text:
Sunday, 9 November 2008
observer ONLINE
By Anushka WITHANAGE
CRICKET: Sangabodhi College, Nittambuwa, who have been playing first
XI cricket for 12 years, are expecting to see a long felt dream come
true this year.That is when they play their inaugural big match this
The college principal D.N.K.G.B. Disanayake speaking to Sunday
Observer said that still their big match opponents have not been
"We will have to select from a few schools in Gampaha.
Presently, we are having discussions with some schools to finalise
it," he said.
Cricket was introduced to Sangabodi College, Nittambuwa in 1996. They
are playing in the Division III. At Sangabodi College, cricket begins
from Under-12 age group.
The first XI cricket team won third place in the Lemonade Cup
tournament in (1999), Under-13 team was selected to the second round of
the Astra Cup (2007) and the Under-15 team qualified to the
quarter-finals of the 'Lakbima Tournament' (2008)
Cricket has now reached a adequate standard at the school in
comparison to the early years. Cricketers have improved immensely with
technical and other skills, he said.
There are two coaches, namely R.M. Sahan Niroshan who is the General
Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association and the other coach is
W.L.P. Gamini Wijesinghe. He is an Umpire of the Sri Lanka Cricket
Association and the School Cricket Association, respectively.
According to coach Sahan, the difference between Colombo Schools and
Outstations Schools is that Colombo Schools have a lot of opportunities
to develop whereas outstations schools have only limited facilities.
Sangabodi College first XI team is scheduled to play Anura Central
College Yakkala, Chandrajothi College Yakkala, Senarath Paranvithana
College Udugampola, Kiridiwela Central College, Henagama Central
College, St. Thomas College Bandarawela and St. Aloysius College
Ratnapura, respectively.
"Actually our school cricket team has no big history. But, our team
is a big challenge to other Gampaha District school teams in cricket,"
said Sangabodi College captain Amila Shan.
The school has set up an organisation called the Past Cricketers
Association and also another organization called Cricketers' Parents
Association to look into the welfare of the cricketers and improve on
the quality of cricket at the school.
Samantha Guruge (District Coach) and Rathnasiri Bandara
(Master-in-charge) are also assisting the team.
The leading batsmen in the team are Hansaka Tamara, Amila Shan, Kasun
Anurudda, Udesh Nuwan and Mohomend Afraz. Akila Milan is the top spinner
in the team. He is a right-arm off-spinner. Chamara Atapattu, Kasun
Eranga, Nirmal Madushanke, Sumith Nisala are the leading pacemen in the
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text:
From the rooftop, Chad could see the Texas sun slick across the asphalt with a sheen that reminded him of Vader's helmet gliding through the Death Star's corridors. Soon, that asphalt would be rushing toward him faster than a Force Push, and still he couldn't stop thinking about a childish sci-fi franchise, a silly story that had never requited his love. He tossed the Kinect Star Wars disc like he was still a bro playing Ultimate Frisbee on the quad, and it spun lazily, glittering like fool's gold as it fell. For the last two years, Chad had been deep its midichlorian-soaked world, and as he watched it drift downward, he asked himself, where did it all go wrong?
Like every game, they'd started with a stomach-churning burst of dread and anticipation. The Microsoft rep who first came to their studio to reveal their next big project was a fun guy, and his excitement over their motion controller got everyone psyched. He bounced around like a kid when he showed them how the camera could follow your moves, and even though his sloped, simian forehead and low-hanging arms produced a lot of never-to-be-repeated office jokes, everyone was geared up to finally be the ones to fulfill the dream of this generation's motion controllers: a game that let you enact childhood lightsaber battles and have your every swipe translate to the screen.
It would have been great. Every time the programmers brought in a new prototype, Chad joined the staff in the hip, minimalist gaming room ready to fling himself around like he did the very first time he came out of Star Wars—we didn't call it "A New Hope" back then, it was always just simple, awesome Star Wars—swinging his arms around so much his dad had to hold him with gentle restraint before he put a dent in some other family's car. Mom laughed, and said he had imagination. And he did, back then, he really could imagine things. Even two years ago, when they started, he could imagine a game that would be a new standard in interactive entertainment.
But all the creativity in the world couldn't solve the problem that turned every game-room gathering into a glum chorus of noncommittal grunts. It wasn't the programmers' fault, not really; it's hard to create a consistent virtual swordfight when your real-world arms aren't knocked back by an enemy's parry, creating a constant displacement between your actual position and your character. But it was the tech that was the real killer; the Kinect's tendency to lose track of your arms every time they crossed your torso meant the two-handed grip favored by the galaxy's great Jedi just wasn't possible, and every time they couldn't implement an aspect of a real lightsaber duel (funny how he'd come to think of those glorious fictions as "real" over the years), Chad's in-the-way arms would drop to his sides and he'd feel all his dreams draining slowly out of him, pulling his whole body down like a middle-aged gut.
Even two years ago, when they started, he could imagine a game that would be a new standard in interactive entertainment.
Everyone knew the lightsaber duels had to be the heart of a motion-controlled Star Wars game, so they'd built the whole single-player campaign around a great battle on the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk, with the player running, jumping, Force-flinging enemies around and slashing through waves of comical droids and sinister mercenaries. But nothing worked. The stench of failure drifted out of the little black Kinect and settled like a miasma over every aspect of the game, until even the basic level design and pacing was so confusing that they had to flash an icon on the screen every damn time they player was supposed to jump or dodge. When Chad tested builds of the levels, he felt like the developers were grabbing his limbs and waggling him like a marionette in a desperate attempt to simulate the appearance of fun. He would try to smile, sometimes, thinking that maybe if he just acted like he was having a good time he'd feel a little less like a mouse getting electrical prods, but he just couldn't pretend any of this was like playing a video game. Guess he just didn't have the imagination.
They all knew this project was going terribly wrong, and that was when Dave suggested that they add some mini-games. "This is basically a casual title anyway," Dave chirped in the meeting, "So we can add some quick-to-learn mini-games, make 'em fun, and no one will even remember the problems with the campaign." Chad wanted to like Dave (the higher-ups sure did), but he was enraged by Dave's love of those easy solutions that made him management's golden boy; it sometimes felt like Dave thought anyone who played their games was stupid. Maybe Dave was right. But no bad game has ever been redeemed by mini-games, why would this one be different? They threw in nice touches when they could: It was Chad's idea to have C-3PO ask where you'd gone if you stepped out of the Kinect's view, a fun joke that worked with the tech instead of fighting it. But a few nice touches don't make up for slapping your customer in the face.
Still, it was the best idea anyone had, so they threw together a podracing game that didn't provide any of the competitive violence of the real thing ("There's that word again, Chad: 'real'!" he snarled at himself, "Whaddya still believe in interplanetary fairy tales?"), but at least steered consistently. It didn't do anything that other Kinect racing games hadn't already implemented, but at least it didn't make you think the Kinect itself was a completely failed peripheral, and the higher-ups would like that.
They added a mini-game where you can stomp around as a Rancor, even based it on the arcade classic Rampage with lots of eating civilians and fighting off police; whatever Star Wars nostalgia they'd once felt was long dried up, so maybe recalling a beloved arcade title would make them feel like there was still some joy in the world. There was no reason to play Rancor mode more than once, no real challenge or exploration involved, but at least it let Chad stomp around and watch people scream, and he could pretend those people were all the executives who'd given him an impossible task and not enough time to finish it. After a few minutes of throwing droids and biting the heads off space colonists, the tears would start, and before he knew it, he'd be curled up on the industrial-carpeted floor, the Kinect watching him coldly while he sobbed like a goddamn baby, knowing no one would ever love this game he'd made, no one would ever remember it and feel innocent and happy the way they still felt about the stupid goddamn movies that got him into this mess.
And then there was the dancing game. After those sons of bitches at Harmonix got everyone tweeting that Dance Central was the only great game for the controller, management said it was time to put a dancing game into Kinect Star Wars, and hell, why not, it's not like the project had any coherence or integrity left. Why not have Slave Leia shaking her bikini to sub-Weird Al pop-song parodies with Star Wars themes? At least it'd be fun, and that was something in short supply around the office these days. There was no real reason anyone would want to play it (the moves weren't as fun as what those lousy Boston hipsters came up with for their dancing game, and it was only after the game went gold master that they realized they'd never put any kind of move training in), but at least it would get the Internet talking about them, if only to gawp at the sight of Stormtroopers dancing around to a "Y.M.C.A." parody: "It's fun to be in the Eeeempire today." Jesus, Chad could remember when the frozen, monochromatic frowns of Stormtroopers were the first thing he thought of when his history professor talked about the faceless face of state terror, and now they were slapping their knees with their elbows and he'd made it happen.
Chad stepped to the edge of the roof. Was it time? The game was in stores now, and if he stood still, he could almost hear a thousand children cry out when they brought home the game that took so much of their hard-earned allowance and gave them an experience that was, at its very best, bad enough to be funny.
No. Chad wasn't going to jump, and he knew it. Dave had been right all along; anyone who bought Star Wars merchandise had burned out their critical facilities more than a decade ago, and Microsoft was going to push this thing so hard that it wouldn't matter if the disc had been nothing but a two-hour movie of the developers' buttcheeks farting at the viewer, it would still sell just fine.
Chad took one last, longing look at the drop, imagining what a sweet relief it would be to have all his limbs shatter so completely that he'd never again have to jump around in front of his Xbox and watch a digital avatar pathetically try to follow him. Then he turned around and shuffled back to the elevator. Work had already begun on the sequel, and he had until Thursday to program three dance routines for Jar-Jar. This time, it was going to be great. This time, he knew it.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
newznab and the elusive -INFPosted: April 13, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: howto, INF, newznab, nnplus 3 Comments
Some people running newznab can run into an issue if the connection to the news provider is lost during backfill, and the only thing which happen is that it will spit out:
Getting next article date... -INF
Error : Failed to write to socket! (connection lost!)
The only "standard" way to fix this is to stop the process and start again. This should not be necessary as the only thing the code needs to check for is "-INF", and then just stop processing that group.
Adding the following to /www/lib/backfill.php at line 259
if(($pos !== false)) {
echo "Something went horrible wrong!!....n";
return "";
just after
if($debug) echo "Getting next article date... $upperboundn";
Will break the loop and make it process the next group.
iTunes scrollbar in ApplicationsPosted: November 11, 2007 Filed under: apple, osx | Tags: apple, howto, osx Leave a comment
I just wrote and entry about how to get nice scrollbars in Finder.
Well there is a way to do the same in other Applications which does not get the resources from OSX. In for example Firefox, copy the Extras2.rsrc to /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources, restart Firefox and the scrollbar looks like it does in iTunes.
Only thing is that I now need to find a Theme which makes it look nice, as, as it is not it does look a bit odd….
iTunes scrollbar in FinderPosted: November 11, 2007 Filed under: apple, osx | Tags: apple, howto, osx 1 Comment
Even though [stag]Apple[/stag]have said that they have made the Leopard GUI unified, there are still a few things which are lacking. For example the scrollbars in [stag]Finder[/stag] are not as nice as in [stag]iTunes[/stag].
I stumbled over this Italian blog which describes how to change the look of the scrollbars in Finder.
It's in Italian which I do not understand but the Extras.zip which is for download on the website, have a readme.rtf which also have the instructions in English.
But the easy way of doing it is;
1) download file
2) extract the file
3) copy Extras.rsrc (PowerPC) or Extras2.rsrc (MacIntel) to /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/
4) make sure that root:wheels is the owner of the file (#sudo chown root:wheel Extras2.rsrc)
5) restart Finder (#sudo killall Finder)
And then the Finder windows will have a nice scrollbar.
Now, next step is to figure out how to do that for all Applications….
CarbonCopy and OSX 10.4.8 (Intel)Posted: December 13, 2006 Filed under: apple | Tags: apple, howto, software Leave a comment
If you as I, have been trying to get CarbonCopy (CCC) to work on your IntelMac, and successfully failed, then what?
Well as it turnes out it looks like the problem is not CCC, but psync which is used to do the actual copy, so if you did click the 'install psync' in CCC, then it will install a psync which is compiled for Perl 5.8.1 – guess what 10.4.8 comes with Perl 5.8.6.
So what you need to do is
1) remove the 'wrong' version of psync;
# sudo rm /usr/bin/psync
# sudo rm -rf /Library/Perl/5.8.1
2) install the development tools
3) download MacOSX::File from CPAN (http://search.cpan.org/dist/MacOSX-File/)
4) compile and install it
# tar zxfv MacOSX-File-0.71.tar.gz
# cd MacOSX-File-0.71
# perl Makefile.pl
# make
# make test
# sudo make install
And then CCC should work…. That is not so difficult, but slightly anoying.
Howto block scripts kiddie'sPosted: August 18, 2005 Filed under: computers | Tags: computers, howto, software Leave a comment
So you probably have the same issue as I do – you see '[sshd] … Invalid user … ', a couple of hundred times a day. And would like to stop that, well you could write a script which scannes the /var/log/secure every couple of seconds, or you could do as I did.
First I figured out how to read from syslog in realtime. Next came the big one, how to make the whole thing work. Well I knew that my pipe was working, and the daemon thing – well it was running, but howto make it work. After some hours the result is actually working, and I only see one entry in my secure syslog per attempt to break in, and also only one entry in iptables (timing is the issue here).
If you're interested in the code download it block_idiots_ssh.pl
It should be self explaining, otherwise use www.google.com to find out what it does (there are some pretty good perl sites out there) – not the most pretty perl code ever produced, but hey it is working.
Howto process syslog log filesPosted: August 17, 2005 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: howto Leave a comment
There are tools out there which will process (and do other things) the syslog log files. But if you just need to look for specfic things in the logfiles, then somehow installing Snort might be a bit drastic. So what other options are there.
Syslog can log to files (which is quite normal), or FIFO pipes. The syntax for pipes are:
facilty.priority |<path>/<pipe -file>
To create the pipe use mkfifo:
# mkfifo <path>
An example of how to set this up in syslog.conf:
authpriv.* |/tmp/syslog-secure.pipe
authpriv.* /var/log/secure
The above example will make sure that authpriv.* will be send to both a file and a pipe. Now the next thing which is needed is a program (preferable a daemon), which will continue to read the pipe, and do interesting stuff
For that I use perl… To be continued
Daemonize Perl – or howto create a daemon in PerlPosted: August 17, 2005 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: howto, software 5 Comments
Perl have never been something I've looked in to as it is not as easy (I think as) as what I'm used to, which is C/C++, PHP, Shell scripts, etc. But I've found out that there are a few things where nothing beats Perl, and one of them is to create small deamons (and also programs) which only exist because I got an "excelent" idea.
Having my own server, one of the most anoying things I see everyday is people who is trying to login to my server with SSH, so I get my log filled up with stuff like "Aug 17 01:54:22 blabla sshd[9821]: Invalid user blabla from ::ffff:123.456.789.123", and in some cases hundreds of them every day. So looking into how syslog works, it turned out that one can actually have multible log facilities pointing to diffrent targets. But more about that later, read another blog entry
The problem is that a daemon is require in an enviroment where one wants to monitor events which happens now. Writing deamon's is possible in almost every programming language, but Perl *) is good at one thing, it have everything, and then a bit. Especially the way one can use regular expressions directly in the language helps.
*) Yes I could do it in C or C++ (which probably would make more sense), but I could not be bothered, and this was a good excercise in learning Perl.
So I set up trying to figure out how to do this, and found that it is not too difficult (I'm a great believer in cut 'n paste), and a skeleton would look like this:
use strict;
use POSIX qw(setsid);
use LWP::Simple;
# flush the buffer
$| = 1;
# daemonize the program
while(1) {
# Do interesting stuff here…….
# here is where we make ourself a daemon
sub daemonize {
chdir '/' or die "Can't chdir to /: $!";
open STDIN, '/dev/null' or die "Can't read /dev/null: $!";
open STDOUT, '>>/dev/null' or die "Can't write to /dev/null: $!";
open STDERR, '>>/dev/null' or die "Can't write to /dev/null: $!";
defined(my $pid = fork) or die "Can't fork: $!";
exit if $pid;
setsid or die "Can't start a new session: $!";
umask 0;
See that is not to difficult, I will continue my saga about how to stop idiots trying to access my box.


text:
Date of Stay: September, 2013
We are so excited with the spring and summer coming so we can head back to Along the River! This is one of the cleanest, friendliest campgrounds around. Sites are large and well maintained and the owners are amazing.They go out of their way to make your trip a pleasant one. Pets welcome. The shower houses and restrooms were very clean. Benches along the river to sit at and a playground for the kiddos! Definitely a 10 in our books!
Date of Stay: July, 2013
One of the friendliest R.V. Campgrounds we have ever stayed at! Family friendly and pets too! The owners make you feel like you are right at home! Large spacious lots, and super clean. Bathrooms and showers are super clean and well maintained. Quiet time is enforced so it is a pleasant stay for everyone. Already made 2 more reservations here. A must stay park.


text:
Pirated Apps are now appearing on BlackBerry App World
New Delhi, India, January 09, 2013: Its about to the launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system, Research In Motion has caught up with another problem. A developer posted on Reddit saying that apps, which are found in the BlackBerry's store and are packaged as BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10 apps are actually Android apps.
"Apparently RIM has made it very easy to repackage existing Android apps for BB10 / Playbook OS. They even have an online tool that will take an Android APK and turn it into a BB-compatible BAR file that can then be published on BlackBerry App World.
Which is great, if it wasn't for the fact that they don't seem to check the origin of the apps. I recently had two users email me about certain compatibility problems. They did mention that they were using Playbooks, but I figured they were running some kind of Android ROM on their devices. I asked one of them for his Google account, and he informed me that he only had a BB ID, not a Google account, and that he had downloaded the app from BB App World.
Sure enough, someone had downloaded my app from Google Play, converted the APK and published it for BB using his account, along with half a dozen other Android apps that were obviously not his own. Most of them have since been taken down, but his account remains active, and he still has three apps published that look like they might be from Google Play."
This might mar the image of BlackBerry as RIM has already started to send BlackBerry 10 devices to enterprises for testing. In a CNET report, a RIM spokesperson said, "If a developer believes that their copyright or trademark rights are being infringed by third-party content on the BlackBerry App World storefront, the developer can submit a complaint to our IP team and the issue will be reviewed. In the case of copyright or trademark violations, the offending content will be removed immediately.


text:
Local garden columnist wins gold in Chicago
July 8, 2013
The Union's garden columnist has won a national award for her book, "The Seasoned Gardener."
ForeWord Reviews' 15th annual Book of the Year Awards, judged by a select group of librarians and booksellers from around the country, were announced June 28 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. The winners exemplify the best work coming from today's independent, university and small-press communities. With 1,300 entries from more than 600 publishers, 248 winners were selected in 62 categories.
"The Seasoned Gardener" by Carolyn Singer was honored with the gold in the category of home and garden. Singer has been a garden columnist for The Union since March 2006. Garden Wisdom Press in Grass Valley is the publisher of "The Seasoned Gardener."
The winners were selected by dozens of librarians and booksellers who are experts in the genres they judged and who make purchasing decisions daily for their collections or bookstores.
ForeWord Reviews, a quarterly print journal dedicated to reviewing independently published books, was established in 1998 to provide booksellers, librarians, agents and publishing professionals with reviews of the best titles from small, alternative and academic presses.


text:
[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
Re: check inside a loop?
For the specific example you posted, first using f[x_]= rather then f[x_]:=
forces Mathematica to evaluate the right hand side of the definition at the
time of definition of f, and it is replaced by Csc[x] which does not return
an error message. It returns ComplexInfinity without the message. In
addition, use Pi with capital P
Next, For and Do loops DO NOT return values. you need to use some sort of
breaking mechanism or collect the values of i when the error is generated,
for example, Catch and Throw (breaks at the first error) or Reap and Sow
(collect all errors)
Reap[Do[If[Check[f[i], "zzz"] == "zzz", Sow[i]], {i, 0, 2,
1/4}]] // Rest
Catch[Do[If[Check[f[i], "zzz"] == "zzz", Throw[i]], {i, 0, 2, 1/4}]]
On 8/31/07, Jeremy Price < cfgauss at u.washington.edu> wrote:
> I have a large loop that is ndsolving/nintegrating a bunch of things, and
> a
> lot of the results give me various errors due to the equations not being
> very nice. I'd like to have a way to check what values of my paramaters
> are
> causing the errors, but I can't find a way to do that inside a loop.
> For example, if I have something like,
> f[x_] = 1/Sin[2 pi x]
> For[ i=1, i < 1000, i++,
> f[i]
> ]
> I'm going to get a lot of "Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0
> encountered." errors. I'd like to see what values of i these occur at.
> I've tried something like
> For[ i=1, i<1000, i++,
> Check[ f[i] , i]
> ]
> But this just returns "Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0 encountered."
> errors without the i vaule, which is different than I get by evaluating
> something like
> Check[ f[0],0]
> Which returns:
> Power::infy: Infinite expression 1/0 encountered.
> 0
> Is there any way I can get it to return the index that the error occured
> at
> for every error that occurs inside of the loop?


text:
A little about meFlag Profile
Short Bio: I live in upstate new york. I'm a Mac user to the core, been using one since i was in diapers. I run cross country and track. Wanna do CS in college and hopefully work at my dream job... Apple Inc.
Machine: -PowerMac G5 - 1.6 GHz PowerPC 970 (aka G5) - 2 GB RAM - 120 GB HD - 64 MB NVidia GeForce FX 5200:


text:
Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill
The House Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provides $32.09 billion in discretionary budget authority, $87.5 million, or 0.3 percent, above the enacted FY 2012 levels and $965 million below the president's request, a 2.9 percent decrease.
The bill includes $26.1 billion for the Department of Energy, $4.8 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers and $948 million for the Department of the Interior (primarily for the Bureau of Reclamation with the rest of Interior funded through other bills). The spending levels in the bill do not exceed the 302(b) allocations adopted by the Appropriations Committee, which are consistent with the overall spending level approved by the House in the Budget Resolution (H. Con. Res. 112).
Civilian Energy Programs. The bill includes $8.98 billion for civilian energy programs, 8.5% below the administration's request of $9.82 billion. The bill provides $1.4 billion for DOE's Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, a decrease of $886 million or 39% from the president's request and $428 million or 24% below fiscal year 2012. The bill provides the DOE's Office of Science funding of $4.8 billion, $191 million, or 3.8% percent, below the administration's request and $72 million below last year's level. The bill also continues the reinstatement of activities at the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository and includes $25 million for the nuclear waste fund and licensing, which was discontinued by the administration in its fiscal year 2012 request.
Water Programs. The Army Corps of Engineers would receive $4.8 billion, $188 million less than in 2012, or 3.8 percent, but $83 million above the president's request. The bill provides $927 million, $68 million or 6.8% less than the fiscal year 2012 request for the Bureau of Reclamation.
The bill provides $27 million, $3 million below the President's request and equal to current year levels, for navigation and flood control construction activities.


text:
Love this little girl…she gave me such goosebumps!
We had to check out XFactor USA to see Britney, right? Still love The Voice but happened to catch this adorable 13 year old girl named Carly Rose Sonenclar – she sang one of our favorite songs ever: Feeling Good by Nina Simone. Her performance is AMAZING – you have to see it to believe it!


text:
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted.[1][2]
In addition to the cast members with speaking parts, the read-through is usually attended by the principal financiers or studio executives, producers, heads of department, writers, and directors. It is extremely rare for anyone not involved in the production to be permitted to attend. It is usually the first time everyone involved in the production will have gathered together and it is traditional to go around the table (usually a ring of tables, in fact) and allow everyone to introduce themselves by both name and job. The director may then open proceedings by making a short speech outlining his or her aspirations for the project.
An additional professional actor not otherwise involved in the production may be hired to read the non-dialogue parts of the script such as scene headings and action. These parts of the script are usually edited down severely for the purposes of the read-through to keep the pace of the reading up.
In film[edit]
The read-through is an important milestone in the production of most films. It is a clear signal that all of the key elements, including cast, finance, and heads of department, are in place and that pre-production is almost complete. It is often the first time that the script has had a life beyond the written word, and it is also an opportunity for everyone involved in production to get at least a partial insight into the way the actors may approach their roles. In addition, a read-through is often a surprisingly powerful tool for identifying problem areas in the script. Wooden dialogue, unbelievable situations or boring sections of the film which have not been addressed during the script development process are often writ large in the read-through, and may now come under intense scrutiny.[3]
It is traditional to treat the read-through as a cold reading. Because the actors have had no rehearsal time, and may not even have discussed the project much with the director, they are not expected to give a performance but simply to read the words on the page. Some actors including major Hollywood stars will indeed read their entire role in a flat monotone, whereas others (often actors from the theatre, or character actors with relatively minor parts) will 'go for it' and are often the most entertaining part of the process.[citation needed]
The read-through can be very nerve-wracking for the producers, director, writer and executives. Despite the fact it is supposed to be a cold reading, everyone is on the alert for possible casting or script problems—a lack of chemistry between the principals, a key player who lacks charisma, a script which has logic problems or is obviously extremely boring. Even in their very short introduction, it may become clear that the director is unsure of himself or herself, or finds it difficult to communicate ideas. On the other hand, it can be extremely exciting to finally see a project which may have been in development for many years finally begin to take on a life of its own.
In his book Adventures in the Screen Trade, screenwriter William Goldman describes the read-through as the most important part of film production, because, if the script is right and the cast is right, there's not much else that can go wrong.
In an unusual[citation needed] example, the Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Table Read" consists entirely of recorded footage of a read-through for an early version of the episode "Fire Ant".
Further reading[edit]
- So You Want to be a Theatre Director? (2004) by Stephen Unwin, ISBN 1-85459-779-5[4]
- Persistence of Vision: An Impractical Guide to Producing a Feature Film for Under $30,000 (1995), by John Gaspard, Dale Newton, Gaspard Newton, ISBN 0-941188-23-X[5]
- Friendly Enemies: Maximizing the Director-actor Relationship (2003), by Delia Salvi, ISBN 0-8230-7944-9[6]
- ^ Campbell, Drew (2004). 2, ed. Technical Theater for Nontechnical People (page 210-211). Allworth Communications, Inc. p. 272. ISBN 1-58115-344-9.
- ^ Leach, Robert (2008). Theatre Studies: The Basics (pgs 135-137). Routledge. p. 194. ISBN 0-415-42639-1.
- ^ Proferes, Nicholas T. (2004). 2, ed. Film Directing Fundamentals: See Your Film Before Shooting (page 143). Focal Press. p. 296. ISBN 0-240-80562-3.
- ^ Unwin, Stephen (2004). So You Want to be a Theatre Director? (pgs 104-105). Nick Hern Books. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-85459-779-3.
- ^ Gaspard, John; Dale Newton (1995). Persistence of Vision: An Impractical Guide to Producing a Feature Film for Under $30,000. Gaspard Newton (Illustrated ed.). M. Wiese Productions. p. 437. ISBN 0-941188-23-X.
- ^ Salvi, Delia (2003). Friendly Enemies: Maximizing the Director-actor Relationship (Illustrated ed.). Watson-Guptill. ISBN 0-8230-7944-9.


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How odd... Just yesterday Out-of-Work actor emailed me suggesting I write a blog on men's hair when, lo-and-behold, this story was released.
It's Brylcreem's list of the best and worst British male celebrity hairstyles of the year.
And a curious list it is...
For one, James Morrison's hair is utterly vile. It is greasy and rank and definitely not worthy of the number two spot on the list.
Secondly, how is Paul Bettany's hair ranked fifth worst, when it is virtually the same cut as Jude Law's and Gary Barlow's - both of whom topped the best hair lists?
Finally, at least two of the men on the 'best' list have shaved heads.
While I am actually quite a fan of the shorn look, I'm not sure it's actually eligible for the list.
There is a marked difference between good hair and no hair...
Men's hair is a curious beast. I couldn't tell you what makes a good man's haircut but I can spot a bad one a mile away.
I do know this much though; when it comes to hair, you get what you pay for.
Many men insist on getting $15 haircuts from the local barber who has been doing their hair since childhood - and it shows.
A good stylist is invaluable. They will take your "short back and sides" direction and make you look good.
But do not fall into the trap of giving a stylist free reign with your hair.
A former flatmate once went to a salon (a particularly nasty, mall-based chain salon) and told the girl to do "whatever".
He returned two hours later with what can only be described as leopard-like spots of brown "lowlights" through his naturally blonde hair.
And a set of poofy hair curtains not seen since the days of Chandler Bing in the first season of Friends.
It was only after a week of constant harassment from friends and family that he returned to the salon and insisted she fix it.
The end result was little better, but at least the leopard spots had gone.
The whole situation could have been avoided had said flatmate stuck to the two most basic principles of men's hairstyling.
1. Unless you are in a boyband or married to a Spice Girl, men should not dye their hair.
2. No male over nine and under sixty years old should have a centre part.
Live and learn people.


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You missed it This great deal for Body Tune Health Management is over. But don't despair, we've got more great deals every day.
Being in tune with your body means knowing when it's time to lie down on a comfy couch and let an expert masseuse work their magic. And, wise people of the world, that time is now. Body Tune Health Management is offering an hour-long remedial massage in their South Morang or Collins Street clinics for just $39 (valued at $77 and $90 respectively) - surely the ideal excuse to indulge? Remedial massage soothes both body and soul, manipulating muscles, tendons and ligaments and helping you say bye-bye to mental or physical fatigue, both now and in the future. Your body's telling you, you need a one-to-one with a professional, experienced massage therapist. The least you can do is listen.
Enjoy By August 12, 2012
buy before time's up. or else kitteh gets it.
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3 pairs of premium underwear. 4 panel construction maximizes comfort. 95% Lenzing Modal®, 5% Elastane. Flat, double-lock stitching for no chafing. Multi-piece, double layer, contoured pouch for support and freedom of movement. Jacquard, felted waistband for comfort.
100% Gamechanger Guaranteed Underwear Try-On Read More
All orders are eligible for a prepaid return label - send us your old socks and/or underwear and we'll recycle them for free. read more


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Kiradech retains lead in weather-hit Malaysian Open
World number three Luke Donald partially recovered from his opening round of 74 and was even par after seven holes in the second round.
Kuala Lumpur: Big-hitting Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat birdied his last hole of the day to retain his lead on day two of the weather-hit Malaysian Open on Friday. For the second successive day, thunderstorms led to delays and the Thai had turned in a three-under-par 33 after nine holes of his second round to reach 10 under when it became too dark to continue at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
World number three Luke Donald partially recovered from his opening round of 74 and was even par after seven holes in the second round. Three-times major winner Padraig Harrington, who opened his campaign with a strong 69, was one under through six holes on Friday.
South African Charl Schwartzel overcame extreme heat and a late lapse in concentration as he and China's Ashun Wu set the clubhouse target at nine under par with matching 68s.
Left stranded at four under after 11 holes following a similar weather-interruption on Thursday, Schwartzel returned to first complete an opening round of five-under 67 and followed it with a 68.
"I can't be too hard on myself because it's extraordinarily hot out there," said the 2011 Masters winner, who started from the 10th and was going six under for the day before dropping two shots in a row on the sixth and seventh.
"I lost a bit of concentration towards the end and made bad decisions on the sixth and seventh - poor club selections. I was in the middle of the fairway both times and made bogey. I hit a very poor shot on the seventh."
Playing on a sponsor's invitation, China's Wu completed the remaining six holes of his first round before joining Schwartzel on the clubhouse lead at the $2.75 million Asian Tour co-sanctioned event.
"I think it's important to play with a strategy in mind and choosing the right clubs will matter as well. I've been in a good form lately and I hope to maintain that," said Wu.
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tickets available at the door
Event Details
DIVE (featuring Dirk Ivens of The Klinik & Absolute Body Control) make their first Southern California in over a decade! This is a West Coast exclusive performance. Also playing are Blush Response and High-Functioning Flesh!
For table reservations please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
For table reservations please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Event Location
Complex LA
806 E Colorado St, Glendale, CA, 91205
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DIVE (feat Dirk Ivens of The Klinik/Absolute Body Cootrol) / High-Functioning Flesh / Blush Response


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The University of Pavia (Italian: Università degli Studi di Pavia, UNIPV) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and has nine faculties.
The oldest colleges, the Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri, were built in the 16th century, and in more recent times others were founded through both public and private initiatives: the Nuovo College, the Santa Caterina College and other eleven colleges EDiSU. In 1997 the IUSS, was established, a Higher Learning Institution (in Italian, "Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori") analogous to the Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa. The IUSS is the federal body that links the 5 colleges of Pavia which constitute the Pavia University System.
Today, the University continues to offer a wide variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary teaching. Research is carried out in departments, institutes, clinics, centres and laboratories, in close association with public and private institutions, enterprises, and factories.
via Wikipedia
SUBSCRIBE TO THE LATEST University of Pavia RESEARCH UPDATES
The Latest Updated Research News:
University of Pavia research articles from Innovation Toronto
- 3-D engineered bone marrow makes functioning platelets – February 20, 2015
- Entanglement on a chip: Breakthrough promises secure communications and faster computers – January 26, 2015


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Published on: 26 Apr 2013 in Hollywood's Hottest Short Celebrities
The Ghost Whisperer star is 5'2'' and succeed in attraction the attention of the cameras each time she sets foot on the red carpet. Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of the most beloved actresses from Hollywood featuring in our list.


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Lane, David C. and Husemann, Elke (2002) Steering away from Scylla, falling into Charybdis: the importance of recognising, simulating and challenging reinforcing loops in social systems. In: Milling, P.M., (ed.) Entscheiden in Komplexen Systemen. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, Germany, pp. 27-68. ISBN 3428106830
|Item Type:
|Book Section
|Additional Information:
|© 2002 Duncker & Humblot
|Library of Congress subject classification:
|Q Science > Q Science (General)
|Research centres and groups > Managerial Economics and Strategy Group
Research centres and groups > Management Science Group
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|15 Aug 2008 12:55
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I am running Paris in 2 weeks. When I first started training I was aiming for a sub 4. However my training as gone very well. I have completed the following races
10K race 48 mins
Tunbridge Wells half marathon 1.45 mins
10K race 44 mins (2 weeks ago)
I have been training with a couple of fast men regularly and my speed has naturally increased I have completed 4 miles between 7min-7.15 min mile (pushing myself). I am 45 female and wonder should I pushing myself at 7 min miles in 10K races, does age really matter in running as I have become faster and improved as I got older not slowed down but do wonder is it healthy to push yourself to the max at times!
Yesterday I completed 13 mile run 1.50 and was trying to keep it slow.
If I throw in those times in the race predictors sites 3.30 is thrown up!
This will be my second Marathon but but not sure if I should go for 8 min miles and see how I get on or should I be more conservative . I have only ran one marathon before (six years ago) and was very fearful and worried about the "Wall" so finished in 4.17 but really had a lot more in the tank and ended up with a big negative split as ran the last few miles a lot faster.
So my question is how do I know my race pace should I run 8 or 8/30 min miles or should I stick to 9 min mile pace and speed up at the end if I can! All the training schedules say train 60 to 90 seconds slower than race pace but I just could not stick to running at 10min miles so felt too slow.
Should I go for the faster time? Should I run it slower then speed up,any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
Hi there,
IMO, your pacing really looks good so far...any indication on how you are feeling on any runs above 13.1 miles? A closer indication would be how strong you feel on the LSRs from 18miles-20miles depending on your pacing...? Any times from runs at 18m + to go on?
On race day, if you are coming in around 1.45-1.50 at halfway and feeling comfortable then keep the pace up...then judge it again at 20/21 miles...
pacing for a full marathon is a different beast to a half and I have seen many a speedy half marathon runner fall way short of their full target by trying to maintain their race predictor times based on shorter races..
Good luck it sounds you are going strong and getting in good shape for the big one
I agree with your points. I was unsure as I only have experience of running one marathon and played it very safe, so have no experience of being pushed.I have completed a few long runs in training , 2 x18 , 2 x 20 and 1 x 22 (not intentionally but Garman lost signal "again" and ended up running two extra miles)! My time for 20 miles has been 3hrs to 3.10 (depending on weather conditions). Your advice makes perfect sense thank you or that. Very good idea to judge at specific points and step up or down... and to remember the marathon is indeed a different beast and take "race predictors" with a pinch of Salt.
I always aim to go a bit faster at the end if I can! so with LSR I speed it up before the end rather than slow it down.
Sharona - it's worth taking a moment to analyse why your Tunbridge result is in a different ball park to the latest 10k result.
Each suggest completely different possibilities on marathon day.
Was the last 10k an accurately measured race? Was Tunbridge a particularly different course?
It can be very dangerous using how you feel on long runs to determine race day pace. Most well trained runners find quick long runs quite easy.
Tunbridge is very hilly (last eight mights incline to the finish) however real main difference with my times is there is a few weeks between my half marathon and 10K so the extra month's training has made me fitter and improve each day I have improved becoming faster and fitter.
Thats why now I find it confusing what should I be aiming for, should I stick to 9.11 min miles throughout and aim for 4 or reduce to 8.30 and aim for 3.45.
Carlo's suggestion to test and asess how you feel on the day at certain points sounds a good plan... and hopefully I cross the line in one piece
With regards to seeing how you feel at halfway - bear in mind a 1:45 half has already committed you to going for a 3:30 marathon. You need to decide about 13.1m earlier!
8:00 miling is too aggressive IMO (and 9:11 too conservatice) unless you are a faster athlete now than you were for your best 10k.
What was your last 10k race and did you run 44:00 or 44:59? That would influence matters.
thanks Moraghan some very valid points. My last 10K race result of 44.00 a was 2 weeks ago and 47.50 was in February.
Completed Paris in 3.42 (17 secs. Really pleased as was my goal was to get GFA to London next year.
I was able to change my pen at expo to 3.45. I stayed just ahead of the 3.45 pacemaker (just a few sprints to catch up after having to do a "pit stop"). Otherwise all was ok and had a great race with no difficulites even able to sprint to end.
Great Marathon, forced to slow down last few miles to the finish. It was crowded/busy more towards the end then at the start so hard to break free at times but otherwise great racingand happy I had more in the tank to give at the end.
For me I feel training at a higher pace on short runs during training (4 or 5 miles at 7.15 to 7.30 pace) rather then just focusing putting miles in the bank really pushed me up and is the reason I achieved this time. Also participating in Races as part of training. This is what works for me anyway
03:42:17Split at 5 KM: 00:26:41 Split at 10 KM: 00:54:01 Split at 15 KM: 01:20:55 Split at 21,1 KM: 01:53:16 Split at 25 KM: 02:13:28 Split at 30 KM: 02:41:09 Split at 35 KM: 03:06:38


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There are 2 comments posted to this Gallery
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These are great!!
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The AOL On Network Launches on Xbox LIVE
Dec 18, 2012
Through the Xbox LIVE app's Kinect capabilities, users can now control the AOL On App and choose the video of their choice by using gestures and voice commands. Videos can also be easily shared with the app's built-in social media functionality where subscribers can sign into their accounts and instantly share their favorite videos with friends and family.
The AOL On app offers access to the AOL On Network's constantly updated collection of AOL's original videos from properties like Huffington Post, Engadget and TechCrunch, as well as from content partners like Reuters, AP, BBC, E!, ET Online, Sugar, Splash News, CNET and Martha Stewart.
The app is also available through Roku, Boxee, GoogleTV, TiVo and seven smart TV manufacturers.
Read the full press release for additional details on The AOL On app for Xbox live.


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Jun 19, 2012
I recently had to change foundations because I just couldn't afford my old kind anymore. I've been using Revlon Colorstay foundation but I've noticed that it has been clogging my pores really bad lately. Can anyone suggest a foundation that isn't super expensive but won't clog my pores?
Jun 19, 2012
Yes! Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid is really good! No oils, did not clog my pores after multiple uses(I'm acne prone), has antioxidants, sets beautifully, and they have a good color range also! = )
Jun 26, 2012
i used to love maybelline's liquid mousse foundation. do you have oily skin? mine borderlines dry except when i used this foundation, i was not heavily into makeup yet and so i didn't moisturize a ton/use primer like i do now. this might not be a great product for someone with oily skin (i don't want to assume anything but you mentioned clogged pores and i don't ever have that particular skin issue; i only have it on my chin where i'm oily)
Jun 26, 2012
No I don't have oily pores. And I never got clogged pores until I used this new foundation. That's why I need to find a new one that doesn't clog pores...
Sephora Play Vs. Ipsy / Allure.
What did you get in your May Ipsy?!?
Sephora Play Vs. Ipsy / Allure.
What did you get in your May Ipsy?!?
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Listen to John Piper answer tough theological and pastoral questions.
Watch John Piper mark the text on the screen, and learn to study the Bible for yourself.
Read a short devotional from John Piper for every day of the year.
Mark Dever is a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., the president of 9Marks (a ministry for churches and church leaders), and the author of many books, including Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. He and his wife, Connie, have two children.


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The Nikon D5300 has been unveiled as the company's latest DSLR camera, complete with Wi-Fi connectivity and a 24.2-megapixel sensor.
Although it's the first Nikon DX-format DSLR to feature Wi-Fi and GPS technology, Nikon hasn't scrimped on the other features of the D5300.
"With the Nikon D5300, we are continuing our commitment to delivering unparalleled performance and image quality while addressing the importance of staying connected and sharing images with ease", said Masahiro Horie, Director of Marketing and Planning and Nikon. "By answering the need to share high quality photos, the Nikon D5300 allows photographers to capture their memories in astounding clarity and share them with family and friends moments after they happen."
Nikon D5300 Features
The Nikon D5300 has a new 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor with the optical low pass filter (OLPF) removed to improve clarity and detail in images. It has a wide ISO range of 100 – 12,800 and is even expandable to ISO 25,600.
Offering the Nikon EXPEED 4 image processing engine, the Nikon D5300 also has a 39-point AF system that claims to accurately track subjects.
The DSLR is capable of capturing images at a 5fps rate, which can all be viewed via the D5300's 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD screen with a dot count of 1,037,000.
Nikon has boosted the number of Creative Effect modes to 9 with the addition of HDR painting and Toy Camera modes. The Nikon D5300 can also automatically create HDR images for high contract scenarios by taking two images with different exposures and layering them to create one image with a wider range of colour tones.
Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, the Nikon D5300 can transmit images and videos to any iOS and Android smartphone or tablet to upload to Facebook or your chosen social network. The Wi-Fi also enables the smartphone or tablet to act as a remote for the camera.
Using the GPS function, images can also be geotagged with the Nikon D5300 and the location data stored in the image's EXIF.
The Nikon D5300 can also shoot Full HD movies with frame rates up to 60p. The DSLR is the first to use a monocoque design, which makes it smaller and lighter (480g body only) than its predecessor the Nikon D5200, despite a larger LCD screen.
Nikon D5300 Release Date and Price
The Nikon D5300 will be available from November 14 with a price tag of £729.99 for the body only. The 18-55mm VR lens kit is priced at £829.99. The DSLR will launch in three colours: red, black and grey.
Next, read our roundup of the best cameras of 2013.


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Pick up the freaking pace!!! Come on boys!
Pick up the freaking pace!!! Come on boys!
There ya go JR!! I like that! Go right to that rack and get to the line!
Now Felton with the push! Much better!
How does Chandler miss those tips? Felton with the offensive rebound, there we go!
1-10 from JR, KIDD, and PRIG.. Gotta get more production outside of Melo.. COme on boys, lets end this thing tonight...
Just take em to the hole everytime Felton.. Don't even waste ur time doing anything else..lol
Just keep wasting the entire clock and then shoot a tough shot with 3seconds on the clock knicks, its really working well...
these refs are killing me and why does TNT keep showing Celts highlights at the break?
**** the C's, crab *** flakes
NFL Championships : 1927 1934 1938 1956 Super Bowl Champions: XXI XXV XLII XLVI


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Every year in the M-A Little League, one player is chosen from each team (in each division except T-Ball) to receive the Sportsmanship Award.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 9:54 AM
Town Square
Sportsmanship award winners named
Original post made on Jul 29, 2009
Like this commentPosted by Hortencia Favila
a resident of another community
on Jul 29, 2009 at 10:52 pm
I like this story not only is a family friend in it but also because I believe that yes we are in an era where winning means everything to some and it shouldn't. It's great to see kids being recognized for playing fair, striving to win and over all doing their best.


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A decade after the acrimonious split documented in last year's Steps Reunion TV series – which painted the group as living a budget version of Fleetwood Mac's soap opera – Steps' enormous audience isn't just regrouping, it's reproducing. Wedged among the almost exclusively female audience are lots of little girls – a whole new generation of Steps fans.
The enduring appeal of the fivesome lies in their offering a pop experience that combines the delights (or horrors) of a hen party with a night singing karaoke. There are dancers and silly costumes. Neither wrinkles nor Claire Richards's reality TV-documented fluctuating weight have dimmed their ability to sound like Abba on helium. The entire repertoire is delivered in a fiendishly high register, which must hypnotise grown adults into mimicking the group's trademark dance routines.
To avoid this being a purely nostalgic experience (or, whisper it, because they didn't have as many hits first time round as you might guess) new covers – including Lady Gaga's Judas and Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger – have been added to old ones such as Kylie's Better the Devil You Know.
However, the Steps experience isn't about the music: it's about daft fun, dizzying graphics, knowing glances and unintentional comedy. When the band run off stage, their breakthrough hit 5,6,7,8 just carries on without them. There's a particularly unfortunate moment when one of the camera operators illustrates the tearjerker When I Said Goodbye with a lingering shot of Lee Latchford-Evans's crotch.
Although the petite, pretty Lisa Scott Lee presumably has a Dorian Gray-style portrait in the attic, Richards's struggles have clearly struck a chord with the audience, and her big-lunged rendition of Celine Dion's usually ghastly I Surrender brings the house down, with sparks falling from the ceiling. Then it's off into a tinnitus-inducing version of the Bee Gees' Tragedy, complete with audience dance moves that could have someone's eye out.


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Contact Form
We get over 900 visitors to this site every day. We average ten e-mails with additional questions per day. We try to check our e-mail daily, and answer all questions the same day. When Jane and I are down at our home in Ft. Garland together, it may be several days before we answer. But we eventually answer all inquiries. We keep the site updated at least once a week; we remove the sold listings and mark parcels with deposits as reserved.
We also PURCHASE property in Costilla County. If you would like to sell your property, go to www.buycoacres.com for detailed information and a submittable form.


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phone: 202 630 8439
Advertise on Indianz.Com
Home > News > Headlines
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Filed Under: Law | Trust
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Tuesday in the Oneida Nation's foreclosure case. Two counties say the tribe owes about $50 million in property taxes. But a federal judge said the counties can't foreclose on the land due to tribal sovereign immunity. The tribe owns more than 17,000 acres in Oneida and Madison counties. The properties are within the boundaries of the historic Oneida Reservation but are not held in trust. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the tribe can't assert sovereignty on its properties without going through the land-into-trust process. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is still considering the tribe's land-into-trust application. An official said a decision is pending in Washington, D.C. Get the Story:
Counties seek quick Oneida land ruling (The Syracuse Post-Standard 11/7)
BIA official: No word on trust land (The Oneida Dispatch 11/6) Foreclosure Court Decision:
Oneida Nation v. Oneida County (June 2, 2006) Draft Environmental Impact Statement:
Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust (November 2006) Relevant Links:
Oneida Nation Trust - http://www.oneidanationtrust.com
Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/888.html
Oneida Nation, New York - http://www.oneida-nation.net Sherrill v. Oneida Nation Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens] Related Stories:
2nd Circuit to hear Oneida Nation foreclosure case (11/5)
Oneida Nation can't drop taxation lawsuits (8/14)
New York urged to collect taxes on Oneida Nation (8/3)
Wisconsin tribe opposes Oneida Nation trust land (06/21)
Land-into-trust next big move for Oneida Nation (6/15)
New York to appeal Oneida land claim decision (6/7)
Judge dismisses New York land-into-trust lawsuit (6/6)
Views: Oneida Nation, treaties and land claims (5/30)
Editorial: Collaboration needed on Oneida land claim (5/30)
Oneida Nation said to owe $248M in taxes (5/25)
Door still open for Oneidas on land claim (5/22)
BIA to act on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (5/10)
DOJ seeks dismissal of New York land-into-trust suit (04/26)
Cason explains misgivings on land-into-trust (04/20)
Oneida Nation shifts lobbying to Washington (03/12)
Oneida Nation fights to save land claim from dismissal (3/7)
Halbritter attributes Oneida success to hard work (3/5)
Fire destroys Oneida Nation carpentry shop (3/2)
Oneida Nation officially ends tax dispute with city (2/28)
Oneida Nation builds in-house legal department (2/13)
Another hearing on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (2/7)
Oneida Nation refused county inspection of gas pumps (1/22)
BIA schedules another Oneida land-into-trust meeting (1/10)
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The Old Watchman
Trip Start Jun 01, 2011
56Trip End Ongoing
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Sitting on the coffee shop patio while sending some emails and checking some maps, I was able to witness and observe the interactions of friends and families, the local townspeople, those drawn in from nearby communities, and perhaps the occasional random passerthrough, such as myself
The trip over Skyline Drive was slow-going, though generously compensated by the smells of autumn leaves beginning their winter slumber, by the flickering of sunlight and shadows through the branches of a million trees, by breathtaking views of the valleys and farmlands stretching endlessly into the distance, finally swallowed up by far-off haze and the curve of the earth. At one point I noticed myself getting rather irritated following a very slow car. I decided to pull in to the next viewpoint, get out my guitar, and sit on the edge playing sonnets to the valleys below. A family of four showed up a few moments later, mom and two kids sitting about 10 feet to my left. Any time the children piped up they were quickly shushed by mother, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the vibrations resonating out of my Washburn
For those of you who know my last name - great. For those of you who don't, well, it's Harrison. There it is. Secret is out. This blog and all of the confessions and madness contained within are now eternally tied to my name through the world wide web. There goes my chance to ever run for political office. Shucks. Anyway. With a name like Harrison, a visit to a nearby town with a name like Harrisonburg was imperative! However, if I knew then what I know now, I would have just kept driving.
Sometimes you will walk into a bar or a restaurant, or perhaps drive in to a town, and your entire being twists and turns and tells you to keep moving. I wrote about trusting your gut some time ago, and it was speaking when I entered town, but I wanted to check it out anyway. Strange, still downtown streets. The air had a squishing, slightly oppressive feel. And it must have been 'Take your high school kid out on the town' night, because that's about all I saw. The first place I ventured in to seemed to be the hip spot in town. A seafood restaurant and bar. Quite hoity-toity upon entering, however. Bright colored walls bearing eccentric, colorful, post-modern art and paintings
I heard some good music coming from downstairs and found my way down. A dark, subtle basement with a great feel and just the right amount of people. Perfect! I ordered a Bud. Perhaps the way I ordered gave away my identity. "Are you part of the private party?" "Uh... no..." "Oh, sorry, a private party has this area booked for tonight." "Oh. Well give me a couple minutes and I can make friends with a few of them." I smiled, thanked her, and helped myself out, but not before helping myself to a few hors d'oeuvres from the snack table. I finally found a beer and some fries at a bar that felt like a cross between a 50's diner and a fisherman's wharf. A fight nearly broke out, ignorant political speak (I am no master at speaking politically, but I know ignorant political speak when I hear it), and rednecks that would make a Nevada trailer park jealous.
I was planning on spending the night there, but at about that time I decided to move on and get a little closer to Asheville., NC. Walking back to my truck, I saw a piece of trash being blown by the wind at the foot of some steps. When I got closer, I realized it was no trash - it was an injured pigeon. One of its wings must have been damaged, and it resorted to scuffling along the ground as a means of mobility. I approached slowly and did my best to calm its fear by trying to communicate that I meant no harm (yes, I'm talking to birds now). I knelt close and was able to cup the bird in my hands after a few missed attempts. At first it was panicked, struggling to be free with its poor little heart racing. I sat calmly, thinking and breathing peace and compassion, gently stroking its neck and back with my thumb. It calmed down, and I simply sat with it for a minute or two, having perhaps the best interaction with another living creature that I'd had all night. I spotted some shrubs across the road, a much better provider of bugs and shelter than a staircase, and released the bird, who quickly scuffled into the safety of the leave and twigs.
By this point in my journey, I had a resolve to visit as many states as possible. Realizing I would likely be this close again, at about 10 at night I decided to make a quick drive over to West Virginia. The speed limit outside of the Harrisonburg city limits was a surprising 55. Going that speed down narrow roads, sudden hills, and sharp turns (and all three at once, quite often) was fun as hell! Speeding past humble homes under the full moon light, I wondered who lived there, what they did. I imagined an old farmer, running the same farm and living in the same home that his father had, and his father before him. Though not exactly an appealing smell, the scents of cow and manure filled the air, perfectly completing the scene. Soon into the forest, leering walls of trees blocking out all but traces of the moonlight. Carefully keeping an eye out for stray deer, I climbed higher and higher into George Washington National Forest and reached the pass, the line between the Virginias. Though perhaps still kind of cheating, I was sure to drive a few hundred feet beyond the welcome sign to ensure that I had, in fact, been on West Virginian soil.
Down the way I came. Back over the pass, sharp mountain turns, long straightaway guarded by towering sentinels, back into the manure air and roller coaster country roads, skirting along the edge of Harrisonburg (not quickly enough), and rescued by highway 81 toward Lexington and beyond. I began to get a little sleepy as I drew closer to Lexington. Between that and the desire to spend some time in the historic town, I pulled into a rest area just a few miles prior. On the way to and from the restroom I noticed numerous signs promoting safety. A large map showing where the police headquarters are located for each region of Virginia, short and long numbers to dial in case of emergency, customer safety satisfaction cards that could be filled out and deposited, and a huge safety sign right in front. There was even an attendant who I assumed was there all night. It was already midnight and I saw him walking around outside... though probably pushing 70 years old, I'm not sure I would entirely entrust my life into his hands. However, I doubt he is there to prevent murders or rapes, but rather just to be a simple presence to dissuade 'easy' crimes committed by cowardly criminals (although, when I was in Oregon I read about two people who were woken in the middle of the night by a semi-truck running over their tent, and then the driver getting out and proceeding to beat them with a baseball bat [it might have been an ax, I can't remember]). I'd slept in a few rest areas prior to this - Oregon, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana come immediately to mind - and didn't recall ever seeing that much concern about safety. Were Virginia rest areas notoriously dangerous? Should I take my chances in town? I did a little 'research' on my phone but didn't see anything that immediately raised worry. I expressed my concern to Shari, my magical friend in Vancouver, who assured me that I would be protected through the night. I rested my mind, got lost in a book for a spell, curled up snugly to keep out the cold Virginia night, and peacefully drifted off to sleep under the caring eyes of the tall yellow lights, the keen ears of the snoring semi trucks, and the imposing presence of the old watchman.


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Fonterra-owned GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) has added another product line and a new participant to its online trading platform.
German dairy co-operative Molkerei Ammerland will join the seven sellers on the platform from September, offering sweet whey powder for the first time, GDT said.
Sweet whey powder, which is used in infant formula, confectionery and processed foods, is a big part of the international dairy trade but is not a significant part of the New Zealand dairy manufacturing scene, which is comprised mostly of milk powders.
GDT said Molkerei Ammerland's participation as a seller was a significant development for the platform, which operates at arm's length from Fonterra.
Molkerei Ammerland gathers milk from more than 2000 farmers across northwest Germany and manufactures it into cheese, butter, whey powders, milk powders and fresh dairy products. Exports comprise about 49 per cent of Molkerei's sales.
GDT director Paul Grave said the addition of sweet whey powder would be welcomed by the network of more than 650 buyers registered on the platform.
Since its inception in 2008, more than US$14 billion of dairy product has been sold through GDT. Over the past 12 months about a million tonnes have traded on GDT - about one-sixth of all internationally traded product.
Grave said the addition of Molkerei Ammerland and a new product line would add depth and liquidity to the market.
"Clearly, the more sellers you have and the more people you have transacting, the more transparent the price becomes," he said. "It recognises the importance of GDT in international trade and price setting."
GDT, which aims to add two or three new sellers each year, has added four in the past 18 months.


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Alessandra Ambrosio: Red Hot in Brentwood
Grabbing a quick pick-me-up, Alessandra Ambrosio stepped out in Brentwood, CA on Tuesday afternoon (July 29).
The Victoria's Secret babe purchased an icy cold coffee after her SoulCycle workout session.
As previously reported by GossipCenter, Alessandra posted a photo of her and a few friends sunbathing topless over the weekend.
Alessandra rocked a pair of Chloe bikini bottoms and wrote, "Brazilian time out #sunworship #cali #brazilianbabes #foreveronvacation," along with the cheeky pic.


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|Home > Entertainment > Film > Article
British actor Pete Postlethwaite revealed today how he turned down the chance to fulfil the "biggest dream" of his life for the sake of his principles.
Postlethwaite was offered the chance to work with esteemed director Martin Scorcese on the Oscar-nominated picture Gangs of New York, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis.
But the star of Romeo and Juliet and The Usual Suspects said he was put off the project after discovering producers had convinced the cast to work for reduced pay.
The explanation - "because everyone wants to work with Martin Scorcese" - did not wash with Postlethwaite, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Giuseppe Conlan in The Name of the Father.
"It was the biggest dream of my life to work with him (Scorcese), but I
thought it was a bit of a scam," he said. "Oh well."
Postlethwaite is touring Australia in his one-man show, Scaramouche Jones, in which he plays an ancient clown who recounts his life on the eve of the new Millennium and his 100th birthday, when he knows he is going to die.
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DEPENDING on your point of view, the failed recall aimed at Supervisor Susan Adams was either a miserable failure or a great success.
The effort gave something to almost everyone involved. It also provides a teaching opportunity for wannabe recallers on how to approach such an effort.
Purely based on the numbers, the attempt was a fiasco. To qualify for the ballot, recall proponents needed to gather 6,368 valid voter signatures from Adams' San Rafael-centered 1st District. Invariably, some signatures come from out-of-district residents or are improperly signed. In reality about 9,000 raw signatures are needed to achieve the threshold.
According to recall campaign co-chair Alissa Chacko, "several thousand signatures" were gathered. Chacko defended the efforts as "more of a symbolic act" than an actual effort to place the measure on the ballot.
Ostensibly, the big winner was Adams. If successful, the recall would have been on the March ballot just months before she'll run, if she chooses, for a fourth term in the June 2014 primary. Two elections in four months is tough duty.
Undeniably there's a substantial number of North San Rafael-Terra Linda-Marinwood voters unhappy with Adams' support for Plan Bay Area. Their complaints stem from the now-abandoned effort by the embattled supervisor to create a PDA or "priority development area" for high-density subsidized housing in Marinwood.
Adams' supporters defend her as a compassionate advocate for the poor. Neighborhood groups charge that her ballyhooed outreach efforts were aimed only at those predisposed to support her left-of-center agenda.
The veteran supervisor is at a crossroads. She will undoubtedly embrace the recall's failure and consider it vindication, giving her two options. Adams might now gracefully retire on a high note, returning to the nursing profession while devoting time to her family. Alternatively, she might elect to use the recall's collapse as a reelection springboard.
Recall supporters were also victors. Infuriated over Adams' support of high-density housing, they succeeded in putting the hot-button issue front and center. After the recall was launched, Adams unilaterally yanked Marinwood's PDA designation, exactly as recall advocates demanded.
The recall-related furor galvanized two well-qualified, experienced candidates to oppose Adams' reelection: small business adviser Carol Brandt and San Rafael Councilman Damon Connolly. Both believed the recall unnecessarily complicated their campaigns.
Marin taxpayers also were winners by avoiding spending $250,000 on a duplicative recall election.
A March 2014 recall never made sense. That's why it was opposed by Connolly, Brandt, San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips and Sheriff Bob Doyle. These folks have no intention of backing Adams' reelection, but they rejected the recall as wasteful and poor public policy.
The political lesson learned is that only well-financed groups or those having an established and motivated base of volunteers have the wherewithal to successfully pursue a recall or a local ballot initiative.
That's especially true if the offending politician isn't incompetent or nuts. Adams is neither. Recall opponents were political amateurs. Given their lack of funds and their naivete, it's amazing that they accomplished as much as they did.
LARKSPUR Councilman Len Rifkind is "giving a long, hard look" at a run for the North Bay/North Coast state Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa.
Rifkind, a land-use lawyer and current chair of Marin Mayors and Councilmembers, is former president of Congregation Rodef Shalom.
He could also be the only liberal-to-moderate Democrat in a Senate race otherwise dominated by public employee labor-oriented progressives.
Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley now shares his views on local politics twice weekly in the IJ. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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As palpable as the excitement was for Australian Capital Territory cyclist Oenone Wood and her breakthrough Australian time-trial championship victory yesterday, there was also a significant buzz for the rider who finished third - Barcelona road race gold medallist Kathy Watt.
Watt, 39, is almost nine months into her cycling comeback and her quest for the individual time-trial spot at the Athens Olympics, and her strong ride in Buninyong will ensure that she will continue to place pressure on younger rivals and selectors.
"I'm really going for the time trial. If I get the opportunity to ride the road race, so be it, if I don't . . ." Watt said. "I've really improved in the last three months. I went to France and rode Chrono des Herbiers and it was the week after the world championships and I finished 16 seconds behind Joane Somarriba, who won the worlds (time-trial title), and I actually beat the bronze medallist (Russia's Zoulfia Zabirova).
"That gave me a big confidence boost because until October, I was wondering, 'Can I or can't I?', given the short time span. Every day, I've just been getting better but I wasn't quite strong enough on the hill and that's where they put all the time into me," she said.
Watt, the 15th rider to head off in the field of 25, was sitting in the gold-medal position with her time of 41 minutes 25.08 seconds when she crossed the finish line after completing the 28-kilometre course. Her time was not overhauled until the speedy Wood shot through in 40:41.67, having overtaken two riders ahead of her on the road.
Wood and Watt were left to wait until two-time defending champion Sara Carrigan, as the last rider, finished for the final placings to be sorted.
Carrigan, who had been hit by a car during a training ride on the Gold Coast last Saturday, sailed past Olivia Gollan in the finish straight but her time of 41:08.96 left her with the silver medal. She was devastated with the result. The top three all surpassed Carrigan's winning time last year of 41:53.34.
"I'm pretty disappointed. I was going for the jersey for the third time and I wanted it pretty badly. To finish second . . . those five minutes' waiting after I'd crossed the finish line were just heart-wrenching, especially when I found out the official time. I was pretty heartbroken. I'm pretty geed for the road race on Saturday now," Carrigan said.
"Out there, I was feeling pretty good . . . I was giving it everything, and I finished knowing I'd given it everything, so for Oenone to finish 20-odd seconds ahead of me, it hurts."
Wood, 23, who left the Australian Defence Force Academy to devote herself to competitive cycling, was delighted with her improvement in the time trial after finishing third behind Carrigan last year, and she looked forward to challenging for the road championship tomorrow.
"It's a massive win for me. This is a really quality field. Sara Carrigan has dominated here in the last two years and overseas in time trials, and Olivia Gollan is such a strong rider, as are most of the other girls in the top 10," Wood said.
���Brad McGee has successfully ridden the qualifying time for the Olympic shadow team in the individual pursuit. Needing to ride four minutes 28 seconds or less for the 4000-metre discipline, McGee clocked in at 4:24.69 at Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney on Wednesday night.
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2012 focus se converting rear drum to disc?
i was just wondering if anyone has done this yet...or looked at the titanium to see how hard this would be to do on the sedan
Don't do it if your looking for big performance gains. Very negligible difference really. I've done this swap on a Fox body Mustang. Total waste of time and money IMHO.
Now if you want to do it for looks. Go for it. But prepare to pay big $$$.
This^ Unless your doing all out track days on DOT competition tires, don't bother.
There's a whole thread about this and I tried to add some insights to it - I'm one of the people on here who's interested in such a conversion and I'm still looking into whether or not it's possible - see this:
should have just ordered one with disc brakes. would have been way cheaper in the long run
I think this set-up is definitely possible - time and research could help make it happen and less inexpensive
REPOST - maybe this might get some more attention:
1 - Rotors - $80 (pair)
2/3 - Hubs Assemblies - $150 (pair)
4 - Backing Plates - $32 (pair)
5 - Backing Plate Bolts - $9 (for 8)
6 - Calipers - $170 (pair)
7 - Caliper Bleeders - $8 (pair)
8 - Caliper Hardware - $20 (pair)
9 - Caliper Support - $50 (pair)
10 - Caliper Support Bolts - $4 (for 8)
11- Brake Pads - $44 (set)
12 - Brake Springs - $16 (pair)
13 - ABS Sensor - $20 (pair) - if not compatible with current
14 - Brake Hoes - $22 (pair) - if not compatible with current
15/16 - Brake Tube and Line - $30 (set) if not compatible with current
So the total would be definitely be +/-$650 from Ford...
The point of this thread is to figure if someone's done, would someone attempt it, and could this become an option that others would be interested in.
Instead of criticizing and shutting down the idea of a "rear brake conversion", why not give positive constructive feedback, share knowledge, pictures or anything that would contribute to making happen?
Personally, my Rear Drums work fine but I want Rear Discs - simple.
Don't our stock engines, transmissions and suspensions work just fine as-is??? Why do we seek things like intakes, exhausts, springs, wheels, and big brake kits? Because we WANT them and we hope that someone out there will break "the norm" (<-- no pun intended) and open the doors for others... [facepalm]
I'm already planning this conversion, my Foci will be seeing track use in the near future so drums don't cut it :P I'll keep you guys posted on updates!
Good stuff - I'm planning the conversion too; just gathering up funds and info - Let's share notes and try to keep this thread alive!
I'm looking for some more detailed comparisons... side by side images, better diagrams (like the ones from the service manuals) - My main questions is: Are the lines/hoses compatible or exchangeable between... For example, I have a 5-Speed SE and I'm curious to know if my e-brake cable will still work with the discs or will I need to replace that? etc.
You do realize that 80% of your breaking is at the front....just upgrade the front pads...you will see bigger results than if you spend $700 bucks
I was in the same boat as you...no rear disc hatch 5 speed within 350 miles of where I lived...PLENTY IN auto...i'll give up rear disc before I give up a manual
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By Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY
Sherry Natoli is followed everywhere she goes while shopping online, but she doesn't mind at all.
Natoli, who owns a seashell business in Tampa, does all but her grocery shopping on the Internet and even opts in whenever she's asked whether she's willing to have her online movements tracked by websites.
WHAT ARE COOKIES? They sound sweet, but may pose security risk
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YOUR INPUT: Join the USA TODAY shopper panel
Companies have been monitoring our online behavior for almost as long as there's been an Internet, often using our online footsteps (cookies) whenever we search, browse or buy online. Tracking technology has advanced so much that everything from how long we linger over a product description to whether we are searching for sexual-dysfunction drugs can be collected and stored on individual profiles. Our profiles are numeric descriptions, not our real names, but in some cases, it's not hard to determine personal information behind the numbers.
Privacy concerns abound, and several privacy and consumer groups are urging Congress to enact laws on what can and can't be collected and for how long.
But the tracking continues in earnest, in few places more avidly than among retailers. With the approach of a holiday season that even the most hopeful of industry analysts think will see only a 1% sales increase, retailers are increasingly turning to the Web for answers — and sales. Even retailers beating the odds, such as thriving teen retailer Aeropostale, find their online growth far surpasses that in their brick-and-mortar stores.
Aeropostale has been among the few chains to post monthly sales increases, typically less than 15%, but online-only sales were up 85% last year.
Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren said recently that for every dollar its customers spend online, they spend an additional $5.77 in its Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores. Online sales made up only 6% of all retail commerce last year, but store operators believe that if their websites help capture customers' wants and needs, they will do better on and offline.
By monitoring the browsing and buying behavior of consumers who visit their websites, stores are able to better target online and e-mailed promotions to what consumers are most likely to buy. They occasionally adapt their home pages to the shopper. And as Amazon has been doing for years, they also can use what products other shoppers have purchased to knowledgeably recommend additional purchases.
The e-commerce marketing company Coremetrics says consumers are 50% more likely to open and click through a targeted e-mail than a generic one. And targeted e-mails generate 50% more revenue than generic e-mails, the company has found.
So it's all very successful but still controversial.
"It's a very touchy subject," says Joseph Davis, CEO of Coremetrics, which counts Macy's, Petco and REI among its clients. "It's a double-edged sword: The more granular data you can get about the person, the more successful you will be, (but) some don't want the data to be used."
Tracking can help
Jessica Rich, the Federal Trade Commission's acting director of privacy and identity protection, says the agency recognizes behavioral tracking can help consumers when promotions are tailored to different shoppers. The agency has been studying the issue for years and issued voluntary guidelines for marketers in February. But if Congress were to act on the issue as they are being urged to, the FTC could make its guidelines mandatory.
"Our concern here isn't so much that you'll be served an ad based on where you are on the site," says Rich. "It's that profiles are developed that will follow you around on the Web … and potentially could fall into the wrong hands."
Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, hesitates before noting there are some benefits to consumers when stores send them advertisements for products they might want — as long as "individuals have more control." But Chester says it's all part of a slippery slope.
"We don't know what data is being shared or sold," he says. Retailers and the consultants who work on their online marketing insist most use the information they collect on their sites — or their Facebook fan pages — only for advertising and other pitches for the site it was gathered from. That's unlike the networks of advertisers and other marketers that share data across sites. Under pressure from government officials and privacy groups, retailers are also increasingly disclosing what they are doing and letting consumers opt in or out.
A survey of 1,000 consumers released last month by professors from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California-Berkeley found almost 70% were opposed to online behavioral tracking by advertisers, and even more were opposed after they were told how the tracking was done.
But the National Retail Federation says that whatever concerns shoppers may have, they're not avoiding online shopping because of them. In a survey of 2,600 consumers released last week, NRF asked for the primary reasons why shoppers might not be increasing their online spending this year. Privacy concerns and worries about "online tracking" were named by only 0.1% of shoppers, the smallest factor. The cost of shipping, on the other hand, was the biggest concern, with almost 23% citing it.
Critics argue that people aren't more worried because they don't understand how sweeping the tracking can be, while industry officials argue those who worry often don't recognize the upside.
"Retailers could do a better job explaining the benefits of letting them capture some information about you," says Davis. "If people say, 'I just want to opt out,' they don't find out about the sale and don't get coupons for discounts."
Victoria Thornton of Dayton, Ohio, says she appreciates getting ads based on what she's searched for online, but she is concerned about "personal information being stored and rerouted." Her mother feels even more strongly, she says: "The thought of something documenting and then anticipating her interests unnerves her."
Natoli, who has an eBay store, isn't worried.
She likes it when Ann Taylor and Victoria's Secret suggest other things she might like to buy and has bought more from both stores because of the feature. She gets e-mail only from Ann Taylor when it has a sale, which is the only time she buys, so she appreciates that, too.
And the targeted promotions she gets from booksellers Barnes & Noble and Borders really can resonate. She says one of them recently sent her an e-mail saying, "What's the matter? You don't like books anymore?" It included an offer for $20 off her next purchase.
"So of course, I had to order," she says, laughing.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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Seasons' Eating: Summer Salad with Potato, Zucchini Ribbons and Pesto.
London, UK — Similarly to Stephanie, I didn't know back in the winter when I chose my summer spot in the Recipe Realy calendar that I would be back in Italy on vacation. I booked my holidays quite last minute as I found myself a bit wiped out by work and life in the metropolis, and I needed to reload my batteries with rest and most of all, sun.
I spent a couple of relaxing weeks at my family's house in the Venetian countryside, sunbathing, swimming, and of course eating. I was at close distance to my grandpa's vegetable garden, which to my eyes looked like the garden of Eden: juicy ripe red tomatoes of all shapes, huge bushes of basil, plump courgettes, shiny small aubergines, firm green bell peppers and boxes of potatoes just removed from the underground, still warm. I wanted to cry for happiness. I thought about the vegetables I was buying in London, which have barely any flavor and yet are so expensive. There, I could finally fill my senses with strong, real flavors, those flavors that can only derive from sunlight, heat and time. If there is anything I miss in the UK, it is the variety of summer produce and their strong, concentrate flavors, which are so strongly present in my memories of past summers.
CLICK HERE for the full post and recipe.
Proper cooking during my stay in Italy was reduced to zero. We ate big summer salads almost every day, in all forms and combinations, from classic caprese to impromptu ones with all sort of greens thrown in it. High temperatures and leisure time kept us far from the kitchen, plus our bodies were simply craving cold, raw, juicy and refreshing food.
For all these reasons, when I saw Stephanie's recipe for Tartiflette inspired potato stir fry, I thought to relay on some of the ingredients she used –namely potatoes and herbs, which I had plenty of, plus cheese– and to turn them into a summer-y salad. To me, few things taste of Summer, like basil pesto. Every year, given the abundance of basil in the garden, I make a lot of pesto. Then, I use some immediately or in the following days, and freeze the rest to have it ready for pasta for the rest of the year –yes, I sometimes need some summer breeze in the middle of winter. I like playing around with the classic recipe (made with pine nuts, garlic and Parmigiano) using different combinations of nuts and cheeses, and I usually enjoy it with pasta, spread on a slice of toasty bread, or as a salad seasoning.
For this recipe, I made pesto with basil from the garden, pine nuts and Parmigiano, and I used it to season a simple salad made with boiled new baby potatoes and raw zucchini ribbons, which are the best way to savor fresh-from-the-garden zucchini. On top, I shaved some ricotta di pecora salata to complete the dish and make it a bit more substantial. The result was filling but fresh and quite light. The pesto gives a nice kick to the dish and the ricotta finishes the job quite nicely with its sweet and salty profile.
We enjoyed the salad for lunch with no leftovers. After our meal, I decided to dedicate some time to editing the pictures of my creation, only to find out that my memory card was corrupted. Great. With no time to make it again in Italy, I tried it once back in London, twisting it a bit to adapt it to what I could find or had on hands. I used sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts in the pesto sauce and shaved Parmigiano instead of ricotta salata for garnishing. Potatoes and zucchini tasted a bit different given that nothing tastes like grandpa's veggies, but the final result was still satisfactory and surprisingly good. So here you are, two recipes in one, as a proof of the versatility –and steady yumminess– of this salad, which ended up bringing t a bit of Mediterranean warmth in rainy, chilly London.
Summer Potato Salad with Zucchini Ribbons and Pesto
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
For the pesto
- 3 cups fresh basil
- 2 small chunks of Parmigiano
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- pinch of salt
- 2 T pine nuts or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
For the salad
- 500 gr baby new potatoes
- 2 medium size zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup shaved ricotta salata or Parmigiano
- fresh basil leaves, to garnish
- To make pesto, place all the ingredients except for the oil in a blender (if you want, you can make your pesto using a mortar and pestle).
- Pulse a couple of times, then add the oil slowly and keep pulsing a few more times until you obtain a coarse cream. Add more oil for a smoother pesto.
- Scrap the edges or the blender, pulse one more time. Set aside.
- In the meantime, wash well potatoes and cut the bigger ones in halves.
- Bring a bit pot of salted water to a boil, add potato and cook until tender (do not overcook or the salad will be a mess!).
- Drain and rinse with cold water, until cool.
- Cut zucchini in two halves lengthwise. Using a potato peeler, shave zucchini to create some long, thin stripes.
- Place potatoes and zucchini ribbons in a salad dish and season with oil and salt.
- Add some of the pesto (I will start with a couple of tablespoons, then and add more to taste), stir.
- Top with shaved ricotta or Parmigiano and the fresh basil leaves. Serve.