text:
My war with addiction began when I was 12 years old. After moving to Florida and hitting puberty I was faced with an onslaught of feelings and ailments I didn't know had a name, let alone how to cope with them in daily life. I now know I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and what is known as Gender Dysphoria. I started taking Xanax to medicate myself and coast through life and didn't look back for 8 years.
My first experience in an institution, I was 15 years old. I was not living as my authentic self at that time and drifted in and out of the mental health care system and substance abuse programs for years. I felt like a ghost in a shell and wasn't able to properly heal myself, not knowing who I was. When I was 21 I entered a treatment facility for the first time identifying as female. After an exasperated quarrel with both the facility and my insurance company they agreed to put me in a private room in the senior facility. The treatment center felt as though staying with my peers would be too high risk for me. I find that notion completely ridiculous. As if staying with a bunch of detoxing baby boomers in an isolated chamber would be a productive safety net? This unfortunately was the only half-assed measure taken to accommodate me as a transgender client. My time in treatment was not actually spent tackling my issues with addiction. I spent so much time explaining myself and who I was in the context of being Trans that I had no energy left and certainly didn't have the trust needed to divulge any part of my wounded self in therapy. A facilitator even made a sidebar comment on how I could make more of an effort and put on makeup if I wanted to be addressed properly. I was in the midst of detoxing from opiates, benzodiazepines, amphetamines and alcohol. My insides and outsides were falling out and off. Make up wasn't exactly a priority.
I developed an almost impenetrable set of defense mechanisms to tolerate constantly being pigeon holed and dehumanized. It came as no surprise that I relapsed shortly after being discharged and continued to downward spiral. Luckily I made it back and discovered Inspire Recovery, where I cultivated my longest period of sobriety. An LBGTQI focused environment allowed me to get the breathing space I desperately needed to get my shit together. The sense of community and acceptance was essential in healing. I could actually carry out conversations with people without a raised eyebrow or calling my entire being into question. It was truly a breath of fresh air and a blessing. I came to truly appreciate my experience there a year later after a brief relapse and stint in another facility.
And now, here's what it was like at another facility. The residency there was enforced by a religious zealot who would lock me out of the bathroom and find other creative ways to degrade and silence me. I became unhinged and reactive. I smashed a dresser in my room. I subsequently was removed and committed to a lock-down psych unit where i was administered haldol without my consent and was taken off my hormone regiment. Thankfully due to the dedication of my family and sober supports I was rescued and sent to another LBGTQI oriented treatment center that could actually help me. This dark period really taught me not to take things for granted, especially my time at Inspire. The importance of education in gender studies and an all inclusive environment is completely vital to treating a case like me and I hope for a future where the marginalized of the marginalized can be less, well marginalized.


text:
Support RTRFM and enjoy discounts on RTR gig tickets, as well as at a number of generous businesses around Perth.
Support RTRFM by making a one-off tax deductible donation.
Support RTRFM by making a monthly tax deductible donation.
19th October 2017
Perth musician Tilman Robinson likes to explore the psychological impact of sound and he does this […]
08 9260 9210
Hosting provided by
Copyright © 2019 RTRFM 92.1
Please update your browser to view this website correctly
Update my browser now

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Skip to main navigation Skip to Content
Speaker: Dr. Tomoyuki Yamakami
Title: Immunity and pseudorandomness of context-free languages
Context-free languages are a fundamental notion in formal languages and automata theory. In this seminar talk, I discuss the computational complexity of the context-free languages, concentrating on two well-known structural properties---immunity and pseudorandomness. An infinite language is called REG-immune (resp., CFL-immune) if it contains no infinite subset that is a regular (resp., context-free) language. Here, I explain the existence of REG-immune and CFL-immune languages inside and outside of advised language families. I also show that there is a CFL-simple set, where a CFL-simple language is an infinite context-free language whose complement is CFL-immune. A polynomially dense (p-dense) language is REG/n-primeimmune if it has no p-dense subsets that are advised regular. I show the existence of a context-free REG/n-bi-primeimmune language. Concerning pseudorandomness of context-free languages, I will show that CFL contains REG/n-pseudorandom languages. Finally, I turn to pseudorandom generators. I show that there exist two almost 1-1 pseudorandom generators against REG/n and against CFL/n, both of which are relatively easy to compute.
This seminar talk is based on the following three papers of mine:
(1) Immunity and pseudorandomness of context-free languages. Theor.
Comput. Sci. 412(45): 6432-6450 (2011)
(2) Pseudorandom generators against advised context-free languages.
Theor. Comput. Sci. 613: 1-27 (2016)
(3) Swapping Lemmas for Regular and Context-Free Languages with
Advice. CoRR abs/0808.4122 (2008)
Tomoyuki Yamakami received a Ph.D. Degree from the University of Toronto under supervision of Stephen A. Cook. He took a post-doctoral position at Princeton University before taking a position at the University of Ottawa and teaching at Trent University. He then took positions at the University of Aizu, Japan, and at the University of Fukui, Japan. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of Toronto between August 1, 2016 and March 30, 2017. His interest varies in computational complexity, automata theory, quantum computing, and mathematical logic.
All rights reserved copyright Computer Science, University of Toronto | Site Map


text:
The organizers arrange the accommodation at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel located in Kuta Beach,Bali. The host has book number of room for both sponsored and non-sponsored participants. The Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel corporate group is also available to support the conference in providing accommodation.
For the sponsored participants, the host will cover the accommodation expenses ONLY for 4 (four) nights,
started with a checkin date Monday, August 22 nd and checkout on Friday, August 26 th (checkin time 2:00 PM and checkout before 12:00 noon). Participants will be responsible for any for early and late check-in.
The host has obtained special rate, and it is advisable to check the host for your booking
More information about the hotel
available at;


text:
You are hereMovie: Marvel Studios' Black Panther
Movie: Marvel Studios' Black Panther
04/08/2018, 3:00 pm
T'Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole | 2 more credits »
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
$3 per person
Showtimes are:
Friday: 6pm
Saturday: 3pm, 6pm
Sunday: 3pm, 6pm
Full concessions will be available including cotton candy, carmel corn, popcorn, Pepsi fountain drinks, candy bars, and box candy. Hot drinks include coffee, hot cocoa, French Vanilla cappuccino, and Swiss Mocha. Bottled water will also be available.


text:
August 13, 2015
2 More Days to Be a KidLitCon Early Bird
Have you registered yet for KidLitCon 2015 in Baltimore? With sessions October 9th and 10th and a fantastic tour of the area on October 11th, you won't want to miss it! (Sadly, I won't be there because I'll be at the Great Valley Bookfest, but I will be enjoying it in spirit.)
The full schedule has been released over at Kidlitosphere Central, and includes a wide variety of sessions and panels and topics: Middle Grade Horror, Visual Storytelling, A Panel Discussion with Literary Award Judges, Kidlit Podcasting, etc., etc., and oh, did I forget to mention Keynote Speakers Carrie Mesrobian and Tracey Baptiste? It's going to be an amazing weekend of learning from fellow bloggers, writers, and book enthusiasts of all stripes. It's one of my favorite conferences of the year (which is why I'm bummed I can't clone myself and/or otherwise be in two places at once, but career duties call and I'm even getting paid, so the tough decision had to be...decided).
You have until August 15th to get the early bird conference discount, so go check out these links and register, fast! Go!
Get the conference discount on your room reservation
See the full schedule
Posted by Sarah Stevenson at 2:15 PM
Labels: AF, Happenings, Kidlitcon, Views
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
President Obama's State of the Union address highlighted the importance of keeping medical and scientific research fully funded by the federal government. "Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the space race," President Obama said.
While the space race has ended for now, the need for strong investment in scientific research, especially medical research, continues. Federal funding for research spurs innovation, supports well-paying jobs and reduces medical costs. The federal budget sequester now going into effect would slash 11.3 percent of the Nation Institute for Health's budget. These cuts to medical research would have profound economic consequences and set back important research.
Federal funding for medical research stimulates a lot of economic activity. As Obama stated in his speech, for every dollar spent on the human genome project, $140 is returned to the economy. Investing federal funds in medical research stimulates large amounts of growth. Every public dollar spent on medical science helps stimulate $3.50 in the pharmaceutical industry alone. This is the type of spending that is necessary in an economic recession to encourage continued economic growth.
Not only is federal funding for medical research a good investment in the economy, it is also plays an important role in supporting jobs, especially well-paying jobs. A study by the Association of American Medical colleges found that "federal and state research funding received by medical schools and teaching hospitals directly supports nearly 300,000 full-time, mostly high-skilled, jobs." That amounts to about one of every 500 jobs.
It is important to note that jobs created through medical research are high-skilled and well paid. CNN Money's "Best Jobs in America" list for 2012 ranked clinical research associate at number four. The median pay of a clinical research associate is $90,700 per year and the field is expected to grow by 36.4 percent over the next 10 years. Another set of jobs supported by medical research funding are research scientists; they have a median income of $81,800 per year and a projected 10-year job growth of 15.5 percent. These types of jobs are what the economy needs, in growth areas where workers can earn greater disposable income. Drastic cuts to federal spending will lead to job losses and will harm job growth in fields that are vital to continued economic recovery.
Aside from the negative economic impact, the sequester cuts would also cause significant setbacks for medical research. One devastating setback would be the predicted slowdown of research on new cancer treatments. Cuts to medical research will hurt cancer research, which only receives $5 billion dollars a year, and would stall new research on cancer treatment. Advocates have also said that the sequester will negatively affect the wait time for Food and Drug Administration reviews of oncology drugs. These setbacks will hurt millions of Americans.
With 55 percent of Americans saying we're not making enough progress in medical research, it is unacceptable to even imagine cutting federal funding in this area. Medical research is essential to getting America going again and providing important services to Americans. The damage the sequester cuts to medical research funding could do to jobs and growth in America is just one more example that austerity is not the way forward for the country.


text:
Andy Fox has compiled an extensive list of
wonderful Academy Awards speeches and moments, and I'm happy to provide
them here as well ... thanks very much for your exhaustive compilation,
2001: "This moment is so much bigger than me." - Halle Berry2001: "Two
bird with one night." - Denzel Washington2000: "I love it up here." - Julia
Roberts1999: "This is the highlight of my life." -
Kevin Spacey1998: "If Shakespeare were alive
today, he'd be driving a Porsche, living in Bel-Air, and he'd have a
deal with Paramount." - Marc Newman
(screenwriter, Shakespeare in Love.)1997: "Titanic got 14
nominations one per lifeboat." - Jim Mullen (Entertainment Weekly.)1996: "Show me the
money." - Cuba Gooding Jr. 1995: "It's just a meat parade in front of an
international audience- degrading to have actors in competition with
each other." -George C. Scott1994: I think if I'm
nominated for anything next year, there'll be a wave of suicide jumpers
from the third tier of the Chandler Pavilion." - Tom Hanks1993: "I dedicate this to.like six million who can't
be watching" - Steven Spielberg1992: "I guess when
I get into the cowboy I looked enough like on to convince people that I
was." - Clint Eastwood." 1991: "The stage is set
for the most wide-open Oscar race in years." - Variety1990: "I will never forget what happened here
tonight.people I went to school with will never forget."- Kevin
Costner1989: "When you're lying drunk at the airport you're
Irish. When you win an Oscar you are British." - Brenda Fricker1988: "We're all a little nit autistic." - Dustin
Hoffman1987: "Along with the Oscars, the Academy
is giving out a green card." - Robin Williams1986:
"I feel these are a lot of deaf people jumping up and down." - Marlee Martin1985: "It's hard to guess who will walk away
with the golden statuettes that.Herman Mankiewicz once used as door jams." - The Wall Street Journal1984: "I got my license
from the Khmer Rouge school of acting." - Dr. Haing S.
Ngor1983: "I'm going to cry because this show has been as
long as my career. I have wondered for twenty-six years what this feel like." - Shirley
MacLaine1982: "The Oscar
seems to have been confused with the Nobel Peace
Prize." - Janet Maslin, The New York Times1981: "Only in America could a
picture of this subject and this size be made without censorship from the
people who put up the money." - Warren Beatty1980:
"I would like to thank Jake La Matta, and my parents for having me, and my
grandparents for having them, and everyone else that this award means
anything to, and like rest of the world. love everyone." - Robert De Niro1979: "I do feel like the Academy like the
Academy is slacking off in the class quotient. After all, I won." - Sally Field1978: " I knew I wouldn't like The Deer
Hunter. It's about two things I didn't care about Vietnam and poor
people." -
Producer, Allan Carr1977: "When
you see who wins those things- or doesn't win them- you can see how
meaningless this Oscar thing is." - Woody Allen1976: "I was going to thank all the little people, but
then I remembered I am the little people." - Paul William1975: I found out that acting was hell. You spend all
your time trying to do what they put people in asylums for." - Jane
Fonda1974: "The Academy Awards are obscene, dirty,
and no better than a beauty contest." - Dustin
Hoffman1973: "You can imagine what a trip this is for a
Jewish girl from Great Neck-I get to win an Academy Award and meet
Elizabeth Taylor at the same time." - Producer Julia Phillips1972: "I think a man who makes $2 million playing the
leader of the Mafia should at least give half of it to the Indians." - Michael Caine1971: "Tonight the Academy is
honoring two films about my people, Shaft and Fiddler on the Roof." -
Sammy Davis
Jr. 1970: "There is no way the Academy
can strike Scott's nomination for
Best Actor. -Academy Awards Committee1969: "I'm an American movie actor. I work with my
clothes on. I have to. Horses are rough on your legs and your elsewheres"
-John Wayne1968: "Please be sure to read
everything in the envelope carefully." - Price Waterhouse accountant (to
Ingrid Bergman) "And the winner is.It's a tie!" - Ingrid Bergman1967: "This has been a fateful week in the history of
our nation, and the two-day delay of this ceremony is the Academy's
way of paying our profound respect to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." - Academy President Gregory
"How 'bout Liz and Richard? They're a most unusual couple They're both expecting." - Bob Hope1965: "Julie Andrews has a
wonderful British strength that makes you wonder why they lost India." - Moss
Hart1964: "Say one more word and
I'll scream" - Audrey Hepburn1963: "What if eight
million Negroes decide to kick in their TV screens at the moment someone
else's name is called?" - Sidney Poitier1962: "If he (Peter O'Toole) had been any
prettier it would have been Florence of Arabia." - Noel
Coward1961: "I decided it would be better to faint at home."
- Sophia
Loren1960: "When Elizabeth Taylor got a
hole in her throat, I canceled my
plane." - Shirley MacLaine1959: "The runway was greased for a chariot." -
Variety1958: "I came here when I was 19 and I've
been here twenty
years. I've had it." - Susan Hayward1957: "My segment was six minutes in length.
Unfortunately, that was also the length of Mr. Duck's bit of film,
and they chose Donald Duck. You alwayshave to settle
for less on Best Picture: Less Laughton is great/Yeah if you're voting for
weight (Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, singing).1956: "I've gone from saint to whore and to saint
again all in one lifetime." - Ingrid Bergman 1955: "Were gonna take'em all." -producer, Burt
Lancaster (on Marty's
nomination)1955: I'll have
to try harder next year." - Susan Hayward1954:
"This must be made of gold. It must be!" - Marlon
Brando1953: "Ladies and Gentlemen tomorrow's headlines will
be made here tonight. This is news. This is movietown's election
night." - Oscar
broadcast announcer1952:
"Television-that's where movies go when they die. - Bob Hope1952: "C'mon Oscar, let's go get drunk." Bette
Davis1951: "There is a strange sort of reasoning
in Hollywood that musicals are less worthy of the Academy consideration than dramas." - Gene
Kelly1950: "I have been
resurrected from the dead." - Bette
Davis1949: "Remember I had a partner." Fred Astaire1949: "That's not what it says on the citation." -
Ginger Rogers1948: "With all the heated rivalry
going on, it wouldn't be a bad idea to hold the Oscar ceremonies in a boxing ring." - Variety1947: "We're going to the
party afterward anyway. I won't be bitter." - Rosalind Russell1946: "I don't care if it doesn't make a nickel. I
just want every man, woman and child in America to see it." - Samuel Goldwyn1945: "My tears speak for me." - Joan
Crawford1944: Once or twice I've been described as
a light comedian. I consider this the most accurate description of my
abilities I've ever seen." - Bing Crosby1943:
"Awards are meaningless for actors, unless they all play the same part." - Humphrey Bogart1942: "I admit I do have a gift for
gab." - Greer Garson1941: "Of course we fight.
What sisters don't battle?" - Olivia de Havilland1940: "This is what old fashion bookies would call an
open race" - Variety1939: "Gone with the Wind is
going to be the biggest flop in history. I'm just glad it'll be Clark
Gable falling on his face and not me." - Gary Cooper1938: "All these Oscars! Looks like Bette Davis's
garage." - Bob Hope1937: "Nobody wins
two years in a row." - Paul Muni1936: "Put on some makeup and
get over here!" - MGM publicist to Luise Rainer1935: "The casting couch? There's only one of us who
ever made it to stardom without it, and that was Bette Davis." - Claudette Colbert1934: "It's a grand and glorious feeling,
but I'll be wearing the same size hat tomorrow." - Clark
Gable1932-33: "It looks like Uncle Oscar." - Margaret
Herrick, Academy
Librarian1931-32: " Mr. Beery and
I recently adopted children. Under the circumstances, it seems a little
odd that we both given awards for best male performance of the year." - Frederic March1930-31: "You're only as good as
your last picture." - Marie Dressler1929-30:
"Novelty is always welcome, but talking pictures is just a fad." - Irving Thalberg, MGM
production chief1928-29:
There was a time in this business when they had the eyes of the
whole wide world. But that wasn't good enough for them. Oh, no! They had
to have the ears of the world, too. So they opened their bug mouths and
out came talk, talk, talk! - Gloria Swanson1927-28: "Hand me now already the statuette award." -
Emil Jannings
WHAT THE ACADEMY MEANS TO ME:"The Academy is the League of Nations of the Motion
Pictures Industry. It is our open forum where all branches can meet and
discuss constructive solutions to problems with which each us confronted.
In the past we have never been able to get together on a common ground and
in making this possible the Academy has conferred a great service. The
producer, star, featured player, cinematographer -in fact, every
individual can come into the Academy with any problem or proposal and feel
that all barriers are leveled, that in this open court his voice carries
the same weight as that of any other person, regardless of position and
standing. There is no greater force for cooperation for advancement than
that offered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science." - Mary
Pickford GREAT OSCAR
QUOTATIONS:"I wish to take this glorious opportunity to expressmy
deep affection and admiration for all thosewonderful people in the motion
picture business it hasbeen my privilege to know and admire and to call
myfriends throughout the years." - Norma Shearer
"Advice to young
actors winning Oscars: Enjoy! Don'twait years to find out what that award
can give you incomfort and confidence. As an actor gross older, nomatter
how long his memory, it is hard to hold on tothat delicious feeling of his
memory- of being best.That Oscar sitting on the mantel is a good reminder.
Itreasure mine for just that." - Helen Hayes
"From my first Oscar,
handed me by Douglas Fairbanksin 1929, a small and (by today's standards)
informalfamily celebration, to the present worldwide interestin Oscar
presentations, the growth of the AcademyAwards proves indeed the cultural
and educationalbenefits of the Academy.the Supreme Court of theScreen."
- Lewis Milestone"I have always felt proud of my Oscars and my
numerousnominations. This pride is due to the fact it was theresult of
voters from the members of my ownprofession. This, of course, is a great
compliment for one'swork. I hope each winner of an Oscar is as thrilled
asI was when I received mine." - Bette Davis"Prizes are given.
Prizes are won. They are the resultof competition. Any way you want to look
at it, frombirth to death we are competing."My first competition. A buck
meet. The three-leggedrace. I won it. My next was a diving contest. I
wasdoing several very complicated fives badly. My friendand competitor
was diving several very dives well. Shewon it. I resented deeply. But there
it was. There isa terrible agony of competition. You have to pretendtat
you don't care if you lose. We have home movies ofall those early
competitions. Cry at the beginning.Cry when you lose. No way. Too much
of a strain. I'll avoid that, but Ididn't U encountered The Super Cry. I
grew up. I went to work. And I found that I hadentered a business which has
a thing called -THEACADEMY AWARD. People from all over the world
seedifferent competitors do their stuff. The winning of aprize in any
department is a boost to business. Thewinning of Best Picture. Best
Director. Best Actor.Best Actress. This is a Super Boost. The effort to
win votes by advertising, selling,begging, organizing in full swing in all
media. Thenthe terrible Night. Telecast worldwide. All dressedup. Here I
am a competitor. And I care. I caredesperately. Will I be the one too.Of
dear me. Let's avoid that, I said to myself. So Inever went. But I had to be
honest enough with myselfto wonder- what is it, Kathy? Are you afraid that
youwon't win?One year when I was not in the running myself I
wasasked to present the Thalberg to Lawrence Weingarten.I just could not
in all good conscience refuse. So Irushed on. An then I rushed off. But do
you knowwhat-they all stood up. They stood up for me. Allthose people.
Those people whose votes through theyears had given me the prize. They had
voted me in.Not once, but twice and a half. They stood. Theyclapped.
They gave me their respect and theiraffection. It was a revelation the
generous heart ofthe industry. The pat on the back from one's peers.
However maddening, infuriating, embarrassing andseemingly artificial
these occasions are. Howeverdrummed up. The truth of the matter is still
pure. TheAcademy Awards are in all good faith. An attempt tohonor a
person or a product of our industry. And theyhave maintained in essence a
purity, a simple- well,truth. This year by our vote you are the
best.Well, there must be something to it. It's gone on forsixty years.
It must be healthy. One can quibble, How does anyone know
whichperformance? Which picture? It's an Art- Well, hell-let's face it.
How does anyone knowanything? It's our track meet. It's painful but
it'sthrilling." - Katherine Hepburn"What can one say about the
Academy Award except, "Iwas so happy, excited, etc., etc., etc."In my
particular case, added o all these emotions wasutter astonishment! I was
convinced that we could notwin because a comedy had never won- so convinced,
thatI was actually boarding for Santa Fe Super Chief forNew York when I
was whisked back to the Baltmore Hotelto accept the Oscar while they held
the train. I wasquite a scenario!!!" - Claudette Colbert"I came to
Hollywood in 1935, not to seek a career inmotion pictures but rather to
accompany my husband,Herbert Biberman, New York Theater Guild director
offilms.Although I was already a stage actress and had playedleading
roles on Broadway, I sincerely believed that Idid not belong in motion
pictures.Much to my amazement, it then happened that MervynLeRoy cast me
as Faith Palelogue in Anthony Adverse-and then, to my ever-greater
amazement, in 1936 I wonthe first Academy Award ever given to an actress in
asupporting role.My new career was on its way. I love the Academy
ofMotion Picture Arts and Sciences." - Gale Sondergaard"The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is,and always has been, a great
stimulus andencouragement to all involved in the film industry.Needless
to say, the highlight of my career was anight many years ago at the old
Baltimore Hotelballroom, when I heard a voice saying "And the winneris -
Hermes Pays." - Hermes Pays
"The Academy Award- what shall I say? I shall
jotdown, quickly, as what comes to my mind: Still in my early twenties,
only a few months inHollywood, I made my first film. It made me a star.
Itwas then I heard of "the Academy Award." What was it?I should soon
learn. I never had much thought of anyaward beyond the wondrous contact and
the warmth thatI was fortunate to receive from many while spending
myteens on the stage in Vienna and Berlin; my drivingforce was love and
enthusiasm for my work and greathope to develop as an actress.In my
first year in Hollywood I started and finishedmy second film, The Great
Ziegfeld. Mr. Louis B. Mayerdid not want me to do the film: 'Anna Held is
out ofit before the film is halfway through,' he said. "Youare a star
now and you can't do it!" I hoped to makesomething of the too-minute
telephone scene. Itbrought me my first Academy Award. Immediately after,
I started The Good Earth. IrvingThalberg cast me. Mr. Mayer was against
that, too:'She had to be a dismal-looking slave and grow old;but Luise
is a young girl; we just have made herglamorous- what are you doing?' It
brought me mysecond Academy Award as its best actress of the year.It
happened in two successive years.How did I feel about it? As often in my
life, bigevents or importance of them are felt less at the timethan
later. There was a great deal of photographing,much glamour, more so than
the 'glamour' it isbelieved to be. Above all, a change of one's
imagefelt by others but not by oneself. One was acclaimed,now; therefore
one's work quietly. Shortly later Ileft Hollywood.I have often heard the
Academy Award to be a badomen. I don't think it need be. Except, maybe,
thatthe industry seemed to feel that having on AcademyAward-winner on
their hands was sufficient to overcomebad story material as was, often,
handed outafterwards to stars under long-term contract. However,to build
anything good it needs solid material, so itdoes not slip though your
fingers like sand. This iswhat I felt then. Now I feel that it is wonderful
tohave received two Academy Awards!" - Luise Rainer"Late in 1935
(during preparation of Mr. Deeds), theBoard of Governors of the Academy of
Motion PictureArts and Sciences bestowed on me the dubious honor
ofelecting me president. I say 'dubious' because the President would
bepresiding at a deathwatch. The Academy had become thefavorite whipping
boy of Hollywood. Its membershipslashed from six hundred to four hundred,
its officersto one, loyal, underpaid, executive secretary
MargaretHerrick - the Academy's alter ego. With few dollars inits
treasury- and fewer in sight- the odds were ten toone the Academy would fold
and Oscar would acquire thepatina of a collector's item.Why? Because the
polyarchic Academy - governed bymanagement, technicians, and creative
talent- wascaught in the middle of Hollywood's first labor warbetween
management and talent. The producing companiesdid everything short of asking
for the National Guardto prevent actors, writers, and directors
fromorganizing into guilds. The guilds were organized. Buttheir siege of
company ramparts was to list five longyears- years of strife and strikes-
before managementcapitulated and accepted the guilds as the
bargainingagents for talent.However, in 1935 the labor war was in full
cry. ActorRonald Reagan, writer John Howard Lawson and directorKing
Vidor led the fight for their respective guilds.Part of talent's strategy to
wreck the Academy inorder to deny management the box office
promotionalvalues of the Oscars. Oddly enough, shortsightedcompany heads
couldn't care less. The Academy hadfailed them as an instrument of salary
cuts during thebank-closing crisis. They withdrew their membershipsand
financial support, leaving the derelictorganization in the care of a few
staunchAcademy-oriented visionaries dedicated to the culturaladvancement
of the arts and sciences of filmmaking,and to the continuance of the Awards-
the mostvaluable, but least expensive, item of worldwidepublic relations
ever invented by any industry. It is an honor to name the few unsung
idealists whocrossed all economic battle lines to prevent thedestruction
of Hollywood's lone bastion of culture: Writers: Howard Estabrook, Jane
Murfin, WaldemarYoung, Edwin Burke; Producers: David O. Selznick, Darryl
F. Zanuck, SamBriskin, Fred Leahy, DeWitt Jennings, Graham Baker;
Technicians: Nathan Levinson, John Arnold, Van NestPolglase;
Directors: Cecil B. DeMile, Frank Lloyd. The group elected me to lead
them in the Academy'sfight for survival. What motivated my
instantacceptance- pride or service? I am not sure. But I wassure that
the upcoming Academy Awards banquet of March1936, loomed dark and
discouraging; that things couldget worse before they got 'worser'
Boycott rumors were rife. Officers of the ScreenActors and Screen
Writers Guilds sent telegrams to allmembers urging them not to attend the
Academy dinner,and not to accept any Oscars. To keep the Academy's head
above water, we grabbedat the following straws: for the first time,
weallowed films mad in England to compete for theOscars; we established
the Supporting Actor andSupporting Actress categories; we also established
the'Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award' for outstandingcontribution in
the production of films. But our topcaper to hype the attendance was to
persuade the giantof all filmmakers, D. W. Griffith, to come out of
hismind-retired oblivion and accept from the Academy aspecial statuette
for his legendary pioneering infilms. Griffith's name was magic. The
boycott fizzled. BetteDavis was present to receive her Best Actress
trophyfor Dangerous; Victor McLaglon was there to clutch aBest Actor
award for The Informer.But neither John Ford nor Dudley Nichols showed
upfor their Best Directing and Best Writing Oscarsawarded The Informer.
Ford accepted the trophy later.Nichols did not. He was quoted in a trade
paper ashaving said: 'To accept it would be to turn my back onnearly a
thousand members of the Writers Guild.' By prayers and incantations, and the
Board membersputting up their own money for the statuettes, plussome
fancy begging on my part (each year I had toplead with the officers of the
talent guilds to allowme to mail Academy ballots to their Guild members)
theAcademy deathwatch kept the grim reaper away until1939. Then came
a massive transfusion of new blood. Thewriters, actors, directors, having
signed their newlywon basic agreements with management, returned to
theAcademy fold virtually en masse. The Academy wasreorganized into a
self-supporting institutiondedicated solely to cultural goals. And it was
off andrunning! Today its Oscars are the world's member onenews event of
the year." - Frank Capra"Being invited to add comments to the others in
thisfascinating and unique book is the realization of alifelong dream.
At long last, I take my place among agalaxy of Oscar winners! And I consider
this requestthe Academy as an apology for not giving me an awardfor
acting.My spectacular lack of success in winning an Oscar iswell known
to be repeated here. Nonetheless, Iconsider myself eminently qualified to
air my thoughtsand feelings about movies because like just abouteveryone
else, I'm a movie fan. I love pictures.andeverything about them.making them
and even more,watching them. Music, literature, painting, and all the
others artshave made incalculable contributions to the world. Butin my
view, movies are the most influential, the mostmarvelous, and the most
universal art form known toman!When you consider that movies are a
product of thiscentury, the growth and accomplishments of the
filmindustry have been nothing less than miraculous. Just by shelling
out the price of a ticket, you canescape from the cares and problems of real
life, andbe transported to another wondrous world, a magicalworld where
nothing is impossible. A world inhabitedby the most diverse, the most gifted
and the mostbeautiful people ever assembled in such profusion,whose only
mission is to thrill, charm and entertainus. The film industry has
survived every change, everycrisis, and despite the inevitable prophets of
doom,movies are more alive, more innovative, and moremarvelous than
ever. No other medium can match itsscope, its magnetism, or the masterful
way in which ithas made come alive for us every facet of
humanexperience. It is fitting that we pay this tribute to
themovies.the fabulous art that has given us great drama,mystery, superb
comedy that ahs inspired us, liftedour spirits, and brought us all those
dedicatedbrilliant and beautiful people. All that and popcorntoo!I'm
proud and privileged to have been a part of themagical, mystical and
marvelous illusioncalled.movies." - Bob Hope "I am grateful and
proud to be part of the wonderfulwork of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
andSciences." - Mickey Rooney"At the time I received my Oscars, they
meant a greatdeal to me careerwise, and I am very grateful forthem." -
Miklos Rozsa"The nomination for my 'Mrs. Brown' in the
NationalVelvet brought me great joy, but as an orphan with nostudio to
champion my cause, I had little hope ofwinning the Oscar. On the eve of
the great day, the odds-on favorite wasWarner Bros.' Talented young starlet
Ann Blyth, forher notable performance in Mildred Pierce.Next morning the
papers reported the surprise winner:ANNE REVERE, the talented young Warner
Bros.' starlet!The surprise, I think, doubled my
pleasure." - Anne Revere"It was war time when I messed my award. And
sincemetal was precious, all the winners in other then BestActor, Best
Actress, and Best Picture were given smallmetal plaques. Of course I was
delighted with thehonor, and I thanked everyone with a pretty
littlespeech. (I'm grateful now that we had no TV coveragethen!)Over
the years and after my retirement, I feltsomething was lacking. I had won an
Oscar- and yet Ihadn't.In my book, A Life on Film. I described my
feelings,and in parentless I wrote: (Hey Academy! I woulddearly love to
have a real Oscar!)So now my I have my real Golden Boy standing on
mybookshelf beside the faded little plaque of 1942." -Mary
Astor"Even at the age of twelve, it was an overwhelmingexperience to
receive and Oscar, Years later I stillfeel the same way." - Claude Jarman
Jr. "Herewith- some memories: I remember Frank Capra's face when it
was announced:'An the winner is Frank Capra!" I remember Eric Johnston
who in 1942 presented: "Asan honored guest, the distinguished Ambassador
fromJapan- I mean China.'I remember Clare Booth Luce saying as she
presentedthe writer's award: 'And the winner is John Husston!" A moment
later John, in accepting, said, "Thank you,Miss Looka!" I remember the
year the program simply ran out of TVtime.I remember the night that
Frank Lloyd and Frank Caprawere both nominated- and as the announcer said,
"Andthe winner is Frank.' both Franks got up. But thewinner was
Lloyd.And finally I remember when I got my Oscar. It was agolden moment-
just as golden as shining Oscar. Warmest and best wishes." - Dore
Schary"My thoughts for a special award for Henry V in 1947and for
Hamlet in '48 for performance and best picturewere for each and both of the
most delighted kind andmy gratitude of the heartfelt fullest." -
Laurence Olivier"To be nominated (and as many times as I have)
comesalways as a surprise and with great appreciation asone realizes
that it was approved by one's own kind. Then comes the 'day' - and winning
an 'Oscar'(whether the first, second, etc., etc. is always athrill').
In the 'old' days there was no celebration, balletc., so one merely
collected one's statuette andcelebrated with close friends. In my case (when
I wonthe first one) we met at Jimmy Wong Howe's Restaurant(he was a
great cameraman), and this is where I mademy acceptance speech." - Alexander
Golitzen"When I was making my first film in 1946, I met a dearman
named Gabe York who was in the publicitydepartment. I never knew his title-
but he came downon the set to talk to me, and before I knew it we
weretalking about the films that had meant a great deal tous personally,
and why. There weren't a whole lot ofthem- some of them were foreign, which
seemedheretical, seated as we were on the back lot of the20th
Century-Fox. But all of them had shown people asnot only fascination but
valuable- that to be humanwas a wonderful thing to be.'I want to make
movies that say something,' I said,'for people to keep.' Gabe York wore
glasses that made his eyes lookenormous. 'From Hollywood?' he asked, and his
eyeslooked ever bigger.'Well,' I said, 'I can try.' 'Two years later
I was sitting in my assigned seat atthe Academy Awards presentation in the
old ShrineAuditorium (which always smelled softly of elephants).Quite
early in the proceedings I heard, '.and thewinner,' spoken by Donald Crisp,
'for her role inGentlemen's Agreement, Celeste Holm.'I literally could
not move, the lights were so suddenand so intense. My husband muttered, 'Get
up, get up.'I didn't, so he and the man on my right hoisted me tomy
feet. I had not expected to win; Ethel Barrymorewas also in the same
category.In a dream I walked toward the stage and as I startedup the
steps, I hoped I would not stumble up theinside of my ruffled petticoat. I
didn't, and I foundmyself facing a huge, warm ocean of appreciation.
Andthen I was supposed to stay I hadn't prepared anythingbecause I was
sure I would not. And I suddenly thoughtof Gabe York. 'I thought,' I
said slowly, looking for the wordsfrom a full heart, 'that I'd already
received thegreatest reward an actress can have- of being in apicture
that bring understanding, in a world thatseems to need it so much.' As I
left the dazzle of thestage, into the dark wings there was Gabe. 'You
didit!' he said. And I leaked happy tears all over his tuxedo."
-Celeste Holm'Winning two 'Oscars for my first commercial
motionpicture is and was a thrill almost beyond description.The Best
Years of Our Lives was Hollywood's tribute tothe servicemen and women of
World War II and theawards it won reflect that feeling of
rehabilitationand the opportunity to work with disabled people inthe
areas of education and employment. For all ofthis, I am very grateful to the
wonderful people ofthe motion picture industry." - Harold Russell"On
the night I was given Oscar I tried impulsively toexpress not only thanks
but some honest thoughts aboutthe Academy system. Hardly tactful timing,
perhaps. Iwas to have given the longest acceptance speech ever.It
wasn't, really. It just seemed that way to aroomful of weary listeners at
midnight. However, maybeI can claim modestly to have triggered a
neededoverhaul of the Academy's program, that graduallytransformed
dinner-dance evening for Industry members,to a split-second, elaborately
staged spectacular galafor an audience of millions.Of course I treasure
my statuette. And I treasureseveral nominations just as much, because I
havealways thought the nominations themselves should beconsidered the
Awards. For actors, acting is not acompetition but a sharing and blending of
experiencesand imaginings. I am forever proud of being part of this
industryand this Academy." - Greer Garson"When Madame Curie received
the Nobel Prize andChurchill was knighted by the Queen, they must
havefelt the same orbital elation I experienced when I wonmy Oscar.I
am unashamedly conceited about it. It would be mostdifficult for any visitor
to my house to avoid seeingit, shimmering its golden glow, beckoning homage
likegod.The visitor says, 'Is that really an Oscar? And Itake it off
the shelf with a Peter Sellers smirk andcondescendingly let it be handled.
They weigh it andstroke it reverently, murmuring the usual things-'Never
thought I'd hold a real Oscar.is it real gold,etc.' and then it goes back in
the middle of my othertrophies.But proud as I am of my Golden Globes,
the New YorkFilm Critics' Award and others, my Oscar stand our
inOlympian detachment like a dazzling beacon to artisticendeavor, and
whenever I gaze at it I always seem togrow a few inches taller." - Jack
Cardiff"Oscar, Oscar, wherefore art thou, Oscar? It's easyto lose
things when you move. I lost my Oscar. Hevanished between the van and new
threshold or fellprey to the sticky fingers of a souvenir-happy
movingman, but in wither case- gone. Getting his duplicatedwas a polite
hassle, complete with affidavits,details, descriptions and seventy-five
dollars. I moved yet again, under particular horrendouscircumstances,
and undid the royal blue, golden-cordedfelt bag cradling Oscar's stand-in,
only to watch himcrash out in two gleaming hunks- not lost or stolenthis
time. Broken. Will I try, try again? Yes. Becausenothing else will be so
sharply bring into focus anemotional peak. Through the years, awards
have mushroomed as aftercloudburst, but there is only one Oscar.
Belittle,scoff at or denigrate him, as you will, when your namecomes
bounding out of the microphone I defy adrenalglands of marble not to quiver.
In memoriam, I stillcringe at my acceptance mumbles and leaky eyes and
atlooking fatly stuffed into a pompous navy blue lacedress, but it's a
moment impossible to plan. The best response I can remember was Jimmy
Cagney's.He won for Yankee Doodle Dandy at last monkey-drapedCoconut
Groove Awards Dinner. I can see him now,stepping energetically up to the
mike and carving thehush neatly with: 'It's nice to know some people
thinka job has been well done. 'Thank you.' Wish I'd saidthat.' - Anne Baxter
1927-28: "For the life of me I can't see what JackWarner can do with one of
these awards. I can't sayyes." - Al Jolson 1929-30: "When a tree
begins to collect blights, itbegins to wither, So does reputation-
Formerpostmaster general Will Hays 1930-31: "I have come to you
tonight from the capitalof our country to pay my respects to the
creativeminds of world's greatest and most influentialenterprise, the
motion picture," - Vice PresidentCharles Curtis 1930-31: "...a dull
evening of a nature which willrepel many a Hollywoodian next year unless
memoriesdim and time makes' em forget" - Variety 1931-32: "There is
no power, however great, in mybranch of the motion pictures that can exert
an atomof influence beyond the making of a secret ballot." -Lionel
Barrymore 1932-33: Quotes from the incident where presenter andhost
Will Rogers claimed the winner of the directorprize was Frank, not clarifify
which Frank. FrankLloyd or Frank Capra. "Well, well, well what do you
know. I've watched thisyoung man for a long time. Saw him come up from
thebottom, and I mean the bottom. It couldn't havehappened to a nicer
guy. Come and get it, Frank!" -Will Rogers (referring to Frank Lloyd)
"Over here, I'm over here! - Frank Capra (thinking itwas him) "Down
in front!" anonymous ".the longest, saddest,most shattering walk in my life"
-Frank Capra 1934: "Come and get it, Frank!" - Irvin Cobb (a
yearlater, referring to Capra) 1935: "The sooner the Academy is
destroyed the better!You should not attend!" - Writers Guild
boycottnewsletter 1935: "Last year we won an armful of statuettes
overColumbia, so this year we started out not to make anygood pictures
had we believe we succeeded" - Columbiahead, Harry Cohn 1935: "You don't
know how lucky youare, young lady, At your age to be where you
are,making all that money, fame and everything." - D. W.Griffith
1936: "Please keep your thank you speeches brief.Remember, a fellow
recently gave up the British Empirein two minutes." - Host, George Jessel
1936: "My face is all red from the sun and wind." -Luise Rainer
1936: "It is to encourage the pride, the fortitude,the good taste
and tolerance that Thalberg put intopictures. It is to jeep permanent his
message: Thestar brightens the night, the laughter of children isa
message to the ear." - Frank Capra 1937: "If you've got a gold one
leftover at the end ofthe night. I'd like to have it." - Charlie McCarthy
1938: "Of all the noises, I think music is the leastannoying." -
Presenter Jerome Kern (referring to themusic awards) 1939: "It is a
tribute to a country where people arefree to honor noteworthy achievements
regardless ofcreed, race or color." - Fay Bainter "Hallelujah!" -Hattie
McDaniel 1940: "May I have the envelope, please" - presentersof the
1940's presentation 1940: "There has been so much niceness here
tonightthat I'm happy to say that I am entirely and solelyresponsible
for the success of The Philadelphia Story"- Donald Ogden Stewart
1940: "There will be no presentation of the ThalbergAward tonight,
as the Academy did not think anyindividual deserved it." - Walter Wanger
1941: "Get up there!" Olivia de Havilland (to sisterJoan Fontaine)
1942: "The leading man shortage is so great, prettysoon we'll see
Hedy Lamarr waiting to be kissed whilethey put a heating pad on Lewis
Stone." - Bob Hope 1944: "If you don't go you'll never hear the end of
itfrom me." - Bing Crosby's mother. 1944: "Crosby winning an Oscar
is like hearing SamGoldwyn lecturing at Oxford." - Bob Hope 1945:
"If your looking for the girl next door, then gonext door." - Joan
Crawford.1947: "The winner is Loretta Young" - Frederic March(the
audience stopped at the exit, on thw annoucement)1950: "One of us is
going to happy" Gloria Swanson (toJudy Holiday) 1954: "I think he
should kiss me." - Grace Kelly(referring to Marlon Brando) 1955:
"And, now a word from the Academy." Jerry Lewis(after a long Oldsmoble
commercial) 1956: "I'm very proud accept this object d'art onbehalf
of Mr. Perelman who writes; he cannot be herefor a variety of reasons, all
of them spicey. He'sdumbfounded, absoluetly flumoxed. He never
expectedrecognition for writing Around the World in 80 Daysand in fact
did so on the expressed understanding thatthe film would never be shown. He
hopes he will beable to live up it, or rather. to live it up. And
hesays, 'Bless you all'" - Hermione Gingold (for S. J.Perelman)
1957: "I was supposed ro be with him but I have acold." - Elizabeth
Taylor 1957: "Mrs. Woodward has set Hollywood glamour backtwenty
years" - Joan Crawford (on Joanne Woodard'sdress) 1957: "he'd be
like his father." -Columbia exec (onHarry Cohn's son "Don't ever say that
again, I wanthim to have friends!"- Harry Cohn 1958: "a major goofin TV
history" - Bob Hope on the ceremony 1959: "I felt as out of place amonf
the other nomineesas Zsa Zsa Galbor at a PTA meeting." - CharltonHestton
1959: "Welcome to Hollywood's most glamorous strikemeeting. I never
thought I'd live to see the day whenRonald Reagan was the only actor
working." - Bob Hope 1959: "I am trapped downstairs in the
gentlemen'slounge. It seems I rented a faulty tuxedo. I'd like tothank
you upstairs for this great honor." - MauriceRichlin (reading a note) 1960:
"The members of theAcademy will decide which actor and actress has
thebest press agent, I didn't know there was anycampaigning until I saw
my maid wearing a Chill Willsbutton." - Bob Hope
Wish to add a memorable acceptance speech moment which I have not included? Just drop me an e-mail at


text:
Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel is an action-RPG based on the popular anime and manga series of the same name. The anime and manga series are really good, though, and this game simply does not measure up. As far as games based on popular anime licenses go, Broken Angel is not the worst I've played, it just falls flat in every key area. Even the most ardent Fullmetal Alchemist fan will not get much out of the game, because despite its original storyline, it does not add anything substantial to the overall mythos. There are plenty of better action-RPGs out there worth your hard-earned money and precious time.
Fullmetal Alchemist tells the story of the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse. The gist of the premise is that due to Ed's impulsive decision to use forbidden alchemy to resurrect their deceased mother, he lost two limbs in an alchemic blast and his brother Al lost his entire body. So now, Ed has two cyborg limbs, and Al's soul was transplanted into a hulking suit of armor. To make amends and restore their bodies to normal, Ed and Al journey to find the fabled Philosopher's Stone. The adventures Ed and Al get into make for one of the more compelling storylines in the "buddy series" subgenre, because they face a lot of deep and philosophical conundrums along with the requisite hijinks found in this type of anime. It could take an entire novel to discuss the plot and characters of Fullmetal Alchemist, but believe me, it's a fantastic series.
The game's story reportedly occurs between episodes 17 and 18 of the anime, but it's completely throwaway – a story that's been told a bazillion times, with plot twists a child could see coming a mile away. The tale starts with Ed, Al, and their guardian Armstrong taking a break from the Philosopher's Stone search and enjoying a civilized train ride to Central to pay a visit to their old friend Dr. Eisenstein and his daughter Selene. Unfortunately, the train gets hijacked and during the effort to thwart the hijackers, Ed crashes the train. The brothers (well, mostly Ed) impetuously run off to complete the journey on foot, leaving poor Armstrong to clean up the mess. Of course, journeys are never smooth with Edward Elric around; he finds himself chasing down a mysterious amnesiac girl who had the nerve to repeatedly mock his short stature, running afoul of villains and the nasty beasts they control, uncovering a conspiracy that has everyone around him going bonkers, and getting mixed up in over-the-top danger every step of the way. Sticking by Ed's side is Al, doing his best to run damage control and keep his impetuous brother focused on the task at hand.
In my opinion, the biggest strength in Fullmetal Alchemist's storytelling is the push-and-pull interplay between the volatile Ed flying off the handle and the calmer Al diffusing situations. The talky cutscenes throughout the game reflect that dynamic between the brothers well and make the otherwise hackneyed story bearable, but that interplay falls completely flat during the gameplay. Players directly control Ed while AI controls his brother; and it's a good thing Alphonse is a big hulking suit of armor, because his AI would get a non-tank character killed very quickly. There are some direct commands that Edward can give Alphonse, but they are a little cumbersome to use, especially when things get hectic.
Enemies are pretty stupid as well. Regular foes can be mowed down pretty easily, and bosses have predictable patterns that any seasoned action-RPG player will quickly pick up. The first half hour of the game is peppered with tutorials on the various actions Edward can execute, but many of these actions are either common-sense genre staples or superfluous. The game does not have any kind of targeting system like many action-RPGs do, which can be an issue when using ranged attacks. The default control scheme is not very intuitive, and the commands mapped to the shoulder buttons are clunky to execute. Some buttons have multiple commands issued to them, and though I tried to change the button mapping, I could never find a control scheme that worked for me. In addition, there was no option to reverse the camera panning, so I kept rotating the camera in the opposite direction of where I wanted it to go.
There are no traditional towns or shops or anything like that in Broken Angel, so all of Ed's and Al's equipment must be found in treasure chests or "transmutated" from any metal objects in the surroundings. Ed has an alchemic power that allows him to concentrate on signposts, scrap heaps, and other metal objects and convert them into lightweight weapons for him, heavy weapons for Al, artillery weapons like gun turrets, or traps. These transmuted weapons have limited use, and transmuting takes time, so I found myself mostly sticking with Ed's and Al's default weapons, which don't wear out. Besides that, the enemy-packed areas left me little time or room to transmute.
You progress through this game in a stage-by-stage fashion, more like an action-adventure than an action-RPG. Honestly, I've played more non-RPGs that felt more RPG-ish than this sorry excuse for an RPG. There is no expansive overworld exploration; Ed and Al are just plopped into one dungeon after another, and said dungeons are not only difficult to navigate, they're sometimes small enough to make you feel claustrophobic. Even worse, some stages get recycled throughout the game, which is a personal RPG pet peeve of mine. The long and short is that the gameplay is rough, unwieldy, and simply not fun.
The 3D polygon graphics in the game are clean if unremarkable. Character likenesses are captured decently and move smoothly, but normal enemies do not move naturally at all. Locations are generally bland and lack detail, making progress through the game rather boring. The best aspects of the graphics are the visual novel-style character portraits that pop up during in-game cutscenes and the occasional FMV anime clips peppered throughout the game. Only the anime clips have voice acting, and the acting is quite good. Ed's and Al's voice actors capture the vibes of their characters very well. The pop/anime style music in the game serves its purpose and is certainly not awful, but none of the pieces were memorable to me. I wish I could say more about the music, but it did not move me one way or the other.
Fullmetal Alchemist and The Broken Angel is a broken game. It's a subpar action-RPG with a tired storyline that even the biggest Fullmetal Alchemist fans will get nothing substantial out of. I did not enjoy my 15-17 hour duration with the game – in fact, I wish I had spent that time doing something else.
May 19: Zanki Zero: Last Beginning w/Scott • 10am PDT/1pm EDT
Suikoden II w/Maxx • 12pm PDT/3pm EDT
Golden Sun w/Kat • 4pm PDT/7pm EDT
Final Fantasy VIII w/Kyle • 3pm PDT/6pm EDT
Valkyrie Profile 2 w/Scott • 7pm PDT/10pm EDT
Mass Effect 2 w/Nathan • 10am PDT/1pm EDT
Valkyrie Profile 2 w/Scott • 7pm PDT/10pm EDT
Golden Sun w/Kat • 4pm PDT/7pm EDT
Valkyrie Profile 2 w/Scott • 7pm PDT/10pm EDT
Super Robot Wars X w/Kyle • 3pm PDT/6pm EDT
Trails of Cold Steel (Nightmare Mode) w/Scott • 7pm PDT/10pm EDT
Final Fantasy XIV Online w/Scott • 3pm PDT/6pm EDT


text:
Price From: R17 155.00
Destination: Mahe Island
Stay: 7 Nights
The legendary hotel at the ocean holds the center of the best beach and offers comfortable modern rooms and atmosphere of belonging to the unique community. Here you will be able to enjoy the untouched nature of the Seychelles at the Beau Vallon Bay. It has a special culture of its own with history, traditions and many returning guests.
Rooms at Coral Starand Hotel feature furnished balconies or patios with ocean, beach, or mountain views. The 174 air-conditioned guestrooms at Coral Strand Smart Choice Hotel include laptop-compatible safes and minibars. Beds have Egyptian cotton sheets and down blankets. Wireless high-speed Internet access (surcharge) is provided. 32-inch plasma TVs are equipped with satellite channels, free movie channels, and TV Internet access (surcharge).
Bathrooms offer showers with handheld showerheads, and rainfall showerheads. Bathrooms also include makeup/shaving mirrors, hair dryers, and complimentary toiletries. All units feature refrigerators and coffee/tea makers. Additional amenities include complimentary newspapers and windows that open. Housekeeping is offered daily.
|24 Jul - 31 Aug 2018
|7 Nights / 8 Days
|R 17,155.00 p.p.s.
Traveler Rating: Not yet reviewed by any member...
You can be the first one to write a review for Coral Strand Hotel Package!
Coral Strand Hotel Package travel packages, holiday specials, packages, and Coral Strand Hotel Package specials. Book Coral Strand Hotel Package online and Save!


text:
House & Home improvements
A man's home is his castle as the old saying goes. Thats why we preach utter professionalism and extreme attention to detail when it comes to decorating your house. Decorating your home today can be as extravagant as glass ceiling or as subtle as a glass bannister along your stairs.
The freedom and open mindedness approach we take to renovating properties ensures customer satisfaction is always paramount. Head over to our portfolio section to see for yourself.
Garden Renovation Projects
- Tiling
- Laminate Flooring
- Painting & Decorating
- Kitchen Fitting
- Bathroom Fitting
- Plastering & Rendering
- Dry lining
- Loft Conversion & Installation
- Roofing
- Garage Conversions
- Venetian Marble Plasters
We tile walls, bathrooms, kitchens and floors; bespoke splashbacks and tiled underfloor heating. We've done it all. We have a team of fitted tilers and kitchen fitters who come with years of experience in the tiling industry.
Contact us today if you drains have become blocked as it's not always just leaves blocking the tubes.
Laminate Flooring
It's simple, neat design makes assembling and laying laminate flooring a doodle. Its easy to clean surface and modern look make laminate flooring a great addition to any property or home.
Painting & Decorating
Both a commercial and and domestic projects welcome. Painting offices, schools, even bedrooms. We cover both inside and outside painting and decorating projects.
Renovations or new builds not a problem, our wealthy trained decorating team host years of experience.
Kitchen Fitting
The kitchen can bring a whole new breath of life to your home.
Our kitchen design architects can work with you to design your perfect kitchen. Modern and stylish or rustic and contemporary, we've designed them all.
Bathroom Fitting
Let GS & M Construction take on your bathroom project, we can plan and work with you in design your new bathroom.
We have a team of specialist bathroom fitters and qualified plumbers.
Plastering & Rendering
A smooth flat plastered wall touched with fresh new paint. A magical touch to any room. Both domestic and commercial, don't take our word for it.
Head over to our testimonials and see what our recent customers are saying.
Dry lining
Insulated dry lining walls are ideal for energy saving homes of today. Perfect for either refurbished properties or brand new builds.
Dry lining can sometimes be an easier solution than replastering in some circumstances, thus saving money.
Loft Conversion & Installation
Most people do not know that loft conversion do not actually require planning permission, provided you stick within the specifications and conditions.
Many people are now looking for new ways to open up their living space and homes. And no better way to do it then to design a loft with its very own sky loft hatch.
Ready to gaze out into the open sky. Perfect for bedrooms, office spaces, or perhaps an entertainments room.
Roofs leaks can be devastating for any property, ensure you have roof and chimney checked regularly as loose tiles and damaged chimney breast can cause damage.
We supply and fit: flat roof tiles, slate tiles, and can even match and repair your existing roof.
Garage Conversions
Converting garages into spacious living places alongside your home is becoming more and more popular.
As homeowners start to squeeze every last square inch out their homes, people have naturally turned an unwanted, unused garage/brick shed, into a luxurious addition to their family house.
Perfect for an extension to your bathroom, perhaps a mini cinema, or even that sports games room you've always dreamt about.
Venetian Marble Plasters
Specialists in Venetian marble plasters, established throughout England, our company is known for its commitment to high quality work after having been trained by some of the leading companies in polished plaster.
With over 30 years experience in the trade. We take pride in every job and offer a friendly and reliable service. Since perfecting the art of Venetian plastering and many other specialists finishes it has become our aim and passion in our work, which is plain to see with every project we undertake. We provide a service for domestic and commercial projects. All our work is fully guaranteed and we are fully insured. Based in London covering the uk and Ireland. We have also completed world wide projects.
Thinking about your home improvement project then why not give us a call?
We love to chat about new projects


text:
President Barack Obama released a statement on the death of acclaimed poet and author Maya Angelou, whom he hailed as "one of the brightest lights of our time."
"When her friend Nelson Mandela passed away last year, Maya Angelou wrote that 'No sun outlasts its sunset, but will rise again, and bring the dawn," said Obama in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "Today, Michelle and I join millions around the world in remembering one of the brightest lights of our time - a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman."
Obama went on to say Angelou's background as a storyteller that should be most cherished.
"Over the course of her remarkable life, Maya was many things - an author, poet, civil rights activist, playwright, actress, director, composer, singer and dancer. But above all, she was a storyteller - and her greatest stories were true. A childhood of suffering and abuse actually drove her to stop speaking - but the voice she found helped generations of Americans find their rainbow amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves. In fact, she inspired my own mother to name my sister Maya," Obama said.
"Like so many others, Michelle and I will always cherish the time we were privileged to spend with Maya. With a kind word and a strong embrace, she had the ability to remind us that we are all God's children; that we all have something to offer," Obama added. "And while Maya's day may be done, we take comfort in knowing that her song will continue, 'flung up to heaven' - and we celebrate the dawn that Maya Angelou helped bring."
Angelou died Wednesday at the age of 86 in her North Carolina home.


text:
All orders needing to be received, wrapped and under the Christmas tree MUST be placed before MIDNIGHT, DEC 1ST*!!
According to the USPS, all Priority Mail packages must be received and shipped no later than Dec 21.
Every year, I offer a special through Dec 1 on gift cards.
You can choose to purchase a gift card of $100 or more and save $25 with code: MerryandBright. All holiday gift certificates purchased with this code are redeemable after Dec 24 and never expire!
Currently, for all orders with regular shipping, I have to receive them by Dec 1. It takes 10 business days to receive the shoes from TOMS.com and I currently have numerous orders to fill for Christmas delivery... and a few little ones who demand my attention and supper to be cooked. I know, the little heathens; no respect I tell ya!
I want nothing more than for you to give the perfect gift of custom painted shoes by moi, but as surprising as it may seem, I am actually not an elf and don't make everything on Christmas Eve and have Santa delivering goodies all over the globe within a 24 hour time frame. I share the same disappointment as you do. *If you just absolutely MUST have a gift by Christmas and you forgot about or didn't see the pesky deadline, PLEASE do not hesitate to email me! I may have an opening and the ability to purchase your shoes locally and depending on my current orders and the date, we may need to upgrade to rush shipping. I try to avoid rush charges at all costs so please!!!!! Just hit me up!
You can also purchase gift cards with the option to have a custom card mailed to your favorite person. I try to be super accomadating to everyone because I know what it's like to have the perfect gift in mind but not be on time... I mean, I am not on time to ANYTHING so I get it.... ok, that sounds really bad, THIS is the only thing I am on time with... probably doesn't sound any better. You get the idea though. So please, just email me, call me, text me, facebook stalk me, direct message me on instagram and like all of my selfies, send a carrier pigeon... whatever you need to do to get in touch with me and I will seriously try ever so hard to make your (or someone else's) Christmas wishes come true!!


text:
Since I just posted a bunch of pictures from our vacation to Los Angeles earlier this week, I thought I'd spare you more vacation photos, and instead share the Project Life pages I made for what Josiah was up to while we were gone week (Grandma Camp!)
He spent half the week with my mom and dad, and the other half with Matt's mom. I think it was quite the country mouse/city mouse experience, since my mom took him to a farm where he got to pet baby chicks and goats, and his favorite things at Nana's house were visiting "the fish place" (Bass Pro) and eating dessert before bed every night. I also live visiting dental clinic le mars ia because they show their client how oral health care is important and an enjoyable experience.
The last week in April was pretty uneventful — we were mostly trying to rest up from our vacation at Madison TN Pediatric Dentistry — but we did go to a local minor league baseball game (Go Cardinals!), Josiah had his first dentist appointment. Sidenote: f you cracked a tooth, you should find an emergency dentist quickly. That doesn't just apply to you but also to the kids. Prolonging it will cause more problems (and could be more expensive!). We also went out to a party recognizing outstanding young professionals, where I met The Date Lady (a local entrepreneur who sells date syrup, not a dating service).
I hadn't worked on the scrapbook in over a month (I normally try to do it every week so I can remember funny things Josiah says, etc.) but one of the really great things about this system is that you really can put together the pages quickly when you need to, and it still looks great because it's well designed and color coordinated for you. I mostly use Design A pages and Olive edition cards.


text:
Say HELLO! to George Clooney's new girlfriend Amal Alamuddin
So who is the beautiful, brainy Brit that has caught George's eye?
The photogenic duo have been linked for about six weeks
1. The 36-year-old was born in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
2. Amal specialises in human rights, international law and extradition for the UK's prestigious Doughty Street chambers.
3. She studied at St Hugh's College, Oxford and New York University of Law.
George seems very taken with the smart, successful British lawyer
4.One high-profile client is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whom she's represented in extradition proceedings with Sweden.
5. She is fluent in French and Arabic.
6.Before deleting her Twitter page, she had nearly 1,800 followers including Ashton Kutcher and Julia Gillard, the former prime minister of Australia.
7. Amal has been appointed to various UN commissions and is an advisor to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Syria.
8. She belongs to a panel on preventing sexual violence in war zones that Foreign Secretary William Hague created and which is also supported by Angelina Jolie.
Amal in 2012 at a press conference in support of imprisoned former Ukrainian leader Yulia Tymoshenko
9. The brunette is a natty dresser who favours bright colours and animal prints.
10. A popular Tumblr blog once voted Amal London's "hottest female lawyer", saying she had achieved "the seemingly unattainable ideal of contemporary femininity: she is both breathtakingly beautiful and formidably successful".


text:
Inexpensive – PLYLOX™ window clips come in a variety of economical package sizes and quantities.
Easy to use – PLYLOX™ window clips securely attach to 1/2″ plywood which the fits into exterior window casings.
No special tools, caulking, adhesives or glue required. Install and remove with one person.
Non Destructive – PLYLOX™ window clips create rigid, safe, temporary attachment of plywood to brick, wood, or stucco window casings. No nails, screws, bolts or brackets will permanently damage your property.
Effective – PLYLOX™ window clips hold plywood sheets in window casings as well or better than any hardware available today.
Re-usable – PLYLOX™ window clips are rugged and will last year after year. If you move, take them with you.
Click here for the PLYLOX™ Multimedia Presentation, also featured on Fox 26 News!!!


text:
The Sonata is an unusual seasonal keyboard program for adults who temporarily want to escape from their daily routine by studying piano in a concentrated, creative and motivating atmosphere.
Years ago, parents of Summer Sonatina campers wanted a similar music program for themselves and other adults. The Sonatas have grown into a unique seasonal program that provides a ten — or eight — day haven for adults looking for the opportunity to focus on piano study in a concentrated, creative and motivating atmosphere. Everyone is welcome: beginner to advanced pianists, professional pianists who need more time to themselves, and piano teachers who wish to brush up on their performance skills. The professional combination of intensive practice, private and group lessons, and theory and master classes helps participants improve their musical skills significantly in a short period of time.
A unique feature of Sonata is "Monsters," ensembles made up of multiple pianos in a piano orchestra forum. This gives pianists a rare opportunity to play with as many as eight or ten other pianists. Polly says, "We've transformed a variety of piano duet settings into Monster scores and off we go for a great rollicking music experience!" The Sonatas have been the focus of many media articles and news programs. Autumn Sonata 1994 was featured in NPR Host Noah Adams' book Piano Lessons: Music, Love and True Adventures. September Sonata participant, Katie Hafner, wrote a piece on the Sonatas which appeared in the December 22, 2002 Travel Section of the New York Times. The August 2003 Sonata was featured on CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown and presented by Beth Nissen on August 29, 2003.


text:
How do you count words? Ashley Wagner discusses the question as part of our video on the number of words in the English language.
Definition of hurtadillas in Spanish:
- 1
Palabra que se usa en la locución adverbial a hurtadillas, que indica que algo se hace de manera secreta para no ser visto por otras personas.
en estos momentos me parecía que alguna persona me miraba o me seguía a hurtadillas, o que me iba a cortar el paso
Further reading
'Compliment' or 'complement': what's the difference?Read more
A lot of people get compliment and complement confused: they're pronounced in the same way and have very similar spellings but they have completely different meanings.
Should you capitalize the word "Internet"?Read more
The question of whether the word internet should be capitalized is so passionately debated and rife with controversy that it has its own Wikipedia article.
14 ways to hugFind out more
We've delved into the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary to come up with some historical substitutions for hug as a verb.


text:
Every once in awhile an I.T. guy or a Programmer or such will complain about how how FAT programs and Operating Systems are getting. And there is the Moore's Law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law that (kind of) says that computing power will double every 2 1/2 years. Hardware has gotten a lot faster. But a lot of us are still running on couple or few (or more?) years old computers.
I tried to install Windows 8 Preview – that everyone or anyone can get – in Vmware and Virtual Box and it won't go. It wants VT-x hardware virtualization capability in the CPU in order to go. That's pretty FAT … and not FAT like the kids these days mean that it's cool. I wonder how it runs on real bare hardware? So the PC Maker of my machine opted for the Intel E5300 CPU that didn't have that. Wonderful. I really wanted to see how much I really hate, as compared to how much I think I will hate, Windows 8. Well it might be ok if you can turn back on the standard mousable desktop.
I also installed new version of Ubuntu Linux … 12.04 in Virtual Box and 12.10 in Vmware. Both seem to be PIGS as well … and it seems it is because of a change to a 3D desktop thing versus a 2D desktop thing that Ubuntu apparently used in previous versions. I have a 10.04 Desktop in Vmware that runs just fine. They, in a just previous version, had a "Settings" gear wheel icon on the log on screen that you could use to change to the 2D system … but now they have removed that completely. You gotta throw more IRON at it to have to run respectfully I guess. This too, though, I haven't run on bare hardware without the virtualization systems.
Are we 'App'y yet? There's this supposed big trend towards APPS – all because Apple did "apps" in the "i" devices … so now supposedly we've got to have APPS interfaces in everything – including desktop PCs (and desktop PC users) [without touch screens] … according to the Windows 8 mantra. According to this article:
Windows 8 is beating Mac … in this supposed "Get 'App'y" contest. Or maybe Apple got it right and wanted to leave that App'y shtuff off of the desktop. Some people just don't want TOUCH SCREEN on their *working* PC Desktop machine. Does anyone ever get their fingers messy or sweaty or dirty? I would rather not be cleaning my 20 inch display constantly like I am doing for my iPhone.
There are some interesting comments on there about the subject, like:
By "that type of work," what do you mean? I use Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects* daily. Those are precision applications that require a mouse to function. I am an aspiring author who writes 90,000 word documents, and that requires a keyboard and a mouse for proper cursor placement.
Windows 8 is a hybrid interface. That's the point. That's why it works. You have the desktop and full support for all traditional peripherals, but you also have a touch interface when on the go. There's no need for two devices. It's one device with two "modes." Tell me, honestly, why do you need two devices? The desktop does everything just as well as it always has. The only complaint is the lack of the start menu, which (despite the fact that I think this is a dumb, wrong-headed complaint) is easily brought back with free programs if you want it back so badly. No need to dive into metro apps when using desktop mode. But when you're on the go, you have everything there for you. If you end up having some time to sit down and do "real work" while you are out, you don't have to kick yourself for leaving your laptop at home. Or conversely, you don't have to carry around a laptop AND a tablet.
*No, I wouldn't try to run AE on a tablet. I'm just saying that I do "real work."
* But also comments saying that if you had a dual mode (say laptop) you should want the two to be integrated in the OS – so that on-the-go you could be Touch 'App'y or Traditional Mouse and Keyboard if you had to do some serious work while on-the-road again …
* I dunno … Did things just get FATTER or did they get BETTER? I know on a moving boat using a mouse was often difficult … I've seen Track Ball mouses used to try and mitigate that problem. I can't imagine touch screens on the bridge with heavy seas. They might poke a hole right through the monitor screen. Well … Windows 8 will likely be slow as far as adoption on boats anyway because of compatibility issues with existing hardware and software. May boats have not gotten up to Windows 7 yet. Jeppesen (Nobeltec) runs on Windows 7 … we've done that. So perhaps it will run on Windows 8 as well. We'll have to test and see.
* This just in on Twitter … Ubuntu 12.10 Debuts with Windows 8 Attack Ad … (But Ubuntu gets some hate of their own … from their own users [see top of this story for my comments — Alan S.])
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
+1 954 683 3426
communications @ marinetelecom.net


text:
Spanish Teacher
Seňora Monzon is a graduate of the Foreign Language Teacher Training Program at Rudolf Steiner College. In addition, she earned a bachelor's degree in art from the Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala, a master's in art & dance from Escuela Nacional de Danza y Coregografia in Guatemala, and another master's in education from the Instituto America Latina in Guatemala. Seňora Monzon has more than 15 years of successful teaching experience at John Morse Waldorf Methods School, Golden Valley (Waldorf-inspired) Charter School, and Sacramento Waldorf School. Her approach to Spanish language instruction integrates the use of storytelling, art, dance, and cultural celebrations through collaborative and hands-on learning experiences while focusing on conversational skills, literacy, and grammatical understanding. Sra. Momzon joined Camellia in 2015.
Contact Sandra Monzon: email@example.com


text:
Photo: twitter.com
Rob Gronokowski spent his bye week hanging out with porn star Bibi Jones, and Jones let the whole world know when she tweeted this picture.This put Gronokowski in an awkward spot, since many people think his behaviour looks bad for the Pats. So the football player apologized. From ESPN:
"I didn't send anything to hurt the reputation of anyone on the New England Patriots or on behalf of Robert Kraft. That's all, just a simple picture, that's all. From here on out, I'm just here to talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the big game this weekend."
Just another example of Twitter getting someone into a sticky situation.
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.
Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.


text:
Ink on paper
11 3/4 x 9 3/4 in.
Titled verso in pencil upper left: 5. "Put'em up against a wall" pg. 73 / half page
Signed verso by Shelby Cox upper left: Janice Tworkov "Biala"
Signed verso by Shelby Cox lower right: Biala / Janice Tworkov
Stamped: 1381
Georgette Passedoit Gallery, New York
Shelby Cox, Provincetown (purchased from the above in 1937)
Paintings and Drawings by Biala, Georgette Passedoit Gallery, New York, NY, February 23-March 13, 1937.
Biala: Vision and Memory, Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Queens College, Queens, NY, September 12-October 27, 2013.
This work is the original illustration for Ford Madox Ford's book The Great Trade Route, published in 1937.


text:
½ sourdough baguette in 1" cubes 2 Tbsp. olive oil ½ c. shelled Fava beans ½ c. chopped onion ¼ c. chopped fennel ½ c. sliced carrots 1½ c. chopped chard leaves 1½ c. chopped tomatoes Salt and pepper Pecorino cheese, grated
Toast baguette cubes in oven until chewy/crispy. Saute oil, beans, onion, fennel and carrot over low heat in medium saucepan. When beans are quite tender, after about 40 minutes, add chard and tomatoes and cook for another 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve over croutons with cheese garnish. Serves 2.
From Eatwell Farm CSA member Amy Kuhlmann


text:
Teaching the family dog behaviors can be as fun as you choose it to be. Enrolling in a class where the instructor teaches the normal basic sit, down and come routine is important and a great start. However, the monotony of the routine for most owners is about as exciting as watching paint dry. After the class ends many people hang up their treat bag and that is the end of the dog's education.
Tricks are a good way to prevent your dog's brain from turning to mush after your puppy classes are over. You will find you can channel your dog's energy and tire her out when brain games are a part of their day.
Perch with a Friend c Diane Rich 2013
Enriching your dog's brain should not stop with sit. To a dog, all obedience behaviors are tricks.
Shake or Give me Your Paw c Diane Rich 3013
Think about enrolling in a tricks class, hire a trainer to help you privately, observe your dog's talents and learn how to capitalize on their quirky behaviors and create a lifelong classroom of fun interactions with the family dog.
Have fun!
Diane Rich Dog Training, LLC


text:
TS&S Industrial is committed to operating its business in a professional, ethical and disciplined manner. Our quality assurance framework allows us to actively promote a culture of continuous improvement in all aspects of our services.
Maintaining a safe working environment and minimizing the impact on the environment when we conduct our business remain our core responsibilities.
TS&S Industrial is committed to Environment, Health and Safety through:
Recognizing safety as the prime consideration at all times.
Assessing the occupational health and safety risks as well as environmental impacts associated with all our activities and resources used, and take appropriate measures to mitigate any risks that may arise.
Complying with all applicable Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) legal and other requirements.
Applying Human Factors principles by training the team as required and promoting Human Factors with feedback from internal reports and related industry information.
TS&S Industrial is certified to the following internationally recognized standards:
ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management System
ISO 14001-2004 Environmental Management System
OHSAS 18001-2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management System


text:
Muscovy Duck Farming
Management of Muscovy Duck is divided into 3 stages:-
Brooding Stage - 1 to 2 weeks
The brooding stage from day old to 2 weeks old is very important and requires proper care. From the time they arrive, the ducklings are counted, weighed and then immediately placed into the brooder enclosure. Vitamin-added drink is provided immediately. The temperature of the brooder in the first week is set at 340C and slowly decreased daily until 270 - 300 Celcius. Feed is given after the ducklings had their drink and are moving actively again. It is best to place trays under the water troughs to catch spillage and thus minimise wetting of the bedding. The feed troughs are placed alternating with the water troughs around the enclosure.
Screens are placed around the periphery of the enclosure to protect the ducklings from cold and to control the brooder temperature. The comfort level of the brooder temperature can be observed from the ducklings' behaviour. If it is too cold, the ducklings will be huddling together. If it is too hot, the ducklings will be spread apart, panting and keeping their wings open. Heat need to be provided in the morning and night or when it is raining. The screens are slowly rolled up after 2 weeks.
3 to 4 weeks old
The screens are fully rolled up except during heavy rains. Heaters are removed. The feed troughs are changed to longer troughs. Pelleted grower feed is gradually mixed into the feed until it fully replaced the brooder feed. The small drinkers are replaced by automatic drinkers because the ducks begin to consume more water.
Growing Stage - 5 to 13 weeks
At this stage, food and drink need to be constantly available as the ducks are beginning to grow rapidly and feed consumption is increased. In order to maintain sufficient feed, feed are introduced into feeding boxes. On hot days, the doors of the duck house are opened to allow the ducks to move out to the open space in front of the duck house. The ducks are not disturbed by the management activities and protected from climatic stress until they are ready for the market. Good management will ensure good growth of the ducks.
Pollution Control
Duck farming must be managed properly and be environmentally friendly. Duck pens' washings should be directed to an oxidation pond built by the farm. Dead ducks should not be thrown indiscriminately to avoid smell pollution and diseases. A hole of 4-6 feet deep provided with a tight cover should be used to discard dead ducks.
Recording Practice
Farms must have and maintain a good recording system. Data can assist in management analysis to improve weaknesses and carry on with successful achievements to ensure continuous profitability.
Area Selection
Selection of the perfect area is important and requires good planning for a suitable and conducive environment for duck growth and to facilitate daily management. Water for livestock and washing and electricity supply should be available. Disused mining land, dry elevated land and oil palm plantations are perfect for intensive or semi-intensive "deep litter" system management.
Under the hot and humid Malaysian climate, housing should be built to reduce climatic stress, providing shelter to the ducks during growth till the market stage.
Duck housing is built from wood with palm frond or zinc roofing. Double ridge roofing and open walls give good ventilation. Minimum heights of 14 feet at the center, 8 feet at the side and 5 feet for the periphery provides conducive surroundings, good ventilation and shelter from the rain. Housing of 300 feet length and 24 feet width may house 5,000 ducks till marketing stage. Aside from the duck pen housing, a fenced yard is required especially for hot weather. Cement flooring prevents dampness and facilitates cleaning after each duck rearing cycle.
Road access and proper drainage is required
Electricity and clean water supply for drinking and washing are required.
1.5 foot high smooth zinc connected with wooden clips/support encircling an area of radius of 8 meters to hold 1,000 ducklings
Paddy husk or wood shavings are to be used for beddings on cement floors. Beddings must be managed well. When wet, it needs to be changed or topped up to ensure that the flooring is always dry.
A liquid petroleum gas (LPG) heater is appropriate for use. This is hung in the middle of the enclosure and is set 1-2 hours before the arrival of new ducklings to prepare a warm environment for brooding.
A screen or plastic sheet is essential for brooding (1-3 week old) to protect ducklings from cold winds at night and during rainy weather.
Feeding troughs and drinkers
The shapes and sizes of feeding troughs and drinkers differ for different stages. The numbers need to be increased from time to time to ensure the ducks get sufficient feed and water. Water reservoirs of 1-2 gallons and automatic drinkers are used. Feed trays, long wooden troughs and box feeders are suitable for broiler ducks.
A good production depends on quality animal feeds. Starter crumble contains 19-22% crude protein and finisher pellet contain 16-18% crude protein. Starter crumbles are for day-old ducklings to 3 weeks of age while finisher pellets are for ducklings from 4-weeks old till marketting age.
Health and Good Husbandry
Healthy ducks ensure good returns. Good management can maintain a mortality rate of 3% in each age group.
Vaccination programme should be followed to prevent viral diseases. Daily management practices should follow the guidelines of the Veterinary Services Department.
Debeaking should be done because Muscovy ducks have pointed beaks. Under stress, especially during 2-3 weeks of age, ducks tend to peck their posterior areas and areas with new feathers.
Control diseases by controlling the movement of visitors, workers, and vehicles in the farm. Prepare foot-baths for each entry point of the farm/duck pen. Eradicate rats and prevent birds from entering the pens because they carry diseases.
The market for Muscovy duck meat is still small compared to the market for Peking Duck. Its market is still limited and is restricted to festival seasons. It is sold at the farm level, processed at abattoirs and sold in fresh markets throughout Malaysia.
Marketting System
The Peking Duck integrated farming was started by a number of companies. Duck farmers were selected by the companies with the condition that the duck farmer must bear the costs of building its own farm. The companies were responsible to provide ducklings and feed to the contract farmers and then buy back the ducks that have attained slaughter age under an pre-arranged price. It is hoped that the Muscovy duck industry is managed under similar consolidated methods.
Local Markets and Export
Local markets prefer smaller sized female ducks and male ducks in the age group of 11 weeks weighing 3.8 Kg. The Singapore market, especially in the festive season, require large male ducks in the 4.5 Kg category.
Handling Systems and Transport
Small farmers market their ducks to wholesellers or middle-men. Ducks are transported to abattoirs by lorries, in baskets similar to chicken baskets which hold 8 to 10 ducks. Processed and chilled ducks are distributed to Chinese restaurants and hotels.
Market Price
The market price in Peninsular Malaysia is between RM3.80 to RM4.20 and rises to RM6.50 at festive seasons. Processed duck prces are between RM6 to RM9 and rises to RM12 at festive seasons.
Promotion is an important element to increase sales where it will promote awareness and educates the community of the tastiness and goodness of Muscovy Duck, especially to the Malay and Indian communities. Promotions should be carried out continuously through the mass and electronic media such as educational programmes at school, product and cooking promotions throughout the country. Muscovy duck meat is best cooked by stewing and is very popular in Penang, Sarawak and Singapore. It is also suitable for Malay and Indian cuisines like rendang and curries.
Maklumat Pertanian - Ternakan, Tanaman, Perikanan & Agrotourism
Sekadar Info,Rujukan dan Ilmu.
Sekadar Info,Rujukan dan Ilmu.


text:
Home / Projects / Patios & Walkways
Patios & Walkways
Refresh your concrete front porch
A beautiful porch adds instant curb appeal to your home and is inviting for guests. SEAL-KRETE Floor-Tex Textured Coating is a durable textured coating for patios and porches that looks as good as it works.
Beautify and protect your patio
Water and salt can damage your concrete driveway if it's not sealed correctly. SEAL-KRETE Dry-Look Penetrating Concrete Sealer uses silane-siloxane technology to bond with concrete and form a watertight seal.
Seal and enhance pavers for long-lasting durability
A paver patio is a great do-it-yourself project for the weekend. SEAL-KRETE Wet-Look Penetrating Concrete Sealer is the best way to keep you pavers looking great for a long time.


text:
As part of its ongoing efforts to increase textbook affordability for Oregon State University students, the OSU Beaver Store is supporting OSU's open textbook initiative by distributing freely-available open source textbooks on its digital e-commerce platform.
The University's open textbook initiative is a collaboration between OSU Libraries, OSU Press and Open Oregon State. It provides financial, technical and editorial support for faculty members to create texts that will be freely accessible online to any student in the world.
The OSU Beaver Store's website displays the textbooks used in each course at OSU, along with price comparisons to the online marketplace. When that required course content happens to be open source, the store now distributes or links to those freely-available digital materials.
"We've created a one-stop portal for OSU students to connect to all of their course materials, be they paid or freely-available," said Steve Eckrich, OSU Beaver Store President & CEO. "We're providing students with every possible format to choose from, including digital, rental, and now free open source content."
The OSU Beaver Store has been providing price-transparency to students for many years using its online price comparison tool. Its website displays the store's prices for new, used, digital, and rental course materials alongside the prices of amazon.com and others.
"Because the OSU Beaver Store provides the largest student discount of any college store in the country, we are very price-competitive with the online marketplace. We also provide certainty that the student is getting the correct book and edition, with the option to get it more quickly in-store and have in-store returns that don't require shipping," said James Howard, OSU Beaver Store Academic Materials Manager.
The OSU Beaver Store works very closely with faculty to procure the materials they want to use for their courses. It sources a wide variety of formats and pricing options for students and ensures that students have the complete and accurate information they need to be informed consumers. "Adding freely-available open source content to our digital platform is a natural extension of our commitment to textbook affordability as a student-based organization," said Eckrich.
OSU Beaver Store is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors composed of OSU students, faculty and staff. The Company has been serving the OSU community since its founding in 1914. Company profits are returned to OSU students, faculty, and staff through a member discounting program referred to as the "Back to Beavs" discount, which applies to all books.


text: JP Micro offers many services to our clients. Whether you are seeking standard website design, looking for custom application development, or want your existing site to rank high in the search engine through search engine optimization, JP Micro is equipped to help! We are a full service internet company that has experience suiting the many needs of today's companies in the internet and marketing world. We look forward to assisting your company and fulfilling the needs you and your company may have.


text:
A dramatic string orchestral trailer with a haunting string ostinato and big sweeping melodic lines.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
© 2019 David Das. All rights reserved. All content is the property of its respective owner.All music and video posted on this site may not be re-used in any context without a valid license agreement.


text:
I was asked to provide the opening non-denominational invocation/prayer at the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals this week. I consider myself somewhat spiritual, moderately introspective, and a decent writer … I guess NAGLREP thought the same so I was very much honored to have been asked.
I am posting this here for a number of reasons. First, when the task landed on my plate, the first thing I did was hit google for samples of non-denominational business-conference-appropriate invocation ideas and samples. The google results were lacking so I am posting this here thinking someone may land on this looking for ideas for business-appropriate conference-ready reflection. So please, use any portion of this you like, no credits required. Second, I had numerous conference attendees ask if I would share a copy of the invocation, so here it is.
I would like to start this invocation, this reflection, with a moment of silence for everyone impacted by Hurricane Matthew, for lost lives, for struggling communities.
In this world of infinite possibilities, may we strive to be compassionate and giving professionals. May we celebrate our opportunities to practice servant leadership, to lend a helping hand to those in need.
In this world of infinite possibilities, may we recognize the goodness in everyone we meet and be thankful for all the effort that went in to bringing us together today.
In this world of infinite possibilities, may we strive to make a difference.
As we begin this conference, let us frame the experience with the wisdom of Maya Angelou's, "I've Learned" (the shorter version):
- I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.
- I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.
- I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
- I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
- I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
- I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
In this world of infinite possibilities and this week of new opportunities, may we understand the wisdom of making a life, always strive to give more than we receive, open our hearts in our decision making, reach out to new friends, recognize that we all still have a lot to learn, and recognize that people will never forget how you made them feel.