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Discussion in 'General Pro Player Discussion' started by Bud, Jun 24, 2010.
doesn't the unusually long mahut-isner match account for a bit of the massive jump in aces?
No... it's pretty insignificant since Mahut was knocked out in round 1... and Isner served zero aces in round 2. Two of the biggest servers in the competition were basically gone after round 1. Both guys should have gone a few more rounds.
There was a total ace increase of 20% over 2009
Really good numbers. I like how three of the majors are basically all in the same ball park and then Wimbledon has a HUGE leap forward in aces, nearly doubling what the other majors have.
That's a hugely telling stat.
Wimbledon is by far still the fastest major out there. This corroborates the Wimbledon grounds crew, the players opinions, and just watching the matches with your own eyes (not accounting for a crazy bias). The matches were blazingly fast this year. There is simply no arguing this stuff. The numbers do not lie. There would not be so MANY more aces if it were not far and away the fastest surface. Look at all the intense matches this year as well.
Good info for sure.
I don't understand why people are so defensive about this. Even the players admit the surface has slowed.
63% more aces struck at Wimbledon than at the US Open.
Tomorrow (i.e. later today), I will calculate the break percentage(s) for all 4 GS tournaments.
From the stat pages at the respective sites it seems that the AO and RG were at 22% this year. Wimbledon was at 15.9%. The USO was at 19% in 2008. I could not find a USO stats page for 2009. I did these calculations pretty quickly so it would be good to recheck.
Will recheck them. Did you calculate both men and women or just men?
I believe I also calculated 15.9% for 2010 Wimby men.
Here's the link to the 2009 USO stats:
(quickly glancing... the 2009 USO men break% is very similar to the 2010 AO stats)
No, just men.
The women really seem to throw off the break percentage stats. I think that's because their serves are not nearly as effective on grass.
I think with the women at Wimbledon included with the men, the break% was right around 19.0%
As a man... the grass surface is much more of an advantage (more power and spin on serves)... and probably why Serena ran through the woman's draw so easily (this Wimby was a serving display by Serena). She had more than twice as many aces as the next person on the list.
Ladies' ace count Wimby 2010:
#1 Serena - 89 aces
#2 Venus - 30 aces
^^ that is simply unbelievable! Serena had 3x as many total aces as the next highest... sister Venus.
Yes, I get 22.6 and 22.8
The USO shows an increase in break% from 2008 to 2009
This is the page for 2008, and I got 19.4 if I remember well.
I don´t think there are pages going back to previous years for the Open. Changing the year on the link only works for 2008 and 2009.
NF had done calculations for previous years for the Open and he had gotten 21.5 for 1998 and 21.9 for 2007. http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=207765
He got 1 percentage point lower for 2002 and 2006, but for those two years he skipped the first two rounds in the calculation, and this will normally drive the break percentage down a bit, as it will exclude many of the lower ranked players who lost in the first two rounds.
Seems pretty stable overall, and so far 2008 looks like the lowest year for the Open, but still almost 3 points above Wimbledon for that year according to NF.
Excellent... Would you list all of your results (by year and tournament) and I'll double check and compile them... or you're more than welcome to
I'd like to create a new thread concerning the break percentage at all 4 GS tournaments (if one doesn't already exist)... going back as far as possible so it can be amended annually (or post-GS tournament).
I have a feeling some of these archived pages from 08-10 will probably end up disappearing in a few years (or perhaps less).
I think it´s better to keep the stats separate for this. Women break serve much more often than men, on all surfaces, and also the variations are likely to be more pronounced.
I agree... it really skews the results.
Well the only thing I have is what I´ve mentioned for the last 4 slams and the 2008 USO.
Previous years (some of them) were compiled for various tournaments by NF a couple of years ago and appear in various posts on that thread, like this one below:
Lyon (Indoor Carpet) 2007 13.57%
Halle 2008 14.35%
Artois Championships (Queens) 2007 15.76% 2008 16.75%
Wimbledon Breaking Percentage 1998 19.78% 2001 19.01% 2002 19.21% 2003 19.55% 2006 (3rd-Final) 17.9% 2007 (Total) 17.34% 2008 16.77%
Cincinnati 2007 19.22% 2008 16.45%
Madrid 2007 (Total) 18.02%
Paris 2006 19.89% 2007 (Indoors) 20.08%
Dubai 2007-2008 21.10%
Montreal 2005 20.76% 2007 21.12%
Miami Breaking Percentage 2007 22.32% 2008 21.70%
US Open Breaking Percentage 1998 21.53% 2002 (3rd round-Final) 2006 (3rd round-Final) 20.74% 2007 21.87%
Indian Wells Breaking Percentage 2007 21.93% 2008 22.97%
Aussie Open Breaking Percentage 2008 (Total) 23.18%
Rome Breaking Percentage (Total) 2007 23.34% 2008 23.25%
Toronto Breaking Percentage 2004 18.33% 2006 23.53% 2008 21.03%
Roland Garros Breaking Percentage 2007 24.13% 2008 23.68%
Hamburg Breaking Percentage (Total) 2006-2008 27.78% 2008 27.23%
Monte Carlo Breaking Percentage 2005 30.55% 2007-2008 29.20%
More Stats here to add to back up my breaking percentage idea. All slams are 3rd Round-Final only.
First Serve Points Won Cincinnati 2008 75.78%
Aces per First Serve Cincinnati 2008 18.94%
First Serve Points Won Wimbledon 2006 73.85% 2007 73.94% 2008 74.64%
Aces Per First Serve Wimbledon 2006 14.61% 2007 13.4% 2008 15.34%
First Serve Points Won US Open 2002 71.75% 2006 71.78% 2007 70.42%
Aces Per First Serve US Open 2002 14.66% 2006 12.63% 2007 11.94%
First Serve Points Won French Open 2008 68.71%
Aces Per First Serve French Open 2008 9.78%
First Serve Points Won Rome 2008 67.8%
Aces Per First Serve Rome 2008 8.18%
First Serve Points Won Hamburg 2008 66.76%
Aces Per First Serve Hamburg 2008 8.22%
The threshold seems to be somewhere right around 20%. Higher than 20%... tend to play slower. Lower than 20%, faster. Interesting how far below the 20% threshold that 2010 Wimby fell.
This Wimby (2010) appears to have the quickest surface of all Wimbys for which we have stats.
It also appears that every Wimbledon surface since 2006 is faster than the previous year.
I wouldn´t go as far as suggesting that any year to year variation within the same tournament represents a change in the surface. These variations can be caused by other factors, most notoriously the characteristics of the balls and weather conditions, if they change a lot from one year to the next. My argument is much more modest in scope. These numbers are useful because in the first place they confirm without a shadow of a doubt something that was already known: namely, that a clear difference in court speed carries a signal into break percentages. All you have to do is look at the numbers for places like Lyon, Halle, Queen´s, and at the bottom of the list places like Hamburg and Monte Carlo. The signal not only shows what is known about these surfaces -- its screams it loud and clear: players break twice as often in the slowest surfaces than in the fastest ones. There is roughly a 125% increase in break frequency between Lyon and Monte Carlo, and this goes on year after year. By comparison, the increase between Wimbledon 2008 and USO 2008 is in the order of 15%. The increase between Wimbledon and RG that year is around 42%.
My argument is that IF there was such a radical change in the speed of the Wimbledon courts after 2001, or in later years, there would have to be some signal pointing in that direction with these numbers. Instead, not only there is no such signal, but after around 2006 the signal points in the opposite sense. This is very bizarre. It could be that other factors were also changed that we don´t know about, for example different balls. At any rate, the avalanche of posts wailing theatrically about ¨clay-like¨ grass that come up every year are an exercise in idiocy. The height of the bounce does seem a bit higher overall today, but even this is much less obvious because you need to compare similar shots to similar shots. If you pick up a match from the past showing to s&v players charging the net after chipping the ball, of course you are not going to get the bounces you get today with players hitting topspin from the baseline. As I said in another post, the perceived speed of a court is highly dependent on the style of the players, and it is very hard to compare. A heavy shot with a lot of work on it landing near the old baseline, would still bounce high. Another thing that seems to be different is the frequency of bad bounces, which was one of the reasons for the change. Wimbledon still produces more bad bounces than the other majors, but less than in the past. In any case, the radical, scandalous slowdown is largely a myth.
I wasn't suggesting that.
The biggest factor between annual court speed differences is primarily the weather.
I was just stating there seems to be a certain threshold right around 20% where perceived court speed is playing fast or slow.
The 2007 Lyon carpet at 13.57% is unbelievable.
Wow, so it was actually faster. Makes sense why Berdych, Soderling, Murray did so well.
A lot of people don't understand that one of Nadal's specialties are low bouncing balls. There is a reason that Nadal could not capture the AO major when it was slower and higher bouncing.
LMAO !!! yes, clay is very LOW bouncing. ha ha ha ...
he can handle low bounces, but he'd any day, any time take high bounces
yes, he wasn't good enough that time, hence lost to hewitt and got killed by gonzo... BTW in 2008, when the new surface ( plexicushion ) was first introduced, he got killed by tsonga in straights ....
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Telecoms firm opens office after £250k spend
Business telecoms company Rainbow Communications has opened new offices in east Belfast after a £0.25m investment.
The extension was made to accommodate new support and sales teams after Rainbow became the only direct business partner in Northern Ireland for EE's new 4G super-fast broadband.
It also expanded into Scotland in a move which created 20 new jobs, including six at home in Belfast and 14 in a new office in Glasgow.
Newly-appointed Finance Minister Simon Hamilton visited the new offices of the business, which has around 5,500 business customers. Mr Hamilton described Rainbow as "a Northern Ireland success story".
"It's a company that has developed its products and services to ensure its customers benefit from the latest technologies.
"Despite the economic conditions, the directors have invested for future growth, a bold step which is already paying dividends with plans for more job creation later in the year."
Founder and director Eric Carson said: "The company has witnessed huge growth in our mobile offering working in partnership with EE and our expansion into Scotland has also proved a success."
Rainbow employs 80 staff and offers calls and lines, mobiles, broadband and IT services.
Belfast Telegraph

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Passenger Safety Inspections
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St. Mary's holds free car seat inspections at our flagship facility in Bayside on the 2nd and 3rd Fridays of each month from 9-2, by appointment only. The inspection generally take 20-30 minutes and must be made in advance by calling 718-281-8571.
St. Mary's is also a leader in promoting the safe transportation of children with special needs and medically complex conditions. We offer transportation evaluations for children with special needs upon request, so the family does not need to wait until our fitting station schedule. A limited number of loaner seats for children with special needs are available while families seek funding through their insurance carrier.
All inspections are led by certified technicians and are by appointment only. To make an appointment for your next car seat inspection, or for more information please call 718-281-8571.


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Kazakhstan FM: If Iraq Doesn't Disarm, U.S. Can Use Our Airports
ALMATY, KHAZAKHSTAN - Kazakhstan believes that Iraq should be given a last chance to divest itself of its weapons of mass destruction; but if it spurns that chance this Central Asian republic will be ready to provide its air space and its airports to support a military operation against Baghdad.
This was made clear here Thursday night by the Kazhak foreign minister, Kasimjomart Tokaev in a conversation with Haaretz. The minister was guest of honor earlier at a dinner given by the visiting Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations and the local Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, at the close of an inter-faith 'Conference on Peace and Accord'.
Tokaev said the U.S. had been "very persuasive" in adducing evidence against Saddam Hussein. "If it is indeed proven that they have WMD, there is no justification for the existence of this regime."
Kazakhstan opened its air space and provided ground services for allied air forces during the campaign against Al-Qaida in Afghanistan last year.
Kazakhstan's successful divestment of its own nuclear capability, the foreign minister said, could serve as a guide to the Iraqi people after the confrontation ends and a new government takes over in Baghdad. "It is very important for the leadership to explain to the people that the state can not only survive but prosper and succeed, after it has voluntarily disarmed."
It was important, too, he said, for the disarming state to receive international guarantees. Kazakhstan had received such guarantees, a year after its own disarmament, from all five permanent members of the Security Council.
Question: "How do you feel now about the way such guarantees to Turkey are being honored at this time...?
Tokaev: Turkey is a different case... I don't want to be drawn... After they had disarmed, and in large measure thanks to that action, the Kazhaks had been able to conclude treaties of "eternal friendship" with neighbors Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, a formula that is unprecedented in international diplomacy. With China they signed a treaty of "friendship and good neighborliness."
"We are not a threat to any country, and we demonstrated flexibility, too, in resolving all our boundary disputes with all of our neighbors."
Kazakhstan, the world's ninth-largest country, now has juridicially recognized borders all around - a feat that the long-serving Tokaev takes personal pride in having meticulously negotiated.
The inter-faith 'Conference on Peace and Accord' that took place here during the day was intended, the minister said, as a "first step" in a much broader and more ambitious effort at dialogue between cultures. President Nursultan Nazarbaev believed Kazakhstan was uniquely placed to lead the world in this effort. He had invited Muslim Arab states to attend Thursday's conference alongside the Central Asian republics, Afghanistan, and the American Jewish leaders. "They couldn't come because of the Iraq crisis. If they do next time, we will surely have Israel, too."
Islam in Kazakhstan had never been extremist, he said. "Ours is a soft version of Sunnism...more a code of behavior than a religion." Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism and Judaism all lived freely in the country too.
"The Pope himself was surprised at how the Catholic church flourishes here."
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text:
Police say a sex offender who worked as a neighborhood handyman has been charged with sexually assaulting and killing a 76-year-old woman in San Bernardino.
Jerome Anthony Rogers pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Police Chief Roby Handy said Monday that DNA evidence led detectives to the 57-year-old Rogers, who was taken into custody Friday.
Handy said Rogers' DNA was found at the home of 76-year-old Mary Elizabeth Blaskey, who was beaten to death in November. Blaskey's body was found by her son when he stopped by to pick her up for a doctor appointment.
The San Bernardino Sun says ( http://bit.ly/17o8YuG ) says Rogers is known for knocking on doors, looking for work doing landscaping and household chores.
The newspaper says police suspect Rogers may be linked to at least two other killings.
Information from: The Sun, http://www.sbsun.com


text:
Sustained endogenous growth driven by structured and evolving general purpose technologies
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Volume (Year): 21 (2011)
Issue (Month): 4 (October)
Pages: 563-593
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- Paul M Romer, 1999. "Increasing Returns and Long-Run Growth," Levine's Working Paper Archive 2232, David K. Levine.
- Bresnahan, Timothy F. & Trajtenberg, M., 1995. "General purpose technologies 'Engines of growth'?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 83-108, January.
- Timothy F. Bresnahan & Manuel Trajtenberg, 1992. "General Purpose Technologies "Engines of Growth?"," NBER Working Papers 4148, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Trajtenberg, M. & Bresnahan, T.F., 1992. "General Purpose Technologies: "Engines of Growth"," Papers 16-92, Tel Aviv.
- Paul A. David & Gavin Wright, 1999. "Early Twentieth Century Productivity Growth Dynamics: An Inquiry into the Economic History of "Our Ignorance"," Oxford University Economic and Social History Series _033, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
- Paul David & Gavin Wright, 1999. "Early Twentieth Century Productivity Growth Dynamics: An Inquiry into the Economic History of Our Ignorance," Economics Series Working Papers 1999-W33, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
- Paul A. David & Gavin Wright, 2005. "Early Twentieth Century Productivity Growth Dynamics: An Inquiry into the Economic History of "Our Ignorance"," Macroeconomics 0502023, EconWPA.
- Kenneth I. Carlaw & Richard G. Lipsey, 2007. "SUSTAINED GROWTH DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE, CO-EXISTING GPTs," Discussion Papers dp07-17, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
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- Crafts, Nicholas, 2003. "Steam as a general purpose technology: a growth accounting perspective," Economic History Working Papers 22354, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
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- Peter L. Rousseau & Boyan Jovanovic, 2004. "General Purpose Technologies," 2004 Meeting Papers 103, Society for Economic Dynamics.
- Boyan Jovanovic & Peter L. Rousseau, 2005. "General Purpose Technologies," NBER Working Papers 11093, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Rosenberg,Nathan, 1994. "Exploring the Black Box," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521459556, October.
- Rosenberg,Nathan, 1994. "Exploring the Black Box," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521452700, March.
- Paul A. David & Gavin Wright, 2005. "General Purpose Technologies and Productivity Surges: Historical Reflections on the Future of the ICT Revolution," Economic History 0502002, EconWPA.
- Sandro Sapio & Grid Thoma, 2006. "The Growth of Industrial Sectors: Theoretical Insights and Empirical Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing," LEM Papers Series 2006/09, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
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- Greasley, David & Oxley, Les, 1997. "Endogenous Growth or "Big Bang": Two views of the First Industrial Revolution," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(04), pages 935-949, December.
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- Bretschger, L. & Smulders, J.A., 2007. "Sustainable resource use and economic dynamics," Other publications TiSEM fb7079e5-6c6e-4960-91f8-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
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Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott AM is calling on local people to let the Welsh Government know if they believe they live in an area which won't be covered by the on going rollout of Superfast Broadband.
Eluned Parrott AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales Central, said: "The Welsh Government are rolling out Superfast Broadband across Wales, which will be a huge benefit to individuals and businesses all over the country. Despite the Lib Dems in the UK Government securing £12m to roll this out to parts of rural Wales, sadly there will still be pockets which won't be covered.
"The Welsh Government has launched a survey where residents who are concerned about being left out can have their say. I'm encouraging all concerned residents to complete the survey which can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/FHB7P6V."


text:
15 of the Worst Cereals Ever
Cereal seems pretty easy. Something crunchy, some sugar, maybe a marshmallow and bam, breakfast is served. But sometimes it gets screwed up bad. Real bad.
1. Sir Grapefellow
Imagine a crunchy, fake grape cereal brought to you by a remarkably fancy pilot. Are you hungry yet? No.
2. King Vitaman
Hey look kids, we didn't get a cool cartoon spokesman, we got the guy who keeps telling you he has puppies in his van.
3. Punch Crunch
Captain Crunch cuts your mouth up but does it taste like fruit punch? It sure does.
4. Bigg Mixx
Wow, it's like you swept the floor after making all the other cereals and dumped it into a box. Delicious.
5. Kellogg's OJs
Do you know why there's no orange flavored cereal on the market today? Because no one wants crunchy ass orange cereal.
6. Yummy Mummy
Count Chocula's red headed step child, Yummy Mummy was the only cereal that had the balls to name itself after what is ostensibly a MILF.
7. Kiss Krunch
What band would you most like to feel in your mouth? Yeah.
8. New Kids on the Block
OK, last chance, what band would you most like to feel in your mouth?
9. Breakfast with Barbie
Pink cereal bits shaped like hearts and cars. Make 'em nice and shallow at a young age.
10. Urkel Os
Because the worst TV character of all time should be a cereal.
11. Prince of Thieves
"What do kids love? Cereal and Kevin Costner?" – cereal executive, shortly before losing his job.
12. Crazy Cow
It was coated in strawberry milk mix because gross. And also invokes fears of Mad Cow, always a good sign.
13. Crunchy Loggs
Oh God yes, a log. A brown, crunchy log.
14. Fruit Brute
Yummy Mummy's defective cousin, it's the fruity werewolf because why not?
15. Liquid Cereal
Arguably there's no way this is cereal someone spit into a can and yet try to get that picture out of your head.


text:
Artist description:
This is obviously from the fourth book, the goblet of fire. its when harry is brought into the tri-wizard tornament. this is not suppose to be daniel, this is harry in my head.
Flash Draw Created Mar 01, 2009 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2009 lilmonster17yo.
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omg, so. good. keep it up!
am i the only one seeing that really creepy harry potter ad at the bottom of the screen with a really bad harry potter and a gay looking snape?
whoops why is there a 3 there? hmm i mean to put: :3 :D
*squeals* BOUT TIME SOMEONE DREW HARRY POTTER 3 !! me luffz it!!! ^^ 5/5 + favs 3 harryyyy potterrrrr (tho i prefer ron ^^)
the hair really good
Awesome!!! I love the hair and the strong detail in the eyes.
WOW this is the best Harry Potter I've seen yet:D NICE JOB!!! 5/5
good drawing mine sucks lol i need to spend more time on pic inserted of being distracted .. there i go agian telling a random person about something they dont care about p.s 5/5


text:
ChernFest will obviously center on my favorite films of all time, but the feature attraction of the very first cinematic celebration has to be what I consider the King of the Hill. Here, in an excerpt from my book In the Dark: A Life and Times in a Movie Theater, is my take on Sergio Leone's masterpiece, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Sergio Leone used his camera like the baton of the maestro he was, conducting his grandiose shoot-'em-up horse operas with a robust flair of an outrageous master with a lust for life. Never was this more evident than in his masterpiece The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the last of his Dollars trilogy, which were akin to Wagner's Ring Cycle on horseback. This became the epic film of my youth. Never before had I seen the western set in such a bold canvas as the Civil War. When I tasted this spicy mesh of fact and fiction, stirred together in a cinematic bowl of rich minestrone, my palate was changed forever for it made me want to sample more complex flavors that existed in thecinematic world, which I soon did.
Due to their familiarity to American audiences, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood almost seem like astronauts stranded on a distant planet against the backdrop of Leone's vision. It takes but an instant to realize that they are the great director's boldest colors on this magnificent painting of his and they are unforgettable. Van Cleef had such a distinct presence on screen that it is difficult to believe and the shame of Hollywood that he was so unsung an actor and underutilized by producers. Wallach, in the role of Tuco as the credits state and "also known as The Rat" as Eastwood says in the film, is nothing short of fantastic. It is to his credit that he goes so far over the top in his portrayal without becoming obnoxious, not an easy task in a film not in one's native tongue.
Then there's Clint. He is so laid back that he appears to be slumming and allows his co-stars to outshine him. The majority of critics had already misdiagnosed his acting style as "wooden" at this point. They ignored the inherent cool he projected which became part of his signature style. But, it is evident that this is still his movie. One of the most poetic moments in GBU (Good, Bad, Ugly) occurs when the Man with No Name (or Blondie as Tuco calls him) tends to a dying young soldier near the end of the film. He allows the boy a drag off his cigar, a last smoke for comfort. Suddenly, there is a decency about this man that surfaces momentarily. While this small act of charity is fleeting, this Man with No Name more than earns the title of "The Good".
One afternoon, I was in downtown Portland, Oregon waiting for a light rail train nearby what is now known as Province Park, the home stadium for the 2015 MLS champion Portland Timbers soccer team and other sporting events. It was near five o'clock on a Friday and I was fatigued by a particularly grueling work week. Like everyone else, I just wanted to go home. Music, very familiar music at that, caught my ear. This was a melody so esoteric and personal to me that I began to feel as though I were imagining it, scoring my daily life like music sometimes does.
But no, it was indeed Ennio Morricone's music from GBU. The piece from the film soundtrack is entitled "The Strong" and its melancholy tones echoed throughout the streets of SW Portland. It was coming from the stadium across the street from where I was standing. I walked to the curb and just stared at the stadium when another cut called "The Ecstasy of Gold" began. In the film, it plays when Tuco (Wallach) discovers Sad Hill Cemetery and searches for the grave holding the buried treasure he seeks.
It was then that I discovered my own treasure. I smiled from ear to ear as I heard the magnificence of Morricone enrich my soul and an actual tear came to my eye in recognition. It was right then that I found that I wasn't alone in the world. Some one had the chutzpah to play Ennio goddamn Morricone for a sound check at a sports arena and that person was just as big of a freak as me. When you're an eccentric weirdo, you never know when you're going to run across a kindred spirit.
I've always resisted making Top Ten All-Time Best Film lists. I dunno. Maybe it's fear of commitment or something. What's more likely is that I'd end up obsessing over the damn thing. "Oh no! I left off Megaforce!" It's all relative anyway. Do I really know what's the best? I can only state my own preferences. To tell you the truth, I didn't actually come to terms with what my very favorite movie of all time was until just a few years ago. I had in my head it was either Citizen Kane or The Godfather Part II. But after I took in a screening of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (with restored footage) in 2003 at Portland's Cinema 21, it all come home to me. I sat in that theater on a Saturday afternoon, bouncing up and down in my chair like I was 12 years old all over again. (Thank God I went alone) The film was as vibrant and spectacular as I had remembered and reminded me of the influence it has made on my life. Therefore, I can emphatically proclaim without any reservations whatsoever that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
moved into the number one spot, making it my favorite film of all time. (Yeah, I know. Way to make a stand.)
Happy birthday to me.
In the Dark: A Life and Times in a Movie Theater is available on Kindle at Amazon.com and in paperback at Lulu.com This is the Special Edition too. It says so right on the book jacket.
Happy birthday to me.
In the Dark: A Life and Times in a Movie Theater is available on Kindle at Amazon.com and in paperback at Lulu.com This is the Special Edition too. It says so right on the book jacket.


text:
" Brand: Elle Macpherson / Type: Tanning / What it does: Tans, "
This is my favourite Elle Macpherson product! i recieved a bottle of this off a friend for christmas and i hate my pale skin so i thought i would give it a go. I dont usually use fake tans, as i know that they can go horribly streaky and im not a fan off that look
I prefer to tan naturally, but after this product i am tempted to use this instead of lying in the sun for hours!
The first time i used this i was quite hesitant, so i didnt apply much and only to my legs as i could cover up if it went wrong. Im very happy to say it worked magnificently, after only 1 application and made them look slightly tanned as tho i had been out for a while. i used this product after exfoliating my skin (this makes it last longer) and applied it before watching my favourite film before bed. After about half an hour, it has dryed and there was no residue left over, but i waited until about an hour later before going to bed as i thought it would stain the bedsheets
But it didnt, when i woke up it hadnt affected them at all but i had a lovely even tan to my legs so i decided to do it the next night aswell
I built my tan up, and was asked if id been for a weekend away! (this was in february when we had the cold weather)
i still use this product as well as tanning, and this works well, when used as well as a tan, it gives a them a healthy glow to make all my friends envious.
I havent come across any problems with this product, other than the price, but when brought online its a lot cheaper than in boots.
I like the idea that you control the tan, by applying it everyday and this gives a very smooth finish, with even application
I definately recommend this product to anyone who uses fake tan or doesnt, it is easy to apply and produces a magnificent healthy glow to the skin, without looking fake or false.
5 star *****
I'm a complete fake tan addict; I think I've already declared that on DooYoo more than once in the past so it should come as no surprise that I'm doing yet another fake tan review. I'm not ashamed to say that I don't really like my pale skin, especially the way I look almost like a milk bottle during the winter months, and think a little golden glow does everyone some good. For Christmas I was lucky enough to get some Boots vouchers off a family member and so decided to spend them pretty much straight away. One of the products that I bought was the Elle Macpherson Glow Natural Gradual Tan.
Elle Macpherson, for those of you who somehow haven't heard of her, is most well known for being an Australian model. In addition she's an actress and a businesswoman with her own underwear and beauty range. She's also the new host of Britain's Next Top Model which will air on television soon. Now if you've seen photos of Elle Macpherson you'll know that she's a tall blonde who always has a perfect tan, it might have something to do with living in Australia but anyone who looks that tanned the whole year round is worth buying a product from in my somewhat naïve experience.
As the name would suggest this product gives you a natural glowing tan than develops gradually with continuous application. There's many other products out there on the market that offer something similar including Johnson's Holiday Skin to name just one. The idea behind them is that you apply the product over a period of time and that you'll find your tan grows with each application. I usually prefer to use Fake Bake or St Tropez tanning lotion which gives a much darker tan but the gradual tanning products do allow you to control how intensive your tan is and are often quite a bit cheaper.
The product comes in a beige bottle that sits upright on a black circular lid. The product name of "Glow" is displayed on the front of the bottle in a golden font and below this is a few additional details in black. The packaging does look really expensive and quite exclusive; it certainly stood out on the shelf in Boots compared to its counterparts. I also really like the fact that the bottle stands upright on its lid which means all of the lotion will automatically be at the dispensing end, this is essential I find when you reach the end of the bottle as it means you don't spend ages squeezing to get the last bits out!
The product itself is quite a thin lotion and comes out easily from the bottle when squeezed gently. It seems a little thinner than other fake tans that I've used in the past but this means it spreads more evenly on skin. It's almost white in colour but tinted with a golden hue and the best thing is it smells absolutely delicious. It's scented with patchouli and it smells really fresh and slightly perfumed. There's also a hint of mint in there which makes it quite refreshing too. It certainly makes a change from the rather biscuit type smells that seem to seep from the majority of other fake tans that I've used in the past.
The bottle recommends that you apply the lotion to clean and exfoliated skin as this means it'll last longer on your skin. If you don't exfoliate it doesn't matter but it probably won't last as long or be as even. I find it rubs in really easily and smoothly, as it's quite thin it doesn't seem to clog up at all. After I've applied it I try to let it soak in for about ten minutes by which point there's absolutely no grease or residue left on my skin, just a lovely scent instead. I tend to apply it before bed and I'm glad to say that, unlike with other products I've used, it doesn't dye my bed covers or pyjamas brown or orange at all!
When I woke up the first time after applying it my skin has a lovely golden glow to it, it was slightly lighter than I would have liked but it was definitely evident. The best thing about it was that my skin didn't feel greasy at all and the tan was perfectly even too. The colour after one day was quite subtle so I applied it again on the next night and found this did deepen and intensify the colour quite significantly. It did still look like a natural brown colour and there wasn't anything orange about it at all thank goodness. The other good thing was that there was no nasty smell the next morning after applying it too!
I tend to apply this product for two nights on the run and then I'll leave it for two or three days before exfoliating and applying it again. It doesn't go patchy at all but after two or three days it did start to fade quite quickly but it didn't look bad at all. A 250ml bottle of this product will set you back £8.95 in Boots, I have looked online and haven't been able to find it cheaper elsewhere. It is more expensive that other gradual tan products but I personally think it gives a more natural colour and the fact it smells nice is a big bonus. I probably would buy it again if treating myself, 4 stars from me!
Thanks for reading.


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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New Revolution Under-16 and Under-18 youth teams competed at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz., during the weekend, with both teams playing three games each between Friday, Dec. 3, and Monday, Dec. 6.
The Under-18s went 2-1-0 with multiple-goal performances from Fabio Machado, Jr. (Leominster, Mass.) and Daniel Tchen (Concord, Mass.). Cole Denormandie (Lincoln, Mass.) and Matthew Keys (Norfolk, Mass.) also scored for the U18s, while five different players recorded assists.
The Under-16s went 1-2-0 with three goals and an assist from Diego Fagundez (Leominster, Mass.), who has scored eight goals in the team's first five games of the season. Matt Bitchell (Byfield, Mass.) provided assists on three of Fagundez's Winter Showcase goals.
Outside of regular training, both the U18s and U16s have a break from competition until early March when the Revs will begin their third season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Kicking off a series of home matches, the Revolution youth teams will play NJSA 04 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 5.
Under-18s vs North Carolina Fusion Under-18s
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
North Carolina Fusion U18s 1, Revolution U18s 0
After a scoreless first half, Alec Rotunda found the back of the net in the 65th minute to put the Fusion ahead. Despite several chances, the Revolution was unable to answer, resulting in the U18s' second shutout loss of the season.
Scoring Summary:
FUS – Alec Rotunda 65
New England Revolution: Tyler Zon (GK), Felipe Fagundes, Sean MacDonald, Matthew Keys (Fernando Baptista 79), Adrian Reifsnyder, Daniel Tchen, Cameron Bielski (Fabio Machado, Jr. 61), Yannick Kabala, Michael Rincon, Tanor Jobe (Daniel Chmura 70), Cole Denormandie
Misconduct Summary:
NE – Sean MacDonald (caution) 85
Under-16s vs North Carolina Fusion Under-16s
Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
North Carolina Fusion U16s 3, Revolution U16s 1
Peguy Ngatcha (Manchester, N.H.) scored to put the Revs ahead early in the first half, with Diego Fagundez registering his first assist of the season. The Fusion's Adam Storm leveled the game only seven minutes later, followed by two more goals from Marco Sunol en route to the U16s' first loss of the season.
Scoring Summary:
NE – Peguy Ngatcha (Diego Fagundez) 12
FUS – Adam Storm 19
FUS – Marco Sunol 30
FUS – Marco Sunol 74
New England Revolution: Matthew Mozynski (GK), Christian Sady, Willis Griffith, Mitchell Taintor, Forest Sisk, Frederico Ferre (Ryan Kingsley 41), Jack Hilger (Kelvin Castillo 60), Dominik Machado (Daniel Apajee 69), Devin Devoy (Steven Duncan 69), Diego Fagundez (Will Szostkiewicz 78), Peguy Ngatcha (Matt Bitchell 63)
Misconduct Summary:
FUS – Taylor Adler (caution) 27
Under-18s vs Minnesota Thunder Under-18s
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Revolution U18s 4, Minnesota Thunder U18s 2
With U16 defender Mitchell Taintor (Storrs, Conn.) playing up with the U18s for the first time, the Revs jumped out to a two-goal lead in the early minutes of play. After surrendering a goal to the Thunder in the 20th minute, the Revolution's Fabio Machado, Jr. (Leominster, Mass.) netted two of his own. Despite allowing a second goal after half, the Revs earned a decisive three points.
Scoring Summary:
NE – Cole Denormandie (unassisted) 2
NE – Daniel Tchen (unassisted) 13
THU – Mohamed Alowonle 20
NE – Fabio Machado, Jr. (Mitchell Taintor) 28
NE – Fabio Machado, Jr. (Michael Rincon) 46
THU – Ebenezer Mengisto 50
New England Revolution: Jose Silva (GK), Kyle Gordon, Sean MacDonald, Mitchell Taintor, Daniel Chmura, Daniel Tchen, Cameron Bielski (Felipe Fagundes 68), Yannick Kabala, Michael Rincon (Tanor Jobe 78), Cole Denormandie, Fabio Machado, Jr. (Fernando Baptista 72)
Misconduct Summary:
Under-16s vs Minnesota Thunder Under-16s
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Minnesota Thunder U16s 2, Revolution U16s 1
Diego Fagundez (Leominster, Mass.) gave the Revs a 1-0 lead going into halftime, but Minnesota leveled the score in the first minute of the second half. The Thunder never looked back, netting the game-winner in the 57th minute.
Scoring Summary:
NE – Diego Fagundez (Matt Bitchell) 34
THU – Ali Hassan 41
THU – Ismaila Jome 57
New England Revolution: David Hepp (GK), Christian Sady, Willis Griffith, Will Szostkiewicz (Forest Sisk 68), Devin Devoy, Dominik Machado (Evan Rosa 75), Jack Hilger, Steven Duncan (Peguy Ngatcha 49), Daniel Apajee (Ryan Kingsley 57), Diego Fagundez, Matt Bitchell (Kelvin Castillo 68)
Misconduct Summary:
Under-18s vs Sporting Kansas City Under-18s
Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Revolution U18s 3, Sporting Kansas City U18s 1
Fresh off of Sunday's 4-2 win, the Revs continued their scoring prowess in the final game of the Showcase. Daniel Tchen and Fabio Machado, Jr., netted a goal apiece, marking their second game in as many outings on the score sheet. Matthew Keys registered a third goal for New England before the Revs allowed a lone Kansas City goal in the 77th minute.
Scoring Summary:
NE – Daniel Tchen (Adrian Reifsnyder) 41
NE – Fabio Machado, Jr. (Cameron Bielski) 60
NE – Matthew Keys (Daniel Tchen) 71
KAN – William Witherspoon 77
New England Revolution: Tyler Zon (GK), Kyle Gordon (Devin Devoy 67), Sean MacDonald, Matthew Keys (Daniel Chmura 75), Adrian Reifsnyder, Daniel Tchen, Cameron Bielski (Jack Hilger 60), Felipe Fagundes, Fabio Machado, Jr. (Tanor Jobe 85), Cole Denormandie, Fernando Baptista (Michael Rincon 46)
Misconduct Summary:
Under-16s vs Sporting Kansas City Under-16s
Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 – Reach 11 Soccer Complex (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Revolution U16s 2, Sporting Kansas City U16s 0
Helping give the Revs a victory against Sporting Kansas City in the Revs' final game in Phoenix, Diego Fagundez and Matt Bitchell (Byfield, Mass.) teamed up to produce a pair of goals in the 2-0 win.
Scoring Summary:
NE – Diego Fagundez (Matt Bitchell) 37
NE – Diego Fagundez (Matt Bitchell) 45
New England Revolution: David Hepp (GK), Christian Sady (Evan Rosa 61), Willis Griffith, Mitchell Taintor, Forest Sisk, Dominik Machado (Will Szostkiewicz 70), Yannick Kabala, Matt Bitchell, Frederico Ferre (Ryan Kingsley 50), Diego Fagundez (Daniel Apajee 63), Peguy Ngatcha (Kelvin Castillo 74)
Misconduct Summary:


text:
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Published Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 | 6:45 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 | 9:22 p.m.
Related stories
Gov. Brian Sandoval struck a moderate and optimistic tone in his second State of the State speech on Wednesday night, as he presented a $17.6 billion proposed budget for the next two years to the 2013 Legislature.
In his address, which may have telegraphed themes of his expected 2014 re-election campaign, Sandoval emphasized the progress Nevada has made over the past two years since he was elected- 30,000 jobs created, more than halfway to the 50,000 jobs he has committed to creating.
"The last two years have been a success story, not fully realized, but undeniably on track," he said. "I can confidently report to the people of Nevada that the state of our state grows stronger every day."
His budget and speech had a little something for everyone -- conservatives and liberals, education advocates and school reformers. He wants to expand full day kindergarten, but also allow school choice. He highlighted his expansion of Medicaid, but also wants the recipients to make co-pays.
Viewed charitably, allies will describe the speech as furthering his reputation as a center-right but pragmatic governor, not known to take on one sweeping challenge but looking to change policies at the edges. Viewed critically, it could be seen as expedient short-term politics to get himself re-elected in 2014, as he tries to appease all sides without a confrontation.
"In this budget, we've reduced the tax burden on local businesses, we've addressed increasing caseloads and we've begun to diversify our economy," he said. "The social service net is stronger. Support for education is increased. And Nevadans will continue to benefit from the over-arching policy of this administration throughout this economic downturn - that is, we cannot cut our way out, we cannot tax our way out, we can only grow our way out."
Sandoval has already taken most of the potential partisan thunder out of the Legislative session, by agreeing to extend about $650 million in taxes that would otherwise expire and agreeing to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance for more low-income Nevadans.
In his speech, Sandoval embraced that portion of the Affordable Care Act, noting 78,000 Nevadans will be covered and 8,000 new health care jobs will be created as the federal government injects "over half a billion dollars into our state's economy" to pay for the expansion.
But he also emphasized that he would seek to reduce payroll taxes on businesses.
"Let me be clear - Nevada's employers cannot afford higher taxes, and I will not support them," he said.
He called for those on Medicaid to pay a small amount in co-pays.
But not all his ideas will be embraced.
In the Democratic response, Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, said Sandoval's agenda falls short of addressing the persistent problems plaguing the state, calling on him to be more aggressive with education funding and restoring pay and benefit cuts sustained by state workers over the past four years.
"Gov. Sandoval's proposed 'modest' increase in education spending from last year is not sufficient to make up the hundreds of millions of cuts that have been made over the last four years," Denis said. "This is unacceptable, not just to our current students but to the future of our state."
Democratic leaders questioned why he was cutting taxes for business when the state doesn't adequately fund education, and why he was depleting the state's rainy day fund.
"Why in the world would we cut the (payroll tax) when we can't properly fund schools," said Sen. Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, and incoming chair of the Senate Finance Committee. "Why would we eliminate the rainy day fund when we're not in a crisis? That money is supposed to be for an emergency."
But Republicans applauded the speech and his position on extending most of the taxes - which two years ago, a majority of Senate Republicans voted against.
"I think Nevadans of every stripe should be happy with this speech and with this budget," Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, said.
Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno said: "I think he hit all the bases, but whether it was a home run, I don't know," noting that the Legislature will further decide what should be prioritized.
Sandoval also promised to increase funding for English language learners, putting $10 million in a "knowledge fund" for higher education and earmarking money for the Millenium Scholarship, to extend it until 2018.
Sandoval painted a bleak picture of the situation when he took office, with the state leading the nation in unemployment, foreclosures and personal bankruptcies. The state faced budget cuts "in every category."
Sandoval cast the 2011 Legislative session as one where "we were able to work together to craft bipartisan compromise" and set the stage for the state's current progress.
He said his last appearance was "preceded by a period of decline." But on Wednesday, he argued "my appearance before you tonight has been preceded by a period of growth - yes, growth."
The general fund portion of the state budget, which does not include federal dollars, represents a "modest increase" over his last budget.
A sky-rocketing caseload growth in health and human services is mostly responsible for the added spending, he said. But he emphasized his proposal to spend more money on education.
"My commitment to K-12 education has also increased spending for our schools," he said. "But we must only allow for growth that our fragile economic recovery can bear."
Denis struck a mostly deferential tone in his response, praising the governor for his integrity and commitment to work with others.
But Denis saved his harshest criticism for Sandoval's social safety net funding.
"The governor's policies have been devastating to families with children with autism or mental and physical disabilities," Denis said. "Senior citizens have seen their services cut as well.
"We cannot provide the services necessary for our vulnerable populations if we do not adequately fund social services."
Denis said Democrats will begin rolling out an agenda to "build a better Nevada."
But while Denis accused Sandoval of "promising the world," he stopped short of providing any insight into how Democrats would propose funding their major policy initiatives.
He did, however, tick off a list of Nevadans that he said could not foot the bill for the initiatives.
"We cannot implement these plans on the backs of the middle class," he said. "Nor can we ask tourists and our resort industry to pay more for these investments. We cannot ask our small businesses to stretch resources any further."
Anjeanette Damon contributed to this story.


text:
You are here
New Astra VXR to get Geneva reveal
Vauxhall has confirmed that next month, at the annual Geneva motor show, it will unveil its Astra VXR to the public for the very first time. This is good news.
After all, the standard Astra GTC (on which the VXR sits) graced your Internet screens last June. In November last year, Vauxhall unleashed a torrent of information on the upcoming hot hatch, and told us two-time Nürbürgring 24-hour winner and cigarette enthusiast Joachim Winkelhock helped in its development.
Gallery: new pics of the Vauxhall Astra VXR
And then there was the power. Oh the power. Vauxhall announced the VXR will come with a 276bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, complete with 295lb ft of torque and a top speed of 155mph.
Making a valiant attempt to control this power is the HiPerStrut lifted from the Insignia VXR, and a specially developed proper mechanical limited slip differential working on the front wheels. Torque steer, your days are numbered.
The VXR will get Vaux's FlexRide adaptive dampers as standard, featuring a Sport and VXR button for more focused damper, throttle and steering control, as well as Brembo brakes.
We also know the new VXR will get an optional double-decker rear wing that actually produces exactly the same reduction in lift as the standard single-deck rear wing, which you can see in the attached gallery (it's the yellow car).
Says Smokin' Jo: "We have devised a great package that will convince even the most experience and enthusiastic drivers."
Also on Vauxhall's stand at Geneva will be the new Mokka SUV, and the most powerful diesel the company has ever produced, in the shape of the Insignia BiTurbo - think 192bhp, 295lb ft of torque and 129g/km of CO2.
Now watch Jeremy in the old Vauxhall Astra VXR:
What do you think?
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A long time ago, "Ad Astra" introduced me to Spiritual Beggars and made them one of my favorite bands until this very day. You can't argue with the fact that these guys are geniuses! I know my music, and I tell you it's impossible to find a similar sound anywhere because they're unique, which is a very rare and special trait nowadays - especially in the stoner world - .
Over the years, the group has been changing their sound from album to album, meeting their prime with JB's debut in the retro-refreshing "On Fire". Due to these changes - and mainly since this release - I can't really qualify Spiritual Beggars, as a perfect or totally metal, rock, blues, or stoner (etc.) band: they're completely different. Spiritual Beggars are the perfect hybrid of rock, blues and metal. They gathered the main characteristics of each genre and combined them into the perfect mix that is this "On Fire": Arch Enemy solos mixed with retro and blue-ish keyboards plus riffs with a smell of blues and stoner/doom sound equals flawless music. It's a no-brainer. The record is just perfect.
The retro ambient takes you to a psychedelic world that connects your mind to the "karma way of life", becoming one with the universe - Buddhism, if you will -. "Fools Gold" and "Burden of Dream" are the perfect example of the retro psychedelia: very melodic and simple tunes with catchy choruses. The lyrics are very spiritual and deep ("Young Man, Old Soul" and "Tall Tales" are enough to prove my point); heavy riffs and astonishing solos; unbelievable vocals; beautiful keyboard solos; well-played bass and, to top it up, clearly stoner -oriented drums.
"On Fire" shows that Spiritual Beggars can really vary their sound. Every single track is completely different from the next or previous one, which, in my opinion, shows their creativity. "Street Fighting Saviors", the opening track, is an example of their fast and heavy sound and "Young Man, Old Soul" shows their slow and doom side, pleasing Black Sabbath fans, like myself. If you want a blues and melodically beautiful tune, listen to the guitar and keyboard solo in "The Lunatic Fringe" – it reminds me of a more calm and sentimental Jimi Hendrix - . Beautiful!
I want to talk about "Tall Tales" specifically because it's my "I can do it" song and always draws a smile on my face - we all have at least one of those, right? -. It's a seriously heavy tune; the riffs are simple, heavy and catchy with a mind-blowing solo and an interesting riff change. JB's voice tears your ears apart because it's more aggressive here, making you see the gift this man has. He truly is gifted and I love his voice: it's unique, melodic, and high-pitched with a "whisky" touch to it (if one may call it that). To help you visualize, imagine Joe Cocker hitting high notes, fitting perfectly with their sound! Just Awesome!
Looking to get your mind blown? "On Fire" is the way to go! I wish I could talk about every single detail of this record, but you don't explain their music: you feel it. I'll never forget the day I bought this one at a music festival; it's my pride and joy. Treasure their music like I do.
Long live Spiritual Beggars!
Sweden is the new hotbed for American hard rock. As little sense as that makes, a multitude of killer r'n'r seems to be emanating from the frosty north as of late. Michael Amott's (Carcass, Arch Enemy, Candlemass) Spiritual Beggars fall squarely in the kick ass category... if you're expecting Arch Enemy redux TURN BACK NOW!
"On Fire" is vintage 70s stoner rock, modern style. The riffs, vocals and leads reak of faded denim and marijuana smoke, recalling Sabbath in their prime. This has been done many times before, but rarely to such effect. Songs like Street Fighting Saviours and Killing Time are potentially classic, and totally well written tunes... the tracks flow together, and it's easy to distinguish between them. If you like "stoner rock" in all it's mislabeled glory, On Fire is a MUST BUY.
New singer "JB" sounds pretty much the same as Spice... and there is less organ than there was on Ad Astra. Fans of Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, Cathedral, et. all need to hear this shit, it's top notch, and deserves to be heard.
I'd like to know where Micheal comes up with the Spritual Beggars music as this stuff is in stark contrast to what he has done in Arch Enemy and Carcass. I've heard a lot of people call this doom metal but that doesn't fit, the closest classification is "doom rock". It does have its doomy moments but this is more of an old school 70's type rock/metal album than anything else.
Now, I haven't heard any of the Beggars other albums but this is one is quite strong. It's a mixed bag of hits and misses, the hits being "Beneath the Skin", "Young Man, Old Soul", and "Tall Tales". When the band hits they really hit and you find yourself following along with every guitar lick, solo, riff, drum beat, drum fill and vocal melody. The misses consist of "Fools Gold", "Fejee Mermaid", and "The Lunatic Fringe" and unfortunately when the band misses it lacks any of the energy of the other songs. The rest of the album is good but doesn't stand out and slap you in the face like it should.
The vocals are very strong rock vocals(gruff but with just enough melody to keep the songs from falling apart). The guitars are great, which really doesn't need to be mentioned as this is a Micheal Amott band and the drumming pounds through the songs with lots of 70's styled drum bits.
Overall a strong album and after hearing this album I will certainly be checking out some more of the Beggars material.


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This just melts my heart & on a rainy Monday, I figured we all needed it!
This sweet man lost his wife on July 26th, 2014 after 63 beautiful years together. Shortly thereafter, he lost his dog. As you can imagine, it's hard to handle that much loss in such a short period of time. His family stepped in and wanted to make sure he never felt lonely so they gifted him just about the cutest puppy to ever exist.
Grandpa, you are a strong man who will be a great new dog dad. You also have an incredible family! Here's to the next chapter for you and your adorable puppy 🙂 – @KelOnAir


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Kwame Geathers Articles
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2013 NFL Draft was Jan. 15. The economic majors who can play ball decided to take the money and run. But not every name on the list is a can't-miss blue-chip draft stock. These are the 10...
Nathan Rush
4 years ago


text: Recently I've been stuck behind my desk working on freelance projects and actual work work…haha. I was able to escape to the studio to make some random stuff for the take one box on 39th and Bell. Hopefully some good people are enjoying their free painted spray cans. I cut out some new fists and #1 hands for some x-mas presents. Some of this stuff will end up installed on the streets….keep an eye out, and stay tuned!


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" Brand: Melissa & Doug "
* Prices may differ from that shown
I bought the Happy Giddy Net for my two youngest children after reading a review on here and becoming a little bit intrigued, it's such a simple thing - a net for catching butterflies and such, made a little more exciting with the use of a cute character and smart brightly coloured wooden handle. The kids have never shown much interest in what's outside in the garden other than Hollie being terrified of wood lice and her two year old brother having a complete obsession with ants (ant, 'nother ant, 'nother ant, 'nother ant to infinity), but just recently we've had quite a few butterflies in the garden as they seem to be attracted to some of the flowers we planted at the beginning of summer - I haven't seen butterflies in numbers for a few years so decided now was the time to see if we could collect one or two and have a closer look at them.
Aesthetically it's absolutely gorgeous, reminding me of the dipping nets we used to buy from beach kiosks when I was a kid on holiday with my mum and dad. Of course, being Melissa & Doug it's brightly coloured and looks absolutely stunning - the handle is a caterpillar (Happy Giddy) with such a cheerful face that you can't help but fall in love with him, we all know the connection between caterpillars and butterflies so I think it's great that such attention to detail has been shown. The net is bright orange and spans roughly 8" from side to side, it has a long drop down of mesh below the hoop which is much kinder to the delicate winged creatures you're hoping to catch and gives them plenty of room to either flutter around or settle once they've been caught. Hollie likes to add a few leaves to the net before going butterfly hunting, I'm sure this isn't necessary but anything to hold her interest has got to be a good thing - the net is strong but very soft (again to protect the butterflies) so if your child is thinking of adding greenery I'd recommend you check to ensure only soft leaves are being used to avoid damaging the mesh.
Overall this is a strong toy with the designers obviously being well aware of the battering it's likely to take when given to young children to run around swiping the general garden area. Ours is only just over a month old but it's been used practically daily since the heatwave began and the butterflies started showing themselves, mainly by six year old Hollie and only occasionally by David as he seems to enjoy catching Hollie more than butterflies - much to her annoyance! She's used it with a couple of friends who are six and nine, when played as a group they had great fun and enjoyed catching the pretty white butterflies which were in the garden that day - when, during the day, they had individual goes I noticed the older girl wasn't half so interested as when she had the little ones to entertain but then I suppose it's an age thing and this is geared more towards younger children in my opinion (although, being a little contradictory here, older kids and adults can have the same level of fun with it if catching butterflies is their thing).
There's absolutely no damage (yet) to the net, the handle is solid wood but the way my kids bang it around I was expecting there to be at least a little denting to the wood by now - but no, I'm looking it over right now and it looks as good as the day it arrived in the post with the colours still vibrant and everything looking exactly how it should.
So, what have we done with it? Our net has mainly been used to catch butterflies and some whopping huge moths which have taken up residence in our back garden over the past few evenings; we're not bug hunters by any stretch of the imagination so I improvised with a clear plastic box to tip the bugs into if the kids wanted to have a closer look, although mostly we just looked at them while they were inside the net and then let them go again. You can see well enough into the net despite the bright colour, this is obviously easiest in the sunlight outside as the sun shines through the small holes in the mesh but really if you want to check out specific markings of a butterfly to identify it you'll need to transfer it into a box (remembering the importance of air holes!). I personally find transferring to be awkward and I'm so terrified of hurting the butterfly that usually I'm far too gentle with the tipping process and they end up flying away into the house - more wary of the net this time and far less inclined to be caught!
The best way to use the net, for us at least, is to catch the butterflies and release them direct from the net to avoid hurting or stressing them - we accidentally killed a large moth when Hollie twisted the net a little suddenly and that was awful, I played it down to Hollie as I didn't want to put her off her new toy (it was only a few days after she had it) but secretly I felt terrible about it as it was such an impressive 'bug'. Thinking back we've caught at least twenty butterflies and numerous moths (lots more than butterflies, but if you go for the large moths they're just as fascinating and almost as pretty as butterflies), all of which we've had a look at and tried to identify online as well as taking time to discuss the various attributes of the creatures. We've mainly caught what I call cabbage butterflies (those fluttering white ones, I'm sure they have a more impressive name) as they seem a little more inclined to fly into the net than their colourful cousins, yesterday we spent a good twenty minutes trying to get hold of a glorious orange/red butterfly which just wouldn't let us come close enough to nab him - teaching Hollie an excellent lesson in patience, and also that you can't rely on wildlife to do what you want!
A few days ago there were no butterflies to be found so as it was just David and his dad they set about catching the uglier side of bug-life, I was quite impressed when I got home and Mark told me what they'd managed to grab - although I was pleased to have been out when he described the horror of a daddy long legs losing all but one of his legs as he flapped around trying to get out. They also collared some flying ants and managed to get no fewer than eight into the net in one go, apparently these bugs loved it and Mark had trouble getting them to vacate the net afterwards - thankfully his common sense kicked in and he didn't bring those particular 'delights' anywhere near the house and let them loose at the very top of the garden. They also caught a couple of those vivid green bugs with the flat bodies, I have no idea what these are but they seem to be in abundance this year and are attracted to the net (the colour?) so tend to be easy to catch - a big spider from inside the shed also found its way into the net, making me doubly glad I was out as it sounded humongous!
When I originally read Broxi's review of this net I saw her comment about not wanting to dirty the net using it in water, and I thought this was a shame as the dimensions would be perfect for catching the tiddlers we see at our local duck ponds. Looking at the net now I have it however I can see what she means, if you're not fussed about dirtying it then by all means take it pond dipping - the wooden handle probably won't like it and the net WILL become dirty, but I doubt you'll completely wreck it unless you leave it immersed in water for a period of time. Frankly I think you're far better off to use this for its intended purposes (bug collection) and buy the kids some proper pond dipping nets if that's what they're interested in - I personally won't be using this one in water as I want it to remain bright and cheerful, but of course the option is there should you make the call for water play.
One last thing to remember is that butterflies aren't for everyone, something we learned last weekend when my phobic sister sat down to be greeted with a very large moth which Hollie had decided to set free next to her. Lots of screaming and shaking of hands later brought it home to me that butterflies/moths are as terrifying as spiders to some people (my sister can pick up huge spiders with her bare hands, but quivers like a leaf at the sight of the tiniest moth) - teach your kiddies to be considerate of other peoples feelings with this (and any other bug related toy really) and everyone will be so much happier.
Even now as I write this I still can't quite believe how cheap the net was, I paid £5 for it from Amazon which included delivery and think that is an absolute BARGAIN considering the fun Hollie and David have had with it - not to mention the educational aspects and the fact that this simple outdoor activity has freed up a good bit of *my* time as although they still need to be supervised I can do that with my nose in a book while soaking up the sun instead of having to chase around trying to entertain them during this looooooong summer holiday! The manufacturers recommended age is three, but I have absolutely no qualms about letting two and a half year old David play with it even when his big sister isn't around - the fact that it's just under 60cm long means it's unlikely to gouge out his eye when he falls (surely the reasoning behind the age recommendation) and he certainly wouldn't get his big body entangled in the net. I suppose the biggest risk is that he'll trip over the stick as he's dashing around with it, but the child thinks he's Usain Bolt so maybe that will teach him that he doesn't have to run everywhere!
Highly, highly recommended - even by this city girl who has no previous experience of bug catching.
Happy Giddy, the caterpillar featured on this net, is part of Melissa and Doug's Sunny Patch range of toys. As far as I can tell, this has no connection the children's television programme "Sunny Patch", but I could be wrong. He has a large green plastic head, and a body made from wood which has been covered in what appears to be a colourful striped paper which is very well sealed in a clear plastic covering, with an orange plastic handle and an orange metal hoop with a large orange net. The net itself is 9" across and the total length of the toy is 23". The net is very soft and quite deep as well, stretching out to 18", by my measurements.
Melissa and Doug are probably best known for wooden toys, but they sell a very wide range of educational toys. No matter what type of toy I buy, I have never had anything from this company that I was not 100% satisfied with. Melissa and Doug toys always seem to have a difference, a special touch above and beyond the usual mass produced toys. They sell the type of toys I would make for my own children if I had the ability. Melissa and Doug are real people, a husband and wife team - although they were only dating when they started the company in 1988 from Doug's parents garage. The company is American based but their toys are widely available throughout the UK. We have always bought from amazon, but you can find their toys at ELC and Toy R Us as well.
We bought this to add to my sons every growing bug hunting kit. Butterflies and moths have very delicate wings which should not be handled by human hands. My son's bug guns could easily damage these very fragile creatures, and while they enjoy hunting bugs very much - we do like to return most of them unharmed to the place we found them after a quick observation. Moths caught indoors are one exception, they get turned lose, but outside rather than in. Flies, which can also be caught with this net, however suffer a more gruesome fate, as food for our plants.
My youngest son chose this toy from Amazon, and it was clearly the caterpillar which attracted him to this net. My oldest seemed well pleased, and when offered his own net, said he was just share with his brother. I think this may be because he feels to old to ask for the caterpillar one, but secretly prefers it to the plain green. In addition to net, my son has the matching bug house. There are several other products available with the same character as well as a whole range with other insects for outdoor play.
I have read another review where this was used in water for pond dipping or rock pool exploration. I'm sure it could be used for this, but I feel the net would end up mucky and possibly discoloured. My sons have used this only for catching flying insects, but they have caught quite a few different insects. They returned from a butterfly hunting expedition with houses packed full of butterflies and dragonflies which we photographed and fed melted ice lolly on a sponge before I made my husband take them back to the exact spot the insects were collected to release them. It isn't fair to take them away from their homes.
All of the insects captured have flown away easily when released, and I do not feel the net has harmed them. Of course some parental supervision is required to teach children to be kind even to these little creatures. An unsupervised child could easily bring a collection home and leave them in a bug house or other container to die, or unintentionally damage a butterflies delicate wings. Worse still, some children are deliberately cruel to insects. I do realise some must be killed, and in fact we kill insects to feed plants and salamanders, and at times baby insects for fish ( midge larvae). I think any of us will kill the offending fly, not to mention fleas or head lice, but wanton cruelty is never a good thing and allowing children to torture even the smallest creature is encouraging character traits one might well regret later. Supervision is also wise to make sure children are not hurt. Hunting dragonflies near a pond alone would be very dangerous, and of course it is not an especially good idea to catch bees or wasps in this, or anything on a patch of stinging nettle. Children should be taught to use this both safely and humanely.
My oldest son says this net is a good choice because the large net makes it much easier to catch things. My youngest says it is nice because it has a very colourful design and a caterpillar, plus you can reach way up high with it, and see the bug you catch in the net before you put in the bug house. I very much appreciate the fact that this is very well made and has survived some very enthusiastic pouncing on hexbugs and demonstrating how to catch bugs - they are more gentle where living things are concerned.
Of course we do live in Northern Ireland and sunny days are not nearly as many as we would like. We have also used this to catch a tennis ball indoors, but do be careful to avoid anything breakable with backhand swings. We play on the landing where there is nothing to break. My son has also asked for some plastic bugs to catch indoors. I've ordered a wee walking cockroach to torture my husband with. He says he has started to have nightmares about bugs. We have no sympathy. Funny enough, my children don't really seem to understand nightmares well, both saying they can't remember ever having a bad dream. We have tried catching hexbugs in this as well, but they really aren't much fun for long as they are a bit too easy to catch. I'm looking for plastic butterflies now that could be thrown in the air or swooped about on a string and scooped up making this a bit more fun for long rainy days.
I bought this from Amazon for £4.99. As always with items bought directly from amazon, postage was free. Amazon has two separate listing for this and the second listing shows this as £6.49 + £6.13 for postage. Needless to say I recommend the cheaper one. Just be sure you have the right listing if you choose to buy.


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Review for United States Masters Swimming Inc, Bend, OR, USA
What a nightmare this organization is. I was a member for 20 years and was their magazine editor for almost ten. After the organization hired an unqualified executive director in 2008, who did things like routinely asking me about my marital status - tip of the iceberg - I couldn't tolerate it anymore, so I left. You may find my name in the historical documents, but after how I was treated, you won't ever again find my name on their current membership roster.
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1/28 Irwin Avenue Altona North 3025 VIC
Stunning Single Level Living
In a marketplace saturated with double storey townhouses, the options for comparable sized single level homes of this caliber are certainly limited; making this a welcomed addition for prospective purchasers to add to their Altona North shopping list. This is a grand statement indeed and certainly a proud example with unrivalled styling, bold design elements and finishes of only the highest quality.
Simply stunning, with striking street presence and an envious position, we present this re-invented classic brick rendered 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with street frontage and 2 car spaces on title in a highly sought after and peaceful pocket. More than meets the eye, this property suits an extremely rare yet particular niche in the Altona North marketplace.
The kitchen is simply stunning with plenty of 'eye candy' on offer, highlighted by the 'on trend' stealth dark cabinetry and glossy tiled splash back. This is all accentuated perfectly by the crisp stone bench tops and stainless steel appliances. Further afield a generous open plan seamlessly links to the accommodation quarters with exquisite bathrooms, including a well-appointed private ensuite to the master, and stylish robes to all bedrooms.
As you head outdoors; brilliant outdoor entertaining awaits by way of your very own private courtyard, just perfect for spending those warm afternoons relaxing in the sun surrounded by low maintenance landscaped gardens. Large enough to comfortably satisfy; you will embrace the features, selections, fixtures and fittings at every turn.
Both clever and efficient, this home comes loaded with thoughtful inclusions such as cost effective LED lighting throughout, gas ducted heating & evaporative cooling, garden storage shed; plus many more outstanding features that can't possibly all be listed here. With a fantastic and quite central Altona North location that has you within immediate proximity to city-bound freeway access and merely a short stroll to 'Altona Gate' shopping, '16 shops' and much more... Inspection is essential to fully appreciate all this stunning home has to offer.
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text: Here is an email about a group purchase for some custom banquet camera negative sized portfolio boxes: Greetings everyone, As promised, I am providing everyone with the full details of the group purchase for portfolio boxes for banquet formats. Its taken some time to get this all together, but I think its going to be worth it for everyone. The company we have selected to build the boxes is called Portfoliobox, Inc. They are based inRhode Island, and all they do is make custom portfolio boxes for artists and photographers, and other larger clients. You can go to their website to see the scope of their products at: www.portfoliobox.com First, the boxes will be available in two sizes in the group purchase. The nominal sizes are: 15x25x1-5/8 20x28x1-5/8 These are sized to fit a mounted 7x17 and 12x20 images, with 4 of matt around the image. The depth is sufficient to accommodate 12 images, matted and overmatted with 4-ply mattboard. There is the possibility for several additional portfolio box sizes. These include: 22x25x1-5/8 20x24x1-5/8 22x28x1-5/8 I think there will be enough interest in the 22x25 size to make it go. Heres what the boxes are going to look like: This is called a lipped clamshell box, and is similar to the nicest boxes that are available from Light Impressions, Archival Methods, and other places. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. These boxes are actually made to a higher standard than the portfolio boxes made by the typical catalogue stores. First of all, the materials used for the boxes are a bit more robust (these are made with Basswood sides as opposed to cardboard sides, for example). I think the attention to detail will be higher with these boxes, also. Each one will be hand-wrapped with the linen, so the quality of the assembly can be brought to a higher level. AND, OF COURSE, THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN BANQUET-SIZED BOXES, which are not really available from the catalogue stores without large minimum orders. We have selected a very nice dark brown/warm grey color for the linen. This comes from a German linen line called Iris, and the color is #817 (Coffee). This color image file is a little cool and a bit too dark on my calibrated screen, but you should get the idea that it is a warm grey color. I would estimate the color to be about at the #9 step on a Kodak Gray Scale chart, which puts it about 1 stop darker than 18%. This linen is actually a slight upgrade from the basic linens that are available, but we felt that the few dollar cost increase was well worth it, considering how well this color appears to work with platinum/palladium and black&white prints. #817 was initially selected by a handful of people as a very nice, non-assuming color that has a bit more character than the straightforward black or dark grey that most portfolio boxes are finished with. Then, the owner of Portfoliobox mentioned to me how well #817 complements the tones in B&W and pt/pd prints, which confirmed the general impression that we had. The Iris linen is a little nicer finished material than the basic linen that most boxes come in. It has little bit of smoothness to it, which I think is a result of a mild buffing of the fabric. Its a very subtle difference, but it does have the feel of a bit higher quality than the baseline linen. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Now for the all important information; pricing. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For the 15x25 box, it will cost $75 plus shipping. For the 20x28 box, it will cost $85 plus shipping. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THESE PRICES ARE FIRM, AND REFLECT THE ECONOMY OF SCALE THAT PUTTING THIS ORDER TOGETHER WILL RESULT IN. Shipping will vary, but will run from about $10-12 for a single, and go down from there as you order more boxes. The larger boxes may be as high as $12-18 because of the size of the box (oversize shipping may apply). If you get a second and third box, the shipping may only be a nominal amount more than the single. THESE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON HAVING 15 BOXES OF EACH SIZE. I think were able to meet that without problem, and the price will go down if we get more than about 20 in one size. Substantially less than 15 per size will result in higher prices, but I think we have enough interest to not worry about that. For people interested in other sizes, you will be able to benefit from the volume of the order, and get better than one-off pricing for these. For example, if there are 3-5 of the 22x25 boxes, it will probably run about $95-100 per box. If there are other sizes that people are interested in, we need to discuss them, and see if there is enough interest to get it to go as part of the group purchase. Regardless of whether anyone else wants a box in the size you want, you can get that size, but the price for a single odd size will be higher due to the reduced economy of scale. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PROCEDURE FOR ORDERING THE BOXES: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I need an email from each of you with a commitment for boxes and the sizes you are interested. I also need your contact information (phone number and mailing address). I am not going to collect money. When all the data has been assembled, I will send it to Portfoliobox to begin the order process. At that point, each of you will have to either email, or call Portfoliobox, and confirm your contact and shipping information, as well as give them your credit card number for a deposit. I believe they will take a deposit of 50% to complete the order. Once that is done, they will make the boxes, and ship them to each of you directly. Because this is a group purchase, and my purchase helps your pricing, and your purchase helps my pricing, it is important that everyone who commits to purchase some boxes follow though and do so. I will be in contact with anyone who has not made contact with Portfoliobox to follow though. Once we have email commitments from everyone, we will set a deadline to get the order placed with Portfoliobox, so this does not drag on too long. If you have any questions, please email ASAP so that we can get you answers and not delay the ordering process. Portfoliobox estimated that delivery will take approximately 4-5 weeks from the order date, and this may stretch out a little if the order gets really big. Sincerely, Michael Mutmansky andClay Harmon


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Debit Interchange Fight Sparks Battle of Big Spenders
Goliath vs. Goliath.
That's the landscape as the retail and financial service industries duke it out over attempts to regulate debit interchange fees.
In 2010, credit unions and commercial banks spent $67 million to lobby Congress. Commercial banks spent $56.7 million and credit unions doled out $9.3 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The retail industry spent $40.2 million to lobby Congress last year.
That largesse, coupled with the fact that both industries employ many people in every state and congressional district, have made lawmakers reluctant to choose sides.
Most of the lobbying didn't deal with interchange.
The financial services sector had a lot on its plate in trying to influence the Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul bill. For credit unions, much of the effort centered on minimizing the impact of the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. They and the community banks successfully fought to exempt financial institutions with assets of less than $10 billion from being subject to direct examination by the bureau. NAFCU pushed hard to have credit unions be completely exempt from the bureau's rules.
The interchange component only factored in toward the end when Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the amendment.
CUNA spent $6.5 million on lobbying, the most of any credit union entity. NAFCU was second with $2.1 million, and Pentagon FCU was third with $260,000.
Other large lobbying expenditures were: Boeing Employees CU, $210,000; Alaska USA FCU, $155,000; California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, $70,000; and the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corp., $5,174.
Those expenditures range from the cost of supplying witnesses for hearings to some of the salaries for staff members who do the lobbying.
On the banking side, the American Bankers Association and JPMorgan Chase each spent $7.4 million. Wells Fargo spent $5.4 million; Citigroup spent $5.3 million and the Independent Community Bankers of America spent $4.5 million.
The regulatory overhaul didn't impact the retailers until the debit interchange issue came in. The biggest expenditures were CVS, Walmart and Target, which spent $8.9 million, $6 million and $2.8 million, respectively.
Among the retail trade groups, the big spenders were the National Association of Convenience Store Operators and the National Retail Federation, which spent $2.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively.
During the 2010 campaign, the political action committees of banks, credit unions, retailers and their trade associations gave extensively to federal candidates as well.
Credit union PACs gave $2.8 million, 57% to Democrats and 43% to Republicans.
Commercial bank PACs gave $8.9 million, 61% to Republicans and 39% to Democrats.
Retail political action committees gave $6 million to federal candidates, 56% to Republicans and 43% to Democrats.
Durbin, because he is a member of the leadership, has received contributions from banks, credit unions and retailers.
From 2005-2010, he received $196,375 from individuals and PACs related to commercial banking, his 11th largest donor group. He received $85,350 from individuals and PACs tied to retail sales, his 26th largest group.
During that time, CUNA's PAC gave his campaign $10,000, and NAFCU's PAC gave it $2,500.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate are still pushing legislation that would delay the implementation of the Federal Reserve's rule regulating debit interchange fees.
Last month, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the agency wouldn't be able to release the final rule by the April 21 deadline. He cited the large number of comment letters as one reason.


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Calendar Event
Men's Basketball Game
Oct 26, 2013
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
PFG 107-2 (Patrick Gym Basketball Court Center)
St. Michael's vs. UVM (exhibition). Ticket purchase information: http://uvmathletics.com/sports/2013/7/24/TIX_0724133413.aspx.
Price: $10 to $22; free for UVM students with UVM ID
Sponsor: Athletic - Basketball, Men's
For more information, contact O'Brien, Matthew at 802-656-7968 or email@example.com.


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|All Oracle Classes
Oracle Database 11g SQL Fundamentals I:
Learn relational database concepts and how to query the database with SQL. You will learn all topics needed for the OCA Exam 1Z0-051. Become Oracle OCA Certified!
Average Student Rating:
Oracle Server Technologies and the Relational Paradigm
- Position the Server Technologies
- Understand Relational Structures
- Summarize the SQL Language
- Use the Client Tools
- Create the Demonstration Schemas
Data Retrieval Using the SQL SELECT Statement
- List the Capabilities of SQL SELECT Statements
- Execute a Basic SELECT Statement
Restricting and Sorting Data
- Limit the Rows Retrieved by a Query
- Sort the Rows Retrieved by a Query
- Ampersand Substitution
Single-Row Functions
- Describe Various Types of Functions Available in SQL
- Use Character, Number, and Date Functions in SELECT Statements
Using Conversion Functions and Conditional Expressions
- Describe Various Types of Conversion Functions Available in SQL
- Use the TO_CHAR, TO_NUMBER, and TO_DATE Conversion Functions
- Apply Conditional Expressions in a SELECT Statement
Reporting Aggregated Data Using the Group Functions
- Describe the Group Functions
- Identify the Available Group Functions
- Group Data Using the GROUP BY Clause
- Include or Exclude Grouped Rows Using the HAVING Clause
Displaying Data from Multiple Table
- Write SELECT Statements tAccess Data from More Than One Table Using Equijoins and
- Nonequijoins
- Join a Table to itself Using a Self-join
- View Data that Does Not Meet a Join Condition Using Outer Joins
- Generate a Cartesian Product of Twor More Tables
Using Subqueries to Solve Problems
- Define Subqueries
- Describe the Types of Problems That the Subqueries Can Solve
- List the Types of Subqueries
- Write Single-row and Multiple-row Subqueries
Using the Set Operators
- Describe the Set Operators
- Use a Set Operator tCombine Multiple Queries inta Single Query
- Control the Order of Rows Returned
Manipulating Data
- Describe Each Data Manipulation Language (DML) Statement
- Insert Rows inta Table
- Update Rows in a Table
- Delete Rows from a Table
- Control Transactions
Using DDL Statements to Create and Manage Tables
- Categorize the Main Database Objects
- Review the Table Structure
- List the Data Types That Are Available for Columns
- Create a Simple Table
- Explain How Constraints Are Created at the Time of Table Creation
Creating Other Schema Objects
- Create Simple and Complex Views
- Retrieve Data from Views
- Create Private and Public Synonyms
- Create, Maintain, and Use Sequences
- Create and Maintain Indexes