text:
I am interested too!
This is a discussion on Cheap Reliable AK within the Defensive Rifles & Shotgun Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; Looking for a cheap but reliable AK and need soem reccomendation or things to know when looking. What brands to look for, what brands to ...
Looking for a cheap but reliable AK and need soem reccomendation or things to know when looking. What brands to look for, what brands to stay away from, etc. Also, what is an acceptable price for Used and New AK? Thanks for the help!
I am interested too!
"...whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one." (Luke 22:36)
Christianity and Self Defense from a Biblical Perspective
It is getting harder to find low cost AKs - we've pretty well gotten all there were in the former Soviet Bloc countries. A plain-jane WASR-10 is probably the least expensive you will find. They are not safe queens, but they do what an AK is supposed to do - they go bang every time you pull the trigger and are nearly indestructable. These are mostly imported by Century. They come into the country built to use single stack magazines, and have the mag well modified to take the more normal double stack mags.
Another low cost AK-47 is the Century GP1975. They have a new US made barrel and reciever, and synthetic stock. The finish is usually rather nice and the price is not too much more than a WASR-10. Since the barrel is not chromed, you need to clean it thoroughly when using corrosive ammo, but any decent, honest, upstanding American cleans his rifle after shooting it. Only a filthy Commie would leave it uncleaned.
You will hear horror stories from 'experts' about magazine wobble and canted sights and non-chromed barrels. Ignore them. You will have a warrenty with you new rifle, so IF there is a problem, you are covered.
Remember, the best AK is the one you own rather than the one you are going to buy some time later. Get plenty of magaxines and ammo and shoot your AK a lot. You may find that the butt stock is too short for comfortable and accurate shooting - just get an aftermarket stock that fits you. They are plentiful and inexpensive. The same applies to handguards and sights.
If I were buying my first AK today, I would go with a Century Bulgarian AK-74. These rifles shoot the 5.45x39 cartridge that the Russians developed to compete with our 5.56. The Russian surplus ammo is accurate, lethal, and cheap to shoot. This gun comes with a high quality US made reciever and barrel and synthetic furniture. The price is about the same as a WASR-10, which takes the more common and more expensive 7.62x39.
"If we loose Freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the Last Place on Earth!" Ronald Reagan
jwalker: Check out Little Bear Gun Shop. He's a one-man operation that can get most anything, including AK's.
Your best weapon is your brain. Don't leave home without it.
Thoughts: Justifiable self defense (A.O.J.).
Explain: How does disarming victims reduce the number of victims?
Reason over Force: Why the Gun is Civilization (Marko Kloos).
here are your best bets:
AK AMD 65 Rifle 7.62X39 $389.99
Romanian GP-WASR 10/63 7.62x39 Rifle $389.95
Romanian AK-47 WASRUF underfolder, with underfolding butt stock $429.95
Romanian AK-47 WASR10/63M Rifle, 7.62x39 caliber $399.95
Romanian AK-47 WASR10 Rifle, 7.62x39 caliber $389.95
and MY recommendation:
Yugoslavian AK-47 Rifle M70AB2T with underfolder stock $489.95
All from these sites:
AIM SURPLUS in OH
J&G SALES in AZ
Centerfire Systems in KY
I've asked the same question before. I was told to go with a saiga rifle then do the conversion. It ends up being about $500 after you complete it. I personally haven't had a chance to do one yet, but after watching a few videos it looks pretty easy.
Here is a link for the rifle. Scroll down toward the bottom.
Also, here is a video of the conversion.
There are other videos and written walkthroughs out there. It seems like an easy process though.
A few people here have done it, and I'm sure they will chime in at one point here.
Another vote for the Saiga. The rifle will cost you around $300 at first, and you're getting a brand new action vs military surplus. You can convert it on your own time, that is if you want to.
I paid $329 for mine, and did the conversion with parts from Carolina Shooter's Supply. The total cost that I have into it is $550. For me, it was a no-brainer; the WASR rifles around here were pushing $500, and they weren't all that.
Trust in God and keep your powder dry
"A heavily armed citizenry is not about overthrowing the government; it is about preventing the government from overthrowing liberty. A people stripped of their right of self defense is defenseless against their own government." -source
or you can do it right and get a yugo underfolder for 500 bucks and be done.
I got a WASR10 I picked up for $300 with 3 mags, and a boatload of 7.62 surplus ammo.
I'm more than pleased
(Mine is stamped Century Arms.)
"To blame a gun for a mans decision is to foolishly attribute free will to an inanimate object"- Colion Noir.
I've got a Saiga .410 shotgun I modified for cheap. Mississippi Arms has lots of conversion items for anything Saiga. I've gotten a larger capacity mag since this pic, too.
I have, in the past, owned WASR's, SAR1's, Chinese, Yugo, and an Arsenal. ALL were flawless except the $900 Arsenal. It jammed on every mag. Go figure. Go with a WASR. www.classicarms.us
I went the Saiga way for Cheap Reliable AK's
OMG all black AK's.... mmmmmmm I love them. I want to get a Yugo M70 so bad.
My Romanian WASR-10 has been kind to me. Only jams it ever had were when I first got it and failed to get all the cosmoline out of the bolt assembly. After I legitimately cleaned it the thing never failed again.


text:
- log in
- account
VUDU makes a play to become the VOD service of tomorrow
Posted by James McQuivey on September 9, 2009
- 381 Recommendations
- 0 comments
Video on Demand (VOD) has been a disappointment. As offered by most cable systems, video on demand should have made it easier for you to rent movies for home viewing than Blockbuster or Hollywood ever could because you never have to leave the house to get a VOD movie. But most VOD systems have failed to delight customers for reasons I won't get into right now other than to say that even if the movie selection is decent, the interface to find the movies is terrible. So most people don't use VOD.
Apple saw this opportunity and assumed its iTunes music business could easily extend into video, first with a pay-per-download model (one I first wrote about in 2007, explaining why it would not work -- I was right), and eventually with a VOD model, once the content owners could see their way to taking that plunge. But the iTunes VOD business relies on people buying Apple devices -- something millions of people do -- and people wanting to watch movies on those devices -- sadly, something far fewer people do.
This has caused me to encourage Apple to port its iTunes video service to non-Apple devices that are connected to the TV. I wrote about this a few times recently, explaining that video services need to connect to the TV to have a chance and that LG and Samsung Blu-ray players (and more recenlty, connected TVs) were doing that quite well. It would be a natural fit for iTunes to deliver content to those devices. But, alas, that's not how Apple rolls, as the Cupertino company prefers to make its money from high-margin devices.
Enter VUDU. And Amazon. And Blockbuster. These are the three VOD services that are all competing to get into the Blu-ray players and TVs selling at BestBuy today. They all have software solutions that enable porting their VOD services to a variety of devices. And to be fair, Amazon has been on TiVo boxes for several years now and a whole year ago created a streaming version of its service in order to partner with Sony to deliver VOD to the TV makers' Bravia Net-connected TVs. Blockbuster has made a few similar announcements since CES of this year.
What has me interested today is the recent spate of announcements confirming that VUDU is serious about this strategy -- remember, this is a company that two years ago announced its own expensive set top box designed to deliver extremely HD content over the Internet. The company has clearly come to understand that the future of video delivery needs to be multiplatform in nature -- see Netflix if you need proof of consumers' interest in that -- and so while VUDU continues to sell its boxes, it is also embedding its service into Blu-ray players and connected TVs. Just in the past week three such announcements were made (a Mitsubishi TV, an LG TV, and an LG Blu-ray player).
And if you're LG, why not? LG already offers an aggressive array of content options, including Netflix (which isn't technically VOD since its catalog is relatively thin on recent releases), Pandora, YouTube, and many more over-the-top options. From LG's perspective -- and, I assume, from that of Samsung and the rest -- offering multiple, even competing services increases the likelihood that something will satisfy consumers. And assuming they get a kickback on the revenue generated, it creates almost no downside for LG. (Which leads to more speculation as to why VUDU is suddenly showing up in so many devices -- they probably are more aggressive on the rev share; even if Apple wanted to put iTunes in devices, chances are good it wouldn't be willing to offer VUDU-like terms.)
It's in this way that VOD may finally succeed. Of course we still have to solve that ridiculous 24-hour viewing window that doesn't let my wife finish movies during which she falls asleep. By the time she's ready to pick it up where she left off, it has already expired. But that will come as content owners realize the opportunity has finally arrived (oh, and that pirated streaming sites are getting better by the day).
Have you tried OTT VOD? Whether by Connected TV, Blu-ray player, Xbox 360, or Apple TV: What do you think? Is it ready?
Search Forrester's Blogs
Predictions 2017
The dynamics that will shape the future in the age of the customer »
Free Webinar
Planning for innovation and risk in the wake of Brexit »
Forrester's CX Index
Predict how actions to improve CX will affect revenue performance.
Measure the customer experiences that matter most »
Analyst Blogs
- Carlton Doty (1)
- Carrie Johnson (1)
- Cliff Condon (2)
- Dipanjan Chatterjee (15)
- James McQuivey (122)
- JP Gownder (1)
- Laura Ramos (12)
- Lori Wizdo (1)
- Luca Paderni (5)
- Nigel Fenwick (1)
- Sarah Sikowitz (6)
- Shar VanBoskirk (1)
- Sheryl Pattek (36)
- Susan Bidel (1)
- Victor Milligan (10)
Top Categories
- Digital Disruption (36)
- Apple (27)
- Amazon (20)
- Paid Content (14)
- iPad (11)
- Microsoft (11)
- Disruptive Innovation (10)
- eBooks (10)
- Media meltdown (10)
- eReaders (9)
- See all
- May 2017 (2)
- April 2017 (2)
- March 2017 (7)
- February 2017 (3)
- October 2016 (2)
- May 2016 (2)
- April 2016 (1)
- October 2015 (1)
- September 2015 (1)
- April 2015 (1)
- January 2015 (1)
- December 2014 (2)
- September 2014 (1)
- See all

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You really took some amazing pictures there! I can see that you do enjoy the traveling.
Take the chance to share a working on line system with you. Working hard for 2 years and it would bring you uninterrupted income weekly!I Even you are enjoy the long vocation!! That would be the real vocation!!
Sign up and experience it. ==> www.goo.gl/x7rNe
Lombok to Surabaya
Trip Start Apr 30, 2004
88Trip End Jan 28, 2005
Map your own trip!
Loading Map
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Where I stayed
Paviljoen Hotel
For the journey from Mataram to Surabaya we had 2 ticket choices, tour company bus for 200,000-250,000 or the public bus for 125,000. Having tried both options previously we know they provide exactly the same service, the only difference usually is that the public bus is always full. We take the public bus option and between us save 150,000 which will pay for our next room and a couple of meals.
We had to be forcibly removed form our room with a full bathroom and petals on the pillows to get in a bemo to Mataram.
The public bus was full, but its the same as the tour company buses with air con and reclining seats. It left on time at 11am and by midday we were driving on t othe ferry at Lembar. Packed to the gunnels. Mostly with backpackers, in fact it was the first time since Singapore that we'd come across a full platoon of the grunge monkey army. The hours flew by as we surreptisiously observed them on board. In their attempte to look cool, slightly edgy, or hardcore, many backpackers fail miserably and just look plain ridiculous. We thank them one and all for the entertainment they provide.
Despite rough seas the ferry made good time and by 4pm we were just off the port of Padangabai in Bali. Unfortunately we remained there for an hour and a half waiting for another ferry to offload and move out, very frustrating.
By the time we'd docked and driven off the ferry the sun was setting. We travelled the length of Bali and didn't see a thing.
Saturday means world service sport, so at 10pm Indonesian time I dig out the radio. The reception is intermittent, and incredibly frustrating. But by the end of the 2 hr program I have all the days football scores, the latest Olympic news and I heard a snippet of cricket commentary as they went live to the Oval? as Marcus
Trescothick hit the winning run against the Windies. So with that, Forest earning a credible draw away at Leeds and Liverpool beating Man City 2-1, I went to sleep content. Rene was already asleep.
Expenses (16500 rupiah/pound): bus/boat ticket 250000, internet 17000, fruit and water 8000.
Sun 22 Aug - Day 112
The ferry between Gilinanuk on Bali and Ketapang on Java takes an hour. The noise of docking, metal on metal, wakes us. It's 1am.
From our seats on the bus we see 10 men and several boys leap from the dock onto the ferry. Bus bandits, armed with guitars. Within seconds, a guitar toting man and a boy of about 10 are stood in the aisle ready to perform. It's like waiting for sting to sing, you know its going to be 3 minutes of low quality warbling, and it was. But give them their due, it takes a special kind of hard nosed nerve and maybe a little desperation to jump on a bus full of uncomfortable, just got to sleep, wake ma and I'll kill you passengers and start wailing, strumming and a clapping for money. In the UK they'd have been lynched and kicked off the bus wearing aa guitar necklace, but in Indonesia it seems to be part of the national psyche to just accept whatever happens. Noone uttered a word of protest and some gave them money.
Luckily we're awake at 6aam when the bus stops briefly at the Surabaya bus station a full 3 hours earlier than we were led to believe. The bus station clock says 5am and we reaslise that in the travel timewarp that is Indonesia we're back in a GMT + 7 zone.
A metred taxi drops us outside Paviljoen Hotel in Central Surabaya where we stayed 2 weeks ago. It doesn't open until 6am so we have a wander through the fresh food market thats set up nearby. It's a very busy place at 5.30am. Full of people buying their daily produce. From fish to chicken gizzards, hanging meat to any kind of fruit and veg, it's all available here. Several women have large boiling oil filled woks and great tubs of batter mix into which they drop anything they can lay their hands on to produce a fritter. Rene carefully selected a cuople of pisang (banana) fritters which were delicious.
The friendly elderly owner of Paviljeon allowed us in our room at 6.30am and we had a couple of hours sleep.
Our Becaak (Man pedalled 3 wheeler) driver looked about 90; he only had 1 tooth but it was a pearler, big and yellow like a walrusses. Theres only a couple of small inclines on the way to the Pelni office but it was a real struggle for him. Getting out and helping to push isn't an option, the driver would lose face which is very important to Indonesians, but the way he was rasping we were more concerned with him losing his life, but he made to the Pelni building and we purchased our tickets to Nunukan.
Doing as little as possible kept us fratically busy for the rest of the day.
Expenses: taxi 30000, becak 20000, bfast 3000, Pelni boat ticket 1473200, juice 15000, photos 100000, new knickers (hurrah) 127200, supermarket 27725, dinner 90000, hair bobbles 8000, purse 20000, internet 52000, lunch 95000, Bushmills 229000.


text:
@An0n C0w4rd Re: Eh?
Thanks! I'll give it a shot tonight!
421 posts • joined 17 Jun 2009
Thanks! I'll give it a shot tonight!
Serious question...
Please tell me how! All of my Windows machines can see all my of Windows network shares. Including the file server where everything is stored (this one is important!).
The Apple machine... Occasionally sees the media machine or the file server, but nothing else and only infrequently at that :(
Err... They were not supposed to run on both Desktop and phone.
Microsoft's vision is that a tablet is a mini desktop screen, rather than an oversized phone. Thus you have Windows 8 running on tablets and desktops and Windows Phone 8 running on phones.
An iPad application is also different to an iPhone application. Just look at Facebook for the iPhone and for the iPad (I wish Android did this - Spotify and Facebook on my Infinity tablet are annoying as hell to use (to the extent that they are not used at all).
Whether it's better to treat a tablet as an oversized phone or an undersized desktop is open to discussion, but either way all companies know that there is a large difference between the desktop and the phone.
Maybe they will converge at some point, but no mater the OS it will rely on responsive design to get the interface flexible enough to work on all screen sizes (just like modern websites do...)
I had my car stolen from Filbert Street football ground when I was in Uni (their car park was open to the public during the week).
They stole my Tesco uniform that was in the boot (why!!!??? Did they have a cashier fetish?) and all of my (home recorded) tapes - but not my parents tapes that were also in the car. And the 15 pound stereo itself! (Again, why? It's not like anyone if going to buy that at the pub is it?
Thankfully the police found my car in a bad neighbourhood about 7 hours later so I still had transport. And because it was a very old Ford they hadn't had to smash anything to steal it.
The police said it was likely to be 12 or 13 year old kids who couldn't be bothered to catch the bus home. Gits.
I can't imagine how they would take the story line, but I love the idea of Sue Perkins! I had never thought about her until now...
Sigh... Yes...
I have the last version of that machine.
256 (as RAID 0 and blindingly fast) - would have loved the 512 but ouch! on the price!
Quad core hyper threaded 3rd gen i7
Full HD (and pin sharp!)
< 1.2KG (but you lose the discrete graphics - you need the PMD for that)
As small as a MacBook Air, but with way more power and a little lighter. And all for the price if a high spec'd ultrabook that it would pummel into the ground.
But I guess they did not sell enough - Sony doesn't make anything like it now either :(
I hope it lasts a long time, as there is nothing on the market at the moment that comes close for me...
Because you appreciate the extra desktop real estate?
I love my 13" Full HD monitor. Everything is pin sharp and crystal clear, and I can get what I want on the screen without having to carry around a 17" laptop with me.
Hell, even when I RDP from my Transformer Infinity to my desktop everything is still perfectly readable - and that's only 10"
I find a crap 15" 1366*768 much harder to read, and much more fatiguing than a high quality, high res smaller screen.
I found the line 'sound quality is fine, if you lower your expectations' interesting. Is that a translation of 'sound quality sucks'?
I know 170 isn't a *high* price in the grand scheme of music systems, but neither is it throw away money for 'hey I want music in the garden / study / kitchen on the cheap'...
WTF??? You can now pay for things without having to enter your pin? Wow...
I appreciate that I can steal a card and order on-line, or over the phone, and not have to enter a pin, but at least them for it to be useful to me I have to have it delivered to an address which makes it somewhat traceable.
But to be able to get hold of a card and then use it straight away, on the high street without having to enter a code is just insanity... How much is card crime going to jump now?
Upvoted because, yes, that is annoying!
But it's not limited to a single OS - that is more limited to the admin settings for the machines. We have a selection of servers here and some can be restarted normally, where as others have to be restarted using the shutdown -r command. And yes it is annoying. When I VPN from home to the office I also loose the ability to simply restart the workstation and need that command.
Be thankfu it's only 77 gbp... I just renewed mine from abroad and it was close to 200 euros... (Up from 50 10 years ago IIRC)
The reason why, as explained on their site is that they have been busy streamlining their system, to make it easier for a person to get a passport and reduce the cost of making it.
Quite how that translates to having to post your passport from Holland to Paris, where they perform some checks (I don't know what, when I asked the passport office they refused to tell me what the checks were, just that my application had to be correct enough to pass them or they would keep my 200 euros and return it to me) before sending it to Cardiff for more, and different, checks (also secret!). Where it would be made and posted to me back here.
Much easier than 10 years ago when I went to the consulate, filled in a form with the help of the clerk, went back a week later and picked it up. And with the reduced costs obviously 200 euros is a better price than 50.
Which phone do you have!
Non-DRM player. There is a music player that is built in that plays MP3s - albeit quite a sucky one (on a par with the standard Android one). If you buy a Nokia then you also get the Nokia Music app by default, and is one of the best music apps I have had on any phone.
17 hour battery life... Wow... I get a few days (if the battery graph is to be believed) if I have background data, Bluetooth (used to connect to the car's hands free system) and WiFi turned on with Facebook push, twitter push, and 4 email accounts checked every 30 minutes. It has 40% to 75% left when it gets plugged in at the end of a (17 hour) day depending on just how intensely I have been using it. Are you on Windows Phone 8, or 7.5? I know a colleague has the Nokia 710 on 7.5 and does have to have it on charge almost constantly, I have the 820 on WP8 and you can see above how bad it is.
The rest I have not tried to look for, but I agree the apps are woefully limited at the moment. But as I don't have that many apps on any of my phones it doesn't bother me - if you use lots then, yup, it's an issue!
Yup, saw that - but even better are the fanbois (from all platforms) proving the video right in the comments! ;)
Why not? I went from my iPhone to a Desire, to an Xperia S and recently switched to a Nokia 820 when i dropped it and smashed the screen. The Andriod platform had every app that I needed (and even a few that the iPhone doesn't have). Both the Android phones were nicer to use - for me.
The windows phone suffers from lack of apps, that's for sure, but other than that its a really nice phone to use.
Maybe the original poster wasn't a Samsung shill, but just someone who wants a phone that works and doesn't care about the make or OS...
I saw the Libretto in a few shops and loved it instantly. Compact, but also a real machine. It's just a shame I was a lowly student at the time and so I never had the money to get one!
I wonder if it's rose coloured glasses looking back and I would have been disappointed had I managed to get hold of one?
On my last system (JVC about the same class as your Technics) I would agree with you. When I upgraded to a Cyrus system with B&W CM9 speakers I heard the difference immediately (to the point where I assumed something was wired up wrong!). Only when I put a CD on did I realise it was the 320kbps MP3s that sounded awful, and not the speakers!
That was the point where I re-encoded all of my CD's. I now use the MP3 player for background music and the FLAC file (or just the CD's) for when I want to actually listen to something.
I first used the internet when I started at Uni in 1994...
Lots of Sun think clients thought the tallest building (I forget the name, but I think they have pulled it down now) at DeMontfort (using those wonderful paternosters to get up and down!). Lowly IT students were had to use the older monochrome machines (software engineering got the colour ones). But the monitors were absolutely crisp and clear even so. Loved those machines (not the shared CPU and internet connection which were woefully under specified!)...
And of course all had Mosaic on them. A couple of years before I was connected at home using IE...
Thanks for bringing the memories back to the surface :)
I'll agree that most people have no need to update their laptops at the moment, and so there is no advantage to upgrading except a new OS, and really, outside of OS geeks who cares? And the geeks will just install the OS on existing computers - so no new sales from there.
But as to a touch screen laptop being ergonomically difficult... I disagree - when I switch from using my Asus Transformer to my laptop I find myself forgetting and poking the screen quite often as it's easier than reaching for a mouse. And actually my best experience is the Transformer, with a mouse. The mouse is great for the more detailed parts and the touch screen for buttons etc. Either one without the other is ergonomically difficult, but combined it's a really nice experience.
I'm struggling to see the issue here from any other phone I have had.
The people hub allows me to find a contact I am looking for - whether that be work, family or friends (I don't want to have three phone books with some overlap).
I have a tile for my work email. One for my home email. And one for my gmail. There is no way to confuse the three. If I see emails from colleagues then I know I am in the inbox for my work account. If I see mails from friends and family then I am in my home account, and if I see order confirmations and SPAM then I am in my gmail account.
Pretty much as it was on iOS and Android as well - in fact easier as it's three separate tiles by default (you can connect inboxes if you want, but by default each account appears as its own app. On the iPhone you had to open the mail client and then select the inbox you wanted, and on my Desire and Xperia Z it was similar (Gmail had their own app).
The point is that the social networking has been made easier in the hub, which would be the FaceTweetSpace you were talking about. It's not a case of accidentally emailing or texting everyone in your contact list from the social media hub - you want to mail it's still separate, as it should be!
Windows Phone 8 have used it enough to actually give the feedback.
When I smashed the screen on my Xperia S about a month back (doh!) I needed a new phone, and rather quickly.
I've had an iPhone, two top end Android phones and so I thought maybe it was time to dip my toes into the Windows Phone 8 water. A colleague has a Lumia 710 (WP 7.5) and loves it (except the battery life) and all the reviews seemed positive enough for the 820.
I went to the shop and spoke to the assistant (who seemed to really know her stuff for a change!) spoke to me for 20 minutes of so about the relative merits of the different phones and OS's. For what I needed (calling, corporate email and occasional surfing) she recommended the Huwai (or how it's spelt) phone as it had the same specs as the 820 but was 200 euros cheaper. Unfortunately that would have mean waiting a week for it to come back into stock. A week I didn't have!
So I plumped for the 820. And have not regretted it for a second since. Easy to use, slick interface and one of the best soft typing experiences I have had.
One niggle is the volume control - whoever thought that one setting for both ringtone and headphones was enough was definitely on drugs.
And there is not a great choice in the app store. Yet. But what is there is really great - the best IMDB experience I have had.
No, really not. I can from an iPhone, HTC Desire and Sony Xperia Z before my 820 and in (almost) no way do I think that Windows Phone 8 is lacking. Quite the opposite in fact, it is the best phone I have owned since I got my first phone in 1996 (wow, 17 years ago... I feel old!).
I have only 1 niggle with the 820 after nearly a month owning it.
No separate volume controls for keypad, ringtone and headphones (I could live with the first two being combined, but where is the sense in combining the ringtone that you want loud to hear in your pocket / handbag and the headphones that you don't want to deafen you!).
But I just change the volume when plugging in the headphones. It's a pain that I hope they fix, but not the end of the world :)
I know I shouldn't but...
Mind you, the _manufacturers_ advise full cycles to avoid charge memory
From this I assumed that you meant a full cycle of nearly empty to full. If you could explain what you mean by full cycle without attacking me I would appreciate it. I used the information presented to me.
My figures were taken from the air yes. Sometimes my battery is nearly empty (warning! your laptop will hibernate if you don't plug in soon!) and needs charging to 80% (when the Sony battery application stops charging). Sometimes it's not and when it plug it in is still has 65% left and charges to 80%. And a whole range in between. I don't wait for my laptop to hit 65% and then charge it, obviously. That would be just a little to much OCD for me.
As for the % left on *whatever* I am charging, I take it from the machine itself. The laptop reports x% charge left, as does my phone. The hours left? That depends on what I am doing. Writing mails takes less processing power than photo editing obviously and so the time to empty changes with current power needs. As a singular example.
What you said:
Mind you, the _manufacturers_ advise full cycles to avoid charge memory
What I said:
The battery management software recommends that you only charge to 80%
Since when is charging to 80% the same as a full charge cycle?
Your situation:
Wait till it's nearly empty (10%) and charge to 100%
My situation: It's on 65%, I plug it in and it stops automatically at 80%. That is not a full charge cycle.
Not the same thing. In fact, quite opposite.
Actually, I have quite the opposite from Sony... The battery management software recommends that you only charge to 80% (if you are close to a socket most of the time, which I am) in order to extend the life of the battery - as 100% charges kill the battery over time.
You mean that wasn't real! And you can't do it by pulling a line down a screen!
My world has just been torn apart
'Tis in The Netherlands too. To compensate for the food, tea, coffee, soft drinks and Friday drinks I have 42 euros added to my salary before tax (the tax man decides the amount).
You think that, if it gives you comfort.
The 740 has a few computers in it. And when they break that are quite expensive (as a friend of mine found out)!
Wow, a sensible comment.
This is my biggest concern. The law is going to have to take this sort of thing into consideration and sort through the ramifications.
That said, much as I adore driving, bring it on. Less congestion, more safety! How many hours have the Google cars ran on the public road? How many accidents have they had, and how does this relate to a human driver? Easy way to see the safety.
Those who think it is akin to ABS in that people will adjust to it... How? The human does not take control of the car, there is no risk to take.
What do you mean "think"?
I'd say somewhere in between. Driving should be an automatic skill. Awareness of your surroundings is where your concentration should lie, letting your automatic driving skill deal with what you observe.
Well, thank you for the compliment :)
I would counter the argument though with multiple cases of the same story where no hands free phone was involved and the driver was simply spaced out and not taking any notice of their surroundings. It takes me back to bad drivers will be bad drivers, full stop. I'm sure giving them an extra distraction does not help, but I'm also sure that concentrating on lighting the cigarette, without burning their eyebrows off, or looking the window controls to throw the dog end away (I hate it when people do this, you want to smoke in your car, keep your rubbish in there with you!) and trying to throw it out without it coming back in and setting fire to the car is also a bad idea.
I like the though of the idea of the context of the conversation though, very interesting thought...
I may have to give this a try then!
Except for the fact that I can't stand Tetris I want to try this.
Can I say to the person I am talking to "this is getting complex, hold on" the same as I do on the car phone though to make it exactly the same? Or do I have to fudge the results by forcing myself to talk though the complex bits which I would normally not do?
I watched the test on Myth Busters where they concluded that driving whilst talking on the phone was as dangerous as drunk driving.
What were they doing? Driving around a complex course whilst putting complex logical and mathematical problems at the driver. And they were not allowed to say 'Hold on a second, the road is getting a little complex.'
Removing your concentration from the road is dangerous. Full stop. Be that fiddling with the radio, sat nav, phone, seat, mirror or being distracted by passengers or people outside of the car.
I do use a hands free kit in the car, and you know what, just the same as when I have a passenger I can say "Give me a sec" and ignore the call completely. The only difference I can see with a passenger conversation is that assuming they have two brain cells they will shut up automatically and not need the "hold on" comment.
The problem of dangerous driving comes from people who just do not know how dangerous cars are and so don't give them the respect they reserve. Stopping them using hands free is not going to stop that problem - they will still be dangerous drivers if they don't know the amount of concentration they need to drive safely!
I actually really like it.
I thought it was not going to be great, but then I played with one, and yes. It works really well.
Still, 700 euros is a bit much when I already have a Transformer Infinity... (Though if I was buying today I would accept the lower resolution and take the RT).
What I don't get is the stealth launch. Everyone knows the iPad. Most know Samsumg / Asus tablets. No one outside of an IT professionals who I know about the surface. If you don't even tell people about a product how on earth are they ever going to buy it...
I've used a couple of Windows 8 machines, and was that impressed I am currently getting everything together to upgrade my Windows 7 laptop.
Sure, the Metro works best with a touch screen - that is what it was designed for, and my next laptop will have a touch screen (as I found out from my Infinity the combination of keyboard, mouse and touch screen is hugely superior to just keyboard and mouse).
But even in it's current guise it works really quite well (in fact almost the same as Windows 7). you click the windows key and start typing the name of the app you want and 'ting' it's there for you. Where is the problem?
My only question on it, is whether you can make the task bar smaller and move it around as you could in Windows 7. I have tiny icons and the bar on the side as I prefer to lose some of the 1920 pixels than the 1080 pixels to it.
Or get the pubs to stay open so people don't have to pre-drink and educate (it's not going to happen overnight) so that people don't order 4 pints at closing time!
Leave the price in the supermarket alone! Assuming the people who are priced out of drinking don't turn to drinking fermented Ribena (the drink of choice for many when I was at Uni as beer was too expensive) then you will only affect a very small amount of people. The rest will simply have to pay more.
Trying to get people to drink responsibly is the problem. When I first moved to Holland it was very noticeable that most of the real drunks were not Dutch, but the English expats who didn't know how to drink. Expensive beer (in 2000 a fiver a pint) did nothing to stop the expats drinking themselves silly!
Hear, hear!
Living in Holland it's easy to get hold of really nice Trappist or micro brewery beers that are sold on word of mouth not advertising. I offered to bring some back to the UK for a relative and was told, "Don't bother, the in drink here is Bud at the moment, so I wouldn't drink anything other than that. I know it's crap - but it's trendy, ain't it!"
Unreal to choose that over something that tastes wonderful!
You post stated:
I'm all for equal opportunities, but only in the most minimum fashion possible. Therefore, nobody gets married. Everybody wins.
Equality for all.
I don't see that as a everyone wins situation, I see that as a very unhappy dystopian future that George Orwell warned against in 'Animal Farm' and '1984' where everyone loses.
So because people are campaigning for the equal rights around marriage the only best way forward is to ban it for everyone?
That's like a child smashing something up because they have been told to share! If I can't have it exclusively, then no one can have it!
What I do think is that it should be completely separated from the church. Everyone should have to get married in a civil marriage ceremony to make them married in the eyes of the law. Should some people also wish to be married in the eyes of their religion then they are free to have a purely religious ceremony after the civil one.
It's the way that it works in The Netherlands, and I think it's a very good system. Complete separation of church and state on the issue. If the churches with to say no to people for their religious ceremony then that is their call - it has no impact on non-religious people any more.
Because this is basically an ultra portable (hence the cost) with stunning pace for business and media use.
If you start to put discrete graphics in there you a) lose battery life and b) generate a lot of heat.
It is not a gaming rig, and you are not paying the price for a gaming rig. You are paying the price for a fully fledged computer to be squeezed into a package the size of an 11" screen whilst keeping 6 hour basic usage battery life.
It will not match an Alienware of the same cost, but then the Alienware will not have a long battery life or be light enough to take everywhere with you.
Horses for courses.
That said it does seem to have too many foibles to be useful (but then my last two Vaio's also got poor reviews on the reg and the two best laptops I have ever owned...)
Oh dear... Is that not prior art? Flexible display that can be worn as a watch?
Thanks for the info! The car is currently at the stage of the body restoration is finished - bonnet and chassis are still to come before it gets its nice new paint.
The engine was the last item on my list - depending on finances the slightly modified lump will remain with bearings and shells replaced or a new engine will go in. If the RX engine is an easy switch then it is really worth considering... I was considering a stage 2.5 engine - harsh, but still drivable on the road); but it's always nice to have other options to look into.
I don't suppose you have any info do you?
To all: Sorry for the high jack :)
I could handle having to recharge after 100 miles of spirited driving in what is basically a track car.
What I couldn't take is the long recharge times before I can drive again. I can't wait for when I can swap my petrol engine for an electric one. Unfortunately I can't see that happening any time soon :(
Or even better - converting my old Spitfire to use an electric motor rather than the 1950s designed lump it uses! But I can't see that any time soon either...
I thought that the report (if you can call anything on Top Gear a report) said there was a problem with the car, not that the car ran out of charge...
And everyone knows that if you are pushing a car around a race track you are not going to get the range you would on the motorway... Petrol or electric!
Really? What on earth were they thinking?
Leave it off for more space (not my preference, but not everyone wants an Ethernet port these days) or put in a gigabit port minimum. Especially on a 1200 machine!
That, lack of SSD and the sub par camera on a machine this expensive just seems like someone looking to make a failure!
Were they not "inspired" just a little bit for the Genestealers by the Aliens themselves?
There is certainly a resemblance...
Absolutely! I replaced the 7200rpm HDD in my Vaio with a Vertex 4 and it has made it a completely different machine in terms of responsiveness.
Shame to see that bad management may mean that my next drive won't be the same :(


text:
Days Inn Sullivan
No prices found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
How has this hotel rated in the past?
- Continental Breakfast
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Business Services
- Free parking
- Pets allowed
Travelers also looked at:
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Free parking
- Pets allowed
- Continental Breakfast
- Business Services
TripAdvisor Reviews Days Inn Sullivan
Travel Blogs from Sullivan
Pushing Eastward
Another long day of driving eastward toward Maryland found us doing the "drive by shooting" routine. Driving from Kansas to Indiana found us passing through Kansas City and St. Louis. crossing the Missouri River twice and the Mississippi River, passing by the KC Royal's stadium and Gateway Arch in St. Louis and seeing another cross larger than the one in Texas.
We ...
The bigger the better
Tonight we're staying in the Alpha Psi chapter house of Pi Kappa Phi. This place is huge! The whole house houses over 100 brothers and is well over three times the size of the WSU chapter house. Also had a great friendship visit with happiness bag where we had a huge dance party and Keriokie session. We even had the mayor doing the chicken dance with us and the ...
Day 40 Brian's Awareness Tour
... another 40 miles today and be in Seymour but I decided to call it a day and get some homework done. Tomorrow I will Try to ride to Versailles which is about 72 miles. It should be another easy day and I really hope the weather is good. Today I rode 70 miles. To any mother reading this happy mothers day and especially you mom. Can't wait to get ...
Day 39 Brian's Awareness Tour
... Queen for some extra motivation to get to Indiana. From Olney it was about 45 miles to to Indiana. I decided to see if I could make it all the way to the state line and I did. I rode into Indiana and about a mile past the state line into a town called Vencennes. The town was really cool and had historical buildings and monuments all over. Tomorrow I will ride to Bedford Indiana which is about 70 miles. Today I rode 147 miles. ...
One night stop
We have left Missouri, drove all across Illinois and lighted in Terre Haute, Indiana for one night on our way to Indianapolis. Last night we went out for dessert with Rich's cousin, John, to a St. Louis landmark called Ted Drewes. It is a ...


text:
What does export to sd card mean?
What does tenor mean in export documents?
The Export Bureau's Trade Terms Dictionary lists the definition of the technical term "tenor" as it is used in documents dealing with the exportation of goods as "the amount of time the receiver ha...
Read More »
Can you export iPhone contacts to the SIM card?
There is a program for exporting contacts to a sim but it only works if: 1) You are running v1.1.4 or older 2) You're phone is jailbroken The program is called iSim and is not free either.
What does an XD& an SD card slot mean?
SD, or Secure Digital, and XD, or Extreme Digital, card slots are spaces in which a compatible flash memory card can be inserted to provide external file storage space for computers or portable dev...
Read More »
What does invalid sim card mean?
There are a few common reasons why you may see the message stating that your SIM card is invalid. Some issues may be easy to fix on your own, but others will require calling your service provider....
Read More »


text:
Usain Bolt treated to £80k fizz at Movida
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was treated to an £80,000 bottle of Champagne on Saturday night after breaking the world record for the 4×100-metre relay.
A 15l Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac Champagne, known as Ace of Spades, was brought to Bolt's VIP table at Movida nightclub in Mayfair.
The bottle, the equivalent of 20 75cl bottles, has a retail price of around £80,000.
"Usain Bolt was given a Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV," said Movida spokeswoman Martina Pokorna.
The Champagne house only produces one bigger size bottle – the 30-litre, 40-bottle Midas, which has to be ordered a few days in advance at nightclubs.
Bolt, who scooped three gold medals at the London Olympics, was joined in the VIP area of the club by Jamaican sprinting teammate Yohan Blake, who Bolt affectionately calls "The Beast."
The pair partied with boxer Amir Khan, double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah and swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who picked up a bronze medal in London
The fastest man on earth was spotted earlier that night DJing at the Puma Yard bar on Brick Lane before heading into central London.
Across town at Chinawhite nightclub in Piccadilly, gold medalists have been treated to a cocktail priced at the Olympic sum of £2,012.
American swimmer Ryan Lochte and South African swimmer Chad le Clos are among the recipients of the cocktail, which contains Hennessy Paradis Imperial Cognac and Luxor 24-carat gold leaf Champagne.
Lying at the bottom of the glass is a pair of handmade 18-carat gold rings.
"The golden cocktail is our special creation, and we have given some away.
"Every night we have a presentation for the gold medalists, and it has been very well received," said Chinawhite director James Spallone.
On arrival at the club, gold medalists are handed a gold 75cl bottle of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial.


text:
09:20 Commentary
Hello. I know, I know, it's all been a bit "hmmmm" and a bit "meh" so far hasn't it? (Except you Germany, you swots). But today simply cannot disappoint. Heavyweights Brazil and Portugal enter the fray, as do one of Africa's best hopes in Ivory Coast. Plus we'll get to see two of the more intriguing sides at this tournament: North Korea and New Zealand. And Slovakia!
09:22 Commentary
At 1230 BST, New Zealand kick off against Slovakia. Until then, we'll have a little look at all the best paper chat, we'll reflect on Italy's underwhelming draw against Paraguay, and get really very excited about today's games only to be crushingly disappointed when they actually happen. Probably.
09:26 Commentary
So if you're on a UK vibe, by which I mean you live in the UK, you'll know that one man dominates the news today. Rob Green takes a day off as Franz Beckenbauer arrives on the back page of pretty much every single newspaper. Der Kaiser wrote in his column for a South African newspaper: "What I saw of the English against the USA had very little to do with football. It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush."
09:30 Commentary
What Beckenbauer has failed to realise is that it is not England's fault that they cannot pass the ball to each other, it is the fault of that pesky Jabulani. Both Frank Lampard and Clint Dempsey reckoned the ball deviated before Rob Green's horror mistake on Saturday (even though that was not evident to any normal eye). The Independent reports that Fabio Capello turned down the chance to train with the ball before the friendly with Egypt in March, because he simply didn't think it was worth it...
Brent, Kiwi in London: "Come on you Kiwis! Watch for Sugarfoot Shane Smeltz to light up the World Cup, the A-League hitman is ready."
09:36 Commentary
Ball trouble is not just limited to England. Serbia's Nemanja Vidic, Algeria's Majid Bougherra, Slovenia's Robert Koren and Nigeria's Dickson Etuhu have all been critical of the Jabulani. "It's the worst ball ever," Etuhu told the BBC. "You can't head it [from goalkeeper's kicks], you don't know where it's going to go. If you pass the ball into a player's feet, if it's off the ground, you don't know where it's going to go. It's the worst thing they could have done. It's so hard to play with."
Contributor BBC Sport's Jonathan Stevenson
Via Twitter: "It's even a bit chilly in Jo'burg today. SA guy at hotel tells me 'I've never been colder'. Reckon I could raise him 90% of my days on earth."
09:42 Commentary
England are out training and BBC Sport's Phil McNulty reports that Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole have returned to the fold after having a rest yesterday. Only Ledley King is missing.
From Jake: "Very excited to see ex-AFC Wimbledon striker Shane Smeltz play today, let's hope he can follow in wombles legend Robbie Earle's footsteps by scoring at a World Cup."
Smeltz getting a lot of love this morning...
From BBC Sport's Simon Austin: "Beckenbauer is right. Tord Grip told me Eriksson had played passing footie with Lazio etc but England's players not technically good enough."
From bhastings316: "Group G isn't really a group of death. Ivory Coast without Drogba will be no real threat and even with him Brazil and Portugal will have enough to beat. North Korea will get hammered by all."
09:54 Commentary
Hate to keep going on about Rob Green... But it's only just come to my attention that the clever people who create replays of famous football moments with Lego are doing World Cup highlights. Hurrah. Not great news for poor old Rob though. The South Africa-Mexico one's pretty entertaining too, especially the goal celebration (watch from about 1:15)
10:03 Commentary
It's not been a great tournament for goalkeepers so far (Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama aside). Algeria's Faouzi Chaouchi dropped a clanger to gift Slovenia victory on Sunday, and last night flappy-hands Paraguay keeper Justo Villar saved Italy's blushes by missing a cross, allowing Daniele de Rossi to tap in. Added to that, Italy's Gianluigi Buffon came off at half-time with a back problem.
Contributor BBC Sport's James Pearce
Via Twitter: "Here's a treat for you. A look behind the scenes at England training."
10:14 Commentary
Italy's Buffon is quoted as saying he'll be fit again in "two days". Algeria coach Rabah Saadane insists he still has faith in Chaouchi. It just remains to be seen whether Capello still believes in Green. "England are a superb team," said Saadane yesterday. "I put them among my favourites. There will be very little change against them in terms of personnel, maybe one or two."
Contributor BBC World Service's Richard Connelly
Via Twitter: "We want world's best players to dazzle us with their skills at World Cup What's happening? Why not give them ball they'll use years in advance? Naive?"
10:18 Commentary
It's 1018 BST, let's move on to today's games and the breaking news is that Ivory Coast talisman Didier Drogba has been given permission to play with a cast on his fractured arm.
From Draper in Belfast: "To Brent the Kiwi [see above 0930 entry]. Martin Skrtel will have Sugafoot in his pocket. All Whites to crash and burn."
10:27 Commentary
Good news for Sven-Goran Eriksson then, with the news that Didier Drogba could yet play against Portugal despite his busted arm. The Swedish job-magnet only took over as Ivory Coast manager in March and has presided over two friendlies before today. "It is a short period of time, that is a fact," Eriksson told BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher yesterday. "But I am very confident. The players are working very hard and I am looking forward to the tournament."
Contributor BBC Sport's Dan Walker
Via Twitter: "Port Elizabeth is freezing. Too cold for Marcel Desailly who left the hotel for only 30 seconds. Biting wind."
10:36 Commentary
Some will tell you World Cups only really begin when the Brazilians come to the party, but the days of Joga Bonito appear to be long gone. Brazil coach Dunga spent much of his press conference yesterday defending the pragmatism he has brought to the 2010 squad. "The criticism is always that we are a defensive team, but we've scored over 100 goals so must be somewhat creative," said the 1994 World Cup-winning captain. "We've only conceded 30 goals so are a very balanced team. You guys say I'm a difficult character, but you criticise me for 24 hours and I can only criticise you for one second. You attack me from morning to evening, but if I answer, you tell me I'm out of line. If I speak out of turn, you tell me I am bitter."
10:45 Commentary
Dunga's outburst aside, the best news to come out of the Brazil camp is that Felipe Melo named his son after 1986 Golden Boot winner - and famous wearer of a cast on his arm - Gary Lineker. "I find it very beautiful, different... and an honour," said the defensive midfielder. "He was a great player, a big name in the national team of England and in the history of the English national team." It can't have been only me that was a bit disappointed to learn he called his son Lineker, not Gary.
From Ed in London:"Re 0954: Has anyone asked the Lego players their view of the Jabulani ball? I've watched the England-USA Lego highlights five times and can't see any evidence of the ball moving in the air before Rob Green spills it..."
10:55 Commentary
Cristiano Ronaldo gets a chance to show what he can do with a Jabulani in today's 1500 BST kick-off against Ivory Coast. However, the 25-year-old failed to score in Portugal's stuttering qualification campaign. Is he worried? Of course he's not. This is Cristiano Ronaldo we're talking about... "I want to explode at this World Cup. I am saving all my goals for this tournament. It would be fantastic if I could be the top scorer and the best player at the World Cup."
Contributor BBC World Service's Farayi Mungazi
Via Twitter: "We know everything about Brazil, we know nothing about North Korea. Can't wait!"
From 606commentator: "I've been looking forward to this game for months. It isn't just the highlight of the tournament for me, but also the highlight of my summer. C'mon you Kiwis!"
11:09 Commentary
New Zealand are preparing for their second World Cup, after losing all three games on their debut in 1982. The All Whites lost to Mexico, Australia, Slovenia and Chile in their warm-ups, but they did beat Serbia 1-0. Captain Ryan Nelsen is nonetheless excited. "It's amazing for us. We have felt the support back in New Zealand. We don't usually get this publicity and support. It's humbling and really exciting. We will be making sure we make every New Zealander proud."
11:17 Commentary
Remember I told you Felipe Melo named his son Lineker, after the BBC presenter (and former England striker) of the same name. Here's Gary's reaction: "I am extremely flattered, albeit mildly embarrassed. Surely with the array of talent within the Brazilian team, he could have named him after someone other than a goal hanger like me!"
11:24 Commentary
New Zealand's opponents Slovakia could include Man City youngster Vladimir Weiss Jr in their starting line-up, the son of coach Vladimir Weiss, who is the son of former Czechoslovakia international... Vladimir Weiss Sr. Obviously. "He is a very clever boy but it is not easy for him because his coach is his father," said Vladimir Weiss No. 2 (the coach, the father, you know the one) "And he is not an easy player to coach, but I am sure he will show an excellent performance and will help his team. We are all full of expectation."
From Jan, an excited Kiwi at her office in Canary Wharf: "Morning Cheesy. Come on the Kiwis! It's been 28 long years. We've got nothing to lose and we'll hopefully give the Slovaks a run for their money. I've booked the boardroom out for two hours from 12.30, bring it on!!"
11:29 Commentary
OK, it's Jonathan Stevenson time. He'll no doubt have some 'predos' for your entertainment. I'll bet he's fuming I've stolen his Vladimir Weiss chat too... See you soon maybe.
11:32 Commentary
After that perfect start to the day, it's back to South Africa we go where, in less than an hour, New Zealand and Slovakia will get their Group F campaigns under way. I'm Jonathan Stevenson in Johannesburg and you're very welcome indeed.
11:36 Commentary
Fuming? Me? Caroline Cheese must have the wrong person… Anyway, refresh your page and we're good to go. Now then, what a day we have in store. At 1230 BST it's the All Whites v the Repre, at 1600 BST it's the Elephants v Seleccao das Quinas and finally, at 1930 BST, we've got the Samba Kings v the Chollima. Are you still with me?
11:41 Commentary
I hope so. Anyway, how are you on day five? I'll bring you NZ-Slovakia and then Chris Bevan will present Ivory Coast-Portugal and Brazil-North Korea as I attend the intriguing tie from Ellis Park this evening. Hit me your thoughts, but save some chat for later too - it's a marathon, not a sprint: Tweet me @Stevo_football; text me on 81111 (UK) and +44 7786200666 (worldwide); and waffle away on the 606 page too.
11:42 Commentary New Zealand v Slovakia line-ups:
New Zealand: Paston, Reid, Nelsen, Vicelich, Smith, Bertos, Elliott, Lochhead, Fallon, Smeltz, Killen.
Subs: Moss, Sigmund, Brown, Barron, McGlinchey, Clapham, Mulligan, Boyens, Wood, Christie, Brockie, Bannatyne.
Slovakia: Mucha, Zabavnik, Durica, Skrtel, Cech, Strba, Weiss, Sestak, Hamsik, Vittek, Jendrisek.
Subs: Pernis, Pekarik, Kozak, Sapara, Holosko, Jakubko, Stoch, Kucka, Kopunek, Salata, Petras, Kuciak.
Referee: Jerome Damon (South Africa)
From shimmysmit: "My predictions for today: NZ 0-0 SLO, CIV 1-2 POR, BRA 2-0 NKO. Now how horrendously wrong can I be...?"
In my experience mate, the sky's the limit.
11:50 Commentary
If you're very, very busy, you might only have 60 seconds to find out what happened in the World Cup on Monday. Here's my quick summary of events: Netherlands turned into Germany; Japan are motoring and Italy gave England some respite. Done.
From CorazonLatino: "I am honestly looking forward to the New Zealand v Slovakia game. I wasn't even born the last time New Zealand played in a World Cup! Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this also Slovakia's World Cup debut? It's refreshing to have different teams qualifying and getting the chance to show the world what they can do."
11:58 Commentary
Chris Bevan has been a busy boy. Not content with writing a blog on the ageing Italian team and their less-than-convincing start to the World Cup, he also managed to grab a word with the legendary Clarence Seedorf on the Netherlands' opening 2-0 win over Denmark. "We need more flair," might be the headline from the BBC pundit.
12:00 Commentary Stevo's Predos:
New Zealand 0-2 Slovakia
Ivory Coast 1-1 Portugal
Brazil 4-1 North Korea
12:04 Commentary New Zealand v Slovakia team news
New Zealand are without midfielder Tim Brown, so 33-year-old Ivan Vicelich steps in. Middlesbrough's Chris Killen, Ipswich's Tommy Smith, Plymouth's Rory Fallon, and Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen are all in the side.
Slovakia stars Martin Skrtel and captain Marek Hamsik are in the starting XI after injuries. Liverpool defender Skrtel has recovered from an ankle injury he suffered in the warm-up game against Costa Rica, while tattooed Napoli playmaker Hamsik, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, hasn't played since May because of a muscle injury. Robert Vittek gets the nod up front, leaving Miroslav Stoch and Filip Holosko on the bench.
Rich in Sussex: "A mate of mine has a £2 on Stanislav Sestak to win the Golden Boot - £978 profit if he does. I reckon he's gonna need to score about three or four today to have a chance! Go on, son!"
12:11 Commentary
New Zealand have been at the World Cup once before of course, in 1982 when they were spanked 5-2 by Scotland, 3-0 by Soviet Union and 4-0 by that magical Brazilian side. In the All Whites side was a young defender named Ricki Herbert (definitely not Rickie Lambert), who is now the national team manager: "It's been a long time hasn't it?" said Herbert this week. "It's taken 28 years for a chance to try and change something. Yeah, I've still got Socrates' shirt. Hopefully he's still got mine."
Contributor BBC Radio 5 live's Graham Taylor
"At the end of the day, this is the World Cup. New Zealand have won their group and they have a right to be here. The chances are they won't get a result today, but let's not downplay it - they deserve this chance. It's not their fault which group they're in. If it's not very good, that's up to Fifa."
12:16 Commentary
South African referee Jerome Damon takes charge of this game, the only homegrown whistler at the World Cup. He'll be hoping to avoid any Ivory Coast games after telling the Mirror last week: "At a game between the Ivory Coast and Sudan in 2005, I was not well positioned and Didier Drogba took a shot at goal and the ball struck me in my family jewels. I just smiled and continued, although I was in great pain. I just told myself that whatever I do, I wouldn't fall down."
12:19 Commentary
Slovakia might be at the World Cup finals for the first time as an independent nation, but they have some very fine players for us to look forward to watching today. Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik is one of them, and he captains the side today on the brink of snubbing Europe's big boys and signing a new contract at Napoli in Serie A. "I'm very happy the Napoli president is content with me and values me," said a humble Hamsik.
12:21 Commentary
On BBC telly, Lee Dixon has just done a short tactical analysis piece on Scotland's 5-2 win over New Zealand at the 1982 World Cup. For some reason, with Alan Hansen - who was playing that day - sat next to him, he chose to focus on the two All White goals and a woeful long-range shot from the Scots' number five. Quality.
From Dave_Lockyer: "Wonder if New Zealand will do the Haka before kick-off. Now that would be worth switching the TV on for."
The teams are out at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, which means shortly I get to feast upon two more national anthems. Bright sunshine greeets the two teams.
12:27 Commentary
If you want to know what it means to play for your country at the World Cup, check out skipper Ryan Nelsen during the NZ anthem. Real emotion.
Ryan Nelsen and Marek Hamsik shake hands and exchange pennants and soon after South African referee Jerome Damon gets the 12th match of the World Cup under way.
2 mins Commentary
Great quote from Ryan Nelsen on BBC Radio 5 live in the build-up to this one: "It will be an incredible upset if we win. We can't live in the clouds. It's a big event - for a little country like New Zealand we punch above our weight. On our good day and if they have a bad day, we can beat anyone."
3 mins Commentary
The first shot on goal comes from the All Whites as Chris Killen bundles his way past a couple of challenges and loops a harmless 25-yard shot over Jan Mucha's crossbar.
5 mins Commentary
That's a real chance that - for New Zealand. A free-kick is whipped in from their left and Chris Killen gets up well at the back post only to head straight at Jan Mucha from close range.
Doug in Gold Coast, Australia: "Smeltz to bag a double for the Kiwis today. The big man has been on fire this season."
8 mins Commentary
Slovakia get Marek Hamsik on the ball and he almost threads a pass through to Robert Vittek, but the striker cannot quite reach it in time. Be interesting to see what influence the much-talked-about Hamsik can have on this game.
10 mins Commentary
It's pretty obvious what New Zealands's plan is - get the ball wide and get crosses into the box, and my word they've sent a few dangerous balls into that mixer already. Slovakia's defence, marshalled by Martin Skrtel, are so far keeping them out.
Contributor BBC Radio 5 live's Graham Taylor
"Slovakia need to up their game if they are going to cause some problems."
12 mins Commentary
Maybe the World Cup isn't so easy to predict - it's all New Zealand in Rustenburg. Seriously, this is most unexpected.
Contributor BBC Sport's Chris Bevan
On Twitter: "Interesting weather news for England-Algeria here in Cape Town on Friday night - we've been warned to expect SNOW. So don't wear shorts."
16 mins Commentary
It hasn't quite got going yet, this one - but New Zealand's defence does look a little shaky when Slovakia manage to venture forward. Two good catches for NZ keeper Mark Paston should do his confidence some good early on.
19 mins Commentary
Stadiumcheck: There are plenty of empty seats in Rustenburg, which, again, is a real shame for a World Cup contest. I feel sorry for the players personally, in games which are the pinnacle of their careers.
From Odannyboy: "If anyone had told me a few years ago when Rory Fallon was upfront for Barnsley (he made Emile Heskey look like Geoff Hurst) that he would be leading the line for a World Cup team, I would have offered them odds of 400,000,000,000/1, and gladly let them have my house (including the cat and missus)."
22 mins Commentary
Slovakia attack down their left and after the ball finds its way into the area for Marek Hamsik, the 22-year-old curls an ambitious right-foot shot a few yards wide of the far post. Clearly a confident boy.
Contributor BBC Radio 5 live's Graham Taylor
"It's slow and very difficult to talk up the game. There is no pace to the game. It really is a poor game."
From thevuvuzelahorn: "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
28 mins Commentary
Finally, an injection of quality - and it comes from Slovakia's Vladimir Weiss. He plays a couple of nice one-twos as he bursts forward to the edge of the NZ box and after slipping in Stanislav Sestak, the striker fires narrowly wide.
32 mins Commentary
If you fancy livening up proceedings from Rustenburg, you could always listen to Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles' commentary on events from the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Chris Killen shoots harmlessly wide from 30 yards, nothing doing at all.
34 mins Commentary
NZ keeper Mark Paston has a shocker there, completely mis-kicking a left-footed clearance - but Robert Vittek cannot capitalise and after the All Whites concede a corner, the danger is cleared.
Contributor BBC Sport's Caroline Cheese:
On Twitter: "If it does snow for Eng v Alg will they have an orange Jabulani ball?"
36 mins Commentary
Robert Vittek only has one thing on his mind when he gets into the final third - to shoot. He lets fly from 25 yards with his left foot, but it's comfortably wide again of Mark Paston's left-hand post. "Should be hitting the target from there," says BBC pundit Martin Keown.
38 mins Commentary
Top-class save, but the ref didn't see it. Rory Fallon flicks a ball through to Shane Smeltz on the left-hand side of the area and his well-struck left-foot effort is tipped away brilliantly by Jan Mucha. Goalkick given.
Contributor BBC Sport's Martin Keown
"I know there's a heavy wind, but these players should be adjusting to it, it's been a poor game so far. We're looking for more quality than this."
42 mins YELLOW CARD
First yellow card of the afternoon goes to New Zealand's Tony Lochhead for a naughty challenge on Erik Jendrisek. From the resulting free-kick, Marek Hamsik's 25-yard shot forces Mark Paston to tip over.
45 mins INJURY TIME
Mark Paston goes way out of his goal to punch a Zdenko Strba free-kick clear and he only just manages to make contact. He's decided to be decisive, the NZ keeper, but he's coming a long way to do that. Into a minute of added-on time in the first half.
13:16 HALF-TIME New Zealand 0-0 Slovakia
Do you think this World Cup could actually make us fond of goalless draws? Something to ponder for the next 15 minutes, anyway.
Contributor BBC Sport's Alan Hansen
"New Zealand have been excellent. With the team they've got on paper you'd think they have no chance, but they work really hard for each other and they are organised and when they counter-attack they have been a threat. Slovakia have been awful."
From IsaacKipkoech: "Vladimir Weiss has played well for Slovakia... he clearly listens to his dad."
Contributor BBC Sport's Mark Bright
On Twitter: "The World Cup starts today people, yes it's time for Brazil. The blue-and-gold army everywhere in Jo'Burg. North Korea are the opposition."
From Andrew, Leeds: "They should make the whole thing knockout from the first game like the FA Cup with all the teams in a hat and the luck of draw. That would liven it up a tadge."
13:31 Commentary
Back under way in Rustenburg as New Zealand take on Slovakia in Group F.
Contributor BBC Sport's Simon Brotherton
"There isn't even a professional league in New Zealand - there is one professional team, Wellington Phoenix, and they play in the Australian league, so that gives you some idea of what they are up against."
48 mins Commentary
Slovakia's Vladimir Weiss has probably been their best player so far, but he's struggling to create things on his own - they need a performance from Marek Hamsik here and they aren't getting one right now.
50 mins GOAL New Zealand 0-1 Slovakia
That'll liven them up. It's a pretty simple goal for the Slovaks as Stanislav Sestak fires over a cross from their right and Robert Vittek takes advantage of some hesitancy from Winston Reid to expertly glance a header into the far corner.
52 mins Commentary
Replays show that Robert Vittek might well have been a fraction offside when that ball came in from the right, but it's too late now. What have New Zealand got to come back with?
55 mins YELLOW CARD
Second tackle from behind from the Slovakian number six Zdenko Strba on Simon Elliott and he is rightly shown a yellow card.
58 mins Commentary
Good pace and directness from Vladimir Weiss, who remains Slovakia's most potent creative threat - he sprints past one challenge down the right, but Tommy Smith does well to get back in and Mark Paston races off his line to gather.
From Kev Rudd: "21 million Aussies are now relieved."
Contributor BBC Radio 5 live's Graham Taylor
"I thought New Zealand would be a little more direct. They are not really disturbing the Slovakian defenders at the moment."
63 mins Commentary
New Zealand are dominating possession, but they aren't exactly bombarding the Slovakian defence right now. The Slovaks look dangerous on the break. Interesting.
64 mins Commentary
Stanislav Sestak does really well to control a high ball on the edge of the New Zealand box and after holding it up he tees up Marek Hamsik 20 yards out, only for the skipper to lean back and sky his shot miles over. Woeful.
From jamb23: "Stevo, did you just get a text from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd?"
Well I can't rule it out.
68 mins Commentary
Breaking news: Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is named on the bench for their Group G contest against Portugal, which starts at 1500 BST.
69 mins Commentary
Good break from the Slovakians but they almost try to walk the ball in and from Stanislav Sestak's low ball into the box, Winston Reid does really well to slide in and avert the danger. Top defending.
72 mins SUBSTITUTION
New Zealand haul off striker Chris Killen and 18-year-old West Brom striker Chris Wood comes on in his place.
From notscientific: "I'm at an Aus uni and all the Aussies have been secretly praying for NZ to lose. Ambition: Better than NZ."
Contributor BBC Sport's Martin Keown
"The Slovakian midfield have been getting stuck in a bit more in the last few minutes, they are making it harder for New Zealand to keep the ball."
77 mins Commentary
Slovakia do look comfortable, but 1-0 is a very slender lead to look comfortable on. Stanislav Sestak has had a pretty decent game for the Slovaks, but he takes a touch too long to get a shot in and the All Whites get the ball clear.
78 mins SUBSTITUTION
Another change for New Zealand, with Jeremy Christie on for Ivan Vicelich.
79 mins Commentary
Rory Fallon tries his luck from 22 yards, but the ball balloons comfortably over Jan Mucha's crossbar. Ricki Herbert's team are running out of time in Rustenburg.
81 mins SUBSTITUTION
Stanislav Sestak's decent afternoon's work comes to an end, with Slovakia throwing on Filip Holosko for the last few minutes.
84 mins SUBSTITUTION
These changes are breaking the game up perfectly for Slovakia - shame, though. Goalscorer Robert Vittek is taken off and gets a hug from his manager as Chelsea's Miroslav Stoch comes on in his place.
From Jon, London: "I'm either really really bored at work or this game hasn't been too bad!"
88 mins Commentary
That might be New Zealand's last chance. Tony Lochhead fires over a great cross from their left, but Shane Smeltz gets his header all wrong from eight yards and it flies well wide.
90 mins INJURY TIME
We're into injury time at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and Slovakia almost have their first win at a World Cup.
90 mins SUBSTITUTION
Juraj Kucka comes on for Vladimir Weiss for Slovakia.
93 mins GOAL New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia
Well that was unexpected. With 30 seconds left in the game, New Zealand pump a cross into the Slovakia box and Winston Reid heads in from eight yards. He takes his shirt off to celebrate wildly with his team-mates and what a story has unfolded in Rustenburg.
14:21 FULL-TIME New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia
Bet you don't think the World Cup's boring now, do you? It's level pegging in Group F - I'm off to Ellis Park now for Brazil v North Korea this evening, so enjoy the rest of Day Five. What a great story to start us off.
Winston Reid headed a dramatic injury-time equaliser against Slovakia to earn New Zealand their first ever World Cup point.
Slovakia were on course for a perfect start in their debut World Cup as an independent nation after Robert Vittek's 50th-minute header.
But Vladimir Weiss's side paid for sitting back on their lead when, in the third minute of injury time, Reid rose to head home Shane Smeltz's left-wing cross.
The result in Rustenburg leaves all four teams in Group F on a point each after Italy's draw with Paraguay on Monday.
Perhaps more importantly for the Kiwis, though, it breaks their World Cup duck.
New Zealand's only other appearance in a World Cup finals was in 1982 when they lost to Scotland (5-2), Soviet Union (3-0) and Brazil (4-0).
Their warm-up matches were hardly encouraging either, with a 1-0 win over Serbia the highlight among defeats by Slovenia, Australia and Mexico.
However, defender Ryan Nelsen promised his team would "make every New Zealander proud" and they were true to the Blackburn defender's word at a far-from-full Bafokeng Stadium.
Middlesbrough striker Chris Killen threatened twice within the first five minutes, first with a long-range effort which flew well over and then with a header, which goalkeeper Jan Mucha gathered at the second attempt.
Slovakia's main threat in the first half, such as it was, was provided by 20-year-old Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss, as the much-vaunted Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik struggled to impose himself.
Weiss's trickery on the left set up chances for Hamsik, who bent an ambitious shot wide, and Stanislav Sestak, who fired narrowly wide.
Slovakia's best chance of a breakthrough, though, came through New Zealand's nervy keeper Mark Paston.
The Wellington Phoenix player embarrassingly miscued a clearance, gifting Vittek a difficult chance, and was fortunate to see one of his defenders clear when he failed to collect a header across the box.
Paston partly redeemed himself with a smart tip-over from Hamsik's long-range effort shortly before half-time, but within five minutes of the restart, he was beaten.
Slovakia finally found a good delivery from Sestak on the right, the Bochum winger whipping a cross in from deep for Vittek to plant a perfect header into the bottom corner.
New Zealand were rocked, but Slovakia, while looking comfortable in defence, did not seem desperate to press home their superiority.
Their attitude was summed up when more good work from Sestak gave Vittek a chance to wrap it up, but the striker appeared to delay too long, allowing Reid to slide in with an excellent tackle.
And it was Reid who was the New Zealand hero at the other end.
The Kiwis had hardly threatened in the second half, but they saved their best two chances for the dying minutes.
Smeltz, the former Mansfield, AFC Wimbledon and Halifax striker, headed wide from a tempting Tony Lockhead cross before he set up an unlikely equaliser, delivering a perfect ball from the left for Reid to head past Mucha.
The FC Midtjylland defender ripped off his shirt and swung it around his head, prompting the inevitable booking from the referee, but that mattered little as he celebrated a historic goal for his country.
A first World Cup win may prove harder to come by: New Zealand face Italy in their next game on Sunday, when Slovakia will look to make amends against Paraguay.
New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia FT
New Zealand
- Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium
- Referee: Jerome Damon
- Attendance: 23,871
Attempts on target
Attempts off target
Projected table based on current scores
Group A
|Group A teams
|South Africa
Group B
|Group B teams
|South Korea
Group C
|Group C teams


text:
The Mets were obviously designed to replace both the Dodgers & the Giants but lingering resentment remains at Brooklyn's excision from MLB as an entity in its own right.
To redress the balance somewhat should the white B of Brooklyn take up residence with the orange NY on the Mets cap?
I could certainly see the current owners greenlighting the NYB Mets.


text:
Maaji Moviepier Reversible Bikini Top
DOLCE VITA High Neck Bikini Top
A high neck with cutaway shoulders creates a contemporary silhouette in this sleek bikini top styled with a flirty lace-up back dotted in metallic studs. Color(s): black, cream. Brand: DOLCE VITA. Style Name:Dolce Vita High Neck Bikini Top. Style Number: 5231518. Available in stores. Learn More
ISSA DE' MAR Issa de' mar 'Harper' Halter
This little black halter top is sure to stand out on a beach full of string bikinis. The sweetheart-shaped cups are framed by a powermesh yoke and tiny keyhole, while the highly adjustable back is extra-strappy. Color(s): black mesh. Brand: ISSA DE MAR. Style Name:Issa De' Mar 'Harper' Halter Bikini ... Learn More
LAUNDRY BY SHELLI SEGAL Beaded Bikini Top
A sleek bikini top is wrapped across the front to perfect the fit, while shiny beadwork traces the back. Color(s): black, grecian blue. Brand: LAUNDRY BY SHELLI SEGAL. Style Name:Laundry By Shelli Segal Beaded Bikini Top. Style Number: 5277737. Available in stores. Learn More
LULI FAMA 'Wavy' Bikini Top
Curly-edge ruffles frill the adjustable triangle cups of a seductively bare bikini top. Color(s): black, emerald, exuma, gold rush, neon orange, sexy siren, show stopper. Brand: LULI FAMA. Style Name:Luli Fama 'Wavy' Bikini Top. Style Number: 523404. Available in stores. Learn More
O'NEILL Salt Water Halter Bikini Top
An antiqued logo charm adds a flash of light to the front of a black bikini top that can easily be paired with any of the bottoms in your swimsuit drawer. Color(s): black, bright urchin, peach. Brand: ONEILL. Style Name:O'Neill Salt Water Halter Bikini Top. Style Number: 5296772. Available in ... Learn More
RIP CURL Premium Surf Bikini Top
Blending fashion and function, this heathered-jersey bikini top is designed with smooth fixed straps and cleanly finished seams for comfort in and out of the water. Color(s): black, blue, lilac. Brand: RIP CURL. Style Name:Rip Curl Premium Surf Bikini Top. Style Number: 878225. Available in stores. Learn More
ROBIN PICCONE Imani Bikini Top
Inspired by mudcloth prints, this high-neck top features a twisted keyhole, cutout back and tassel-tipped ties. Color(s): indigo multi. Brand: ROBIN PICCONE. Style Name:Robin Piccone Imani Bikini Top. Style Number: 5268788. Available in stores. Learn More
ROBIN PICCONE Keyhole Halter Bikini Top
Metallic hardware adorns the braided tassel-tipped ties cinching the keyhole neck of this halter bikini top that adjusts for customized coverage. Color(s): black. Brand: ROBIN PICCONE. Style Name:Robin Piccone Keyhole Halter Bikini Top. Style Number: 5233636. Available in stores. Learn More


text: Man admits extortion plot against coal executive By Kate White May 9, 2013 Story Share BECKLEY, W.Va. -- An aspiring actor admitted his guilt in an extortion plot involving a West Virginia coal executive, among others, in U.S. District Court on Thursday.Vivek Shah, 25, of California, pleaded guilty to one count of transferring threatening communications in interstate commerce and seven counts of mailing or sending threatening communications through the mail. His trial had been set to begin Monday.Wearing orange prison garb and shackled at the ankles, Shah, who has appeared in small film roles, told U.S. District Judge Irene Berger he sent the threatening letters to get publicity.He was indicted last year on charges he threatened to kill relatives of Christopher Cline, owner of the coal company Foresight Reserves, if Cline refused to send $13 million to offshore bank accounts. Cline has homes in Beckley and North Palm Beach, Fla.Shah told the judge he sent the letter to Cline's home in Florida on June 9, 2012."I used words that ... um ... if the money isn't sent at least one family member would be dead," Shah told the judge.Other threatening letters were sent between June 26 and Aug. 9, 2012, including one demanding $4 million to film producer Harvey Weinstein's Connecticut home. Gary Goetzman, who owns Playtone with actor Tom Hanks, received a letter demanding $9.4 million, and Ryan Kavanaugh, founder of Relativity Media, got one demanding $11.3 million. Dannine Avara, who inherited her father's oil fortune, received a letter in Texas that told her to send $35 million; Eric Lefkofsky, the co-founder of Groupon, $16 million, and Terry Pegula, founder of natural gas drilling company East Resources and owner of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres, $34 million."... I demanded a certain amount of money -- millions," Shah said in court. The letter stated the money would be returned with 4 percent interest."I expected to receive publicity out of it," Shah told the judge. "I know it put some people in fear of their life."Shah was also charged in California, but those cases were transferred to West Virginia. He has been in the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver since August, and was returned there after Thursday's hearing. Berger, who issued a gag order in the case and sealed court documents last year, will decide whether an 87-month prison sentence called for by the plea agreement is fair.Shah is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 11. He will also be subject to three years of supervised release, according to the agreement.Berger told Shah the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 160 years and fines of up to $2 million.Berger ordered a pre-sentence investigation report be prepared to help her decide whether to accept the agreement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Ruby told Berger that when FBI agents arrested Shah at his parent's home in Schaumberg, Ill., document versions of the letters were found on his laptop computer.Also on the computer, Ruby said, was evidence that Shah opened a foreign financial account in Cline's name. In a backpack confiscated by police, officials also found prepaid American Express debit cards used to pay for postage to send the threatening letters, he said.Videos obtained by investigators show Shah purchasing the debit cards at a supermarket and Rite Aid pharmacy near his Los Angeles residence, Ruby told the judge.Shah's DNA was found on a letter sent to one of the victims, according to Ruby.Shah, who told the judge he had a bachelor's degree, looked back at his family for a moment during the hearing. Six of his family members attended. His mother identified herself to Shah's attorney, Debra Kilgore, after the hearing and they went to a room in the courthouse to talk.Kilgore was appointed by U.S. Magistrate Clarke VanDervort to represent Shah, who fired his first attorney in December and had a public defender withdraw as his counsel in February. Reach Kate White at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-1211. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Activist Swearengin to challenge Manchin in primary 2 Woman killed when truck runs over her in Charleston 3 WV Supreme Court reverses itself on gas royalties 4 Artist, daughter reusing materials to construct Tyler Mountain home 5 Senator claims cutting transgender surgeries could save on Medicaid Bulletin board: May 10, 2013 Previous Story 'Barefoot Bandit' pleads guilty to burglary Next Story


text:
Medicom Toy unveils a new limited edition Bearbrick, made in commemoration of Japan's leg of the 2010 La Folle Journee music festival. The bearbrick is offered in a 100% scale with the festival's name on the front and backside along with a "Chopin" script referencing back to famous Polish composer Frederic Chopin. A release is set for May 2nd, 2010 through select Medicom Toy accounts.
Source: ToyBeast


text:
Posted by Stephen Mann on March 26, 2013
The recent Forrester SaaS for IT Service Management (ITSM) Market Overview has proved popular but I thought it wise to step back from its focus on SaaS for a moment to talk about "choice." That is choice of delivery model for ITSM-enabling capabilities; both upfront and over time. You might argue that this is flexibility rather than choice; but to me it is choice – on-premises, SaaS, or maybe both. If you look at the figure below it's not necessarily a question at the forefront of people's minds when choosing a new tool, ITSM-enabling or otherwise:
While Price nestles snuggly behind Features and functions, the closest to choice is "Type of software deployment" sitting in seventh place at 44%. It's good to see that what the tool does is far more important than the delivery model, it's probably also indicative of the fact that on-premises as a delivery model is not going away.
My view
IMO choice is important; in particular choice between delivery models and also choice over time. It's also becoming an increasingly high-profile part of ITSM tool vendor selling and marketing/messaging "conversations." FrontRange in particular has raised the stakes on choice in terms of coining a new term "Hybrid ITSM" and making it core to its value proposition.
Hybrid ITSM?


text:
A long-married, vaguely dissatisfied couple on the cusp of retirement, Charlie and Nancy disagree on how to spend their sunset years. Charlie, whose fondest childhood memory is of sinking into the womb of the sea, is "happy doing nothing." Nancy wants to goad him into adventure (which, in the form of the lizards, comes knocking). But in the play's first act, much of which is a back-and-forth between the humans, Charlie seems in dire need of Zoloft, whereas Nancy is possessed of an awkward, fulsome enthusiasm that belies the character's caustic side. Moreover, the two, moving among director/designer Miller's chair-like outcroppings, seldom talk to each other. Once the lizards turn up, the play becomes more of a conversation — not to mention a highly articulate dance of apprehension, aggression, and politesse.
With its Jurassic Park cocktail-party ambiance, Seascape is among Albee's cleverer absurdist creations. What a fabulous twist on Virginia Woolf to re-create Nick and Honey as big lizards! But the later, gentler work does not earn the marathon length of the Vesuvius of connubial vitriol that made Albee's name. It's less a fight to the finish than a mannerly scuffle on the sandy shore of progress. And in this protracted original form, it's also a textbook example of why less is so often more.
Gutenberg! The Musical (Downstage at New Rep at the Arsenal Center for the Arts through October 26) is the polar opposite of The Producers, the Mel Brooks vehicle in which two con men set out to produce a Broadway musical so egregious it's bound to fail, whereby they'll be able pocket the investors' money. Bud and Doug, the two guileless geeks behind Gutenberg's musical within a musical (its Springtime for Gutenberg, if you will), are as proud as punch of their musical about the 15th-century inventor of the printing press. They truly believe it's great, and they could not be more thrilled to be presenting it to us, a gang of potential producers at a backers' audition. Armed with little more than a formidable stack of hats, the collaborators play some 30 parts and render their show's entire pastiche of a score, which ranges from overwrought ballads to sinister slink to boogie-woogie. They even provide confidential insights into their masterpiece's inner workings and construction. They, it turns out, are much funnier than their stinker of a musical.
The brainchild of one-time roommates Scott Brown and Anthony King, Gutenberg! The Musical began as a one-act goof at Manhattan's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, made appearances at the 2005 and 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festivals, and opened Off Broadway in a two-act version in 2006. It still feels like an attenuated Saturday Night Live skit and has precious little to do with Gutenberg. Bud and Doug claim to have Googled him, coming up with so little that they felt justified in making his story up. Thus their hero is not a goldsmith from Mainz but a winemaker whose German home town is the fictional Schlimmer, a bastion of illiteracy where silliness is oftener on the menu than wit. But in Bud and Doug themselves, Brown and King have created a manic monument to the self-delusion of talentless artists everywhere.
Table of Contents
Cover Archive
Masthead | Authors | Contact us
See all articles by:
All Slideshows


text:
Southern Ocean, also called Antarctic Ocean, the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica. Unbroken by any other continental landmass, the Southern Ocean's narrowest constriction is the Drake Passage, 600 miles (about 1,000 km) wide, between South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The structure of the ocean floor includes a continental shelf usually less than 160 miles (about 260 km) wide that attains its maximum width of more than 1,600 miles (2,600 km) in the vicinity of the Weddell and Ross seas. There are oceanic basins farther north that are as much as 14,800 feet (4,500 metres) deep, defined by oceanic rises and often marked by ranges of abyssal hills. There are also narrow oceanic trenches with high relief, such as the South Sandwich Trench on the eastern side of the South Sandwich Islands. Other relief features include oceanic plateaus that rise from the oceanic basins to depths of less than 6,650 feet (2,000 metres) below sea level and form rather flat regions, which are often covered by relatively thick sedimentary deposits. The most extensive such plateau is the Campbell, or New Zealand, Plateau, which rises southeast of New Zealand and extends southward beyond the Campbell Islands.
The flow of currents in the Southern Ocean is complex. Water cooled by cold air, outgoing radiation, and katabatic winds off of the Antarctic continent sinks and flows northward along the ocean bottom and is replaced at the surface by an equal volume of warmer water flowing south from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. The meeting point of the two is the Antarctic Convergence, where conditions favour the development of phytoplankton, consisting of diatoms and other single-celled plants. The ocean's most important organism in the higher food chain is the small, shrimplike krill. Animals on the sea bottom of the near-shore zone include the sessile hydrozoans, corals, sponges, and bryozoans, as well as the foraging, crablike sea spiders and isopods, the annelid worm polychaete, echinoids, starfish, and a variety of crustaceans and mollusks. At the sea bottom there are also eelpouts, sea snails, rat-tailed fishes, and codlike fishes. Rare nonbony types of fish include hagfish and skates. Many species of deep-sea fish are known south of the Antarctic Convergence, but only three, a barracuda and two lantern fishes, seem to be confined to this zone.


text:
Hays, KS, USA < change city >
Wedding Fashion (4)
Wedding Day Beauty (3)
Cakes (2)
Caterers (2)
Photographers (1)
Tuxedos (1)
Videographers (1)
Ceremony Musicians (1)
Ceremony Sites (21)
Reception Sites (24)
See All Vendors >
OUR WEDDINGApril, 2012 in Hays
"The only hiccup or problems I had with my wedding came from the terrible job and customer service that I received from Cupid's Corner."
We'll email them to see if they can answer your question.Requires Login
You must log in before you can send this couple a question. Log in here.
If you do not have an account, you can register a new account here.
We do this to ensure that the couple does not get emailed needlessly.
Reception: Ellis County Fairgrounds
Requires Login
You must log in before you can save anything to your wedding notebook Log in here.
If you do not have an account, you can register a new account here.
- Wedding Fashion Vendor: Cupid's Corner
- Reception Venue: Ellis County Fairgrounds
Wedding Fashion Vendor:
Cupid's Corner107 East 27th Street
Hays, KS, United States
"I was wary about buying a dress here as the ladies that were working didn't seem to have a ton of knowledge... I fell in love with a dress and went against my gut feelings as there were only a few things that needed to be done. The hem line in the front (maybe 12 inches of the front was to be done according to JoAnn the seamstress) so that I wouldn't trip on the dress and bustle buttons and loops for the train to pull it up in the back for the reception. They didn't hem the front of the dress correctly and I fell three times... they forgot to put the bustle buttons and loops in so I spent 40 min at my reception getting someone to put a ton of safety pins in. In addition to that, my son's tux (and they measured him themselves) was too big, both pants and vest. They also forgot to order one of the groomsmen's shoes as we got the tuxes there as well. DISASTER. Had a horrible time getting a hold of them before and after the wedding... no one would ever answer the phone and after telling them all my problems that I had with their shop they didn't care and didn't want to make it right. DO NOT GO HERE... I don't want anyone else to have to deal with what I did."
Reception Venue:
Ellis County FairgroundsHays, KS, US
"Great place! Full kitchen, great and friendly people who rented to us. Were always available and it was a great price. I was so excited to have my reception here and the place was amazing."


text:
Alamelu will show you how to transform bland Brussels sprouts into a saucy dish called "Brussels Sprouts Kulambu". She'll also prepare a simple roasted potato dish seasoned with spices and a delicious ground turkey dish cooked with split peas and coconut called "Turkey Podimas". We'll also take a trip to a local Indian grocery store to select spices for use in the kitchen.
Visit the Website: http://www.mptv.org/shows/alamelu/
Episode #104 / Length: 26 minutes