text:
An 800-pound gorilla fights back
David Lubars gave legendary ad agency BBDO an extreme makeover to pump life into a troubled business. Business 2.0 says his is the new model to beat on Madison Avenue.
(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- For an ad agency that once accidentally set Michael Jackson's hair on fire while shooting a TV commercial, this was pretty low-key stuff.
In a conference room at its New York headquarters, BBDO recently unveiled its latest creative effort on behalf of client General Electric (Charts, Fortune 500): four short, whimsical films, each lasting a few minutes.
No celebrities, no slick Hollywood direction, no jingles -- no sales pitch at all. The films looked like shorts at an indie film festival, or something you'd stumble across on YouTube. And they were designed to run only on a video-on-demand cable channel and the GE website, meaning they'd be viewed by a tiny fraction of the audience that sees a typical prime-time commercial.
But that didn't stop GE ad director Judy Hu from beaming proudly during the screening. Nor did it faze David Lubars, BBDO's chairman and chief creative director for North America, who stood and introduced the films with a boast that could also be seen as a concession of sorts: "This is the new BBDO," Lubars told the gathering. "There is no medium we don't perform in."
This is what things have come to on Madison Avenue: big agencies and their bigger clients trying their best to play "small ball," as million-dollar commercials give way to modest "content" made on shoestring budgets. It's a whole new game, with other big ad agencies, including JWT (Charts) and Ogilvy & Mather, scrambling to adapt too. But no one is trying harder to reinvent itself than BBDO.
Known for decades as the swaggering king of the blockbuster commercial, BBDO was turned upside down in mid-2004 -- when, in a moment of TiVo-inspired panic, top management ousted much of its established New York leadership and brought in Lubars, the brash new creative talent. At his direction, BBDO began making hip-hop webisodes, pulling funky films off YouTube and turning them into ads, making billboards that responded to text-messaging, and thoroughly confusing New Yorkers by filling their streets with giant office supplies. (We'll explain later.)
It has all been very unorthodox and decidedly non-BBDO-ish. Yet it seems to have made the agency even more attractive to clients trying to navigate a strange and bewildering new-media landscape.
Since Lubars arrived and the agency declared itself reborn, new clients have poured in: eBay (Charts, Fortune 500), Hertz, Mitsubishi, Motorola (Charts, Fortune 500), Sony, Target (Charts, Fortune 500), and others, joining a blue-chip roster that already included Chrysler, FedEx (Charts, Fortune 500), GE, and PepsiCo (Charts, Fortune 500). More important, agency billings have jumped 35 percent to $4.6 billion, and revenue is up 24 percent to $637 million.
But in an ad market that seems to grow more uncertain and chaotic by the minute, BBDO hasn't yet proven that a big agency can survive in a small-media world. Doug Cameron of the up-and-coming Amalgamated agency, one of the growing number of smaller players poaching on Madison Avenue's turf, observes that giants like BBDO "have been around since the radio days and still have the initials of the dead founders on the door. Yet they're trying to convince people they're going to lead the way in the era of YouTube. I don't envy them that challenge."
If Lubars, now 48, is at all ruffled by the tall task facing him at BBDO, it's difficult to tell the difference. He always has the look of someone who's just rolled out of bed: slightly unkempt with a nonchalant expression, though he talks rapid-fire as befits a Brooklyn native.
He seems to have the attention span of a gnat -- or maybe a 21st-century consumer. "He has this whole ADD thing going on, where he constantly jumps from one thing to the next," says Bruce Bildsten, who worked as a creative director with Lubars at the Minneapolis ad agency Fallon.
On a recent afternoon, as he and several collaborators prepped for a high-stakes new business pitch, Lubars was so relaxed that he draped his knees over the arm of his oversize easy chair and lay on his back facing the ceiling, like a baby in a cradle. His partners peppered him with ideas. One he liked because of its "strange weirdness"; another he wasn't sure about.
"Why not?" one of his creative lieutenants inquired. Lubars's answer: "I just feel it might ... suck a little bit."
Suffice it to say that's not how business has been done -- ever -- at this storied agency, which was formed in 1928 by a merger that united admen named Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn. (Comedian Fred Allen once quipped that the four combined names sounded like a trunk tumbling down a flight of stairs.)
Always considered highly creative, BBDO was never known for its subtlety. Forty years ago the agency drove millions of TV viewers a little mad with its "Ring Around the Collar" jingle for Wisk detergent.
By the '80s and '90s, its specialty was churning out glitzy award-winning commercials for Pepsi and other big clients. BBDO, a division of the $11.4 billion holding company Omnicom (Charts, Fortune 500), was adland's version of a Hollywood studio, with the attendant egos and infighting.
Agency veteran Bill Bruce recalls, "People said about BBDO back then, they don't stab you in the back -- they stab you right in front." Presiding over it all was creative director Ted Sann and a handful of other veterans who had turned making commercials into an enviable formula: Sign a big star (after Jackson, it was Madonna, then Britney, then Beyonc�), bring in top ad director Joe Pytka to shoot it, book the best prime-time or Super Bowl slots, and then count the money.
But when the ad world began to question the future of the 30-second commercial, BBDO found itself behind the curve. In mid-2004, Allen Rosenshine, chairman and CEO of BBDO Worldwide, decided to install Andrew Robertson, a 40-ish wunderkind who'd shot to the top at BBDO's U.K. office, as the new CEO in New York.
Robertson's mandate was to modernize the New York flagship. "BBDO needed to refocus," Robertson says. Its emphasis on buying and filling prime-time slots was becoming outdated because, according to Robertson, "in the digital era, you can't just buy people's attention anymore. You must engage them." To do that, Robertson says, he needed a forward-thinking creative partner. "And I wanted David Lubars to be that partner."
Lubars had done a short stint in the early 1990s as a creative director of BBDO's West Coast office. But he was best known for his work at Fallon, where in 2001 he helped create a series of short Web films for BMW. Called "The Hire," the series was hailed as a model of "branded content": It wove cinematic stories around the car-as-star and drew high traffic to BMW's website. Thanks in part to "The Hire," Lubars was seen as a cutting-edge creative director.
When Robertson approached him, Lubars saw it as a challenge: "I felt, if you can go into the bowels of a huge New York agency and help it change," he says, "that can be historic shit." He took the job -- and then all hell broke loose at Hollywood East.
Sann, the incumbent creative director, was blindsided. "He came back from a big Pepsi meeting and got whacked," says Tom Hollerbach, a former BBDO executive. The aftershocks were felt throughout the ad business, especially when, a few months later, Sann's longtime working partners at Pepsi seemed to retaliate against BBDO by pulling a $33 million chunk of Diet Pepsi advertising from the agency.
While Pepsi executives insisted the move was strictly business, the ad trade publications saw it differently: "It was personal," Ad Age declared.
But in came the frenetic Lubars, on a mission to get BBDO's creative staffers, many in their 40s and 50s, to think outside the traditional channels. He kept pushing them to look for, in his words, "ideas that are the most horizontal" --meaning concepts that can work on TV, in print, on the Web, maybe even on a street corner. This was a rude awakening for ad people trained to think of 30-second TV skits; they had to cast a wider net for ideas and learn to work in unfamiliar media formats.
Many were shaken by Sann's firing. "The feeling was that if you could get rid of Ted, then no one was safe," one insider recalls.
Lubars played it smart, gradually transitioning himself during the first few months, shuttling between his old agency and the new one. "The most calming thing David did was to slowly adjust the agency rather than whacking through the halls right away," says Susan Credle, one of BBDO's executive creative directors.
Lubars also tried to keep things light and breezy: He rented school buses and a mid-town movie theater one day and took the gang to a showing of Team America. He also removed Sann's office door and replaced it with a glass one ("a very symbolic gesture," says one BBDO staffer). And he roamed the halls and talked to everyone -- another contrast to Sann, who'd tended to keep to his inner circle.
But during those early months, Lubars wasn't just making nice; he was taking stock. "I saw people here who were anxious for change and were just waiting to be liberated from the old way of doing things," he says. "But there were also people who made it clear they weren't going to buy into change, or that they couldn't change."
In early 2005, the other shoe dropped: Lubars laid off 17 creatives, including longtime veterans. One source close to the agency describes the cuts as "particularly brutal, because it involved people who'd been loyal to BBDO for years."
The layoffs were softened by generous payouts, though in exchange the departed had to keep quiet and sign noncompete agreements; several high-profile staffers vanished overnight from the business. Some of them, including Sann, who were contacted for this article would not comment. A few clients known to be loyal to Sann, including Visa and Doritos, also abandoned BBDO in the aftermath.
Despite the turmoil, Lubars wound up keeping more than 80 percent of the department, and he promoted soft-spoken veteran Bill Bruce to be his chief creative officer. He filled the gaps by bringing in a wave of new talent, some from smaller creative agencies outside New York, such as Fallon and Portland's Wieden & Kennedy (famous for Nike's "Just Do It" ads).
The agency also beefed up its interactive arm, created a new in-house design group, and modernized its consumer research department.
It took a while for the changes to show up in BBDO's ads; during his first year and a half, Lubars was busy restructuring, melding the old and new people, and getting pulled into new-business pitches. Meanwhile, existing clients waited anxiously to see if Lubars would live up to the hype. GE's Hu says, "He came in telling us, 'We're going to help you find great new ways of communicating,' and my reaction was 'OK, show me the money.' Then he came back with 'One Second Theater.' It was different from anything I'd seen before."
Lubars's idea was to take on TiVo by co-opting it. The agency made a series of commercials that had embedded images -- advertising Easter eggs, if you will --squeezed into a single one-second frame of each commercial. These images could be seen only by freezing the ad on a TiVo or other DVR and then advancing, frame by frame, through the embedded material (which consisted of pictures and text, a kind of slide show tucked inside a commercial).
BBDO hyped the ads at the start of the program so viewers would know to look for the bonus material, which, in the case of one ad, told the humorous behind-the-scenes story of the ad's main character, Elli the elephant.
Hu was thrilled with the campaign because it encouraged viewers to engage with GE's ads instead of ignoring or zapping them. In fact, viewers spent an average of three times longer with the enhanced commercials. In the past year, other advertisers have begun to embed material in their ads too, but "One Second Theater," which debuted in May 2006, was at the fore-front. (A second wave of the commercials began airing in February of this year.)
"BBDO is nimble even though it's big," Hu says. "I feel like I'm working with a creative hot shop."
The agency had similar success last year with a series of four-minute webisodes produced for Snickers that blended elements of comic books, videogames, and movies and drew an average of 12,000 unique visitors a day to the Snickers homepage.
By December, BBDO was moving heavily into user-generated content. For the Mountain Dew spinoff drink MDX, the agency got the rights to a couple of wildly popular homemade Web films on YouTube, then reedited the videos by inserting the agency's own brain-teasing twist. And Lubars gave good old M&M's candy a digital makeover by enabling website visitors to create M&M's characters in their own likeness. That, too, proved to be a hit, generating a flood of traffic.
Lubars has also been injecting fresh energy into that most staid of advertising platforms, the billboard, by making it more interactive. One, for BBC America, accepted cell-phone text messages from passersby, who could vote on -- and actually change -- the content on the billboard.
BBDO also suspended magician David Blaine in midair in Times Square to promote Target's annual two-day sale last fall. And to call attention to the merger of FedEx and Kinko's, the agency planted giant, lifelike facsimiles of office supplies on the streets of Manhattan and other cities. Stunts like these, Lubars argues, can generate outsize bang for the buck; in an age of cell-phone cameras and YouTube uploads, a compelling outdoor gimmick will be photographed, posted online, and shared.
All of this is just the beginning of where Lubars wants to take BBDO's advertising. The agency is helping to redesign a clothing line for one client and getting ready to debut a prime-time network television series this summer for another. When Lubars talks about the wide-open possibilities of life beyond TV, he can sound like a kid in a candy shop -- he has so many options now, he almost doesn't know which to choose.
Making little Web films and orchestrating sidewalk stunts may be what marketers need these days. But small ball is in some ways a step down for the big agencies. It's not as glamorous as making star-studded commercials, and it doesn't seem likely to be as lucrative.
For one thing, it invites more competition from all sides, and especially from below. Anyone can play in this game, right down to a teenager with a webcam. As the industry moves away from slick, big-budget commercials, it opens the door for homemade ads by consumers (who helped make commercials for several of this year's Super Bowl advertisers, including one BBDO client).
And it levels the field for "all those small agencies that are eating more and more of the big agencies' lunch," says Joseph Jaffe, president of the marketing firm Crayon and author of Life After the 30-Second Spot.
Clients increasingly have been turning over experimental ad projects and new-media ventures to creative boutiques, interactive-only shops, and guerrilla-marketing specialists like New York-based Interference, which was behind the disastrous light-box stunt for Cartoon Network in February. "The real threat to the big agencies," says Emily Riley, an advertising analyst at Jupiter-Research, "is from smaller, specialized, and highly creative agencies that tend to be on top of trends and are good at interacting with consumers."
Even BBDO's oldest, most faithful clients recognize they have more alternatives now. For decades Pepsi's marketing focused on big-budget commercials made by BBDO, but its newest brand campaign, unveiled early this year, downplays big commercials in favor of custom-designed soda cans, consumer-created billboards, and a passel of funky websites.
Lubars would love to tackle all of this, but Pepsi has turned to outside design and Web specialists for much of the work. Meanwhile, GE, which has praised Lubars's new-media acumen, isn't putting all its eggs in his basket either; Hu employs a handful of small interactive agencies alongside BBDO because, she says, "in the new-media environment, ideas come from all over, and you want to be able to take advantage of that."
Heightened competition isn't the only problem. Small ball may well translate into a downsized bottom line.
Clients, of course, are eager to scale back on the exorbitant costs of TV commercials in heavy rotation. But those big-media billings were the lifeblood of the big agencies. In its commercial-making heyday, BBDO took a 15 percent commission based on the cost of airing commercials; if the agency had a dozen spots on the Super Bowl, as it did in Sann's time, BBDO could net several million dollars in one afternoon -- and would make millions more for as long as the commercials ran on TV.
Now the agency, like everybody else in advertising, gets paid a relatively flat fee for its creations, based on a complex formula that includes costs, labor, and various negotiable built-in incentives. To make up for the loss of the old 15 percent premium, Robertson and Lubars are lobbying clients to tie their compensation directly to a campaign's performance and sales results.
Robertson says he'd like to be paid based on, say, the amount of time consumers spend with BBDO-generated content, and he wouldn't mind getting an ownership stake in that content either. "I see us moving in that direction," he says. But it's a battle that BBDO and others have yet to win, and it could ultimately determine whether shrunken advertising is financially feasible for big agencies.
For the time being, however, Lubars's arrival has buoyed the agency's fortunes, primarily because he's helped to lure in so many curious new clients. Indeed, with the makeover, BBDO seems to have done for itself precisely what it did for so many clients' brands through the years: hired a fresh face, made a compelling pitch, and gotten people to sample the new, improved version.
Warren Berger is a New York-based freelance writer.To send a letter to the editor about this story, click here.
From the May 1, 2007 issue


text:
As the industry prepares for a highly anticipated Microsoft press conference in which it will showcase a new console for the first time in eight years, publisher Electronic Arts is preparing to step on stage to announce a key exclusivity agreement.
Respawns new game I bet
Its almost certainly not an exclusive, its a strategic partnership. I wish people would read the articles before commenting.
Yeah but they'll treat it like call of duty, get timed exclusive DLC and have the world exclusive reveal at their conference to make it look like it's better on xbox.
What are you on about? Who said anything different?
You guys were falling over each other when Destiny was at the ps4 event even though its a multiplatform game but when Microsoft does it they are the bad guys. How about we wait and see what else they announce before we go trolling up and down this cess pool and circle jerking one another?
With ea I know they hate the used games market and I can only imagine that their partnership has something to do with it.
I don't care about Destiny and the DLC exclusive for PS4 ...
DLC exclusive (thing useless) and timed exclusive are USELESS for industry of video game ... That is a waste of money ...
I have both consoles (PS3/360) and I don't like this kind of deal ...
But at least, Sony invest in new IPs so it doesn't matter.
MS just does this kind of deal, where are exclusive games ?
50 millions $ for GTA add-on ? How millions for DLC useless of COD ?
Hmm. EA absent at the Sony event. EA announces microtransactions will be part of every game from now on. Could this be further proof that MS will block used games? <- You just know that an article like that is coming.
Yeah I read that, but you can't expect some exclusive deal because EA wasn't at the Sony event. From last I recall, it doesn't work like that. Though they were the only major publisher not at the Sony event, means nothing. And the biggest fault regarding this article, speculation, rumor, opinion piece is that EAs event yesterday was all praise the PS4. I expect them not to hold a separate event when the Next Xbox is revealed, I actually expect EA to be at the Next Xbox reveal event, but it doesn't mean anything.
Whatever EA does on the next Xbox they will do the same on the PS4. Perhaps EA does not want to release disc based games anymore? I know Sega is going to go that route.
I have to agree with some of the other comments, this exclusive content often times doesn't help gamers. It is just a tool to block gamers to help hardware sales. It's not like Microsoft started all of this, we seen it on the PS2 and Rockstar making GTA exclusive on the console. Microsoft needs to focus on creating its own identity by getting serious with their own ip's and not investing into timed exclusives. If it is something totally designed for the new Xbox hardware that makes use of Kinect or something then yeah, I can see EA wanting to do something exclusive. However the PS4 is going to have an advanced camera so I'm not sure yet what the next Xbox does differently.
For all the Sony heads in here saying M$ are wasting their money on timed DLC and that they can't invest in new IPs, how do you know they haven't invested in IPs? Have you traveled forward in time to all their announcements for the Next Xbox or something?
using more of their cash flow to buy timed exclusive, instead of reinforcing their own portfolio of studios...
well if something good comes out of it, nice move, but I suspect a timed exclusive.
People say timed exclusives and DLC are useless but if you look at a game like CoD where Xbox sells 2 or 3 million more copies with a smaller install base and it made a difference. That's an extra ten-30 million dollars for Microsoft. So if you pay 5 million to net 30 million that is money well spent.
Look at Gears. Pay ten million in advertising campaign and get 5 million in sales at $10 per copy royalty for a profit of 40 million. Those deals are very profitable.
came across 2 interesting points about this news:
* licensed sports games can't be exclusive(or have exclusive content) to any platform.
* whatever happened to the EA's "unprecedented partnership" with Nintendo?
That is too bad, I liked the Microsoft with Activision and Sony with EA competition.
"using more of their cash flow to buy timed exclusive, instead of reinforcing their own portfolio of studios... "
You obviously haven't been keeping tabs on Microsoft - They have purchased a few studios but have put most of their resources into building new ones from the ground up, stealing the best talent from the worlds greatest studios.
22 studios. 7 of which are casual based. Of the 15 remaining, Lionhead, Black Tusk, 343i, Turn 10, Twisted Pixel and Rare are confirmed to have multiple teams working on seperate titles. Is that enough reinforcing for you?
Battelfield 4 related
The devs said they would take turns showing love to each company. Probably why Sony payed bungie for the PS4 reveal/deal to supposedly even up the score.
You never know though it could be anything to an exclusive game to online social structure cooperation. EA has some good online ideas.
Lot of people voting the article down all upset LOL. Reminds me when Sony fans voted down superdae finding of the 720 article as fake then after Sony revealed the PS4 what superdae found was written in stone and became gospel, literally.
First time I agree with Green. Sony got Activision & Bungy, I guess MS is getting BF4.
I'm a little bit disappointed, because it obviously runs on the PS4 already (and most likely Durango). But not nice teasing us like this, EA.
4 comments before and Jamal pulls out the handy Playstation hater "circle jerk" comment?
And he gets a well said? How about an "immature"?
Timed exclusivity and exclusive DLC can eat me. I don't care who's doing it.
Either way this is how to run a business, they get the companies that make the most and then partner up with them. Unlike Idoiots at $ony that just kiss the fans ass and lose tons of dollars.
Its now Sony/Activision vs MS/EA
At minimum, Blizzard wants world domination using Sony.
@ArmGunar- Agreed 100%. Sony didn't buy into a lot of those timed exclusives and used there money to buy teams.
I'm sorry but I don't see what that DLC did for a 360 gamer when its also on PS3 and PC.
It actually hurts them if anything else, 50 mill is a lot for conent that is just going to be released else where. So...your paying for someone else to not have it? How doet that help 360 owners?
Bioshock, Lost Planet etc are all on other system, what did that do for any 360 owner here in 2013?
I mean, they would had got Bioshock, Lost Planet etc either way, but now its money that won't be spent making a new team to make core games.
MS has like 10 kinect studios! (hate to sound like a broken record, but I still can't get over that)
Now, EA won't make any exclusives for anyone...period. I mean, its funny cause EA would pretty much be hurting themselves, Activision, Ubisoft and Take Two would just be so happy to have EA make a dumb move like that. No game will be exclusive. DLC maybe, but hell, I don't even care for Destiny's exclusive DLC for PS4 and I'm pre-ordering both! LOL!
Funny. Xbox fans getting excited over time exclusives or exclusive DLC's for multi-plat games. How far they have fallen not just as xbox fans but as gamers.
Microsoft already starting up the DLC bullsh*t. No new IPs planned confirmed.
EA is making a poor strategic decision and are really pigeon holing themselves. If true, they are not serving my two favorite platforms for buying games with Playstation and Steam.
Of course it is. Sony has a similar agreement with Activision, or at least a growing partnership. It's like everything is upside down. Activision is giving ps4 Destiny and exclusive content, while blizzard is partnering with Diablo 3. The witness is a timed exclusive for the ps4. Assuming Sony had kept previous partnerships, it looked like they were gaining an advantage. Then, we hear that EA, which has had strong ties with Sony is partnering with Microsoft. Very strange. I am sure it involves Respawn. This could be huge for Microsoft. It still doesn't address their 1st party concerns but it hints to the idea that they will continue to buy exclusivity to appease hardcore fans.
The bigger question is this. Does Microsoft think Battlefield or Respawns new game is going to be the new Call of Duty? And even more important, important is this an arrangement between companies with the same vision...free to play and microtransactions. Will we see mmos, games going f2p? Will Microsoft sell their console dirt cheap and charge a subscription fee. It does make sense for what both company's visions.
''Just to clarify, the CVG story doesn't suggest EA titles will be exclusive to next Xbox. No one has said that to me''
Please don't bring your reading skills, information hunting or facts to N4G. They're not welcome here. This place is only for rabid speculation and delusion. /s
I know people are blowing this right out of proportion.EA is still with Sony especially BF4 which they made clear was going to be shown at E3 for the PS4.Im sure they will have lots of cool stuff wiht the new xbox.We will just have to wait and see but I guarntee its not going to be Respawns new game especially after the bad fallout they had with Microsoft.I was thinking more along the lines of Fuse due to te fact Insominac was part of the Sony era and would like show they can do more with MS then Sony.You never know.
I don't really like EA, and by far prefer Activision.
Activision is a straight shot company with no BS. You get what you pay, take it or leave it. With EA, you got the online pass BS and their Origin crap that has nasty end user terms that are known to be used against gamers.
If EA doesn't like what you say on a forum, they will ban your access to all your Origin games!
"Activision is a straight shot company with no BS."
Don't know if serious...
Activision is as s**t as EA along with MS, 3 greedy companies.
I wouldn't say they're as bad, they both release the same amount of games, the difference for Activision comes from never forcing an online pass, even fucking Dead Space 3 had it, which meant I couldn't rent it. Server wise, EA are running on ancient also, and pass the blame if something doesn't work.
Activision are hardly saints but next to EA, they're certainly the lesser of two evils.
"Activision is a straight shot company with no BS. You get what you pay, take it or leave it."
tell that to PS3 owners who have paid full price for broken ports.
I always preferred EA. EA created new IP; Can't say that from Activision. Bungie is an exception; but they bought into it. What else is successful (recently) besides CoD???
@Ju-Agreed! I mean people can hate EA all day, but EA really has some of the best teams in terms of 3rd party's. I see me owning like 3 EA games before next year is even done. BF4, ME4 (if the rumors are true) and what ever else is made by them.
Bioware, Dice, Visceral etc are all great teams. And yes EA made a bunch of new IP's this gen, I sorry but I just can't not support such a thing. New IP's are always welcome and EA did a great job this gen.
Did u even read about what Activision did to Infinity ward, or west and zampella? If u believe their story, it was beyond messed up. Anyway, all gaming companies r up against it right now. There is a lot on the line this gen. Most are branching out to remain viable. EA has talked about what they want to do. I don't blame them. Their first priority is making money. Yeah, they are dicks sometimes but not everyone can be valve.
I don't think Microsoft GAMES has the budget to outright buy exclusivity on popular games anymore.
But who knows?
Microsoft has lots of money, mostly from the software side of the business.
The gaming division could run at a loss forever and it wouldn't matter, thats how much money they have.
That is not true. They dont have unlimited money for their gaming division just because they are making money in other things. You need some economy basis
Microsoft has virtually unlimited money, but Microsoft GAMES does not.
Did you ever wonder why MS had to close ENSEMBLE? Why did they have to shut down ACES? DIGITAL ANVIL? Why FASA?
Did you take notice how, for a while, BIOWARE was practically in bed with Microsoft? Then did you notice that EA came right in and scooped up MS's good buddy BIOWARE without hardly any protest?
The reason, is because MS GAMES has a budget.
And while MS Corp has lots of cash, it cant be discounted how under fire MS is from the likes of GOOGLE and APPLE ( phone & tablet market ), as well as the rest of the web and internet factions that are preventing Microsoft's foothold.
Microsoft Corp has its hands firmly full atm, and video games is clearly not a priority for them.
Microsoft GAMES clearly has a budget.
Thank you! People think Microsoft is one entity.
Careful of those, too much and you could get cancer.
DLC timed kinect exclusives hope..
BF4 kinect!!!
I wonder how much money EA gets from MS, because for EA (or whoever signs these kind of deals) this is only bad pr.
I don't understand the anger, Sony has partnerships to? Sony was only taking a page out of MS's book with the whole exclusive content buissness.
So MS could be partnering up with EA boo hoo. The sun sets in the west and rises in the east the world keeps on spinning fanboys should of saw this coming a mile away. This is nothing different considering its MS.
So Sony and MS flipped partnerships.
Sony announces exclusive content for Destiny which is an Activision game and now they're saying MS is gonna announce something along the lines with EA.
Honestly, I'd rather Sony have kept their deal with EA than Activision. But if this wins them the CoD crowd,I suppose thats a big win for Sony...if thats what's happening.
purely speculation.
Well this now explains why EA was missing from Sony PS4 reveal press conference. Hmmm I wonder what this exclusivity will be.
EA has always had a great partnership with sony and have done exclusive dlc too
EA may show up at MS event but i wouldn't read too much into it, the days of 3rd party exclusive games are done
DLC on the disc and microtransactions. Have fun with that xbots. LOL
To hell with Respawn, show dat BF4 with 64 players!
First Activision now EA, MS sure knows how to work with third parties.
Did you actually read the article? Its referring to timed DLC or staggered release (at best), not an outright 3rd party exclusive.
Those are dead.
What we will see is something like the Activision/ Sony partnership. A "strategic" partnership.
Edit: Well your point about Activision was either erroneous or lacking clarity, as THIS next gen, Sony had them up on stage. LAST gen, Sony had a similar partnership with EA. So either way your comment is misguided. In the context of your own words, you aren't making any sense.
3rd party exclusive is not dead, and to prove it there's Bayonetta 2 for WiiU, Gear of War series for Xbox 360 and quite a few 3rd party exclusives for PS3 (last one coming to mind is Ni Nu Kuni).
If a company, like Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony, pay the costs or make some kind of deal with the developer, they can have a exclusive with 3rd party.
@Kingdom Come.
I did read his comment. He said 3rd party exclusive was dead, and I proved him wrong by giving him examples... then he edited his comment...
@grayfoxx881 "The reason Bayonetta 2 is on the WiiU is because both Sony and Microsoft passed on it"
That's my point. Nintendo payed for the development or made some kind of deal with Platinum to have a 3rd party exclusive.
The reason Bayonetta 2 is on the WiiU is because both Sony and Microsoft passed on it. It's not like Nintendo threw the most money at Platinum. Nintendo was the only party interested.
No he read the article and it assumes what the deal is as you are doing/hoping.
Those devs that were at Sony's reveal will probably be at MSFT's reveal with exclusive deals with MSFT as well(even Destiny no doubt about it). Why didn't EA show up at Sony's reveal?
Timed exclusive content/timed exclusive games can make or break a game on the mistreated platform. Many people smell decay on games not on their platform at the same time.
EA must be impressed with the 720 hardware and software to not show up at Sony's reveal then make a exclusive deal with MSFT.
@Green- Sorry you didn't hear the news.
LOL....WRONG!!!!!!!!!! ""Not being at PS Meeting was not indicative at all. We're maintaining a balance between other parties."
"We're very excited about Sony's platform"
Why on earth do you guys read so much in to this crap. So...EA just hates money now? LOL! Mind you they stated BF4 being shown on PS4. Now that doesn't mean it won't be on 720 or that its a timed exclusive, I'm quite sure of it, they are just saying it based on 720 not actually being fully unveiled. Nothing more.
To hear "timed exclusive games" LOL! When this is what EA JUST SAID is too funny. I don't think you even know what EA has stated about the PS4. Nothing stated points to any partnership with anyone. Other then for some stupid DLC crap. This would be EA's most dumbest move, based on Activition, Ubisoft, Take two etc capitalizing on it.
If anything, this is what EA wants teh most, 2 powerful systems along with PC. Knowing PS4 has PC architecture is something they clearly LOVE, it now means its easier for them to port there games. Being on one platform gives pretty much zero advantage sales wise. Even if you are taking full advantage of the system, is there a reason why they can't make 2 versions then? LOL. Its not going to happen buddy. This might be the stupidest ideas I've seen any tied to prove.
Those days are over. LOL.
@ fermcr
PAYING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT of a licensed IP kind of guarantees it will be exclusive for a while. Unless the person paying for it is an idiot. That's what we call 2nd party, not 3rd. And essentially what Nintendo offered with B2.
Edit: Also, nitpicking examples of 3rd party loyalty, when Mass Effect, FF, and almost every other 3rd party AAA game is multiplatform doesn't support your argument very well. Please stop stealth editing too. Stick by what you said. Ni No Kuni was exclusive because Level-5 hate MS since the cancellation of that game way back and have a great relationship with Sony. That is a RARE and ISOLATED instance. It is not the norm.
I'm out, this place is a real circus today.
Edit #2: I find it funny that you would accuse me of editing when I've watched your comment change the initial body of the text 3 times in less than 5 minutes. When I "edit" something, I mark it as such.
3rd party exclusivity is no longer the norm with AAA releases. It is something that happens on a case by case basis or it porting to another platform simply doesn't seem financially appealing. When you look at the PS2 era and the sheer volume of exclusives on ALL platforms (GC, Xbox, DC) and compare it to this one just passing, I don't know how - or why - you would deny that.
Well what about Yakuza, or Tutsunoko vs Capcom, Sonic colors, Diablo 3, Dust 514,Steel battallion, Lost oddassy,blue dragon, Valkarie chronicles, and those 3 exclusive rpgs coming to ps3 this year.?
Diablo 3 isn't exclusive, even if it isn't on the 360 and Next Box, although I doubt that, it's still on PC.
Yakuza has a high fanbase in Japan. That's PS3 and Nintendo country over there. Even if it didn't, the game is very story heavy with a ton of voice acting and CG cutscenes. It'd be like Metal Gear Solid 4 being released to the 360. 27 DVDs.
Microsoft bought exclusive rights to Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, as well as Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia. Namco's titles didn't sell well and were timed exclusive so were eventually ported to the PS3, although Vesperia PS3 was never localized in the west :(. Other RPGs have also released on the 360 and they've sold poorly. Multiconsole titles.
It's a miracle that Namco even localized the RPGs they've released. I'm assuming they never intended Graces F or Xillia to be released in the US, and changed their minds afterwards.
As for NIS, Compile Heart, and Gust. They're extremely niche developers who happen to have good ties with Sony. These developers are the ones you see multiple games on the PS3 every year.
Yep, this is HUGE! Even if it's time DLC, or staggered release dates. Funny how many SDF disagrees you got already. Funny how they say if Sony has the presser first,.. that's a win for them. They came out first.
But now, huge game releases could come first to Xbox, or Map Packs.. just like COD this gen. And they're acting like this is no big deal.
I'll tell you what... being able to play BF 4 two weeks to a month earlier on the xbox will sure suck for people waiting that time to play the game on the ps4.
Read the article first ladies an gentlemen.
"Due to the necessities of multiplatform development and publishing, it is likely that such a partnership will not extend beyond exclusive downloadable content, or staggered release dates. An outright exclusive EA game on the Next Xbox would be unlikely, and certainly a major coup for Microsoft if such a deal were to be secured".

subset: commoncrawl


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Wow man, this is crazy. So disappointing. New Jersey has got a TON of confidence and momentum now, even more after this latest win. If Kings don't seriously finish business here in L.A. tomorrow, I'm not so sure anymore. The momentum and confidence New Jersey will have might just be too much to overcome sadly. Kings have got to handle tomorrow. You can't even say they're unbeatable and undefeated on the road anymore.
Edited by , May 10, 2013 - 09:29 PM.


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Blackwing - Bora the Spear:
If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Bora the Spear", you can Special Summon this card from your hand. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.
SP = Short Print (Common);
SSP = Super Short Print (Common);
DNPR = Duel Terminal Normal Parallel Rare;
DRPR = Duel Terminal Rare Parallel Rare;
DSPR = Duel Terminal Super Parallel Rare;
DUPR = Duel Terminal Ultra Parallel Rare;
|No comments yet for this card.


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Ladies and gentlemen, here's the CLOWN LAB; a clown workshop with artists from Europe, the United States and Quebec organized by Casting team in Fall 2012. We think you'll love it!
Episode 1 of 4 : Meet the Team
Episode 2 of 4 : Getting ready
Episode 3 of 4 : Fine Tuning
Episode 4 of 4 : Showtime
Here's a television program by Italian channel Rai 5 about World Dance Movement! The 30 minutes program is featuring Rick Tjia, Dance Senior Artistic Talent Scout, explaining the principal elements he looks for in a dancer at Cirque du Soleil.
Dance is an intrinsic part of our world, from hip-hop to classical ballet, contemporary dance to break dancing. Dance is an anatomical, poetic and physical art form that sets emotions in motion.
Steven and Chris from CBC Television had a ball visiting the artistic tent of Amaluna!
They met the Artistic Director and many talented performers from our newest show!
Watch this funny video right here!
Curious on how Cirque du Soleil scouts talent? Learn more by watching this video about Krista Monson, Director of Casting in Las Vegas. (Courtesy of CNN International)
Watch the video
Watch this video of parkour specialists Vincent Deplanche and James Stewart who are now training for Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, a new Cirque du Soleil show that opens in October 2011. Learn more about their discipline, their career transition and their life at our international headquarters in Montreal.
Blogging from Los Angeles, world and Olympic medalist Raj Bhavsar describes his new life in Cirque du Soleil, which begins its newest show, "IRIS: A Journey Through the World of Cinema," Sept. 25 at the Kodak Theatre. Pictured: Bhavsar hits a handstand in LA's Runyon Canyon Park near the Kodak Theatre.`
Read full article.
Kathryn Howard ran off and joined the circus. With her college gymnastics eligibility exhausted, the All-American performer was finishing her advertising degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln when she got a call from Cirque du Soleil, the Canada-based circus company with shows on six continents.
Read full article


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Clinical Training Sites
EVMS works in partnership with hospitals, physicians, and clinics throughout the region, providing students and residents with a broad base of clinical experience. For the region as a whole, these educational partnerships spread the benefits of an academic medical center throughout the region, improving the quality of life and the quality of health care for the entire community.
Sentara Health System, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, and Veteran's Affairs Medical Center Hampton are our major teaching health systems/hospitals. We also partner with 5 additional teaching hospitals, 10 additional clinical facilities/entities, and approximately 150 private practices throughout Hampton Roads.
Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Founded as St. Vincent DePaul Hospital in 1856, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center has grown into a highly respected 366-bed acute care facility serving Norfolk. DePaul is a major teaching site for EVMS, and a majority of the physicians on DePaul's medical staff hold faculty appointments. The specialized inpatient Diabetes Unit is staffed and supervised by full-time endocrinologists from the Department of Internal Medicine. Residents at DePaul rotate on general medicine as well as subspecialty and non-medicine elective services.
Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
Location: Portsmouth, Virginia
Maryview Medical Center is a 267-bed, general community hospital providing a variety of technologically advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services - from MRI and Cardiac Catheterization to therapies at the Spine Center and the Cancer Treatment Center; from birth at the Women's Health Center to long term care at the Nursing Care Center; from inpatient and outpatient surgery to intensive care, coronary care, home care and pastoral care.
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
Location: Chesapeake, VA
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center brings a broad range of care to the people of southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina through Chesapeake General Hospital and its affiliate services. A local, independent, community focused organization, Chesapeake Regional offers area residents high-quality, technologically advanced healthcare delivered by people who openly display their caring, concern and compassion.
Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters is the only freestanding children's hospital in the Commonwealth of Virginia and has 206 beds. It is the regional pediatric referral center for coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Last year, the hospital recorded more than 162,000 outpatient and surgical clinic visits and more than 5,400 inpatient admissions. The faculty are involved in research locally, nationally and internationally.
Eastern State Hospital
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Eastern State Hospital has the honor of being the first public facility in the United States constructed solely for the care and treatment of the mentally ill. In the summer of 1770, Colonial legislators met in Williamsburg, the capital of the Virginia Colony, and passed a bill authorizing the construction of a hospital for this purpose. The building was erected on an eight-acre site near the College of William and Mary, and the first patients were admitted on October 12, 1773. Today, Eastern State Hospital is situated on 500 acres and consists of 2 patient care buildings; it provides treatment to 300 patients with a staff of over 900.
Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital, established in 1890 by the City of Norfolk, provides comprehensive sub-acute hospital care and skilled nursing care following an acute illness or surgical event. The hospital focuses on transitioning patients through rehabilitative and restorative care toward their eventual return home.
Naval Medical Center
Location: Portsmouth, Virginia
Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, is the oldest continuously running hospital in the Navy. This fully accredited, tertiary care hospital is a 360-bed facility with an average daily inpatient load of 238 patients. Through its extensive Graduate Medical Education Programs, the Naval Medical Center conducts internships and residency training in medicine, dentistry, psychology, and pastoral care. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is one of three major teaching hospitals in the Navy with residency programs in 13 specialty areas.
Sentara CarePlex Hospital
Location: Hampton, VA
Sentara CarePlex Hospital is a technologically advanced, acute care hospital, and Certified Primary Stroke Center located in Hampton, Va. The 224-bed hospital offers an eICU® to monitor patients even more closely with state-of-the-art equipment and computer software. Sentara CarePlex Hospital provides care through advanced surgical programs, emergency cardiac intervention and fellowship-trained physicians. It is also home to the Orthopaedic Hospital.
Sentara Independence
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Sentara Independence, formerly known as Sentara Bayside Hospital, provides quality outpatient services to the surrounding community. The facility includes an ambulance-accessible emergency room that is supported by board-certified physicians. Sentara Independence houses state-of-the-art medical equipment and highly-skilled physicians and staff. Sentara Independence is now an extension of the quality services at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital including advanced imaging and physical therapy.
Sentara Leigh Hospital
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Sentara Leigh Hospital is a 250-bed acute care facility featuring all patient-friendly private rooms and specializing in orthopedic, gynecological and urological services. Sentara Leigh Hospital offers a contemporary care environment for general medical/surgical and ambulatory services. A 44,000 square-foot wing dedicated to providing the most up-to-date outpatient services, an emergency room, additional surgical suites and a critical care unit offers a family-friendly design with easy access for patients.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the region's first Magnet Hospital, a 525-bed tertiary care facility, home to the area's only Level I Trauma Center and burn trauma unit, and the primary teaching hospital for undergraduate and graduate education at EVMS. For 12 straight years, the National Research Corporation has named Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Hampton Roads Consumers Choice award winner. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital has ranked in the U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Hospitals edition for its heart program and ENT program. Sentara remains the only heart program in the region and only one of two hospitals in Virginia to be ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Sentara Obici Hospital
Location: Suffolk, Virginia
Sentara Obici Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility located on Godwin Boulevard in Suffolk. Opened in April 2002, this 168-bed, full-service hospital continues a legacy of providing residents of Western Tidewater with high-quality, patient-centered care. The hospital fully integrates advanced technologies such as Sentara eCare®, the Sentara electronic medical record system, which gives doctors immediate access to health information via a secure network. Electronic medical records enable better collaboration between physicians, elevating the level of care for patients at Sentara Obici Hospital and across the entire Sentara System.
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital is a 160-bed acute care hospital that serves Souther Virginia Beach, as well as the neighboring Chesapeake and northeastern North Carolina communities. Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, in partnership with Bon Secours Virginia, brings quality clinical outcomes, experienced physicians, award winning patient safety initiatives, advanced technology and a patient-centered approach to care for patients. Combined with more than 100 physicians and services offered on the multiple campus medical office buildings, Sentara Princess Anne Hospital is a comprehensive healthcare destination for the community.
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital is a 276-bed acute care facility that has a long history of commitment to the city, offering specialized, tertiary services. It is the region's only Level III Trauma Center and home to the Sentara Heart Center. In addition, local residents have access to the Coastal Cancer Center, Accredited Sleep Disorders Center, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery and Thoracic & Colorectal Surgery. Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital is one of the region's accredited stroke centers.
Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC)
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) has 142 acute beds in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, and neurology; 234 extended care beds in intermediate medicine, palliative (hospice) care, spinal cord injury and nursing home care; and a 294-bed rehabilitative residential care domiciliary, for a total of 670 operating beds. Established in 1870, Hampton is the fourth oldest VA hospital in the country.


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KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — The Australian who gave up her quest to swim from Cuba to Florida because of painful jellyfish stings said Thursday that she will not make another attempt.
Chloe McCardel told The Associated Press that she had picked June because the jellyfish danger was supposed to be low. But about 11 hours and 14 miles into her expected 60-hour, 110-mile journey, she found herself in a swarm.
"I had one coming out of my mouth. I was pulling it, this tentacle out of my mouth, but I don't remember this moment. My kayaker told me that I was doing this, 'cause I have no recollection. I'm not coming back. That's it," she said.
The 28-year-old from Melbourne became the latest endurance athlete undone by the strong currents and fierce jellyfish of the Florida Straits on Wednesday night, abandoning her attempt to become the first person to swim across nonstop without a shark cage. The jellyfish caught her by surprise.
"I got smashed with them coming from every direction," she said. "I would not have gone to all this trouble if I had known they would be out in such numbers in June."
She was pulled out of the water and taken by one of her support vessels to Key West, where she was resting at a hotel Thursday. She said the trip back to land was excruciating.
"It was two and a half hours of the worst pain, continuously, every second, of my whole entire life. It's like fireballs in every fiber," she said.
It was the fifth failure involving three women who have tried to make the marathon swim the past three summers. Jellyfish stings and strong currents have been the main impediments.
Diana Nyad tweeted her commiseration. The endurance athlete has failed three times trying to make the same crossing and says she'd like to take another shot this summer.
"It's a tough night for Chloe McCardel, a superior swimmer and an exemplary spirit," Nyad wrote.
Endurance swimmer Penny Palfrey has also tried and failed to make the swim.
Australian Susie Maroney successfully made the crossing in 1997, but she did it with the benefit of a shark cage.
McCardel had twice made a double crossing of the English Channel, but the most time she had spent in the water continuously was 25 hours.
She attempted her Cuba to Florida swim under English Channel Marathon rules, which meant she could not touch her support boat or hold on to anything. She also wasn't allowed to wear a full-body wetsuit, which would have helped protect against jellyfish.
McCardel and her team spent nine and a half months planning the trip and studying others' attempts.
The repeated failures raise the question of whether the Cuba-to-Florida swim without a cage is even doable as a 2.5 day swim is stretching the physical limits of even elite endurance athletes. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest open water swim without flippers was 139.8 miles (225 km) by Croatian Veljko Rogosic, who swam between two Italian cities on the Adriatic Sea from Aug. 29 to 31, 2006.
Dr. Clifton Page, a sports medicine specialist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said he thinks the Cuba-to-Florida swim can be done, although there are several physical obstacles to overcome. He has advised Nyad on her swims.
One obstacle is hypothermia. While the water is more than 80 degrees in late spring and summer, it is still well below the body's normal temperature of 98 degrees and causes it to slowly drop. There is also malnutrition. No matter how often the swimmer stops to eat, she will never ingest enough calories to make up for those expended swimming, he said. After a while, that causes the muscles to start breaking down. Then there is dehydration, he said. Even though swimmers don't feel it, they sweat just like any other athlete, while the saltwater acts like a wick, drawing even more water out of the body. Finally, there is sleep deprivation -- exercising that hard for days without sleep can result in hallucinations.
"The variable is the jellyfish," Page said. He said their bites are very painful and potentially fatal if not treated. "Chloe would have gotten a lot further into her swim if she hadn't been bit."
Adding to the swimmer's strain are the Florida Strait's currents. Villy Kourafalou, a University of Miami oceanography professor, said that the swim from Cuba to the Keys "is very challenging as the currents are not only very strong but also extremely variable."
But, she said, modern computer models that utilize information from satellites, buoys and ships allow the swimmer's support team to better predict the currents and help the members decide the best time to start the swim, the best route to take and then make adjustments along the way.
Spencer reported from Miami.


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ORLANDO — Justin Rose seems to have the right idea. The Lake Nona golfer, a transplant from England more than a decade ago, says when things are not going right, just close your eyes.
When you are putting, that is.
Stephanie Wei, who writes a golf blog at WeiUnderPar.com, asked Rose about his little secret, which she found out from Rose's caddie, Mark Fulcher.
Rose laughed and said, "Oh, he let the cat out of the bag?"
"Yeah, inside 10 feet I just freed it up. It's a drill I do a lot on the putting green and I make more than I miss," Rose said after getting into final-round contention Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a...


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I went to the New York International Auto Show with just one thing on my mind: car audio. Like many New Yorkers, I don't own a car, so this was my chance to sample a wide range of premium car audio systems in everything from Smart cars to Rolls-Royces. For the most part, generic car audio or famous name-brand systems like Bose and Mark Levinson sounded thick and muddy. Not one was up to the standards of a decent home hi-fi system. They played loud and had lots of bass, but even the most expensive car systems at the show didn't have audiophile quality sound.
The Chevy Sonic Boom concept, on the other hand, made a strong impression at the show. A scaled-down, regular production Sonic Boom may be available later this year; I hope it'll take up a lot less interior space! The little Sonic Boom concept car's hatch was jam-packed with two throbbing 15-inch subwoofers, 24 speakers, and a hefty 4,000-watt sound system. The sound lived up to the car's name.
Check out more photos of the car audio I saw at the show. Click on any image below to start the slideshow.


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As explained in our recently aired episodes of D&DH-TV, the Deer & Deer Hunting Whitetail calendar features Charles Alsheimer and Wayne Laroche's lunar rut predictions.
The Whitetail Rut-Predictor lets you plan when, where and how to hunt. The rut follows predictable stages of deer behavior. These changes dictate the effectiveness of hunting strategies. Scrape-hunting, for example, might be effective when bucks seek does, but it won?t work later in the rut when most does are already bred or being tended.
Not every buck exhibits the predicted primary behavior on a given date.
Several factors, including age, nutrition, health and genetics, can affect the time and extent to which bucks exhibit a behavior. The Whitetail Rut-Predictor represents peaks in the activities.
The primary rut behaviors predicted in this calendar are ?seeking,? ?chasing? and ?tending.? Feeding is a buck?s primary pre-rut activity. To take advantage of this, place stands near deer travel routes and feeding areas.
Seeking Behavior: The onset of each rut period is marked by a sudden increase in buck activity as bucks seek does. The trigger is not exactly known, but it might be a chemical signal from does approaching estrus.
Bucks smell and test the does? urine by Flehmening, also known as lip-curling. Bucks apparently receive critical scent-related information from doe urine, which initiates breeding. Bucks seeking does usually walk steadily, generally moving into the wind to catch doe scents. Bucks often angle toward bedded does, which jump and run at the buck?s approach. Bucks smell doe beds and urine stains, lip curl and continue. Aggression between bucks increases as they search.
Intense seeking activity makes for great stand-hunting. Bucks in this mode are also vulnerable to calling, rattling, scents and decoys. These bucks will often skirt the edges of swamps and forest transitions.
The tendency of bucks to move upwind apparently increases as cover density increases. For example, bucks are more likely to move into the wind in thick softwoods than in open hardwoods. That fact is crucial when selecting stand sites and approach routes.
Chasing Behavior: Chasing begins when a buck locates a doe near estrus. As the buck approaches, the doe runs, but not in all-out flight. She soon slows or pauses to look back for the buck, which won?t seek other does, and continues in pursuit. The buck occasionally catches up and tries to corner the doe. This can result in a long chase that continues until the doe lets the buck accompany her.
Stand- and still-hunting in a near-estrous doe?s home range can be productive, because several bucks could enter the chase.
Tending Behavior: After a doe allows a buck to accompany her, tending begins. He beds and moves with the doe until she is bred. Tending, which ends abruptly, usually lasts about 24 hours. After the doe is bred, the buck again seeks other does and the cycle resumes.
Tracking can be effective for hunting a buck tending a doe. Bucks also respond to grunt calls, because they seek to drive off other bucks. However, don?t expect a buck to go far from a hot doe to visit scrapes and scents.
Contributing Factors
Bucks in healthy herds with a balanced sex and age structure have well-defined social orders. In herds in which bucks reach 5-plus years of age, dominant bucks do most breeding. As the herd?s age structure is skewed toward young bucks, the youngsters become increasingly involved in the rut and breeding. As the doe-to-buck ratio approaches 1-1, seeking behavior and interactions between bucks are maximized. As the doe-to-buck ratio skews toward does, bucks spend less time seeking because females are readily available.
Seeking behavior begins abruptly and kicks off the rut about the time of the full moon, but not just any full moon, because day length is also involved.
As chasing and tending increases, seeking behavior declines. Seeking can be expected any time during the rut when a buck finishes chasing or tending a doe. The peak of seeking occurs just before the peak of tending and breeding. Tending behavior and breeding peaks about the time of the new moon during the rut. The rut seems to end as quickly as it begins.
Effects of Latitude
The wobbling cycle of the Earth on its axis as it circles the sun causes seasonal changes by varying the amount of sunlight reaching the ground at different locations.
The link between diminishing day length and the rut?s onset is clear.
However, it?s not simple. The breeding season is most intense and concentrated at Northern latitudes where the difference between day length in summer and winter is greatest. The breeding season lengthens the nearer deer live to the equator. This partly explains why the rut appears more varied in the southern United States.
Effects of Weather
Activities on the Whitetail Rut-Predictor calendar might occur several days early because weather can affect daylight amounts. Dense clouds shorten day length 15 to 20 minutes, and decrease moonlight intensity. Rain and snow block sunlight and moonlight by defraction and diffusion, preventing moonlight from reaching the ground. Storms can shorten daylight about 30 minutes and obscure almost all moonlight.
Intense rutting activity is often associated with storm fronts in South Texas and other Southern states, but not in Northern states. This activity is often attributed to low air temperatures or barometric changes, but light likely plays a major role. Air temperatures exceeding 55 degrees Fahrenheit usually decrease deer activity.
Genetics also probably play a role in the rut?s timing. Many subspecies of whitetails are native to Southern states. In addition, many Northern whitetails were transplanted to the South in the early to mid-1900s.
Inheritance likely affects breeding times. However, the impact of genetics remains unclear.
The Predictor?s Basis
The rut-predictor is based on a model that links cyclical changes in the Earth?s solar and lunar illumination to the whitetail?s reproductive cycle.
Laroche and Alsheimer hypothesize that sunlight and moonlight provide environmental cues that set, trigger and synchronize breeding.
Laroche developed a computer model that uses astronomical data, field observations of rutting activities and measurements of light intensity to predict rut activity.
The rut-predictor hypothesis differs from conventional views. The general belief is that peak breeding north of the Mason-Dixon Line occurs each year about Nov. 15. However, after many observations of early-November rut behavior in Vermont and Maine, Laroche concluded that rut activity often fell to nearly zero by mid-November. He also found the timing of peak rut activity could vary year to year by as much as three weeks at any given location.
If the moon is the timing mechanism for the estrous cycle, what sensory pathway in deer receives the cue? External stimuli fall into three primary
categories: physical, chemical and biological. The great distance between Earth and the moon rules out any regular 28-day exchange of sounds, scents, or chemical and biological materials deer can detect.
The moon affects the Earth?s gravitational fluctuations and nighttime illumination. Both factors create external stimuli that deer might detect.
However, little evidence suggests deer or other creatures directly detect gravitational forces. Responses to those fluctuations are probably indirect.
As a result, Laroche rejected gravity?s effects as a stimulus for timing the whitetail?s estrous cycle.
Moonlight can be detected, especially by whitetails, which have eyes adapted for low-light vision. Light passing into the eye strikes the nerve-rich area in the back of the eye, causing electrical impulses to pass along the nervous system to various organs. Some impulses pass to the pineal gland in the center of the brain, providing input to the endocrine system. The pineal gland and related hormones are involved in or regulate the reproductive cycle. The pineal gland responds to light by increasing (with diminishing
light) or decreasing (with increasing light) production of a hormone called melatonin. This, in turn, increases or decreases other hormones.
The fact moonlight changes the Earth?s illumination on a cycle similar to the whitetail?s 28-day estrous cycle, the fact whitetails have a sensory system that can detect moonlight, and the fact the whitetail?s endocrine system responds to light stimuli by altering levels of reproductive hormones argue against coincidence.
Testing the Rut-Predictor
The rut-predictor has been well tested. For example, when whitetails from the United States have been brought to the Southern Hemisphere, where seasons are reversed, they shift from a November rut to a May rut. This is also reinforced by the fact whitetails in equatorial regions breed asynchronously throughout the year.
Interestingly, the only way to disprove this theory is to witness behavior that contradicts it, such as seeing most does breed within seven days of a first quarter moon. Failure to observe predicted behavior, however, proves nothing, as it might be caused by unrelated factors, such as poor visibility, bad weather or low deer numbers.
In snow country, breeding can be recognized by observing tracks. A buck tending a doe leaves a distinctive trail as he follows with his nose on the doe?s tail. A big buck track overlaying a lone doe track is a sure sign of tending behavior. Several such trails signify peak breeding. If you live where snow doesn?t fall and the deer population is relatively high, you might observe tending and breeding behavior directly.
To help predict breeding behaviors for your area, keep a daily log of fresh rubs and scrapes you and your hunting partners observe. For added accuracy, quantify your effort by recording how many hours of hunting are associated with your counts.


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The Banks County High School tennis team recognized its senior players with a special ceremony before the match last week. The team will lose four players next season to graduating seniors, Haley Hill, Alissa Moulder, Jake Schaefer and Tuan Pham.
"We had the opportunity to recognize two fantastic young ladies who have been a part of the tennis team the past four years," head Lady Leopards tennis coach William Foster said. "Haley Hill and Alissa Moulder have been a pleasure to coach this year. They both showed their leadership abilities as well as tennis skills at ever practice and match, and they positively impacted the team more than they know. The last home match for these girls was rained out, but hopefully they can put on a great performance in next weeks region tournament to cap off their high school tennis careers. The rest of the Lady Leopards and I can't wait to see what great things these two girls accomplish in the years to come."
Athletic director Jerry King was on hand to give the seniors their medal of achievement for the years of hard work and dedication to the tennis program.
Tennis seniors recognized
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It was something he had never been a part of before.
Crossing the goal line to score the winning points for the Gators, Matt Jones heard the thunderous roar of the crowd. He couldn't get up, his teammates piling on him in celebration.
In what was a nerve-racking night for Gator Nation, the junior running back was cool under pressure, running for 156 yards on 29 carries, with his lone touchdown coming in the third overtime to give Florida a 36-30 win over Kentucky. This marked the second time Jones has ran for 100 yards or more in his Florida career.
With Kentucky's defensive ends Za'Darius Smith and Alvin Dupree getting pressure on the outside, the team was able to attack the middle of the defense and get significant yards. Jones and fellow back Kelvin Taylor had similar stats leading up to the fourth quarter when Jones saw and increase in his workload. Head coach Will Muschamp said the team wanted to go with what was working and continue to exploit the center of the line throughout the game, and with Jones' frame and ability to pick up yards after contact, the game plan proved to be successful.
Jones finished with more rushing yards than Kentucky, which only had 81 total. The running back said the team never panicked or got discouraged, the key players realizing they had to step up to the challenge presented. As the game drug on the running back felt the defense weaken, allowing him to break tackles and push the ball forward. Eventually he knew the team was going to be able to break a run open for a big gain.
"It was great, I ran hard, that's what I was supposed to do," Jones said. "In the fourth quarter they were tired, especially overtime, they were tired of tackling."
Jones bruised Kentucky the entire night, keeping a low center of gravity and dishing punishment to whomever lay in his path. A short-yardage play in the second half became a highlight run as Jones' two stiff arms to two Kentucky defenders would've been enough to make honorary Mr. Two Bits and WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil consider a new tag team partner.
Jones said the run was the product of adrenaline, skills and revenge after the Wildcats hit Taylor after he was down in the first half. The running back was hoping his teammate would get up- and that he could dish out hits on any white jerseys in sight.
"Nah, nobody really was," Jones said. "Number 2 [Dupree] was talking a lot of trash, but we kind of got off on him too."
Going forward the Gators have a tough road ahead of them, with consecutive road games against Alabama and Tennessee. While the game may have been closer than most at The Swamp would have liked, Jones felt this way they grinded out the victory was important as the team goes deeper into conference play.
"It's definitely good," he said. "We needed this game, we needed some adversity to get through to go to Alabama, because we know they're a tough team too. This definitely prepared us to go to Alabama."


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This is an optional CSI "RED" Mugen MBX7R 16mm Squared V-Port piston set. After rigorous on track testing, as well as using CSI's state of the art shock dyno, CSI engineers have taken 1/8 scale off road shock performance to the next level. CSI squared V-port shock pistons have been re-engineered to deliver superior performance on tracks that produce higher shaft velocities. The Squared V-port pistons provide two separate flow rates for compression and rebound damping. The rebound side of CSI's Squared V-port piston have been engineered to reduce the (packing) effects of the shock when higher velocities are achieved, allowing the tire to return to the surface faster and better absorb the next bump or series of bumps.
CSI Squared V-port pistons are available in two flow rates, the blue base line piston is recommended for average track surface conditions, while the red piston is recommended for rougher track surfaces.


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I'm posting in here because I saw another thread saying this was the right place to post powershell questions.
I have a script that generates a hash variable. I want to use the hash for a password for something. The hash out puts to a text file and also to the clip board.
I want to use the clipboard to paste the variable into another application. The problem is that the clipboard also includes the termination string 0D0A. I just want the text for the hash in the clipboard nothing else. How do I remove it? I've tried a few things now this is my current version just trying to remove the 0D.
$hash = [System.BitConverter]::ToString($md5.ComputeHash($utf8.GetBytes($MAC))) -replace "\w\x0D\w", ''
$hash | Out-File $Env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\Use_This_To_Encrypt_Your_Backup.txt #-Append
$hash | clip
Thanks in advance,


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Home » Posts tagged 'manicure'
Tag Archives: manicure
Therapist Training | Aromatherapy | Make Your Own Cosmetics
The Base Formula Training Academy is based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire (click here for map). We offer a range of fully accredited CPD training courses in beauty, nails and holistic therapies as well as our popular Make Your Own Products course. Our courses are accredited with a range of professional bodies – please see individual courses for more detail. You can also click here to view our Tutor Profiles. If you would like more information on our courses please contact us on 01664 501110 or email us.
via Therapist Training | Aromatherapy | Make Your Own Cosmetics.


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Ilham Tower is a stunning new skyscraper located in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle.
At 274 meters, Ilham Tower one of the tallest buildings in the city. Designed by award-winning architects Foster + Partners, this 60-storey building was completed in 2015.
The Smart Grade A office building is designed to Greenmark Gold + specifications. It features column-free floor plates well suited to modern working practices.
Three-meter tall floor to ceiling windows provide interior spaciousness and take full advantage of natural light.
Tenants enjoy convenience and peace of mind with cutting edge technology – including the building security system and high-speed regenerative lifts.
The building boasts spectacular views across stunning Kuala Lumpur skyline. Many of Kuala Lumpur's landmark attractions – including Kuala Lumpur Twin Tower, KL Tower, and KL City Centre Park – are just a stroll away.
Located 5 minutes away from Ampang Park LRT Station, this building offers excellent transport connections. In-house amenities include sky dining, an art gallery, 5-star hotel, spa, convenience store, café and banking hall.
28 minute train by KLIA Express from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to KL Sentral Terminal, transit to LRT 15 minutes to arrive at Ampang park LRT or 1 (One) hour drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport
LRT: 15 minutes from KL Sentral terminal
20 minutes by taxi from Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station
Kuala Lumpur City Centre is Malaysia's premier business and shopping precinct.
Designed to be a city within a city, this 100-acre site hosts numerous corporate skyscrapers, shopping complexes, hotels, and public parks. The entire area features innovative district cooling.
Famous buildings in the area include the Petronas Twin Towers, the G Tower, the Intermark, Felda, Tabung Haji and others. Exclusive and nearby condos are The Oval, Binjai Residency, Myhabitat, amongst many more. Shopping complexes include such as Suria KLCC and Avenue K.
There are also hotels within walking distance such as G Tower, Mandarin Oriental, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and InterContinental Kuala Lumpur hotel. A public park and a mosque is also built on the area and open to everyone.
Within 5 minutes walking distance:
Ask to be connected to the internet – How long does it take?
Ask if the provider is Tier-1.
Ask to be allowed to check download speeds.
Ask to speak to IT support: Are they in-house or a third party? Are they even in the country?
Ask to be given a phone number so you can try the service before you buy.
Ask for a phone rate card.
Ask to meet your dedicated receptionist. The receptionist is the front line of your business.
Ask about disaster transfer.
Ask if your phone extension can roam at no cost to other locations.
Ask if the wireless internet is secure.
Ask what kind of firewall can be set up for your network.
Ask to see the transparency code of the provider.
Ask if incoming callers can dial '1' for voicemail to mobile.
Ask if you can get free calls equal to your connection amount.
Ask if your phone bill is 20% lower than telco rate.
Servcorp offices are located on level 33 of the ILHAM Tower.
Level 33 features glorious artwork of the Malaysian culture, sometimes used synonymously with 'babas' and 'peranakans'. The term 'baba' is derived from the Hindu word 'babu' meaning a clerk; and in the days gone by Straits Chinese men were referred to as 'babas'. As for 'peranakans', this simply means 'Straits-born' in Bahasa Melayu.
Facilities include:


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Dong owns 50% of the 630MW UK wind farm, which generated first power in Q4 2012. It became the world's largest operational offshore wind farm in March and was completed this month.
The company said its Q1 revenue had risen by DKK 1.7 billion to DKK 3.2 billion (EUR 429 million). It said this was driven by income from contracts relating to the Anholt and Borkum Riffgrund offshore wind farms in Denmark and Germany, respectively.


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Removing Middlemen
By cutting out middlemen and honing manufacturing so companies and consumers got exactly the PC configuration they wanted, Dell grabbed share and piled up profit even with lower operating margins than rivals like IBM and Compaq Computer Corp., fueling an almost two-decade boom. Eight years after the IPO, Dell's stake was worth more than $1 billion.
Dell ceded the CEO role to Chief Operating Officer Kevin Rollins in 2004 only to come back to the helm in 2007 after the company lost its top PC spot to Hewlett-Packard and earnings fell short of estimates. The company was also beset at the time by an accounting scandal that later resulted in a $100 million settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Since his return, Dell has talked publicly about "pruning" his PC business while using the cash it generates to snap up companies in computer networking, storage, and enterprise software. Global PC sales fell 3.5% last year to 352.7 million units, market researcher Gartner Inc. said. Dell's market share fell 12.3% to 10.7%.
Falling Profit
Those declines are reflected by falling profit. Dell will earn $2.98 billion excluding some items in fiscal 2013, compared with $3.49 billion in 2012, according to analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
There's no guarantee that Dell will do better as a private business. Companies including networking-equipment maker Avaya Inc. and disaster-recovery software company SunGard Data Systems Inc. have struggled since going private last decade. Chipmaker Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. went public in May 2011 after a 2006 LB0, though its stock tumbled by 19 since then, through Feb. 4.
Other technology companies have attempted to go private and had the talks fall through over valuations or difficulty in financing deals. That was the case for disk-drive maker Seagate Technology Plc in late 2010 -- though it did have a successful LBO a decade earlier. Fidelity National Information Services Inc.'s buyout talks unraveled in 2010 after the company sought a higher price than private-equity firms were willing to pay.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Juan Diego Florez, "L'Amour" (Decca)
Lawrence Brownlee, "Virtuoso Rossini Arias" (Delos)
For more than a decade, Peruvian Juan Diego Florez and American Lawrence Brownlee have been the world's leading bel canto tenors, thrilling audiences with their high notes and technical agility in operas by Rossini, Donizetti and other early 19th century composers.
Now in their early 40s, they have released new albums that show them in elegant form and offer a chance to savor the differences between the two light-voiced marvels.
Florez's first new album in four years is a compilation of arias from French opera, ranging from Adrien Boieldieu's obscure "La Dame blanche" to Offenbach's still-popular "La Belle Helene."
Especially noteworthy are three forays into romantic repertory usually associated with bigger voices — two selections from Jules Massenet's "Werther" and one from Charles Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette." Though Florez's sound may be a bit warmer and fuller than in the past and he sings with grace and sensitivity, his voice still seems small for such fare and still bears the penetrating nasal quality that his detractors have always found off-putting. And he clearly has to push the limits of his resources on the climactic high notes. How well he can handle such roles on stage remains a question to be answered when he debuts as "Werther" in a couple of years.
For many fans the album's highlight will be an irresistibly jaunty rendition of "Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire" from Adolph Adam's "Le Postillon de Lonjumeau." This aria is notable for ascending to a climactic high D, which Florez hits beautifully.
He is ably accompanied by the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, conducted by Roberto Abbado.
Brownlees's album — his first compilation of arias with orchestra — is all Rossini and all splendid. There's an ardent sweetness to his voice that contrasts strikingly with Florez's more astringent sound. And he is no less a technical magician. Note his repeated daring lunges to high C in "Che ascolta" from "Otello," or the astonishing 16 seconds he holds the final B-flat in a selection from the one-act "L'occasione fa il ladro."
Constantine Orbelain conducts the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra of Lithuania.