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E-ticket receipt
22 September 2007
Mactan Cebu International (CEB/RPVM) – Davao Francisco Bangoy International (DVO/RPMD)
Air Philippines 2P/GAP 026
Boeing 737-2B7 Adv
RP-C8001 [Delivered to USAir 19DEC83]
0955-1050 – On Time
Economy Class, Seat 21A
Photo © Roger Shen
Photo © Eric P Lee
Photo © JetPix
Photo © Chris Sheldon
Took a taxi to the airport at around 7.45am, and as usual the driver begged for PHP 200 instead of the metered rate. It may not be a lot of money, but the meter is there for a reason. After years in Asia, this sort of behaviour is really getting on my nerves these days. I would most certainly have paid the 200 anyway, but it should be up to me whether I tip them or not. Also, don't expect any Thai/Filipino/Indonesian taxi have any change, so better bring small notes. The trip was quick, and I found myself rather early at the deserted Air Philippines check-in counter.
Asked for a seat in the back for proper Pratt & Whitney provided audio entertainment, and got the last row. Proper boarding passes both ways this time instead of the pieces of paper on MNL-OZC.
There's pretty much nothing to do at the departure lounge, so I just sat and waited for the trio of Air Philippines B737-200s to arrive. There are flights to Davao, General Santos and Bacolod all at 0955am. A 2P agent hauled a huge pile of newspapers to the gate – obviously meant for their staff and not passengers since the gate agents and F/As all had copies while none of the at least 200 papers were distributed to passengers.
Three classics landed one after the other, and all three Air Philippines flights were called at the same time. As luck would have it, 8001 was assigned for DVO, the same aircraft that I just flew MNL-OZC the week before. Unfortunately it seems not only the RP-C2xxx series non-advanced 222s have been retired, the 3000 series 2H6 Advs are nowhere to be seen either anymore. Nobody bothered to say hello, and one male F/A seemed rather pissed off I had 21A where he was reading a newspaper instead of greeting passengers...
A company 737 and CEB tower seen from my seat 21A
We were pushed back on time, CEB terminal in the background
Cebu Pacific had three Airbuses present, two pictured here
Holding short of runway 22
The good old PWs spooled up, and a very noisy takeoff followed as usual when sitting in the rear of a B737-200. The window was full of scratches, so apologies for photo quality. As usual with the lazy Air Philippines crews, a male F/A read a newspaper sitting in 21F instead of his jumpseat during the whole flight, including takeoff and landing...
Turning left after departure
Legroom was great, but the seats very tired
Broken armrest
Reaching cruising altitude
There was zero service on this flight just like on MNL-OZC. Philippineairlines.com where I booked the flight (as PR codeshare) mentions "complimentary refreshments on all flights 45minutes and over". CDB-DVO has a 55min flight time listed, so that's misleading to say the least. However, the same male F/A not bothering to take his jumpseat decided he needs breakfast, and proceeded to eat a bag of potato chips while reading the newspaper. Beyond ridiculous and extremely tacky looking to pax if you ask me. Such food should be consumed in the galley.
Decided to check out the rear lavatory – not only was there a disgusting smell, it was in rather shabby condition as well.
Pretty hard to tamper with the said smoke detector when it's gone
Nice looking lavatory wall and locking device
Cabin shot from the back
Views through the scratched window
Approaching Davao
Another cabin view during approach
High-end housing under the approach path...
The bucket reverser, with appropriate sounds in the cabin of course
Again, no taxiway like in OZC, so we taxied to the terminal using the runway
Davao tower
The new terminal at DVO is perhaps the nicest in the country
At gate 4
Manila bound Cebu Pacific A320
Rather self explanatory
I went to the SM City Davao mall to have some lunch and surfed the internet, would have been too long to wait 6h at the airport. It was a surprise for me how small Davao looked like, I expected something like Cebu to be honest. Taxi was around PHP 160 each way airport-SM.
22 September 2007
Davao Francisco Bangoy International (DVO/RPMD) – Mactan Cebu International (CEB/RPVM)
Air Philippines 2P/GAP 025
Boeing 737-2B7 Adv
RP-C8006 [Delivered to USAir 22DEC82]
1715-1810 – Delayed 1915-2010
Economy Class, Seat 21F
Photo © Md Faridz Md Yunus
Photo © TonyV
Photo © Johan Ljungdahl
Photo © Frank Schaefer
Photo © Trevor Ogle
Photo © Joe Pries - ATR Team
Back at the airport, terminal building
I had planned to fly Sriwijaya DVO-MDC to get to Indonesia, however they only sell full fare Y apparently and it isn't the easiest of tasks to buy tickets for that weekly flight.
Old banner mentioning 2 flights per week, it's down to 1 now
If anybody wants to use this exotic flight, I guess a call to the number listed might get you tickets
Have a look at the future routes, somebody at SJ must have lost touch with reality...
Merpati also had a stand at the airport, apparently they fly MDC/TTE/UPG-DVO sometimes.
Domestic check-in area
2P announcing the termination of Mabuhay Miles partnership. Considering my experiences with the airline, "valued passengers" should be replaced with "self loading cargo".
Domestic departures
Never seen this one before
Check in opened 10 minutes late, 1h50min before scheduled departure. Asked for last row and got 21F.
Security was deserted, and I walked through without a problem. However, I was told to go back and remove my sandals ... Hello, I didn't even set off the detector??? They seem to have gone nuts after the bombing here – the curbside reminds me that of JW Marriott Jakarta with the first few lanes blocked from traffic. Purchased a bottle of water after security and was told I'm not allowed to take it out of the cafe. Now I've seen it all.
Philippine Airlines flights were on time, 5J had every single flight hours late. They even offered dinner at the gate for one that was 3h delayed. This has been going on since the switch from DC9s to A319/320s, perhaps a realistic schedule would be the first step trying to correct that? After a while, the Air Philippines check-in agent came to inform me that if I have any connections I should be aware that the flight is delayed. He wore a pink polo shirt instead of company uniform. Considering this and F/As wearing winter coats, I'm sure 2P wouldn't give a rat's ass if you showed up at work wearing a clown's uniform.
1815 was listed as the new departure time on the screens, there were no announcements whatsoever while Cebu Pacific at least kept their passengers updated and even offered the dinner. Finally, at around 7pm, RP-C8006 taxied to the gate and boarding began ten minutes later.
Two foreigners decided to make a fuss about the delay and their connecting flight. Even accused the agent of the "additional Cebu stop that was never mentioned". Hello?? Take a look at your ticket and try to figure out it doesn't take 2h45min to get from DVO to MNL nonstop. Sorry but I have no sympathy for idiots booking separate tickets on unreliable airlines and then missing their connecting flights. Sure, the information about the delay was pathetic at best but 2P or the gate agent have nothing to do with the connecting separate ticket so why bring it up at all.
Crew on this flight was even less interested on greeting passengers than on MNL-OZC or CEB-MNL if that's possible. Considering the airline offers no service on board, the F/As are basically just sitting aboard the plane all day, so the least they could do is being polite and friendly. The cabin was in a terrible shape, lets look at some examples.
Interesting position of the traytables in 21ABC
Nicely fitting seatcover
Duct tape is always good
Seatcover of 20A fits nicely...
We pushed back exactly two hours late at 1915, and it was raining very heavily at this point. Davao airport isn't exactly busy, so there was no wait for takeoff. Great noise from the engines and rattling cabin fixtures on takeoff – I love these 737-200s.
Poor pic of the old style seatbelt and smoking signs – hard to take since I find the rear section of B737-200s is constantly "moving". You feel that especially if seated in the front and using the rear lav.
No cabin service on this flight, so it was a very uneventful 42-minute flight to Cebu.
I of course enjoyed the B737-200 very much since they're getting very rare these days. Was also nice to visit a new airport and city, Davao namely. But I'm now fully convinced that Air Philippines is an airline with appalling service and horrible on-time performance. Both flights were about 50% full, so they can't be doing too well on the route with the fuel-thirsty B737-200.
Hope you enjoyed.


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Every neighborhood has its freak-show married couple -- the two who call each other names at parties, break things, toss their emotional trash all over the lawn. You wince and look away, maybe wondering how two people who hate each other so much can need each other so much. At the same time, part of you is grateful for the entertainment.
"Crazy Love" more or less nominates Burt and Linda Pugach as New York City's most dysfunctional couple of all time, which is astounding when you consider the competition. But the documentary backs it up. Directors Dan Klores and Fisher Stevens (the latter officially credited as "co-director," whatever that means) trace the mad, sad tale of Burt and Linda from humble Bronx weirdness through several explosions of tabloid infamy all the way to today, when they appear to be just another sweet elderly couple at the deli.
Don't be fooled. How many sweet old men at the deli once hired goons to blind their girlfriends with lye, served jail time, then married them when they got out?
When he spied the 18-year-old Linda Riss at the beach in 1957, Pugach, then 30, had to have her. An ambulance chaser with a brisk law practice, Pugach liked to live large. The naive Linda was dazzled. So what if he looked like movie nerd Arnold Stang ? "He owned a nightclub. He was a lawyer. He had a plane," recalls one of her friends. What wasn't to like?
The fact that he was already married, for one thing. Pathological jealousy, for another. When Linda dumped him after learning of his wife, Burt lay on the floor and wailed like a 2-year-old. Then he grew a scary beard. Then he called Herb and Al . "If I can't have her, no one can," he said -- the eternal cry of the spurned loser time-bomb.
"Crazy Love" doesn't downplay the awfulness of what happened , but it also knows a good media circus when it sees one. Burt acted as his own lawyer, turned the trial into a carnival, was convicted, and got sent to Attica, where he was such a successful jailhouse lawyer for other prisoners he was put in solitary confinement.
Meanwhile Linda traveled to Europe and back, growing steadily lonelier with the years. When Burt was paroled in 1974, he used a TV interview to publicly propose to her; eventually she said yes. The tabloids swooped in once more.
There the two are in headlines and on magazine covers; there they are on "The Mike Douglas Show " and "Geraldo ." Everyone wants to know one thing: Why? Why would Linda Riss take back the person who maimed her, the man People magazine called "America's Most Horrible Husband"? Why would she stick by him in 1996, when he cheated on her with a younger woman and they wound up on the front page of the New York Post all over again?
It's a mystery that "Crazy Love" never quite solves, perhaps out of respect for everything Linda has gone through. Klores, whose day job is running a successful PR firm, has emerged over the past few years as a documentarian of a distinctly New York tang. He makes barstool tales, the sort Joseph Mitchell or Damon Runyon might have leaned in to hear. His previous films, "The Boys of Second Street Park " and "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story ," probe the dark, colorful strangeness that can build up in the city's corners before erupting into view.
"Crazy Love" is echt Klores, and he tells it straight and sometimes too expansively. The director can't resist throwing in every last detail -- Burt, in full breakdown, playing the ukulele and singing the pop song "Linda" to his pet iguana -- but can you blame him when the details are that bizarre? We don't really need journalist Jimmy Breslin , hooting with disbelief at the twists the couple's story takes, but he's here anyway, and the movie's more enjoyable for it.
The final scenes with Burt and Linda today are unexpectedly touching. The two bicker like your grandparents, with the same affection but considerably more poison flowing under the bridge. Linda's a taskmaster and a noodge, and when she says, "It's not easy being with me -- I figured this was the best revenge," the laugh sticks in your throat.
She also says, when asked why she went back to Burt, "To him, I was still beautiful." Maybe it is as simple as that. Or maybe that's a classic victim of abuse talking. "Crazy Love" scrapes away the cartoon exterior around this story and peers into the unknowable murk of the human heart.
Ty Burr can be reached at email@example.com. For more on movies, go to boston.com/ae/ movies/blog.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Legal Question in Real Estate Law in India
Dear Sir,
I like Legal help in 2 issues:
1) evacuation of tenant at the end of tenancy in End of December 2013
2). Claiming Leave and License fees which tenant has not paid for over 2
What is the way forward to achieve above objectives ?
How much will you charge for above services ?
Thank you
Asked on 8/24/13, 5:45 pm
3 Answers from Attorneys
Fca Prashant Chavan Expert Edge LLP
Dear Sir / Madam,
We can ably assist you in "kicking out" the Licensee from your premises. You should first get yourself registered with us to proceed further.
Answered on 8/24/13, 10:15 pm
dear client..............
For further details contact me at [email protected]
Answered on 8/25/13, 4:32 am
Adv Meenal Kashyap M Kashyap & Associates
Hello !
You have to take action before the expire of the leasee.
Contact us personally and explain what kind of problems you are facing regarding eviction.
Answered on 8/25/13, 9:18 am


text:
Image 1 of 1
Nadezda Panasyk, 75, walks past a pro-Russian rebel in the Kievsky district where she lives on Friday, October 17, 2014 in Donetsk, Ukraine. Her apartment building is used by fighters for the Donetsk People's Republic to coordinate efforts to gain control of the Donetsk airport, one of the most heavily contested ongoing battles of the war in Eastern Ukraine. Photo by Brendan Hoffman, Freelance
- Copyright
- Brendan Hoffman
- Image Size
- 5290x3527 / 9.0MB
- Contained in galleries
- War in Ukraine


text:
Textbook hazard reduction burn
Good weather conditions contributed to a textbook hazard reduction burn in Newry State Forest last week.
"The weather conditions were ideal for the kind of low-intensity burns we were hoping for," said State Forests North East Region forest protection forester Kath Bray.
"The burn included windrows and the surrounding harvested areas, where we removed high fuel loads.
"The burning program also created ideal seed beds for regenerating coastal blackbutt forest."
Ms Bray said the hazard reduction burns created a valuable protection buffer for hardwood plantations.
"Another pleasing aspect of these low-intensity burns in a controlled area is that the key ecological habitat requirements for threatened species remain, and that water quality is maintained," Ms Bray said.
"In a high intensity wildfire both of these elements are compromised. If there is severe ground scorching, any subsequent rain runoff can be a problem in waterways, and any animal life is severely impacted.
"Hazard reduction burns at low intensity provide a mosaic of habitat, and animals quickly move back into burned areas.
"Water runoff is not a problem as there is adequate filtering matter left on the ground.
"Autumn conditions like we have been experiencing are ideal for hazard reduction in high fuel load areas."
Ms Bray said heavy rain since last week had put further burning plans on hold, but when conditions were suitable, plans were approved for Thumb Creek State Forest on Cockatiel Road and Apple Tree Knob Road.
There would also be post-harvest burns in Nambucca State Forest and other forests in the Coffs Harbour area.
Media contact: Kath Bray on (02) 6652 0111


text:
New user? - Create an account
62 Likes 30 Shares
Paul Gauguin : No te aha oe riri1896
oil on canvas
95.3 × 130.5 cm (37.5 × 51.4 in)
Teodora Stoica
plans of wedding!
Teodora Stoica -T:
Jose Gabriel Peláez Ibañez
Gran pintura!!
Abstract Expressionism
All these Art Emperors live based on the death Artist's Legacies with no doubt. While the Artist is alive, even they don't accept his/her call in any time. Please don't give me wrong. you can test them yourselves. Mail them for a review or exhibition of your artworks, you will find your applications in a trashcan quite soon. They live in nice mansions or a House of Art with proudly call Art Galleries/Museums and the artists are suffering of poverty and struggling to pay the bills to live. Well. That kind of artist will be very lucky if he/she sells some paintings to those Emperors/Art Collectors, and they call him/her back in 5 to ten years if he/she is still alive or death. The good news will be if he/she is death to make some money but tons of money. They take your paintings and make their own stories about them and make them as an iconic painting and that is the time that their lottery matches for a jackpot. Basically, we all work for them for free. When they call their selves the Emperors, another meaning of that is the Slavery Masters. We create works of art until we are alive with no respect or appreciation and the end, they take advantage of them mercilessly. I am not venge it to discuss deeply but reality is the word of Lord. In the whole history of art, Mark Rothko was realized the exact meaning of Art Emperors which I am talking about.


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Logo Design Templates by LogoIdol
Welcome to the official LogoIdol page on Envato Networks!
If you have your own vision of the best design for your logo, business card, company envelope, promotion brochure, or any other type of stationary for your personal or corporate needs, talk to us and our team of inspired designers and illustrators will turn your ideas into the top quality individually tailored complete design solution. Individuality, exclusiveness, and personal appeal – that is what our custom made designs deliver to our clients. We will make a start from your ideas and preferences and utilize the most advanced design techniques to create a product that deserves you.


text:
Artist description:
Phantom R from Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure. Just a quick sketch to practice drawing him lol. *noI'mtotallynotinlovewithhim*
Java Draw Created Nov 03, 2012 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Elementalwind.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
omfg. Just to great. What kind of tablet do u have?
fine work!


text:
Artist description:
i like colors and death how about putting them together try it urself (med speed plz)
Flash Draw Created Jul 29, 2008 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2008 silver_star.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
amba098 Jul 29, 2008
Simply amazing
Page 1


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Author's story set during the Seattle World's Fair
If you didn't live through the 1962 World's Fair, author Jim Lynch can tell you all about how it transformed Seattle.
Lynch, author of "Truth Like the Sun," is the keynote speaker at the 21st annual Mukilteo Schools Foundation fundraising breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at Kamiak High School.
He will tell about his career first as a reporter and then as an author, the influence a good teacher had on him, and read a passage or two from his third book, "Truth Like the Sun."
"Truth Like the Sun" revolves around the Seattle World's Fair. It is a cat-and-mouse story of urban intrigue in Seattle both in 1962, when it hosted the World's Fair, and in 2001, after its transformation in the Microsoft era.
"I wanted to write a novel that captured Seattle, at least my version of the city," he said. "So I started researching the transformative 1962 World's Fair, and the characters and premise emerged."
Lynch, of Olympia, has also written "The Highest Tide" and "Border Songs," which have won several awards. All three of Lynch's books are set in Western Washington.
"Truth Like the Sun" is one of a New York Times reviewer's Top 10 favorite books of 2012. It is also a finalist for the Dashiell Hammett Prize, awarded to a U.S. or Canadian author for best crime fiction.
Lynch grew up in the Seattle area and graduated from the University of Washington before working as a reporter for newspapers in Alaska, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Closer to home, he also wrote for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Portland Oregonian and The Seattle Times.
Lynch joins a long list of well-known local authors to speak at the breakfast. Kent Hartman, author of "The Wrecking Crew," spoke last year.
The Mukilteo Schools Foundation, founded in 1992, promotes community involvement and commitment to education in the Mukilteo schools. Its fundraisers support excellence, innovation and creativity in the classroom.
Proceeds from the breakfast will go to the foundation's grants, scholarships and a new program that will send students on field trips to local organizations to create an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
"It's a huge initiative with education nationwide," said Nicole McGowan, foundation president. "Schools really need to focus on these types of programs. They're trying to enrich the education in math and in science in particular. There's a real need."
The foundation is working with STEM partners – The Boeing Co., the Historic Flight Foundation, Flying Heritage Collection, the Future of Flight Museum and Foundation and the Imagine Children's Museum – to develop STEM curriculum and field trips.
"The best thing to do is to get kids involved at a younger age and expose them to these [subjects] so they have an idea of what is available to them," McGowan said. "It's through this program that we might light the fire that gets them interested in being an engineer or in math or science as a career."
Though Lynch is no STEM major, all three of his books are filled with science and math – subjects he had to study to be able to write about them.
"I'm a big fan of exploring the natural world though science," he said. "The closer you look at nature, the more fascinating it gets, and the closer you look at, it the more you understand the elements and value of science."
Lynch said STEM programs would help give Mukilteo School District students a competitive edge in the world.
"That's where the jobs are and the future seems to be, particularly on an international level," he said. "It's very smart. It makes sense."
Last year's breakfast raised $50,000, which funded six college scholarships and grants to 35 teachers in each of the district's 18 schools.
This year's emcee for the breakfast is longtime Mariners announcer Rick Rizzs.
The breakfast is scheduled for 7:30-9 a.m. in the Kamiak High School Commons, at 10801 Harbour Pointe Blvd. in Mukilteo.
Tickets are $50 per person or $375 for a group of eight, and are available online or at the door.
For more information, or to buy tickets, go to www.mukilteoschoolsfoundation.org.


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Jubilee Playwrights
So here's an interesting feature on Whatsonstage.com identifying the 60 British playwrights who've had the biggest influence during the reign of Her Maj.
We're proud to have premiered the work of seven of them: Mike Bartlett, David Greig, Terry Johnson, Sarah Kane, Dennis Kelly, Philip Ridley and Mark Ravenhill. Later this year we'll be premiering the work of an eighth with LONDON by Simon Stephens.
We've also been fortunate to work with a number of others on the list over the years. Our LATER series produced work by Richard Bean, Moira Buffini, David Eldridge, Patrick Marber, Roy Williams and Laura Wade, and David Edgar wrote for our COME TO WHERE I'M FROM series in 2010.
So what do you think of the list? Who's been missed off who should be enthroned? And who will come to the fore in years to come?
No need to get back to work just yet after the Jubilee celebrations, post a comment instead.


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Chittagong - A bus carrying scores of Bangladeshi schoolboys celebrating a football match victory against another school plunged off a hilly road on Monday killing at least 53, police said. The accident happened at Mirersarai, 240km southeast of the capital Dhaka, near the port of Chittagong.Survivors told reporters at the hospital that the children were in a happy mood, singing and dancing, when the bus crashed 15.2m into a flooded ditch. The weather was cloudy after days of rain. Police and witnesses said that as many as 80 children between 8 and 12 were on board. Local official Giasuddin Ahmed said 53 bodies had been recovered and 15 injured boys were taken to hospital, including 10 in a critical condition. A father of one of the victims died of a heart attack after seeing his son's body, police said. Hundreds of parents and relatives thronged the accident site and the hospital, witnesses said. Road accidents happen frequently in Bangladesh due to poor roads, poorly serviced vehicles and rarely enforced traffic laws.
This is tragic.


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Challenger project manager Kazuhiro Notani described the new PB Challenger as an 'all-round SUV' with good performance in the city and bush, versatile accommodation for families and stylish looks. He says it was developed for the growing SUV markets in Australia, Russia, South America, the Middle East and Asia where demand for large SUVs had decreased but small and medium SUVs were growing.
"Growth is higher in the serious off-roaders rather than in soft crossovers," he says. "In Australia you need a serious SUV but it needs to be stylish, too.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (MMAL) CEO and president Robert McEniry says the Challenger fits between their Outlander and Pajero, but is not a soft crossover. "It's not a pretend off-road vehicle like a lot of its competitors," he says.
"It has style and is an urban living vehicle but also a real 4WD vehicle." Challenger product manager James Toll says the main rivals were the Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder. "It's not too big and not too small," he says. "We see this car as breaking down the stereotypes of SUVs."
Variants and pricing
The Challenger hits the market at a starting list price of $44,490 for the LS five-speed manual. Add $2000 for the five-speed auto and a further $2400 for the auto with seven seats.
The XLS range — available only in automatic — adds leather upholstery, satellite navigation, reverse camera and parking sensors, mud flaps, privacy glass, headlight washers, Bluetooth, upgraded sound system with video input, some exterior and interior bling and five-year premium roadside assistance. The five-seater XLS costs $56,990 and the third row of seats adds $1600.
While the previous model from 1998-2006 was powered by a three-litre V6 petrol engine, this one only comes with the 2.5-litre common-rail turbo diesel powerplant from the Triton. It delivers 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque 2000rpm in the base model manual, but 350Nm of torque at 1800rpm in the four automatic models.
Platform and ability
Although it is built on a new platform, other similarities with the Triton are that it is also built in Thailand, and has the same front suspension, front chassis, transmission, rear axle and Super Select 4WD system. Challenger has a lift-up tailgate rather than a swing door, which Tol says made it better for towing.
It also features a 2500kg braked towing capacity compared with the Triton's 3000kg, but Tol says that could be increased to 3000kg under warranty after further testing. Off-road capabilities are enhanced by its ladder-frame chassis, Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system with a central diff and a push-button locakable rear diff with a 1.9 ratio low range, high clearance, massive wheel wells and good approach, departure and ramp breakover angles. High-range 4WD can be selected from 2WD at speeds up to 100km/h.
Design and fit-out
The exterior is stylish with a high waistline, narrow windows but good visibility, high-set headlights and taillights and flared guards. It sits high on its wheels, but this is well disguised by the high silhouette. It comes in eight colours. Inside is equally stylish with a healthy range of features in the LS and a bounty of creature features in the XLS.
Seats are comfortable, head and shoulder room is good, and legroom is plentiful even in the third row which features a 50-50 split. Behind that there is still room for a couple of large old-fashioned suitcases with the spare tyre under the rear.
Seven-seater models also get rear airconditioning and under-floor storage compartments. Standard safety features include six airbags, and stability and traction control. Tol says there were no options, but a wide range of accessories.
Sales outlook
McEniry says dealer response to the Challenger had been "excellent". "I'm confident we will have success with this model," he says. "The order lines are open and we have already exceeded our wildest expectations."
Tol says the LS would represent about 75-85 per cent of sales. He says they could attract customers from Outlander moving up, Pajero owners downsizing or owners of large cars such as Falcon, Commodore and Mitsubishi's former 380 and Magna models.
To highlight its 'serious' off-road potential, the vehicle was launched in Queensland with demonstrations at the 290-hectare Scenic Rim Adventure Park, near Beaudesert. The park features steep terrain, sandy loam soil, rock climbs and dramatic drop-offs. The Challenger met all challenges with ease.
Surprisingly the Bridgestone Dueller H/T (highway terrain) tyres had plenty of grip even on the steep downhill loam sections, yet also remained quiet on the tar highway transport stages of the launch. While the tyres were quiet and the wind noise low, the diesel powerplant groans loudly and coarsely under load and the automatic transmission accompanied it with vibration noises.
The auto box also flared and hunted a bit through its soft change points. It is better to 'manually' select the ratios in sport mode. The manual transmission was quiet, but the shift gate is huge and the clutch throw is heavy and long. Steering is quite sharp on the road, but turning circle is wide. The wheel is adjustable for height only, not reach.
Brakes are a bit spongy and lack bite for road conditions. They are more suited to off-road conditions where you don't want sudden response.
The ABS system changes its character when the vehicle is in high-range four-wheel drive and again when low range is selected.
Similarly, the stability control changes character, while traction control remains permanently on. The driver can manually switch off the stability control for mud and sand conditions. On the tar it pitches and rolls as you would expect of a two-tonne SUV with a high stance.
However, ride is excellent. It is smooth over the roughest of terrain, soaking up the big bumps yet the springs rarely let it hit the bump stops. It certainly fits Mitsubishi's description of a comfortable all-rounder with a serious side.
Mitsubishi PB Challenger
ENGINE: 2477cc, 4-cylinder, common-rail turbo diesel
POWER: 131kW @ 4000rpm
TORQUE: 350Nm @ 1800rpm (auto), 400Nm @ 2000rpm (LS manual)
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed auto, 5-speed manual (LS), Super Select 4WD, 1.9 low ratio
ECONOMY: 9.8L/100km (auto), 8.3L/100km (LS manual)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 259g/km (auto), 219g/km (LS manual)
Ford Territory ($39,490-$66,420)
Toyota Kluger ($41,490-$66,490)
Nissan Pathfinder ($56,490-$63,240)


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HALIFAX — The mother of Rehtaeh Parsons said she has some solace after hearing that two people were arrested Thursday in the case of her daughter, the 17-year-old Halifax girl who died following a suicide attempt in what her family says stemmed from cyberbullying after an alleged sexual assault.
"We're just hopeful there's charges laid and others to arrest, hoping that they're finally willing to tell their side of the story," Leah Parsons said in an interview.
"A sense of relief came over me that at least they're going to be questioned."
The RCMP and Halifax police said they arrested two males at their homes in Halifax at around 8 a.m. and took them into custody where they were being questioned. The Mounties did not release further information on the males arrested, including their ages and what they were arrested for.
"Due to the sensitive nature around this investigation, the investigators do want to ensure that no court process is affected, that there is going to be some privacy concerns around identity, ages and that," said RCMP Cpl. Scott MacRae.
"The investigators have been working on this for the past several months directly in relation to the Rehtaeh Parsons' investigation. Their job was to look at everything and to proceed with an investigation and here we are today with the arrest of two males at their respective residences and we'll basically see how today goes. We have a 24-hour window to either release or lay charges."
Just two days ago, Parsons' father wrote about his worry that no one would ever be charged in the case.
"I'm afraid of what's next. How will I feel if the police don't lay charges? How will I feel if they do? She's gone. She will never know justice," Glen Canning wrote in a blog post.
"Will I ever believe in justice again?"
Rehtaeh was taken off life-support in April after she attempted suicide in her home. Her family says she was tormented for months after a digital photo of her allegedly being sexually assaulted in November 2011 was passed around her school.
"I feel that the investigation wasn't handled properly from the beginning and I've never seen the file, so I don't really know why or how that happened," Leah Parsons said. "I'm just glad that it was reopened and I'm really happy that they have two people to question."
The RCMP said earlier this year that they looked into the allegations of sexual assault and an inappropriate photo but after consulting with province's Public Prosecution Service, they concluded there weren't enough grounds to lay charges.
A week after Rehtaeh's death, police reopened their investigation, saying they received new information from someone who was willing to work with investigators.
Rehtaeh's death sparked national outrage and prompted the Nova Scotia government to launch reviews of the original police investigation into the case and the school board's handling of the matter. The review of the original investigation is ongoing.
An independent review released in June concluded the Halifax Regional School Board could have done a better job, but it was hindered by the fact that Rehtaeh was often absent from class. The report also said the Parsons family faced challenges when they turned to Nova Scotia's mental health system for help.
The arrests come a day after a new law took effect in the province that allows people to sue if they or their children are being cyberbullied. Victims can also seek a protection order that could place restrictions on or help identify the cyberbully.
Justice Minister Ross Landry introduced the legislation weeks after Rehtaeh's death.
Need help? Call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or reach out online at kidshelpphone.ca


text:
"From foodblog lovescool"
Green Tea Sweets
0 recipe photos
READY IN:32mins
Ingredients Nutrition
- 3⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 5 ounces unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder
- 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the confectioner's sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
- Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
- Add the flour and mix until well combined.
- Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
- Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
- Roll the dough out to 1/2" thickness.
- Cut the dough with a leaf cookie cutter.
- Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.
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text:
Ben Street
Cult of Hockey
Would you believe ... two goals in TWO seconds? "ZapruderCam" yields provocative new evidence on ...What is the fastest goal possible? Abbotsford Heat centre Ben Street may have achieved the theoretical extreme with his remarkable snipe against the Toronto Marlies last week, in which he ...


text:
Under Fire
Leo W. LeFevre was a freshman engineering student at North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC) in 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He enrolled in the College's ROTC Program in 1942 and received orders to report for active duty upon completion of the Winter Quarter in 1943. From Fargo, LeFevre went to Fort Snelling to Camp Joseph T. Robinson to Fort Benning to Fort Smith to Stillwater, Oklahoma (for the Army Specialized Training Program, ASTP) to Camp Maxey before being shipped out to England in 1944. LeFevre was wounded in the shoulder as the American forces attacked the Germans near the Roer River Dams. As he was being transported out the area, the first German bombs began falling on the area--it was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. After three months in the hospital for rehabilitation and rest, LeFevre returned to active duty as a member of the army of occupation. He was discharged in 1946. Below is a poem written by LeFevre expressing his thoughts of what it was like being under enemy fire.
|Like wings of wind in the sky overhead,
|In a feathery whisper marked flight,
|Shells arch over to call for dead
|From ranks of the living tonight.
|Suspense grips the land till they pound far away,
|Like the slam of a heavy door.
|"Thank God they are ours", the fellows say
|Of the reaper who's gone before.
|But sounds of answering shells spread alarm,
|Of a vengeance that will not be stayed.
|There are places to hide from a bullet's harm,
|But from shellfire we have no shade.
|Our fears are confirmed by a whistle and crash,
|With hardly a whistle at all.
|Each man hits the ground lit by crimson flash.
|Only those near a hole dare to crawl.
|Though hair won't comb, set by helmet of steel,
|I feel a scalp tingle creeping,
|And wonder if face show how naked I feel
|Lying more still than if sleeping.
|The ground feels good as it presses my cheek
|How I wish for a hole to hide.
|You can't help cringing as close shells shriek
|But it is not from these we need hide.
|A guy seldom hears the one shell he fears,
|The one that will snuff out his life,
|For it does its job `ere the sound beats his ears,
|Putting an end to his strife.
|The good earth that holds us is seething and sore,
|And it spews out splinters and rock
|As it stops each shell's hissing flight with a roar,
|And trembles with the shock.
|The mind, outraged, cries, "Why am I here?"
|As if in answer, comes the Order, "Move out."
|Discipline reigns. There's no new depth of fear.
|The command is passed with a shout.
|Then we run, and fall and run again,
|Like sheep going over a hill;
|Check on equipment and buddies, and then
|Duck as shrapnel sings shrill.
|The scene is left to debris and the dead.
|The tide of the battle moves on.
|We try not to think of days ahead
|And of comrades who are now gone.
|We are like machines, parts of bigger machines.
|Existing in action until fate stops our wheels;
|Knowing full well what expendable means
|From the way that being expendable feels.
|We must carry on till our number comes up,
|And maybe the lucky go first.
|Even those who drink to the depth of life's cup
|Pass on with unquenched thirst.
|Bill LeFevre
|A Co. 395 Inf. Reg.
*The poem is written in four line stanzas.


text:
I'm so excited to announce that this past weekend Andrew and I got engaged!
I won't go into much detail, because I'm not sure as to how much I will actually be putting on the internet, because…. well it's the internet and we all know how that goes.
Andrew already booked the venue of my dreams and the photographer I have been in love with for years (before he asked the question) so a date has been set!
I'm so excited I can barely contain myself, he is the man of my dreams and I can barely wait to be his wife!
(also, Tiffany's)
We picnic a lot this summer, since coming back from Europe and we just happened to be picnicing the day we got engaged!
He suggested a picnic at our alma mater, where we met, and after some wine and cheese he popped the question!
How could I say no!
I'm so in love, and so excited!


text:
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This monolith of experimentation and vigour shows Neurosis coming into their own. While they would ultimately go for a sludgier brand of experimentation, this is the most visceral music they have ever recorded. This raw energy is evened out by twisting psychedelia, a vast array of additional instrumentation and countless layers of intricate nuances. This is something that could truly only be captured at a certain moment in time by these certain musicians - it's elaborate sound is all but impossible to recreate, which goes a long way to explain why the album enjoys a high degree of positive reception but does not have hordes of imitators - something their later albums would spawn. This is something truly special that doesn't come along very often - a wholly unique album, impossible to pigeonhole by genre, that cuts deep, and is so intricate that after dozens of listens new details are still revealing themselves to you.
Recorded a mere two years later, Souls At Zero - which gets it's name from a chapter in Clive Barker's The Great And Secret Show - comes on the heels of The Word As Law. This predecessor was the last Neurosis album to be predominantly in the vein of hardcore punk. The band says they had the seeds planted with occasional experimental passages, but they couldn't bring what they had in their heads to life. Before that the band played pure hardcore punk rather successfully. While the influence still lingers, Souls At Zero shows Neurosis moving far beyond the hardcore punk template into something much more adventurous and unknown. It is simply astounding how the band managed to progress so much in terms of both vision and musical ability in a mere two years.
This album is truly progressive - not as in it has a proggy sound by any means, but as in what true progressive music is - that which moves music forward by exploring new avenues. This doesn't sound remotely like anything else before or after the fact. It is certainly apparent that bands take some influence by it - but they usually adapt these influences onto a different template. For example some black metal bands such as Cobalt and Jumalhämärä take the occasional queue from this album. Not surprisingly, some influence from this seeps into the sound of bands that take a queue from the template that Neurosis laid out, but the bands just about unanimously take on the sludgier sound that Neurosis would come across on their next album, Enemy Of The Sun. That album basically started the whole post-metal/atmospheric sludge (or whatever the hell they're calling it now) scene. This album stands completely on it's own as a wholly unique sound.
The sound is a vast tapestry of varied influences and styles. At this point the heavier aspects have one foot in the metal pantheon with the other being firmly rooted in the punk scene. There is still some hardcore present in their sound, albeit in a highly evolved form. A gritty crust edge also makes it's presence known. Many of the riffs are most certainly metallic, with doom metal playing a large role in the music. The riffs tend to be varied, with both vicious scorchers and crawling dirges. It is at this point were the band really started experimenting with weird guitar tones and alternative tunings. This release is generally much more down tuned than the previous hardcore recordings.
Psychedelia also plays a large role in the construction of this album. Not that the band draws on the most obvious tropes of the genre - they adapt it into their own sound. This is manifested with seasick clean guitar sections enhanced by strange timbres. This is also often backed by additional instrumentation, such as the flute. These section bleed otherworldly atmosphere. These passages twist and turn, winding their way into the subconscious. Psychedelia also works it's way into some of the distorted guitar tones. After the opening sample is finished on "Takeanhase" a slow massive bass line is added, featuring quite the psych-heavy sound. This influence is perfectly moulded to the sound, creating bizarre atmospheres.
All instruments feature not only genuinely enthralling execution, but provide something original. The bass is used as much more than a supporting instrument. It hangs incredibly low, adding a great degree of depth. It is not unusual for the guitars to stop for a short while to leave an incredibly heavy bass trudging forward with it's earth-shaking tone. On the first real riff of the title track, the last note for the guitar is sustained in a drone, letting the bass fill in the rest of the pieces. Jason Roeder's drumming would become known for their immense tribal rhythms. Here, that is somewhat present, but in a more primordial form. There are certainly hints of what's to come. By the drum break in album starter "To Crawl Under One's Skin", it becomes immediately becomes apparent that Jason has transformed into an absolute beast behind the kit. The gritty production on the kit makes the music all the more visceral. The patterns he comes up with are consistently interesting and hard-hitting.
Featuring a tri-vocal assault, Steve, Scott and Edward all give an unforgiving and powerful performance. The vocals really have the grit and filthy fervour of crust punk, which really shouldn't be all that surprising seeing as they came out of hardcore. Dave's performance is the biggest outlier in the group. Being extremely low and almost inhuman, his vocals provide yet another unique entity to this recording. Both other vocalists have tendencies to sing at somewhat higher pitches, which Scott's voice being particularly raspy. However, Steve has plenty of instances were his voice goes lower, especially during his cleaner melodic parts. The interplay between the three vocalists is incredible, they sometimes play off each other, with one providing a line and the other jumping in almost as if to answer it.
The floodgates have been open when it comes to the song writing. All this instrumental exploration would be cheapened if it didn't have strong songs to anchor it. Like many things in the album, variety is key, yet it all has something in common and sounds like one cohesive album. In some respects many of the songs are written like hardcore songs at their core, although completely transformed by the instrumentation. The songwriting is solid enough that if stripped down to it's hardcore roots and played in the same fashion as their first album, the songs would still be worth listening to. It's the expansive instrumentation that really bring these songs to life and make them something truly rare and unforgettable, though.
The use of sampling enhances the atmosphere and adds intrigue. The album starts with a sampled piece about media purported confusion - the double layering of the same voice sample with a slight delay really gets across that feeling of disorientation. The sample at the beginning of "The Web" that goes "I am my own god, my own jury, my own executioner" starts it off in a truly chilling manner. The samples are not only limited to spoken word. On the addition of using samplers Steve Von Till says: "There was a whole sound palate outside of traditional instruments. We heard about people using samplers and wondered if we could do it. If you wanted to make your music sound like a train crash, you could get a sampler and make the train crash. Why not have sounds of the environment and beasts and nature all be part of your palate? There wasn't anyone playing like that. We found a guy who was into goth (Simon McIllroy) and had a synthesizer and sampler and we dove in". This culminates in some truly weird and unexpected sounds. A sample in the title track does indeed sound like the roar of an ancient primordial beast.
The additional instrumentation is truly impressive - they managed to find guest spots for a violin, viola, trumpet, flute and cello. This allows for something incredibly different to occur. They both bolster the atmosphere in the background and take over in the foreground when needed. One of the greatest moments of the albums is a riff in "Stripped" - the first part is ended by a string section and the second part is ended by what sounds like church bells. It sounds completely cinematic. From the trumpet in "Sterile Vision" to the strings in "A Chronology For Survival", this additional instrumentation makes the music all the more epic. Simon's keyboard proves to be a worthy addition, as well. All this came from the band members realizing that the sounds they had in their heads couldn't all be achieved by guitars alone. It's also something that could have been a complete mess. The band says that they really didn't know what they were doing and it was a learning experience. They just let the guest musicians find their place and it ended up working out absolutely perfectly. It almost feels like this album was created by some divine intervention - a young band coming out of raw hardcore decided to do something more just went with what could have ended up being a jumbled mess and everything ended up fitting perfectly, culminating in one of the most unique and inspired pieces not just in punk and metal but in general. Being mixed by punk legend Jello Biafra (who the band says later screwed them over financially) couldn't have hurt, though. This was also originally released on his label, Alternative Tentacles.
Lyrically, this also shows a push for something greater. Although some of this content is there through metaphors, there is no straight ahead political lyrics. Although still retaining a dirty punk edge, the lyrics are draped in imagery and their meaning is no longer made so readily blatant:
"No seed will grow of this barren earth. Our hope
unborn has died. I've slept in the dirt under the light
of the moon and I know our souls have perished.
Calling to those that would hear but I am deaf.
Clawing at those that would feel but I am dead to my
own fears."
Although in a way all Neurosis albums could be considered transitional records as the next album always evolves off of what came before, Word As Law came off as especially transitional as new elements were added to the raw hardcore - a (somewhat unsuccessful) push towards something greater. Souls At Zero can also be seen as a particularly transitional album in their career as it provides that something more while being removed from the sound they later took on. Their next album would prove to be the first sludge album with highly atmospheric and experimental sensibilities (and remember, this is still very near the beginning of sludge metal). The title track is probably the biggest indicator to what they would turn into. Featuring one of the best intros to a metal song ever, an eerie and engaged one with gradually added layers, this track is more doom oriented than the rest. While perhaps not full on sludge, it does mix doom with some hardcore stylings. The shift in dynamics apparent in Enemy Of The Sun comes from letting go of the cerebral process and playing from the gut. The riffs aren't as sharp and immediate as they are here, they are sludgy and the type that gradually draw you into the atmosphere rather than hitting you right away. On the title track the playing is much more closer to what's to come - the riffs are drawn out, the songwriting more sparse and a larger focus on garnering a certain feeling through a lingering atmosphere.
Coming from the punk scene, the band's DIY ethic should be expected. They said they got much of how they run their affairs from the attitude of hardcore legends (and one of the main inspirations for sludge) Black Flag. Neurosis would later go on to run their own record label, Neurot Recordings. Steve, being very much into the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man, wanted to use the still of the burning wicker man from the movie but the band could not afford the several thousand that this would end up costing. In true DIY spirit, they built their own, being encircled by a serpent swallowing it's tail on the album cover.
The album was reissued twice - once in 1999 with three added bonus tracks and once again in 2011 with the bonus tracks retained as well as new artwork. The artwork makes sense as they wanted to reissue their discography to have it all conform to a certain aesthetic so that all of them would look natural on a shelf next to each other. The bonus tracks, however, were not the best move. They include two demos of tracks on the album as well as a new track. While they are actually quite good, they just don't belong on the album. This record is a slab of towering grandeur, something truly captivating. Throwing some extra bonus tracks at the end kind of ruin the cohesive nature of this beast, and while good the added tracks can't touch what's on the original album. It just kind of cheapens the experience, which is why getting the original album if at all possible is advisable (or you could always just end it early). One track is a rawer version of the title track, although not as strong as the original, the wandering bass is quite interesting. The second is the first incarnation of "Zero", a track which follows "Souls At Zero" on the album, with the intro lingering back with samples added on top. There isn't really much point in listening to this as it isn't much different than the album version which does it much better. The star attraction of the bonus material is "Cleanse III (Live In London)". Like the original "Cleanse", which would appear on Enemy Of The Sun, this is an epic drum jam. Weird psychedelics are added over the top. This is definitely an intriguing track, although it still not one that should have been tacked onto the end of this album.
This album is a rare occurrence. It's something so gripping and involved that it never gets old, something so intricate that new facets are always revealing themselves to the listener. It pulled something out of nothing, creating a wholly unique sound. The sonic pallet used on this album is vast, encapsulating a vast array of different timbres. Sous At Zero is grandiose, visceral and cinematic. This recording is an enigmatic occurrence, and no words could ever truly do it justice.
We can call this one a classic, can't we? It's considered a monumental release by one of the most important experimental bands ever...not to mention "Souls at Zero" has stood the test of time and remains a mandatory listen for those of us that walk the thin line of genius and insanity which interconnects experimental metal with the rest of the world, so yea, why not? The sense of hidden horrors and equations of the unspeakable Neurosis achieved throughout "Souls at Zero" remains one of the most unique and haunting atmospheres ever captured. It's just one of those albums that has an undetectable presence to it; something unexplainably abstract, yet excellently molded.
And holy fish-sticks, it is a giant in a land of midgets. The dudes of Neurosis are excellent at writing songs that progress (key word) their identity with bizarre riffs, melodies, tunings, techniques, bass scales, vocal samples, and so many other inclusions that somehow collide and form Neurosis' extraterrestrial genetics. But those of you not into abnormal equations will be quite fond of the mega-heavy production which crushes and grinds during every second. I'm sounding vague, but Neurosis are hard to describe; their approach here really can't be labeled with a genre-tag, as there are times when the band is simply out of definition. For example, Scott Kelly somehow manages his wailing yells to synthesize against the outlandish melodies and mechanical riffs that mince and pound in a strange, atmospheric equation beyond the realms of basic music throughout "To Crawl Under One's Skin," and the result is just...formless.
But the great thing about Neurosis is that this beast that blessed them...this possession of some ancient spirit that makes Neurosis so volatile and singular never, ever exiles. "Souls at Zero" does not have a concrete 'direction' that it follows. Instead, Neurosis are able to make each track stand on its own feet through stellar repetition on the title track(!) or creating psychotic interludes throughout "Flight." You need to really pay attention though: sometimes Neurosis will churn out an energetic, fast-paced riff that will suddenly be placed underneath slow percussion, soft guitar strums, and melancholic vocals instead of leading the band's charge; it sounds crazy and deceptive, but so fantastic at the same time.
The tribal influence Neurosis incorporates remains one of the group's signature qualities, but its presence during "Souls at Zero" is in a strange, prototypical stage forming itself throughout flutes, keyboards, brass instruments, and Jason Roeder's algorithmic percussion which correlates with tribal beats and sophistications. "Sterile Vision" and "A Chronology for Survival" are easily some of my favorite tracks from "Souls at Zero," mainly because the tribal touch is so fluent and open-ended that the instrumental possibilities beneath said-feel adapt with Neurosis' annihilative heaviness majestically, and produce wonderful, unique expressions. Additional perceptions make appearances too, such as Gregorian chant on "Stripped," samples during "Takeahnase," or cellos, horns, the whole orchestra of the underworld. There is simply too much experimental gold here; most attempt the feat, but Neurosis remains dimensions ahead.
I'm going to give you some guidance and tell you to just listen to the damn record, because no review or reviewer can properly channel its angular sense of depravity or the black divinity within its soul that flows like a leaf in rushing water with a five-paragraph analysis. "Souls at Zero" is something that needs to be heard to believed. Throw whatever preferences you have about experimental music out the window and let Neurosis cover your thoughts with its infinite depth of knowledge and rage...just be careful to not get lost in the maddening maze of torment yourself.
This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com
I wasn't gonna bother reviewing an album that's nearly 20 years old cos so much has been done since then that it seems kinda pointless, but then I decided that I have to put my two cents in. "Souls At Zero" kicks ass. Always has, always will. I listen to it now and my opinion of it hasn't changed in 17 years. I don't like it cos it's nostalgic, I like it cos it's probably the best fuckin record I've ever heard.
Neurosis pissed off alot of punks when they made this album cos it was metal, though I'm not sure how many metalheads really got into it at the time. They dared to sonically purge their anger and sadness without giving a fuck about pleasing anybody or kissing their fans' asses. And that, my friends, is punk as fuck. I remember getting in arguments with my buddies back in the day cos I insisted that it's influenced by Pink Floyd (a major league no-no for punk music). Plenty of soft, gloomy guitar intros. Plenty of spoken word samples regarding insanity and humanity's demise. The Native American man warning that "we are not following the law of the Great Spirit" that leads into "Takeahnase" still sends chills up my spine. That song, by the way, is probably my favorite on the album, simple and catchy with a chorus that I find myself wishing would never end.
Still adhering to their punk roots, the talented bass-playing finds a decent level of prominence throughout the record. Like I said before, many of the songs start off soft and dreary before the guitars erupt. I'm a sucker for that shit. The opening song, "To Crawl Under One's Skin", has everything that I've mentioned so far in this review. The howling vocals harmonize with the chaotic yet melodic guitars perfectly. The only problem I have with it is that there's a simple little guitar riff towards the end of the song that I wish would've been in there longer.
The title track ends about three times before it actually ends. And by the time it does end, you're wondering if that wierd little insane asylum guitar lick is gonna come back around one more time and give you deja vu. This song goes really well with inhalants.
Well, fuck. I could go on about this all night, but the damn record's old enough that it doesn't really matter. Listen to it, though. It's not just good for its time, it's fuckin good. "Sterile Vision" is another of my favorite tracks, the vocals absolutely screaming the latter half of the song, somehow managing to utilize some kind of horn (sorry, I'm not a fuckin horn expert) in the midst of all the sadness and the madness and the badness. I like everything Neurosis has done since "Souls At Zero" but honestly, I don't think they ever topped it. Nobody else has, either.
Here we go, Neurosis, the ultimate influence and a band who simply loves to change with every full-length. 'Souls At Zero' was a major turning point in the careers of the Neurosis musicians at the time. It was signified by the transition from hardcore influenced music to amazing band we have today. This particular full-length is where Neurosis really started to experiment with their sound. Taking elements from a wide range of genres such as; post-hardcore, sludge and even the unique sound of tribal music which flows throughout every single Neurosis full-length since this one.
Experimentation is Neurosis' middle name. They dissect genres and bring them back to life, both new and improved. This is a band that has been granted a great deal of respect and admiration. 'Souls At Zero' is where that respect began to increase tenfold. It will go down in the history books of the metal genre for being where their career really began to take off and also, where the influence for so many others bands including; Isis, Cult Of Luna and many others took their influences from. 'Souls At Zero' isn't the highlight of a glittering career, but it certainly is an important full-length. As important as they get really.
When you strip the works of Neurosis down, what you find is a sea of complexity. Neurosis may seem simplistic on the surface, but what flows beneath is what counts. Neurosis are a bad to suit every mood and there aren't many bands that can say that. Neurosis have an astounding ability to be able to mesmerise. Listening to Neurosis is like taking a potent drug, it's intoxicating and captivating. Neurosis will invoke hallucination in the audience with their straight forward, no nonsense styling. 'Souls At Zero' is a unique full-length for several reasons. No one can deny how dazzling and delightful that tribal feel is. A vast array of textures is layered on to 'Souls At Zero'. It gets it's tribal feel from using keyboards, flutes, violins and whatever instruments the Neurosis musicians can get their hands on.
'Souls At Zero' is the epitome of experimentation. The use of several instruments allows Neurosis to showcase what brilliant musicians they are. Therefore, we can mark this full-length up when it comes to musicianship and songwriting, both of which are outstanding. Neurosis have come a long way since the days of their straight up hardcore style. This indicates that. Not at any stage does this style make Neurosis seem unprofessional. It's an accomplished piece of fine art. The musicianship is a stark indication of that. Everything has improved since the beginning. From the percussion to the vocals, it has all been bettered.
Neurosis have a wild side, that much is true. They like aggression and 'Souls At Zero' is packed full of it. This can be seen it the harsh riffs that tumble out from the speakers and the overwhelming vocals. Lyrically, Neurosis portray several different issues. They aim to connect with a wide ranging audience and their music certainly does so.
"Bury me in a shallow grave. So the rain will
wash me away. And the sun will burn my soul
and the earth will feed on me."
Using such imagery is healthy for Neurosis. It appeals to the senses in man. What with the sparkling vocal performance, these issues are brought across to the audience with anger, venom and wrath. Elements that make Neurosis a captivating listen. Neurosis' lyrics can always be analysed in great detail, which I love. I see Neurosis' lyrics as them using personification. "So the rain will wash me away" in particular. This feeling could be used to describe how Neurosis' ambient tribal sound washes over it's audience and feeds them with the necessities of life.
The production is thick and heavy, this is where the new sludge side to the band comes into play. It's an appealing new quality. It slowly enhances that aggressive feel that weaves it's way in and out of Neurosis' soul. Prepare for your being to be encapsulated by 'Souls At Zero'. This is Neurosis in all their spell binding glory.
In 1992 Neurosis released what was their best album, and one that would stand the test of time. Having heard Neurosis first on a mix tape given to me by a friend, I had to have more from this band. This was about 1995, I was about twelve at the time. So the first album I buy is Souls at Zero. Back then, I wasn't really sure what to think (considering I was going through a hardcore/punk phase). As I grew older, the album grew on me.
This album, for its time, was one of the only albums like this in metal. Yes one could say that bands like Christ on a Crutch and others were hinting at this, but nothing was recording previous of this enormity. This album reminds the listener of sludgy post-Neurosis bands (such as Buzzoven's Sore) but the album is really so much more than that. The guitar work on this album is not overdone or over distorted to the point of being overbearing, much like thier two later works. The vocals hold a certain emotion and fit the music perfectly. The drums have that Neurosis tribal feel to them, but a lot less percussion oriented than Enemy of the Sun. The music is slowed down from their previous hardcore works, but still a heavy slow, not slow as in a doom metal band, but a slow sound that sticks to your ears as you're listening.
Another interesting aspect of the album is use of instruments rarely found in metal (at least back in 1992). The accompanyment of violins, cellos, and french horns add a certain dynamic aspect that was not heard often in music of this caliber.
This album is not one to look at just in retrospect, because it holds its ground today. When faced with the opposition of the genre they created (Isis, Cult of Luna, etc). this album blows the others out of the water.
This album cleary shows the transition from the more hardcore oriented Word as Law to the more tribal feeling Through Silver in Blood (Enemy of the Sun furthered the sound a little more, but without the immense effect this album had).
This album is recommended to fans of sludgy styled metal, as well as anyone looking for an absolute metal classic. This album should be among every metalheads collection. Eleven years after purchasing this album, it is still constanty in my rotation.
The first song off this album I heard was "Takeahnase" (well, the demo version that's on the 'Enemy of the Sun' re-release), and I was blown away. When I finally bought the album and listened to it, I felt that it was easily one of the best metal albums ever. That was well over a year ago, and I still feel the same way. This is a practically perfect album. They took their early thrash/hardcore crossover sound and gave it a more experimental and progressive sound, like in the direction of later albums 'Through Silver in Blood' and 'Times of Grace.' The album is simply amazing. "Takeahnase," the opener "To Crawl Under One's Skin," and the title track are just simply fantastic, "The Web" and "Flight" must be great moshers at shows, and "Sterile Vision," "Stripped" and "A Chronology for Survival" are more laid back, but still rockout as much as everything else on the album. As for the short interlude tracks ("Zero" and "Empty"), you practically need them in there to balance everything out, and yet, they don't slow the album down at all.
Over the 12 years that have passed since this album's release, the band has changed quite a bit, many would say that their more recent sound is better than in the past, but 'Souls at Zero' will remain one of their best, period.


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DETROIT -- If this was a sneak peak at the Maple Leafs opening-night roster, it's a good thing they have one more dress rehearsal tonight.
Toronto showed it need to iron out a few kinks and lineup spots in a 4-2 loss to the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena, its third consecutive exhibition loss.
"That was fairly close (to Wednesday's starting 20 against Ottawa) and we liked part of it," coach Paul Maurice said after a long post-game huddle with management. "We'll move around some guys. If we all stay healthy, we see what happens tomorrow. I didn't care much for our power play (2-for-9, though the Leafs were short-handed just twice)."
The forward lines brought the most scrutiny, with two or three units set to open as they looked last night, but no sign of Jeff O'Neill and few clues from the coach about his status tonight against the Wings at the Air Canada Centre. If he doesn't play, it's likely he's in the press box Wednesday and perhaps finished as a Leaf. Energetic play from the kids has not helped his cause.
"Being a veteran and being talented does not guarantee you a spot in the lineup," Maurice said. "I think it's a physical thing. He's had two shoulder injuries."
There also were injuries to account for last night's look, such as Ben Ondrus and three defencemen who might start the year on injury reserve.
Mats Sundin centred Alexei Ponikarovsky and Kyle Wellwood and while this projected first line cycled the puck well in the Detroit zone, they were shut out as the Wings overcame two one-goal Leaf leads.
"It takes a while to get (comfortable), but at the same time, you can't have a spell at the start of the year where you struggle," Sundin said.
Mike Peca centred Nik Antropov and Chad Kilger, a line Peca says he has been told could be together on Wednesday. But Antropov still looks a step behind Maurice's go-go game plan and Kilger hasn't been a camp standout either.
"I think it's a line that can bring a lot of different things," a hopeful Peca said. "They're big, but Chad is one of the best skaters in the league."
The Matt Stajan-Darcy Tucker- Alex Steen combo were caught backing up when Johan Franzen got loose for the game winner at 7:40 of the third, while Krys Kolanos found a hole under Andrew Raycroft's crossbar at 11:48. The goals came after Raycroft mishandled a clearing attempt on a first-period Leaf power play that led to a tight angle Daniel Cleary goal. He gave up four goals on 22 shots, but as the designated starter, can afford one bad game. He'll be back in tonight.
"It's early and we haven't had a full lineup yet," Raycroft said. "It was my first game (seeing defencemen Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina) and we have to see guys in different situations. But all you need is to see it once and then you know what to expect."
John Pohl tied Alex Suglobov for the club lead in pre-season goals with his third at 9:32 of the first. Dominik Hasek flubbed a Kubina point shot and Pohl beat Nicklas Lidstrom to the rebound
The Leafs had a vintage 2005-06 power-play goal, Tucker and Sundin working a loose puck to Kaberle, who teed it up for Bryan McCabe. It was Kaberle's first game after a groin injury two weeks ago. He and McCabe were re-united, with the Fred and Barney tandem of 6-foot-7 Hal Gill and 5-foot-10 Ian White. Andy Wozniewski and Kubina were the other pairing, though Wozniewski can't let up after being the only Leaf to appear in all seven exhibitions to date. Keep scratches Jay Harrison and Brad Brown in the mix for at least another day.


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Air Economizer Cooling Solution
APC by Schneider Electric's EcoBreeze is a modular indirect evaporative, air-to-air heat exchanger cooling solution.
APC by Schneider Electric's EcoBreeze is a modular indirect evaporative and air-to-air heat exchanger cooling solution. The EcoBreeze can switch automatically between air-to-air and indirect evaporative heat exchange to consistently provide cooling to data centers in an efficient way. The design allows it to reduce energy consumption by leveraging temperature differences between outside ambient air and IT return air to provide economized cooling to the data center. The EcoBreeze has a proportional R410a refrigerant system as well as an onboard water treatment system, eliminating the need for chemical water treatment. This feature addresses environmental concerns associated with refrigerant- or water-based systems.
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Annual Salary Survey
Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.
There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.
But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.
Read more: 2015 Salary Survey


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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Washington, DC, USA
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee was incorporated on January 1, 1963, not in 1968. The articles of incorporation are on the web. AIPAC formerly served as the lobbying division of the American Zionist Council, AZC. The AZC was ordered to register as an Israeli Foreign Agent by the US Department of Justice on November 21, 1962. By reforming in a new corporation just six weeks later, AIPAC continued the AZC's work lobbying for the Israeli government. The US State Department reported in 1976 that AIPAC's executive director endangered US national security when he obtained Hawk missile secrets. In 1985 the FBI investigated AIPAC after it received classified industry information from an Israeli diplomat during trade negotiations. In 2005 two AIPAC executives were indicted (and never acquitted) for obtaining classified National Defense Information. Several formal complaints against AIPAC have been filed with the IRS and US Foreign Agents Registration Act unit of the Justice Department. These may also be found online.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
The DC Superior Court and Appeals Court. Court actions have revealed that AIPAC routinely obtains and leverages classified information. No other nonprofit charity has been investigated so many times by the FBI for questionable activity.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Register AIPAC under the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act as the agent of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where AIPAC's founder, Isaiah Kenen once worked before establishing AIPAC).
How does this organization compare with others in the same sector?
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
A lot
Will you recommend this organization to others?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
What is unique about this organization?
This organization is unique in that although it takes marching orders from the Israeli government and has even introduced legislation originally drafted by the Knesset, it is allowed to function as an American charity. If properly registered under the FARA, Americans would see the communications flow between AIPAC and its foreign principals.


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Neurology Residency Program
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do you take International Medical Graduates in your program? Yes. Candidates should have graduated from medical school within the past 5 years.
2. What is the percentage of IMGs in your program (IMG friendly)? Please see our current housestaff officers on our website.
3. What are the average scores of your current residents? USMLE or the equivalent of COMLEX
4. Do you sponsor visa, if yes, which visa do you sponsor? J1s. Is it mandatory to have US Clinical experience, if yes what kind?
If you are an International Medical Graduate you must have at least one year of US clinical experience through externships.
6. What are the minimums score requirements for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS or equivalent COMLEX Level 1, COMLEX Level 2 CE and Level 2 PE? Scores of > 220 and above.
7. Do you accept applications from IMGs with USMLE step 2 CS attempts? Yes, your application would be considered for review.
8. Do you require any specific arrangement in Letter of Recommendation or to address specific questions in my Personal Statement? No, this is not necessary.
9. What is the deadline to accept application? October 31st.
10. Are there any special requirements in applying to this program?No, except that all applications must be submitted through ERAS.
11. How many positions do you have annually? We are currently accepting six (6) PGY-1s.
12. Do you offer observerships? Unfortunately, we do not.
13. Does your program guarantee a position for preliminary medicine internship? Yes, our program is formally integrated with the Medical University of South Carolina Internal Medicine residency program.
14. What matching program do you use? We participate in the Neurology Residency Match Program which is administered by ERAS, a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges. http://www.aamc.org/programs/eras/applicants/start.htm
15. Can I submit materials in addition to what is required by ERAS? No, please submit all additional material through ERAS.
17. When and how will you notify candidates about interviews?We begin reviewing applications shortly after our application deadline. After applications have been reviewed, candidates selected for interviews will be contacted primarily via e-mail. Generally, the interview notification time period runs through November. Candidates may be contacted at any point during this time period, depending upon when their application was received and reviewed.


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|Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects
|Indians Chat
Chris Kline
|Pre-Order the 2008 Prospect Handbook
30 scouting reports on every team
|Adam Miller, rhp Born: Nov. 26, 1984 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 195
|Drafted: HS—McKinney, Texas, 2003 (1st round supplemental) • Signed by: Matt Ruebel
Background: After spending 2005 rehabbing an elbow strain he suffered while long-tossing in spring training, Miller bounced back in 2006 to re-establish himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the game and led the organization in strikeouts. With little left to prove in the minors, Miller was expected to battle for a spot in the big league rotation out of spring training, but his health again faltered last season as finger and elbow woes kept him out of action for nearly two months. When he returned to Triple-A Buffalo in late August, the Tribe kept him in the bullpen to limit his innings and closely monitored his work between outings. He made just six appearances in relief for the Bison and just once lasted more than an inning. He went down to Double-A Akron along with lefthander Jeremy Sowers for the Eastern League playoffs, and allowed five runs on eight hits in just six innings. Miller went to instructional league before heading to the Arizona Fall League for the second time in three seasons, again with mixed results. While Cleveland raved about his AFL stint, several scouts were less than impressed with his secondary pitches. Miller finished with a 9.00 ERA in 13 innings, and yielded three runs while retiring just one batter in his fall league finale.
Strengths: When he's healthy, Miller has proven to be dominant with two plus pitches. His 93-97 mph fastball has natural late life and he works all four quadrants of the strike zone with it. His hard 86-88 mph slider can be devastating at times with late break and power. His slider is by far his best pitch. With the addition of a two-seamer, Miller also has a weapon to attack lefthanders and it has emerged as an out pitch over the last two seasons, boosting his groundball ratio in the process. His delivery is free and easy and his work ethic and makeup never have been questioned. After wanting to just blow his fastball by hitters early in his career, Miller has shown exceptional maturity, understanding the value of his secondary pitches.
Weaknesses: Miller struggled with the arm speed and location of his changeup in the AFL, and it always has lagged behind his other offerings. He made significant progress with his changeup in Double-A in 2006, but with the layoff and the move to the bullpen last year, he didn't get much opportunity to use it. While his mechanics are easily repeatable, Miller struggled to maintain his arm slot in the AFL. His arm dragged behind his body at times, elevating his pitches and rendering them lifeless, which made him extremely hittable. The Indians hope he can pitch out of the major league bullpen, but in order to do that he's going to need to refine his pick-off move and do a better job of controlling the running game.
The Future: Though his medical history is beginning to become worrisome, Miller will have the opportunity to begin 2008 in the Cleveland bullpen. The club still views him as a starter down the road, but he has the stuff to make an impact in a relief role now. How well he can stay healthy and further develop his changeup ultimately will determine his ceiling. Miller still has the arsenal of pitches and the makeup to be a legitimate frontline starter.
|Chuck Lofgren, lhp Born: Jan. 29, 1986. • B-T: L-L. • Ht.: 6-4. • Wt.: 200.
|Drafted: HS—San Mateo, Calif., 2004 (4th round). • • Signed by: Don Lyle.
Background: Several teams liked Lofgren more for his lefthanded bat than his ability on the mound in the 2004 draft, but the Indians persuading him that his future was on the mound after letting him serve as a two-way player during his pro debut. Though he wasn't nearly as dominant in 2007 as he had been in the past, Lofgren still led the system with 123 strikeouts in 146 innings.
Strengths: Lofgren adds and subtracts with his full arsenal of pitches, beginning with a fastball that ranges anywhere from 87-93 mph and tops out at 95. He added a slider in 2006 and developed it into a true out pitch last year. He also throws a spike curve in the upper 70s and an average changeup. An imposing presence on the mound, he gets downhill easily and pounds the bottom of the strike zone. The Indians love his makeup.
Weaknesses: Lofgren struggled with runners on base last year, rushing his lower half in his delivery, which threw off his command. His changeup wasn't the weapon it was during his breakout 2006 campaign when he led the minors with 17 wins, but it still has considerable upside. He needs to consistently command his fastball to maximize his effectiveness.
The Future: Lofgren likely will make a few starts in Double-A before getting his first taste of Triple-A. Projected as a No. 3 starter, he could make his big league debut later in the year.
|Beau Mills, 3b/1b Born: Aug. 15, 1986. • B-T: L-R. • Ht.: 6-3. • Wt.: 205.
|Drafted: Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), 2007 (1st round). • Signed by: Greg Smith.
Background: After hitting 36 homers in two years at Fresno State, Mills got suspended for academic shortcomings and code-of-conduct violations in 2006. He transferred to Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and led the Warriors to their 15th national title, hitting an NAIA-record 38 homers and driving in 123 runs. The son of Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, Beau went 13th overall in the draft and signed for $1.575 million.
Strengths: With a leveraged, balanced swing and excellent strength, Mills generates well-above-average power to all fields. He has the bat speed and pitch recognition to hit for average. His hands and footwork are his best defensive tools, and he has enough athleticism to possibly stick at third base.
Weaknesses: Many scouts who have evaluated Mills give him no chance to stick at the hot corner, and he spent his debut alternating between there and first base. A shoulder impingement in 2006 didn't require surgery but has limited his arm strength, and the Indians have put him on an extensive stretching program. His speed is fringy at best.
The Future: The Indians will leave Mills at third when he returns to high Class A Kinston. But first base or left field appear to be his destination.
|Wes Hodges, 3b Born: Sept. 14, 1984. • B-T: R-R. • Ht.: 6-1. • Wt.: 205.
|Drafted: Georgia Tech, 2006 (2nd round). • Signed by: Jerry Jordan.
Background: Hodges always has shown a gamer mentality. He taught himself to hit lefthanded when he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist as a high school senior and hit .430. A 13th-round pick of the White Sox in 2003, he opted to attend Georgia Tech and played through a leg injury that was ultimately diagnosed as a stress fracture during his draft year. Injuries again hampered him during his pro debut in 2007, as a broken toe and hamstring injury cost him three weeks in May.
Strengths: Hodges has an easy, fluid stroke that produces line drives to all fields. His swing has good leverage and he has opposite-field power. He grades out as an average defender with soft hands and average arm strength. He worked with Kinston manager Mike Sarbaugh and infield coordinator Ted Kubiak to push off his back leg and get better extension on his throws.
Weaknesses: He has a reputation for good plate discipline, but Hodges didn't show it in 2007. He struggled to recognize breaking balls. While his throws improved, he struggled charging grounders and ranging to his right, and some question whether he can stick at third base.
The Future: Hodges will begin 2008 as the everyday third baseman in Double-A. He's a better defender than Beau Mills, but he needs to stay healthy to be the club's long-term answer at the hot corner.
|Aaron Laffey, lhp Born: April 15, 1985. • B-T: L-L. • Ht.: 6-0. • Wt.: 180.
|Drafted: HS—Allegany, Md., 2003 (16th round). • Signed by: Bob Mayer.
Background: Laffey fell to the 16th round in 2003 because of his commitment to Virginia Tech, but the Indians took a gamble on him and signed him for $363,000. After bouncing between the bullpen and a starting role throughout his career, he moved back to the rotation for good in 2006 and hurried to the big leagues after just 22 starts in 2007.
Strengths: A groundball machine, Laffey pounds the bottom of the strike zone with three quality pitches. His 86-89 mph sinker has outstanding downward movement and his mid-80s slider has developed into an out pitch with late break. His changeup also improved significantly.
Weaknesses: Lefthanders hit .322 with power against Laffey in the majors, which doesn't make sense because he has the platoon advantage to go with his nasty slider. The Indians think it was more a fluke than anything and aren't concerned. His velocity is below-average, but his slider and changeup help his fastball play up.
The Future: Laffey has surpassed fellow lefties Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers in Cleveland's plans. A future No. 3 or 4 starter, he'll compete for a rotation job this spring.
|Nick Weglarz, of Born: Dec. 16, 1987. • B-T: L-L. • Ht.: 6-3. • Wt.: 215.
|Drafted: HS—Stevensville, Ontario, 2005 (3rd round). • Signed by: Les Pajari.
Background: Weglarz was the first Canadian selected in the 2005 draft, going in the third round after being touted as the best power hitter his country had to offer. He struggled in his pro debut, then missed nearly all of 2006 after breaking the hamate bone in his right wrist in spring training. He bounced back last season, ranking among the low Class A South Atlantic League leaders with 23 homers and 82 RBIs.
Strengths: Weglarz is comparable to fellow Canadian slugger Justin Morneau for his size and power. Waglarz' long arms allow him to have plenty of plate coverage, and he has outstanding natural leverage and loft in his swing. He has good instincts, and he has shown the ability to shorten his stroke and use the opposite field. He's a patient hitter with advanced strike-zone discipline.
Weaknesses: Weglarz still has trouble not getting extended with his swing at times. He'll cut it off at the point of contact and not follow through consistently. He was drafted as a first baseman and played right field during his debut, but his limited arm strength and range will relegate him to left field. He's a below-average runner.
The Future: Weglarz' bat will have to carry him, and the Indians think it will. He'll begin 2008 in high Class A.
|Jordan Brown, of Born: Dec. 18, 1983. • B-T: L-L. • Ht.: 6-0. • Wt.: 205.
|Drafted: Arizona, 2005 (4th round). • Signed by: Joe Graham.
Background: Often compared with Wally Joyner in college for his aggressive approach and fluid stroke from the left side, Brown has improved his stock by winning back-to-back league MVP awards in the high Class A Carolina and Double-A Eastern leagues the past two seasons. He led the Carolina League with 87 RBIs in 2006 and the Eastern League with a .333 average in 2007.
Strengths: Brown uses the whole field with a compact, line-drive swing, and he wears out the opposite field. His bat speed is just average, but it plays up because of outstanding plate discipline and pitch recognition. He has good instincts on the bases and stole 11 bases in 13 attempts last year. He's an average defender at first base with good footwork and reactions. The Indians praise his leadership skills.
Weaknesses: Brown played much of the second half of 2007 with knee problems and had minor arthroscopic surgery in September. He's a below-average runner, which is why he returned to first base after playing left field in 2006.
The Future: Brown profiles as a first baseman in the mold of Sean Casey or Lyle Overbay. With Ryan Garko's emergence in Cleveland, he'll likely spend all of 2008 in Triple-A.
|David Huff, lhp Born: Aug. 24, 1984. • B-T: L-L. • Ht.: 6-2. • Wt.: 210.
|Drafted: UCLA, 2006 (1st round supplemental). • Signed by: Vince Sagisi.
Background: Huff attended UC Irvine, Cypress (Calif.) JC and finally UCLA before signing with the Tribe for $900,000 as a supplemental first-rounder in 2006. Coming out of the draft, the Indians compared him with Jeremy Sowers for his ability to command four pitches, but Huff may have better mound presence. His first full season was a disappointment after elbow soreness shut him down in May, but he returned for the Arizona Fall League.
Strengths: Huff's major strength is the ability to command all parts of the strike zone with a full arsenal of pitches. He can pound the bottom of the zone with an upper-80s sinker that tops out at 91 mph. The sink and depth on his changeup are well above average, and he showed a little cut slider and a deeper curveball during his AFL stint.
Weaknesses: Huff's velocity is fringy. His secondary pitches still aren't consistently effective against lefthanders, who raked him at a .314 clip in high Class A and then hit .360 against him in the AFL. His changeup can keep lefties off balance, but he can't put them away.
The Future: Huff's elbow troubles set off an alarm for the Indians, who didn't want to risk any further injury. He could return to high Class A to begin 2008, though Double-A is a more likely destination.
|Ben Francisco, of Born: Oct. 23, 1981. • B-T: R-R. • Ht.: 6-1. • Wt.: 190.
|Drafted: UCLA, 2002 (5th round). • Signed by: Jason Smith.
Background: Aside from a down year in 2004, when he skipped a level up to Double-A, Francisco has been one of the most consistent hitters in the system since he was drafted in 2002. His track record extends beyond pro ball, as he hit .330 in two seasons at Cypress (Calif.) JC before earning all-Pacific-10 Conference honors in each of his two years at UCLA.
Strengths: One of the best athletes in the system, Francisco drew comparisons to Torii Hunter from Triple-A International League managers for his bat speed, energy and center-field prowess. Scouts aren't completely sold on Francisco's power, but it's at least average. He's a well-above-average runner with good instincts. He has the range and arm to play all three outfield spots.
Weaknesses: Lefthanders give Francisco a tough time, and he has trouble picking up pitches against them. While he is a patient hitter, he needs to do a better job at working deeper counts. When he gets behind in the count, he seldom works out of it with positive results.
The Future: Francisco has a wide skill set of tools, but hasn't been given a full-time opportunity with Cleveland, mainly because of their deluge of outfield talent. He'll serve either as a fourth outfielder or return to Triple-A.
|Jensen Lewis, rhp Born: Sept. 26, 1983. • B-T: R-R. • Ht.: 6-0. • Wt.: 185.
|Drafted: Vanderbilt, 2005 (3rd round). • Signed by: Scott Barnsby.
Background: The Indians drafted Lewis twice, in the 33rd round out of high school and again in the third round out of Vanderbilt, where he was a teammate of Jeremy Sowers. Prior to 2007, Lewis was best known in the organization for his Bob Uecker impressions and his lack of a third pitch. But he broke through in his new role as a set-up man in 2007, making seven appearances for Cleveland in the playoffs.
Strengths: As a reliever, Lewis attacks hitters with a 91-93 mph sinker that he spots well. He does a good job of varying speeds, and his changeup ranks among the best in the system. It helped him limit big league lefthanders to a .244 average with no extra-base hits in 44 at-bats. He scrapped his slider in 2006 in favor of a softer, deeper curveball that's much more effective. His mechanics create some deception on the front side and are easily repeatable.
Weaknesses: Lewis can still rush with his lower half in his delivery at times. When that happens he gets under his pitches, flattening them and leaving them high in the strike zone.
The Future: Moving to the bullpen proved to be the best thing for Lewis. The Indians are counting on him to be an integral part of their relief corps in 2008.
|Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects
|Pre-Order the 2008 Prospect Handbook
30 scouting reports on every team


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Totally lost the ability to spend a night asleep.
Have tried all of the conventional recommendations for fixing my sleep, but they mostly waken me up, ffs!
Please, tell me your unconventional ideas that work or recommend any supplements that might work.
Nytol etc all waken me up, as does milk etc at bedtime.


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Im gonna buy some bars tonight...YEAH!! I dont know what rise to go for though. My currents are 690mm 25mm rise and the Funn 750mm ones i want only have 15mm and 30mm rise.
Will i be better of getting the greater 30mm rise with dropping a spacer or just going for a the 15mm rise and leaving it at the top where my bars already are?


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Originally Posted by greywolf00
Yes, the short dev cycles is also a concern to me. Not at all surprised to see WL 2 pushed back, I honestly wasn't expecting it before early 2014. I was really glad when Obsidian was talking about 2014 from the beginning with Project Eternity. I really think what hurt SR:R was the combination of the dev cycle and budget + team size. The biggest expenses in running a business is wages and overhead. When they jumped from 8 people to 30 they massively increased their wage bill (1.2m / 8 lasts a hell of a lot longer than 1.2/30) and had to get a new office, and more hardware I'm sure. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 8 person team was targeting an 18 month dev cycle, and the 30 man team managed a 12 mo. one. I think they failed to hit the proper balance in dev time and costs.


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No price too high for performance
Subject: Memory | June 23, 2009 - 05:59 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
The OCZ Blade 3x2GB PC3-16000 isn't just about raw speed, though 2GHz memory certainly does that, it is also about not sacrificing timings, and at 7-8-7-20 they have achieved that goal too. The sacrifice that did need to be made is the price; at $450 the entry fee is pretty steep. Hardware Canucks had a lot of fun overclocking with these DIMMs, not only could they increase the frequency, they found room to tighten the timings as well. Check it out here.
"Memory manufacturers have always pushed the limits and few have done more pushing than OCZ. Their new Blade PC3-
1600 tri channel kit is made to continue their tradition of offering enthusiasts the best of the best. They have
pushed current DDR3 technology to the max but what happens when we push back with some of the most hard-core testing
Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
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We aren't sure how fast the tram was going before the guy dressed up as Gandalf stopped it with the famous line from the Lord of the Rings, "You shall not pass!," but it probably wasn't the safest way to film a video for YouTube.
The gang at SA Wardega are known for these kinds of antics.
Bonus points if you can guess what country this was filmed in.
Be sure to watch the whole video. There's extra goodness at the end.