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THE STORY - from the back cover of the disc "Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes go at it amid a dazzling cyber-future in this explosive hit. In 2032 arch-criminal Simon Phoenix (Snipes) awakens from a 35-year deep freeze in CryoPrison to find a serene, non-violent Los Angeles ready for the taking. Unable to deal with Phoenix's brutal 1990s style, officials seek an old-fashioned cop to fight old-fashioned crime. They revive Sgt. John Spartan (Stallone), unjustly serving a CryoPrison sentence because of his last encounter with Phoenix." That sums up the story nicely, without spoiling it too much. It's kind of a mix of action and humour, with Sandra Bullock thrown in to add a bit of sexual interest. Nigel Hawthorne plays the founder of the serene new world and a rather good job he makes of it too. Watch out for Denis Leary playing? well, playing himself, really. The plot isn't great, but it's a half-decent action film. Certainly worth a look if you like Stallone, Snipes or action films. THE DVD Extras There aren't any. The back cover lists Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Subtitles and English 5.1 Dolby Digital sound as extras, but they aren't extras. They are the absolute, bare minimum that a DVD should contain. Sound As stated above, this is Dolby Digital 5.1 and it's pretty good too. Not brilliant, but not bad. Like the extras, this is functional, without being inspiring. Picture This is without doubt the WORST picture I have ever seen on a DVD, or even VHS video. Some scenes are so blocky that when I first watched the film, I thought my TV or DVD player was broken. There are artefacts, pixelation and signs of compression throughout the film and it really spoils things if you are used to watching DVDs. OVERALL As a film, it's a half-decent action film. As a DVD, it's dreadful. I bought mine for £6.99 and I still felt a little ripp
ed off. Of course it comes in Warner Bros traditionally cheap and nasty cardboard case, which is bad enough, but forgivable when the quality of the DVD itself is up to scratch, but this one isn't. If you want to show off your home cinema system, then this disc is possibly the worst one ever to do that. If you like this film, buy it on VHS - the picture will be better. If you want to buy it on DVD - I'm selling my copy via amazon.co.uk for a fiver.
Perusing the top few opinion titles about Comet, it would seem that people do not have a high opinion of Comet. Unfortunately (for Comet) I am not going to change that. The reason I am writing this opinion is that I have a story to tell; "Once upon a time a young, handsome prince decided it was time to get a new stereo. His old stereo was six years old and made a grating noise every time a new CD was put in and the tape player was eating tapes like they were going out of fashion. The prince decided what sort of thing he was after and how much he wanted to spend and he went shopping. He went to a variety of stores and no one had what he wanted. He went in to Comet for the second time that day and decided to ask about a stereo. (He had to ask because he had been in twice and no-one had spoken to him despite the fact that he had been staring at the same stereo for ten minutes.) He listened to a stereo that was more expensive than he wanted (he had set a budget of £300 and the one he was looking at was £350). He decided that since he was a prince, he would have the stereo he was looking at. It was bigger than he wanted, more expensive than he wanted and had a twin tape when he only really needed a single tape but it looked and sounded great. He was told by the storekeeps assistant that the one on display was the only one left and there was no box and probably no instructions - but that the price would be reduced to compensate. Off trotted the assistant and came back saying that he could knock £15 off - or he could offer extended warranty for half price. He explained that it was the last one because it was being phased out and had been replaced by that unit over there (he pointed at a stereo from the same manufacturer for £500!) The handsome prince, who was also quite rich, decided to have the one for £350 knocked down to £335 and off went the storekeeps assistant to see if he could find the instructions. While he was gone, th
e prince decided to play with and listen to the £500 system. When the storekeeps assistant came back he had some instructions but the prince had decided to buy the more expensive system. The storekeeps assistant took the prince to get his nice, new stereo and lo, they didn't have any! The prince was told that they would have some on Friday and the prince went away empty handed. The prince went home and his wizard friend told him that it was not meant to be and that he should make do with his old stereo - after all, a swift thump (or seven) to the side of it cured the grinding sound. The prince was astounded by the days events and agreed with his wizard friend. Fate obviously did not want him to spend his wealth and he decided to wait." It astounded me that my simple and straightforward requirements were almost impossible to meet. How an electrical "superstore" can have neither of the stereo systems I decided on except for the display models is beyond me. I only really wanted to spend £250, but would have spent £500. Instead, I spent nothing - I couldn't give them my money because they had nothing to sell me. The fact that not a single member of staff offered any greeting or acknowledgement until I went looking is beside the point. Most of the time, I don't want to be bothered by staff until I'm ready, but a simple "Do you need any help?" never does any harm at all. It had taken me a long time to decide to replace my stereo and I had no idea it would be so difficult to spend my money. Like the prince in my story, I think it is fate telling me to hang on to my hard earned pennies for a while. The amazing thing is that the store is massive, well layed out, clean and tidy and yet apparently has no stock. Oh, and offering to knock £15 off a product that is £350, being phased out, has no box and has been on display for god knows how long borders on insulting. Shop ass
istants look at me and the way I dress and assume I have no money or am not serious - a dangerous and stupid mistake to make. Never judge a book by it's cover. UPDATE. Unbelievably, I went back to Comet to try, once again to buy a stereo. I wanted a micro system and they had the one that I wanted. I asked one of the assistants if they had one in stock and he went away to find out. He came back and said... ...wait for it... ..."Sorry, we've got one on order. It might have come in this morning. I'll just check with the warehouse." Five minutes later he comes back. "They don't know what's been delivered yet. Can you pop back this afternoon?" "Of course I can pop back this afternoon. I don't mind wasting more of my day off in your store on the off chance that you may actually have what I want. I don't mind wasting petrol driving home, only to come back again this afternoon. Of course I don't mind coming back this afternoon. I love this store because it saves me so much money by not actually having anything that I want." (Didn't really say that, actually I smiled and said "Sure, ok.") Did I "pop back in the afternoon"? Of course not. I went to a proper store (Music Matters, Hobs Moat, Solihull). One that actually sells things and has them in stock. Not only did they have what I wanted they had two of them and were quite happy to sell me one, and I was able to upgrade the speakers to the ones from the next model up. They were friendly. And helpful. And I'll go back there when I want something else hi-fi related. As for Comet, they may be big, but they are not at all helpful, knowledgeable or worth bothering with. If you want to buy anything stereo related, find a decent Hi-fi shop nearby and go there first. Comet may be cheap, but they don't actually stock what they sell.
Addicted to Love is a romantic comedy featuring two extremely amiable stars. Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick are both competent, inoffensive stars, who (generally) make competent inoffensive movies. Sam (Matthew Broderick) is an astronomer whose girlfriend Linda(Kelly Preston) goes to New York to teach and decides to stay, dumping him in the process. Naturally, he goes to see her only to hear a man's voice coming from inside her hotel room. He decides to stay and observe her and her new man Anton (Tcheky Karyo), and takes up residence in the abandoned building opposite their apartment. During the first few days, he encounters Maggie (Meg Ryan), who it turns out, was engaged to Anton. Maggie and Sam team up to try and split up the happy couple, doing whatever it takes. Sam is obsessed with winning Linda back and Maggie wants Anton humiliated and destroyed. If you have ever seen a romantic comedy then you'll know exactly what happens in the end, but I won't spoil it for those who can't guess. This film is no "When Harry Met Sally" but it is a nice film. It's is amusing without being fall-on-the-floor hilarious and it is sweet without being too sickly. Meg Ryan is gorgeous and as good as she always is. Matthew Broderick is funny and charming and Tcheky Karyo is really rather good as the character we hate and then feel sorry for. All in all it's a really nice film and perfect for watching with the one you love. DVD Extras Cast and Crew biographies for Meg Ryan, Matthew Broderick, Kelly Preston, Tcheky Karyo, Maureen Stapleton, Rachel Portman (Music), Andrew Dunn (Director of Photography), Robert Gordon (Writer) and Griffin Dunne (Director) Behind the Scenes (words), something on Camera Obscura (a history of a central technique to the film) and the Theatrical trailer.
*The Film Bad Boys is an action film starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two Miami cops who work for the drug squad. When $100 million dollars worth of heroin is stolen from the police lock up, they set out to catch the culprits before their department gets closed down. As you would expect from a film with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence it isn't a dead serious drama and is played with a sense of humour. It's 18 rating is down to the violence and the swearing and it is a great film. The two stars have a great time playing their respective roles and it is a great buddy movie. Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) is married with kids while Mike Lowrey (Smith) is a happy-go-lucky bachelor. The two are forced to switch places when the only lead in their search for the drugs refuses to speak to anyone but Lowrey, who cannot be found at the time. The resulting confusion throws obstacle after obstacle in the path of our intrepid heroes as they try to balance the case with Burnett's home life. The film is great if you like your films packed with shoot outs, explosions and car chases all wrapped up in a lightly humorous package. The director, Michael Bay, keeps things moving along nicely and it is a film worth watching time and again. *Sound and Vision The picture quality is nice and clean and the sound is what you would expect with a good surround sound effect. *Extras All the usual DVD extras like scene access, mullet language subtitles and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Also included are a documentary, "Putting the Boom and Bang in Bad Boys" about the special effects in the film (23 minutes long) featuring comments from the main members of the special effects crew, a multi angle SFX featurette showing different effects from a variety of camera angles, the theatrical trailer, three music videos (Shy Guy by Diana King, So Many Ways by Warren G and Five 0, Five 0 by 69Boyz), profiles on Michael Bay, W
ill Smith, Martin Lawrence and Tèa Leoni and a photo gallery.
The best Batman film (in my opinion) comes to DVD. Tim Burton's inspired direction provides a darker and more brooding vision of the caped crusader, laying to rest the cringe-inducing campness of the Adam West/Burt Ward TV series. Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren's screenplay give Tim Burton plenty to work with and he directs a strong cast in this wonderful film. Michael Keaton is superb as Bruce Wayne (alias Batman) and he play the role with a wit and charm that really brings the character to life. Kim Basinger positively sizzles as Vicky Vale, a photographer assisting Robert Wuhl (Alexander Knox) in his search for the mysterious Batman. Inspired casting sees Jack Nicholson steal the show as The Joker. If ever there was a role that was made for Jack Nicholson, then this is it. For an older film, the transition to DVD is remarkably good. The picture is sharp and clear and the colours are bright and clean. The sound (in Dolby Digital 5.1) is clean and does what it's supposed to. Extras on the disc include cast biographies, production notes and scene selection as well as subtitles in English and Arabic. I doubt that there can be many people who haven't seen this film, but I'll just give a quick run down of the story. When he was a child, Bruce Wayne watched as his parents were killed during a mugging. He inherited his parents fortune and grew up to be a fine upstanding citizen of Gotham City. Years later, while fighting crime he drops Jack Napier (Nicholson) into a vat of acid. Napier survives and becomes The Joker, intent on wreaking havoc on the good people of Gotham. Caught between the hero and the villain is Vicky Vale. Suffice to say, good triumphs ultimately. This film has just about everything you could want and since it is available for about twelve quid, it's definitely worth getting. Put simply, it's a great film with a great cast and there isn't really a reason
not to get it.
I'm writing this before I read anyone elses opinions because I feel very strongly about this particular subject. I have been accused of being insensitive (by dooyoo members) in the past, and I feel sure that this will spark more criticism, but here goes... Religion is evil. Now before you all go jumping on me for being intolerant, I'll tell you all a few things about being intolerant. Many of you will never have encountered racism, but I have, and I can tell you that it is not pleasant. Racism is not acceptable under any circumstances, but it might be understandable, because racism is fear of something that ignorant people don't understand. I have suffered racial abuse and have been treated differently because I have a Jewish sounding surname. I do not practice any religion, and have absolutely NO belief in any religion, yet I have been picked on, and criticised and insulted because of my name. Religion causes so many problems that it should be outlawed. As a set of guidelines for how you should live your life it cannot be faulted, but people are always trying to force their beliefs on others. There is no god. People always bang on about how he works in mysterious ways, but he does not exist. The bible is a work of fiction (not fact like some people think) and is a metaphorical guide book on how life should be lived. The real problem I have is with certain types of believer. They are the people who selectively pick and choose when to be religious and when to disregard it. I get criticised for living my life the way I do, because I have no belief in god, but I live my life taking each person for who they are, not what they are. I help everyone that needs and wants my help and I expect nothing in return. Despite the fact that I never harm anyone, or force my lack of belief on people, I still get singled out because of my lack of belief, and that is made even worse when my surname comes into t
he equation. Why can people not just leave each other alone to live their lives as they see fit. I may be a little biased (being a scientist), but god cannot exist. People want to believe in god (and the devil) becaue it takes the responsibility for their lives away from them. Their life is being "controlled" by something else, so it's not their fault. Religion does serve a purpose. It guides and comforts and gives people something to cling on to. I am all in favour of people having someone/thing to turn to when they need it and that is a good thing about religion. The bad things about religion are that most wars and conflicts are about religion. The trouble in Israel is not about land, but is about religion. Iraq argue that the West are persecuting them because of religion. Hitler was motivated by religion (initially). History is littered with religious wars and religion is a convenient excuse to go and slaughter thousands of people. The worst thing of all is racial intolerance between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Christianity is based on Judaism, yet many Christians have problems with Jews. Essentially, both groups worship the same god, so where's the problem? That's my main problem with religion. People pick and choose which bits of a belief serve their purpose and disregard the rest. They use it to their advantage and that's the problem. Relgion causes more problems for more people than it solves.
*The Film The film follows four friends and their attempts to pay back "Hatchet" Harry, a local gangster, the money they lost to him in a card game. To pay back the debt, they decide to rob their neighbours, who are planning to rob some local cannabis growers who work for another local gangster. In order to accomplish this task, they buy some antique guns from Nick the Greek, a local wheeler dealer. These particular guns were stolen for Hatchet Harry. To explain the film more would spoil it for those who haven't seen it. Suffice it to say, this film is fantastic. It was the first film I ever bought on DVD and it is probably the film I watch the most. It is gangster comedy thriller set in the East End. It is a fantastically written, directed and acted film. Vinnie Jones is absolutely superb, but there are no bad performances in this film. The music and sound effects are great and the whole film is a definite masterpiece. It might not suit everyone, because there is a fair bit of violence and a lot of swearing, but then it is 18 rated, so it's not for the easily offended. *Extras Extras include both full frame and widescreen (16:9) versions of the film (one on each side of the disc). The theatrical trailer is included, as are cast and crew interviews with Guy Ritchie (director), Matthew Vaughn (producer), Nick Moran, Sting, Vinnie Jones, Dexter Fletcher, Frank Harper, and Jason Fleming. *Summary This film is great. If there is any justice, then it will go on to be one of the great British films of modern times. It is slick, and funny and is definitely worth watching time and time again. A great film.
*The Film Star Trek Generations is the seventh film in the Star Trek series and is the first to feature the cast of The Next Generation TV series. The film starts on board the Enterprise B, with Kirk, Chekov and Scotty guests of honour at the launch of the new ship. During the launch, they respond to a distress signal and during the mission that rescues passengers from two ships, Kirk is swept out into space. The scene then switches seventy years into the future and to the Enterprise D, under the command of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Picard and his crew encounter one of the rescued passengers, Dr Tolian Soren (Malcom McDowell) who is developing a weapon capable of destroying stars, aided and abetted by some renegade Klingons. During the encounter, the Enterprise D is destroyed and Picard is swept into The Nexus, a place of supreme happiness, where Kirk had been dragged and where Soren is trying to return. Picard takes Kirk back with him to a time before the Enterprise D is destroyed, and together they tackle Soren. *Picture The picture quality is tip-top and as you would expect from DVD. *Sound The sound is great, especially if you take advantage of the Dolby Digital 5.1. The explosions are amazing and the rest of the sound is crisp and clear. *Extras There are no extras at all on this DVD, other than the usual subtitles and foreign language options. *Summary This film is not an essential purchase for anyone. If you are a Star Trek fan, then you'll know whether you want to buy this on DVD. If you aren't a fan, then you probably won't be interested. As sci-fi films go, it's pretty good. At times it's entertaining, light hearted, thought provoking and in general, a good old cosmic caper. It's suitable for all ages (it's rated PG) and is worth considering if you like inoffensive sci-fi films.
The X-files is not the same program it was a few series ago. That's not to say that it isn't any good anymore, it's just different. The recent series have been less scary. Some of the early episodes used to leave you with that sneaking feeling that it could be true; that they could be out there; that there could be government agencies at work controlling things in the background. The current series on Sky One seems to lack that "spine-tingling" feeling that some early episodes used to give me. I still think that the X-files is definitely worth watching and I wouldn't dream of missing a new episode. But the newer episodes do have a different feel to the early episodes. Part of this change in feel is that the identity of the smoking man is now known, which has removed some of the sinister mystery that lent a certain atmosphere to the X-files. It's still a great show, but it could do with a few more spine-tinglers. Still definitely worth watching. UPDATE The new series of the X files has been running for a few weeks now on SKY. I had never missed a single episode until 3 weeks ago...and I haven't watched it since. David Duchovny has been replaced by Robert Patrick and my loss of interest has nothing to do with this. My loss of interest has been due to the fact that the new series (like the last couple, only more so) has lost the edge that the early series' had. They are no longer thought provoking, slightly spine chilling stories, with the occasional humourous episode thrown in. All the atmosphere has gone. I think it happened somewhere around the time of the film. Prior to the film, the whole "do aliens exist" question was under debate and that was what made the series what it was. Now that most of the questions that drove the series have been answered (is there a government conspiracy, do aliens exist, what happened to Mulder's sister), the series has nothing to drive it.
The X-files was one of my favourite shows. I've stopped watching it because it is a pale shadow of what it once was.
Duke Nukem is a Doom clone, i.e. it's a shoot 'em up played from a first person perspective. While Doom was hailed as revolutionary (despite being based on the game Wolfenstein 3D), Duke Nukem offers little over Doom (or any number of the other clones, for that matter). Doom was ground-breaking. It brought the first person perspective to millions of gamers. Doom did what it did very well. Duke Nukem does what it does equally well. It just doesn't do anything radically different and it doesn't have the atmosphere that Doom had. I remember playing Doom and jumping out of my seat when I walked round a corner to be confronted by some nasty or other. I have Doom and wanted something a little bit different but of the same genre. All the magazines had been raving about Duke Nukem, and when I saw it in my local HMV for £15 (normal price £29.99, this was quite some time ago) I decided to buy it. I got it home and played it and it seemed okay. I played it a bit more and discovered that I had been suckered in by media hype and propaganda. Duke Nukem was just another Doom knock off, and a decidedly average one at that. If you're after a first person shooter then there are quite a few that are a lot better (and newer) than this rather feeble offering. Duke Nukem was supposed to be a game with a sense of humour, and in fairness, it does have it's moments. The humour soon wears thin though and you are left with that empty feeling that somehow, there must have been more they could have done when they programmed this game. As an example, the funniest thing in the game (apart from Dukes "witty" comments) is when you go to the lap dancing club on the first level and get to offer money to the "dancers" who then open their tops! Cheap, and not very thrilling - a bit like the rest of the game, in fact.
Cultures is a resource management game based around Vikings. You control a small group of Vikings and train them to do various jobs like being a huntsman, baker, farmer, etc and you build them places to live and work. The game is cute and the Vikings do not go rampaging about the land, looting and pillaging. It's not that kind of game and they aren't those kind of Vikings. You build your community. Male Vikings go to work and female Vikings cook them dinner and have babies. When two Vikings get married and have somewhere to live, you can tell them to have a baby. The baby arrives and grows up. Once the baby (boy) reaches adulthood, you can train him to do whatever job might be required. Baby girls grow into women, who then have more children (if you want). Care needs to be taken to ensure that there is enough food for everyone. There is some combat but not fast and frantic. If you fall out with the natives (whosoever they may be) then they may attack you, in which case train up some soldiers and defend your settlement. Cultures is a slow paced, "nice" game. It looks nice, it sounds nice and it's nice to play. It is suitable for just about anyone and is a very inoffensive game. There are the usual campaign missions to play (you are set a task and when you complete it you can progress to the next stage) or you can play different scenarios where you can play as long as you want. The game is quite fun to play and should last quite a while. Worth a look if you think you like the sound of it.
Baldur's Gate II is a traditional RPG. You select a character and set off on an adventure. Along the way you encounter various characters that may try to hinder you, or they may try to help you. Depending on how you treat them, they may either want to join you, or kill you. When you create your character, you get to choose the name and physical appearance as well as the race and alignment (good, neutral or evil) among other things. When you've chosen your character, the game begins with you in prison. Soon you are sprung by a friend from the past and you set off to rescue more of your friends. Nearby are some basic weapons and armour and once equipped you're ready to fight your way out. Throughout the game you will encounter characters that will set you certain tasks and offer your rewards for completing them. That pretty much sets the tone for the whole game. I won't go into details because it will spoil the plot (which is pretty decent) and the game is enormous, coming on four CDs. There are the usual shops to buy and sell equipment, weapons, armour, etc and there is the usual dose of sword and sorcery. Different characters have different abilities and also different story lines. I spent three weeks playing this game almost solidly and I completed it without having used some of the characters, which means I missed out on their story lines. One day (when I have the time) I'll go back and play it again to see what I missed. Having the time is one of the problems with this game. It so consumes your thoughts that you end up really wanting to see what's coming next and as a result you end up spending a lot of time thinking about it (when you aren't playing it). The other problem is that when your main character dies, you have to reload the game. If your character isn't particularly hard (i.e. a druid or something) then you die a lot and I do mean A LOT. I bought this game from PC
World because they were selling it at half price (that's £14.99, what a bargain). If you like RPG's then you really should get this. It's great!
Empire of the Ants is a resource management type of game with a twist. Instead of controlling people or monsters, you control a colony of ants. Definitely a fresh idea and it sounds really interesting. Unfortunately, it SOUNDS interesting. Actually, it isn't. I played this game (briefly) before turning my back on it and haven't revisited it since. The problem is, it's a little bit too hard. The first level is dead easy, but after that it gets really, really, really hard. My little anthill can only produce so many soldiers so quickly but the enemy ants seem to swarm all over me in limitless numbers. If I can fend off an attack, I have to devote time and resources to creating new soldiers to replace the ones that have been killed and that means that I run out of resources and when winter comes, my ants starve and I lose the game. Maybe I'm just stupid (which I doubt) or I'm just not very good at these type of games (which, again, I doubt). Maybe I just can't manage ants, which is a shame because as creatures go, ants are remarkable things. It might be that I just gave up with this before I had got to grips with it, but I found it too difficult (or tedious) to manage ants above ground and below ground. As well as deciding which ants to generate and telling them where to go and what to do, you also have to build the nest, which means you need to create ants to build. A really nice idea and a great looking game. It was just too difficult and not enough fun to hold my attention.
Breath of Fire III is a fantasy role playing game, very much in a similar mould to Final Fantasy VII. You control a band of characters, with up to three in your party at any given time. You fight battles and gain experience which makes your characters stronger and so on. There are some puzzles, though they aren't that difficult and the story is pretty good. Your character is a member of a race called the Brood; terrible (possibly evil, maybe just misunderstood) half dragon things which walk around looking human. Throughout the game you collect various "crystals" which allow you to access your inner dragon. Various combinations create various types of dragon with various strengths, weaknesses and uses. The bigger the dragon, the more magic points it takes to transform into and maintain that shape. If you are a fan of the genre (RPGs) then you'll probably fancy taking a look at this. It doesn't have the Final Fantasy series' exquisite cut scenes and the graphics aren't as breathtaking, but the game is playable and it should hold your attention. It's not so hard that you give up because it's no fun anymore (like some games that I can think of). The only boring bit is when you have to cross the desert. This involves walking towards a star (at night, if you travel during the day, you dehydrate) for what seems like weeks. Occasionally, you get waylaid by nasties, but then it's back to walking towards that star. This part maintains the plot, but is oooh sooo tedious. One of the big plusses of this game is the fact that, if you have a fishing rod, you can go fishing in various rivers and oceans. This is strangely compulsive. You can catch a variety of fish, which have a variety of uses or can be traded in for various items. The challenge seems to be to try and catch all the different types of fish (of which there are many) and try to see if you can catch even bigger ones than before. Overall, an excellent game, especially if you like RPGs, spoilt only by the desert wandering but enhanced by the fishing!
Final Fantasy VII is, I believe, the first Final Fantasy game to appear on the Playstation. I bought this game a while ago and played it for about two weeks solid. Once I had completed it, I played it again because I found out I had missed out on quite a lot the first time. For those of you who don't know, FFVII is a role playing game set in a sort of futuristic, post-apocalyptic type of world. You play a spiky haired little mercenary called Cloud Strife (don't laugh, you can change the name if you want). As you play the game you will encounter a number of characters that may join your group. Each character has their own story line and each uses their own type of weapon. Each character can be equipped with materia, which are magical "stones" that bestow various magical abilities. As with all RPGs, as you progress through the game you gain experience which makes your character(s) a little bit better. FFVII has some of the best animated sequences I've ever seen. These are genuine, cinematic quality cut sequences that are simply breathtaking. As well as being stunning to look at, they also help tell the story. This game is a really, really wonderful game, but it will take quite a while to play. The first time I played it, it took me about fifty (that's 5-0) hours to finish, while the second time took me about twice as long and there are still things I haven't seen. One of the characters for example, called Vincent Valentine, still eludes me. Final Fantasy VII is one of my favourite games and it simply makes the hours fly by. It comes on three discs and will last a very long time. It is highly addictive and you develop a bond with the characters (mainly because you spend a lot of time with them) and really get drawn into their world. I bought it at full price as soon as it came out, so now it's on budget for about £15, I don't think you can go wrong. Definitely a cla
ssic game, definitely worth a look.


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It's been pretty dreary in Los Angeles for the past few days. It makes us want to cuddle up with a blanket and watch a good movie. Carson Daly asked you guys what are the top rainy day movies and we came up with a darn good list!
Chick Flicks:
I'm a chick, so of course my personal favorite is Love Actually. I mean, how can you resist this little girl singing one of our favorite [lastfm]Mariah Carey[/lastfm] songs?Vodpod videos no longer available.
So did we miss any big ones? Let us know in the comments!

subset: commoncrawl


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It is truly delightful when raspberries in tea are done so well. This one is awesome! The scent wafting from the cup seemed very tart, and I was slightly wary of trying it, but it turned out to be quite tasty.
The coconut seems to be coming through in creaminess, and apparently what I thought were white chocolate chips were actually meringue hats. Thank goodness I read over that haha. Also, the description about sandy beaches and tanned skin is so fitting right now!
Thanks Cavovorax! What an exciting evening of tea tasting.


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They were introduced together. One is tall and big and has long sand-colored hair and a growth of scruffy beard covering his face. The other is short and stocky and arrived with a fresh shave and a tight haircut. It was somewhat startling to see them standing there next to each other -- not because of how physically different they are, but because of the long odds they both beat to make it that far.
On Thursday, the Eagles introduced two new free-agent acquisitions: special teamers Bryan Braman and Chris Maragos. The Eagles signed Braman to a two-year deal and Maragos to a three-year contract. Braman, who was with Houston, hopes to see some snaps at linebacker. Maragos, who was with Seattle, would like to compete for the Eagles' ever-uncertain safety situation. At the least, both figure to play heavily on special teams. Considering the disparate but equally difficult paths they've traveled as football players, that is remarkable.
We will start with Braman, who is a hulk of a man (6-foot-5, 241 pounds) in a long line of them (he said his grandfather was 7-foot-4, 365 pounds). Out of high school, he played a year of football for the University of Idaho.
"Unfortunately," Braman said, "I didn't realize you had to go to class and get good grades in order to play football. I had to learn that the hard way."
He took some time off after that. Braman said he comes from a "humble, blue-collar" family, and so he got a humble, blue-collar job making concrete railroad ties for a company called CXT. He lasted about three months.
"It was backbreaking work for $10 an hour, and it was about 75 hours a week," Braman said. "I decided I deserved an education over a broken back."
Braman returned to school and played two years at Long Beach City College. From there, he jumped to the Texas panhandle and landed at West Texas A&M.
"Unfortunately, my senior year, got into some trouble," Braman said. "There were some character issues that people were questioning coming out my senior year."
Braman was kicked out of West Texas A&M and later pled guilty to misdemeanor possession of psilocybin (halucinogenic mushrooms). He paid a $2,000 fine and the prosecutor terminated the one-year probation after 30 days, but the initial damage was done. He went undrafted and worked as a bouncer in Amarillo and College Station, Texas. He was also an Abercrombie & Fitch model for a while before the Texans called and offered him a job.
"That's why Houston sits close to my heart," Braman said, "because they did kind of give me a shot when no one else was batting an eyelash."
The 26-year-old became a special teams monster with Houston and was named a Pro Bowl alternate two years ago. He had 31 special teams tackles with the Texans, including one that became a YouTube sensation when he made a crushing hit without the benefit of his helmet. Braman -- who said he once accidently tackled a fire hydrant with his face while playing playground football with his mom's ex-boyfriend -- said he "wouldn't advise" making a tackle without headgear. Those kinds of stories are why Donnie Jones, who played with Braman in Houston, called him a "war daddy" for his "will-sacrifice-body mentality."
"It was a long road," Braman said, "but I ended up where I wanted to be."
Maragos managed to avoid backbreaking labor and mushroom possession and face collisions with fire hydrants, but his path wasn't much easier. Maragos, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, didn't receive any recruiting attention coming out of high school. Western Michigan gave him a chance to walk on, and he spent two years there before sending a Facebook message to Luke Swan, a receiver at Wisconsin who was also a walk-on. Maragos asked Swan to look at his tape and bring it to the head coach. Swan obliged.
Maragos got a call, transferred, walked on, and switched to defense for the Badgers. He became a team captain for Wisconsin and was put on scholarship in his fifth year. Then he went undrafted. Maragos signed with the 49ers in 2010. He spent the last three years in Seattle where he played 43 games for the Seahawks and earned a Super Bowl ring. Maragos played 51 snaps on defense for Seattle this past season but was on the field for 80 percent of the special teams reps.
"It was kind of real similar," Maragos said about the unlikely way he and Braman ended up with NFL careers. "And here we are today."
Long, strange journeys for Braman and Maragos
Long, strange journeys for Braman and Maragos
They were introduced together. One is tall and big and has long sand-colored hair and a growth of scruffy beard covering his face. The other is short and stocky and arrived with a fresh shave and a tight haircut. It was somewhat startling to see them standing there next to each other -- not because of how physically different they are, but because of the long odds they both beat to make it that far.


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Product Description
2017 Nordica NRGY 85 Skis
According to Nordica the NRGY 85 is the most versatile ski in their entire collection. Well gosh Nordica, that's saying something considering you've got some incredibly versatile skis, but okay, let's take a look at this ski. Its 85mm waist width combined with Nordica's Torsion Bridge technology and CamRock profile give the ski pretty impressive quickness, edge grip, and energy when skiing groomed terrain. You can really push the ski harder than it seems at first as when you pick up a pair they are impressively lightweight. This is due to the Torsion Bridge technology that retains incredible torsional stiffness while reducing overall weight by removing entire pieces of metal leaving a geometrically shaped, specifically engineered web of metal. Because it's so light weight for a ski with metal and because Nordica uses their NRGY tip and tail rocker design the NRGY 85 also does really well in off-piste situations like moguls, trees, and even light powder. If you spend most of your time on groomed slopes, but do like to venture into variable terrain and conditions from time to time, the NRGY 85 could be the perfect ski for you.
- Sidecut: 120/84/104 mm @ 161 cm; 121/85/105 mm @ 169, 177, 185 cm
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- Lightweight Poplar Beech Wood Core
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- ABS Sidewall Construction
- NRGY Tip & Tail Design
- All-Mountain CamRock Profile
- Skill: Advanced Intermediate to Expert
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Northampton 27-12 Scarlets, Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final
Powerful Saints set up derby date
March 11, 2012
Northampton's Scott Armstrong dives over in the corner
© Getty Images
Northampton put away the Scarlets 27-12 at Franklin's Gardens on Sunday to set up a date with Leicester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup Final.
The Saints had the stronger pack, with lively performances from Alex Waller and Scott Armstrong, and they scored the only two tries of the game, but they showed little attacking flair behind the scrum and had to rely on 14 points from the impressive Stephen Myler to emphasise their superiority.
In contrast, the Scarlets were the more creative but they threw away two early chances that may have changed the course of the game and after that were their own worst enemies, making too many unforced errors at crucial times.
The Scarlets nearly took the lead after only eight minutes. The visitors won a lineout in the Northampton 22 and a strong burst from Gareth Maule took them over the gain line before Dominic Day surged over the try line only for the TMO to rule no try as the second-row had been held up by some desperate home defence.
The Scarlets declined to take a kickable penalty in favour of more attacking options and they almost earned their reward when Andy Fenby stormed clear only to be hauled down 10 metres short by an excellent cover tackle.
They were made to pay for those missed opportunities when Northampton took a 15th-minute lead. The Saints won a lineout 10 metres out from the visitors' line and had little problem in driving over for a Waller try, which was converted by Myler with the outside half then adding a penalty.
The Scarlets collected their first points when Stephen Jones kicked a 45 metre penalty after the Saints infringed at the lineout but this was nullified with a second successful penalty from Myler. Straight from the restart, Northampton foolishly gave away a penalty and Jones made no mistake with his kick to leave his side 13-6 behind at the interval.
Within three minutes of the restart Jones had further reduced the arrears with his third penalty, this time a kick from 40 metres, but Northampton soon responded with an excellent try.
The Saints produced their best passage of play, pressurising the Scarlets' defence in their own 22. There were key drives from James Craig and Waller before a missed tackle on George Pisi allowed the centre to send Armstrong in at the corner for a try, which Myler was unable to convert.
Back came Scarlets and a further Jones penalty made it 18-12 to the hosts with half an hour remaining, but two well-struck penalties from Myler gave the Saints a healthy 12-point advantage.
The Scarlets continued to give away too many needless penalties which prevented them building up any real momentum. Replacement Ryan Lamb hit a post with a long-distance penalty but then succeeded with another, after Day was sin-binned for offside, to give the Saints an ultimately comfortable victory.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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The news that Shoppers Drug Mart has appointed former McKesson Canada executive Domenic Pilla as its new president and CEO not only is significant news in its own right, but also is important as Pilla will inherit a chain that is wrestling with the impact of drug reforms in several provinces and faces its share of competitive challenges.
Shoppers Drug Mart posted a 2.7% boost in first-quarter sales, driven by strong front-store sales gains that benefited from marketing campaigns, promotions and market share gains of the company's core health, beauty and convenience categories.
The abrupt departure of Shoppers Drug Mart president and CEO Jürgen Schreiber announced Wednesday is expected to negatively impact the company's stock — many investors bought into Shoppers on the faith that retail maven Schreiber would return Canada's largest drug retailer to consistent quarter-over-quarter growth.


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Fri Jun 06, 2014
Church Choir 2014 Meet & Drink
Nashville, TNView map
Entry Submission is now closed. Selected members will be notified via email with the location of the event on the morning of JUNE 6th. The event will take place from 3-5pm. Please do not bring any item for Eric to sign, we will give the guests an item for him to sign during the meet & greet.


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State ex rel. Fennewald v. Honorable Patricia S. Joyce
The Supreme Court granted mandamus relief to Relator, who sought to resign, revoke, or withdraw the circuit court's medical authorization order authorizing the release of the decedent's medical records, holding that the medical authorization order in this case was prohibited by this court's precedent. Relator filed a wrongful death action against Defendants after his brother, the decedent, died allegedly from metastatic colon cancer. During discovery, Defendants sought an order from the circuit court authorizing the release of the decedent's medical records. The circuit court signed an order authorizing the release of medical records. Relator then petitioned for this writ to prohibit the use of the decedent's unlimited medical records. The Supreme Court granted a writ of prohibition, holding that the medical authorization was prohibited because there was no case-by-case review of the medical authorization designed to tailor the requests to the pleadings. View "State ex rel. Fennewald v. Honorable Patricia S. Joyce" on Justia Law
Grogan v. Uggla
At issue was whether a home inspector owes a duty of reasonable care to a homeowner's guest. Plaintiff was injured when he fell from a second story deck that had not been properly constructed but had recently been inspected by a state home inspector hired by the homeowner. Plaintiff sued the home inspector, home inspection franchise, and other defendants not relevant to this appeal. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Defendants. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that Defendants successfully negated essential elements of the claims of negligent misrepresentation and negligent inspection and that summary judgment was appropriate. View "Grogan v. Uggla" on Justia Law
Posted in: Personal Injury, Tennessee Supreme Court
State ex rel. DeCourcy v. Honorable Jennifer P. Dent
The Supreme Court denied Garland DeCourcy's petition for writ of prohibition seeking to prohibit the circuit court from proceeding in this action brought by William Williams to recover a computer, telephone system, and keys to a vehicle from DeCourcy. After a bench trial in magistrate court, DeCourcy was ordered to return certain property to Williams. DeCourcy appealed and filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that Williams could not meet his burden of proof because the evidence should be limited to the evidence presented to the magistrate court. The circuit court ruled that a trial de novo authorized it to consider additional evidence, including witness testimony not presented in magistrate court. DeCourcy then filed this petition for writ of prohibition. The Supreme Court denied the writ, holding (1) an appeal of a civil action tried before a magistrate without a jury under W. Va. Code 50-5-12(b) shall be a trial de novo, meaning a new trial in which the parties may present new evidence including witness testimony not presented in magistrate court; and (2) the circuit court did not err in its determination that new evidence, including witness testimony, was proper in this appeal from magistrate court. View "State ex rel. DeCourcy v. Honorable Jennifer P. Dent" on Justia Law
Dedmon v. Steelman
The Supreme Court's decision in West v. Shelby County Healthcare Corp., 459 S.W.3d 33 (Tenn. 2014), holding that "reasonable charges" for medical services under Tennessee's Hospital Lien Act are the discounted amounts a hospital accepts as full payment from patients' private insurer and not the full, undiscounted amounts billed to patients, does not apply in personal injury cases. Further, the collateral source rule applies in this personal injury case, in which the collateral benefit at issue is private insurance. Therefore, Plaintiffs may submit evidence of the injured party's full, undiscounted medical bills as proof of reasonable medical expenses, and Defendants are precluded from submitting evidence of discounted rates accepted by medical providers from the insurer to rebut Plaintiffs' proof that the full, undiscounted charges are reasonable. The Supreme Court thus affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals, which concluded that West did not apply to personal injury cases but that evidence of discounted amounts accepted by the injured's medical providers may be admissible to rebut Plaintiffs' expert testimony on the reasonableness of the amount of the full, undiscounted bills. View "Dedmon v. Steelman" on Justia Law
Posted in: Insurance Law, Personal Injury, Tennessee Supreme Court
Williams v. Plains Tire & Battery Co., Inc.
The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting summary judgment for Plains Tire & Battery, Co. in this case filed by Cindy and William Williams alleging that Plains was negligent in failing to maintain the area outside its store in a reasonably safe condition, leading Cindy to slip and fall. In granting summary judgment for Plains, the district court found that Plaintiffs failed to present a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Plains breached a duty to maintain its property in a reasonably safe condition. The Supreme Court disagreed and remanded the case, holding that Plaintiffs raised genuine issues of material fact. View "Williams v. Plains Tire & Battery Co., Inc." on Justia Law
Posted in: Personal Injury, Wyoming Supreme Court
Montgomery v. Risen
Plaintiff filed suit alleging that author James Risen, together with publishers, made false and damaging statements about plaintiff in a book. A chapter of the book focuses on software that plaintiff pitched to the United States as a counterterrorism tool, but that ultimately was widely seen as a "hoax." The DC Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment for defendants where plaintiff failed to put into the record any evidence that would permit a factfinder to evaluate the legitimacy of his bare assertions. In this case, plaintiff produced virtually no evidence of the software's functionality to factually rebut Risen's statements that it never worked as plaintiff said it did. View "Montgomery v. Risen" on Justia Law
Forsman v. Blues, Brews & Bar-B-Ques Inc.
United Fire & Casualty Company appealed a district court judgment awarding Carol Forsman $249,554.30 in her garnishment action against United Fire, commenced after she settled claims in the underlying suit against Blues, Brews and Bar-B-Ques, Inc., d.b.a. Muddy Rivers. Muddy Rivers was a bar in Grand Forks that was insured by United Fire under a commercial general liability ("CGL") policy. In 2010, Forsman sued Muddy Rivers and Amanda Espinoza seeking damages for injuries to her leg allegedly sustained while a guest at a February 2010 private party at Muddy Rivers. Muddy Rivers notified United Fire of the suit and requested coverage. United Fire denied defense and indemnification based on the policy's exclusions for assault and battery and liquor liability. However, after appeals and reconsideration, the court ruled in Forsman's favor, finding the settlement amount was reasonable. The North Dakota Supreme Court concluded the court erred in granting summary judgment because material fact issues existed on whether exclusions for "assault and battery" and "liquor liability" in the CGL policy excluded coverage of Forsman's negligence claim against Muddy Rivers. Furthermore, the Court concluded further conclude the court properly granted summary judgment to Forsman holding United Fire had a duty to defend Muddy Rivers under the CGL policy in the underlying suit. Therefore, the Court affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings. View "Forsman v. Blues, Brews & Bar-B-Ques Inc." on Justia Law
Posted in: Civil Procedure, Insurance Law, North Dakota Supreme Court, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Property Law
Henson v. Cradduck
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Appellant challenging the circuit court's order dismissing her case with prejudice based on the statute of limitations. The circuit court granted Defendants' motion to dismiss with prejudice because Appellant's various complaints, including Appellant's fourth amended complaint, were time-barred. In her complaints, Appellant named different defendants, and none of the amended complaints stated that they were incorporating Appellant's earlier complaints. The Supreme Court held that Appellant's appeal was not final because not all defendants were dismissed, and therefore, there were still claims pending against some Defendants. View "Henson v. Cradduck" on Justia Law
Posted in: Arkansas Supreme Court, Civil Procedure, Personal Injury
Watson v. BNSF Railway Co.
The Supreme Court reversed the order of the district court granting Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company's (BNSF) motion for summary judgment on Kelly Watson's asbestos-related disease claim, brought under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, holding that the bankruptcy court's order enjoining claims against W.R. Grace and other "affiliated entities," including BNSF, tolled the statute of limitations on Watson's claim. Thus, the district court erred in concluding that the bankruptcy court's order expanding a previous injunction barring the commencement or filing of new claims to include BNSF as a nondebtor affiliate did not bar the commencement of new actions against BNSF. View "Watson v. BNSF Railway Co." on Justia Law
Posted in: Bankruptcy, Labor & Employment Law, Montana Supreme Court, Personal Injury
Blue Ridge Bank, Inc. v. City of Fairmont
At issue was whether the City of Fairmont, which entered into a lease purchase agreement for equipment with Comvest, Ltd., may assert claims and defenses against Blue Ridge Bank - to whom Comvest assigned its interest in the lease purchase agreement, including its right to the City's monthly payments - based on Comvest's conversion of funds designated for the purchase of the equipment. The Supreme Court held (1) the Bank took its assignment subject to the City's claims and defenses arising from Comvest's breach of the lease purchase agreement; and (2) therefore, the City may assert claims and defenses against the Bank based on Comvest's conversion. View "Blue Ridge Bank, Inc. v. City of Fairmont" on Justia Law


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Janesville Craig swimmers back for more
Craig High qualified a pair of individuals in the same two events, plus two relay teams.
The Cougars have only seniors Alex Loftus and Tyler Meinders returning from their list of state qualifiers as they get set for the 2010-11 season.
Craig hosts Verona in a Big Eight Conference dual opener on Friday and the Cougar Invitational on Saturday.
Loftus swam the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke at state last season. Meinders swam in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Loftus also is the defending Big Eight breaststroke champion.
�We have Alex and Tyler back from those state swims,� said third-year coach Brian Kitzman said. �It�s great to have the guys with experience to show the younger kids what it takes.��
Loftus and Meinders lead nine seniors into the new season.
�We had one senior last year,� Kitzman said. �It made it tough, but this senior class is talented and very versatile.
�It�s useful in duals,� Kitzman added. �You can spread them around in as many events as possible to help get more points.��
Craig�s senior class includes Jacob Babcock, Logan Bagley, Jacob Canik, Brandon Haling, Brian Taulof, Ty Truesdill and Justin Wilkes.
�We�ll rely on sophomores and seniors,� Kitzman said. �The juniors will be in the mix. Those guys will be in there.��
The sophomores include Nick Krueger, Jimmy Loftus and Tad Martin.
Kitzman expects to find suitable replacements to join Loftus and Meinders in the relays.
�We have some holes to fill,� he said. �We will rely on a senior or two to put in the mix.��
The Big Eight has its usual heavyweights in Madison Memorial, Madison West and Middleton. Sun Prairie, with a lavish pool in its new high school, returns after swimming a co-op schedule with DeForest.
While the Madison schools and Middleton are the lead dogs, Kitzman thinks the Cougars can step up.
�We�re looking at five dual meet wins,� Kitzman said. �We�ve got Sun Prairie to add to the list, and the focus is on a 5-4 record.��
The Craig schedule:
(5 p.m. unless indicated)
DECEMBER: 3�Verona. 4�Cougar Invitational, 10 a.m. 10�At Madison La Follette. 11�Janesville Parker Relays, 11 a.m. 17�At Sun Prairie. 18�Elkhorn Invitational, 10 a.m.
JANUARY: 6�Milton Invitational. 7�Beloit/Middleton. 14�At Madison West. 15�Middleton Invitational, 11 a.m. 21�Janesville Parker/Madison Memorial. 22�Menomonee Falls Invitational, 8:30 a.m. 29�JV invitational, 10 a.m.
FEBRUARY: 5�Big Eight meet, at Middleton, 8 a.m. 11-12�WIAA sectional, at Middleton, 8 a.m. 19�WIAA state meet, at UW Natatorium, 3 p.m.
Last updated: 3:55 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012


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MSNBC guest distracted by S.E. Cupp's cup size
During a discussion about gun control legislation on MSNBC Thursday, Brady Campaign President Dan Gross seemed to be a little flustered by conservative commentator S.E. Cupp's cleavage.
Gross, Cupp, The Nation's Ari Melber and Demos Vice President Heather McGhee were discussing a bill in the New York General Assembly that would require microstamping to track ammunition. Cupp argued that the cost of $12 per gun was too heavy a burden on manufacturers and gun owners.
"I'm a gun owner and I deeply care about these issues," she complained. "And this is part of this slow creep into our rights as gun owners."
The screen grab above comes at about 3:20 in the video below.
Watch this video from MSNBC's Now with Alex Wagner, broadcast June 14, 2012.


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May 15, 2001, 10:49 AM
What is the minimum diameter threading to go for a rifle muzzle when rethreading. I wanted to go to 1/2 x 28 tpi, but was told it doesn't leave enough meat around the .308 bore. Any help ?? Anyone have experience in this area ? Have seen some gun makers go this small on a .308 but usually only find it on a .223


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By Beth Harris
Paulo Lobo can call himself an American success story. The 33-year-old trainer came from his native Brazil 16 months ago to try to build a successful career, much like his father has back home. Lobo is off to an impressive start after longshot Farda Amiga won the Kentucky Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths over favored Take Charge Lady on Friday. ``How big is this in Brazil? I've got 36 messages just in the last few minutes,'' Lobo said, holding up his cell phone. America's premier race for 3-year-old fillies featured a field of nine as impressive as the 19 colts who will run in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. It was shown live in Brazil. There won't be an Oaks-Derby double for trainers Bob Baffert, Bobby Frankel, Ken McPeek or Saeed bin Suroor. McPeek's Take Charge Lady faded in the final strides; the Baffert-trained Habibti was third; Frankel's You was fourth. The complete order of finish for the rest of the field wasTake the Cake, Il de France, Ms Brookski, bin Suroor's Imperial Gesture, and Art Fair, who was 38 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Each filly carried 121 pounds. ``This is why I didn't run her in the Derby,'' said McPeek, who will saddle early 9-2 Derby favorite Harlan's Holiday. ``I was questioning whether or not she's a mile-and-an-eighth filly. I don't think she's as good here as she's been at other racetracks.'' Farda Amiga covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 2/5 under Hall of Famer Chris McCarron, who survived a foul claim by Victor Espinoza aboard Habibti. ``I was in a good spot on the turn when the winner came up to me and I was forced to check,'' Espinoza said. ``My filly never really recovered.'' The stewards ruled Farda Amiga didn't interfere with Habibti in the upper stretch. ``There wasn't any contact,'' McCarron said. ``The filly (Farda Amiga) did drift in slightly after we straightened out. The stewards determined that my drifting in was of no consequence.'' McCarron has a chance of pulling off the rare Oaks-Derby double. He'll ride Came Home, the 5-1 second choice in Saturday's Derby. Sent off at 20-1 odds, Farda Amiga paid $42, $11.20 and $5.40. Take Charge Lady returned $3.80 and $3, while Habibti was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.80 to show. Farda Amiga was racing on dirt for just the second time in her career. She finished fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks on March 9, after running on the turf in her first four starts. ``She's an amazing filly,'' Lobo said. ``I thought, `Why not try the dirt'?'' Although she's a Kentucky-bred, Farda Amiga's name is Portuguese for ``friendly silks.'' It's a combination of the owners' racing outfits -- Old Friends, Inc., Winner Silk, Inc., and Jose De Camargo. ``I've been involved with a lot of ebullient celebrations, but these people came a long way to be here,'' McCarron said of the Brazilian contingent. ``They were showing their enthusiasm.'' Lobo formerly worked as an assistant to his father, Selmar Lobo, a top trainer in Brazil. The younger Lobo is based at Hollywood Park. Farda Amiga was bumped lightly at the start by Habibti. She started her rally by going five-wide at the end of the backstretch and moved up to challenge leader Take Charge Lady at the quarter-mile pole. Take Charge Lady, who won her three previous races this year, faced little pressure in leading most of the way. Farda Amiga won $562,100, greatly boosting her meager earnings of $83,800. The crowd of 101,923 was third-largest in Oaks' history and the fourth consecutive year in which attendance topped 100,000. The winner, bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, is owned by the Brazilian connections of Julio Camargo, Marcos Simon's Winner Silk, and Jose de Camargo.Farda Amiga broke her maiden on grass at Del Mar last September and raced solely on turf in her first four outings, including a win in an optional claiming race. In her first try on dirt, Farda Amiga finished fourth, two lengths behind winner You and Habibti, in the Santa Anita Oaks previous to the Kentucky Oaks.Churchill reported $10,931,558 was wagered on-track and an additional $17,627,488 was reported off-track for a combined total of $28,559,046 bet on the 10-race Oaks Day race card. Wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race totaled $2,154,178 on-track and $4,767,551 through off-track sources. The combined total was $6,921,729. Wagering showed the greatest gains off-track as betting on the race grew to 27.90 percent over the 2001 totals and 24.13 percent for the day.
(Chart, Equibase)


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The Tom Savini-directed version of Night of the Living Dead is coming to Blu-ray, but it's going to be a very limited edition release. We have the cover art, release details, and information on how to reserve your copy.
"Night of the Living Dead (1990)—a George Romero-approved remake of his 1968 cult horror classic, directed by makeup wizard Tom Savini—tells once again the chilling tale of seven people holed-up in a farmhouse besieged by armies of the un-dead. As the terrified little group fights for their lives, they begin to find themselves as plagued by the evil lurking within as by the ravening flesh-eaters battering on hastily boarded-up windows and doors. "Splatter King" Savini keeps things moving—and the blood flowing—as the survivors dwindle one by one.
LANGUAGE: English
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1
AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
SUBTITLES: English SDH
1990 / Color
Limited Edition of 3,000 Units
Special Features: Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Filmmaker Tom Savini / Original Theatrical Trailer"
The Blu-ray will ship on October 9th and only 3,000 units are available. For more information or to pre-order your copy, visit:


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NRE-free Structured eASIC First Family Member Meets the Target Characteristics
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eASIC Corporation, a provider of breakthrough Structured ASIC technology and products, today announced successful testing and characterization of the first Structured eASIC family member FA600. The test chips, fabricated by a European IDM partner at 0.13 micron process, were used to test functionality and characterize timing and power for the Structured eASIC device. The FA600 is the smallest member of the company's Structured eASIC product family. Structured eASIC products feature an innovative combination of FPGA-like flexibility and ASIC-like performance in a unique offering of NRE-free ASIC. The complete product family is scheduled for production release in Q1 2005.
"We are extremely pleased with the success of this most important milestone in the release of the Structured eASIC offering,' said Zvi Or-Bach, eASIC President and CEO. 'The Structured eASIC product family is aimed at reviving ASIC design through maskless customization; hence NRE-Free Structured ASIC. eASIC's unique technology closes the growing NRE gap between ASIC product revenue and ASIC development cost. This paradigm shift has been very well received by the engineering community, and we are grateful to the many engineers who cast their vote to rank eASIC the #1 Logic & Programmable Logic Ultimate Product as reported in the EE Times Ultimate Product Survey. Our technology has been validated by world class OEMs and is being used for embedded configurable platforms, and we are now ready to deliver the first NRE-Free Structured ASIC'.
Structured eASIC
eASIC has developed a unique Structured ASIC technology called Structured eASIC. The patented Structured eASIC architecture consists of an array of logic cells (eCells) with SRAM based LUTs (Look Up Tables) and flip-flops. eCells are inter-connected by a segmented wiring grid utilizing upper metal layers, which are customized per customer design with a single Via-mask. Logic programming of the eCell is done similarly to an FPGA, by loading a bit-stream to program the LUTs and flip-flops after powering up the device. Thus, a customer design is implemented on the Structured eASIC fabric by using a combination of bit-stream to program the LUTs and single custom Via-mask for customizing the routing. Moreover, single Via-customization is a perfect fit for Direct-write eBeam lithography. Using Direct-write eBeam completely eliminates the customization tooling cost, shortens time-to-market, and adds manufacturing flexibility, allowing eASIC to provide the industry with an NRE-Free customized ASIC device.
FA600 First Structured eASIC Family Member
The FA600 device is the smallest of the four members of the Structured eASIC product family, ranging from 600K to 3M gates, and featuring embedded memory from 0.4M to 1.6M bits, programmable I/Os, PLLs, and embedded microprocessor (8051). Supporting standard CAE tools or tailored Magma design flow, this product family is scheduled for release in Q1 05.
FA600 Specifications:
* Usable ASIC gates: 600K * bRAM (high density diffused single-port memory blocks): 384 Kb * bRAM blocks: 12 * eRAM (configurable distributed dual-port memory, flexibly traded-off with logic gates, approximately one bit per gate): 640 Kb * eRAM blocks: 160 * I/Os: 352 * PLL: 4
* Gate Speed: * Fast input to output: 60ps * Average Gate Delay: 80ps * Flip-Flop CLK to Q: 100ps * Operating frequencies: 400 MHz * Gate Power: 20nW/MHz/gate * bRAM Power (fully used): 6mW/block @ 100 MHz * System Power: 350 mW (typical)
Structured eASIC Family Characteristics:
ASIC gates: 0.6M - 3M Memory bits: 0.4M-1.6M User I/Os: 352 - 768 PLL's: 4-8


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Photo by Glen E. FriedmanThe Beastie Boys have always fallen on the wrong side of hip-hop's authenticity tracks. It's not just that they're white -- though it doesn't help -- but their constantly evolving sound has rarely synced up with hip-hop convention. But rather than seem out of step, the Beasties have remained one step ahead, evolving from the original rap brat pack to hip-hop's most mercurial merchants of groove.
From its dozen-plus-year span to the dazzling cover art, the Beasties' Sounds of Science ranks as one of the few singular retrospectives in a musical genre not known for its long-term memory. The two-CD set takes you way back, from their nuevo-punk days in the early '80s ("Egg Raid on Mojo"), up through the funky fusion of their 1998 effort, Hello Nasty. Reflected in the dizzying collection of songs (42 in all) is the Beasties' chimerical ability to work in diverse soundscapes. While most of us were introduced to the Beasties through Rick Rubin's cock-rock production on the 1986 Licensed To Ill ("Slow and Low," "She's on It"), it was 1989's Paul's Boutique where the Beasties came into their own. Songs like "Hey Ladies" and "Shake Your Rump," despite their juvenile themes, were years ahead of the rap game with their dense collages of breakbeat science. The return to punk roots on albums like Check Your Head ("So Whatcha Want") and Ill Communication ("Sabatoge") only hardened the gristle of the band's sonic punch, and with Hello Nasty ("Body Movin'," "Intergalactic") they came back to the underground with an album that made everything from calypso to bossa nova to dub sound lowdown and funky.
What's never changed has been the group's youthful (some might say adolescent) spirit. True, they've outgrown their days of MTV-fueled debauchery, but their three-man-weave rhyme style is still a throwback to the old-school days of the Cold Crush Brothers and house-party harmonizing. Yet despite the lack of lyrical sublimity, the Beasties have managed to avoid obsolescence with a body of work that's allowed itself the room to be silly ("Boomin' Granny"), sophisticated ("Remote Control"), even sanctimonious ("Bodhisattva Vow").
The only letdown with Sounds of Science is that it doesn't include License To Ill's "Paul Revere," the song that best captures the Beasties' unlikely knack for indelible anthems. Though the track seems nothing more than a frat-rap fantasy of cowboys on the hunt for babes, beer and bills (in order of priority), it's the one song from the 1980s whose lyrics every hip-hop junkie remembers in their entirety. Play it at any club and watch people start to chant, "I did it like this, I did it like that, I did it with a whiffle ball bat, sooooo . . .," outing the closet Beasties groupie in us all.
KORN Issues (Epic/Immortal)
Critics are shooting their loads over the new Korn album because, well, it's the new Korn album. It's now official: Korn are at the point where they can do no wrong. Just as interesting as the new record, however, is the relationship the band has with its audience. With scarcely any pre-press or advance promotion to speak of, Issues went gold its first week -- that's one loyal fan base. But, with weekly Webcasts from Korn TV, their animated cameo on an episode of South Park, ad placement in public-transit shelters, etc., does the album's success indicate a rabid core following or an insidious marketing campaign? In a brilliant coup of consumer/content-provider synergy and cross-franchising, Issues comes with a variety of art presentations actually created by the winner and three finalists from the MTV Cover Contest. Collect all four. As of press time, the Korn Happy Meal is still on the drawing board.
With Issues, the Bakersfield five have unleashed a killer slab of heavy grind -- a real meat-'n'-potatoes, back-to-basics Korn album. The sinister keyboards, dark-wave F/X and aggro-meets-dance gestures of '98's Follow the Leader take a back seat this time around, so those hoping for a reprise of that wicked-cool hybrid of metal and New Romantic synth-pop may be disappointed. (But when you get as ill as Head and Munky do with those custom Ibanez seven-strings, who needs Korgs and Rolands?) Opening to the keen of bagpipes over naked whispers of "All I want in life is to be happy," Issues quickly embarks on the story of a brutally dysfunctional upbringing. "Trash" is the clear standout track, and not just because of its spookily quivering synth hook and massive guitar break. Singer Jonathan Davis masterfully lures us inside the head space of a pedophile, rasping, "Their flesh smells so new, and it's there for the taking/These little girls just make me feel so goddamn exhilarated." This won't shock fans, though, as domestic abuse has been a running theme through all Korn's records, and the singer's willingness to stick his battered heart out there for all to gaze upon is no small part of the group's appeal.
These suffocatingly personal tales might have been depressing in others' hands, but Korn's confessional and serious vibe is about vindication, not victimhood. In "Wish You Could Be Me," Davis musters bravado even at the blackest depths of human behavior, croaking over and over, "At least you could look at me while you're raping me," before exploding, "You fucking pussy!" Still, painful memories are but half of this tormented equation. Constant touring, stress and the full-time job of being in Korn have taken their toll, and "Wake Up" is a front-row seat for the drama, where leading-male Davis declaims, "Talking shit just to spite me/I swear I'm gonna leave." The chorus, however, is nothing if not hopeful -- "I can't take no more, what are we fighting for?/You are my brothers, each one I would die for/Let's take the stage and remember what we play for."
Even with distractions like running their own label, owning the rights to a mini-Lollapalooza-style tour, gleefully defying the music-biz axiom of releasing an album no more often than every two years and, of course, rock stardom's endless perks, these humble, hardscrabble Okie descendants never fail to appreciate the ones who made it all possible. To quote Davis in Circus magazine, "Tool only has an album every four years -- we want to take better care of our fans than that." Them's kind words, but don't forget that nothing whets the appetite like a good fast, Johnny boy. (Andrew Lentz)
ANI DiFRANCO To the Teeth (Righteous Babe)
When Ani DiFranco performed last July at the Universal Amphitheater, she debuted the then-unreleased title song of this new album, drawing analogies between violence and capitalism and asking, "Are we really gonna sleep through another century/While the rich profit off our blood?" When she reached the dramatic chorus, "Open fire on Hollywood/Open fire on MTV/Open fire on NBC/and CBS and ABC," her fans went ballistic. Twentysomethings shutting down Seattle recently suggests there are young adults whose consciousness was collectively weaned on DiFranco and Rage Against the Machine. When the Righteous Babe invokes "the ghost of Woody Guthrie" in "Soft Shoulder," the Battle in Seattle serves to remind us that guitars can still silence fascists.
After years of too-hip listlessness, ideology is cool again. Ideology means that someone has an opinion, god forbid, and DiFranco has been recording smart, opinionated songs since 1990, when she was 20 years old. What's been lost in the media yap over her bisexuality and politics and the mini-moguldom of her own anti-corporate empire is her consistent musical innovation. She came out of the acoustic-punk anti-folk movement of the late '80s, a raving maverick with a trademark staccato guitar attack and breathless vocal delivery. But DiFranco has a restless artist's soul, and on her last few albums she wisely shed a lot of her early DiFranco-isms. The funkified To the Teeth is her 14th exercise in the demolition of genres. Where once her songs too often shared the same spit-punk tempo, she's learned to slow down and let the lyrics breathe. This works in her favor, for she's a remarkable vocalist whose phrasing is as biting as her words. The ferociously unslick production whomps butt, displaying her punk roots and the fact that an artist, not some yuppie bean counter, is running the show. And she displays her virtuosity by playing a whole McCabe's backroom of instruments. The "little folk singer" even hip-hops on "Swing" with rapper Corey Parker.
While topical issues are addressed in the title track and "Hello Birmingham" (about the murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian by an anti-choicer in DiFranco's hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.), DiFranco understands that politics is ultimately a form of self-examination. Whether it's self-destructive anger ("Back Back Back"), the joys of family (the bluegrassy "The Arrivals Gate") or Sapphic love ("I Know This Bar"), she's an empathetic chronicler. Guests include The Artist (yes, that Artist), sax legend Maceo Parker, and a blurt-'n'-bleep horn section that blows somewhere between Trane and New Orleans. Righteous, babe! (Michael Simmons)
CAT POWER at Fais Do Do, January 13
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Chan Marshall belongs to a rare breed of performer. Unintentionally adorable, she possesses a truly amazing voice -- wistful, broken, a syrupy, serrated cross between Hope Sandoval, Phoebe Snow and Southern gothic -- but she seems terrified of the stage.
Forsaking most of her Matador release, Moon Pix -- as well as Mick Turner and Jim White of Australia's Dirty Three, who played on the record -- Marshall, alone, gave something of a third-grade campfire recital, flitting back and forth between guitar and piano, falling all over herself in apology for forgetting her own chords and lyrics. But this was a recital full of encouraging parents.
When she kept her idiosyncrasies in check, Marshall and her guitar opened up the heavens; hundreds of lonely people pressed up against each other in awe as Marshall wove the chorus of "Satisfaction" and what sounded like Buck Owens' "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass" into material from her upcoming album. But mostly she didn't. Hiding behind her hair, she got through the first few bars of "You May Know Him" before giving up, and portions of "No Sense" and "Back of Your Head."
Someone said Marshall's found God and gone crazy, but her fans find her disarray disarming. No one cared that they didn't know the new songs, all down-by-the-river devotionals, or that her performance was a choppy ocean of half-songs and false starts. Most of the crowd would've been captivated if Marshall had been reading the backs of cereal boxes. (Skylaire Alfvegren)


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Kanaan ran out of fuel on lap 51 just as he was scheduled to make a pit stop and De Silvestro, despite passing several cars on her final stint, finished 8th.
Sao Paulo, Brazil - KV Racing Technology had a great start to the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle, with Brazilian Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 11 Itaipava - KV Racing - SH Racing car, starting fourth and Simona De Silvestro, driver of the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car starting eighth.
Unfortunately, things didn't work as planned. Kanaan ran out of fuel on lap 51 just as he was scheduled to make a pit stop and De Silvestro, despite passing several cars on her final stint, finished 8th as the yellows didn't work in her favor.
De Silvestro ran a solid race, but felt she had the potential to finish higher. "I think it was a really good race," she said. "We had to save fuel on the strategy we ran and with the yellows we got stuck behind slower traffic. The last stint we could go hard and we passed a lot of cars.
That was a lot of fun. I wish the whole race would have been like that. I think it was good, but I think it would have been better if we had come in and got some more fuel to run harder. The car was on rails on blacks and on reds, so that was a lot of fun. It was a pretty good ending even though I think we had a chance to finish a little higher. I'm happy with my second straight top-ten finish."
Steve Moore, team manager, thought De Silvestro drove a great race, but was disappointed with Kanaan's result. "A great day for the 78 car," he said. "Simona drove a great race, starting eighth and finishing P8. It's always great to finish in the top-ten. It's disappointing on the 11 car.
Having a miscalculation and always having difficulty finding telemetry at this track, the two combined together resulted in us running out of fuel on track. Obviously it was very disappointing for Tony in front of his home crowd."
Kanaan chose to look on the positive side of the day. "It's hard to find some words to explain the whole situation," he said, "but I must say that we won and lost together. We don't know what exactly happen, but we're looking at this in a positive way; we had the opportunity to win and were competitive throughout the weekend.
I would love to win in my hometown and I have to thank everyone for the kindness I received during the race; it was something indescribable. For sure we know that are going strong to the Indianapolis 500".
Jimmy Vasser, team co-owner, was extremely disappointed for Kanaan and his sponsors and is looking into the cause of the No. 11's fuel issue. "Very, very disappointing for Tony Kanaan in his home Grand Prix while representing the race sponsor Itaipava," Vasser said. "I think the fans had a good show; they knew we were here.
What happened on our fuel calculations...we ran the car out of fuel, there's no doubt about that. But, our alarms didn't go off and our numbers showed that we should have had a gallon in the car at that time.
I've called for a full detailed report of the sequence of events that led to the car running out of fuel. Until I have that from the team when we get back I can't speculate on exactly where the problem happened. But, all-in-all I think they knew we were here.
Vasser goes on to say, "Simona had good pace all weekend; maybe not the race she would like to have had with the way the strategy played out. But, we put it behind us and we go to the biggest event of the year, the Indianapolis 500. I think we're well prepared for that and I'm just looking forward to getting on to the next one."
The team heads back to Indy tonight to regroup and finish preparations for the Indianapolis 500. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing airs live on ABC Sunday, May 26th at 11:00 a.m. ET.
KV Racing Technology


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