text:
Bolton 1-3 Liverpool
Everton 3-1 Portsmouth
1805: Been a good day. Enjoyed it. I just hope that you have too.
1800: Some player rater chat. The impressive Yakubu is the highest rated at full-time with 7.82. Pompey's Sylvain Distin the lowest with 5.36. But YOU can change all this. Get involved.
1755: (See 1740) Hey, unlucky anonymous uni gambler.
1753: Full-time Everton 3-1 PortsmouthA deserved win for Everton against a team who were not at their best.
The Toffees responded to Liverpool's win at Bolton and the battle for fourth really does look like it could go all the way. Bring it on, I say.
1748: Almost over and today is very much going to end with Everton in fourth place, three points clear of rivals Liverpool.
Not a great birthday for Harry Redknapp though. Defoe shoots just wide from 20 yards - he has been lively and Redknapp can at least take encouragement from his performance.
1743: No hat-trick for the Yak, who is subbed and replaced by Victor Anichebe.
1741: GOAL Everton 3-1 Portsmouth Yakubu controls a deep diagonal cross, dazzles Campbell with his sharp footwork and shifts the ball to his right, creating a yard of space. He then crashes the ball past James. Bang.
1740: (See 1700) "It was me who made that bet, I just jumped out of my chair in the uni library! I can have something better than pasta for dinner if it stays like this!" Anonymous via text on 81111
1736: James is way, way out of his goal and miskicks his attempted clearance. The ball is then crossed in but James makes a brilliant diving header to put it out for a corner.
John Utaka on for Bouba Diop.
1733: GOAL Everton 2-1 Portsmouth Yakubu holds the ball up and passes to Pienaar, who delivers a superb cross that Tim Cahill brilliantly heads past James. It had been coming.
1731: It is all Everton at the moment. One corner comes in, then another. James collects.
1729: Andy Johnson - we'll call him AJ from now on - slots the ball into the net from 16 yards. A great finish but the offside flag curtails his celebrations. Was it? Perhaps, but very close.
1727: Andy Johnson in the action straight away. His ball into the box is contested by Glen Johnson and Pienaar. Massive roars for a penalty, not given.
1725: The game is starting to open but it has not led to an increase of decent chances. With 25 minutes or so left it is there for the taking.
Everton's Tony Hibbert makes way for Andy Johnson.
1721: "I am Newcastle through and through - and I am very worried we could be playing Colchester, Scunthorpe and Doncaster next season!" Rob via text on 81111
I'm sure Colchester and Scunthorpe fans will be buoyed by your vote of confidence.
1718: A corner for Pompey that Hreidarsson heads over the crossbar. The game is starting to open up.
1718: "I punched my wardrobe after United lost 2-1 to West Ham most recently, broke my knuckle and wardrobe. Not a great call admittedly." pip4490 on 606
1717: "Looking at Bolton's remaining fixtures and comparing it to Reading's (same number of points) - it is obvious that Bolton will go down with Derby and Fulham." Robb_P on 606
1714: A driving, surging run from Hermann Hreidarsson causes Everton all sorts of problems. The Toffees eventually clear the ball, go up the other end and win a corner.
1712: A bright start by Pompey. I suspect there might have been a few words from Birthday Boy Redknapp.
1710: Lots of chat on 606 suggesting that Newcastle will go down. Could it be true?
Howard smothers a shot from Kanu after Joleon Lescott tries to let the ball run to his keeper.
1707: "When Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea in 2006, I too broke my toe by kicking a wall!" Toon4Europe on 606
1705: The match restarts at Goodison. What drama lies in store for us?
1700: "I had £5 on Yakubu to score the first goal and Everton to win 2-1 at 33/1. Come on the Toffees!"
Anonymous via text on 81111
1655: "I have just kicked my sofa in sheer frustration after Defoe's goal and I think I've broken my toe."
Rioonaldo on 606
1651: Yakubu, on the mark so early for the Toffees, tops the half-time player rater with 8.31. Pompey defender Sylvain Distin brings up the rear with 5.25. Don't forget, plenty of time to get involved.
1647: Half-time Everton 1-1 Portsmouth
You would be hard pushed to say that Pompey deserve to be on level terms but that is the fact of the matter.
1645: "Dear Lord, what a soft goal to give away. If you don't take your chances, it will come back to haunt you, and that's what's happened here."
toffees1888 on 606
1639: GOAL Everton 1-1 Portsmouth
Jermain Defoe gets the very faintest of touches on to a teasing Glen Johnson cross and the ball eludes Tim Howard. The equaliser is not what you would call deserved but Johnson's cross completely caught the Everton defence static.
1633: Cahill is up against two Pompey defenders but manages to win a free-kick. He has been a very busy presence so far. Birthday boy Harry Redknapp will surely not be thrilled by what he has witnessed do far.
1630: Tim Cahill and Papa Bouba Diop compete for a drop-ball. Not an even contest.
1626: More crisp, accurate passing from Everton but Leon Osman shoots wide from distance.
1624: Cahill is never afraid to shoot but his effort from distance this time is high and wide.
1623: Was Yakubu's the quickest goal of the Premier League season so far?
Well, I can throw this into the mixer. Man City's Geovanni netted after 28 seconds of Steve Bruce's first game in charge of Wigan at the JJB Stadium on 1 December.
1621: Everton win a corner. Pompey have plenty of height in their side and deal with it. The home team, though, have shown more craft and guile so far.
1618: Everton carve open Pompey with a passage of flowing play but Pienaar's low cross is just beyond Tim Cahill.
1616: Almost 15 minutes on the clock at Goodison and Pompey have yet to work goalkeeper Tim Howard.
1614: David James collects a defensive header before the chasing Yakubu can reach the ball. James looks far from amused with the start to the game.
1610: Apparently Everton scored after eight seconds of open play - the rest of the time was Everton preparing to take the free-kick.
1608: (See 1559) "Manchester United won the league in 1999 by a point from Arsenal on the last day of the season."
Chris via text on 81111
1603: GOAL Everton 1-0 Portsmouth
Yakubu slots the ball home to put Everton ahead. It should never reach him. Sol Campbell misses Steven Pienaar's free-kick, which then hits both Sylvain Distin and Jospeh Yobo as the compete for the ball and it loops up invitingly to Yakubu, who heads home.
1602: The match starts at Goodison.
1559: "When was the last time the Premier League title went to the last day? Seems a long time."
JonnyJack22 on 606
Any offers?
1553: Can Everton respond? Drama for first place. Drama over fourth. Drama at the bottom. This season is shaping up very nicely indeed.
1550: (See 1545) "Wrexham. Who could possibly care about a boring, nothing, diddy team like Bolton?
hairybattery on 606
1545: (See 1524) "Cannot see Bolton avoiding the drop. Reading still have to play some fellow strugglers. Squeaky bum time for Bolton fans, same for us Wrexham fans."
Jack, Wrexham, via text on 81111
Biggest disaster in the event of relegation - Bolton or Wrexham?
The merciless users of our Player Rater are not cutting Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen any slack whatsoever. He's lowest on 4.22 - although team-mate Gretar Steinsson is not doing too much better on 4.24. Liverpool's players lead the way, as you would expect. And what pure unadulterated drama - Steven Gerrard has 7.92, Ryan Babel has 7.91. It quite literally could not be any closer.
Everton are able to include Joseph Yobo and Steven Pienaar in their line-up after the pair overcame stomach bugs but midfielder Mikel Arteta is out with a persistent groin problem.
Portsmouth were still without Pedro Mendes with a foot injury, and made one change from the side that beat Sunderland last time out, Kanu coming in up front for Milan Baros.
1530: "Simple answer - no."
Nick, Chelsea, via text on 81111
"Simple answer - yes."
Mike via text on 81111
Maybe the answer is not so simple.
1524: Simple question - will Bolton avoid the drop?
1523: Full-time Bolton 1-3 Liverpool
A late break sees Liverpool push forward in huge numbers. The ball comes to the excellent - and unmarked - Babel, but he completely misses with his shot.
Liverpool in fourth - for now.
1522: "Everton - over to you. Can you take the pressure?"
oh twadi on 606
1516: "Is it too late to rule Liverpool out of a late title push?"
Shoaib via text on 81111
Yes, I would say.
1514: Five or so minutes left. Liverpool moving into fourth. Bolton facing a full-on relegation battle. Results have just not gone their way this weekend.
1512: Kuyt, who has played well, shoots over under pressure.
1508: GOAL Bolton 1-3 Liverpool
Surely no more than a consolation for Bolton? The Trotters are controversially awarded a corner, from which Tamir Cohen heads home at the near post.
1507: Fernando Torres is subbed. It has been a quiet afternoon for the Liverpool striker. John Aarne Riise replaces him.
1504: GOAL Bolton 0-3 Liverpool
A brilliant finish from Fabio Aurelio, who controls the ball with his chest and smashes it into the corner of the Bolton goal from 20 yards as it drops.
1502: A poor clearance from Reina gifts an opening to Davies but he drags his shot wide from 20 yards.
The Liverpool fans are chanting "Going Down" to their Bolton brethren.
1500: A decent chance for Gerrard, who is unmarked at the near post but he fails to make a clean contact with his header. A minute earlier he shot at goal and O'Brien blocked. Liverpool wanted a penalty, which was not given.
1457: Liverpool look comfortable. Just over 20 minutes left and it is difficult to see a way back for Bolton.
1453: So, if this result stays the same Liverpool go ahead of Everton in fourth on goal difference - for now at least!
1449: GOAL Bolton 0-2 Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt volleys against the post. He is very unlucky. The ball breaks to the dangerous Ryan Babel, who finds the bottom corner with a low strike. Backflips follow.
1447: Bolton have found themselves in a couple of decent positions this half but failed to capitalise. It is all a bit comfortable for the visiting team at the moment.
1445: "Re 1428 - I can't believe 606/81111 is a vast majority, that's less than 1%! Oh, hang on..."
Rory, Bristol, via text on 81111
Too clever by half. That gag might have to be restricted to the maths' gang. Good night out that one.
1441: Cahill makes a good covering challenge as Gerrard tries to burst through. A corner ensues. It comes to nothing.
1439: No chances to report as yet after the break. Diouf goes down and appeals for a penalty under a challenge from Skrtel. No chance.
1437: Interesting this, Kevin Nolan has been replaced by Tamir Cohen. Apparently Nolan is injured.
1434: The match resumes at t'Reebok. A crucial 45 minutes, I'm sure you'd agree.
1430: QPR 3-0 Stoke. What was that about the Premier League?
1428: I would have to say that the vast majority of 606/81111 opinion is that Nolan should not be called into the England squad.
MikeMCFC lists the following above Nolan:
Michael Carrick
Owen Hargreaves
Frank Lampard
Steven Gerrard
Gareth Barry
Nigel Reo-Coker
Michael Johnson (Man City)
1422: Who is the lowest ranked player after that 45 minutes of football? Hmm. The player who scored the game's only own goal perhaps? Yes, it is Jussi Jaaskelainen with 3.58. Top of the pops is Steven Gerrard with 8.17. But don't forget - you can still rate the players.
1418: Half-time Bolton 0-1 Liverpool
Just Jaaskelainen's error separating the teams. Bolton have had enough chances to be level.
1415: Babel cuts in from the left, eludes O'Brien and forces a save from Jaaskelainen.
1413: Bolton make a substitution. Gretar Rafn Steinsson had a torrid time trying to keep Ryan Babel quiet and is withdrawn. Apparently he has an injury. Grzegorz Rasiak replaces him. Joey O'Brien drops to right-back.
1409: Babel is through on goal but Cahill puts in a desperate covering tackle and makes just enough contact to deflect the ball over.
1407: The free-kick comes in from the right, Matt Taylor knocking the ball into a dangerous area. Gary Cahill meets the cross at the near post but rather scuffs his header. A good chance wasted.
1405: Both teams struggling to keep hold of the ball at t'Reebok. Bolton win a free-kick for a foul on Diouf that sees Sami Hyypia booked.
1401: Nolan almost collects a teasing ball through but is just offside. Nolan has looked lively and could perhaps be in line for a call into the next England squad? Is he worth a go?
1400: Stoke's Andy Griffin is red carded following a sliding challenge. He does not make any contact with the player and the decision is harsh in the extreme.
1358: A cracking cross from Kevin Nolan is met by Kevin Davies - and his header is superbly saved by Pepe Reina low to his left. An excellent chance and the look on Davies' face suggests he knows he should have scored.
1355: Bolton are struggling to retain possession while Liverpool are starting to knock the ball about quite nicely.
1352: "It's also my girlfriend's best mate's birthday, which resulted in her crying for hours last night cos Jersey and Cheshire are too far away! Not quite as important but interesting all the same methinks!"
LichfieldBlade on 606
1350: Gerrard shoots, Jaaskelainen saves. Bolton fans must be wishing that had happened a few minutes earlier as well.
1349: Ryan Babel cuts in from the left, comprehensively beats the full-back and forces a decent save from Jaaskelainen, who partially atones for his error.
1348: Today in 1969 Concorde flew for the first time. You lot are on the ball today. Dr Seuss's birthday as well.
1347: Liverpool have gained confidence from the goal. In truth, it had been all Bolton before the Reds struck.
1346: It is also the birthday of JPR Williams, Ian Woosnam and Dave Gorman.
1341: GOAL Bolton 0-1 Liverpool
A real howler from Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. A low and not all that powerful strike from Steven Gerrard appears to be going wide. Jaaskelainen dives to stop it and the ball bounces off him and into his net.
1339: It is also the birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev and Jon Bon Jovi and Lou Reed. Is 2 March the most significant date in history?
A header from Joey O'Brien runs across the face of goal and Liverpool manage to clear their lines.
1336: Bolton hit the crossbar. No one makes contact with a floated El-Hadji Diouf free-kick and only the woodwork rescues Liverpool.
QPR winning 2-0.
1335: How much birthday/anniversary chat can we have on one day?
It is, apparently, also the birthday of Daniel Craig (the new Bond), Lembit Opik (that crazy politician) and 'arry Redknapp. Not to mention Damien Duff and Trevor Sinclair.
Furthermore, King Nicholas I of Montenegro died today 87 years ago.
Dusty Springfield (son of a preacher man) and Howard Carter (found tutankhamun) also both died on this day; and the US also invaded Iraq six years ago today.
And QPR are beating Stoke 1-0.
Thanks to all the 606/texters for this info. I'm assuming it is all true.
1330: OK, we are underway at t'Reebok. A must-win for the Reds, but then again Bolton could do with a few points.
1325: With regard to Kevin Kuranyi (See 1308), lots of 606 users telling us he now plays for Schalke.
0-0 at Loftus Road.
1318: "We don't celebrate Mother's Day till May in Trinidad, so don't know what y'all going on about! I'll buy my card tomorrow on sale, ha ha."
TriniDoc, via text, on 81111
Cheapskate. I bet you buy your Christmas cards on Boxing Day.
1308: "On the subject of birthdays, it is also the birthday of Chris Martin (from Coldplay), Andrew Strauss (England Cricketer) and Kevin Kuranyi (Stuttgart/Germany Striker)."
Dukeseee on 606
1301: "My mum just rang to thank me for her flowers AND WOKE ME UP!! It's Sunday woman!! If I had the resources I'd get an army of robotic Iain Dowies to march around there and give her what for. Worse still, my girlfriend is now moaning I didn't get her a card FROM THE GERBILS!"
Dave, via text on 81111
That is just madness mate. Quite simply madness. Gerbils.
1256: "Some Mothers Day! Stuck in Kuwait, going on leave from Iraq and the satellite tv channel just scrambled."
exiled_toffee on 606
Seen Prince Harry on yer travels?
Bolton make one change from the team that lost to Blackburn last time out. On-loan midfielder Danny Guthrie cannot play against his parent club so Joey O'Brien comes in.
Liverpool's Jamie Carragher returns after suspension and is likely to play at right-back in place of Steve Finnan. Sami Hyypia and Martin Skrtel are likely to place in the centre of defence. Xabi Alonso comes into the midfield for Lucas Leiva.
1250: "Irascible means quickly aroused to anger."
Chris, Newcastle, via text on 81111
And wouldn't you be if you were acoughlan's mother, having to settle for a smile as your Mother's Day gift?
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Gardner, Joey O'Brien, Campo, Nolan, Diouf, Davies, Taylor.
Subs: Al Habsi, Meite, Giannakopoulos, Cohen, Rasiak.
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Aurelio, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Kuyt, Torres.
Subs: Martin, Riise, Benayoun, Crouch, Arbeloa.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
1245: "My mum used to always say she loved to see me smile. So today, as a special gift, I smiled briefly as I passed her on the stairs. Other sons, take note; listen to your mother, and remember what she likes. It's so much cheaper that way."
acoughlan on 606
1238: Less than an hour until the start of Bolton against Liverpool. The Reds have failed to win in any of their last four visits to the Reebok Stadium.
1230: "Afternoon Paul! Hope your card made it safely. My mum cried at the massive bunch of flowers I bought her. Wrong colour?"
Matt, Chichester, via text on 8111
Rest easy Matt, Mrs Fletcher has a card on the mantelpiece. I'm sure that Mrs Matt was just just moved to tears by the overwhelming joy and emotion of the gift from her beloved son.
1228: Just a quick update - Stoke were top of the Championship on Saturday morning and may be again in a few hours from now. But for the moment top of the pops is Bristol City.
1227: (See 1210) "March 3rd 1891 was when they thought of the penalty, it is also Darren Anderton's birthday, not 1891 though, 1972."
RJ, Fareham, via text on 81111
1225: I'm still reeling from this text that came in yesterday:
"A few years ago I had a dream that my school had been taken over by an army of robotic Iain Dowies. That one had me waking up in a cold sweat."
As some pop princess with ideal pertness almost once said, I just cannot get robotic Iain Dowies out of my head.
1220: Just a quick word on football from the lower divisions today. Stoke are at QPR in a match that kicks off at 1315 GMT. The Potters are in with a massive shout of promotion to the Premier League. Now that would be interesting.
1215: "Mothers Day at the folks or watching Liverpool then Everton on the telly in my local pub? It's a tough decision! Don't the fixture compliers think about the mothers of Merseyside!"
mattygelling on 606
How about a big football double then roll around to your mother's house half cut for a big slap up Sunday dinner complete with petrol station flowers?
1210: "March 3rd is special too - in 1891 the penalty kick rule in football was thought of, but not implemented until 1892 - must be worth celebrating."
RJ, Fareham, via text on 81111
I'm not sure I fully understand what you're on about but it sounds potentially interesting. Was it thought of on 3 March in 1891 or implemented on 3 March 1892?
1200: "Tip for those of you who have been left in pickle today. I've lavished my mother with a fantastic gift - she'll be joining us in the stands at Goodison Park later!"
Anonymous via text on 81111
That is love. True love or tough love, I'm not sure.
1157: "Throughout today: 5 goals, 4 red cards, 3 penalties, 2 own goals and 1 very happy mom."
liverpool_606 on 606
One advert, reasonably well parodied.
1150: "Mornin' Fletch, hope your finger is working again! I'd love it, just love it, if Liverpool lost and Everton won today."
yorker_129-7 on 606
Morning to you too. The right index finger is good, so far. Now, an appeal. Please, please can today not turn into a massive tit-for-tat Everton-Liverpool we're going to finish fourth, no we're going to finish fourth type situation.
1145: "Bolton 1-3 Liverpool (Torres hat-trick). Everton 3-2 Portsmouth. One red card each, own goal, injuries. Everything in this match.
"What is it like working when you could be with your mum 300 miles away? In fact what's it like working on weekends?"
30 Seconds To Mars Rock (a.k.a sunillcfcp) on 606
Working on weekends is brilliant. Plenty of live action and a day off to look forward to during the week when the rest of the world is rushing around. That, at least, is the positive spin.
1140: I must quickly tell you about a phone called I had this morning. I called home to wish my Mother a very happy day.
Dad answered, Mum was out. I asked Dad what he had planned for this most special of days. His reply? "I'm just doing some ironing then I'm going put some washing on."
1130 GMT: Are there any normal days any more?
Friday - 29 February, that special day when the ladies can pop the question?
Saturday - 1 March, St David's Day, a time of celebration for all proud people of Wales.
And today - 2 March, Mother's Day, that most wonderful of days when we all spoil the woman who brought us into the world (unless we're working at a building more than 300 miles from the family home).
So if you are reading Mum (unlikely), I'd just like to wish you Happy Mother's Day.
And if you're a punter reading this and suddenly realise you had overlooked this most grand of occasions, I'd strongly recommend a salvage job phone call.
Anyhow, down to business.
Villa drew yesterday at Arsenal and are now in fifth place with 48 points.
Everton currently hold fourth with 50 points, while Liverpool are sixth with 47.
Portsmouth, with 44, won't feel totally out of it, while Bolton have concerns at t'other end of the table.
Gary Megson's team are level on points with Reading - and the Royals are in the bottom three.
Should be a cracking day of action.
What are these?


text:
BottleRock Napa Valley
Location: Napa, CA
Dates: May 30 – June 1, 2014
Details: The BottleRock Napa Valley festival started last year as a smaller and lesser-known festival with a variety of unique headliners. Some of the acts include The Cure, TV On the Radio, LL Cool J, Matt and Kim, The Fray, Third Eye Blind, Barenaked Ladies, Blues Traveler, and Smash Mouth. Along with the music there will be over 300 wineries and an almost-endless list of over 100 culinary choices.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
London SS14 GIFs
Our pick of the best reference-laden collections from LFW
- TextPaul Wagenblast
- IllustrationPaul Wagenblast
Burberry Prorsum: Heritage handiwork meets modern sensuality and strength.English countryside, English lavender, Satin undergarments, Crocheted tablecloths, British mod girls, Doilies, Lace, Handwoven handkerchiefs.
Christopher Kane: Sexual awakening by the science of budding Spring.Odilon Redon, Falling white petals, Georgia O'Keefe's "Flowers of Fire," 1950's educational scientific botany illustrations, Egyptian papyrus and lotus flowers from "The Grammer of Ornament."
Peter Pilotto: Could this moment last forever: a dreamy summer afternoon stretched into the ether of infinite space. Ken Price paintings and drawings, David Hockney's Pool series, The Grid from 1982's "Tron," Gradient Wormhole Vortex, M.C. Escher's Infinite Staircase.
J.W. Anderson: Romantic states of formation: moving from solid to liquid, organized and organic. Plastic Ice Pack, Frank Stella's "Title Not Known," Waterfalls, Carmen Herrera paintings, Palomino Horse Mane, Origami Paper Cranes.


text:
This content has been marked as final. Show 4 replies
1. Re: issue while using multiset intersectAlbertoFaenza Dec 13, 2012 7:52 AM (in response to Manjusha Muraleedas)Hi Manjusha,
when you define a statement like:
x is always an implicit cursor type, no matter if you have defined it before.
FOR x IN (SELECT...} LOOP
Probably you need to change your code in this way:
However I don't understand how many records do you expect for the record in the cursor and if it correct to loop and keep doing an intersect with the result of previoous interesect operation and the new nested table retrieved from the table.
FOR c1 IN (Select CAST(COLLECT(D.ITEM_NO) AS varchar2_ntt) split_items From item_lookup_description D Group By D.uda_type_dt) LOOP l_split_g1g2_items := c1.split_items multiset intersect l_g1g2_items;
If you want to have additional information post CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements, explain the logic and post the expected output.
2. Re: issue while using multiset intersectManik Dec 13, 2012 8:00 AM (in response to Manjusha Muraleedas)Are you trying something like this???
Untested, check it...
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE Pr_Split AS l_g1g2_items varchar2_ntt; l_split_items varchar2_ntt; l_split_g1g2_items varchar2_ntt; BEGIN SELECT CAST (ITEM_NO AS VARCHAR2 (4000)) BULK COLLECT INTO l_g1g2_items FROM tfo_im_item_lookup_description HAVING COUNT (item_no) = 2 GROUP BY item_no; SELECT D.ITEM_NO BULK COLLECT INTO l_split_items FROM item_lookup_description D GROUP BY D.uda_type_dt; l_split_g1g2_items := l_split_items MULTISET INTERSECT l_g1g2_items; FOR i IN 1 .. l_split_g1g2_items.COUNT LOOP NULL; END LOOP; END;
3. Re: issue while using multiset intersectManjusha Muraleedas Dec 13, 2012 9:11 AM (in response to AlbertoFaenza)Thank you Alberto...
It works fine now...
4. Re: issue while using multiset intersectManjusha Muraleedas Dec 13, 2012 9:13 AM (in response to Manik)Manik,
Thanks for the response. I got the answer from the previous post.


text:
Lecture: Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's city
Sunday February 9th at 2:00pm
Speaker: Laura Apelbaum, Executive Director of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
In Washington you can literally walk in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln. Learn how the nation's capital was transformed during the Civil War and the role of the nascent Jewish community at the time. Hear stories of Jewish soldiers, lawyers, newspaper publishers and even a Jewish woman who was a Southern spy! Many of these stories were uncovered in the course of research for the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington's exhibition, now on display at the Jewish Museum of Maryland during the month of February.
Laura is a native of the Washington area and has been Executive Director of the Society for twenty years. Trained as a lawyer, she has graduate degrees in law from Georgetown University and George Washington University, and a Bachelors degree in American History from Duke University. She is the editor of several publications, most relevantly, Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City . Her grandparents lived on East Baltimore street just opposite Patterson Park and are buried at Hebrew Friendship Cemetery in East Baltimore not far from the Museum.
Also on display in the Museum's lobby is the fabulous exhibit Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City, created by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.Don't miss out, as the exhibit will only be on display through the month of February!
Call Trillion Attwood at 410-732-6400 x215 or email email@example.com for more information.


text:
Roni (nee Goldband) and Jamison Jaffe, along with big brother Idan, announce the birth of their son and brother, Ari Morgan (Aaron Matan), on Aug. 15.
Sharing in their happiness are godparents Aunt Robyn and Uncle Neal Axe; and grandparents Evelyn Goldband, Bernard Goldband, and Mark and Linda Jaffe; along with great-grandmother Dora Wirtshafter.
Joining in welcoming the baby are Uncle Eric and Aunt Jamie Jaffe, Aunt Carrie Jaffe and Uncle David Goldband.
Ari Morgan is named in loving memory of his maternal great-grandparents, Aaron and Mollie Goldband; and his paternal great-grandparents, Art and Midge Jaffe.


text:
Skip to Content
Home > Wellness > Health Library > Adenomatous Polyps
Adenomatous polyps are a type of abnormal growth in the colon.
While most colon polyps do not cause any problems, adenomatous polyps are
thought to be the source of most colorectal cancer.
Adenomatous polyps usually grow very slowly. It may be years
before they turn into cancer, if they ever do. They usually are discovered
during a routine sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy and are removed. Having adenomatous polyps in the colon means that you will need to be screened for
colorectal cancer more often than a person who has no polyps.
Current as of:
November 20, 2015
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Kenneth Bark, MD - General Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.
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text:
When I visit my dental hygienist, Katrina, it feels like I am in a psychiatrist's office. She has me lie down on a couch/chair that could fit well into any psychiatric office. Katrina then asks me if I have had any problems since I last visited her. Her soft, friendly voice relaxes me.
Her counseling voice leads me to confess that I need to improve on my flossing — and I will try harder. Like a competent psychiatrist, she encourages the little progress I have exhibited and offers advice on how I can improve my dental care. She is not judgmental, but does offer positive suggestions for improving my self-image and my health in general.
The mask she wears leads me to believe that I really am seeing a mysterious psychiatrist who pretends to be a dental hygienist.
• Over the years, another dental hygienist convinced me that he was a secret CIA agent. The first thing he did was shine a very bright light into my eyes and then started asking me investigative questions, such as "Do you live at the same address and still have the same telephone number?"
He also asked about my dental behavior since I last saw him and wanted to know if I followed his last instructions from our previous visit. During the entire session he never removed his mask or offered his name. The last thing he said to me was, "You are free to go."
• Some people refer to me as having "too vivid an imagination" about life in general. Others suggest I am a tad paranoid. I am not paranoid, but I don't want the male CIA agent working on me again!
• As for Katrina, I always feel better physically and emotionally after seeing her. The next time I see her I will greet her as "Dr. Katrina."
• A co-worker recently asked me, "What is your favorite animal? I immediately said, "Someone else's puppy."
If you have a puppy, feel free to invite me to your house, but don't expect an invitation to bring your puppy to my house. As to your puppy (at your house), I will gladly rub his tummy, back and ears. I will even hold him on my lap and sing "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" to him/her. Both of us will be content.
Raising animals requires more patience and time than I am willing to devote. I admire animal lovers, but I don't envy them. Good luck with your pet!
• Maybe women live longer because they are too busy to sit down for long periods of time. The La-Z-Boy chair does not become their best friend. From my life observations, the people who remain active, mentally and physically, live longer. They also enjoy life more because they have energy and enthusiasm to spare. Optimism is their trademark, and "Ain't life awful" never enters their minds.
• These energy-filled people make time for volunteer work to help others. Kindness and compassion are important to these optimists. When others feel better, they feel better. They actually believe the universe is friendly, and they want it to stay that way.
High-energy people avoid doomsday conversations. When they get together, there is lots of laughter, lots of compliments and a "we can do it" mentality.
• You can't prevent negative thoughts or negative people from entering your life, but you can determine how long they remain there!
Bob Billingsley is an El Dorado Hills resident and biweekly columnist for the Mountain Democrat.


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The BMW 5-Series (E39 chassis) was introduced in the United States as a 1997 model year car and lasted until the 2004 when the E60 chassis was released. The United States saw several variations including the 525i, 528i, 530i and 540i. -- View the E39 Wiki
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Has ANYONE ever had a good experience with a dealer?
So I started a thread the other day about dealer costs.
The consensus seems to be that people understand the price differential and that overhead is justified to some extent.
What is not justified is the dishonesty or lack of ability to diagnosis a problem as expected of a BMW trained mechanic.
That said, I realize this is a DIY oriented forum but has anyone had a good experience with a dealer where they would not hesitate to go to if they couldn't handle the job themselves because of time and/or capabilities?
Last edited by dvsgene; 09-28-2012 at 08:22 PM.
Simply - no. I have nothing but respect for good dealership mechanics but I detest their managers and the prevalent business philosophy that seems to be "Gouge the customers as much as possible."
In 30 years of driving and repairing my own cars, I have never had a positive experience with any dealership service department. They consistently have tried to rip my wife and I off by adding unnecessary work to estimates and in one case, they performed unauthorized extra work and refused to release the car without payment for it. (That was a Saab dealer.) I have had some very good experiences with a few independent shops but even honest indies are getting harder to find. All of this has led me to install a 4 post lift in my home garage so that there are very few maintenance jobs I can't handle now. It has a sliding jack between the rails that allows me to lift the car for maintenance that requires it. It has paid for itself several times after 3 years of ownership. I also spent many hours studying information on another forum to learn how to build my own GT1 clone (Easy DIS) using a generic laptop computer.
I've actually had a couple good experiences with my old 530i:
I first took my 5 in to have the fan clutch and fan replaced. Somehow, they forgot to replace the fan the first time. After I brought it back in, the service manager apologized and gave me about $80 of free BMW swag and had the issue fixed for me.
The second time I took it in was for diagnostic work after it caught on fire. The technician stopped the clock at 1 hr and requested my presence in the shop.
He explained to me the potential cost of further diagnostic work and recommend I stop unless I wanted to pay huge $$$.
So, I certainly can't complain about BMW service, anyway.
Last edited by phrozen5100; 09-28-2012 at 08:47 PM.
I've had several good experiences with BMW Cleveland.
Before I bought my E34, I had the PPI done at the dealer. The service advisor told me what items needed repair, and then broke it down into two lists: items that I could easily do at home, and items that would be best done at the dealer or an independent.
Several years ago, my E34 broke down on a Saturday afternoon. I had it towed to the dealer. The service department was closed, but the sales manager came to assist me. He gave me a loaner, and said they would deal with the paperwork on Monday.
I've been purchasing some parts from the parts department for the past 15 years. The advantage is the 'CCA discount and no shipping charges. One time I stopped to buy wiper inserts for the wagon. The service manager happened to be at the parts counter. He said if I had the time, they would install them for me, without charge.
I realize many on this forum have had multiple horror stories about their local dealer, and I've heard stories about other dealers in northeast Ohio, but I've not had any negative experiences with BMW Cleveland.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Benjamin Franklin
2004 X3 2.5 TITANIUM SILVER/Grey - Sport/Premium Package
2001 530iA STEEL BLUE/Sand - Sport/Premium/Cold Package
1999 528iA JET BLACK/Black - Sport/Premium/Heated Seats
1982 Fiat 2000 Spider - BLUE METALLIC/Blue
1999 528iT CASHMERE BEIGE/Sand - Sport/Premium Package - 5 speed SOLD
1989 535i SALMON SILVER/Black SOLD
Of my few dealings with my local San Jose dealer on Stevenscreek Blvd, while my bimmer was under the original factory warranty, they fixed my sticking electric door lock, which would randomly leave the passenger side door unlocked when locking remotely with the key.
The problem was resolved, at no cost to me, other than time, so I consider that a "good experience".
However, I only much later realized my first "bad" experience was my second visit under warranty, where I drove up and down Stevenscreek BMW's parking lot unsuccessfully trying to reproduce the severe vibration on bumps at slow speed while braking.
What irks me slightly today was that they had to either be ignorant of this common issue or bluntly lying because this is, by now, a well known problem with the E39 - however, at the time, they insisted there was nothing wrong with the vehicle simply because I couldn't reproduce the problem with them in the vehicle with me (their parking lot is smooth!).
Years later, knowing what I know now, I'm certain I wasn't the first person to report that to them, so, they should have believed me and replaced the front shocks purely on my description since we couldn't reproduce it in their parking lot (we needed speed bumps, it turns out).
Nonetheless, my worst (and last service) visit to the dealer was when I went in to replace the battery, and, they insisted they'd give me a full report, yet, they charged me hundreds of dollars (I forget how much overall) for what I now know (thanks to you guys) is a trivially simple job.
Two bads out of three - no more dealer for me!
Please read the suggested threads and add value, either by pictures or by descriptions, so the next person stands on your shoulders.
See also: E39 Bestlinks & How to easily find what you need
Last edited by bluebee; 09-29-2012 at 04:34 AM.
A friend and neighbor worked as a mechanic at the dealership where I bought my car. The car came with 4 yrs of "free" routine maintenance so I took the car in several times during the warranty period. After the first oil change the car was returned with the odometer set to miles rather than km (I live in Canada), I was still learning about the car at the time and didn't know how to re-set it. Rather than going back to service, I was able to get my friend out to re-set it and he made a comment that stuck with me - he said "some of these guys don't have a clue".
If we take our cars to a dealership we are paying a huge premium but can maybe justify the extra cost on the assumption that the work will be done by people who know their stuff. That's just not the case in some instances. After talking with my mechanic friend, I ALWAYS carefully checked warranty work done by the dealer and found that a good percentage of the time I had to fix something myself afterwards. There was never anything horribly wrong or dangerous but usually stuff that was sloppy, done by someone who was pushed for time or not paying attention.
Most of us don't have the depth of general knowledge that a dealership mechanic has but I would argue that if we do any appreciable DIY we know OUR cars almost as well and we can usually take the time to do a job properly. In my case DIY can equate to a time saving after taking into account the time to take the car in, wait for the work to be done, check the work and fix it if necessary or return the car. Add the huge cost premium and it's a no-brainer.
So what you are saying is this dealer can't remember to change the fan and then can't diagnose a car (and still charged you for 1hr) and you call this a good experience?
The fan was a mistake, and they owned up to it quite readily and had me in and out in no time with some extra swag to boot.
I would like to believe that some folks have had good experiences with BMW dealers and service shops. When I was under warranty, my experiences with the dealer's service department were largely uneventful and fine. It's like Cam says: Knowledge = power. If you didn't know any better, you would totally accept whatever the dealer tells you as gospel. I am sure many ignorant folks are very happy with their dealers. As we develop an understanding of these cars and can put the dealers behavior in the proper frame of reference, it becomes obvious that many (not all) dealers regularly put the screws to their customers. That said, if I need something done that can only be done using dealer-unique capabilities (e.g. get a new key), I would not hesitate to go to them. But for most anything else, there are many better & cheaper options available.
I have only had one bad experience with a dealership in Kinston North Carolina, when i was getting my brakes checked. The Mechanic brought me to my car and told me i needed a new caliper because there was a rock in the calipers piston boot. I simply took it out and never returned. Besides that one time Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills and BMW San Diago gave me nothing but good service.
2000 Dinan 540 Dinan F&R strut tower brace, M5 F&R sway bars, Koni Sports, Eibach springs, Powerflex polyurethane bushings, Dinan stage 2 engine software, Stage 1 trans software, Zionsville cooling kit, resonator delete, Dinan exhaust, Dinan TB, AFE cai, 18" style 5's, 235/40/18 275/35/18, Ultimate cup holders, rear cup holder delete/coin holder, Hella taillights, clear sides, Depo AE, M5 spoiler
1983 745 turbo, style 138 wheels
North carolina bmw dealers horrible.
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That much for just rear rotors/pads is just... wow.
2003 BMW 540i [Sterling Gray / Gray]
[Msport] [Mods from A-Z] [Two-Tone Interior]
The one stop trim shop See the Dking Difference [Click]
Stuff For Sale: PM for info
1 Set of E39 OEM Maplewood Trim $220 Shipped
1 Set of High Polished black E39 OEM Trim $275 Shipped
4 E39 OEM Headlight Ballasts $58 Shipped each
E38 Illuminated Interior Door handle set $72 Shipped
Last edited by Dking078; 09-29-2012 at 09:15 PM.
That's a tough question. In general I'd prefer to talk to the mechanic. Nowadays they hide them in the back as if they were the hunch back of notre dame and make you talk to some desk jockey that doesn't even understand cars and never has worked as a tech or done any DIY work of any kind. I just don't like the wall they put up between me and my car & mechanic. That's like going to the DR office and talking to the secretary about what the Dr said. Arse backwards. I also don't like how dealers always push coffee and tvs and crap. I didn't come there to be impressed by coffee or tv's. I have a home theater at home and McD's is my favorite coffee. I came here to get a problem fixed. So in general, no. ^ditto on the business model of "selling". My SA told me yesterday my air bags won't go off in a accident if I don't get this repair done. NO. the light was on b/c the pyro section of the cable was removed. So the trigger is just unplugged and sees no resistance. air bags work, car won't cut power in accident. oh well. But it's an example of the SA's not knowing, caring or understanding what is really going on.
DD: 2003 530i 5spd manual sport package. Conti DWS's, Llumar ATR, White LED lighting. TLC on-going.
Garage queen: '07 335i Sedan, base pkg, 6spd Manual, Procede 3 V5 w/NLS, staggered 18" 313's w/Conti DWS's, OS Giken TCD LSD, VAC Street Diff Cover, Akebono Euro Pads, CDV Removed, Black BMW Grilles, Interior & Exterior white LED lighting, LUX Angel Eyes, Debadged, Llumar ATR Tint.
Last edited by FLE39; 09-29-2012 at 09:17 PM.
ColdWeather + Summer + Sport -- 20/30 Ceramic Tint -- Euro Armrest -- JL 13tw5-3 Subwoofer -- LED AEs
No bad experiences with my BMW dealer as I've only relied on them for a handful of parts for a 13-yr-old e39 long out of warranty. The parts dept. guy isn't a mechanic there, but he certainly knows his stuff and has helped me out on several occasions. I'll buy parts there if I'm in a hurry or the S&H from online sources erases any meaningful margin of savings. I know a couple of local Indies I could turn to before going to the dealer for any servicing I couldn't handle myself. But so far, I *have* handled everything myself .... (knocking on wood).
I like the BMW dealer far better than our Subaru dealer. Of course, I avoid the Subaru-ship so much that on the rare occasion I do go in (for a part or two), all the faces are new.
I hate Passport BMW....if ya live in the "DMV" i hope ya dont go there
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2003 ///M5. ~ Jet Black/ Le Mans Blue
RK Supercharged @ 501wheel horsepower
Supersprint Headers,
Evolve Alpha N Tune,
CNS lightweight dm flywheel/Spec clutch,
ST coilovers,
Eibach Rear Sway bar/Beast Power Brackets,
Drilled slotted Rotors/Akebono Euro pads,
Magnaflow 14816 Mufflers
With the original question being: "Has anyone ever had a good experience with a dealer?", the answer is YES. I've been a customer at Hilton Head BMW in Bluffton, SC for 13 years and have always been treated well. I was also a customer at Don Jacobs BMW in Lexington, KY for 3 years and, again, was always treated well. There are good dealers out there.
Never had a job done at a dealership that I was 100% happy with. But what really soured me on dealers was when a dealership mechanic damaged my crankshaft and refused to admit or correct the problem . The dealers pay their mechanics by the book , which encourages taking short cuts .... In this case using an impact instead of a torque wrench . If you are happy with the work that a dealer does on your car then I maintain you are not looking at the total job once the car gets back to your home. They have installed defects everywhere... Wires not put back etc are clues.
To turn a 60k machine over to a dealer is risky .... Way riskier then I am willing to take.
Dealers are for folks that lease their cars or trade them every four years.... If you actually own your car and want it to last 10 years I strongly believe you avoid a dealerships service department .
^AH I agree.
DD: 2003 530i 5spd manual sport package. Conti DWS's, Llumar ATR, White LED lighting. TLC on-going.
Garage queen: '07 335i Sedan, base pkg, 6spd Manual, Procede 3 V5 w/NLS, staggered 18" 313's w/Conti DWS's, OS Giken TCD LSD, VAC Street Diff Cover, Akebono Euro Pads, CDV Removed, Black BMW Grilles, Interior & Exterior white LED lighting, LUX Angel Eyes, Debadged, Llumar ATR Tint.
Took my car to hendricks northlake charlotte nc. My cluster lights were bright after getting it back form service. Cluster lights are faded you can barely see. I ask the service rep before i left. He said they didnt touch it. Now on the receipt it said " check cluster lights (check box yes). Oh you didnt touch it ok. Ill never take my car their ever.
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Nursing Admissions
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Positive Feedback ISSUE41
january/february 2009
red dragon audio
Leviathan amplifiers
as reviewed by Jim Merod
Partners in audio crime think alike. Let me put this another way: kindred listeners hear with remarkably acute resemblance. There's good news and bad news tucked inside such entanglement.
Recently, responding to a reader's sympathetic outreach, I stopped by Acoustic Zen's spacious quarters in Rancho Bernardo to harass my old friend Robert Lee. The sonic maestro had been missing in action for nearly a year—missing, at any rate, my action just as I missed his. Robert was surprised at my unannounced invasion of his digs and so he did what Robert Lee might be expected to do on such a presumptuous occasion.
"Have you heard my improvements on Crescendo speakers?" he asked. Since those behemoths were precisely why I'd dropped by, I broke the good news. "I'm here to request, formally and in person," I told him, "an opportunity to slap my paw-prints on your enhanced Crescendos and find out what you've been up to this whole year!"
Robert laughed at my gruff levity despite the fact that 2008 was not a good year, as we all know. The economy tanked worldwide. High-end audio took a plunge along with everything else. Reviewing expensive audio gear has become a little bit like handicapping gunnysack races at an old folks home. Nevertheless, in pursuit of Wallace Stevens' fatal the—the "the" that defines all others—I plow on as I reported to Robert because it's still there. Great sound, great music, great audio equipment is there to be heard. Great sound has not taken a holiday or put its vibe underwater... yet. The world will regain strength and focus I hope. But, for the interim, I need fresh audio reproduction and new audio possibilities. Why? Because, that's what I do to keep my spirits high. Sound does it for me: elusive sonic details awaiting discovery; gorgeous layered harmonies recorded well and reproduced with sonic love... those are particles of a world not to be overlooked or abandoned merely because some bloke in New York ran $50 billion through a Ponzi sieve or Wall Street laid an egg ...again.
Superior sound keeps a fellow safe inside himself when skies are falling. At least that's my mantra and it's worked for two-thirds of a century.
If part of my bad news for Robert Lee was a strident reach out to assume temporary possession of his giant sound boxes, the other part hinged on our uncoordinated sonic agreement. There before me, in broad interior daylight on the Acoustic Zen campus, was the very set of Acoustic Zen Adagio speakers that I'd been listening to daily (for months) in the company of the no less impressive Red Dragon "Leviathan Signature" mono-block amps.
"What's with this pairing, Robert? How come you've hooked your great little Adagios to those sexy wood-enclosed thing-a-ma-jigs?" Robert looked at me with that look of bemused inscrutability that I've sometimes accused him of offering in lieu of explanation. "Why not," he enthused, "they sound fantastic together."
And so they do. And that's the bottom line of my beflusterment upon finding that kindred listeners truly are (against other odds) partners in the audio crime of hearing with acute similarity. And that's the inner truth of my long listening months with these genuinely powerful, truly musical Red Dragon amplifiers.
Therefore, my covert confession: that I've indulged myself in far too much listening with (and "to" or "through") these beautiful creatures—and the Red Dragons ARE, in fact, "creatures" of a different sonic sort, given their raw animal power—more like panthers than somewhat scary old "dragons." But I digress for the sake of truth-telling here because I find these amps, strapped with Kubla-Sosna's Emotion speaker cables, to be magical.
The word that came to me as I received these drop-dead seductive amp-sculptures was that they were "quite good," not the final statement on micro-dynamic precision or upper register detail, but impressive and lovely audio companions that match up more than fairly well with many speaker loads because of the somewhat unusual raw power they deliver at (gulp) 500-watts per channel. These are digital amplifiers that can be, and have been, accurately compared to "the best SET amps" - touche!
What, then, was this sense of slight reservation scratching at the underground assessment of their glory?
At the risk of making a summative judgment on the state of a global economy badly needing faith in the collective integrity of its best clients, borrowers, markets, creditors, banks, regulative mechanisms (and, most of all, its teenage kids who want a first loan to buy a good old jalopy to kick-start life's carnival of delights), let me prevaricate. Or pontificate a moment by adding a quick revision to the wide-eyed optimism of a sentence past. Let' scrap the whole faith in humanity thing and just move on to Todd Six-pack's oldest boy's first car. The kid needs a loan, so let's pony up and keep the wheels that grease young love moving nicely along. Where's your g'damm'd romance, anyway? Who the hell are you (you stingy SOB) to deny this kid bread to purchase his ride with a built in CD player or a Bluetooth hook up for his iTunes?
Like I was saying, before I prevaricated, why the reservation (however faint) about amplifiers that kick ass and put a smile on everyone who's not your neighbor Joe-the-plumber? Doubtless Joe does not like Mahler's Tenth or late Shostakovich played at hellacious volumes of slam and boisterous musical rowdiness. I never liked this crotchety neighbor guy, anyway. I'm not really sure he's a plumber, after all. So the hell with him not getting the fact that these drop dead gorgeous wood-cased behemoth amplifiers genuinely MAKE MUSIC. They give sound a tactile truthfulness, part suave lyric grandeur, part strum und drang.
Echale juevos! That could be their moniker. So my theory about audio reviewing quibbles in the presence of such beguiling "real" music reproduction—global economic meltdown; global warmth; global Armageddon; global anything, notwithstanding—is simply this: that high-end sonic reproduction equipment reviewers have been conditioned by the largesse of their innate, professional audio pulchritude to differentiate at ever more refined levels of discrimination. The state of the art Bugatti Macro-Tube ZX Hi-Rev Amplifier has an ounce more upper level "juice" than all other not quite so well-juiced amp engines, you dig? So, come on. After all, really! You've got to hand it to those ZX Hi-Rev audio engineers. At $50,000 a mono-block set, those amplifiers take the nod for sheer juiced up audio shock value. A bargain, to boot, given their sonic horsepower and unrivaled je'ne sais quoi ….
Perhaps I josh at my own expense, but my investment in such jest has a point not merely polemical. The most elusive (potentially enigmatic) quality of music-making, audio recording, and alert listening and accurate reviewing is designated by the troublesome term musicality. Any word can become a bastardized ideological coin. Try these. Patriotism. Love. Freedom. Loyalty. And so, too, in the world of audio reviewing. Words are slippery when you have to press them hard to perfectly describe sound—how, say, Art Farmer's flugelhorn sounds when compared to Miles Davis' sound on the same instrument. But, wait! They're not the "same" instrument. Art had horns made for him by Conn, including his infamous "flumpet" (half flugel, half trumpet) three of which I saw him receive one late afternoon in La Jolla several hours before he took the stage at Elario's to try out. Miles usually used a Selmer, though he experimented with many trumpets and flugelhorns across the decades. Dizzy Gillespie did not like the feel of a flugelhorn, though Clark Terry virtually defined the most seductive and winsome (almost comic) use of that instrument. And there it is in naked brass. One horn does not "sound" like another for at least two perennial reasons. First, the manufacturing of any instrument shapes its tonal range as well as the scope and reach of its overtones. Second, each horn player's embouchure defines an intrinsic sound that becomes that one musician's sonic personality.
My point is that any piece of audio gear approaching the elusive quality worth calling (i.e., accurately designated as) "musicality" has an advantage over reproduction equipment defined by extremes of sonic performance—speakers that "stage" beyond all others or that owns that apparently final dollop of dynamic "slam". Consider, in contrast, what you hear in a very good acoustic environment when a single instrument or ensemble (or, for that, an orchestra) plays with well-rehearsed musical integrity. That sound is difficult to snare exactly as you hear it, naked and "live" in the room, on recordings. Not impossible, but (believe me) more elusive than you might think since choices of (i) microphones; (ii) mic placement; (iii) associated recording gear (mic preamps and cables; hard drive, disc-based or tape-based reception and storage) all influence multiple parameters of the music captured.
So, in the end what is "musicality"? It's what we hear most accurately at the beginning, when music is performed live "on location" in decent or superb sonic space. Someone can write about this fractious sonic terrain at great length, but for now my intention is to reflect simply on two mono-block amplifiers with extraordinary heft and delicacy. The Red Dragons may not have dynamic force often associated with VTL tube amps. They may not throw a sound stage as wide and deep as the best Manley tube amps. They do not extend to a top range of transient detail in the way that my mono-block pair of KR amplifiers accomplishes. But what the Red Dragons offer—both relatively, in comparison to these and other refined amps; and absolutely without the invidious tug of comparison—is a touch of musical magic which sounds and feels utterly right in the subjective but totally palpable "there-ness" of music in real space and time.
Over the years, I've had the good fortune to own and to review some of the most alluring Conrad-Johnson amplifiers. They have never been characterized by the ne plus ultra of some "last and final" top-to-bottom sonic definition. Yet they have always been happy partners to loving musical expression. In some ways, I can affiliate these remarkable Red Dragon music engines to those truly engaging Conrad-Johnson sonic machines. The footprint of both is at once sonically delicate and texturally convincing... as if well-recorded music (music made in superior acoustic halls and grottos) appeared to inform one of the joyful uniqueness of Bach's melodic brilliance, of Beethoven's harmonic arrogance, of Duke Ellington's improbable tonal palette, and of the spooky beauty of a Sarah Vaughan's voice—that loveliest and most intriguing of all recording challenges, the sound of a solitary voice with its generous mystery. Comparisons aside, the Red Dragons own a degree of musical and sonic transparency in the service of a necessarily "tactile" bulk of harmonic layering. Together they create an illusion of being in the room "with" the men and women who made it. Among audio illusions that conspire to craft the sense of (re-created) "musical reality," this one is the most fragile but satisfying.
I'll end by saluting Robert Lee's good sense to match his wonderful Adagio speakers to a pair of amplifiers that, on one hand, vividly exemplify the timbral beauty of well-voiced speakers while, on another hand, removing themselves from the long signal chain of potential distortion, exaggeration and sonic error so frequently the source of musical blues.
I mean there, most of all, my blues when music I've recorded, with all the love and attention I can muster for this wonderfully trying art of "on location" sonic re-creation, is mishandled by the over-kill of showboat components more dedicated to sonic drama than to musical truth. I'll admit that I enjoy the very large, sonically astonishing MBL speakers usually on display at the Consumer Electronics Show early each year in Las Vegas. But—for all their mesmerizing cartoon enlargement and romantic audio excess (something worth beholding, I'll assure you)—no recording engineer who seeks to get his work right will long succumb to their blandishments. Give me a speaker like SP Tech's "Timepiece" line of brilliantly tuned boxes. Let me at the Acoustic Zen Adagios with their innate musical coherence. Despite their bottom-end lightness, the old Apogee Stage ribbon-tweeter speakers delivered music as if you were in its presence as it was created ...when it was recorded.
Therefore, give me these Red Dragons. They combine the most virtuous tactile qualities of tube audio reproduction with the drop dead no nonsense "dig all the rhythm out of the basement" of the strongest, most seductive non-tube amplifiers you can reach for. Are they perfect? Of course not. Do they make you think that your expensive and blasphemously luxurious sound system has climbed all possible sonic mountains? Nope. Do they bring you music of every sort as any experienced concert and club veteran should lust for in his private listening den? Without equivocation, absolutely yes!
At $6000 a pair, the Red Dragons are not door-buster, cyber-market bargains. But, they're worth every dollar of their price in an audio universe that boasts $6000 plus one meter pair cables, and, alas, power conditioners that approach (and surpass) that price point. Do I want to keep these teasingly crafted softly-glowing boxes? Yup.
I dare anyone on a restricted budget, now de rigueur in our dried-up economic cosmos, to build a world-class audio system, beginning with superior amplification, to find a better price/value ratio than these hot rod audio engines with their sweetly purring silence locked on music brought to truthful glory for those who truly listen. Jim Merod
Red Dragon Audio


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The patch, which has been developed in the United States, may even remove the need for intravenous needles or drips.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests it's as good as conventional methods.
The patch, which uses a tiny electric current to deliver drugs through the skin, is due to be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration shortly.
Major surgery
Dr Eugene Viscusi and colleagues at Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia carried out a study to see if it was as effective as a morphine drip.
The study was funded by US company Alza Corporation, which manufactures the patch.
Half of the patients were given the E-TRANS fentanyl HCl patch, which is the size of a credit card and is placed on the upper arm or chest.
Patients could use the patch to self-administer the pain relief drug fentanyl hydrochloride.
The other half were linked up to a drip, which they could use to self-administer morphine.
The doctors found that patients in both groups reported similar satisfaction ratings after using them for 23 hours.
Almost 74% of those who were given the patch said it was good or excellent at relieving pain. This compared to 77% who used morphine drips.
The satisfaction ratings for both groups increased to 80% after using both methods for 48 hours.
"[The patch] is able to deliver potent pain reliever through the skin with a very, very tiny electric current at the demand of the patient," said Dr Viscusi. "This is a miracle of miniaturisation."
The patch will have to be approved by the US FDA there and by similar authorities in other countries before it can be used routinely in hospitals.


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General > General Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions
We want your buying experience to be a happy one, but every now and again there may be an unforeseen problem which needs to be sorted out. Please read through the following points as they apply to your prospective purchase. They will help you if anything goes wrong. None of the following will affect your statutory rights in any way.
1. Warranties
Most of our regular new lines carry full supplierÂ's warranties as follows:
Projector screens, projector trolleys, mounts: one year return-to-base warranty
Overhead projectors: one year return-to-base warranty
Office chairs: 1 years mechanical parts replacement, excluding foam and fabric.
Display panel sets and office partitions: one year manufacturer's warranty which will exclude misuse or wear and tear. Please note that these items are made to your specific order and are non-returnable.
2. Shortages or damage in transit
Items sent by carrier are automatically insured. However, in order for this insurance to work it is necessary for us to register a claim within 48 hours of delivery of goods. This means that we need to know within 36 hours, preferably by telephone or email. When signing for the package, you will be signing to say that you have received it in good condition. It is important that you actually examine the outside of the carton on all sides before you sign – noting 'damaged carton' or similar on the driver's paperwork if necessary. You should keep all packaging until you are satisfied that the item inside is undamaged – any claim for transit damage may depend on the packaging being available for inspection. If the claim is allowed, the carriers will normally pay for collection.
3. Distance selling regulations 2000
These regulations apply to sales to private individuals (rather than business customers) who purchase on line, and specify that you have a 'cooling-off' period of 7 working days from receipt of the goods during which time you may notify us in writing, by email, fax or post, of your wish to cancel.
4. Faulty goods
Whilst we endeavour to offer only top quality items, there may be occasions when the item you receive is faulty in some way. In the case of minor damage which we have known about in advance this should always have been described in the original item listing. Please refer back to that before raising your complaint with us.
5. Late or lost in transit deliveries
When you make your payment we will tell you when your goods will be despatched and tell you when you should expect delivery.
Signed-for carrier: depending on the item, this may be an overnight, 2-3 working day, 3-5 or 7-10 working day service. If the carrier misses you he should leave a card through your door with details of how to contact the local delivering depot and rearrange delivery. If you fail to respond, the package will be returned to us and you will have to pay the carriage again. There are occasions when drivers fail to leave cards – so if you have not received your item within one or two days of the notified expected delivery period having expired, please contact us so that we can chase it up for you. We would prefer to make unnecessary calls than to have your item arrive back!
For small replecement parts we normally use royal mail second class post for items under 750gm packaged weight and royal mail parcels for items above that weight (and up to 2 kilos). Exceptions to this are items with a value of over £28 which would not be adequately covered by royal mail compensation. Please see the listing or ask questions if you need more information.
It has been our experience that all posted packages reach their destination, as we package carefully and label clearly. However, there are occasions when items are returned to us as 'not collected'. So if you feel that your delivery is overdue, the best advice is to contact your local postal delivery office first, to make sure that your package is not being held awaiting contact from you. If the package is not called for, royal mail will return it to us and you will have to pay the postage again before we will send it out once more.
We always obtain a certificate of posting or receipt for every item we send out. If an item fails to arrive altogether we will initiate a claim with royal mail or the carrier and reimburse you accordingly
Prices for Products are quoted on the Site. The Site contains a large number of Products and it is always possible that some of the Products listed on the Site may be incorrectly priced. We will verify prices as part of our sale procedures so that a Product's correct price will be stated in the order Acknowledgement / after you pay for the Product. If you accept the revised price we will invoice you for the difference.
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A Week of the Best in Open Source!Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Take a look at the conference schedule. This year's conference promises to be very special, with a number of new activities and events, in addition to many returning favorites.
ApacheCon US 2008 features:
- Over a dozen Training Workshops from industry experts -- half-day, full-day and two-day classes are offered.
- More than 60 1-Hour Sessions on System Admin, Enterprise Web Services, Open Source & Business and more.
- For the first time, attendees may join Apache Committers at the Hackathon
- The Fast Feather Track returns, featuring short and to-the-point updates on the latest emerging technology from Apache
- The standing-room-only Business Panel returns to kick-off the Business Track
- Attendee-organized Birds of a Feather sessions bring together like-minded people
- An ApacheCon favorite, Lightning Talks are fast, furious, and fun!
- World-class Keynotes and vendor Expo


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The charges started racking up the moment Annette Johnson arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound to her left forearm.
Doctors sliced open Johnson's arm and installed a $500 metal plate to shore up her shattered ulna, securing it with numerous bone screws that cost $246 apiece. There were morphine drips to quell pain, tetanus shots to prevent infection, blood screens and anesthesia.
Two years earlier in a different part of the city, Leo Leyva arrived at a North Side hospital with a gunshot wound to his back. His last memory before going under anesthesia was a nurse telling him they were going to take good care of him and to count up to 10.
As the 18-year-old...


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Butler County man could face jail, fines in horse cruelty case
A Butler County man could spend 90 days in jail if he's convicted of 36 animal cruelty counts stemming from the seizure of six malnourished horses at his farm last month, police said Tuesday.
He could be given up to $300 in fines on each of the counts.
State police Trooper Shawn King said the summary citations against Brian Arendosh, 48, are for nine horses at his Fairview farm. King said Arendosh is accused of not providing adequate shelter for any of the horses and failing to provide proper food and water and veterinary care for the six that a rescue group took from the farm March 21.
King said three horses were not taken because they were not in as poor shape as the others.
Arendosh said he couldn't comment because he had not received paperwork, which police filed Monday at District Judge Lewis Stoughton's office in Chicora. He did not identify his attorney.
He also would not say how many horses remained on his farm. Pam Vivirito, founder of Equine Angels Rescue, said Arendosh still has three horses and she'd like to see them surrendered, too.
Arendosh claimed the rescue organization seized the horses illegally. Arendosh can argue the charges in court if he chooses to plead not guilty.
The organization went to Arendosh's farm after a passerby noticed several of the horses outside in bad weather. Vivirito said that six of the horses were caked with mud and manure, were malnourished and suffered from health ailments, including heart murmurs, rain rot and worms.
Vivirito said the horses are recovering at a Jefferson farm and have gained weight.
King said a district judge can impose a maximum fine of $300 for each violation. State law also says a summary offense can carry a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail. Vivirito said she wanted the charges to be more serious.
"It's like a slap on the hand," Vivirito said. "You can starve your horse, and it's like a speeding ticket. It's crazy."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Bill Vidonic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5621 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Copper Taste In Mouth
Ever Have A Copper Taste In Your Mouth?
Having a copper taste in your mouth, or any kind of a metallic taste for that matter, isn't all that uncommon. That isn't to say that such taste in your mouth isn't something you shouldn't be too concerned about, but unless it occurs frequently or appears to be chronic, it's a symptom of something that is very likely not terribly serious.
The most likely cause of a copper taste in your mouth would be either a medication or a dental problem. A cause that could require medical attention would be copper toxicity. Copper is one of the minerals our body requires, but only in small amounts. We get copper from certain foods we eat, and trace amount from water flowing through copper pipes, which is still less of a potential problem than water flowing through lead pipes. Our body needs copper, but doesn't require lead. Copper toxicity can result either from ingesting copper in excessive amounts, a rather rare situation, or from other conditions in the body which promote the retention or buildup of copper to amounts greater than the body can handle.
Causes Of Copper Toxicity - In general, we don't ingest more copper than we need, or if we do, we seldom ingest truly excessive amounts. One would probably have to chew on a copper pipe for that to occur, although a one-year old may be capable of doing just that. There are certain conditions however which can cause an excessive retention of copper that could possibly lead to a problem. A deficiency in either magnesium or zinc, two elements our body needs, may cause copper levels to increase. Estrogen imbalances can increase copper levels, particularly in the kidneys. Birth control pills often are the root cause of copper toxicity due to improper estrogen levels. Copper retention in the kidneys can cause a buildup of copper in the liver, interfering with the liver's ability to act as a detoxifying organ.
If a copper taste in your mouth is accompanied by feelings of over stimulation, as one might feel after one or two too many cups of coffee, or mood swings or restlessness, copper toxicity could be the cause.
Most other causes of a copper taste in your mouth present less of a danger, if any at all. Fluctuations in estrogen levels can give one symptoms of a copper or metallic taste, but that does not mean a copper toxicity is problem exists. We often experience a metallic taste, be it copper or something else, when we have heartburn or have a dental problem such as gingivitis, or periodontitis. An overdose of selenium can give a distinct metallic taste as can a more serious situation, fish poisoning.
There are quite a few drugs and medications which can contribute to the taste, such as certain antibiotics and drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism as well as high blood pressure. Even the drug used to treat an excess of copper in the body, penicillamine, will often leave you with a copper taste in your mouth.
Preventive Measures - You may not be able to discontinue taking certain medications that give this kind of a side effect, though you should certainly consult with your doctor to see if there is an alternative. One of the best ways of preventing such a taste from occurring is practicing goo dental hygiene. Brushing the tongue as well as the teeth, and flossing regularly can prevent gingivitis or fungal infections, which often give off a metallic taste. Even a periodic rinsing of the mouth with salt water can be very helpful in this respect. If a copper or metallic taste is present already, a small taste of vinegar or citrus juice will often effectively counteract it.
In the world of health and well-being, a single symptom often carries with it little meaning. If a copper taste in your mouth is truly something you need to be concerned about, one or more of the other symptoms associated with toxicity will likely be present as well.


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White Chocolate Sherbet
Pastry chef Gale Gand shares this recipe for white chocolate sherbet from her cookbook "Chocolate and Vanilla."
- Yield: Makes about 1 quart
Source: The Martha Stewart Show, February Winter 2006
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 1 tablespoon vanilla-bean paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- Strawberry Mash, for serving (optional)
Prepare a large ice-water bath; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring milk, 2/3 cup water, vanilla bean, and sugar almost to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in white chocolate until melted. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl set over the ice-water bath. Stir occasionally until mixture has chilled, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze sherbet according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a covered container and freeze at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Let sherbet soften slightly at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving if it seems too hard. Serve topped with strawberry mash, if desired.


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WHEN Lance Franklin last gave Ted Richards the slip he inspired Hawthorn to a victory that wrested the minor premiership from Sydney. A repeat tomorrow and the Swans might not be leaving Melbourne with the premiership cup in tow.
Few Swans will have more reason for a sleepless night this evening than Richards, who has the task of minding the Hawks' superstar in what is shaping as one of the most important duels in tomorrow's clash.
The rewards for curbing this year's All Australian centre half-forward will be enormous for Richards as not only would it leave him well placed to secure the Norm Smith Medal for being best afield but it's likely to go a long way to securing Sydney this year's flag.
The reverse also applies for there will be nowhere for the All Australian centre half-back to hide should Franklin get off the leash.
The dual Coleman Medallist is yet to wreak havoc since returning from injury five weeks ago but nor has he been off the boil by any means - as his 15 goals from four matches indicate.
Although Jude Bolton and Richards mischievously suggested yesterday that the Swans were yet to finalise an opponent for Franklin, few expect him not to be shadowed by Sydney's No.25. Heath Grundy would be John Longmire's only other option.
''It's not something I haven't done before,'' Richards said. ''I played on him a fair bit this year and last year but I'm fully aware of what he is capable of. He's a gun player. If that job does go to me, it's something I'll be ready for.''
Richards held Franklin goalless in Sydney's upset win in Tasmania early in the season but the Hawk's three goals in 10 minutes in round 22 was the spur for a rousing fightback that delivered Hawthorn a narrow victory.
Richards otherwise held sway on that occasion but Franklin's short burst was invaluable. Two of his four goals came after he marked scrambled kicks out of centre clearances, another after he lost Richards when the ball hit the ground following a marking contest, while a dubious free kick also netted a major. ''I was able to see he doesn't need much to expose you,'' Richards said. ''In a couple of minutes he'd had a couple of shots on goal. Every week I'm trying to limit those opportunities he has to get those shots.''
Richards said he had been vulnerable when opponents enjoyed a hot run during games but, with experience, he is now better equipped to deal with it. ''Playing as a key defender, it can be tough. Over the years I've really learnt about resilience and playing it one contest at a time,'' he said.
''Early on in my career I could get a bit flustered when the opposition had momentum, but the strength of us this year is when the opposition's had a couple of goals in a row, we've been able to hold the fort. It's not easy to do, and something that's going to happen on the weekend. They're going to get some momentum at stages throughout the game - we've just got to hold that back six.''
Richards played a key role in Sydney's qualifying final victory over Adelaide when he out-pointed rising star Taylor Walker but was hampered last week by an early injury against Collingwood.
He has declared himself fully fit to take his place in a defensive unit that has conceded fewer points per game than any other in the competition.
And he'll be looking for assistance from his back line chums in order to keep Franklin quiet. ''I certainly won't be knocking them back if they come down and help. I'll be needing as much help as I can,'' Richards said. ''We all need to support each other. We're not going out there thinking as a defensive group we're doing six one-on-ones. From our perspective it's six on six.''


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PCE Interim Report: No Moratorium on
By Mark P. Williams
Click for big version.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment today released its interim report on the risks and benefits of hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking' to New Zealand. The report concludes that there is no reason to suspend the use of fracking. It went on to say that although there are risks arising from the use and expansion of fracking these can be reduced with proper regulation and implementation of appropriate best practice as in other industries.
The interim report also indicated that the main problems with the industry are the complex and context dependent nature of the relationship between the type of fracking being undertaken and the geological and hydrological nature of the area it was taking place.
In a presentation on the report, Dr Jan Wright explored these issues and took questions from the press (see below).
The interim report emphasised three main issues it was necessary to address:
Complexity and accountability
Finding out precisely which department has oversight of what stages of the process such as:
2: "Light Handed" Regulation
The interim report identifies a global shift over a thirty year period towards industry-led regulation, leading to low governmental oversight.
In New Zealand companies appear to regulate and monitor their own behaviour. The report cites the well-examination scheme of the UK, supervising the construction and maintenance of wells, stating that New Zealand has no such scheme. The report observes that NZ companies are required to provide highly technical information to councils but that there is no guarantee that the information will be fully comprehended, and thus no guarantee that councils can effectively debate the implications of the information, leading to poorly-informed decision-making.
3: The "Social License"
The report states that the full extent of environmental risks, such as groundwater contamination, and the economic benefits, such as replacing coal resource consumption with comparatively cleaner gas consumption, must be integrated into a system of "golden rules" for when fracking is viable and acceptable.
The interim report concludes in an open-ended manner by observing that fracking in New Zealand has not yet earned its "social license" to operate in terms of a popular disposition to accept it but that, equally, there was no cause to recommend a moratorium on fracking.
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Hi to all.
I want to run m0n0wall on vmware esx server.
If i use the
vlance network driver everything is ok, but the network is only at 10
I want to use the vmxnet ethernet, 1 gbit, but this requires a
bsd kernel module vmxnet.ko, that i have.
I use m0n0 in internal
network (to nat some virtual network in vmware server), so the
bandwidth is very important.
How can i add this module to m0n0wall?
Can anyone help me?
I want to contribute to m0n0 and i want to make a
patch that include this driver, so many people may use m0n0 to do nat
networking between vmware machine.
Thank you very much.


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small but perfectly formed and other oddities from the market today: it is, perhaps, unfair to group these plums under "oddities", as they're not odd at all, just little, like me. and really lovely, no? what with their jewel-like translucence. what is odd actually, is that i don't find so many of the conventional plums that are common to all american supermarkets (and here's where i could launch into a diatribe on how those plums, while large and perfectly formed, have not the generously juicy, honeyed, almost sparklingly bright and balanced interior, the luscious, yielding flesh that these do, but instead scrooge you with a thoroughly unpleasant acidity and either a consistency to rival sand or to make your stomach turn because of its sloppy, undercellulosed insides -- but there's no need, right?). here, we get all kinds of different plums (and were those gages i saw at the stand on wednesday?), and just about everyone i know has a ramassin tree in their backyard. they look just like cherry tomatoes. and speaking of tomatoes: i'm sorry to inflict the yearly close-up photo of cuore di bue tomatoes on you, dear reader, but 'tis the season (as we say all too frequently on this blog. we being me, i suppose), and nothing says summer like these ugly fatties: (this would be the bum shot.) this particular tomato has very special qualities, with a classic tear drop shape (seems like the other usual morphology for these guys is an elongated, bulbous ellipsoid), but also with a mug you just gotta love: (it was almost too tempting to deck him out, mr. potato head-style, but hunger won out and i ate him instead.)
1 Comments:
- wind-up-bird said...
The plums kind of remind me of my first encounter with a radish at age 3.5. I exclaimed gleefully that I'd found the world's smallest tomato. Imagine my surprise when I bit it.
But the tomato....is it just me and my sick, sick, dirty mind, or does it look like........?


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Top 25 Killer Apps
Space Invaders
Format: Atari VCS
Released: January 1980
Developer: Atari
Although initial sales of Atari's second home console had been sluggish- selling around 800,000 in its first two years – by the time Space Invaders was squeezed into cartridge form the machine's fortunes had begun to pick up as competitors left the field. As with many coin-op conversions (many of which were blatant copies) Atari's licensed edition of the Taito phenomenon didn't much look like its arcade forebear, with overly-chunky sprites and only a mid-range squelch in place of the original's iconic and ominous bass tones, yet the game launched the VCS into profitability, doubling hardware sales and helping to bring in $2bn in revenue in 1980. Moreover it locked Atari into a strategy of pursuing as many franchise exclusives as possible, culminating in the capture and first console release of Pac-Man in 1982 – the system's biggest-selling game.
Atic Atac
Format: ZX Spectrum
Released: 1983
Developer: Ultimate Play The Game
While Jet Pac was the Stamper brothers' first release, a Defender-inspired collect 'em up that tempted many to pick up the cheaper 16K model Spectrum, it was the top-down survival horror of Atic Atac, marketed in full-colour magazine ads, that convinced prospective buyers that the 48K model was the machine of the future, especially given that the price had just been slashed to £125.
Impossible Mission
Format: Commodore 64
Released: 1983
Developer:Dennis Caswell
WhiletheCommodore64quicklybecamethe dominant 8-bit home computer across North America in the early Eighties, supplanting Atari's ageing 400/800 series, it had a harder time convincing Europeans of its qualities in spite of its more robust exterior. To some degree, Impossible Mission helped change perceptions, for not only did it offer smooth and colourful graphics, it provided intelligible digitised speech for the first time in any home computer game. While the 1985 Spectrum version ended up a capable conversion, Impossible Mission was one of a number of games – followed by the likes of International Karate and The Last Ninja – that established the capabilities of the C64.
Format: BBC Micro
Released: September 1984
Developer: Ian Bell & David Braben
In spite of offering the finest arcade clones of any home machine, the hefty BBC Microcomputer, first launched in December 1981, suffered from an image problem on account of it being aligned with an overbearing establishment, unlike the cheap and informal Spectrum. All that changed in 1984 when one of the most expansive and ambitious games anyone had ever seen turned the Beeb overnight into a machine everyone wanted to play on, introducing gaming's first 3D open world and offering months of play. Unfortunately, because the BBC Micro remained beyond the pockets of most parents, sneaking in a few minutes during computer science lessons was the best most could hope for, at least until the game was ported to the other home computers a year later.
Dungeon Master
Format: Atari ST
Released: 1987
Developer: FTL Games
The Atari ST was intended to compete with more serious computers, like the Apple Macintosh, so it's perhaps unsurprising that it took a few years to become established as a serious games machine. Building upon the classic dungeon crawl template set by Ultima and Wizardry, FTL's classic helped esablish a distinct western lineage distinct from the JRPGs that were arriving on consoles, remaining the most successful game on the platform.
Super Mario Bros.
Format: NES
Released: September 1985
Developer: Nintendo
It's hard to overstate the importance of the NES in reviving a depressed console market in the mid-Eighties, just as it's almost impossible to get across how integral to that revitalisation the release of Super Mario Bros. was. With a cast of charming and colourful characters, bright, side- scrolling levels and pixel-perfect gameplay, it's a game that attracted a new generation into gaming, establishing Nintendo as the premier power in the industry for years to come. Whether or not Super Mario Bros. single-handedly saved the videogame industry, as some have suggested, the fact that it sold 40m copies and remains among the top three on most people's best ever lists probably helps its case.
Metal Gear
Format: MSX2
Released: July 1987
Developer: Hideo Kojima / Konami
While Commodore and Atari battled it out in the US, and Sinclair, Acorn and Commodore fought for European market share, across most of the rest of the world, the MSX was quietly becoming the dominant home computer format, providing a platform for Japanese developers to establish themselves before dominating the Nineties. Chief among this new breed of game designers was Hideo Kojima who, tasked with taking over the development of a military action game, decided the hardware was unsuitable and instead developed what would become one of the first stealth action games, enhancing the reputation of the MSX format and establishing one of gaming's most enduring franchises.
Shadow of the Beast
Format: Amiga
Released: 1989
Developer: Reflections Interactive
It took a long time for the Commodore Amiga to establish itself as the 16-bit home computer of choice, due to a lot of its games being ported over from the Atari ST. It was only when a game appeared on the Amiga first, that the difference between the two machines became obvious, as was the case with the action of the slick Shadow Of The Beast.
Wing Commander
Format: PC
Released: September 1990
Developer: Origin Systems
Given that the IBM-compatible PC has been with us for 33 years and the 'personal computer' even longer, we could probably devote an entire feature to the killer games that have ensured the PC's survival as a games machine, with the likes of Doom, The Sims, Half- Life 2 and World Of Warcraft all defining various ages of PC game development.
Wing Commander stands out from the crowd though, for even though PC games in 1990 accounted for a reported 60% of computer game sales (compared to the Amiga's 10%) the PC was still perceived to be an expensive monster, providing far less gaming bang-per-buck than either the Amiga or ST. It was the gradual uptake of VGA graphics and dedicated soundcards that changed the perception, both technologies that Wing Commander took full advantage of, helping to shift thousands of Soundblaster cards and transforming an unattractive beige box into gaming's most enduring platform.