternative fee arrangements.
Although firms seem to be taking baby steps toward "value-based" billing models, it is clear –with apologies to Mark Twain—that reports of the death of the billable hour are an exaggeration.
It seems even well-intended parties on both sides struggle to turn a philosophical interest in value-based billing into an actionable arrangement upon which both sides can agree.
The ACC's Susan Hackett, in response to my June 9 post on Legal OnRamp called "Alternative Billing Baby Steps," noted, "I'd love to see both firms and departments defining value upfront in more ways than on an hourly basis, and doing the hard work of planning and executing the staffing and work models that deliver value as it's defined by the client and leveraged by the firm. I would rather see value structures that make the hourly business model in firms obsolete."
Susan is right in that real change won't happen until there is a commitment at the firm and client level. The challenge, of course, is that this is hard work that impacts staffing, compensation, technology infrastructure, business processes, recruiting, professional development and more. That's a lot of change for any organization, let alone a partnership-structured law firm.
To start moving in this direction, value-based billing needs to be integral part of a law firm strategic plan and integrated into a broader client relationship management program. Only then will law firms prioritize value-based billing and be able to create an actionable strategy to start moving toward the end game.
I propose three simple steps to get started. They are not new or particularly revolutionary. They also aren't hard, but few firms are doing them in a way that is moving them toward the result they want to achieve.
1. Listen to your clients. Identify the general counsel that are looking for institutional change in billing.
2. Define the end game. What is specific, ultimate goal for the law firm and the client?
3. Create an actionable plan that will allow you to move toward this goal in an incremental way.
By starting with the end, both sides know what success looks like. And, it will keep firm's from mistaking baby steps for the end game.
The Birth of Law Firm TransitionsAuthor: Debra Baker
In 2007 I left my position as firmwide marketing director at Heller Ehrman. At the time I certainly knew the firm was in trouble, but I never once believed the challenges it faced would be insurmountable.
I feel like Pollyanna saying this now, but I believed in Heller's core values, in the integrity of the partnership. At the end of the day, I thought that would be enough to turn the firm around. Lest anyone say differently, it was a good firm made up of high-quality people.
Heller's unfortunate legacy likely will be how its implosion served as the first tremor of a seismic shift across the legal industry. In the three years since leaving, I've watched from the sidelines as Heller closed its doors. I saw other law firms around the country struggle to stay afloat. I've witnessed the layoffs of thousands of lawyers and professional staff during the toughest economy of my lifetime.
Leaving Heller also gave me a new perspective on the legal industry, enabling me to regain the objectivity I once prided myself on in my first career as a legal journalist. Based on my own experience, as well as in conversations with partners, knowledge managers and marketing executives from law firms and legal departments around the country, several themes emerge:
1. Inefficiencies are rampant throughout all functions of law firms. Silos across firms result in duplicative efforts among individual lawyers, offices and practice groups.
2. Corporations are more sophisticated buyers of legal services than they have ever been in the past. As evidenced by initiatives such as the ACC Value Challenge, clients are leveraging their buying power by demanding more from their outside counsel.
3. Disruptive technologies will force law firms to change their business model. In-house lawyers understand this, but law firms are late to the game.
Even today the economy shoulders most of the blame for the struggling legal market. But for law firms, the financial crisis is merely symbolic of Dorothy pulling back the curtain on a weak wizard trying to keep his reign over a kingdom transforming before his eyes. The wizard behind this curtain is a business model that promotes inefficiency, fears innovation, and denies a client base demanding service levels few firms are able to meet.
To be sure, exceptions exist for every rule. A number of firms do address these challenges head on, but it is a slow process.
For all these reasons, Law Firm Transitions was born. My company, Legal Vertical Strategies, believes value-driven legal service models are the future for law firms.
As a principal at LVS, I have the unique opportunity of working with both buyers and sellers of legal services—law firms and legal vendors.
I plan to draw upon that experience to help drive the needed dialogue to define and implement these changes. Along the way, we'll talk about best practices for driving revenue and growing client relationships.
I certainly don't have all the answers and hope you will join the conversation to share your thoughts and advice as well.


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Man sentenced for killing friend
Dustin Trimm was under the influence when he pleaded out, says defense
A man who confessed to fatally shooting his friend and burying the body in the northern New York woods three years ago has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The Watertown Daily Times reports that 38-year-old Dustin Trimm of Winthrop was sentenced Monday by a St. Lawrence County Court judge who rejected a motion by Trimm's lawyer to have the plea agreement waived and a trial scheduled.
The lawyer claimed Trimm was under the influence of drugs when he pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter for killing 21-year-old Jason Wing of Fort Covington in August 2010. Wing's body was found in a rural area near the Canadian border early last year.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.