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Family Law
Family Law Questions? Ask a Family Lawyer Online.
I haven't filed the paper work yet. Both roommates agreed to give a sworn statement.
120 miles away. I will mail paperwork the same day I take it personally into the court.
Do I have grounds to file such a petition? He has not physically abused them as far as I know- although my daughter expressed unusual fear of him the last time he took her. I don't want to seem like I'm being confrontational. I am just worried about whether or not they are getting the care they need to be healthy, happy children. I plan to attempt full custody during the school year for my son, since he starts i the fall. The father has expressed that he will fight me on this
Everything since January and a large portion of last year has been documented on my side. Where they were, overnights, etc. And now, conversations, unusual behavior, etc that I have noticed over the past few months.
He has a nasty lawyer. I don't have a lawyer and do not have the scheduling capabilities to be in court in that county. Will I be able to appear by phone?
What kind of proof would I need to get an ex parte?
What if I got counsel?
my apologies for redundance
'plead in the motion'? does that mean just state what I've been noticing in the last few months? And the two affidavits? How do I get those?
Can the witnesses just write and sign a statement, with notarization, of course?
Just so I have this completely accurate, I can ask the two room mates to write a statement, sign it and have it notarized and that will work as proof?
Along with my statement, of course. My child care provider is also willing to submit a statement regarding my son's behavior. Should I include this?
I did see that. the girl room mate is still caring for my son and expressed reluctance to appear in person due to the current relationship and having to deal with the father still. Not sure about her boyfriend (the other room mate)
no worries. :)
What about child welfare services? Would it be helpful to make an anonymous call when I know he is drinking with the children? Can they do that?
That's what I was afraid of.
I understand that. Just want my babies safe. I worry about father's retaliation once court has been initiated. Gotta go. Thanks for your advice.
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided "as is". To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the "Verified" symbol in the Expert's profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).


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Funding opportunities
This project aims to use a powerful combined neural progenitor cell and growth factor approach to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). ALS is a devastating disease for which there is no treatment or cure. Progression from early muscle twitches to complete paralysis and death usually happens within 4 years. Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS in the USA, and every 90 minutes someone dies from ALS. In California the death rate is one person every one and a half days. Human neural progenitor cells found early in brain development can be isolated and expanded in culture to large banks of billions of cell. When transplanted into animal models of ALS they have been shown to mature into support cells for dying motor neurons called astrocytes. In other studies, growth factors such as glial cell line-derived growth factor (or GDNF) have been shown to protect motor neurons from damage in a number of different animal models including ALS. However, delivering GDNF to the spinal cord has been almost impossible as it does not cross from the blood to the tissue of the spinal cord. The idea behind the current proposal is to modify human neural progenitor cells to produce GDNF and then transplant these cells into patients. There they act as "Trojan horses", arriving at sick motor neurons and delivering the drug exactly where it is needed. A number of advances in human neural progenitor cell biology along with new surgical approaches have allowed us to create this disease team approach.
The focus of the proposal will be to perform essential preclinical studies in relevant preclinical animal models that will establish optimal doses and safe procedures for translating this progenitor cell and growth factor therapy into human patients. The Phase 1/2a clinical study will inject the cells into one side of the lumbar spinal cord (that supplies the legs with neural impulses) of 12 ALS patients from the state of California. The progression in the treated leg vs. the non treated leg will be compared to see if the cells slow down progression of the disease. This is the first time a combined progenitor cell and growth factor treatment has been explored for patients with ALS.
ALS is a devastating disease, and also puts a large burden on state resources through the need of full time care givers and hospital equipment. It is estimated that the cost of caring for an ALS patient in the late stage of disease while on a respiration is $200,000-300,000 per year. While primarily a humanitarian effort to avoid suffering, this project will also ease the cost of caring for ALS patients in California if ultimately successful. As the first trial in the world to combine progenitor cell and gene transfer of a growth factor, it will make California a center of excellence for these types of studies. This in turn will attract scientists, clinicians, and companies interested in this area of medicine to the state of California thus increasing state revenue and state prestige in the rapidly growing field of Regenerative Medicine.
This applicant proposes to develop and test Glial cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF)-expressing human neural progenitor cells (hNPC) as a therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a lethal disease that is characterized by severe loss of brain and spinal cord motor neurons and their associated support cells, called astrocytes. This cell loss leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, respiratory failure and death, usually within four years. The rationale behind this combination therapy is that the hNPC will differentiate to replace degenerating astrocytes, while expression of the growth factor will have a neuroprotective effect. The goals of this proposal are to perform preclinical safety and efficacy studies in relevant animal models, and to carry out Phase 1 clinical studies in ALS patients to establish safety and feasibility of this therapeutic.
Significance and Impact
- There are approximately 5,600 new cases of ALS in the USA each year and as many as 30,000 Americans may currently be affected by ALS.
- Currently, there is only one approved therapy for ALS and it has limited efficacy. If successful, this proposed therapy could have a ground-breaking impact on the treatment of ALS.
- Reviewers noted a similar study being carried out in ALS patients by another group. However, differences include the fact that the other group's cells are not engineered to secrete GDNF, and they differentiate into neurons rather than astrocytes after transplantation.
- Some reviewers questioned the potential therapeutic efficacy of GDNF, referring to previous clinical trial data. One key issue is that GDNF appears only important in early stages of disease onset.
- Reviewers commented that ALS is a diffuse disease and questioned whether this focal therapy would actually impact the disease.
Therapeutic Development Readiness
- Reviewers were concerned about the lack of convincing preclinical data. In the figure measuring a functional endpoint (BBB score) there was minimal difference between the GDNF and non-GDNF groups.
- The investigators have not fully described the potential immunogenicity of allogeneic hNPCs in the context of the suggested immunosuppressive regimen. There was no significant description how this immunosuppressive regimen compares with the animal studies.
- GDNF expression was confirmed in vitro for up to 14 weeks of expansion but there are inadequate data addressing in vivo expression levels or whether gene silencing occurs in vivo.
- The applicants discuss development of a tracking method, however this was not detailed in the proposed clinical trial synopsis.
- The investigators conducted a pre-pre IND meeting with FDA in 2005 and a pre IND meeting in February of 2011 resulting in detailed suggestions for pivotal IND-enabling studies.
Feasibility of the Project Plan
- Reviewers expressed concerns about the aggressive timelines, noting that there is very little time built in between the pivotal nonclinical studies and the start of the clinical trial, thus not allowing any time should the FDA impose a clinical hold.
- There was concern about the lack of information on how the clinical sites would be trained, and how the variability between sites would be addressed. For example, there was no mention of a standardized assay for assessing cell viability prior to administering to patients.
- It was suggested that the patient follow up be longer than 12 months to look for potential tumorigenicity, immunogenicity and other safety issues.
- The use of the proposed tracer was questioned as it is taken up by host cells when transplanted cells die.
Principal Investigator (PI) and Development Team
- The PI is ideally suited to lead this effort, and has the required experience in translational neuroscience that is focused on cell and growth factor therapy.
- The team is excellent. The clinical trial physicians are outstanding members with direct clinical expertise and experience in ALS clinical trials.
Collaborations, Resources and Environment
- The investigators have not fully described how they will access Intellectual Property needed for product development.
- The preclinical CRO is well established and will do the mixed GLP/non-GLP tox studies.
Budget (Assessment of the budget was conducted separately from the overall scientific evaluation and points or concerns raised in this section did not contribute to the scientific score. This section highlights items that must be addressed should the application be approved for funding. )
- It was felt that a budget of close to $300K per patient for the clinical sites was high, and that it should be closer to $50,000 - $80,000 per patient.
- A motion was made to move this application into Tier 3, Not Recommended for Funding. Reviewers felt the applicant failed to show behavioral efficacy data, and that it was premature to move this therapy into the clinic. It was suggested that there are well-known animal models that could be used for further testing to better develop the product. The motion carried.
- Russell Lonser

subset: commoncrawl


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I am very pleased to report that today the College of Liberal Arts announced the new Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows Program:
University Park, Pa. — The College of the Liberal Arts, in partnership with the Schreyer Honors College, announces the launch of the Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows Program. This landmark partnership will invigorate undergraduate education in Liberal Arts for hundreds of students and offer significant benefits to Schreyer students with Liberal Arts majors. This unique arrangement will extend the benefits of the Schreyer experience to many more students and will challenge students to the kind of high achievement, values, and integrity associated with the Paterno family name and the Schreyer Honors College.
Details about this program can be found on the College of Liberal Art's website. In sum, this is a program that students would enter as early as their sophomore year and it epitomizes a Liberal Arts education. If a student is not already a Schreyer Scholar they would, upon successful application (which will be handled centrally through the SHC Gateway Admissions process),* be admitted concurrently to the SHC and the Paterno Fellows Program. For all of the details please do see the College of Liberal Art's website, but I wanted to make clear two points about this new program and its relationship to the SHC.
- All those admitted to the Paterno Fellows Program will also be admitted to the SHC. In other words, all Fellows are Scholars.
- Liberal Arts students directly admitted to the SHC in their first year may apply to participate in the Paterno Fellows Program, but they are not required to do so. In other words, all Liberal Arts Scholars are not Fellows.
This is an exciting opportunity for our students and for the college and university to expand the role of honors at Penn State. There are bound to be some questions as this moves forward so please do not hesitate to contact me or post in the comments here.
* There are changes coming to the Gateway, so stay tuned!


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Okay, here's my big push the night before Super Duper Tuesday. I am departing from the usual parenting blah-dee-dah to give a plug for my candidate. But I'm actually not departing too far from the parenting thing, because after all, this is about my kids and their future as much as anything.
We've always been really big on elections around here. When the kids were little we took them with us to vote on election days. They got to wear the little "I Voted!" sticker, and we'd host election night parties, even for the local elections that no one else cared about. At some point our kids became aware of the fact that their parents like to yell at certain politicians on the TV set, like to watch candidates debating, like to discuss politics in the most vociferous terms around the dinner table. This parental behavior has been escalating in the last eight years, when political tracts and Frank Rich editorials began to line the walls of the bathroom, and when I bought Rolling Stone magazine it wasn't for the article on the Red Hot Chili Peppers but the excellent investigative report by Robert Kennedy Jr. on the stolen 2004 election. We like our elections. We don't always like the people running for office, but we get very excited about elections.
This is the first time since forever that I have been so energized and excited about a candidate. Ever since Barack Obama spoke at the 2004 Democratic convention, I've been fired up. At our (very, very depressing) 2004 election night party, I remarked to the assembled (sad, gloomy) guests that I thought this Barack Obama guy should totally run for President. "Obama in 2008!" said I. "Did you hear him? Wasn't he amazing? If he runs, he'll win."
I recall the suggestion was met with general murmurs of the "oh THAT will happen" variety. A few snickers in the "you poor naïve thing" vein. The general sense being – especially from three friends of mine who are African American – that I was dreaming if I ever thought a black man could become a Presidential nominee, much less get elected. Not that they didn't like him; everyone was very enthusiastic about the young guy running for Senator of Illinois. But it was just that, yeah, right. As if. Friends shook their heads, as if I was a delusional child.
And now. Well, well, well. Here we are. La la la.
I would love to vote for a woman, someday. I just don't want to vote for Hillary Clinton. I am sad that she is a big triangulator, and that she seems to be desperate and that everything she says and does at this point seems to come out of fear. I am sick of fear, and politicians acting out of fear, and using fear and manipulating the fears of the populace. I don't trust Hillary anymore, because she continually stretches the truth to suit her purposes.
I am excited about the hope that Obama represents. The idea of an Obama Presidency fills me with butterflies and sunshine, and I think it will send a huge message to the world that we are taking a different path, that we are rejecting the same old same old. It says to the world, Yes, I want to be able to walk into a pub in England and not have to apologize for our horrible President. It says yes, I don't want to have to pretend that I'm Canadian when I travel abroad, because everyone hates Americans so much. It says, yes, we've decided the gene pool can be broadened a bit, and we can pull ourselves out of the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton rut. Yes, Obama really does represent change, in addition to being classy, dignified, eloquent and smart. And I do believe he could handily wipe the floor with the scary see-through gorgon McCain, something I don't believe Hillary can do. The Republicans would love a Clinton/McCain run, because they know they can whip Hillary, because Hillary is generally reviled. The hatred for Hillary may be irrational and unfair, but it is there, and the Republican machine is ready to exploit it. And I think Obama kind of scares them. Despite the general thinking that, "this country is still too racist to vote for a person of color," I think that's just more scared thinking. It's old thinking, and I'm choosing to ignore old thinking. There are more of us than there are of them. And Obama is energizing millions of new voters. The pollsters aren't necessarily trolling Facebook and My Space, and I believe and hope that they'll be surprised when we wake up to an Obama landslide on Wednesday morning. In the meantime, I have another election night party to get ready for. And to all my friends who scoffed at the idea of an Obama run, I'll be serving hat, with a side of crow. Happy Election Night!! And go Obama!


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These 2 disk sets were produced in 1997 and feature a marvelous cast of actors. If you are a fan of As Time Goes By, you'll recognize the voices of Judi Dench playing Kanga and Geoffrey Palmer (Lionel) playing Eeyore, among others. Adapted for audio by David Benedictus, who this year wrote the further adventures in the Return to the Hundred Acre Wood (see our audio review), this is a dramatized version of the original stories. For those who want only the authentic Pooh in their midst, this is it. We do think you will also enjoy the new adventures recorded by Jim Dale, mentioned above. You can dole each of these stories out, one chapter at a time as a listening treat before bath or bedtime. A great way to share some quiet moments before they nod off for the night.
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
After an eighty-year absence, Christopher Robin returns to the Hundred Acre Wood and it does seem like only 80 seconds ago. Happily, Christopher has not grown up so much that he is unable to communicate full well with his old friend Tiger, Pooh, Piglet, Owl, or dear old long suffering Eeyore. Christopher returns with a bright blue bicycle and as his friend Pooh says that he's "a bit more...but not too much...he's still Christopher Robin." Indeed, the new stories, ten in all, are a bit more...but very much in the tradition of the still not-to-be-missed originals. A new character, Lottie the Otter has been added, an assertive female character to an otherwise all male cast, although until this moment, one had never attributed any gender roles to any of the old friends. Now, we must confess, we have not read the book since we have been lucky enough to return to the Hundred Acre Wood with master storyteller Jim Dale. Not since his dramatic readings of the Harry Potter books have we heard any CDs that match Dale's amazing talents. Each of the beloved characters comes to life with a unique voice and transports the listener off to another place and time where good stories happen. You will need a little patience, you'll need to get past the rather long dedication and introduction and get on to the storytelling. We suggest skipping the pre-story formality and cut right to the stories. The whole family will enjoy this 3-disk set. Each chapter begins and ends with a musical cue that you can use as our own way of doling it out, one chapter at a time, to make it last longer! A honey of a way to end a busy day!
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
An award-winning book is no less magical in 2009 than it was when it won the Caldecott award years ago. The paperback copy of the book is handsome and enhanced with a CD read in several voices and plenty of charm by Sean Schemmel. Beginning readers will soon be able to read this story since the format of the text repeats itself with small variations and the entire story is told with a simplicity of words that capture the boy's excitement from first snowflake to enchanted white winter wonderland. Children as young as 3 will enjoy this, but we especially think 6's and 7's who are just learning to read will like this, too.
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
Tucker, an adventuresome dog, wants to be something spooky for Halloween. His owner dresses him in cute costumes, but Tucker is tired of looking cute. Finding Halloween stories that are right for younger children can be hard, but this one is right on the mark. It�s another charming package in the Candlewick Storybook Animations collection. There's a small book, stickers, a small poster and best of all a two-sided disk that plays a DVD animated version of the story on one side and the audio on the other side. Ages 3-6.
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
Long before Shrek! reached Hollywood's big screen, William Steig, master storyteller and illustrator wrote this delightful story of a monster so ugly that flowers and trees bent as he passed their way. Steig's delicious verse and his comic illustrations make this great good fun to read aloud to your kids. Or, bring home a paperback and CD and have none other than Stanley Tucci stand in for you with a hilarious reading. Kids can follow along in their book or just kick back and listen. You might like to do a little comparative lit by viewing the film Shrek! after you have shared the book and CD. How are they the same? How are they different? A perfect choice for any time of year, but especially right for Halloween entertainment.
Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
These lullabies are just the ticket for a quiet time-whatever the hour might be. Accompanied by guitar, dulcimer, or piano, this wonderful collection of traditional and original lullabies by award-winning vocalist Sally Rogers is still our favorite!
Age: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2001. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.
Age: Infants,Toddlers,Preschool. Award Year: 1997.
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Age: Infants,Toddlers,Preschool. Award Year: .
Age: Infants,Toddlers,Preschool. Award Year: .
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Products reviewed by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio are provided by the manufacturer at their cost. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio does not require or accept fees for reviewing products.


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INDIANAPOLIS - The Butler swimming team got season-best performances from the 200 free relay and 400 medley relay teams to lead the Bulldogs at IUPUI's House of Champions meet on Friday.
"We had a strong first day of the meet, and I am proud of how our swimmers raced today which resulted in many season and lifetime bests," head coach Maurice Stewart said. "We need to carry this momentum into the rest of the meet in order to have a chance of finishing 5th in the team standings."
Both BU free relay squads posted new season standards to begin the meet. The Bulldogs, led by Serena Daley's split of 24.84, went 1:41.91. At the end of the day, BU's 400 medley relay team registered a time of 4:08.28.
Elizabeth Miller led the Dawgs in the 500 free, clocking 5:17.16 to place 15th. Five other Butler swimmers set new season bests in the event.
Allie Dvorchak had a liftetime-best 2:18.49 in the 200 IM prelims. She ended up placing 24th. Daley posted a lifetime-best 25.18 in the 50 free. Four other swimmers also had season bests.


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Feb 232012
St. Martin's Episcopal Church marked the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday services Feb. 22 at noon and 7 p.m.
View a slide show from our 7 p.m. worship service at the bottom of this article.
There are many ways you can observe the Holy Seasons of Lent and Easter with us at St. Martin's:
- Holy Eucharist: Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.; Wednesdays at Noon; Saturdays at 5:05 p.m.
- Stations of the Cross: every Friday in Lent at 6 p.m.
- Lenten Faith Groups: every Wednesday in Lent. Potluck dinner begins at 6 p.m., guided discussion groups begin at 7 p.m.
- Week of Guided Prayer: Opening session is Sunday, March 4 at 1 p.m.; meet with a prayer guide Monday – Friday; closing session is Saturday, March 10 at 10:30 a.m.
- Palm Sunday / Sunday, April 1: Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
- Maundy Thursday / Thursday, April 5: Holy Eucharist at 7 p.m.; Prayer Vigil begins at 8 p.m. (through noon Friday)
- Good Friday / Friday, April 6: Good Friday Liturgy at Noon, Stations of the Cross at 6 p.m., Good Friday Liturgy at 7 p.m.
- Holy Saturday / Saturday, April 7: The Great Vigil of Easter at 7:07 p.m.
- Easter Day / Sunday, April 8: Holy Eucharist at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m.


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Criminal Law
Criminal Law Questions? Ask a Criminal Lawyer.
If only... No, my father is currently incarcerated in a Federal facility and is asking this question through me. Is there something ambiguous that you need clarified prior to responding?
Hello,My name isXXXXX'm a licensed attorney. Glad to try and help out.Sure sorry for your circumstances, truly. My heart goes out to your father.
I apologize for any confusion. Sometimes we receive a question from a student, and I thought that might be the case when you mentioned to refer to the citations you mentioned. In other words, I thought you might be wanting a paper drafted using those citations. In any event, sorry about that and please just ignore my question.
Alright, here is how this works.
For the jurisdictional bases, or put differently the legal authority or power, please check out the following provision (just click the link):
28 U.S.C. § 533(1) and (3)
The bases are two-fold, namely to: (1) "detect and prosecute crimes against the United States."; and (2) "conduct such other investigations regarding official matters under the control of the Department of Justice and the Department of State as may be directed by the Attorney General."
Now, in the civil rights context, there is certainly more involvement on a state basis. However, for a criminal matter such as you have described occurring solely within the borders on one state, ordinarily there would be no basis for federal jurisdiction. There can be a surprising amount of nuances, such as with the United States Constitution Interstate Commerce Clause. However, nothing related in the scenario you presented trigger any basis for federal jurisdiction.
If you have a follow-up question or need clarification, please just say the word by using "reply" to reach me.
I hope all works out for both of you.
Thank you for your kind words - I guess I'm still a bit sensitive to this whole scenario, even after 6 years with 6 to go. I appreciate your help.
Well, from what I know, the three states involved gave up their rights to him so he could be tried Federally, so now he's reading up on PL80-772 and H.R. 3190, attempting to throw fuel on that hell-fire, in addition to filing Habeas Corpus writs, wrongful imprisonment suits, etc... He's become quite the advocate. Is there anything else you can think of that I should be looking at? I almost hate to ask - I feel like I got my $40 worth already... :O)
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided "as is". To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the "Verified" symbol in the Expert's profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).


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Round 3 of the Ultimate PS3 Showdown has officially begun, and it's time to select the games that will star in the Final Four. "The Best" is about to get even better, and only your vote can make that happen. Follow the link below to the official polling thread for this match-up, and keep an eye on your brackets - with a free PS3 game on the line, the stakes won't get much higher.
The Contenders:
Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream's psychological thriller was a totally unique concept for PlayStation 3 owners and featured game controls that brought player interactivity to a whole new level. Filled with drama, mystery, and suspense, the dark, rain-soaked atmosphere and mature storyline was as engaging as the search for clues and the perfectly-paced QTE fight sequences. Incredible graphics and sound have scarcely been used better to heighten an already tense atmosphere. Put simply, Heavy Rain made you feel like you were the star of your own movie, and became an instant classic on PS3 thanks to its unique blend of storytelling and interaction.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was probably the most-anticipated RPG sequel of all time, and it didn't disappoint. Traversing the open world of Skyrim on foot or horseback, never knowing what or who you might stumble upon, was incredibly exciting and showcased the vast and highly detailed gameworld. With engaging character development and hundreds of quests that take you from dark dungeons and quaint towns to snowy mountains and battles with giants, Skyrim has depth, variety and personality. Character design was exemplary and the large roster of enemies ensured that players had to adapt their fighting styles, with intense dragon battles providing many highlights. Skyrim is an absolute juggernaut and, despite its PS3-specific technical issues, a clear contender in this tournament.
Which of these two games deserves a spot in the coveted Final Four? Cast your votes in the official polling thread, and be sure to vote in all Round 3 match-ups. Only you can choose the Best PS3 Game Ever.


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Elegant Curves Characterize This Upholstered Headboard The lavish, scalloped arch of our Custom Cadbury Upholstered Headboard creates the perfect bed for the prince or princess in your life. The dramatic silhouette of this kids bed headboard is enhanced by elegant nailhead trim. You complete the look with your choice of beautiful upholstery. Solid pine frame with metal legs and polyester fill. Includes nailheads in brass or pewter finish. Easily attaches to any standard bed frame with included hardware. Spot clean only. Hand assembled in the USA and delivered in 2-3 weeks.
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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup water to re-hydrate the pepper
- ½ cup fresh water (to add to salsa mixture)
- 1 dried ghost pepper (no stem)
- Salt to taste
1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut the tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2. Meanwhile, re-hydrate the ghost pepper by adding it to a sauce-pan with ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and let the pepper simmer for 5 minutes after boiling.
3. Place tomatillos, lime-juice, olive-oil, onions, cilantro and re-hydrated chili pepper, sugar and ½ cup of fresh water (discard the water used for re-hydrating the pepper) in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Makes 3 cups. Serve with chips!
Ghost Pepper Oil
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups canola oil
- 1 dried Ghost Chile Pepper (no stem) cut in half lengthwise
Preheat the oven to 225°F. In an oven-safe dish, add oils and ghost pepper. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 3 hours. Remove from oven, transfer to airtight container, and place in refrigerator to cool. For added heat, leave pepper in the oil. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Bhut Salsa
- 2 dried Bhut Jolokia Pepper
- ½ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 (15 ounce) canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Bring water and dried ghost pepper to a boil — let the pepper simmer for 5 minutes after boiling. In a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, garlic and vinegar and puree.
Ghost Burgers
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ghost powder
- 1 clove garlic
Mix all ingredients and shape into 4 burgers. Grill over medium heat 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning once.


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Editor's note: The Rifle Police Department reports the following incidents and arrests. Summonses or arrests merely indicate an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless found guilty in court.
Criminal mischief: Police are investigating an incident in the 200 block of West Third, reported on Feb. 23, in which railroad ties in a parking lot were damaged by a careless driver. There are no suspects in the case. Damage is believed to be less than $500.
Violation of restraining order: Police responded to a domestic disturbance at Seventh and Whiteriver at 12:09 a.m. on Feb. 24. Although officers determined no crime occurred, William Daniel Suggs, 30, of Rifle, was found to be in violation of a court order prohibiting him from contacting another person involved. He was arrested for violating the court order and lodged at the county jail.
Driving under the influence: Police stopped a motorist in the 1500 block of Arabian Avenue at 4:20 p.m. on Feb. 24 for speeding. Trevor Jaymes Plambeck, 25, of Rifle was arrested on suspicion of speeding and driving under the influence.
Theft: Police are investigating the theft of a wallet in the 800 block of Airport Road reported on Feb. 24.
Assault: Police were called to a disturbance at a business in the 1700 block of Railroad Avenue at 10 p.m. on Feb. 24. The suspect fled on foot, prompting a short chase. Anthony Villegas, 23, of New Castle, was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal mischief and lodged at the county jail.
Theft: Police were called to a business in the 1700 block of Railroad Avenue at 2:20 p.m. on Feb. 25 for a shoplifting report. Two boys were seen leaving the store with merchandise they hadn't paid for. The incident is under investigation.
Theft: Police were called to a business in the 1300 block of Railroad Avenue, and cited Cassandra C. Retzer, 29, of Silt for shoplifting.
Warrant arrest: Police on patrol in the 300 block of West Third Street at 6:40 p.m. on Feb. 25 contacted Robert Justin Brannon, 34, of Grand Junction. He was wanted on a warrant and was booked into the county jail.
False imprisonment: Officers were called to a disturbance in the 200 block of West 20th St. at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 26. David Leslie Nash Jr., 26, of Rifle, was arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, criminal mischief and domestic violence and lodged at the county jail.


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A teen is charged with firing at a rival gang member, but instead hitting the rival's aunt.
17-year-old Jaquuan Harris, is accused of Assault With A Deadly Weapon With Intent To Kill, Inflicting Serious Injury And Assault With A Deadly Weapon.
According to the Rocky Mount Telegram, Harris confronted his 16-year-old rival and his rival's 18-year-old aunt at the National Guard Armory In Rocky Mount Wednesday night and fired at them.
Tierra Williams was shot in the leg and treated and released at the hospital, according to the paper.


text: Get braces and smile more - it's that simple. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards in orthodontic care and providing the best possible service to our patients. Our practice boasts state-of-the-art equipment and a caring, professional staff in a friendly, inviting environment. Get started on your new, beautiful smile today! Browse our site to find out more about us and learn about the many benefits of orthodontic care and treatment. For questions, concerns or to schedule an orthodontic appointment, please contact DN Orthodontics at one of our conveniently located offices.


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THE OKLAHOMAN You're viewing an article from The Oklahoman's newsroom. Print subscribers have Full Access to a premium experience at Oklahoman.com.
Arresting officers, man who died while in custody are identified by OKC police
A man who was convicted of assault and battery on a police officer died in police custody over the weekend.
Oral Allen Murray, 28, died Saturday while officers were trying to arrest him at a gas station near NW 10 and N Meridian Avenue, police Capt. Dexter Nelson said.
Nelson also identified the three officers involved in the arrest as officer Michael Callaway, two years of service; officer Wilner Laguerre, five years of service; and Sgt. Renaldo Sanchez, 11 years of service. They are assigned to the Hefner Division.
Police were dispatched about 4:40 p.m. Saturday in response to reports of a man forcing his way into occupied vehicles and assaulting people, Nelson said.
"He was able to make entry into at least two vehicles. After making entry, he assaulted the occupants inside and did not try to leave with those vehicles," he said.
The officers found Murray trying to force his way into a Shell station as the clerk was struggling to keep him out. Police used physical force to take him to the ground, Nelson said.
No weapons or Tasers were used, he said.
"The officers did not use any blunt objects. They did not use any kicks or punches on this individual. They basically wrestled him to the ground and held him until they could handcuff him," Nelson said.
Murray was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, where he began to show signs of distress, at which point police called for an ambulance, Nelson said.
He said the man was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Witnesses told officers Murray said he wanted to cool off while he was forcing him way into the occupied vehicles.
"We believe that he was possibly suffering from the effects of some sort of narcotics, but we will, again, have to wait for the medical examiner makes the determination," Nelson said.
The homicide unit is conducting a criminal investigation, and internal affairs will review the investigation, Nelson said.
Man had criminal past
Murray was convicted of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and assault and battery on a police officer in January 2011 in Payne County, according to the state Corrections Department website. He was released from prison in March.
Murray also was arrested on drug complaints and public drunkenness complaints, according to Payne County court documents.
Nelson said Murray had no record with Oklahoma City police before Saturday's incident.
Scan the QR code, or go online to NewsOK.com to watch a video.


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: A Mother's Bequest
Helen Clancy
A piece of fiction, with an emphasis on the theme of motherhood. Written for an audience of women and mothers.
A tiny figure stood alone at the edge of the ocean. Her long black hair hung in a pony-tail, under a red hand-knitted beret. She had her favourite red woollen jacket wrapped tightly around her. Her hands were crossed, holding on to her shoulders as if she was hugging herself. The black and purple clouds formed a low ceiling which made the beach feel like a huge dark cavern. The wet sand shone like silver glass in the cool January morning-light.
Forty-year old Sheila ran down Sollas beach, in North Uist, a remote part of the Outer Hebrides. She just managed to stop herself from falling headlong, as she slipped on a slimy piece of salty-smelling seaweed.
Iona was staring into the waves: the light, icy rain mingling with the tears that
stained her face. The faint sound of her sobbing mingled with the soft sound of the waves and the crying of the gulls.
Sheila had never seen a five-year-old child looking so forlorn, so distressed:
�Iona, darling � come back inside � you�ll catch your death of cold.�
�Why did you let Mummy go? Why didn�t you stop her? I hate you! I hate you!�
Sheila gently pulled Iona away from the black swaying mass that was the ocean, and held
her tight.
�Come now, Onie, let�s get you warm. I�ll make you a lovely cup of hot cocoa.�
She stooped down, and picked her up, wrapping her blue woollen coat around Iona, the child�s black hair mingling with her own light brown curly hair. She staggered back up the beach towards the large house with the red roof, behind the giant sand-dunes.
Twenty years later, Sheila sat nervously in the lounge of the Sollas house looking down the single-track lane outside the window. Iona would be here any minute. She wondered how Iona would react to seeing her old nanny and this house again after all this time.
Sheila had cried for days when her employer, Rebecca and her daughter Iona had both left so suddenly. She still couldn�t understand why Rebecca had disappeared like that, on the morning of 2nd January, leaving her five-year old daughter behind. Iona had been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle and cousins in Stornoway, and Sheila had remained as housekeeper to Rebecca�s older brother. Now he had died, and Iona had been left the house, but there was a sticking point; it was a condition of the bequest that Iona had to read the letter her mother had left before she could inherit the house.
Ah � there she was � a navy blue Toyota was coming down the track. Was this Iona? Sheila immediately recognised the striking young lady, dressed in jeans and a smart leather jacket, who stepped out of the car. Although 20 years older, she still had the same long black hair, the big brown eyes, and slightly upturned nose.
Yes, that was her Iona! Iona opened the door and let herself into the porch where she removed her boots and placed them under the hallstand. She looked around; very little seemed to have changed, although everything seemed much smaller than she remembered.
Sheila had changed though. Now sixty, she had not aged well. Her once shiny brown hair was now mostly grey and her face had a weathered appearance. She had put on weight, and her beige cardigan and tweed skirt did nothing for her figure. But Iona remembered Sheila with affection; she had been the family housekeeper, and nanny to Iona until she was five, and she had always been kind and loving, taking care of
everyone�s needs. If only she had taken care of herself a little better, Iona thought.
�Iona, how lovely to see you again, you�ve grown into such a beautiful young lady�.
�It�s good to see you too, Sheila. How are you?�
�I�m OK. Come and sit down � kettle�s boiled.�
They walked into the kitchen, where a kettle was sitting on top of an old Aga. Sheila put the kettle back onto the hot plate for a minute to re-boil it and made a pot of tea. She motioned to Iona, to sit down at a square table, which was covered with a blue patterned oil-cloth. Above the range there hung a wooden clothes-dryer with an assortment of checked and striped tea-towels.
There was silence for a couple of minutes, before Iona said:
�Sorry to hear about old Bob � you�ll miss him ��
�He�d lived a good long life � aye � I will miss him, but it was his time, wouldn�t have wanted him to suffer a long illness, he�d have hated it - if he�d been bed-ridden.�
�Yes, that�s true. He was always active. Couldn�t see him in a nursing home, or hospital bed for long.�
�So you�ll inherit the house now ��
�Will you come back to live here again?
�I�d like to � I�ve always wanted to come back here � although � it makes me think about her ��
�Aye, it would do, lass. She really loved you, Iona ��
�Strange way of showing it � disappearing like that!�
�I know � I can�t understand that � never have been able to.�
�I�ll never forgive her for abandoning me � I was only 5 years old, the same age as my Kristina. I could never imagine leaving her. What mother could do such a thing?�
The two women sat in silence for a few minutes.
�I�ve got the letter.� Sheila got up and went to the dresser, where she pulled out a
blue sealed envelope, addressed to �My darling Iona�.
�I won�t read it.�
�But you must.�
�Sheila, I told you, I won�t read it!�
�But you really should. It might tell you why she did it.�
�Even if it does, I�ll never forgive her. Give it to me! I�ll tear it up � right now.�
�How on earth will that help?�
�Don�t you understand � I want to forget she ever existed ��
�But Iona, she loved you � I know she did. She must have had a good reason.
Besides, you have to read it. It�s a condition of the will; you have to read it before you
get the house.�
�Oh,� she sighed, �I suppose there really is nothing for it. I�ll go for a walk along the beach, and read it there.�
Iona went outside, and walked across the rough grass, and down through a gap in the tall sand dunes, on to the deserted beach. It was a July afternoon, but there was a chill in the air, and a light mist hovered around with pale sunlight peering through, making the long sandy beach seem surreal. She walked along, close to the edge of the turquoise water, following the line of the shore, as it went out into the ocean and then curved back upon itself. She sat down on a piece of driftwood at the end of a small peninsular, with shallow water all around her. Should she open the letter? She was certain that nothing could ever make her forgive her mother after all this time. No, nothing could ever justify what she had done. She sighed and took a deep breath.
She began to read:
My darling Iona,
My heart is breaking as I write this. I love you more than I could ever tell you. But I have
to leave you, my beautiful Onie. You have brought so much fun and laughter into my life.
It has been such a lovely Christmas. How I have enjoyed watching you open your presents, playing with your new doll�s house, sitting beside the peat fire, reading fairy stories together, holding your hand as we walk along the beach or run down the dunes.
Now I have to do the hardest thing. I have to leave you, knowing you will not understand and will probably hate me for it. But I do it to protect you. I am not well. I have only a few months to live; I have a dreadful disease that will change me beyond recognition � motor neurone disease.
I am going to a hospice in Dalliburgh, South Uist. No-one will know where I am, but they will look after me until I die.
I hope that one day, when you read this letter, you will finally understand that I did this because I loved you and wanted you to remember me as I am now�
Your loving mother
A solitary figure stood alone at the edge of the ocean. Her long black hair hung in a pony tail, under a red hand knitted beret. She was weeping as she stared into the murmuring waves:
�Oh, Mother, Mother,� she cried, �Forgive me. I�m so sorry! I hated you for all these years. Now I understand why you did what you did � �
The sun disappeared behind a cloud, and the mist swirled around her, enclosing her for a moment in a strange white world, before it cleared again. Then a thought crossed her mind like a cloud crossing in front of the sun:
�What if this disease is hereditary?�
Iona stood gazing out into the ocean for what seemed a very long time, and eventually turned and made her way back up the beach towards the large house with the red roof, behind the giant sand-dunes.
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Sweet pie crust is similar in texture to a delicate butter cookie. It should be somewhat crumbly, buttery and lightly sweet, similar to a cookie. As a result, this pie crust is best left for sweet fillings, such as chocolate or banana cream pies.
Though the raw dough does tear easily as it is being shaped into the pan, it is easily patched. This dough can be used in a traditional pie pan, but also works well pressed into a tart pan (though you will need less dough). And while this dough can be used for a double crust recipe, it is most frequently used for single crust pies.
The classic clafoutis is a custardy concoction straight from the countryside of France. This version adds a touch of chocolate that is nicely offset by the crisp sweet crust.
Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active)
Makes 1 crust
1 �3/4 cups all-purpose flour
�1/4 teaspoon salt
�1/2cup powdered sugar
�1/2cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg yolk
In a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolk and beat just to combine. Stir in the flour mixture until completely incorporated. The dough will be quite soft. With your hands, form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
When ready to make the pie, on a lightly floured surface roll one of the discs into a 13-inch circle. Always roll from the center of the disc and turn frequently to prevent sticking.
Fold the dough in half, then again to form quarters. Lift the triangle of dough into your pie pan, putting the folded point in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the dough to cover the whole pan. You should have a generous overhang once the dough is all settled into the corners of the pan.
Trim the overhang of dough to just beyond the edge of the pan. Using either a fork or your fingers, crimp the edge of the dough around the pie and against the top of the pie pan. Bake as directed for your pie recipe.
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (20 minutes active)
Servings: 8
For the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
Two 10-ounce packages frozen sweet cherries, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
For the batter:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
�1/4 cup cocoa powder
�1/2 cup sugar
�1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 �1/4 cups whole milk
1 unbaked sweet pie crust fitted to a deep 9-inch pie pan
Heat the oven to 350 F.
To make the filling, in a large skillet over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the cherries and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the juices become syrupy, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the batter. In a blender, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and milk. Blend thoroughly.
Pour a 1/2-inch layer of the batter into the bottom of the pie crust. Spoon the cherries over the batter, then top with the remaining batter. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set and lightly browned. A toothpick inserted at the center should come out clean.
The sweet pie crust used for this chocolate pie is often used for single crust pies but can be used with crust topped pies also.
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I have read that Haskell parser combinators (in Parsec) can parse context sensitive grammars. Is this also true for Scala parser combinators? If so, is this what the "into" (aka ">>") function is for?
What are some strengths/weaknesses of Scala's implementation of parser combinators, vs Haskell's? Do they accept the same class of grammars? Is it easier to generate error messages or do other miscellaneous useful things with one or the other?
How does packrat parsing (introduced in Scala 2.8) fit into this picture?
Is there a webpage or some other resource that shows how different operators/functions/DSL-sugar from one language's implementation maps onto the other's?


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Entries with Company Names starting with 'O'
Office of the People's Counsel (DC)
The Office of the People's Counsel is an independent agency of the District of Columbia government. By law, it is the advocate for consumers of natural gas, electric and telephone services in the District.
Oregon Wave Energy Trust
Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) is a nonprofit, public-private partnership that is helping to responsibly develop ocean energy by connecting stakeholders, supporting research and development, and engaging in public outreach and policy work.
Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP
Since our beginning in San Francisco in 1863, Orrick has dedicated itself to two interdependent goals: serving our clients and building an enduring institution.
OwnEnergy is the national leader in mid-sized wind energy development.


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2 Reviews
This was my first experience with couscous (I used whole grain). I enjoyed the end result of this recipe. I used chicken broth in place of the water. I omitted the mushrooms. My comments are mainly around the amounts called for - I ended up with tons of onion because I used 1 onion that was rather large. I would like to see amounts (1 cup onion, 2 cups chopped zucchini...) and also, I had no idea what "chili" was - chili powder? I used crushed red pepper flakes and that ended up being WAY too spicy. I enjoyed the method of cooking couscous though and will try it again, possibly with other vegetables.
This was very tasty and easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal. I served as a light supper with Sauteed Spinach With Garlic on the side. Forgot to add the cumin, s & p until the end, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Thanks for another tasty recipe!


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JAN 24, 2013 - Forbes
A Must Read - Share
Alaska Airlines will announce fourth quarter and full year 2012 earnings Thursday, January 24. The carrier posted impressive growth in revenues and earnings in the first three quarters of 2012 on higher passenger traffic. Revenues increased 7.7% y-o-y to $3.5 billion and net income increased 50% y-o-y to $272 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2012.
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© 2011 Comunitee, Inc.


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May 29, 2016
BOSTON (AP) -- The only sedate place in Boston after the arrest of the surviving marathon bombing suspect may have been the spot were Monday's tragedy unfolded.
Dozens gathered Friday near where the twin bombs exploded to pay solemn tribute to the three killed and more than 180 wounded in the explosions.
Celebrations erupted in many other communities including suburban Watertown where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (JOH'-kahr tsahr-NY'-ev) was taken into custody after being found hiding in a boat parked in the backyard of a home.
The jubilation was widespread. The mayor of Boston tweeted, "We got him!" And at the home of the New York Mets, fans leapt to their feet and cheered.
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Online Bridal Marketplace by Paper flowers - Bride image from Pat Furey blog, paper flowers from Paper Platypus, wreath from Simple Joy Paperie@Etsy Follow
Featured in Recycled Bride: Floral Alternatives for Eco-Chic Brides.
Get creative- gorgeous bridal bouquet and wedding table centerpieces made from recycled paper!.
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This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
Soughton Hall Country House Hotel4 Self rated
Price FromView Rooms
- Very Good
- 25 guest reviews
"Was very good, only exception was having to clean the bath before using it as it was dirty however all other aspects were excellent..."
"Booked 1 night here, expected 4 poster bed but that had been allocated to a bride and groom....I felt they deserved more than us!!! The staf..."
"Could not fault location, facilities, hospitality, food, ambience. A truly pleasant hassle free stay & meal at The Stables was excellent. Ca..."
About the hotel
Located amidst the beautiful Welsh countryside, this historic hotel offers free Wi-Fi and parking. With luxurious rooms, elegant interior and magnificent gardens, it is one of the most select venues in the North West. Built in 1714, Soughton Hall started life as a bishop's palace and has been the home to a succession of heirs in the Wynne-Bankes family line.
It is now a privately owned boutique hotel with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Exquisitely furnished and decorated, this luxurious country house features the highest standards of interior design. From beautiful handmade carpets and fabrics to an impressive collection of antiques and curios, it truly embodies the refined elegance of traditional country living. All 15 bedrooms at the hotel are individually named and elegantly decorated. Each room has its own bathroom, bath robes, Egyptian cotton sheets, television, radio, hair dryer, trouser press, homemade biscuits, mineral water and tea and coffee making facilities. With antique furnishings, handmade carpets and beautiful fabrics, each unique room has the highest standard of interior design. The Stables Bar & Restaurant offers a range of classic dishes as well as modern and seasonal cooked to order. On Sundays a traditional roast carvery is served. The restaurant's has a fine selection of wines and specialises in South African. Whatever the occasion, the hotel can tailor the event to the guest's requirements. Menus, entertainment and even a glamorous marquee are available for large parties. Soughton Hall is the perfect venue for weddings. With a stunning backdrop of magnificent mature gardens, specially tailored wedding menus, vintage wines and a team of professional staff, Soughton Hall surpasses all expectations it is totally unique and very special. The peaceful surroundings and superb facilities make Soughton Hall ideal for conferences and business meetings. The meeting rooms are naturally lit by large windows with views of the gardens and surrounding countryside. Please note that free breakfast is continental not full English.
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Facilities Show/hide
- Main
- Hotel Non-Smoking Throughout
- Hotel services
- 24 Hour Reception , 24 Hour Room Service , Laundry/Valet Service , Wake Up Call Available
- Family friendly
- Cots available
- Other
- Wedding Licence , Doctor on call , Porter , Ground floor bedrooms
- Parking (charges may apply)
- Car parking available onsite
- Business
- Wi-Fi Available , Meeting Facilities , Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas , Private dining services
- Dining
- Restaurant , Lounge Menu , Bar , Breakfast to go
- In room entertainment
- TV , Satellite TV , [Channels] Music , [Channels] Childrens , Radio
- In room facilities
- Safety Deposit Box , Tea/Coffee making facilities in each room , Hairdryer in each room , Trouser press in each room , Iron And Board In Each Room , Telephone In Each Room
- Leisure
- Croquet , Tennis Courts
Useful Info Show/hide
- From 14:30 hours
- Until 11:00 hours
- The price shown is based on the occupancy and dates you have searched for. Prices and availability are subject to change based on the arrival date, number of nights and occupancy searched for. All prices are inclusive of all local taxes.
- Pets are not allowed
Customer Reviews
Our reviews are from genuine LateRooms.com customers. We verify that the customer has stayed before leaving a review.
Very Good
68% would recommend it to a friend
Customer service
Food quality
Room quality
Soughton Hall Country House Hotel
Was very good, only exception was having to clean the bath before using it as it was dirty however all other aspects were excellent
Soughton Hall Country House Hotel
Room not cleaned, waste bins not emptied, coffee or tea not replaced, cups not washed after our first night.
Toilet would not get rid of waste had to use toilet brush every time this was due to design of the toilet. the cold water was hot even for the toilet flush... very strange.
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So first of all, Luis Cerveró is not from Canada. Well not the country at least. He is however one of three directors (Lope Serrano and Nicolás Méndez being the other two) in a film collective from Barcelona called CANADA who make films, music videos and commercials all signed under the one common name. To explain their whole world would be to get into an array of details; but basically they produce work for local clients, have signed with the production company Partizan for world-wide representation, they produce for other directors and companies under the name NEVADA and have recently opened up a publishing arm called Canada Editorial. It's a lot to take in so let's all take a breath.
You'd know their clip for El Guincho 'Bombay' and have probably seen the seductive ice-cream slurpery of Battles 'Ice Cream'. They are masters of translating their ideas into unique and appealing shots on screen, always with an eye for clean aesthetics, and usually of things you've never seen before. At least we hadn't seen girls lick branches or make out with statues before Bombay; but are sure glad we did!
They recently released their epic retro-futuristic clip to Justice 'New Lands' (of which S2A Studio did the single cover artwork), so naturally we wanted to hear more about the shooting and share some of the behind-the-scenes stories with you, our readers!
They are staunchly in favour of analog equipment and the use of film. They hate the term 'vintage' as they see film as just being the real thing, not a novelty. No filters here.
"It's exactly what's happening if you use a Leica 35mm camera to take pictures of your wife and people go like wow, how cool and vintage is that. Well fuck you, this isn't vintage, it's just the real thing."
Interview by Karl Henkell for Surface to Air.
S2A: Just to get it out of the way early, why the name CANADA?
LUIS CERVERÓ: Well, when we had to pick a name for us as a collective we just dropped in plenty of names. We were sitting in a cafe with a huge hangover. The night before we had been all three together in this amazing clandestine rock club called Our Favorite Club, and there we had met a canadian girl called Rivkah. I was talking to her all night about the amazingness of Canada, the country, even if I had never been there before. It was all just about the idea one has from the distance of a very huge country, with very few people, and with all this snow and mountains and trees and bears and caribous. Then the next morning, when we were talking names, that word came up again, Canada, and we started thinking about qualities to it. The cross between french and english cultures, the mix of extreme nature and industrial cities, the fact it is always on the margins without being marginal, and also, the word itself made out of three As and different consonants kind of made sense to us being three, and having a lot in common (which would make the A) and a bit distinctive (which would be the C/N/D). Well that's more or less the story but in fact the reason is totally random, which is at the same time at the core of CANADA, the randomness of things in life.
Luis behind the camera on set of 'New Lands'
S2A: Tell me a bit about the filming of your epic clip to Justice 'New Lands'.
LUIS: Well i wouldn't know where to start. It was epic indeed. We were prepping for two months, gathering all these sportsmen and stunts and clothes and props while we were thinking up the story and the storyboards. Then the shoot itself was quite hectic, having not such a big budget we had to shoot with a small crew, two units, and a ton of actors and extras for four nights in a row. Shooting outdoors at night is a big fuck because when the sun rises there's nothing you can do about it, you just stop and leave. So you are shooting against the clock and we had over 300 storyboarded shots and the list kept getting smaller because we couldn't complete more than around 60 shots for each night of the shoot (which is a lot for 10 hours of night time). So it was going to be even bigger. There was this female character among the crowd that was going to unveil as a sniper at some point and try to kill the president of the black team. We had helmets of the police special forces that guard the authorities booth ready to explode with blood and the video was going to finish with a double parallel thrill of the main hero about to score the final touchdown and the girl about to kill the president. But we ran out of time and stuck to the main sports action and forgot about the gun shoots. The girl didn't even come to set, as we kept moving and moving her shots. But anyway, it was plenty of fun to shoot and it was our first music video with anamorphic lenses, which is a reason in itself to enjoy any shoot in your life.
The stadium set to Justice 'New Lands'
S2A: With such a tight schedule of shots to do in one night, there must have been a lot of pressure to keep moving onto the next one. Is the only way forward to run with it and accept that you can't control everything?
LUIS: Time is such an abstract and enigmatic thing, really. I remember perfectly the first night seemed like a big monster hanging on our shoulders. Everything was hard and slow, and everytime I looked at the clock an hour and a half had passed. We lost a lot of shots that day; it was a mess and very appaling. Then the second night was the other way around. We kept making larger and more complex shots and time was totally on our side. It was the same amount of hours, but two totally opposite realities. But then night three was hell again and night four we had all night to shoot the final touchdown under the rain, and we had storyboarded like 80 shots for that, which we finally had to reduce to half of it. It is very tough to work that way, but it also keeps the shooting process very open and alive. You just have to keep jumping onto solutions, making up new shots that will solve what you intended to do in four different takes, stuff like that. It is a mix of very negative pressure and very positive creative flow. Also the fact that it's not just you but a huge amount of people involved make it totally organic and you have to leave room for accidents to happen. Hopefully happy accidents.
On field at the 'New Lands' shoot
S2A: Where did the idea for the clip begin?
LUIS: The idea came straight from Xavier and Gaspard. You have worked with them, so you probably know that most of what they do, the idea comes straight from them. They are such control freaks. So they said hey we'd like to do this music video featuring an ultraviolent sport that takes place in the future, would you be up for it? So we wrote the treatment and then they said we love it, talk to Ed Banger about money! Hahahaha It was a big setup but they got what they wanted, I hope.
Flying high on set of 'New Lands'
S2A: Was it one of the more elaborate projects you've done?
LUIS: Absolutely. Up to then we were really avoiding anything to do with heavy post-production. Our films are very simple technically and that was a major turn around. But since then, we've been approached for larger and more complex projects involving post, which we found ourselves dumped in as we speak.
S2A: Is heavy post-production the way of the future?
LUIS: I personally have no clue what the way of the future is. I just hope one can always have in hand whichever tools he or she thinks are the best to achieve what's in his or her mind. Heavy post-production is a great tool for some works to be done, but what matters most also is who's behind those tools, and what worries us as well is the shift in creative people's sensibilities towards a very fake and just plain ugly sense of reality. You just have to compare the original Star Wars trilogy to the new one. Or something as simple as film posters or magazine covers being done today. It's hard for people in their thirties to accept that new way of rendering visuals.
Entering the danger-zone
S2A: Where do you stand on the topic of analog vs digital? Are you more passionate about 'vintage' film equipment or about what new digital technology can offer?
LUIS: We all stand strongly on the analog. First, because it is the technology we know more about, most of our previous experience comes from shooting on film and we still feel clumsy and uncomfortable when using digital. But on top of that, you just can't beat film on any side of it (well, just on the money side of it). The texture, the colours, the highlights, the shadows, the depth of field, the sharpness of film beats the HD video blatantly. I mean, why spend so much effort using HD to make it look like film (which is what most people intend) when you have the other medium that just gives it to you naturally. It's just an enormous industrial and economic detour that has been imposed to filmmakers as a must, as a bit of a fashist attack, where in a few years time you will just not be able to shoot how you want to shoot, and be left with just one choice: digital. It is a big fuck up. Big big fuck up.
We are not passionate about vintage technology regarding film. It is this same capitalist imposition of HD which is making film technology to look or be considered vintage, which shouldn't be like that. It's exactly what's happening if you use a Leica 35mm camera to take pictures of your wife and people go like wow, how cool and vintage is that. Well fuck you, this isn't vintage, it's just the real thing.
Story-boarded shots for 'New Lands'
S2A: Do bigger budgets equal a greater opportunity?
LUIS: Not really, I wouldn't say so. It has to do more with the people you work with. I mean for instance with Justice working for them is a great opportunity to get your work visible, but not because of the money spent. Alex Courtes' video was much cheaper and is an amazing piece of film, and it has probably meant the same to him as to what New Lands meant to us. And our big international jump came from El Guincho's Bombay, which is a super low cost video. So I wouldn't say money is involved in great opportunities, no. But of course, it means you can be more ambitious with the size of what you're shooting.
Head-honchos looking over the game
S2A: For us at S2A, Paris as a city is very important creatively. Would you say that Barcelona is the same for you?
LUIS: I guess it used to be like that. We were always in bars and parties and live shows and that, but it's gotten to a point where we're working so much we might be losing our connection to the city, which isn't good at all. But right now Barcelona feels more like a background or a playground for our projects than a consistent influence. Lope is a massive Barça supporter so he's probably the one who lives the city more intensely.
S2A: How do ideas usually come about at CANADA. Is it a process of collaboration?
LUIS: We try to keep it like that, yes. When it is an open brief or original idea, we try and gather all three around a table (or on the floor carpet) and talk for hours. But now many times clients call with a straight idea or brief so any of us can handle it individually while the other two do something else. But we still lean on one each other on different stages of the creative process, and that is of great help, because what's most hard in any creative job is to be fully convinced you've got the best choice possible, and that is always helpful to share with other brains.
Filming of the touch-down scene in 'New Lands'
S2A: Many of the video clips that we have done have been for friends (Justice, Jamaica, Scenario Rock etc) . Is that how many of your clips come about – as 'natural collaborations'?
LUIS: Yes, I mean, since we signed up to Partizan, we're like divided in two fields: doing international videos with bigger budgets for bands that we don't know personally but admire, and then sticking with the independent music scene from our country, where we always work with bands that are close friends or friends of friends. It's a bit schizoid, because both worlds are completely different, but we don't want to lose touch with the music scene here, even though its getting hard to shoot with the actual budgets from spanish record labels.
S2A: What is the music scene like in Barcelona?
LUIS: It is great. It is a bit worse than say, four or five years ago, when we did have the best scene I've known in my lifetime. There are still really great bands doing totally diverse stuff from a unique voice and personal statements. I love a lot of bands from the city: Mujeres, Tarántula, Les Aus, Pegasvs, El Guincho, or Don The Tiger, which are bands that don't have anything in common musically but are big friends and make a very exciting scene. Some good bands have dissapeared lately, and it's getting harder to have live shows in bars, but still there's a great musical energy in the city.
S2A: What is an ideal project for you? A more narrative-driven video like that for 55dsl?
LUIS: Well, what was really good about that particular film is that it was a total open brief. I mean they really didn't give a fuck about what it was about as long as you had a young couple wearing their clothes and that it was shot in Italy. But in that case they didn't have much money, so it wasn't either like an ideal project. But the fact of having an open brief is not always ideal either, some guidelines or a starting point is usually of great help. We tend to conceptualise our films a lot, so working in the void is not that good for us. But, yes, as one can imagine, an ideal project is something with enough money to be crafted right and interesting people or music or ideas behind them that will still leave you space to work under a good amount of creative freedom.
S2A: Would Canada ever consider directing a feature-length film?
LUIS: We talk about it often, and we've had some proposals already. But it's not easy to totally stop the company's activity for a couple of years to focus on a long length project. But we're working our heads to see how we can manage this situation. We all want to give it a try.
S2A: Are there any upcoming projects you can talk about?
LUIS: Not really, no. We've had an exhausting year and right now we've all three just completed commercial works. So we're in a bit of a pause right now, gathering forces for the next round.
See more at www.lawebdecanada.com/
Photography by Javier Caso & Eskenaziencursiva
Justice – 'New Lands' directed by CANADA
Making Of Justice 'New Lands' presented by Red Bull
'MEET' is a series of interviews with friends of S2A where we catch up on their lives, their current projects, their creativity, inspiration and whatever else happens to be on their minds!


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Behind the Headline:Moving the Best Teachers to the Worst Schools
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On Top of the News
Moving the Best Teachers to the Worst Schools
Washington Post | 11/8/2012
Behind the Headline
An Effective Teacher in Every Classroom
Education Next | Summer 2010
In the Washington Post, Jay Mathews reacts to a new study that looks at teacher turnover in D.C., and in particular, what the district is doing to keep its best teachers. The study finds that the school system is making some progress, but that many principals are doing very little to try to retain the most effective teachers. It also finds that highly effective teachers are less likely to teach in schools with more poor children. In his column, Mathews asks whether the school district will do more to get top-performing teachers to move to the schools where they are most needed.
In an Education Next forum about effective teachers, Eric Hanushek and Kati Haycock both argued against forcibly reassigning teachers to high-need schools. "As district leaders are discovering for themselves, a better solution lies in a creative combination of targeted incentives for teachers and policies that empower administrators and school leaders to recruit and retain effective educators," Kati Haycock wrote.
More about the study can be found in "Study Chides D.C. Teacher Turnover" by Emma Brown
-Education Next
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15 servings, 2 pops each
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Sweets can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions.
Prepare as directed, substituting BAKER'S Milk Chocolate or White Dipping Chocolate for some of the Semi-Sweet Dipping Chocolate.
Pops can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the freezer up to 1 week.
* Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Everyone loves these and they are super easy! I've made them 3 or 4 times already.
1 little thing with the recipe though - says use 1 cup of the crust mix and save the rest well the box comes w/almost exactly 1 cup of mix!
Pretty good, but not worth the time.
More difficult than expected.
K:44913v0 :70018


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Celestron SE8: Best at that price?
Posted 28 October 2010 - 01:29 PM
So here are my questions, Is this a good beginner scope with good optics that maybe at some point in the future I could some astrophotograph at some point? What accessories are necessary? Celestron sells their 1.25 lens and filter kits, is that a good deal? Should I even consider 2"? Have I totally missed the point and overlooked a better scope at the same price. If you had $1,200-$1,500 what you buy?
Any and all advise is greatly appreciated,
Posted 28 October 2010 - 02:28 PM
I'd say it is an excellent beginners scope! My first real scope was an 8" Meade 2080LX back more than 20yrs ago and I paid about 1700 bucks and came with a cheap Meade EP set.
You will like it, just keep in mind the mount's limitations, before you buy a Focal reducer for AP. But then again, if your budget is only for 1.25" EPs than even for visual use, an FR is good.
Geesh, this hobby is expensive....
Clear skies
Posted 28 October 2010 - 02:32 PM
The December Sky & Telescope has advertisements for a rebate sale starting in November.
Arizona Ken
Posted 28 October 2010 - 02:52 PM
Welcome to CN!
I know I'm in the wrong forum to say this, but have you considered Dobs? The Orion 8" is a third of the cost of the Nexstar, and you now have the option of getting the goto version, which is still less than the Nexstar. The Dob may weigh a little more, but will likely be as comfortable to use. Neither is well suited to astro-photography, although the Nexstar can be easily mounted to a GEM, the Dob cannot.
What would I get if I had the money to spend? I would probably look for a used 8" or 9.25" SCT on a GEM (likely with no goto). Even though I know I can get more aperature in a Dob.
With the 8" SCT, I don't think there is any advantage to 2" eyepieces, the fully illuminated area is too small. You can probably get better eyepieces than the Celestron kit.
My advice for eyepieces is to get a few relatively inexpensive ones so you have a good range of magnifications. Then wait. If you hang around here much, you won't be able to avoid buying more in the future , so there's no point in trying to "get everything you're ever going to need" right out of the gate.
Good luck, and let us know what you get.
Posted 28 October 2010 - 03:44 PM
If you feel comfortable star hopping with a Dob, use the budget to go up to 10 or even 12 inches for more light gathering power, realizing that you will spend more time finding things and manually tracking them, and you won't have any realistic AP options.
Both are very good astronomical instruments. It pretty much comes down to what your individual needs and desires are.
Posted 28 October 2010 - 04:10 PM
My reasoning is your concern that the scope may end up gathering dust because you may not have enough time to use it ...
I own a 8i (earlier model of the 8SE) and a CPC1100 ..used to own a 8 inch dob which I sold years ago to fund the 8i) ...To be honest I not only wanted but I needed tracking as I like to sketch and I also like to take coffee breaks away from the eyepiece..the Dob just could not cut it...
I do NOT consider the 8Se as a beginners scope.. Heck I've been in this hobby for over 50 years and I still own and I still use my 8i ... I;m still well satisfied..
Do a little research and see if you can find the GSO (Revelation) eyepiece kits... MUCH MUCH better match up with the included eyepieces for the 8se... the highest power is I believe a 9 mm the Celestron Meade and Zhumell kits usually include a 4 and a 6 mm eyepiece which are just about useless in an 8 inch SCT so why even buy a kit with them...
Bob G
Posted 28 October 2010 - 05:47 PM
Posted 28 October 2010 - 06:57 PM
Posted 28 October 2010 - 07:23 PM
with that mount, you can get started in astrophotography in a more fulfilling manner than you can on the SE. plus, it's a very sturdy mount.
i had the exact same parameters as you when i bought my first 'real' scope, and this is the choice i made. if you buy from a dealer, they'll probably throw in enough stuff to get you started with eyepieces.
at this stage, i wouldn't worry too much about 2 inch eyepieces. you can definitely explore expanding with the c8 in the future if you wish, but to start, you'll be fine at 1.25.
anyway, my 2 cents based on personal experience with the same purchase parameters.
Posted 28 October 2010 - 08:08 PM
Here are my recommendations:
1. Go to our CN host's website and read their very informative and helpful section called "How to pick an eyepiece." Go to "Accessories" toward the top of the main page, then "Eyepieces and Barlows." It's at the top of the page above the list of eyepiece makers. www.astronomics.com
There's also a section called "How to pick a barlow."
I'll give a shameless plug for Astronomics. They're great people. They're also one of the few retailers that have really gone out of their way to help educate consumers on how to make better informed eyepiece choices on their website. I haven't seen another retailer provide so much valuable info so conveniently. They put some real thought into this - most others rarely bother.
2. I know dobs are great scopes and a friend's got a 12.5" but I've never owned one. Just thought you might want to know that withan SCT, most any EP will perform well because of the long focal raio (f/10). While Dobs are generally the best value in telescopes, they're also very demanding on EPs to get the best image throughout the field of view. It's one reason why most dob owners own premium wide field EPs. Another is that wide field EPs maximize viewing time before having to nudge the scope to keep the target in the fov. This is less important if you get one of Orion's new GoTo dobs.
I'm not saying you can't get a good view through a dob with a $100 EP, you can. But as your observing skills inprove, you'll want premuim EPs for the dob.
3. Since you're looking for a light weight and portable setup, I'd recomend the 8SE. I'm considering one myself.
4. Somebody suggested I keep an eye out for some sort of sale announcement next week on 8SEs. His source was the current Sky & Telescope mag, which I haven't seen yet. Plan on picking up a copy next time I'm out. Sorry, you know as much as I do about this. Mebbe someone will enlighten us. EDIT: already did. See above.
Posted 28 October 2010 - 08:47 PM
On the subject of Dobs, I've looked into them, but I'm a bit weary of the size and ease of use. I understand the mantra of aperture, aperture, aperture, and the thought of a 10" is tempting, but I think I'm going to go with the 8SE. The GEM tripod is a thought; how hard to is it to set compared to the Alt-az of the SE?
Can't thank everyone enough. I've been dreaming of a C8 since I first laid my eyes on the grainy Celestron ads in my old Astronomy mags.
Posted 28 October 2010 - 09:34 PM
Posted 28 October 2010 - 10:23 PM
Posted 29 October 2010 - 01:27 AM
Let's all get something straight.
The Celestron 8SE is NOT a "Beginner's" scope. It's an outstanding telescope for virtually anyone who wants great optics, excellent goto, reliability, versatility, light weight, easy-set-up, user friendly, adaptable, price-competitive, accurate, and very portable.
It will (because of a dovetailed OTA) adapt easily to an EQ mount for astrophotography. It will easily accept a 2-inch diagonal and RACI finders of all brands and types. An optional GPS is offered, enabling complete star-alignment (GOTO-ready) within 40 seconds.
It's one of the "best buys" in the market of mid-sized aperture.
Just sayin,
Posted 29 October 2010 - 07:53 AM
Posted 29 October 2010 - 07:59 AM
There are beginners, there are good scopes and there are bad scopes.
Some scopes are, in the minds of some, "easier" than others like a alt/az mount over a gem. Personally I learned on an EQ type mount and I do not like manual alt/az mounts - on a goto they are ok, but I do not care for dobs. Thats a personal preference because I learned RA/DEC from the get go.
The key for a beginner is to get a good scope rather than some wobbly cheap thing with plastic eyepieces. Then, learn.
The 8SE is not only a good scope, it is a great scope
It has a learning curve, but so does a DOB or an APO on a high end GEM.
As far as astrophotography goes, once again, go take a look at the Nexstar forum and see some of the astrophotography the folks there are doing. Some of it is pretty dang good!
It is not the hours on end multiple night stuff our advanced astrophotographers are doing with $10,000+ rigs, but a lot of it I would hang on the kitchen fridge
Posted 29 October 2010 - 08:47 AM
Portability,easy setup,good mechanics and very good optics are atributes of this very,very beautiful scope setup....Its a joy for any astronomer soul to look trough and at this machine...!!
Words are not enough to reveal the joy of having a nexstar 8"SE...As someone sayd...Draw...!!Make my day...
Posted 29 October 2010 - 08:58 AM
I am a "Bang-For-The-Buck" guy.
I am also on the lazy side of things, must be old age setting in, beats the Devil out of the alternative.
So, with these factors to work from, you can not do better than the 8SE.
Great little "2 tripper" with quick set-up. Trip 1, tripod and all the "misc" items you want/need for comfort and pleasure. Trip 2, mount and scope, already mounted on head,
and off you go.
Also, as BilStar mentioned, this is not what could be called a "Beginner scope". It has a great deal of "Growing Factor" in it, will last you for a nice long time.
Sounds like B.F.T.B. factor is about to go up with the Rebate coming up. Great scope at full price, this will be even better.
======== Go for it,=======
Posted 29 October 2010 - 09:03 AM
Posted 29 October 2010 - 10:09 AM
The GEM tripod is a thought; how hard to is it to set compared to the Alt-az of the SE?
Kevin, keep in mind that the 8SE with mount costs just $200 more than a new C8 ota only. With a $200 rebate (last year and several before that)...
I think there is a significant difference between the CG5-ASGT and the SE, so you need to carefully consider how you intend to use your scope and your circumstances. Now 4 years into this great hobby, I've found how I actually use my scopes & mounts is much different than how I thought I would before I got my first scope - and I spent 7+ months choosing it!
The CG5-ASGT is bigger, bulkier and weighs 30-31 lbs plus an 11 lb counter weight.
The alt-az SE weighs just 11 lbs - as much as the GEM's counterweight.
It's the difference between a GEM and Grab & Go. Most CNers have a G&G scope and mount for a good reason - wanna observe but dont't feel like lugging out and setting up the big mount. You can carry the 8SE (24 lbs) and battery pack to your observing site in one trip, especially if you're not using an observing chair (highly recommended, btw). My CG5 + 110ED (~ same weight or lighter than C8) takes 2 trips + observing chair. It's too heavy & bulky for me to comfortably and safely carry fully assembled with scope, even if I didn't have a back injury.
If you want to eventually image, you can't with a C8 on a CG5 anyway - too heavy and focal length is too long. You can, however, do good beginner/novice imaging with a small ED refractor (a G&G scope that can later become your guide scope).
Keep in mind that the traditional advice for beginning astronomers is to have 2 years experience with visual only observing before getting into imaging. While there'll always be those rare talented and determined individuals who fabulously prove the "traditional advice" doesn't apply to them, it's good advice. I've lugged 10+ lbs of camera equipment on 6 day bacpacking trips in the Grand Canyon in January (S rim to N rim & back) and I've had some of my aerial lanscape photos used commercially (hired plane & pilot) but, I stll haven't done more than take some shots of luna. It's very common for beginners who try imaging too soon get so frustrated that they leave the hobby altogether.
Astro-photography is a whole different animal than terrestrial photography. It reqiures a much, much bigger commitment than visual in terms of equipment, time, patience, software processing time, technical knowledge, skill and talent. The payoff is the potential to take quality photos on par with what only professional astronomers could just 10-15 years ago.
Here's a quick explanation of some of technical challenges asto-imagers have to deal with:
1. Extrememly low light. Anyone who's taken a lot of bad indoor photos because they were too far away or just didn't have an powerful enough flash has experienced the relationship between available light, shutter speed and aperture. For AP, available light is fixed and aperture is fixed, leaving only exposure time (usually in minutes to hours).
2. Anyone who's take a picture of a moving target or used a long zoom/telephoto lens knows it's important to keep the camera absolutely steady, or pan the camera (moving camera to follow object as the shutter is clicked). The longer the focal length, the steadier the camera has to be, and the faster the shutter speed (not an option with a scope other than using another one with a faster focal ratio), the better.
3. Now combine 1 & 2. AP is sort of like trying to take a terrestrial photo at night from slow moving car with a very long telephoto lens. A good mount addresses most of this, but an entry level GoTo GEM like the CG5 doesn't have the needed precision or weight capacity of bigger mounts for serious AP.
4. I haven't even mentioned the learning curve for image processing, which I know little about.
I'd say stick to the 8SE and see how you like it and the hobby as a whole. You'll likely enjoy and use the C8 more with the SE than the CG5. While the difference in ease and time of setup isn't huge, the SE is quicker and easier to set up (I've got no actual experience, but I've seen it done a few times by someone with only a year into the hobby). The SE is also more beginner-friendly for a GoTo mount.
You can later get a C6 or 80mm refractor as a G&G scope for the SE if you want.
Just my
Posted 29 October 2010 - 10:43 AM
Are you shure?Is the CG5 so weak?
Posted 29 October 2010 - 12:10 PM
QUOTE------If you want to eventually image, you can't with a C8 on a CG5 anyway - too heavy and focal length is too long. You can, however, do good beginner/novice imaging with a small ED refractor (a G&G scope that can later become your guide scope)-------QUOTE
Are you shure?Is the CG5 so weak?
Hi Ahlberto. Am I absolutely sure? NO. Ive never tried imaging with my CG5 and a C8 (don't own one) but the C8 ota weighs 13 lbs and the general advice is to keep the total weight of scope and imaging equipment under 20lbs on the CG5 and less is better. Add to that the looong focal length of a C8 compared to the small, short focal length refractors that usually give the best astro-images when used with the CG5. I don't think the CG5 has the precision needed for good imaging with the C8 other than luna and possibly some quick shots of Jupiter and Saturn. I don't think I've seen any quality images on CN taken with a C8 & CG5-ASGT.
Hopefully someone with first hand experience will chime in.
Posted 29 October 2010 - 02:40 PM
QUOTE------If you want to eventually image, you can't with a C8 on a CG5 anyway - too heavy and focal length is too long. You can, however, do good beginner/novice imaging with a small ED refractor (a G&G scope that can later become your guide scope)-------QUOTE
Are you shure?Is the CG5 so weak?
Hi Ahlberto. Am I absolutely sure? NO. Ive never tried imaging with my CG5 and a C8 (don't own one) but the C8 ota weighs 13 lbs and the general advice is to keep the total weight of scope and imaging equipment under 20lbs on the CG5 and less is better. Add to that the looong focal length of a C8 compared to the small, short focal length refractors that usually give the best astro-images when used with the CG5. I don't think the CG5 has the precision needed for good imaging with the C8 other than luna and possibly some quick shots of Jupiter and Saturn. I don't think I've seen any quality images on CN taken with a C8 & CG5-ASGT.
Hopefully someone with first hand experience will chime in.
Yes, but the OP can simply get a focal reducer, whether imaging or just visual (for 1.25" EPs) and bring that down to around 1200mm focal length.
Posted 29 October 2010 - 03:28 PM
Posted 29 October 2010 - 04:03 PM


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hotel tonight
Hotel Tonight Offers "Impulse Bookings" on Mobile and iPad
By David Weir on March 29, 2012 11:00 AM
Here's a scenario. You decide to go out on the town with friends after work, but worry that you'll have so much fun you won't be able to handle a late commute home.
What to do?
Well, just pull out your smart phone (or as of today, your iPad), download the Hotel Tonight app, and score a great deal with a last-minute booking at one of a half-dozen local hotels, ranging from basic to luxury.