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Avatar -Wasting my money so you don't have to
It's been a bit since I've seen a halfway decent scifi at the movies, and after seeing the Avatar trailers plastered all over TV, I was thinking that, yeah, maybe this was the movie to break that dry spell. With a production value exceeding that of some third world nation's defense budgets, one expects something besides a 3d parlor trick that will raise your ticket price by three dollars over the standard 2d showing; and that ultimately brings us to the three hundred million dollar question:
Is James Cameron's nine digit budget behemoth worth the three hours you'll be sitting in front of the screen or the higher price you'll pay for it?
Hell no.
In fact, save yourself the money and go rent Dances With Wolves; such is the state of this particular movie's plot. Fail runs rampant through Avatar from start to finish due to not only the heavily recycled plot, but a politically correct bludgeoning that is far too obvious for its own good and feels the need to beat the viewer with it at every turn. You have, in no particular order: Environmentalism, tolerance, evil corporations, the plight of war veterans and crimes against the Native American Indians all thrown into an ill-conceived hodge-podge that does little to endear any movie-goer looking for more out of their dollar than a shallow, regurgitated theme of guilt.
Not that this particular reviewer minds the themes of social responsibility or a well put together movie featuring said components, but this feels like Cameron's laziest work yet, frankly; so much so that it felt like he used a random plot generator to pull well used plots devices out of a hat to be pasted on to one another at random.
Mind you, the movie is pretty. Damn pretty, and it has to be one of the best so far in its attempts to merge a predominantly CG environment with live acting. That three hundred million went somewhere and it's obvious that it all went into make an immersive CG world. The acting was likewise solid, and it's really amazing how well the cast was able to work through such contrived material, saving Avatar in places it really had no right being saved in. While Sam Worthington (playing crippled war veteran Jake Sully) manages to play a merely passable Kevin Costner, Stephen Lang (as Colonel Miles Quaritch) makes an exceptional antagonist, and there are likewise a few surprises to be had in the peripheral cast.
Even so, there is little to make up for the fact that the entire plot is a throw away article. Social and moral brainwashing aside, a healthy amount of Aliens was borrowed for the human power base; so much so that you could easily wedge Avatar into the same universe and not even blink. To point, we have Sigourney Weaver (as the prickly Dr. Grace Augustine) and aforementioned Stephen Lang- who unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in Aliens, as well -to further reinforce the fairly stale plot.
There are a lot of things I wanted to like about this movie. Even with the heavily abused Dance with Wolves theme and subsequent flogging of Aliens, I loved the world Cameron managed to craft, if not its execution. Even though the vague association with his Aliens universe was completely unnecessary, it did fit the human contingent to a tee and likewise made for a fitting standoff versus the natives organic lifestyle. But for every moment I liked, sloth raised its ugly head.
How convenient that our hero should know nothing about the environment he was to be dropped into, but should encounter an English speaking native on his first life or death run through the jungle? And that's not nearly as bad as the "foreigner meets important native female/love interest, antagonizing native male warrior expecting to marry said love interest, friction ensues" theme you see in EVERY film along the same lines. Similarly, out of a base several hundred humans, only five have an attack of conscious over the mass killing of an alien species and damn those evil Native American Indian hating, pollution endorsing, rich capitalist, veteran hating, George Bush war mongering humans.
Did I mention the 9-11 Trade Center tower collapse scene thrown in as the blaringly obvious emotional impact segment? And you think I'm joking.
"Stale cliché" best describes this work, and while he's done great movies in the past, Avatar is probably the furthest thing from James Cameron's finest hour. I will applaud him on the visuals, casting and surprisingly, the length. This movie could have been a complete bucket of suck if he had caved to the voices of reason undoubtedly trying to fit Avatar into an hour and a half to two hour format. Anything less would have cut away crucial plot development- social responsibility themes non withstanding -and gutted the movie of any value what-so-ever.
Avatar is a rental at best, unless you're one of those, like myself, who are on a sci-fi dry spell and don't mind a liberal dose of Die Hard action sprinkled throughout. If you've watched Kevin Costner's flick at any time in a previous life, Avatar is likely to come through as derivative, though the alien theme might help stave off the slitting of your wrists until the two hour mark, where things finally come to a head.
Better yet, pick up a C.J. Cherryh novel. She does this sort of thing light years better than this wild stab at the stranger in a strange alien land plot.
The movie was awesome! Fun, imaginative and 3D! I hadnt had that much fun in a theatre in 5 years... or more!Fri Dec 25 2009 3:41AM Report
Same here it was an audio visual feast. It didn't cure cancer (which I did't expect it to) and there have been other movies that reused stories before but i loved the IMAX 3d overdose of colour. btw your review put me to sleep by line 3 tl;drFri Dec 25 2009 2:32PM Report
You have to take it for what its worth. It's the first movie in a trilogy of movies that are going to come out based in the Avatar world.
People tend to overlook some of the less seen things. Like the fact that the world of Pandora is based around real physics and dynamics of a real world. Also the fact that its a real life Alpha Cent. location and everything within the movie can be explained via Science shows that the developers really took the time and care to hand craft this world into what it is.
Yes the story is very basic but also in the grand scheme of things its the entry point into a series and a IP that could well go on to do great things.
You go on to point out how things in the movie could be based upon events in human socity. Well to be fair with the movie 90% of the movies that have ever been released have been based upon events that have happened in our world. Everything has to start from a idea somewhere and most ideas come out of events that have happened to someone or some people.
People look at Avatar and draw alot of lines to events in our history but James Cameron has already came out and said that people are picking at strings to link things from the movie to real life events and come up with some excuss.
Regardless what we think the movie has done amazingly well and continues to good across the movie industry showing that people are enjoying the movie and watching it multiple times.Fri Dec 25 2009 10:33PM Report
Ignore this review people, just go see it for yourself, it's great :)Sat Dec 26 2009 4:56AM Report
I don't agree, your review really sucks...
This movie was just awesome, real eye candySat Dec 26 2009 6:43AM Report
Worst review ever. This movie is TOTALLY AWESOME. I'm already waiting for Avatar 2 from James Cameron!Sat Dec 26 2009 8:24AM Report
Darn I wrote like three paragraphs trying to counter this review, but lost it.
Lost it when I accidently hit the back button on my thousand button super mouse ><.
Oh well.
Movie is great just for the action, ground breaking special effects that are even better in 3D or ZOMG IMAX 3D.
It's not the gimmicky Whoa Look Out 3D either.
You are literally zapped into another world.
The story isn't original, but what is today, and it is reimagined to be different enough.
The story is good, the acting is good.
Just go see it for yourself (IN 3D).Sat Dec 26 2009 4:16PM Report
I agree that the "killing natives for riches and land" theme is thrown in our faces way too much. The plots are definitely recycled which didn't impress me either.
Although I really like the idea of the whole planet being one giant web of synapses. That the Omaticaya could bond with animals and their environment. That was pretty cool.
It's like Cameron painted and awesome background for his painting, and then took a crayon and drew stick figures on it.Sun Dec 27 2009 12:02PM Report
This Blog PHAILS...
bury this plz...Sun Dec 27 2009 11:42PM Report
... This review must have been done by someone that loves to criticize, over-evaluate or nag like a frickin woman. This movie was definitely a good way to blow time, definitely rewatchable too. Watch the 3D if you really want to enjoy it.Mon May 31 2010 6:30PM Report


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subset: commoncrawl


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Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida
Contacting prosector
If you have already retained an attorney are you allowed to contact the prosecting attorney yourself. I feel that my attorney is no being truthfull in order to charge more money and would like to find out for myself the plea deal that has been made
Asked on 6/09/06, 9:19 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Valerie Masters Valerie Masters, P.A.
Re: Contacting prosector
A prosecutor cannot speak with a client represented by counsel.
Answered on 6/10/06, 7:38 am
Related Questions & Answers
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Contact Info / Websites
Entry #206
This could all be just a bunch of 'hooey' but granted. If everyone becomes more aware of their own behavior and how it affects ourselves and others, then there might be something to 'evolving' as a species.
- 2 comments
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2012-12-03 19:25:42
You know, we'll be owned by the Armageddon this year first. So don't worry about that stuff. We won't evolve anyways. We haven't changed in the thousands of years we have lived on this planet.
What do you mean? We haven't changed?
You don't believe in Cavemen or Lucy?
Chromagnons and Neanderthals?
2012-12-04 00:27:06
I think it's likely a celestial mass running perpendicular to the galactic plane, could easily blind-side us.
But wouldn't it be cool if we did get super powers? It would make sense why the past had such intricate tales of fantasy.
Especially Hindu religion. It tells tales that rival Xmen.


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San Gabriels and Mt. Baden Powell
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Astros SGA Roy Oswalt Bulldozer Bobblehead Bobble 7/28
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This auction consists of one brand new, Houston Astros SGA Roy Oswalt Bulldozer Bobblehead . The bobblehead was given to the first 10,000 fans entering Minute Maid Park on 7/28/07. The bobblehead features Roy sitting on the bulldozer given to him by Astros owner Drayton McLane as a gift for winnning the deciding game of the 2005 NLCS. The bobblehead is in it's original package, exactly as received at the door.Package will be shipped within one business day of receiving cleared payment via USPS Mail. If bidding on multiple items, please let me know and I will send an updated invoice once bidding has been completed. In order to be covered under Paypal's Seller Protection Policy, payments made by Paypal will be shipped to the Paypal address ONLY. Also, to be covered under Paypal's Seller Protection Policy for international shipments, USPS Express Mail is the only shipping method available. NO EXCEPTIONS . Due to eBay new rules regarding payment by Paypal ONLY, other less expensive shipping methods are no longer available. Sale tax of 8.25% will be charged on all shipments with a Texas delivery address. International Buyers - Please Note: Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping ... read more


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Wine Management tracks wine production from harvest through bottling. As a record keeping system, it tracks history of wine compositions in all detail. It tracks variety, area, year, yield, and taste. Because it accumulates wine lost to processing and updates the yields, you always know the values when it was produced. Quantities processed by work center are kept up to date. Almost any level of inventory is available by month, including any combination of variety, area, year, taste, storage, and others. Tank lineup may prove very profitable with faster processing and reduced cellar cost and crews. It can find the best pipes to use based on either number of pipes, flow, or heat loss.
|Wine variety taste Production growers cellar process
|Apache 2.0
|Operating Systems
|Windows Mac OS X Linux
|Run Basic
Converted the system from PHP to Run Basic. Needed more power and features not available in PHP. Added features such as selection inventory levels such as tank, variety, taste, yield, year, others, and any combination. Added sorts and drill down for almost all fields on a screen. All screens now have export to spread sheets, based on your sorts and drill down. Many other features too numerous to list them all here.
Release Notes: This release features code cleanups, but as a result, the system will not run properly on any browser except Mozilla or Firefox.
Release Notes: This release features many small bugfixes. Areas, ingredients, customers, and other masters can be site-specific or global to all sites. Areas have size and GPS locations. There were also many other small changes.
Release Notes: Varietal composition was hopefully fixed. The PHPbb forum has been added to the main page. Bar codes can now be requested on any field in the report definition. There are still problems with WPO samples.
Release Notes: Bug fixes were made. Pop-up windows no longer need to be enabled. A beta release of Wine Blend is included. Pipe Linuep changes were made.
Release Notes: An initial version of WIne Blend was included.
A Fluent OpenStack client API for Java.
A TWiki appliance that is easy to use and lightweight.


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Arkansas third-quarter bank income up 8.9%
The 126 FDIC-insured banks in Arkansas reported a combined $502 million in net income during the third quarter of 2012, up from $461 million in the same period of 2011, and well ahead of the $342 million in the 2010 period.
Banking figures released Thursday (Dec. 20) by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., also show that the banks in Arkansas supported 18,098 full-time equivalent jobs, a gain over the 17,686 in 2011, and up slightly over the 17,899 in 2010.
The report also showed that Arkansas banks continue to have trouble reducing their real estate owned (REO) provisions, which ballooned when the housing market fell and banks became owners of property, unfinished subdivisions and homes.
REO was $776 million among the 126 banks as of Sept. 30, down from $808 million in the 2011 period, but above the $721 million in 2010.
However, the Arkansas banking sector is in better financial shape. The closely watched return on assets (ROA) was 1.12 as of Sept. 30, up from 1.08 in the 2011 period and well above the 0.81 in 2010. Also, the percent of unprofitable banks fell from 10.24% in 2011 to 8.73% in 2012. The percentage was 10.69 in 2010.
The percentage of Arkansas banks reporting earning gains as of Sept. 30 was 65.08, better than the 61.42 in the 2011 period.
Nationwide, banks insured by the FDIC saw their earnings rise to $37.6 billion, up 6.6% compared to the third quarter of 2011. The FDIC reported that the earnings were the highest since the third quarter of 2006.
"More than half of all institutions (57.5 percent) reported higher earnings than a year ago, and only 10.5 percent reported negative net income for the quarter. This is the lowest proportion of unprofitable institutions in more than five years (since second quarter 2007)," the FDIC noted in its report (large PDF file).
A majority of the nationwide earnings gains came from non-interest income, which was $4.2 billion, or 7%, higher than the third quarter of 2011.
And, nationwide, banks are reducing losses related to REO. Losses on sales of REO during the quarter totaled $932 million, or 81.8% lower than the 2011 period.
Following are other highlights of the FDIC report.
• For the ninth quarter in a row, net charge-offs (NCOs) were lower than a year earlier. Banks charged off $22.3 billion (net) during the quarter, $4.4 billion (16.5%) less than in third quarter 2011.
• The largest NCO declines occurred in credit cards (down $2.8 billion, or 30.4%), and in real estate construction loans (down $1.4 billion, or 61%).
• Charge-offs declined in all major loan categories except 1-4 family residential real estate loans, where NCOs were $1.3 billion (15.5%) higher than a year earlier. This increase was the result of new accounting and reporting guidelines applicable to national banks and federal savings associations concerning the reporting of restructured loans.
• The number of insured institutions reporting financial results declined from 7,245 to 7,181 in the quarter. Mergers absorbed 49 insured institutions, and 12 institutions failed. This is the smallest number of failures in a quarter since fourth quarter 2008.
• For a fifth consecutive quarter, no new charters were added. The last time a start-up bank opened was in fourth quarter 2010.
• The number of institutions on the FDIC's "Problem List" fell from 732 to 694, while assets of "problem" banks declined from $282.4 billion to $262.2 billion. This is the smallest number of "problem" institutions since third quarter 2009.
• The number of full-time equivalent employees at insured financial institutions declined by 2,352 (0.1 percent) from the previous quarter.


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In what must've been a heart-breaking decision and a longtime coming, the members of the Perpetual Groove organization have just announced that starting on April 6th they will be taking an indefinite hiatus. The band has posted a message explaining the decision on a blog post entitled Thank You. Three of the four members of the band – Albert Suttle, Matt McDonald and Adam Perry – will continue to tour as a new project under the moniker "Ghost Owl," while front man Brock Butler has posted an apology on the band's website for letting it get to this point.
Here's the announcement of the indefinite hiatus…
The band members of Perpetual Groove as well as our whole leadership and technical team is announcing today, that we are calling a hiatus, effective April 6, 2013. While we're taking steps to make sure that the music and community of PGroove lives on and is still readily available to fans, the band will stop touring and recording. While we haven't ruled out a reunion in the future, it's not in the forecast at this time.
Today, it's stunning to look back on the last 10 years and 4 albums, the thousands of shows, thousands of fans, and dozens of collaborations with other artists that is, collectively, Perpetual Groove. We are honored to have fans who love the music and who love one another, and proud to call so many of you both friends and fans.
We have to admit, not everything has gone to plan on this journey. We have seen highs and lows, just like the rest of the country in the past few years. And now we turn to a new chapter. While it's difficult to do, we support Brock Butler in his work to create a healthier, happier life and career for himself. That work needs to take place in a new and different context and we wish him luck.
For our part, Adam, Albert, & Matt will continue making music together. We are in a "prototyping" stage of a new sound and a new stage presence which will tour under the name Ghost Owl. We're releasing a very rough cut – a snippet – for fans to hear today. Check back soon for a couple full tracks.
Thank you all again for everything,
Adam, Albert, Brock, and Matt
And here's Butler's apology…
I imagine this letter will be a disappointing one for some to read, or that it might be a relief to those who've been concerned for some time. I want to apologize to the fans I've let down, to my friends and loved ones I've put through worry, and to everyone in Perpetual Groove's organization. This apology is for the state I've allowed myself to be in at shows, which have compromised performances, as well as my personal life. I'm very aware and sorry to everyone I've let down through my actions and lack of actions.
Perpetual Groove has been my life for a long, long time. In some ways it has defined me. I'm at a point where I truly need a break. This is the hardest decision of my life but my happiness and well-being must be my first priority. Trying to find balance, break bad habits and develop good ones while continuing a life on the road is something I haven't been able to do. Therefore, I have decided to take my leave from the band and touring. I can't give any time frame on this break or a guarantee to return. My current plans are to take time for myself and get my own home in order. My hopes are simple: to get rested and get happier than I've been.
I have made great friendships that I will always cherish thanks to my time spent as a member of Perpetual Groove. It's my hope to get to where I can be the quality friend and band mate to those who have been quality friends and band mates to me. I will cherish my memories with the band while hoping a time will come to create new memories.
I still plan to do acoustic shows and work in music where I can during this hiatus. I send my blessing and support to each member of Perpetual Groove on all their future endeavors – from the band on down to the crew. I hope all who support Perpetual Groove will do the same.
I know that the disappointment felt is probably equal to and opposite of the hopes you had that I would not let things come to this. I know personally, I'm disappointed in myself. I am sorry for my part in letting you down, leaving you underwhelmed and/or feeling that your support was taken for granted or unappreciated. I'm truly sorry.
Wishing you all a beautiful New Year. A peaceful year with patience where you need it and empathy when it's called for. Support where you can give it or where you might need some yourselves. I hope you find balance if you feel you're lacking it. Balance, good health and even better decisions are the things I'm taking my leave to hopefully find. With support and love, I believe I can.
Yours sincerely B
Finally, check out a snippet of the new project – Ghost Owl…
We'll have more on this situation in the coming days, but we wanted to let the band do the talking at first.
12 thoughts on "Perpetual Groove Announces Hiatus: Suttle, McDonald and Perry Form Ghost Owl / Brock Butler Apologizes"
January 15, 2013 at 9:48 am
Brock is sincerely one of the nicest most stand up musicians I have ever had a chance to share bills with. He went above and beyond to treat his friends and guests well in all of my experiences. His note is genuine as he always has been. I wish him the absolute best in every endeavor.
January 15, 2013 at 9:55 am
The only disappointment is if you don't get better, Brock. Thank you for ten very fun years of highs and lows and highs again, you've been a soundtrack for my life, and will continue to be.
Happy days ahead.
January 15, 2013 at 9:58 am
I wish Brock the best and am glad the band has moved on to a healthier future. Pgroove brought the heat whenever they came through town and for that I will always be grateful.
January 15, 2013 at 9:59 am
I really hope he gets himself straight. He has too much talent and too much heart and soul to give us. I will keep him and his struggle to clean himself up and get healthy in my thoughts and prayers.
January 15, 2013 at 10:22 am
Not surprising, as Brock was in pretty poor condition last week on Jam Cruise. I'm not a P-Groove fan, but Brock is a genuinely nice guy. I hope he find the help he needs and can come back stronger.
January 15, 2013 at 11:08 am
That's a punch in the gut. Get well soon Brock. You WILL be missed!
January 15, 2013 at 11:36 am
Sending my love Brock. Get well brother.
January 15, 2013 at 4:28 pm
Brock, Adam, Matt and Albro, much love to you all, and wish you the best. Brock needs to do what is best for Brock right now, and into the future, or there will be no future. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of that process, and some day, when it is possible to do so, we may see more PGroove.
January 16, 2013 at 1:58 pm
He should see if he and Wyllys can get the 2 for 1 special at Betty Ford. Wade should at least have $ for the down payment, right?
July 9, 2013 at 2:35 am
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog!
We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have done a wonderful job!
October 15, 2014 at 1:14 am
I was late to learn of the band's hiatus and I have to say I am deeply saddened by this news. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to catch PGroove live and I have always truly loved their music ever since first hearing it. I am happy that Brock is getting the help he seems to need and can only hope that a reunion is in the future. Get yourself well so one day you can bring us back the music we have come to know and love!
November 17, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Just got a chance to see P-Grass this past weekend, and it made me think a lot about P-Groove. Just wanted to say good for Brock to do what he thinks he needs to do to make him the happiest he can be. Sometimes real life can get in the way, even if it gets in the way of creating music that helps me, and countless others, escape real life. P-Groove means so much to me, and their music has been the soundtrack to some of happiest moments in life. I know I'm not alone in saying that, and it does make me feel nostalgic, but Brock is too special to not be creating. A man as musically gifted as he, owes it to those of us that crave his creations. Hope you read this Brock, and know that there are countless others who have been down, but have used YOUR MUSIC to get themselves out of it. Here's to hoping that the next time we see Brock and ask how he's doing, his answer will be, "never better."


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Andy, Cal & Ben of Backstab Burial
by Anabel Dflux
– Senior Photojournalist —
Backstab Burial is a young, but very determined band that hails from the U.K. With a brand new song released by BlankTV, Backstab Burial is ready to take over the world. Anabel DFlux had the pleasure of chatting with the British lads, discussing the new single "Cloverly Avenue," what it means to be an artist, and a little peak into the band's world.
Hardrock Haven: Hey! Thank you so much for answering my questions. How are you doing on this fine day?
Backstab Burial: We're doing awesome! Very busy, but the good kind of busy!
Hardrock Haven: Tell me about "Cloverly Avenue." What prompted you guys to write this song? What is it you want fans to know about the music?
Andy: I actually came up with the lyrics for this song before anything else during my stay in LA. I've been a couple of times now to visit one of my best friends, Alicia. A couple of years ago I was going through a hard time with a lot of personal issues and demons. I just needed to get away from home and rethink my approach to everything. So rather than mope around I got off my ass and did what any normal 17 year old would do. Caught a flight to LA alone! (Laughs). I'd already been friends with Alicia for a while so her and her family very kindly took me in for a few weeks and they were awesome. It helped me get back on track and in the right frame of mind. I returned with a hunger for success. I don't think we'd still be doing this if it wasn't for that!
Cal: I think our task when writing this song instrumentally was to try and bring out the positive energy from Andrews experience, and I think that was pretty successful, especially in Ben's solo!
Hardrock Haven: What was your first concert like?
Andy: Terrible… probably. (laughs). In all seriousness though. We supported a local indie band called The Monday Club. I remember being surprised at the reception and how well we did. Most bands will tell you how bad their first show was. I'm not saying ours was good. But I think to this day we all still agree that it could've gone A LOT worse!
Cal: I thought we did okay really, to say that was the first time we'd stepped out of my garage as a band and played a show! My most prominent memory of that night is coming offstage and some guy beckoning me over to a wall to show me the massive fucking hole he made during our set because he was pitting like a lunatic!
Ben: At the time, I thought it'd gone horrifically bad. I'd had a bit of gear trouble right at the start which knocked my confidence for the duration of the show and really put me down about the whole experience. However, once we stepped off stage, the feedback we received from the audience made me realize that for a first gig, we really didn't do too bad at all. Like Andy said, it could have gone a lot worse!
Hardrock Haven: What has been your best experience as an artist?
Andy: Most definitely recording this EP with Ginge Ford. He's recorded and/or engineered most of my favorite bands in the world. It was our first experience of being away from home for an extended period of time too. 9 days in a premiere inn. Living the dream! He was really into us too, which was a plus!
Cal: Got to say I agree with Andrew. Nothing has surpassed the time we spent in Wales to this date. We seriously turned some heads over there and it really made all of us believe that this band really has a chance. We had to eat out of cardboard boxes and shit every night, but it was all part of the experience!
Hardrock Haven: What is the most influential song you have ever heard?
Andy: Probably 'Ghost' by Devin Townsend. I adore that track and the album of the same name. It's my favorite song of all time so far. You can literally listen to it no matter what mood you're in. You should check it out!
Cal: Personally it would have to be 'My Plague' by Slipknot. Not what most people would consider particularly inspiring, but what I love to hear in music is powerful, raw and tangible emotion. The whole Iowa album is aural hatred in it's purest most untainted form. I'll listen to that song and to this day it blows me away and downright terrifies me, with what music has the capability to do to you. And that's what I'd like to achieve, to be involved in the creation of music that does things to you.
Ben: My personal most influential song would be 'Epiphany' by Intervals. I love this song because it's very guitar centered and it combines a really jazzy feel with a heavy groovy rhythm section. In general, Aaron's guitar playing completely changed the way I approach my own playing. His style may not be the most similar to that of which Backstab requires, but I've taken away a lot from watching him play. It's really helped me progress as a guitarist. Thanks Aaron!
Hardrock Haven: In this day and age, what do you believe the music industry is about?
Andy: Personally, I believe it's about adapting. Technology is progressing so fast that it's almost just become a race to keep up. Not just for bands either, it's obvious that labels are looking for the next tool or strategy to sell more too. It's very dog eat dog too. I see a lot more bands screwing each other over than helping each other which is sad. I don't think bands, especially in metal, quite understand just how much they could achieve by teaming up for a shared tour or for gig swaps. Too much cynicism!
Cal: There is an awful lot of injustice and it sucks. But that's what is pushing the evolution, and pushing bands to evolve respectively. If nothing else, it ensures bands are at the top of their game but I agree, people should see the benefits in helping each other out!
Ben: The music industry to me, is about believing in yourself, but not becoming over-confident. Arrogance is a terrible characteristic to have in a world where there's always someone younger and more talented than you hidden round the corner. Of course you have to show that you believe in yourself, or why should anyone else? But as soon as you get too big for your boots, people will lose respect for you and move onto the next aspiring artist who will ultimately be the ones then getting the gigs instead of you.
Hardrock Haven: On that note, what does rock and roll mean to you?
Andy: For me it's most definitely not listening to other people's opinions or feedback. Even if it's good feedback. Because even good feedback can alter your decisions or perspective. I've had plenty of people throwing me pessimistic comments about how this or that won't work or how 'realistically' this or that isn't going to happen. So far they've all been wrong and we've done exactly what the same people have said we couldn't do. That may not be rock 'n' roll to some, but it most definitely is to me.
Cal: Rock and roll is definitely about the push and the determination. It's about getting knocked down, getting deflated or being stuck in a rut and fucking powering your way out of that, that's what tests bands and that's what makes people.
Ben: The way I see it, rock and roll is an attitude towards life. It's not caring what people think about you, not conforming to people's expectations and just doing what you want. As a band we're not exactly wild, crazy or rebellious people, but I think that the way we approach things has a very 'rock and roll' mentality to it. Whenever we receive negative comments, it only makes us more eager to succeed and prove those people wrong.
Hardrock Haven: Let us into your world- what is an average rehearsal day like?
Andy: I think we're quite sensible actually. We'll literally meet up at the rehearsal space, set up our gear and start playing. Usually we'll have a laugh with our friend, Kerry who runs the studio we rehearse in, then get back to rehearsing. There's usually a few bad puns thrown around by Ben. I'm sure he'll tell you about that. Doesn't get much more crazy than that!
Cal: Sometimes in rehearsals I like to play a game I call 'Let's see how much of an idiot I can make myself look and still play my parts properly'. Needless to say, I look an idiot. But other than that full band rehearsals are pretty professional, we pay for our time so we try not to waste too much. When we're writing it's a different story though..
Hardrock Haven: Are you boys looking to get signed, or enjoying independence?
Andy: We're most definitely looking to get signed. Although we know there's no easy way about it. We're willing to do what it takes to get attention. I wouldn't like to think we were getting signed for not working for it!
Cal: We're definitely hoping that we can turn some labels' heads once we release our EP, and we're going to work very hard at earning that privilege!
Ben: I'm really hoping that the band does pick up some label attention once we release this EP, we like to aim large even if it is over-ambitious. I think I speak for the whole band when I say finding a label that can move the band further down our chosen path is a lot more important than just getting signed so we have someone to do some of our work for us.
Hardrock Haven: Any guilty pleasures?
Andy: I LOVE Prince. I can't get enough of Purple Rain. He brings the sass. I'm also a fan of Phil Collins. I don't think I'd feel guilty about blasting them out with friends in the room though!
Cal: I feel bad about classing anything as a guilty pleasure, I'd hate for our music to be considered one! I am a huge Bob Marley fan, and I like a little dub-step every now and again.
Ben: I don't really have any guilty pleasures if I'm honest; I listen to anything and everything. I think if Cal could answer this question for me though, he'd tell you American country artist Black Shelton would be my guilty pleasure but I'm far too into his music for that to be the case – I even considered auditioning as his guitarist once… I live in hope.
Hardrock Haven: What's next for Backstab Burial, any future goals or cool plans?
Backstab Burial: More music, more content and more SHOWS. We're trying to play as much of the UK as we can right now. Maybe another music video… who knows!
THe Band:
Andrew Wilkinson – Lead vocals/Guitar
Connor Wilkinson – Bass
Ben Chalker – Lead Guitar
Callum Ripley – Drums
Visit the band online: https://www.facebook.com/BackstabBurial / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M37Kvopnlp8


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BENI SUEF, Egypt, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- An Egyptian court has acquitted a former security chief and 13 others in the deaths of protesters on the day known as the "Friday of Anger" in January 2011.
The court found the former Beni Suef security chief, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Shawky, innocent along with a security employee, department head and 11 soldiers, al-Masry al-Youm reported Tuesday.
A source from Egypt's Public Prosecution said the verdict would be appealed.
The men were accused of being responsible for the deaths of protesters on Jan. 28, 2011, during the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak as Egypt's president.
At least 800 protesters were killed and thousands of others were injured during the entire uprising.
On Sunday, Egypt's Court of Cassation ordered a retrial for Mubarak, his interior minister and six of his top security deputies after prosecutors challenged verdicts clearing them of some of the charges.


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Bubble King Bubble Gum Gumballs - 5 lb.
Bubble King Bubble Gum Gumballs - 5 lb.
We often hear the phrase, "bigger is better." While this is often true, there are times when in fact, smaller is actually much better. We could think of numerous examples of this, but we think the best example, as always, comes in the form of candy. Take, for instance, these Bubble King Gourmet Small Gumballs. They may be small, but they are mighty.
A perfectly sized treat, our Bubble King Gourmet Small Gumballs are designed with smaller mouths in mind. There are approximately 120 of these miniature gumballs per pound. From old-fashioned gumball machines to candy dishes, there are many places that these little gems will look great! And if you are looking for the 1 inch variety, we offer the Large Dubble Bubble Gumballs. So you can have the best of all gumball worlds!


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Manzanar riot/uprising
The content in this article is still under development. A completed version will appear soon!
A December 1942 incident at the Manzanar camp that resulted in the institution of martial law at the camp and that culminated with soldiers firing into a crowd of inmates killing two and injuring many. The incident was triggered by the beating of Japanese American Citizens League official Fred Tayama upon his return from a meeting in Salt Lake City and the arrest and detention of Harry Ueno for the beating. Coming one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, sensationalist coverage of the event inflamed anti-Japanese sentiment outside the camps. The episode exposed deep divisions within the inmate population and with the camp administration.
For More Information
Hansen, Arthur A., and David A. Hacker. "The Manzanar Riot: An Ethnic Perspective." Amerasia Journal 2.2 (1974): 112-57.
Hayashi, Brian Masaru. Democratizing the Enemy: The Japanese American Internment. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004.
Kurashige, Lon. "Resistance, Collaboration, and Manzanar Protest." Pacific Historical Review 70.3 (August 2001): 387–417.
Okihiro, Gary Y. "Japanese Resistance in America's Concentration Camps: A Re-evaluation." Amerasia Journal 2.1 (1973): 20-34.


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One Make Racing
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If you find that we are missing a category, then please suggest it to us to include in this category via the 'Submit Link' link at the bottom of the page.
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Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
Can you have attorney license when you have a felony in the state of FL?
Asked on 7/21/13, 11:53 am
3 Answers from Attorneys
Brent Rose The Orsini & Rose Law Firm
Usually, yes, depending on the felony. The applicant would have to prove to the supreme court that he or she is rehabilitated.
Answered on 7/21/13, 12:09 pm
Robert McCall Law Office of Robert McCall
That has to be answered by the Florida Bar/Supreme Court. I have heard that some applicants have been approved but have no personal experience.
Answered on 7/21/13, 12:14 pm
John Smitten Carey and Leisure
Yes however that is up to the Florida Bar.
Answered on 7/22/13, 1:53 am


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Kind-hearted students are emptying out their cupboards to help the needy - and save the planet.
University of Central Lancashire scholars who are heading home for the summer are being urged to pile any left over, unopened, food from their cupboards into shopping trollies so it can be donated to local food banks.
The initiative , organised as part of the Students Union Green Ladder Project, is one of only 25 projects like this funded in universities across the UK.
Emma Bartlet, project manager, said the idea is to collect the unused food tins and packets of dry food - including rice and pasta from the students who are moving out of the halls or shared houses for the summer.
She added: " This is the food that usually gets thrown away even though it is in perfectly good condition. Not only the food is wasted but it also increases the landfill and the carbon footprint."
Emma said that 'Green Ladder Volunteers' will be moving around the campus giving out flyers, spreading the word and also making rounds around the university including the halls of residences with a food trolley so that people can give their spare food."
More than half a trolley full was collected in the first sweep and the mountain is now growing. Unwanted food can also be dropped off at the SU Opportunities centre where the trolley will be stationed for the next two weeks. All this food will go the Salvation Army which runs a food bank in Preston for families in need.
Emma said: "Green Ladder is all about us all using less carbon. By food not ending up in landfill we will be helping with this while also helping to feed local families who cannot feed themselves."
Other initiatives taking place as part of the project will see staff across university growing radishes..Emma said the vegetable was chosen because it is easy to grow and people are now watering seedlings from their desks and office windowsills.


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Top Items:
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Pressure Rising as Obama Works to Rein In Russia — WASHINGTON — As Russia dispatched more forces and tightened its grip on the Crimean Peninsula on Sunday, President Obama embarked on a strategy intended to isolate Moscow and prevent it from seizing more Ukrainian territory even as he was pressured at home to respond more forcefully.
Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, Bloomberg View, The Week, Telegraph, kyivpost.com and Balloon Juice
Carol J. Williams / Los Angeles Times: Putin hints he may let 'fact-finding' team evaluate Ukraine crisis
Michael Kelley / Business Insider: Read This Statement, And You'll Understand How Putin Sees Ukraine
Leonid Bershidsky / Bloomberg View: Bershidsky on Europe: Russian Assets Tumble
Peter Weber / The Week: How the West can peacefully push Putin out of Ukraine
Russell Berman / The Hill:
US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations' — The Obama administration on Sunday worked to isolate Russia on the world stage even as its president, Vladimir Putin, showed no signs of rolling back his military intervention in Ukraine. — President Obama spoke by phone …
Discussion: Politico, Hot Air, kyivpost.com, The Dish, The Week, The Moderate Voice and Scared Monkeys
Alexander Burns / Politico: Ukraine: The D.C. battle that wasn't
Andrew Sullivan / The Dish: How Should The West Respond?
Hart Williams / The Moderate Voice: Vlad the Assailer in: Annexing the Sudentenland!
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Here's What Is Going To Happen With Ukraine — Following up on the previous post, if you do want to fret about Ukraine, I have just the thing for you. I'm going to tell you how this will all unfold: — Vladimir Putin will do something belligerent. (Already done.)
Discussion: Prairie Weather
Ben Judah / Politico:
Why Russia No Longer Fears the West — The Kremlin sees its evidence in the former leaders of Britain, France and Germany. Tony Blair now advises the dictatorship in Kazakhstan on how to improve its image in the West. Nicholas Sarkozy was contemplating setting up a hedge fund with money from absolutist Qatar.
Discussion: The Fix, New York Times, Gawker and Foreign Policy
Admiral James Stavridis / Foreign Policy: NATO Needs to Move Now on Crimea
The Hill:
Kerry: Putin now acting out of 'weakness' and 'desperation'
Kerry: Putin now acting out of 'weakness' and 'desperation'
Discussion: Politico, National Review, BizPac Review, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Washington Free Beacon, ThinkProgress and Liberal Values
Reid J. Epstein / Politico: John Kerry headed to Ukraine
Joe Saunders / BizPac Review: Rubio blasts Obama dealings with Putin; calls Russia a 'government of liars'
Evan McMurry / Mediaite: Stephanopoulos Grills Kerry: Is There Any Indication Putin Is Listening to Obama At All?
Ron Chusid / Liberal Values: Putin Goes To War
Fred Kaplan / Slate:
Putin's War — Obama had no good options to stop the invasion.
Putin's War — Obama had no good options to stop the invasion.
Discussion: Bloomberg View, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Politico and Guardian
Marc Champion / Bloomberg View: Ukraine Can Still Call Putin's Bluff
Evan McMurry / Mediaite: Sec. Kerry: Putin 'Not Operating From Position of Strength'
Ben Judah / Politico: Why Russia No Longer Fears the West
Dmitri Trenin / Guardian: The crisis in Crimea could lead the world into a second cold war
Why The Crisis In Ukraine Isn't The Start Of Another Cold War
Why The Crisis In Ukraine Isn't The Start Of Another Cold War
Discussion: The Federalist, The Monkey Cage, Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, The Dish, The Week, Slate and Talking Points Memo
Robert Tracinski / The Federalist: The Eighties Called: Do We Want Their Foreign Policy Back?
Erik Voeten / The Monkey Cage: A graph that shows how the Ukraine got stuck between the West and Russia
Michael Singh / Washington Post: The U.S. makes crises in Ukraine and Syria worse by not planning for them
Andrew Sullivan / The Dish: Ukraine On The Brink … If Putin's forces continue to occupy Crimea …
Ryu Spaeth / The Week: Are the U.S. and Russia in another Cold War?
Elizabeth Piper / Reuters:
Putin takes on West over Ukraine: who blinks first?
Putin takes on West over Ukraine: who blinks first?
Discussion: Financial Times
Edward Luce / Financial Times: Putin cooks up Obama's chicken Kiev moment
Walter Russell Mead / The American Interest Podcast:
Putin Smashes Washington's Cocoon
Putin Smashes Washington's Cocoon
Discussion: Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Other McCain, NO QUARTER USA NET and BuzzFeed
Son of Spengler / Ricochet Conversations Feed: The Know-Nothing Intelligence Community
Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain: Our Worthless Media — Ace highlighted this Saturday …
Larry Johnson / NO QUARTER USA NET: Hilarious Oxymoron of the Year-US Intelligence
Miriam Elder / BuzzFeed: Vladimir Putin Thinks He's Winning
Jeffrey Goldberg / Bloomberg View:
Obama to Israel — Time Is Running Out — When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House tomorrow, President Barack Obama will tell him that his country could face a bleak future — one of international isolation and demographic disaster — if he refuses to endorse …
Discussion: Power Line, Commentary Magazine, Hot Air, The Times of Israel, Israpundit and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Scott Johnson / Power Line: Obama's Goldberg variations
John Podhoretz / Commentary Magazine: The President's Prophetic Threats to Israel
Yossi Nachemi / The Times of Israel: Israel's cultural divide on full display
Ted Belman / Israpundit: Obama does it again
William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion: Obama threatens Israel on eve of Netanyahu visit
Adiv Sterman / The Times of Israel:
Obama: US won't be able to defend Israel if peace talks fail — Ahead of meeting with Netanyahu, president says unprecedented 'aggressive settlement construction' detrimental to peace process — Israel can expect to face international isolation and possible sanctions from countries …
Discussion: Betsy's Page and The Gateway Pundit
Dan Raviv / CBS News:
U.S. pushing Israel to stop assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists
U.S. pushing Israel to stop assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists
Discussion: Jihad Watch, The PJ Tatler and Israel Matzav
Washington Post:
President Obama's foreign policy is based on fantasy — FOR FIVE YEARS, President Obama has led a foreign policy based more on how he thinks the world should operate than on reality. It was a world in which "the tide of war is receding" and the United States could, without much risk, radically reduce the size of its armed forces.
Discussion: Mediaite, American Thinker and Outside the Beltway
Silvio Canto, Jr / American Thinker: For Obama, the fun is gone
Kevin Sieff / Washington Post:
Interview: Karzai says 12-year Afghanistan war has left him angry at U.S. government — KABUL — Hamid Karzai was in the midst of negotiating a security agreement with the United States when he met a 4-year-old girl who had lost half her face in an American airstrike.
Discussion: Guardian and Booman Tribune
Will Dunham / Reuters:
Kerry condemns Russia's 'incredible act of aggression' in Ukraine
Kerry condemns Russia's 'incredible act of aggression' in Ukraine
Discussion: Guardian, Washington Post and Daily Kos
Emily Stephenson / Reuters:
Hundreds of Keystone protesters arrested at White House … WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police arrested hundreds of young people protesting the Keystone XL project on Sunday, as demonstrators fastened themselves with plastic ties to the White House fences and called for U.S. President Barack Obama to reject the controversial oil pipeline.
Discussion: Right Wing News, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and Jammie Wearing Fools
William Teach / Right Wing News: Keystone XL Protesters Arrested En Masse
Meteor Blades / Daily Kos: Open thread for night owls: Hundreds arrested in Keystone XL pipeline protest
Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo: Dozens Arrested At Keystone Protest At White House (PHOTOS)
ABC News:
Pipeline Protesters Arrested at White House
Pipeline Protesters Arrested at White House
Talia Buford / Politico: Mass arrests at Keystone protest
Mary Grace Lucas / CNN: Keystone pipeline foes create 'human oil spill' at rally; hundreds arrested
Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
Jerry Brown Opposes Legal Pot Because 'We Need To Stay Alert' — California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said Sunday that he is not convinced legalizing marijuana is a good idea because the population needs to "stay alert." — "The problem with anything, a certain amount is okay," Brown said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Discussion: Hullabaloo
Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Gov. Brown Not Ready To Legalize Weed, Worried About 'Potheads' (VIDEO)
Gov. Brown Not Ready To Legalize Weed, Worried About 'Potheads' (VIDEO)
Discussion: Washington Monthly
Martin Longman / Washington Monthly: Jerry Brown and Potheads
Alexandra Jaffe / The Hill:
Waiting for Jeb — The 2016 presidential election is Jeb Bush's now-or-never-moment. — As other potential GOP standard-bearers have been hit by scandal or seen their luster fade, many Republicans desperately want the former Florida governor to get in the race.
Jackie Calmes / New York Times:
Democrats Try Wooing Ones Who Got Away: White Men — ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Frank Houston knows something about the longtime estrangement of white men from the Democratic Party. His family roots are in nearby Macomb County, the symbolic home of working-class Reagan Democrats who …
Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog
Steve M. / No More Mister Nice Blog: CAN WHITE MEN EMPATHIZE?
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
Lerner's attorney says she won't testify, Issa wrong — Rep. Darrell Issa doesn't know what he's talking about, the attorney for former IRS official Lois Lerner said Sunday. — Issa, the California Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told "Fox News Sunday" …
Discussion: Fox News, PoliticusUSA, Mediaite and Hot Air
Chris Wallace / Fox News: Rep. Mike Rogers on deepening crisis in Ukraine; Rep. Darrell Issa talks IRS investigation …
Jason Easley / PoliticusUSA: Darrell Issa Humiliates Fox News By Lying About Lois Lerner Testifying at IRS Hearing
Evan McMurry / Mediaite: Lois Lerner's Attorney Has No Idea Why Darrell Issa Is Claiming She'll Testify (UPDATE)
Fox News:
Issa, House GOP investigative committee say Lerner will testify in IRS scandal hearing
Issa, House GOP investigative committee say Lerner will testify in IRS scandal hearing
Brendan Bordelon / The Daily Caller: Darrell Issa: Lois Lerner will testify before Congress on Wednesday [VIDEO]
Mandy Nagy / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion: Lois Lerner: Still taking the 5th?
Greg Clary / CNN:
Rep. Issa says IRS's Lois Lerner will testify
Rep. Issa says IRS's Lois Lerner will testify
Discussion: The Daily Caller, Politico and The PJ Tatler
Patrick Howley / The Daily Caller: 7 questions for Darrell Issa to ask Lois Lerner at Wednesday's hearing
Reid J. Epstein / Politico: Issa: Former IRS official Lerner will testify
David Hawkings / Hawkings Here:
5 Reasons This Supposedly Boring Budget Year Could Be Anything But — The 2013 budget release frenzy. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo) — The budget President Barack Obama sends to Congress on Tuesday will be a month late and hundreds of billions of dollars short.
Steve Strunsky / New Jersey Online:
Port Authority officials: Battle over toll hikes was all for show — Current and former officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey say a scheme was devised to give the governors of both states political cover for a 2011 toll hike at bi-state bridges and tunnels. (John Munson/The Star-Ledger)


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Wants to Meet Up
- Last login 7 months ago
Join Couchsurfing to see TravelBeans's full profile. It's free!
About Me
I write, I travel, I dance. I run a Digital Media Strategy company called Social Ally and also work as a Travel Writer. You can find a lot of my work here: http://living-n-escaping.blogspot.com/. I love travelling to offbeat, remote places and meeting locals and ex-pats forms a big part of my travel experience.
I laugh easily and I laugh a lot. I enjoy good food and much to the annoyance of some, I add chillies to pretty much everything. The Feminist movement has been a big influence in my life and I identify as a Feminist. Depending on how you view the world, we might get along very well or not at all ;).
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
I'm on CS to meet the right kind of people when I travel or when I'm living somewhere as an ex-pat. I believe that "People make a place" and that meeting the right sort of people especially while travelling can add so much more to any experience.
I love Dance. I can dance for hours and hours without stopping. My favourite styles are Raqs Sharqi, Jazz and Bollywood. I don't mind a bit of Hip-hop every now and then either. As a broke student living in London, teaching dance helped me make a bit of money on the side. So it's safe to say I owe some of my travels to dance.
I enjoy hiking and try to get a big hike in on all my trips. Yoga and me get along pretty well too and I practice every day at home.
Other than that, I enjoy listening to music, I play a bit of Ukulele and I couldn't live without books. I tried to do the whole e-book thing for a while but I always come back to good old fashioned paperbacks.
- arts
- writing
- books
- e-books
- concerts
- music festivals
- festivals
- dancing
- dining
- cooking
- yoga
- running
- traveling
- music
- jazz
- opera
- cycling
- hiking
- camping
- hunting
- scuba diving
- skiing
- swimming
- communications
Music, Movies, and Books
When it comes to listening to music, Indie Bands always top my list. I enjoy listening to radio stations like KEXP and Triple J to find out who the new bands doing the rounds are. I like Alt-J, Sylvan and Esso, Local Natives ...you get the drift.
As far as Dance Music goes, my tastes are a lot more commercial (and proudly at that) and I also veer towards Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Trap and the like. Give me a good solid beat and I'm a happy girl.
I try to keep my tastes global when it comes to movies so if you have a favourite movie from your country, I'd love it if you could share it with me. Some of the favourite ones that come to mind are: A Separation, Howl's Moving Castle, Grand Budapest Hotel, Shawshank Redemption, Delhi Belly and Boyhood.
There is no limit to the number of books that I love and to name a few would just be cruel!
One Amazing Thing I've Done
Scaling an active volcano in Lombok,Indonesia; Seeing breaching humpback whales in Albany, Australia; Sleeping under a million shooting stars in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; Diving with Manta Rays in the Similan Islands, Thailand; Watching the most beautiful sunsets in Perth, Australia; Cross Country Skiing in Sridal, Norway; Being the only two people on an uninhabited island in Jaco, Timor-Leste; Spotting crocs in the wild in Arugam, Sri Lanka; Going to the Opera for the first time in Vienna, Austria; Hiking solo, camping by the ocean and swimming in phosphorescent waters in Hong Kong; Watching the sun come up from behind the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Being surrounded by a gazillion dolphins in the Bay of Gibraltar; Road Tripping through Lake District, England; Attending Music Festivals, Theatre Shows and Concerts all through the U.K; Making it to the Hay On Wye Festival in Wales; Falling in love with Berlin through its arts and kebabs; Making it all the way to Bali and living there; Biking from Belgium to Netherlands solo; Getting lost in the timelessness of Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France.....oh wait...sorry, did you say one? Oops! ;)
Teach, Learn, Share
I can teach you some serious dance moves, how to cook a mean curry and even how to advance your yoga practice at home...if you're into that sort of thing that is.
I'd love to learn some Spanish / Bahasa Indonesia and how to cook comfort food from around the world. If you've got a great recipe, send it across! I could talk and listen to conversation about food for hours.
What I Can Share with Hosts
I can share quality conversation, good food and lots of laughter. What else do we need right?
Countries I've Visited
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Viet Nam
Countries I've Lived In
Australia, India, Indonesia, Poland, United Kingdom


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« Lotus Engineering Develops E85 Exige Research Sportscar | Main | Shell Awards $1M to OSU for Hydrogen Technology Research »
Nissan Develops New-Generation V6 Engines; 10% Improvement in Fuel Efficiency
24 August 2006
|Nissan's new 3.5-liter V6.
Nissan Motor has developed two new-generation six-cylinder V-type gasoline engines for front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
The 3.5-liter VQ35HR and 2.5-liter VQ25HR engines offer a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to vehicles equipped with the existing VQ engine as well as Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (Japan) emissions. SULEVs have 75% or less NOx and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions than those stipulated by Japan's 2005 exhaust emission standards.
Nissan will build the engines in its Iwaki Plant in Fukushima Prefecture and will apply them in the all-new Skyline to be released this autumn in Japan, as well as the US where the model is sold as the Infiniti G35.
Improved fuel economy comes partly from reduced friction—the cylinders use the world's first hydrogen-free, diamond-like carbon coating, according to Nissan. Adoption of a catalyst substrate with ultra-low heat mass, use of iridium spark plugs, and a fast light-off O2 sensors control contribute to the SULEV emissions rating.
The engines feature a top speed of 7,500 rpm. Nissan reduced weight and friction through the use of an asymmetrical piston skirt configuration. Lengthening the connecting rod reduces the piston side force. And a rudder-frame, newly designed cylinder block provides improved rigidity.
The engines use continuously variable valve timing control (CVTC) for intake side and electromagnetic valve timing control (e-VTC) for exhaust side.
August 24, 2006 in Engines, Fuel Efficiency | Permalink | Comments (29) | TrackBack (1)
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Prius: Economy Car
Infiniti FX35: Performance SUV
Nissan Z350/Infiniti G35: Two seat sports car
They use this motor in heavy SUV's, and fast little cars. They wouldn't be able to power such vehicles (which provide the majority of Nissan's profits) with a 1.5liter Atkinson engine. So, any increase in the efficiency of the engines, no matter what the application, is a good thing. I just kind of wish Nissan had the resources to field a hybrid or a clean diesel for the US market. Hell, you could probably save a lot of money by using a hydraulic hybrid on the Armada/QX56!
I love how everybody seems to think that smaller engine automatically means better fuel economy. So much miss information out there. I love it. The whole "my engine is smaller than your's and therefore I'm a better human being" attitude is just the iceing on the cake.
Fyi CO2, what are you talking about? G35 gets 21mpg combined? Lets see here?
G35 base sedan is rated at 19 city, 26 highway. Thats 22.5 combined. Increase that by 15% and you get 25.8mpg combined. Check your math.
It is nice to see some one is finally using a carbon-carbon "NFC" (near frictionless coating). These coatings are almost as slick in a dry state (coating on coating) as is two objects lubricated with an oil and the coating is hard enough to cause a wear test machine's bearing to fail before the coating does.
Justin, I got my figures from
which indicates models between low end 17/24 and 19/26, I used median 18/25, combined EPA city/highway mpg number is based on 55 percent city driving and 45 percent highway
= 21.15 mpg and the increase touted by Nissan in this article is 10% not 15.
Fyi CO2, what are you talking about? G35 gets 21mpg combined?
According to fueleconomy.gov, there are four trims available, with combined mileage running from a low of 20 (17 cty/24 hwy) to a high of 22 (19 cty/26 hwy). The two other trims are rated at 21 mpg combined. So both the average and the mean of the four trims is 21 mpg.
Check your math.
Well, the formula for calculating combined fuel economy is this:
FEcomb = 1 / (( .55 / city FE) + (.45 / hwy FE))
Taking your 19/26 numbers, FEcomb=21.62, not 22.5.
Combined fuel economy is not the simple average of the highway and city fuel economy.
Increase that by 15% and you get 25.8mpg combined.
Actually, the increase stated in this post and reiterated by fyiCO2 is 10%, not 15%, so you should "check your math" there as well. A 10% increase over 21.62 is 23.78, or 2.14 mpg. Rounded that's 2 mpg, or exactly as fyiCO2 stated.
The average of the four trims is 20.59 mpg, and a 10% increase from that is 22.65 mpg -- rounded that's an increase from 21 mpg to 23 mpg -- again, exactly as fyi CO2 stated.
Perhaps they could greatly increase the mileage if they dropped this sulev thing.All that math was great but isnt super ultra low emissions the key point?
Sulev was scoffed at not to long ago.Now Nissan is building cars people want with emissions that ecologists dreamed of.
If Gm teams with Nissan, as they are being pushed to do,perhaps it would help clean up the emissions of a much wider fleet.
Is this a bad thing? Im confused.
Tim: Thanks for the heads up. I remember when electromagnetic valve actuation was just beginning to be seen in (Ferrari) Formula race cars in lieu of pneumatic systems. Now it's being brazed on to a highly produced "workhorse" engine for a major manufacturer. I would expect this kind of stuff from Mercedes Benz, but I am very enthusiastic about seeing it in something like a Maxima.
Calm down everybody! This is valve timing control not valve lift control done by electromagnetics. That simply means the camshaft gear at the end of the camshaft is controlled electronically rather than with solenoids controlling the high pressure oil off the engine. This is still far off from electromagnetic valve trains.
Valeo (probably Mercedes' supplier) demonstrated a fully functional prototype electromagnetic valvetrain & head more than a year ago...it requires 42V systems though (and most hybrid systems would have no problem providing 42V or more).
No, it says magnetic valve timing, not activation. I think they are saying it performs cam phasing (rotation of a fixed cam clockwise and counter clockwise along it's standard rotational axis) via an electromagnetic mechanism rather than DC servos. Valve activation is still probably 10-30 years off unfortunately and will most likely appear first in low revving applications, such as diesel engines.
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Clarks Inn Pacific Mall
Select your stay dates to check availability at Clarks Inn Pacific Mall
Clarks Inn Pacific Mall
About the Hotel
Property Location
With a stay at Clarks Inn Pacific Mall in Ghaziabad, you'll be connected to the airport and within the vicinity of Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple and Red Fort. This hotel is within the vicinity of Raj Ghat and Shanti Vana.
Stay in one of 35 guestrooms featuring plasma televisions. Digital television is provided for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include complimentary newspapers, housekeeping is provided daily, and irons/ironing boards can be requested.
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Make use of convenient amenities, which include wedding services and tour/ticket assistance.
Enjoy a satisfying meal at a restaurant serving guests of Clarks Inn Pacific Mall.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, limo/town car service, and express check-in. This hotel has 5 meeting rooms available for events. A train station pick-up service is provided at no charge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Free train station pickup
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- Number of floors - 3
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- Free newspapers in lobby
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- Smoke-free property
- Business center
- Limo or Town Car service available
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- Number of buildings/towers - 1
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- Airport shuttle fee: INR 1630 per vehicle (one way)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


text:
Canadian Frank Dancevic, riding a hot streak, advanced to the second round at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami with a 7-5, 6-0 win Thursday over Jeremy Chardy of France.
Dancevic, 27, will take a 10-match winning streak on to the court Saturday against American Mardy Fish, who is ranked No. 8 in the world.
A native of Niagara Falls, Ont., Dancevic qualified for the main draw after winning the Dallas Challenge last week.
Two other Canadians, Milos Raonic and Aleksandra Wozniak, will play second-round matches Friday against Arnaud Clement and Monica Niculescu respectively.


text:
And some random thoughts about journalism
By Thomas Kunkel Thomas Kunkel (firstname.lastname@example.com), president of AJR, is dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
That morning's session was devoted to media convergence, a subject of undeniable importance but which makes my head hurt. I glanced at the map. My hotel was at 49th Street and Broadway, the cathedral at 110th and Amsterdam. Basically, the only thing standing between us was a 61-block length of Eighth Avenue. This would be the day's exercise, I decided, and I laced up the sneaks.
Within minutes I was at Eighth Avenue at 59th--Columbus Circle, home of the secular glass spires of the new Time Warner headquarters--where the wide thoroughfare becomes Central Park West. I crossed over to the walkway beside the park.
It was cool out. The early sun to my right was filtered through the trees of the park and the mist coming off the lake. As it was Saturday, the city roused leisurely. A few joggers were out, but mostly it was people walking dogs or dogs walking people--eight of them surrounding one woman, leashes radiating from her like spokes on a wheel.
In other words, it was a fine morning for thinking New York thoughts: how the New York Times, for all its emotional churn of the past year, still manages to set the standard for both news breadth and smart thinking; how The New Yorker has figured out how to be true to its tradition and yet utterly contemporary; how that cheeky pink sheet, the New York Observer, remains one of my favorite reads.
I passed Tavern on the Green and then Strawberry Fields, which memorializes John Lennon. The hexagonal stone pavers of the walkway undulated beneath my feet, made wavy from years of frost heaves, undermining tree roots and uncountable numbers of pedestrians. Without lights to impede you (few of the cross streets actually enter the park), the blocks click away in no time. To my left, the American Museum of Natural History, to my right the Great Lawn.
More thoughts, whizzing by as randomly as the passing taxis: Hasn't Robert Novak gotten off easy for divulging the identify of a CIA agent? (I don't dispute his right to print her name, but why would you do it?) Why are journalists invariably more interesting on Don Imus' radio program than they are in their real jobs? Aren't blogs putting the "journal" back in journalism? If you think about it, isn't the inverted pyramid form the equivalent of starting a joke with the punchline?
Before I knew it I was at 110th Street, where the park ends. I turned left and stepped past shopkeepers sweeping clean the sidewalks in front of their stores. Then at Morningside Park I suddenly caught sight of the great cathedral, hovering over a rock promontory like the Parthenon atop the Acropolis. Scaffolding surrounding the south tower serves to remind that the cathedral is an unfinished work, though its cornerstone was laid in 1892.
Inside, the great vaulting arches trap the darkness, which only serves to contrast the magical light of the stained glass windows. A tour group overtakes me, and the clever docent, explaining the church's architecture, employs volunteers to build a human arch and buttresses. Like a good journalist, he knows it's better to show than tell.
Just as suddenly they move on, leaving me alone again with my thoughts. What an age we are experiencing. We are fighting a peculiar war, we have a heavyweight presidential election on the way, we have an economy going through a transformative change. Shocking images from Baghdad jails jolt our arrogant certitude of moral superiority. Under the circumstances we could probably all use a little more cathedral time. I thought about the world we are building for two daughters who are already out of the house and two more who aren't far behind. And if they're growing up, must I?
Sitting there, in that vast space, what I did not think about was convergence--except maybe the convergence of stone and glass, art and craft, body and soul.
Ironically, being in church got me to feeling guilty about playing hooky from the conference, so I decided to head back. I picked up the Times and caught the No. 1 train for midtown. A front-page highlight to an inside story said that "a dark energy is steadily pushing the universe apart, suggesting the universe may end with a slide into senescence rather than a violent apocalypse..."
This prompted two final thoughts. The Times was probably the only newspaper in the world that used "senescence" (the state or process of aging) on its front page that morning. And while I would take a senescent slide over an apocalypse any day, I wish I was as confident as the Times about how this story ultimately turns out.


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A dental hygienist had no driver's license and was drunk and speeding last weekend when she struck and killed a couple who were changing a tire on the side of the road, Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday.
Delia Aguila, 27, sobbed in court as prosecutors detailed the fatal Saturday night crash in the 3800 block of West 87th Street. Police said she was arrested a few blocks from the crash scene after getting stuck on railroad tracks.


text:
More words related to tops off
verb. bring to an end
verb. to put in and occupy the whole of
verb. bring to a conclusion; get done
- finalize
- fold
- fulfill
- get out of the way
- halt
- hang it up
- have done with
- make
- make short work of
- mop up
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.Cite This Source


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" Manufacturer: Activision / Genre: Shooter / Type: Action & Shooter / Release date: 2007-11-09 "
* Prices may differ from that shown
The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare ("COD4") is another game of the first person shooter genre. You play the role of a Special Forces soldier whose mission is to prevent terrorists from detonating a nuclear weapon. The terrorists run you on a goose chase across Europe and the Middle East and it is your task to stop them by going from checkpoint to checkpoint and killing terrorists.
The graphics are 3 dimensional. The characters not only look life like but their behaviour and movements are as well. The backgrounds are exceptionally detailed, as you'd expect, although they are a bit blocky. That said there is enough detail to tell the difference between a friendly uniform and a garb-wearing terrorist.
This is not uncommon of current games in this genre (such as Brothers In Arms); therefore these did not take me aback.
The sound effects are sharp and crisp. There is loads of recorded dialogue that includes not only mission briefings, but also real time battle shouting and speak as well.
The shots and explosions are very realistic and this complements the graphics very well.
****Game play****
The controls involve using the directional pad, the action buttons (A, B, X and Y), the Land R shoulder buttons and the touch screen/stylus. They are almost identical to that of Brothers in Arms, which is not surprising since it is a tried and tested configuration that works very well.
You move the soldier with the directional pad (if right handed) or the A, B, X and Y buttons (if left handed). You shoot using the L and R shoulder buttons and you aim via the cross hair target on the top screen that is controlled by moving the stylus around the bottom screen.
Double-tapping the touch screen will change the normal aiming mode to a more precise aim, and there are other icons on the touch screen that let you switch weapons, throw grenades, reload guns (there is a huge range of weapons that can be picked up during missions), and pick up objects with a single tap.
If a hand grenade is thrown your way then a hand icon will appear, indicating that you can pick it up and throw it back. Whilst this feature is unrealistic (who would honestly attempt to pick up a live grenade and return it?) it is useful to assist in completing the missions.
There are parts during the game when a binoculars icon will appear. This gives you the chance to call the air force that will come and destroy enemy vehicles with an air strike.
An issue I have is that actions requiring double tapping with the stylus or the directional pad (i.e. obtaining the more precise aim, running and crouching) are not always picked up. Sometimes nothing will happen, other times you may want to run in with a normal target and you will end up crouching with the precise target. It is very frustrating during game play although the effects are not usually severe due to the way you can restore your health.
This game not only sees you on foot but also manning gun turrets on armoured vehicles, in a support role, as well as disarming bombs, piloting a bomber plane and solving some mini games.
The soldier's health is shown using a green bar. Each time you are hit the bar will get a red twinge to it and it will continue to get redder the more times you are hit. Unlike other games where you increase your health by picking up health packs, in this game your health will automatically go back to normal if you stop and hide behind something to have a bit of a breather. This makes the game a bit easier, but you can take a lot of bullets before you die in any case.
The flipside is your enemies also take a few hits to die. Whilst headshots kill quicker than body shots it can take numerous blasts with an MK16 at very close range to get rid of your enemies. This results in a lot of reloading of the guns that can get a bit tedious.
Another thing I find strange about this game is the behaviour of your enemies. Whilst shooting them I found that they would crouch down in the open taking the bullets as opposed to running for cover and seeking somewhere to hide.
The missions of this game are quite short and I managed to complete the game in around 10 hours of continuous game play, which is not that much.
Personally I think that it is a game that once completed it will be put on the shelf and collect dust. There is no reason to get it out and play it again, even in multi player mode with mates (see later on in this review).
On other consoles COD4 may be played online, unfortunately this is not the case with the version on the DS, which is a real let down.
The DS has the ability to hook up online and play games, and I do not know why this feature was not incorporated in to this version. Personally, I think that the producers have missed a trick here.
****Multi player****
Multi player mode is restricted to four players and a game of "catch the flag" or a death match. All players have to have a copy of the game as well, which in my experience is unlikely (my mates and I buy different games and then share them around the group), making this feature pretty much redundant.
****Prices and availability****
I have seen copies of this game for as little as £14.99 (excluding P&P) from Game.com and as much as £19.99 (excluding P&P) from Soft UK Limited.
COD4 is no better or worse than other current games in this genre. It has great graphics, it has great sound, it is good fun to play and the additional mini games and missions where you play a supporting role on a gun turret and pilot a bomber plane add an additional feature.
The length of the game is a disappointment, but it is about the same as Brothers In Arms, so it appears to be a common theme.
If first person shooter war games are your thing then you will like this although it is not that much different to any other games of this genre. It is basically an extension of Brothers in Arms.
Being a lover of this genre of game I would definitely recommend COD4, however, I would not buy this game or any game in this genre due to the longevity of the games and the fact that once completed I would not play them again. It is much more economical to rent this type of game, and if you are one of those people that would play the game over an over again you can buy it at a later date.
This was one of the games that I was dying to play when I first got my DS Lite. The idea of a first person shooter controlled using a stylus really excited me, and I've always enjoyed the Call of Duty series since I played the first game on my PC.
The player controls movement with the D-pad, and aims / turns with the stylus on the lower screen, that also doubles up as a map. The L / R buttons are used to shoot.
I think when I first loaded the game up, I expected these controls to feel a bit more intuitive, and I was a little bit disappointed. I see now however that this was an unrealistic expectation, and Activision have actually done a really good job. After a few hours, the controls are a bit easier and you can shoot bad guys like a pro, albeit a slightly clunky one!
The single player campaign seems enjoyable - however, I found the appeal to be limited and soon I found it a bit boring. Although the DS version does a good job to emulate the cinematic feel of the console/PC versions, there are limitations, and unfortunately this wasn't enough to snare me. I have to admit that I only got about half way through the single player campaign!
Multiplayer however is an absolute blast! Blowing up your friends / teaming up with them 3d shooter style is the absolute best way to spend a long train journey together, and there is tonnes of fun to be had. The clunky controls just make it all the more fun and hilarious. It's worth noting though that there is no wi-fi option to play on the internet.
The graphics are great for the DS. The action is reasonably smooth and although everything is a little bit grainy, the visual aspect of this game did exceed my expectations as I was 99% of the time able to make out enemies and allies. What they have managed to do is fairly impressive really, and I was pleased to see very few 'Doom' style sprites! I'd definitely like to see more games that take advantage of the DS 3D capabilities like this.
The sound is exactly what you would expect from a Call of Duty game - dramatic music and punchy gunshots / voice acting. I actually found that playing with headphones really made a difference. I guess that because the graphics are limited, the sound has a greater role in the immersion of the player.
I've just completed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the DS and I have been impressed by my first FPS (first person shooter) experience on the DS. This game is a must have for every DS owner who either likes FPS games or wants to enjoy a thrilling and fast-paced game on their DS.
The 3D engine works smoothly and characters and settings are well-rendered with a good attempt at texturing and shadow detail. In fact, the textures and shading is one of the best I've seen on the DS. The characters are easily recognisable as enemies or allies and there is no lack of detail in their illustrations. An excellent example is the brief mission called "The Russian" in which there are such a diverse range of background settings, ranging from hills of snow to lavish toilets.
Some attention has been paid to the behaviour of different soldiers to help you to differentiate between them. The animations of the soldiers walking or falling down after taking bullets are surprisingly smooth and as good as can be expected from the DS. The spurts of blood that erupt when you shoot an enemy, the flashes of bullets hitting the ground, the smoke cloud generated from a grenade explosion all look very nice and help to deliver a true Call of Duty experience.
My only concern is that during the night missions colours become rather dull and hard to see on a DS (original) but owners of a DS Lite should have no problems.
There is some great voice acting, mainly in the form of mission briefings and news reports that are used to narrate the story behind the game. There are also snippets of voice acting during action such as the screams of shot enemies or the desperate shouts for help of your comrades. All sound effects including the firing of a gun, loading your gun, a tank moving, aircraft flying overhead are recreated wonderfully and sound very realistic. Also interesting are the unique firing and loading sounds made by different guns or the whoosh of a rocket whizzing by.
The music is typical of an FPS. Fast-paced and thrilling with sensational pauses now and then for dramatic effect, it feels appropriate for the game but gets slightly repetitive.
The action takes place on the top screen while the bottom screen is used for targeting and displaying the map. Movement is controlled with the D-pad or the A/B/X/Y buttons depending on whether you're left or right handed, the L/R shoulder buttons are for shooting while you move the stylus on the touchscreen to adjust aim on the top screen. Two rapid touches of your stylus brings up what I call the 'precision shooting' mode to allow you to accurately shoot your enemies. The stylus is also used to change weapons, to pick something up, deactivate a bomb, set a bomb and call in an air-strike.
I found the gameplay to be appropriately fast paced and exciting and the combat mechanics work well. The only problem is that sometimes the touchscreen is not very responsive when you want to do some accurate shooting in the heat of battle while the 'precision shooting' mode can sometimes come up accidentally while your taking aim which can be annoying and distracting. The camera angle which is controlled by the stylus on the touch screen is generally OK but sometimes spins around quite fast such as when you're on a helicopter which is disorienting.
There is a large variety of guns, ranging from a Russian Uzi to an AK47 which adds a lot of variety to the general gameplay experience. The mission targets are different for every mission and other objectives become unlocked as the mission progresses. You can be asked anything to fulfill a mission's targets, such as sniping enemies or calling in air strikes on tanks, but there is also a lot of running around and shooting.
The story is quite engaging and is told through a series on dialogue, news reports, animations and pictures. More i unravelled as you play your way through the missions.
Lasting appeal
The single-player campaign is very engaging and should keep you entertained, but it's fairly short. You can also choose 'quick play' for some quick fun and excitement without the constrainsts of missions. There is an excellent multiplayer mode which supports multi-card play and single-card play and allows four players to work together through missions. However, the lack of wifi play is a big disappointment and drags down the lasting appeal of this game.
In conclusion, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare delivers action-packed experience that allows DS owners have a taste of war in an innovative, new way. While it is as exciting and entertaining as its bigger console cousins, it's let down by the lack of wifi support and some niggles in gameplay.
Answer the Call of Duty on the Nintendo DS


text:
New 24-7 Jazz Internet Radio Station: Earle Brown's "The Jazzy 1"
"Traditional, Contemporary and "Real Smooth Jazz" - The Best of All Worlds"
Philadelphia, PA. -- Seizing the opportunity to address and correct many of the problems on the current radio scene, longtime Philadelphia Jazz Ambassador and Radio Air Personality, Earle Brown, has created a very unique twenty-four hour Internet Jazz Radio Station, TheJazzy1.com.
"Our mission is to preserve, promote and advance the music of past, present and future jazz artists to listeners around the world as we take great pride in knowing that we stand in the present and on the shoulders of past giants as we look to the future," Brown said.
The station's aim is to provide the finest blend of jazz in existence, including Traditional, Contemporary, Afro-Cuban, Latin, Brazilian and "Real Smooth Jazz."
Brown went on to point out that the each listener of the station is invited to become a Jazzy One and join a global community of arts and culture lovers enjoying a number of musical journeys. "As a Jazzy One, your opinion counts towards making the 'journey' that much more enjoyable for you," Brown said.
Listeners of the station will also be given advance information on special concerts and performances, as well as, invitations to private receptions, showcases and other major jazz events. Additional opportunities will be given to enter various contests, drawings, give-a-ways and various other promotions as the station grows.
According to Brown, the station's goal over the next five years is "to become one of the top Jazz Radio Stations in the world." He said that the station expects to achieve its ambitious goal through "utilizing a combination of emerging technologies and innovations to deliver the finest blend of jazz in existence from an ever expanding musical library of over 50,000 songs."
"Geographically located behind the eyes and between the ears."


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we did have this discussion about playstation aesthetics here tho fatima al qadiri ILM edition, (+ ayshay)
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:28 (five years ago) Permalink
i guess this kind of ties into the ferraro wars too, altho he's not my thing at all
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:29 (five years ago) Permalink
yeah this stuff has been seeping out of the fuck it tapes/not not fun/root strata underground and towards the edges of more mainstream stuff for like the last half decade, i find it super interesting and i think that as it gets absorbed by different genres/kids/scenes the referencing and the references themselves change but its interesting to see how strong the commonalities are too. fwiw tho i dont think al qadiris stuff really 'works' in the same way that like curtis vodkas does although both are much more directly interested in melody and ~dance~ than like 'far side virtual' or w/e
― Lamp, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:46 (five years ago) Permalink
naff fest 2012
― the late great, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:53 (five years ago) Permalink
lol @ fest
― Lamp, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 01:59 (five years ago) Permalink
yeah, i was thinking about this on my walk (saddest thing i've typed on ilx all year), and it occurred to me the seapunk kids have a kinship with teengirl fantasy, miracles club, mi ami, 100% silk and the rise of HIPSTER HOUSE: S/D that nguzu/al qadiri/et al don't, and i see you've brought up NNF.
but it's all tiny degrees of separation anyway. le1f had a couple instrumentals on #seapunk volume 1 and nguzunguzu worked on his album.
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 02:12 (five years ago) Permalink
yeah, it's all coming from that tape/drone/post-noise scene/aesthetic... things are just growing off in slightly different directions: psych/freakout/jam, dreamy/ethereal/media/hypnagogic, pure noise/drones, noise-goes-dance, and then all this post-witchhouse/chillwave/memepop stuff... sea/ice/slime-punk etc
― Chris S, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 02:25 (five years ago) Permalink
All of this stuff is at least theoretically fashionable and in some ways trading off its naffness in a way that modern ska totally isn't.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:21 (five years ago) Permalink
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:47 (five years ago) Permalink
Stay focused, people
Wouldn't say any of this stuff is my thing exactly but don't dislike any of it (or its aesthetic) - def don't see it as naff (on the one hand this means its likely to become naff at any time once the wind changes but on the other hand this just seems a continuation of stuff thats been going on since...idk 2004?)
― coal, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:52 (five years ago) Permalink
anyway answer is whatever that music that alkan and justice and those play (played?)
― coal, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:56 (five years ago) Permalink
and Luciano isn't a genre but if he was....
― coal, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:57 (five years ago) Permalink
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Wednesday, April 25, 2012 2:21 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 15:56 (five years ago) Permalink
skanking is not legitimate dancing
I tend to think any physical/kinetic response to music is "legitimate" dancing.
― pizza pizza and cult jam (crüt), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 22:16 (five years ago) Permalink
what about the physical response of clapping your hands over your ears when you hear ska
― the late great, Wednesday, 25 April 2012 22:34 (five years ago) Permalink


text:
The community of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is guided by our belief that 'Jesus is the cornerstone of our church and our faith in Jesus is the cornerstone of our school community'.
Our mission, in the spirit of the Mercy and Carmelite traditions, is to provide quality Catholic education that challenges and nurtures the individual. Positive relationships between home, school and parish are integral to the learning process and to building community.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel belongs to the Catholic system of schools in the Diocese of Parramatta. The school caters for girls and boys from Kindergarten to Year 6, in the Mercy tradition.
The school motto, Sub Tuum Praesidium, (Under Your Protection) is a Mercy legacy and refers to our allegiance to Mary, Our Lady of Mercy.
The Our Lady of Mt Carmel school newsletter is sent home each week on Wednesday.
It includes an editorial from the Principal, Parents and Friends news, information about teaching and learning, school events, and our school/parish community.
Parents are invited to contribute to the newsletter. If you or someone you know, has family, cultural, sporting or other news or achievements you would like us to share and/or celebrate, please contact the school.
Principal's Message, Staff Development Day, Uniform Appointments, Swimming Scheme, Children's Sacramental Program, Bring Your Own Device Night, Public Transport, Extended Leave and Absence Notes and Parents & Friends.
Did you know that Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary can deliver all the latest news and upcoming events straight to your e-mail inbox? What a time saver!
Sign-up now to our online newsletter (E-News)


text:
© 1997 – Routledge
196 pages
Offering some of the most advanced thinking and practice in the arena of social work with groups, From Prevention to Wellness Through Group Work synthesizes the discussions and findings from the Annual Symposium of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG). Gathered here are different ideas, techniques, and research (with a focus on prevention) for group work with seniors, adults, teens, and children. With a mix of authors from social work academia and practice, this book gives you groundbreaking theoretical pieces as well as emerging skills and techniques in group work. If you attended the conference you will refer to this book as a guide to the information presented. If you were not in attendance you need this book to discover what you missed!The two primary chapters in From Prevention to Wellness Through Group Work provide a look into constructivism and the power model and the empowerment approach as a paradigm for international social work practice. Other pertinent topics you learn about include:
Contents Constructivism, Power, and Social Work With Groups