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Local businessman Tommy Johnson, 35, who is running in this morning's Atlanta Half-Marathon, recently had a day he will never forget. In the span of about 12 hours he ran farther than he has ever run and then went out to the Athens Country Club golf course and had the most memorable round of his life.
The fact that he ran a personal-best 14 miles that morning is great, but Athens is full of distance runners. His hole-in-one followed by a hole-out eagle is certainly quite a feat. That this all happened on the same day is the stuff of legend.
''It was an interesting day, no doubt about it,'' said Johnson, who lives in Athens with his family.
For several months Johnson trained for the demanding 13.1-mile race that makes the Peachtree Road Race look like a stroll down Milledge Avenue. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, he ran 14 miles, starting in Five Points with a group of friends, among them Jimbo LaBoon. After about five miles Johnson was by himself the rest of the way, slowly ticking off mile after mile.
After running that far most people would be more than content to call it a day, but he was up for playing nine holes with LaBoon that afternoon. He's glad he did.
Johnson, who plays to a 10 handicap, bogeyed the first four holes on the East course and seemed headed for a very forgettable round. Johnson and LaBoon had hooked up with three other golfers on the third hole, so he had a good audience for what happened next. And he had plenty of witnesses.
On No. 5, a 163-yard uphill par 3, Johnson pulled out his five iron and hit what he thought was just a pretty good shot.
''I hit it a lot lower than I normally do. It was going straight at the hole, but I thought it went over the green,'' Johnson said.
''It wasn't until we got to the green that we discovered that the ball was in the hole. I couldn't believe it.''
On the next hole, a par 5, Johnson's first two shots left him about 90 yards from the green. Hitting a blind shot to the elevated green with a wedge, his aim was true again and the ball found the hole.
''I didn't even hit that shot very well,'' Johnson said. ''To make back to back eagles like that is pretty unbelievable.''
Coincidentally, Johnson headed to Las Vegas the next day, but he said his luck had disappeared by the time he reached the casino.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday, November 28, 2002.
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For the first time in over 12 years, Bill Goldberg is set to return to a WWE ring. His brief run with the company back in 2003-04 was exciting, and while his feud with Triple H, at the time, is noteworthy, he will always be remembered for his final match, with Brock Lesnar.
The match was good and, special referee, Stone Cold Steve Austin is always a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, the crowd booed both competitors throughout, since it was their last competitive matches with the company. This is perhaps why Steve Austin hit a Stunner on both of them after (A farewell gift from Vince?). Here's what happened:
Enough reminiscing about the past, let's talk about the present. Paul Heyman issued a challenge to Goldberg on Monday Night RAW this week and Goldberg responded via Twitter:
Booking my flight to answer that big mouth @HeymanHustle 's challenge next week in person on #MondayNightRaw #WhosNext? #seeyathere @WWE— Bill Goldberg (@Goldberg) October 11, 2016
In short, we can't wait to see Goldberg in a WWE ring once again. Roman Reigns delivers one of the best spears in the business (Edge your spear sucked), but now that the creator of this famous finishing move is back on the roster, it's only a matter of time before someone gets ripped in half with a massive spear. Here's hoping we get to see a couple of Jackhammers too.
Here's a small bonus for people who read through the article, we hear Kurt Angle is returning to the WWE. Guess we'll have to start tuning in every week again.
Photo: © Goldberg's/Facebook (Main Image)

subset: commoncrawl


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La Resistencia
Raskahuele, Beach Bums, The Paranoias, Dskarados, gabriela penka
Fri · April 21, 2017
Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 7:00 pm (event ends at 12:00 am)
Union Nightclub
$0.00 - $10.00
This event is all ages
Tickets may be available at the box office
for more info, Follow on Instagram @EvoekoreMedia
La Resistencia
Since 2000 and Based in Los Angeles, La resistencia remains to be one of he most active Latin SkaPunk bands in the Westcoast. The bands is preparing to release a long awaited 16 track album this summer 2016...
Beach Bums
A 3 piece surf-rock band that hails Covina, California. Known for their filled-to-the-brim house shows of crowd-surfing teens in the Inland Empire, Beach Bums has built up a devoted following of all ages and is on their way up to break the Los Angeles garage rock scene. Their latest release "LUCRID DREAM" is out on Lolipop Records now!
Venue Information:
Union Nightclub
4067 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA, 90019
Union Nightclub
4067 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA, 90019


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Evolution SURFBOARD EvoFun Series 6'1" Tri-Fin & Bag
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You are Bidding on:Evolution SURFBOARD EvoFun Series 6'1" Tri-Fin with Bag This auction is a great opportunity to own a wonderful surfboard with which to enjoy many hours of surfing fun. The board is used and has some wear and the rear edge (as can be seen in the pictures) has wear that may need a minor repair. I do not surf but had an expert look over the board and he pronounced it in very good shape with easily repaired rear edge wear. This board comes with three (3) fins in excellent shape and pictured with the carrying bag. The dimensions of the board are as follows: Length: 6' 1" Width: 19 1/2" Thickness: 2 ½� The color is a bright yellow center, red boarder and teal edge. Promotional material regarding Evolution Evo Fun Series Tri Fin boards states the following: "The Evo Fun Series is a range of boards that are easy and fun to ride. They are thicker, wider and incorporate modern design elements. The plane shape curves are softer in the nose and tail creating more area at each end of the board than the high performance designs. This greatly improves paddling ability and the forward momentum of the surfboard, enabling the surfer to run across flat spots with ease whilst retaining the maneuverability of the modern surfboard in the pocket." Thank you for viewing ... read more


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Russ Castronovo
- Title
- Jean Wall Bennet Professor of English and American Studies (2002)
- Office
- 7133 Helen C. White Hall
- Phone
- (608) 263-7467
- E-mail Russ Castronovo
- Interests
- American literature, African American literature, American Studies, cultural theory and popular culture
Degrees and Institutions
PhD, University of California, Santa Cruz
BA, University of California, Berkeley
Selected Publications
- Propaganda 1776: Secrets, Leaks, and Revolutionary Communications in Early America (New York, Oxford University Press, 2014);
- Beautiful Democracy: Aesthetics and Anarchy in a Global Era (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007);
- Necro Citizenship: Death, Eroticism, and the Public Sphere in the Nineteenth-Century United States (Durham: Duke University Press, 2001);
- Fathering the Nation: American Genealogies of Slavery and Freedom (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995);
- Materializing Democracy: Toward a Revitalized Cultural Politics, co-edited with Dana Nelson (Durham: Duke University Press, 2002);
- Aesthetics and the End(s) of American Cultural Studies: Special Issue of American Literature, co-edited with Chris Castiglia (forthcoming).
- Plus articles in The Journal of Nineteenth-Century Americanists, ELN, Critical Inquiry, boundary 2, American Literary History, New Literary History, American Literature, PMLA on figures such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, W. E. B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, Harriet Jacobs, Herman Melville, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
After finishing up Propaganda 1776, a book that examines the connections between communications and democracy in early America, I've embarked on a project about conservatism. It strikes me that liberal academics (myself included) know very little about conservative ideology and its relationship to literary production, meaning, and circulation. So far, my scope is broad, and I'm reading everything from Edmund Burke (Reflections on the Revolution in France and Letters on a Regicide Peace) to Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged).
My initial work on this topic is taking shape as a talk/essay entitled, "Sex and the Conservative Girl." Stay tuned: I'm in the early stages of this work and I'll hope to provide sharper definitions in the coming months.
Personal Statement
I am interested in the uses of literature in forming critical citizenship. In my classes, this interest entails a commitment to analytic exchange and dialogue, collective interpretation, and interdisciplinary pursuits of knowledge. My classes seek to implement this approach by ranging across topics such as modern critical theory, popular culture, nineteenth- and twentieth-century American literature, propaganda, and the political novel.
Recent Books
Propaganda 1776: Secrets, Leaks, and Revolutionary Communications in Early America
Oxford University Press
- Upends traditional understandings of early American literary culture
- Advances a counter-intuitive argument for the importance of propaganda in the founding era
- Offers new perspectives on figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Paine
The Oxford Handbook of Nineteenth-Century American Literature
Oxford University Press
How do we approach the rich field of nineteenth-century American literature? How might we recalibrate the coordinates of critical vision and open up new areas of investigation? To answer such questions, this volume brings together 23 original essays written by leading scholars in American literary studies.
Beautiful Democracy: Aesthetics and Anarchy in a Global Era
University of Chicago Press
Are aesthetic experiences always a social good? Could aesthetics also inspire violent crime, working-class unrest, and racial murder? To answer these questions, Russ Castronovo turns to those who debated claims that art could democratize culture - civic reformers, anarchists, novelists, civil rights activists, and college professors - to reveal that beauty provides unexpected occasions for radical, even revolutionary, political thinking.
Materializing Democracy: Toward a Revitalized Cultural Politics
For the most part, democracy is simply presumed to exist in the United States. It is viewed as a completed project rather than as a goal to be achieved. Fifteen leading scholars challenge that stasis in Materializing Democracy. They aim to reinvigorate the idea of democracy by placing it in the midst of a contentious political and cultural fray, which, the volume's editors argue, is exactly where it belongs.
Necro Citizenship: Death, Eroticism, and the Public Sphere in the Nineteenth-Century United States
Duke University Press
In Necro Citizenship Russ Castronovo argues that the meaning of citizenship in the United States during the nineteenth century was bound to - and even dependent on - death. Deploying an impressive range of literary and cultural texts, Castronovo interrogates an American public sphere that fetishized death as a crucial point of political identification.
Fathering the Nation: American Genealogies of Slavery and Freedom
University of California Press
Fathering the Nation examines competing expressions of national memory appearing in a wide range of mid-nineteenth-century artifacts, including slave autobiography, classic American fiction, monumental architechture, myths of the Revolution, proslavery writing, and landscape painting. While these images, icons, and fictions attempt to present an ordered, inspiring narrative of America, they also tell other stories that disrupt the nation.


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Newwave Design Ltd is a full spectrum web design and development company comprised of Graphic Designers, Web Developers and Digital Marketing Executives. This means we are able to provide high end website design services to businesses who are looking to best represent their business online. As a brand led design agency we produce visually stunning websites with a high emphasis on user experience and conversion. We offer web design and development to businesses of varying sizes and our current portfolio includes one man bands and companies with over 100m turnover.
We constantly refine our design and development processes, enabling us to provide cost effective solutions to clients without compromising on quality.
Ecommerce websites, also known as online shops, enable you to sell products or services directly to customers on the internet. There are many important things to consider when building an online shop
Your social profiles leave an impression on your customers and audience. It is important that any design elements, such as top banners and social profile thumbnails are planned and designed to accurately reflect your brand.
As your services or products evolve with your business it is important to make sure your website is kept up to date to reflect those changes.
Cost effective and reliable hosting packages with automatic backups. Our starter hosting package includes unlimited disk space, bandwidth and email accounts.
Designing a User Interface that looks incredible while maintaining a high level user experience is not always a straight forward task. You must always focus on how a user will think; the pathways they will take, the devices they will be using and any problems they may face.
Our team of developers have plenty of experience in working with all kinds of web connections ranging from PayPal, to common stock management systems and lesser known booking systems
Our developers have extensive experience in working with and developing complex web applications. Whether you need to create a CRM system or integrate your website with your point of sale system, we can help.
We offer web development services to all businesses, even if we did not build your site. We can work by time sheet, quote or retainer, depending on your business requirements.


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Top 10 Best Tribal Shoulder Tattoos for Men. Are you looking for shoulder tattoo designs for men? Check out my favorite selection of tribal tattoo…
Tribal Sleeve tattoo design styles are big. They will engulf the whole leg or arm sleeve, so, they need a lot of prior planning. Many tribal sleeve tattoo designs are available there to select from.
Tattoo Cross On Shoulder Men - Tattooed Images
Blue and black tribal tattoo on shoulder


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Kaptn Oskar Trailer (2013)
23 January 2013 Drama, Comedy, Romance 78 mins
The turbulent relationship between Oskar and Alex ends in a big blaze, Alex has set fire in Oskar's apartment. So Oskar decides that everything shall be different with the next one and he makes a deal with fun-loving Masha: sleeping together but no making love. They both drift through Berlin and through their lives, sometimes playful, sometimes obsessively. And even Masha has her issues. While trying to build up a "normal" relationship, both Masha and Oskar reach their limits. - Written by Claudia Romdhane
Watch the official Kaptn Oskar 2013 trailer in HD below or find more Kaptn Oskar videos on Vidimovie.


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Absolute Auto Body Everett
Review for Absolute Auto Body Everett
Verified Customer on 03/14/2011
Spoke with Rick. He stated that the business did a good job as promised and they were very professional. Rick checked them out prior to using them and he spoke with Boyd. They did a good job on some of the previous work they did, so he decided to have the work done by them.
Category: Service
Service Date: 03/08/2011
Review Created: 03/14/2011
This review was collected via phone interview by Customer Research Inc.


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DPC 2.0: Growth and Change
1 week ago
Wow - from my very pleasurable time on the Board a few years ago I can see not only how much the DPC ...
- 1 week ago
Data management at iPRES 2017
3 weeks ago
Maureen Pennock highlighted the repository migration work of SCAPE at the un-conference ...
3 weeks ago
Maureen Pennock highlighted the repository migration work of SCAPE at the un-conference ...
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Unless otherwise stated, content is shared under CC-BY-NC Licence
Cloudy Culture: Preserving digital culture in the cloud
Part 2: Uploading
The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, National Galleries of Scotland and the Digital Preservation Coalition are working together on a project called Cloudy Culture to explore the potential of cloud services to help preserve digital culture. This is one of a number of pilots under the larger EUDAT project, funded through Horizon2020.
We've already published a friendly introduction to Cloudy Culture and our second report focuses on uploading data. It will describe in detail how the National Library of Scotland is transferring data into a cloud service provided by Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre using iRODS data management software (https://irods.org). The use of a web API uploader is also provided by EPCC and compared with iRODS. We want to know how easily, quickly and reliably we can transfer cultural data into the cloud. Is there anything that would dissuade us from using the cloud as a way to help us preserve access to the digital culture the Library is responsible for safeguarding? Can other organisations apply what we've learned to the content they're responsible for?
'Personal Digital Preservation: Photographs and Video' by Richard Wright
'The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) Technology Watch Report Personal Digital Archiving provides an overall approach and methodology for putting one's "digital house" in order. My purpose in this case note is to add the gory detail about digital photos and video, giving a one-person case study. I say exactly what software and processes I use (and which ones I've considered but rejected, or used and discarded), and try to be frank about successes and failures.'
Digital Preservation News 043
Roughly weekly/monthly news and opinions from the Digital Preservation Coalition's Head of Research and Practice, Paul Wheatley. Opinions are the opinions of Paul and those featured. Not the DPC. They're just opinions, ok? Just because the blog has moved to the official DPC website does not mean this isn't just a load of opinions. Back issues are here.
Welcome to a new era. Post-truth. Alternative facts. The 2017 that the pretty awful 2016 appears to have just been a gentle warm up for. And I suspect it's going to get pretty hot. As Terry Pratchett once said - there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a flamethrower. But fear not dear reader. Although the DPC has a brand spanking new website to which Digital Preservation News has moved, the usual pedantry, gentle snark and (hopefully) useful digipres news is not going anywhere.
In uncertain times, some stability and permanence is reassuring. In a post-truth era, it's absolutely vital. So, my digipres friends, we've got our work cut out. Let's go to it...
Highlights from the E-ARK Conference
Over the last three years, the partners of the E-ARK Project have worked together to develop and test specifications and tools for the creation and management of information packages for preservation. Around this work they have also been busily undertaking complementary research and resource creation, resulting in a wide variety of new and improved practical solutions for those undertaking digital preservation activities.
On a crisp, cold day at the beginning of December 2016, we gathered at the beautiful main building of the National Archives of Hungary in Budapest (see right) to share the results of all that hard work at our final conference. I was there on behalf of the DPC and, even as a member of the project team, I was impressed by the scope and quality of the work shared during the event.
In this blog post, through the medium of the Tweets we sent out into the wild over the two days, I hope to share some of the highlights from presentations given at the conference. The tools, resources and solutions they mention will be of interest to many DPC members and friends. More information on all the E-ARK resources mentioned below can be found on the project website: http://www.eark-project.eu.
PDF/Eh? redux: putting veraPDF into practice. Or how I rediscovered my inner geek
Ancient history: how we got here
Way back in 2013 the DPC collaborated with the OPF on a project called SPRUCE. Following on from the success of another little project called AQUA, and with some very handy funding from the Jisc, we ran a bunch of mashup events and got hands on with all sorts of digital preservation challenges. The management of PDF files, and particularly risk assessment, was a recurring theme. In response, the SPRUCE project held a hackathon in Leeds where a host of DP geeks came up with a basic proof of concept for a PDF risk checker. Based on PDFBOX – a PDF/A validator – and with denizens of both Yorkshire and Canada in the room (plus a variety of other nationalities) it seemed entirely appropriate to call it PDF/Eh? For those unfamiliar with Yorkshire dialect, this probably won't help but is recommended nonetheless. A number of important elements (that would surface again in the future) were brought together at this hackathon, but the participants recognised that this would take a much bigger push and a dedicated project to do it "properly".
PDF is a preservation problem almost everyone has. It's certainly not the biggest problem out there, but it needs some work and it's a little surprising that as a community we haven't managed to nail it. PDF/A is beginning to form part of the solution but a standard needs to be adequately supported with tools. That's where veraPDF comes in.
What the world needs now
By coincidence I find myself working from home on the day a new US president is inaugurated. The coincidence: the last time an American president took office I was also working from home. Speeches and punditry burble through the kitchen radio as I hammer out a few more lines of something at the dining table. Same radio, same pundits, same table, very different presidents. A different William too I suppose, mostly the effect of acquiring two children and a dog but also the result of completing 8 years at the DPC. The DPC is very different, too, now. So I find myself in reflective mood, considering the distances travelled and the road to come.
I joined the DPC not long after Barrack Obama moved into the White House. I moved my few boxes into that tiny office in HATII on 23rd February 2009. It's worth recalling the difference between DPC 2009 and DPC 2017. The most important change has been our membership, more-or-less doubling from 32 to 63. It's a remarkable statistic in the tough fiscal environment, and even more so when you realise how many of our 2009 members simply no longer exist. Agencies like the Research Information Network, Museums Libraries and Archives Council, and the Centre for Digital Library Research didn't so much leave the Coalition as expire. The number doesn't tell you about our growing diversity: how our interaction with banks, manufacturers and architects has set a trend for expansion into the commercial world. And the numbers don't tell you about how global the Coalition has become of late: the UN, NATO, UNHCR, the European Central Bank, the Academic Preservation Trust, The University of Berne, the International Criminal Tribunal have all joined in the last three years.
A breakthrough year for web archiving in 2016?
Anyone who works with web archives quickly becomes used to the fact that most people have not even heard of them – even fewer understand what they are and where you might be able to access them. In 2016, however, it seemed as though web archives began to filter into the public consciousness, to move from the technology pages of the more serious newspapers to the political and even cultural sections. In May 2016, for example, the BBC announced plans to close its Food website, removing approximately 11,000 well-used recipes from search engine results. There was an immediate public outcry – that combination of the BBC and food – and also some very welcome publicity for the value of web archives. The Mirror, for example, noted that 'If all else fails, the Internet Archive has a record of almost all the BBC Food recipes (11,282 to be precise)'. Similarly, The Independent reported that 'The easiest way to find any specific recipes is to head to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which keeps a catalogue of almost every website ever published', with the subheading to the article warning that this 'close call should remind us to store the websites that we care about'. The British Library got in on the act as well, blogging that 'We have today instigated a further crawl of the BBC website with the specific aim of ensuring that we save the recipes from the food pages. We can also report that the Internet Archive, Library of Alexandria and the National Library of Iceland have also captured these pages so their future is assured'. Even more encouragingly, it was notable that in many cases below-the-line commenters independently volunteered web archiving, and especially the Internet Archive, as a solution to the problem.
iPRES 2016 Blog - Panel: Software Sustainability and Preservation
Paul Young has been Digital Archivist at the National Archives for just over a year, dealing with the ingest of Born-Digital records and undertaking file format research for PRONOM.
Paul attended iPRES 2016 with support from the DPC's Leadership Programme. This blog is part of a series produced by scholarship recipients who attended iPRES 2016.
Panel Discussion: Software Sustainability and Preservation: Implications for the Long-Term Access to Digital Heritage
Preservation Planning for Personal Digital Collections by Paul Wilson
A condensed version of this case note also appears in the Technology Watch Report Personal Digital Archiving by Gabriela Redwine.
Paul Wilson's case note summarizes his attempts to find a suitable preservation planning process and associated documentation to apply to his personal digital collections. Since he could find no preservation planning process appropriate to individuals, he obtained a slide set detailing a simple preservation workflow from the Digital Preservation Coalition, and used that as a foundation on which to establish an approach to the work. This general approach and accompanying documentation was tested and refined on two of his personal digital collections (one of 800 mementos and the other of 17,000 photos). Template documents were then derived from the results.
This case note describes the solutions best suited to Wilson's collections and resources, but the processes he has developed have a wide applicability to any personal or small collections. In the fuller article (which can be downloaded as a PDF below), Wilson narrates his experiences to provide insights into the practical outcomes of using published guidelines and tools for preservation planning. Individuals and small organisations will be able to replicate those actions described here that are relevant to their own situations. They will also be able to compare their own collections and circumstances with those in this case study in order to assess common conditions and challenges. All of the documents, as well as blank templates, are available below.
Cloudy Culture: Preserving digital culture in the cloud
By now you'll have heard of The Cloud. The big amorphous space out there that is the answer to anything digital. You want more storage? You need the cloud. You want a back-up copy of all of your treasured photos? You need the cloud. You want to undertake large scale high performance number crunching? You guessed it…you need the cloud. So it's no surprise that the cloud is featuring more and more in the cultural heritage sector too. Tate Gallery, the Parliamentary Archives and the Bodleian Library have all dipped their toes, or their heads, into cloud technology. The National Library of Scotland has also been thinking about the role of the cloud, which is essentially a service that stores and manages digital information, as part of its continuing mission to preserve the nation's digital culture. Is the cloud the answer to all our digital problems and if it is surely there's a price tag attached to it. To find out the National Library of Scotland is about to embark on a journey of discovery with the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, National Galleries of Scotland and the Digital Preservation Coalition. It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of these organisations, just be assured that we are all interested in preserving digital culture for current and future generations. Our journey starts at a project called EUDAT…


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Intel to launch online TV service
Intel, which employs over 3,000 people at its plants in Ireland, plans to launch an online television service this year that will stream live TV as well as provide content on demand.
The development confirms reports that the world's top chip maker is getting into the media market. The leading chip maker for computers was negotiating deals with content providers, Erik Huggers, vice president and general manager of Intel Media, told the All Things Digital Dive into Media conference yesterday.
"We have been working for (the past) year to set up Intel Media, a new group focused on developing an internet platform," Mr Huggers said.
Intel has struggled to get a virtual television service off the ground.
This has been due to unwillingness on the part of major media content providers to let Intel unbundle and license specific networks and shows at a discount to what cable and satellite partners pay, according to sources.
It has kept its strategy to launch a TV service, based around a set-top box, under wraps for months.


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Madagascar, a country in southern Africa located in the Indian Ocean east of Mozambique, is the fifth largest island in the world, with a land mass of 587,000 square kilometers and 24.24 million inhabitants in 2016. Its economy is based essentially on agriculture, particularly vanilla, and tourism. Given its unique biodiversity, it is very vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
Political Context
The founding of the Senate in February 2016 completes the establishment of all of the democratic institutions of Madagascar's Fifth Republic. The upper chamber comprises 63 senators, two thirds of whom are elected and one third appointed by the President of the Republic. The Constitution now provides that the President of the Senate, Honoré Rakotomanana, will serve as acting president in the event of the resignation, removal or death of the President of the Republic.
During the April 2016 cabinet shuffle, the President, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, appointed Olivier Mahafaly Solofonandrasana as Prime Minister. His main task is to implement the National Development Plan, which focuses on three areas: improving governance, fostering economic recovery, and expanding access to basic social services.
Madagascar received a commitment of $6.4 billion in support of its development projects (2017-2020) during the Conference of Donors and Investors organized by the Malagasy government in Paris in December 2016 with the support of the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In addition, an envelope of $3.3 billion in investment was announced by the private sector.
Economic situation
The Malagasy economy has been gradually improving and the medium-term outlook is encouraging. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to reach 4.1% in 2016, exceeding the average rate of 2.6% recorded over the past five years. In 2016, the economy was led by the expansion of the tertiary sector, public works programs, and the recovery in the primary sector, which was aided by favorable weather conditions and higher vanilla prices. Control over inflation and the improvement in the external balance owing to greater inflows of direct investment reinforced economic stability.
However, with an extreme poverty rate of 77.8% in 2012, Madagascar is ranked among the poorest countries in Africa.
Social context
Although Madagascar made some progress in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in the 2000s, the political crisis from 2009 to 2014 seriously undermined that progress. Today Madagascar's education, health, nutrition and water access outcomes are among the poorest in the world.
The country's development challenges are immense: 90% of the population is poor; per capita GDP stands at $420; one child in two under the age of five suffers from chronic malnutrition; and Madagascar was ranked 154th out of the 187 countries in the 2015 Human Development Index.
Madagascar is also one of the 10 countries most at risk from the effects of global warming.
Last Updated: Jan 10, 2017


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If you are thinking of travelling to Nepal, you may want to read this..
From The Star today:
United States warns against traveling to Nepal
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - The United States has warned its citizens not to travel to Nepal after months of street protests and political turmoil in the Himalayan nation.
The warning, issued by the State Department, said the United States remains concerned about the security situation in Nepal.
The Maoist former rebels shut down the country for more than a week last month protesting against the government. Street demonstrations turned violent with clashes between communist supporters and police.
No tourists were harmed during the protests, but a general strike shut down hotels, restaurants and transportation.
Baby Panda to return to China - If you have yet to visit the pandas in Zoo Negara, the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, you may want to do so soon if you want to see them or especially bab...
1 month ago


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Melissa & Doug Sort, Match, Attach Nuts & Bolts Board
Don't pay more for this classic kids' toy!
Teaches colour & pattern recognition, sequencing & more!
Sturdy wooden construction | Match the shapes & bolt them in!
Melissa & Doug, a husband and wife team, have been designing toys for over 20 years and aim at producing only the best possible value, quality and design. Constructed from strong wooden materials and featuring bright, lively colours, Melissa & Doug toys are made to last and entertain your little one for years. From playful puzzles and pretty beads, to magnetic dress-ups and rolling vehicles, there is a cherished toy here for every girl and boy.
- Melissa & Doug Sort, Match, Attach Nuts & Bolts Board
- Match the plastic shape and bolt together
- Easy grasp pieces
- Encourages shape sorting skills and manual dexterity
- Safe and non-toxic
- Includes extension activity instructions for child and parent
- Ages 3+ years


text: Looking to travel to Florida in July with my husband and 9 month old baby. We would prefer to stay in a condo instead of just a standard hotel room. Any recommendations? Hollywood a nice part of Florida? We're basically looking for a low key vacation - nice beaches with blue water, nearby shopping, place to walk with the stroller and maybe some options for some day trips. Any help would be great! Thanks.


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Reviews written by registered user
|12 reviews in total
I saw the trailer for this film and I couldn't resist rolling my eyes and
expecting another ignorant expose of how the Americans are heroes, and the
Arabs are monsters. I admit I was wrong to jump to such
Movies like Navy Seals, True Lies, and Delta Force aim to disregard the facts and instead opt to use 100 minutes of screen time to make Arabs as ugly as possible, and make Americans as patriotic and righteous as can be. This is disgusting and neglects to tell tales the way they are meant to be told. 3 Kings, on the other hand, promotes the credibility of the Arab vs. America film genre.
The story is simple; 3 soldiers discover a map that leads to a trail of stolen Kuwaiti gold. The soldiers pursue the gold, predictably stolen from Saadam, but find themselves embroiled in a refugee war and must make a decision to sacrifice the gold for the people. The reason this film is so good, is that the 3 American soldiers (Clooney, Wahlberg, Cube) are not made to look neither intelligent, noroic, nor pro-American, nor any other typical association you make with movies like this. They are depicted as barbarians, who don't even know why they are fighting. They soon discover that President Bush' campaign is dodgy and begin to feel betrayed by their own nation. I loved the way this was captured because the men realize just how corrupt and seedy their politicians are and how the comparisons with Iraq's Saadam are not too dissimilar.
I really appreciated the consideration given to the Arab issue. It is a sensitive issue and should be respected. To mock it, reflects poorly on the filmmakers and the film. Incidentally, most anti-Arab films are disasters and flop at the box-office. This is re-assuring because it suggests that audiences are not taken in by the ridiculous stereotyping.
3 Kings succeeds because there grows a bond between the soldiers and the refugees. The refugees in fact ultimately humanize the soldiers and their characters. It is, as if to say, that the Americans can learn just as much from the Arabs, as the Arabs can learn from them. Even more!!
The Pro-Saadam soldiers are also given real character. There is a real point to made here. The soldiers emphasize that they are at the mercy of their President. They have a job to do and they must do it. If not, everything they hold dear will be taken from them. So their merciless campaigns are carried out, out of fear, not joy or satisfaction. Similarly the Americans are under orders. They are told to fight, so they fight. No questions asked!!! The only difference is that the Americans look nicer and are fortunate enough not to live under tyranny. Otherwise the comparisons are exact.
The action here is expertly handled; it's like a rock video with superb set pieces complemented by powerful musical montages. It's a unique action film; the shots and techniques will no doubt awaken the interests of thousand of people. Whether they like action films or not. Then you add the comedy angle and you have a really exquisite movie.
This film is one of the best and most underrated action feasts of the decade, and it earns bonus points with it's deep respect for the Arabs. Granted, there are moments that border on the precipice of banality, but no film is perfect
I don't know why just about every film on the market today is a remake of a
60's classic. It speaks volumes about the credibility of the film industry
30 years ago and not a lot about it's worth 30 years on. Steve McQueen in
particular would have been so honoured that so much of his work is being
redone and modernized today. To assess what he would have thought of this
piece of re-modelling is debatable.
The film's premise is similar but not an exact rip-off. Bored billionaire Thomas Crown steals a Monet just for the sheer challenge. Everyone thinks an inept bunch of burglars are responsible until bounty hunter Catherine Banning comes on the scene. Banning pursues Crown relentlessly in order to recover the art work. Matters get complicated when a steamy affair develops between the two. The stakes have changed; the line between duty and love may or may not be crossed and as expected Director McTiernan makes everything look really cool and entertaining.
Brosnan is well able to take on the McQueen role; his efforts to pull off the debonair type sometimes go noticed but overall he fits and suits the bill. I couldn't imagine another modern day actor being able to demonstrate the sophisticated class and elegance that Brosnan can. Russo is another issue entirely. Before I get critical I will say that I appreciated the two leads being in the same age bracket for once in the 90's. I can't get over this obsession film makers have to cast male leads opposite female bombshells 30 years their junior. For once this was avoided. The trouble is Russo projects a dislikeable aura to her character. She is supposed to be Brosnan's equal but her personality fails to win over the viewer; she ends up getting on our nerves rather than impressing us with her wits. Denis Leary is the orthodox policeman who is predicatably made to look stupid, along with all the other cops, by Russo's perceptiveness and skill. He is very watchable, albeit when he is spitting out crude comments, but he is made to look so dense by Russo that his fans get annoyed. Imagine a police detective whose every idea (with regard to the crime)is wrong or insignificant or refuted. Just wouldn't happen!! And then imagine a female bounty hunter who bypasses all police procedure based on gut feeling, and not only gets away with it but mocks the ineptitude of her male counterparts!!! Never happens!!
Ultimately, Thomas Crown is an entertaining film because it's demands aren't excessive; we can sit back and enjoy the glamorous sets, slick dialogue, pretty actors, and crafty action set pieces. The finale is especially clever and the film is worth watching for the final heist alone. Dare I say it, but the raunchy dance scene is also a must see attraction because the intended erotic flavour ends up being overshadowed by laughable gesticulations on both the actors parts.
This film is hard leave alone; it's good enough but warrants the criticism. If you are not a person who nit-picks every detail, you may well love it. If you are, you may grow increasingly impatient and annoyed. I lie somewhere in between these two avenues; I do pick up on details but not enough for my enjoyment of the film to be marred.
This movie is excellent. I hate using American High-school colloquialisms
but this film, is actually awesome!! It's successor Clueless, is much more
recognized, but never nearly as good! Fast Times, like Clueless is a
high-school story filled with a range of different characters who try and
live out their fantasies and ambitions as the high school time barometer
ticks away.
To see Sean Penn in a doped out skater role is almost unsurpassed in terms of comic entertainment. To compare him then and now is amazing. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also amazing; Judge Reinhold is the main man on campus until he gets fired from the prestigious hamburger joint and loses his grip on life. This is a masterful touch. For the essence of a man's cool to be judged on his position in the fast food business is hilarious. In fact all these kids hang out at the mall, and they all have different jobs in that mall. But certain jobs have more cache to them than others. For example a waitress is not as important as a cinema usher, and so on!!
These characters are so endearing because, much like with Clueless, they go through life embracing all the wrong beliefs and ideas. They strive to be top dog, and each persons bid to attain supremacy is as superficial as the next. Of course, today every teen film is full of these people who try to win the high school popularity contest and who ultimately gain enlightenment against the odds (She's All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Pie, Clueless), but Fast Times was the first to bring these teen issues to the foreground.
Another unique aspect of Fast Times is that, unlike it's successors, it dares to be more direct and more crude in it's presentation. The sexual issues are more provocactive and the scenes are more racey. One might say that the film is much more realistic. This goes without saying because the characters are multi-faceted and their personalities never sway. The characters do not undergo some amazing metamorphosis by the end; they preserve their uniqueness and imperfection. This is why Fast Times is streets ahead of it's rivals.
The soundtrack is fast and furious, full of cheesy yet appealing rock tunes. Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby" is a particulary good track.
To conclude, I will say that fast Times at Ridgemont High is a fabulous film that has so many of today's big stars making fools of themselves in loveable roles. I loved it and those who have seen it would all vouch that it is the quintessential teen film.
You either liked Magnolia, or you loathed it. There is barely no one who
sits on the fence and claims indifference. It's impossible to be neutral to
a film like this because it plays itself out to the very extreme. Some will
savor the experience; others will find it unbearable.
At over 3 hours, Magnolia comes with a lot of baggage. It is a mighty test of the audiences endurance and sheer stamina. Few films can put you through this type of journey. I found Magnolia to be a well-crafted expose of the lives of various people in and around the San Fernando Valley over the course of 48 hours. During that time, these people have to confront their inner demons and attain some sort of enlightenment amidst this bleak, harrowing life that they lead.
This idea is not original, in fact it smells particularly like an Altman dish. Altman's 'Short Cuts' followed a similar plot formula and also lasted 3 hours. The difference with this film is that, unlike Short Cuts, the film's various stories do have a neat and interesting conclusion. Magnolia doesn't end inconclusively; these people's lives will make sense and they will all come together by the end of it.
Director Anderson, who brought Boogie Nights to us, uses many of the same actors. Even though these characters are different from those in Boogie Nights, we still feel a certain affinity to them. Scorsese often uses this concept; he casts many of the same actors in his films, thus as the movie opens we already feel like we know them. Like in Boogie Nights, the subject matter dealt with, is not pretty. We have drugs, sex, death, homosexuality...you name it. From that description, many would say American Beauty springs to mind. It's true the issues confronted are often the same, but Magnolia is less subtle, and less sleek. Still, we should not write it off as a fine piece of cinema.
The structure of the film is also very similar to Anderson's previous effort. The first half is like the build up to an operatic chorus; the tempo gets more and more dramatic until it reaches fever pitch. There is bang that is designed to really move us and bring out our deepest emotions.
The second half starts with the tempo rescinding, but we slowly start to feel the momentum picking up again. And we know the final climax is gonna be even more explosive. This idea is always in fear of being ridiculed if it's not done right. The idea must be to have each climax genuinely meaningful and dramatic. Audiences today are rarely shocked because they've seen it all before, so to succeed in getting their attention, is a very tall order. I, for one liked the way the cookie crumbled; the bizarre denouement was especially memorable.
The acting here cannot be faulted. I am not exaggerating when I say that I can't recall a finer ensemble piece ever. The performances all round are dynamic in scope and the range and potential each actor shows is truly remarkable. Cruise, oscar-nominated, as he was, is astonishing. He has never before demonstrated this sort of on-screen captivity; his effort goes unnoticed, and he must now have finally cemented himself as a good actor by everyone's standards. If you are is still not convinced after this performance; you'll never be!!!
The stories here are often inter-connected as you may guess but they are far from predictable. This is good because the audience's attention does not wither. You ought to feel curious as to how it will all come together. If not, then the experience is likely to be dire, to say the least. As I said, Magnolia is like a roll of the dice; you don't know what you are going to get. Some will savor the experience, others will feel hard done-by. It is difficult to predict who will and who will not like it. It is certainly not a safe bet. It is a massive gamble that will not always pay off. From the entertainment standpoint, the odds of success are minimal. I say this because your average cinema go-er will be tired and bored and will have finished his popcorn box with 2 hours till to spare.
I, for one, managed to get through the experience with some energy to spare. Not a lot, mind you!! I did at times feel exhausted, but ultimately I profited from the experience. The roll of dice had my number on it. I don't even think about arguing with those that hated it because I see exactly where they are coming from. To argue this films worth would also feel like a real ordeal. With Magnolia there is a very fine line you walk between liking it and hating it!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
What is Daniel Larusso's problem? Why after three torturous films is he no
more a man than when he first moved to L.A? I just don't get it!! In the
first installment he had an excuse to be a sissy; he was being bullied by
the bad boys of his new school and he didn't know how to defend himself. I
accept that! In the second one, he was in a foreign land and was being
bullied by some oriental bad-boy. He gets his butt kicked throughout until
the last scene when in the face of near death, he looks into Miyagi's eyes
and gets the inspiration to overcome fear and win the day and the girl. I
don't buy it but I can bear it!! In the third installment, he projects so
much obnoxiousness and pathetic emotion that you hope that his clearly,
superior opponents will kick his ass once and for all. No such luck!!
In this film Daniel is forced to defend his title which requires him to fight only the final match.(Easy enough no?) His opponent is some blonde punk who is being trained by Kreese (the disgraced teacher in the first film whose nose Miyagi twists to render him unconscious)and backed by the finances of Terry Silver, a smooth Karate kicking business man. Silver, played with nice slick touches by Thomas Ian Griffith is watchable as he disrupts Daniel's level of discipline and successfully convinces Daniel that he wants to help him defend his title after Miyagi refuses. Daniel, idiot that he is, can't see the charade and accepts his help. Griffith projects some air of smoothness but doesn't quite convince he's really all that cool. Still some Karate student that I know, Amir Hashim-Zada seems to think he epitomizes 21st Century Maleness. To each his own, I guess! The three of them have a business deal going that requires Daniel to fight the final and get beaten in order for their new Dojo's to be opened. Miyagi refuses to train Daniel because he feels Daniel's reasons for defense are wrong. Please excuse Daniel for getting beaten up throughout the film and being forced to enter the tournament!!. Sorry Miyagi, how unreasonable Daniel has become!!! Anyway enough plot....
What I don't get is why Daniel complains and cries consistently about his circumstances and seems to have forgotten any skills that Miyagi has taught him over the past couple of films. That is until, in the heat of the moment, he looks into Miyagi's eyes and everything comes back!!(How realistic!!). I loved the first film, for although Daniel was predictably annoying, he was living out the zero to hero story we all love. And Miyagi became a household name that we couldn't not love. Incidentally, Miyagi remains good throughout the films. Without him the movie hasn't a leg to stand on. It's a real statement on the charisma of the leading man Macchio. He simply has none.
The trouble with Daniel is that he has the weakest personality that doesn't ever appear to develop, despite all Miyagi's wisdom, until the last 2 minutes of the film. I can accept that these films don't expect that much from the viewer, but come on!!, we should at least believe that Daniel is a worthy hero by the end. I find it really funny that Miyagi likens Daniel's spirit to that of a bonsai tree with a strong root. Daniel seems to make Miyagi's wisdom and teachings look meaningless. Daniel ought to be a man's man by this film, but he still walks like a girl, he talks like a girl, and BY GOD he still FIGHTS like a girl!!!Any sympathy you may have mustered for him from the past two films is quickly dispensed in this film because he whines and cries when things consistently don't go his way. For God's Sake Daniel, are you that dense, since when do things go your way??? By now you should be man enough to deal with the bad things in life!!!! Everyone else does and most haven't had the privilege of Miyagi's teachings!!
I must say the final scene is truly pathetic!!The bad boy is keen to win a point then lose a point thereby keeping the scores at 0-0. He wants Daniel to suffer (Don't we all?) so he claims a legitimate point then beats the life out of him to lose the point. The match makes it abundantly clear that Daniel is 5 belts worse than this guy. BUT the match tied at 0-0 thanks entirely to the bad-boy, goes into sudden death when Daniel searches deep inside of himself, giving the obligatory look to Miyagi, and pulls off one good move and wins the match. Then he has the arrogance to say "Yes We did It" as if he should have the audacity to think he deserved to win the fight. It could be poor writing or bad acting, or both, but it's a pity that even after 3 films, even my young girl cousin reckons she could beat up whimpy Daniel!!
The irony of all of this, is that this film is shamefully watchable. I like it because Daniel forces giggles from the audience and Miyagi is always watchable as he chants his pearls of wisdom and does his various spiritual mantra's that are meant to mean something!! Sorry Miyagi, I didn't quite catch their significance this time around, and as much as I like you, I fear Daniel has not learned a bleeding thing from you since you met him!!!
American Beauty is a fictional depiction of suburban America with
examinations of dysfunctional family ties, drugs, sex, homosexuality,
self-identification, and almost everything else that comes to
To say its good in it's presentation of 20th century values and concepts would be an understatement. To say it is one of the most exceptional modern day exposes of real life is exagerrated. American Beauty lies somewhere in between these two adjectives.
Beauty gains points from fluent character development. I appreciate films that can convincingly introduce us to characters, whose personalities end up developing in a manner that completely runs contrary to our initial perceptions. So many films today strive to play out their characters in ways that the viewer would never have imagined. The idea that the characters are so far from what we think them to be is an idea that everyone seems keen to use. If the idea is conveyed well, the film is likely to be a critical hit. If the end product smells banal, and cliched, the film is likely to be a disaster.
This film has everyday people trying to come to terms with themslves and their desires and dislikes. Director Mendes manages to sidestep the traditional cliches by packing it with insightful dark humour. The film aims to juggle comic elements with disturbing elements; this ensures that the film does not end up suffocating us with it's extremely dark subject matter. Scenes that involve drugs, sex, masturbation, and violence are given extra-special dimension beacuse they are given light touches. Without these touches, the film might have proven unwatchable.
Critic Amir Daftari hated this film because he felt that the twists and contradictions of the film were predictable; the sex bomb is a virgin, the drug dealer is a pure seed, the conservative wife is an adultress....etc. Many have said that this film suffers from it's near-predictable ironic developments. That is to say that the evolution of these people doesn't shock the audience; it ends up being a pretentious effort that fails to hit the target. I disagree with this!! Beauty didn't shock me as much as it did many others but it's cinematic proficiency is undeniable.
The acting here is outstanding; Spacey is particularly excellent because he shrugs off all the normal Spacey stereotyping. He isn't cool, or debonair, or devilish. He's a loser who slowly tries to muster the courage to confront his fears and desires. We can't not love him because he's so human and when he finally acts on his impulses, he makes us all believe in ourselves and the strength of the human spirit. If he can do it, then anyone can!!! He makes us all want to break free and live free and not care about anyone but ourselves!!
The other characters also need to be just as powerful. This film relies heavily on it's characters and their actions. Each persons actions affect the lives and status of the others. In order for this to be realistic and effective the actors must deliver powerhouse performances. They Do!! "Every action has an equal and positive reaction". Beauty lives by this law and it is never in fear of disproving it.
Beauty was the best oscar candidate at this years ceremony and deserves it's reward but I reject the idea that it's message is profound like no other film, or that it is th best piece of cinema to have graced our screens in the last 10 years!! It's very Good, Not Exceptional!!
Many perceive Tequila sunrise to be a routine, formulaic cop thriller with
some nice sets, pretty actors, some guns, some sex....etc. Cynics go on to
say that Gibson has never acted worse, that the plot twists are predictable
and the love triangle is overly cheesy. I, on the other hand, feel that the
film profits greatly from expert cinematography, fluent storytelling and
convincing(albeit rather undemanding)acting. Pitting Gibson (the now-retired
drug dealer lured back for one last deal) and Russell (the reluctant sheriff
assigned to bust him) as best of friends on opposite sides of the law was a
strong premise, made even more compelling by the fact that the drug dealer
(Gibson) is the sympathetic character and the cop (Russell) is the sly,
manipulative sort. There is an apparent sense of irony and it goes a long
way to making an otherwise average story, interesting and very watchable.
Pfeiffer is the glamorous love interest whose character does a lot to
intensify the rivalry between the two men. Much of the drama and strength
however comes from the late J.T Walsh as Russell's superior, hell bent on
bringing Gibson down and his Mexican drug counter-part who nobody has ever
seen. A special sense of irony presents itself at the denouement for Walsh
unknowlingly becomes a pawn in the drug ring that has now become the talk of
the town thanks to his vendetta.
The also late Raul Julia never disappoints as the charismatic yet enigmatic Mexican law enforcer. Julia and Walsh complement the film beautifully as side characters with dubious intentions. They are multi-faceted and like all the other people in this film are torn between what they should do and what they want to do, and in fact what they end up doing. Nothing is black and white in Tequila Sunrise; it's a very grey area. With every development we learn more about the people and how they are so far from being what we originally perceived. Hats off to to Robert Towne for his writing. Tequila Sunrise may lack the inventiveness, vision, and dynamism of Chinatown (Robert Towne wrote both scripts), but it should, by no means be discarded as a mediocre cop thriller.It is a very slick piece of cinema with fine acting, glamorous sets, and great dialogue. Furthermore, unlike some of it's predecessors it's a film that can be seen repeatedly without losing it's cutting edge. Under appreciated and underrated, Tequila Sunrise is an excellent film
I have been told that my reviews have a tendency to over elaborate the
points of discussion. I cannot yet determine if this is because of my love
for movies, or an arrogant assumption that what I write needs to be read. Or
even a pompous self love for the flow of my own writing. In any case, with
Top Gun I have decided to be as to the point as possible. I won't talk about
the story or it's characters too much because, I can't think of anyone who
hasn't seen this film.
Top Gun is one of those powerhouse films whose impact is unparalleled. It profits from repeat viewings and it's stylistic touches often take the breath away. Most go on to say that it's effects on the cinema screen enhance it's entertainment value by a a factor of 10. I wouldn't know; I was only 7 years old when it came out.
But Top Gun is a more important film that it's ever been credit for. I say this because, to date it remains the defining achievement of the Bruckheimer/ Simpson production team. This production team reshaped the face of the slick action film almost single-handedly. I would like to work the stretch and say that they almost created a new genre of film, but that would be pushing it.
Today, all action films cannot survive without various essential components; handsome stars, pulsating soundtrack, powerful cinematography, new and inventive action shots, exotic locales.......Top Gun was the first on the scene to adequately and successfully combine all these elements into one film. It is a trendsetter and has, needless to say, inspired the production of thousands of other films. Top Gun is a film everybody knows, and it carries with it an incredible subliminal effect. I say this because, even if your not conscious of it, Top Gun and it's influence is consistently at play in the back of our minds when we talk about film. Almost any film!
Today Bruckheimer (Simpson passed away 2 years ago) and his team are the paragons of this field. Most producers go unnoticed by the average audience; a huge number however, recognize and acknowledge Bruckheimer as a huge player and I can vouch for many who are just as eager to watch a Tom Cruise film as they are a Jerry Bruckheimer production. His influence is immense and this is all thanks to Top Gun being the revolutionary action film that is is.
As with many of Tony Scott's films (Days of Thunder, Last Boy Scout, True Romance) this film is about a cocky sure-fire character who thinks he has all the answers until he gets a whiff of the real world and it's responsibilities and undergoes a major character change. He experiences various heartaches; from love and love lost to the loss of those dear to him, and he must overcome all this and find the strength to win the day and thereby prove his real mettle and evolution. This story has been used ad infinitum but in this case the hero-zero-hero story is so well complemented by the 80's slickness brought to the foreground by Bruckheimer/ Simpson. Cruise should consider himself the world's most fortunate actor; Top Gun is one of the most important films of the 20th century and Tom Cruise was it's star. If the man did nothing else, he would have attained God-like status as an actor and continue to be lionized by an adoring public.
Many film-makers will despise this film; it has made it near impossbile for small budget productions to make a deep impact. Sure there are a number that make it, but Top Gun ensured that lest an action flick carry a budget of over $100 million, it would never survive. That said, all the things that make the hairs stand on the back of our necks today have been inspired, to a large extent, from this film. Even the cinema trailers today need to pack a whopping punch to make the audience eager. If you notice, movie previews today, look like they cost as much as the actual film. This genre of film packs a lethal punch. Only the big fish can swim; the small will be devoured!!
Make no mistake about it, Top Gun is a vital contribution to modern day cinema. Our appreciation for sound quality in film, adrenaline-rushes, sex, action, cinematography have crucially been enhanced by this film.
After all I've said, I cannot help frown when I consider that this film is merely about fighter jets!!
The plot is simple; two men, considered as paragons in their respective
fields find themselves on opposite sides of the law, and must use their
expertise to outwit each other. Pacino is the driven detective, with a
sense for secong-guessing his nemesis, DeNiro is the brilliant thief,
one step ahead of the law. In terms of plot premise that's it, so 'Let the
games begin'
This film received mixed reviews; some felt the dramatic once in a lifetime
on screen pairing of Hollywood's two greatest actors was a masterful
Others felt the film was overly pretentious and too long to sustain the
interest of the viewer.
I side with the former; Heat is, if anything underrated as a film because
many can't accept it's brilliance on the cinematic level. People seem to be
drawn to it because of the actors and the action setpieces and nothing
To begin, the idea of pitting the 20th century's two greatest actors against each other was a splendid idea. The film plays out like a contest; each demonstarting their vast expertise as characters and actors. Only one can stand supreme, but the finale still leaves us questioning as to who the taller man actually is. What makes Heat even more absorbing is the contrast in acting styles. Pacin o loves loud gesticulations and likes to scream a lot. He has made the overacting thing his forte and we love to imitate him. DeNiro, conversely likes to keep quiet. He seduces the audience with the looks that tell a million stories. He likes to underact if you like and this allows the two actors to play off each other superbly.
I beg to differ that this film is half as good without the two leads. I found the script to be exquisite; the characters are so profound and the shape and evolution of the plot is determined by these people. There is so much emphasis on the work ethic of these men and how this drive makes them more and more alienated from their families and love lives. It is a strong undertone that is being expressed here; we realize that juggling work and family is impossible. You must do one at the expense of the other. The more committed you are to one, the more you distance yourself from the other. In Heat this is expertly conveyed!
Timing is everything in Heat; there has to be a balance between Pacino and his brigade doing the investigating and DeNiro and his crusaders getting away. The fluency of the direction and the writing ensures that the tempo doesn't falter for a minute. My only complaint is the one you'd least expect. The big street fight between the cops and robbers is over elaborate and goes on for too long. This scene was intended to break the film in two; it divides the initial story (the build up to the job) with the second story (the getaway) and Director Michael Mann intended it to be the big butter knife that divides the two. However, he drags the scene on for too long. I always feel one should leave the audience gasping for more rather than suffocating them with everything you have to offer. It's not a big detail because the rest of the film plays out like a beautiful symphony; every note is perfectly timed and executed.
What is worth appreciating is, as cited, earlier, the character development. These people could have been in any number of other movies, in any number of genres and they would still have preserved their essence. It doesn't have to a a cop movie; it could be a film set on Wall Street, on a desrted island, on Mars, whatever.....It's characters are so 3-dimensional that they could be as effective and productive playing in almost any other movie. Hats Off to the writing!! It shows that this is not your run-of-the-mill formulaic cop thriller.
Long movies are always in fear of exhausting the viewers patience. If you are going to be long, you must make sure that every scene is worth it! This is a golden rule! Heat makes no mistakes in this area; each scene goes a long way in maintaining the integrity of the script. The musical score composed by Elliot Goldenthal is very imaginative. It's hard to descibe it and why it so efficiently complements the movie, but it does!
I don't know if the two leads actually like each other, but I would like to think that their relationship in the film is akin to their relationship off it. They are in competition for who is the greatest of his time, the battlefield is not big enough for both of them so only one can stand alone. Despite the conflict, they have the deepest regard and respect for each others styles and commitments. In another lifetime, they would the best of pals, in this one they must fight to the death. Fortunately, Hollywood continues to recognize the both of them and they still appear to be neck and neck in the race.
Anyone familiar with Milos Forman's work will know how much he likes to
discuss and examine controversial real-life characters and make them the
focal point of his films. Amadeus for one was a powerful expose of the
legendary composer; Forman was able to extraordinarily add so much spice to
the script that the end result was a harrowing documentation that genuinely
moved us. We didn't need to know anything about the composer or even like
his work or personality; Forman craves on these sorts of challenges. He
likes to make films about characters that the audience may not identify
because it heightens the overall achivement if the film is a hit. With
Larry Flynt he's done it again.
Flynt is the story of Porn magazine chairman larry Flynt who amidst an era of overwhelming decadance launched Hustler magazine, a porn magazine that broke all taboos and crossed all boundaries. The magazine was a huge hit that transformed Flynt into a powerful figure in the American Community. Needless to say though, Flynt (superbly played by Harrelson) faces insurmountable odds from everyone to keep the business running. Politicians, reverends, mass public opposition et.al.. Flynt is accompanied along the way by his junkie wife (played with real panache by Courtney Love) and a reluctant lawyer (dependable performance from Edward Norton Jr.). At the midway point of the film Flynt is shot and paralyzed and consequently the fight to stay on top is made even more challenging.
This story is intriguing because is dares to break universal taboo's. It shows Flynt disassociating himself from the norms and traditions of society and really willing to take genuine risks that could blow up in his face. Before Hustler was formed, Playboy was the porno pioneer. Playboy was subtle in it's nudity, preferring to call itself a REAL magazine rather than something trashy. We notice that Playboy was afraid to overstep the barrier. Playboy was a magazine that was restricted in it's disclosure of barenaked ladies because of the shape of society at the time and the values the society had come to embrace. To call yourself a porno magazine was unthinkable with unthinkable consequences! Hustler dared to step over those lines and bear all the consequences. Flynt was not necessarily a likeable man but he cannot not be admired. He was a risk taker, an enterpeneur, a man with a vision, and a man who believed that oe should act on one's desires and ambitions.
The mass hysteria the swamps the society as a consequence mainfests how powerful yet dangerous a little "acting on ambition" can bring. Flynt's idea is impossible to resist; the public cannot stay away from the controversial impact of the magazine. As the fan base grows, so does Flynt's empire, and so do the forces determined to suppress him. Flynt's meteoric rise is unprecedented, and made all the more shocking by the fact that the evnets are real. His opposition ranges from hypocritical politicians to dubious religious figures, all of whom are hell-bent on the abolition of Flynt and his tremendous reach.
The film earns huge plaudits on the entertainment level. This is undisputed!! The acting demonstartes tremendous range from all involved and Flynt is an offensive yet endearing, and very funny figure. We grow to really love and root for him as the film develops. The points that necessitate discussion however are the legal and moral issues that are debated by Flynt, his lawyer, and the opposition. The freedom of press, of speech, and the freedom to exercise your FREEDOM are all fiercely debated. Flynt vehemently defends his position because he feels that the world is afraid to agree with him, that the world is afraid to speak out. The world is polluted by hypocrits; he's the only pure seed. This presents tremendous irony because Flynt is a low-class pervert up against scholars, and politicians, and bureaucrats, and yet he's claiming that he's the real deal and they are all phonies. He has a point; what's the point in looking presentable and being well-educated if you are banal, hollow, and insipid and cannot open your mind to new ideas?? The film asks that question; we see how closed off the men in power are to Flynt's ideas and we grow to hate them. Then we are torn because we are reluctant to accept the values of a porn fiend. The fact that we cannot resist Flynt's pulling power is the sign of the film's success. We start off opposing Flynt, unable to identify. Then we try and take a neutral stand as we discover the ugliness of Flynt's opponents. Finally, after Flynt is paralyzed and yet continues to defend his honour, we can no longer resist the seduction.
The film has Flynt giving amazing speeches about why he is doing justice to himself and the people. He's giving them what they want,they are taking it,and yet they are determined to censor him. He debates this point to manifest the outstanding hypocrisy that lies at the heart of society. Flynt is such an important character because he speaks for all of us. On countless occasions, we all seek to expose the two-faced ugliness of those around us. We just can't because not enough people are listening. Flynt however gets eveyone's attention and defends his honour, preserves his integrity, and succeeds in winning over the justice system. The final speech given by Issacman, his lawyer is very insightful and very powerful for it argues this very point: 'We don't need to like what Larry Flynt does, but we should like and appreciate the fact that we have the right to make that decision on our own, and that's what makes our society great. We have the right to accept or reject the offer on hand. We may well reject it but we and we alone need to have the choice made available to us. If that right is taken away, then we wither away as a people and our individuality is nullified' The speech is amazing because it demonstrates how the right to accept a porn fiend and his work preserves the democracy of the Western World. Truly Shocking but brilliant!!!
I haven't discussed the other characters all that much and I'm not going to except say this: All the characters are multi-dimensional because what we see on the outside is never what we get on the inside. Flynt for all his crude, perverted behaviour is an admirable, likeable, highly identifiable personality. His wife, for all her vulgarity and drug addiction is an endearing, loyal,intelligent personality. Issacman, the lawyer, for all his traditional, stiff boring work ethic, is an idealistic, shrewd, and deeply committed man....The list goes on and on
I loved this movie because our hero is not perfect; he's anything but!!! Movies that depict the hero as a flawed individual stand a better chance of being embraced by critics and audiences alike. Flynt thrives on this! And exposing hypocrits for their true selves is every cynics (and I happen to be a huge one) dream. Flynt's journey is whopping emotional tour de force!!!! You don't have to like Larry Flynt as a film, but I love the fact that I had the right to make up my own mind!! Society, you ignore that at your peril!!!
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Toyota of Puyallup
Review for Toyota of Puyallup
JAMES E C. on 12/26/2014
"Going the extra mile"
I hit a curb about two blocks from Toyota of Puyallup and damaged my front wheel. I walked back to order a replacement. Instead of just selling me a replacement, one of their guys walked the two blocks in the rain, put on the spare and drove it back. When the tire I ordered came in, they let me come in late and kept a man available to put on the new wheel.
Vehicle: TOYOTA PRIUS-C
Category: Service
Service Date: 12/23/2014
Review Created: 12/26/2014 04:33 PM


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Fashion a big part of culture, especially within the urban community. It's a way to creatively express and represent oneself through attire. Clothing says a lot about our style, personality, and what we stand for. Although there is one side to fashion that is aesthetic, creative and thought provokingly beautiful, there also is another side to the fashion industry that is superficial, consumerism focused, and vanity driven. Within the urban community, many people have traded slavery chains for gold chains, the new slaves of the modern age, so to speak, as some of the fashion that the urban community is addicted to is not doing anything to improve the minds of the people who wear it.
Throughout history, fashion has always been a defining image of how we represent ourselves, from the regalia of royalty and warriors to the coat of arms and sigils woven into the fabric of armor and attire. In those days, the loyalty of family, faith, and wisdom was an important visual element in the representation of one's clothing.
But what is fashion without knowledge of self? Sure, Jordan's look fresh, expensive jewelry tells the world that one has money, but as the saying goes, "those who spend their money on this image are nothing more than rich slaves", or poor people making themselves even more broke over products that don't serve them. This problem leads back to both a lack of self, and a lack of cultural knowledge.
The events that occurred during the transatlantic slave trade wiped out a lot of the cultural and original spiritual awareness black Africans had of themselves. Instead, their awareness was directed towards how insignificant and subhuman they were. The result this had on the diaspora of black people diminished the number of relatable role models and cultures for black people to look up to. This is especially important for black people in America whose ancestry and original culture has been taken away and hidden from them. The depth of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that came from black leaders within ancient history has been obscured from view for most of modern history. Many young black people grow up not knowing that their ancestors were significant and made huge contribution to the foundations of which this modern world was built upon; and this lack of knowledge has an effect on the self worth of black people living in a modern world saturated in inequality. Within the race debate, ancient Egypt has become a terrain contested by many points of view and has certainly been portrayed by Hollywood as a predominately caucasian civilization.
Based on scientific and academic research, it is already proven beyond debate that black people built the foundation of ancient Egypt and held high positions, many of which were pharaohs. This has been proven not only through DNA evidence, but also through physical anthropological evidence, melanin dosage tests, osteological evidence, blood tests, and linguistic unity with southern and western African languages. Before Europeans started holding high positions in ancient Egypt, black Africans had established Egypt's ancient traditions and culture prior to it's downfall during the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom, which ruled Egypt until 30 BC, under Cleopatra, falling to the Roman Empire to become a Roman province.
Although black Africans built the foundations of ancient Egypt, as well as had a strong presence in Egypt, the country's ancient traditions were not exclusive to outsiders, in fact, as it's power and popularity grew, ancient Egypt became a racially diverse place. The Nile river drew people from many regions beyond the caucus mountains. Although, there were cultural prejudices' that in historical hindsight did not justify enslaving sovereign people of other cultures to build the pyramids, the ancient Egyptians were not preoccupied with skin color. The only thing that mattered was that one obeyed the natural laws of Ma'at, spoke the language, and followed the Gods (symbolic archetypes of that represent the natural order of nature & the cosmos) of the land. Ancient Egyptians married people from outside of their established culture, leading to racially integrated aristocracies.
It is clear that ancient Egypt was a civilization filled with culture, wisdom, and art. The calling to preserve and move it forward depends on those who find value in its traditions.
Fast forward to the present moment and enter Omar Buckley, a creative artist who is the founder of RAMOMAR clothing. Having had the pleasure of designing and selling his work to Russell Simmons, Erykah Badu, David Banner, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz and many more, his depth of knowledge and passion continues to trail blaze his career as a unique and established brand.
Born in Kingston Jamaica, Omar began drawing at the age of 4 due to his fascination of story telling. At a young age he traveled to New York and later attended the high school of Art and Design in Manhattan. Soon after he studied illustration and fine art at the Fashion Institute of Technology as well as the prestigious National Academy School of Fine Arts in New York City.
His passion for art lead him to study Rembrandt, Titian, Sargent, Van Dyke, and Monet. In addition he has studied the talents of the renaissance masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and William Bouguereau. As an artist longing for depth and meaning in the modern world, Omar found himself fascinated with the images left behind by the ancient cultures, as well as the mystery behind the messages these cultures wanted passed down through time. He began independently studying the art and architecture of the ancient cultures such as those in Africa including Nubia, Egypt/Kemet, the Mayans, Incas, Olmecs, Persians, India, China, Japan, Greece and Rome.
The stories and meaning behind the symbology and architecture is hiding in plain sight yet obscure to the modern man/woman, waiting to be deciphered. The more he immersed himself into these studies the more knowledge/memories of his ancestors were revealed.
As many wisdom seekers find Truth in isolation. Distance from the noise of society enabled Omar to unravel the symbolic codes that the ancients had strived to preserve. The language of Truth and eternal consciousness was embedded in the art of these cultures.
"The artist's task is to save the soul of mankind; and anything less is a dithering while Rome burns" – Terrence Mckenna
Like many artist who hear the call to instill the will and beauty of the Divine into this physical world, his will compelled him to pick up where the ancients had left off. Driven by his passion to create quality art, functional clothing, and build a brand that is more aligned with knowledge of self, than vanity, he soon founded Ramomar Clothing, a brand dedicated to bringing ancient mathematics back to modern man, with style.
RAMOMAR uses art, fashion, culture, and history to reintroduce luxurious textiles and patterns revered in ancient times with a modern context; while acknowledging their sacred function and meanings for a new generation.
The word 'Luxury' started as a tribute to the 'Gods' i.e. the archetypal figures that represent the universal forces of nature & the cosmos. Temples built for the deities were embellished with gold, lapis lazuli, precious minerals and materials of all kinds.
Therefore, when one invests in luxurious items, like those that were tributes to the Divine, one is investing in something sacred. A sacrifice in turn, makes something sacred. The higher the investment, or sacrifice, the more sacred that acquired object becomes.
Ancient Egyptians believed that those who were in the presence of these sacred objects would in turn be granted favors from the creator for their service. The Pharaohs, priest and priestesses had to live by a strict moral, and spiritual code of conduct to be granted access to these sacred items and places. They followed a strict regimen of diet, dress, speech and strength of character to signify the luxury granted to them by serving a higher power.
These dress patterns and luxurious textiles were used to express this special position bestowed on these individuals, and are the foundation of the RAMOMAR brand.
As mentioned earlier, ancient Egypt was a multicultural society founded by black Africans. This brand is not exclusive, rather it is inclusive to anyone who wishes to embody the principles and wisdom of the Egyptian Gods, through clothing and presentation. This brand is accessible to all races and socioeconomic classes, from high end luxury items to affordable T-shirts, this is clothing for the people, the seekers, the knowers, and anyone in between. Join Omar Buckly and his brand RAMOMAR on the journey toward Ascension through style and knowledge of self. Collection items viewable below.
Other Ascension articles that compliment the knowledge of this reading:
Ancient Egyptian Mythology
Visit Omar Buckly at:
Follow Raymomar on social media


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Luxury Family Holidays to the Caribbean
Take your whole family to the Caribbean for a holiday featuring, sun, swimming, water sports and plenty of fun for all.Taking your family holidays in the Caribbean can be a lot of fun simply because there's so much to see and do. In fact, it can be difficult to decide where to go because there are so many different options. Many opt for the classic getaway to the Bahamas, where you'll find many great activities for all ages. Many love the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and its waterslide, shark aquarium and other amazing features. Some visit Barbados for their beaches, underground cave expeditions and submarine tours. Others take their Caribbean family holidays on St Lucia. This island country offers hikes through the rainforest, snorkelling, and zip lining through the forests. There are many great villas for rent here, including some right on the beach. Antigua offers a number of boat tours, scuba diving adventures, and even a museum with child-friendly activities.


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These premium 5" × 7" cards and envelopes are an ideal foundation for watercolors, pencil, pen-and-ink, stamping, markers, collage, debossing, embellishments, and other media. 140 lb (300 gsm) Montval cold press watercolor paper. Cards include envelopes; postcards do not.
Studio postcard pads are a creative and convenient way to send handmade images of your travels to your family and friends. Each pad contains 20 cards. The cards are machine-made and measure 4" × 6" with a pre-printed postcard back. Paper is 140 lb weight.
Made of cold press, acid-free watercolor paper, these cards were created specifically to hold up to any wet media including watercolor, acrylic, gouache, and ink washes. Paper is 140 lb (300gsm).
Cotman acid-free watercolor paper in a Postcard format. This tape-bound pad contains 15 postcard size sheets Cotman watercolor paper, which has a warm, white glow and a handsome cold press surface.
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I've mentioned before that I love pasta, but seriously, who doesn't? Carbs schmarbs. Pasta is great and it shouldn't be something anyone purposely avoids eating. Everything is fine in moderation–although I can probably eat a serving of pasta a day. That doesn't mean that I do of course.
Pasta is, however, something I usually make about once a week. My husband loves the basic linguine or fettuccine and he's not too keen on other shapes or forms of pasta. The kids–like their mother–eat anything put in front of them. So–fortunately for us, unfortunately for him–the hubbie is outnumbered. And I'll often make anything from penne, to orechiette, tagliatelle, linguine, orzo, campanelle, cavatelli, fettuccine, farfalle or the versatile Greek egg pasta known as hilopites.
I often use hilopitakia (as the smallest of this egg-based pasta is usually called) with stewed chicken or beef but decided yesterday to serve them with soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs in tomato sauce).
I'm hoping to get a pasta attachment for my KitchenAid standmixer so I can start experimenting with making this versatile pasta myself as I'm pretty sure it makes quite a difference to cook with fresh homemade pasta as opposed to store bought. For now, however, Misko is my favorite source, specifically their line of region-specific pastas and the Hilopitakia Metsovou I used below.
I'm sending this dish straight to Ivy of Kopiaste as she is hosting this week's edition of the yummy Presto Pasta Nights, originally created by Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast. Kali Orexi!
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Hilopites is my daughter's favourite and whenever I ask what would you like me to cook, her reply is hilopites with chicken. I have never tried them with meatballs so I must try these soon. Maria, do get a pasta machine attachment. I've made hilopites about a year ago http://kopiaste.org/2008/02/makarounotes-hilopites/ and they were delicious but there are so many pitas you can make as well and it is a piece of cake to make them.
Thanks for participating at PPN.
pasta is a great way to keep a family away from starvation in a working-mother family. i think i'm serving pasta almost twice a week to the children these days.
as for soutzoukakia, even vegetarians are tempting trying them out – i like to add cinammon and cloves to mine
Mmmmm Maria, that sauce looks so rich and flavourful!!!! I'm a pasta addict too and so is my daughter! Never seen hilopites before, but would love to try… when is dinner time ready at your house? ;D
It's been way too many months since I've had soutzoukakia, looking at your gorgeous pictures really makes me long for them. Thanks for the inspiration!
On pasta machines, I got the kitchen aid attachment that extrudes pasta and wasn't happy with it, so I bought an Atlas pasta machine instead and like the result much, much better. You can get the Atlas machines for a good price on ebay.
Maria, i love the pairing of Soutzoukakia and hilopitakia. Your sauce is also a nice departure and tell your husband to eat whatever the family's eating – majority rules!
Thank you all for your comments! It's always grea to hear from you!
Thanks Laurie for the KitchenAid feedback. I was hoping someone would be able to tell me a little about it before I read some online reviews and made a decision. Good to know a fellow blogger in particular wasn't happy with it–thanks so much!
You're welcome, Maria. I think, for me, the problem was the different texture that comes from extruding and rolling out. This is the one I had and didn't like: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-SNFGA-Pasta-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFN
After I posted, I saw kitchenaid now has a roller attachment: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KPRA-Roller-Attachment-Mixers/dp/B00004SGFS
I think the roller attachment would be just fine, although it is pretty pricy.
I was actually just telling my husband this week that it's been too long since we've had soutzoukakia. I actually serve mine over mashed potatoes. But I LOVE hilopites. I have a hard time finding them so I stock up when I do!
Thanks for sending a plate of Spanakorizo over to Weekend Herb Blogging #166. The roundup is now posted.


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This article has Open Peer Review reports available.
Renal lithiasis and nutrition
- Felix Grases†1Email author,
- Antonia Costa-Bauza†1 and
- Rafel M Prieto†1
© Grases et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2006
Received: 20 July 2006
Accepted: 06 September 2006
Published: 06 September 2006
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|Original Submission
|20 Jul 2006
|Original manuscript
|10 Aug 2006
|Reviewer Report - Alberto Trinchieri
|21 Aug 2006
|Author responded
|Author comments - Rafael Prieto
|Resubmission - Version 2
|21 Aug 2006
|Manuscript version 2
|6 Sep 2006
|Editorially accepted
|6 Sep 2006
|Article published
How does Open Peer Review work?
Open peer review is a system where authors know who the reviewers are, and the reviewers know who the authors are. If the manuscript is accepted, the named reviewer reports are published alongside the article. Pre-publication versions of the article and author comments to reviewers are available by contacting firstname.lastname@example.com. All previous versions of the manuscript and all author responses to the reviewers are also available.
You can find further information about the peer review system here.


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Lehighton arrests
Lehighton police reported on the following arrests made by officers.
Police said Christopher J. George, 34, of 220 Carbon St., Lehighton, was cited for theft of services from the borough. Police said during the period of April 12 to 24, he received electric service from the borough illegally. He was also cited for harassment following telephone calls of a threatening nature he made to the borough light and power department after his electrical service as disconnected on April 24.
Robert Hunsicker, 65, of 433 N. Fifth St., Lehighton, was cited for public drunkenness. The incident occurred on Thursday, May 16, about 7:35 p.m. in the 400 block of N. Fifth St.
Roger D. Bartholomew, 60, of 219 1/2 Lehigh Ave., Palmerton, was cited for public drunkenness. The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 22, about 6:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the trestle along the edge of the Lehigh River.
James Simmons, 21, of 460 N. First St., Lehighton, was cited for disorderly conduct as the result of a noise complaint while hosting a party at his residence. The incident occurred on Thursday, May 23, at 1 a.m.
Eric Cardone, 33, of 228 N. Second St., Lehighton, was cited on Thursday, May 23, for violation of borough ordinance 187-2 signs -unlawful for any person to post or hang upon any utility pole, light post, sign or sign post owned by the borough or any other public utility or entity, any sign, banner, poster, etc., regardless of the method of attachment.
Several teens were also cited.
A 14-year-old Lehighton male was cited for criminal mischief after causing damage to a residential property at S. Seventh St. The incident occurred on Friday, May 3, about 2:30 p.m.
Two male teens, ages 15 and 14 from Lehighton, were cited for retail theft following an incident at the Rite Aid pharmacy. The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 8, at 3:40 p.m.
A 10-year-old male from Lehighton was cited for harassment which resulted in physical contact with the victim. The incident occurred on Monday, May 27, about 6:45 p.m. at the borough pool.


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OrientationOrientation for Parents
As the parent/legal guardian of an incoming TCC student, we strive to keep you in-the-loop with TCC information and policies. Check out the following links and quick facts that will help with navigating your child's academic journey at TCC.
First Up: Confidential Matters
Know that we are legally limited in some of the information we can share about our students. It is important that all parents review and understand these student privacy rights.
Orientation Information
TCC's New Student Orientation has two (2) components: 1) an Online Orientation, and 2) a mandatory in-person Orientation Advising Meeting. Students will learn how to make appointments for the Orientation Advising Meeting at the end of the online component.
Please note that parents and guests will not be able to attend the Orientation Advising Meeting.
For more student orientation information, click here.
Help your new student by making note of important upcoming deadlines, especially the payment deadline each semester. Students will be dropped from their classes if they have not paid or applied for financial aid to cover their tuition and fees by this date.
For more information, see our Academic Calendar.
Tuition balances are available via a student's TCC Passport account.
Tuition Estimator
Trying to get a handle on upcoming expenses? You can estimate your tuition per credit hour using our Net Price Calculator.
Florida Prepaid Program
Students may activate their Florida Prepaid Plan by contacting the Cashier's Office before each term. It will not be applied without student consent each term. The balance of tuition and fees not covered by Florida Prepaid must be paid by the payment due dates.
TCC offers a variety of scholarship opportunities to help ease the financial burden of higher education. For information regarding scholarships, click here.
Payment Info
TCC offers several convenient payment options.
- Mailed Payments. If paying by mail, clearly indicate student ID on the check or money order and make payable to Tallahassee Community College (or TCC). Mail to:
- On-Campus Payments. Swing by the Cashier's Office located on the second floor of the Student Union, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. A drop box is located outside the Cashiers Office for after-hours payments.
Cashier's Office
Tallahassee Community College
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For additional payment information, visit the Cashier's Office page.
Student Progress
Students are encouraged to:
- Monitor academic progress
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- Schedule an advising appointment
- Access their advising plan
For more information for Parents, visit our Parent FAQ page.