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Posts: 38
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I never thought you were such an advocate for the QUE! Thanks for making the correction about profit, although guided by your calculations I still think Jobs is making a lot of cash out of the iPad, especially the higher end models ($346 to build, $829 retail price). So the gross profit for the most expensive model would be around 58% right? Since you seem to dig these kind of data here's a reliable source of information: http://www.isuppli.com/News/Pages/Mi...Estimates.aspx
I have to disagree with the opinion that the price of the QUE is justifiable. Perhaps two months ago it made sense when the Kindle DX was the only option around, as it is indeed the market that set prices, but not now when you have soooo many competing products that have similar features and cost way less (Notion Ink Adam, Asus DR-950, Jinke A9, Samsung E101, Entourage Edge, and of course, the mighty iPad, just to name a few). Perhaps I am plain ignorant or I just value too much my money but paying $800 for a QUE is simply unreasonable (unless it has a hidden feature that brings me breakfast to bed Even when the Asus DR-950 has less features, when priced at $350 it sounds far more appealing to me, but then again, I am probably not the target market for PL.
Moreover with the iPad offering many business related apps including iWork (and rumors that there will also be a MS office version) plus as you mention all the extra content that can be acquired though the apple store I very much doubt the black and white, slow refresh, $800 QUE will be able to survive the competing market once it is finally released. Now don't get me wrong, I think the QUE reader is a fantastic piece of hardware, it is simply not justified in terms of price relative to the competition, especially if you do an objective cost/benefit analysis. Lastly, they say that it is targeted at business people, however even when the more I see the QUE's extra large screen and thin design the more I like it, this feeling evaporates as soon as I watch a video (this is a good one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9TM74VatE of the refresh rates. I wonder if a businessman is willing to wait for the screen to refresh as it is required by these devices for every single action you perform (opening the calendar, highlighting text, zooming, etc). If the iPad experience is as smooth as the iPhone's I think Apple will give PL a hard time getting any demand for their product.
Like I said Jobs just sent all these greedy companies a strong message and the only ones that benefit are the buyers
Last edited by Estuche; 02-26-2010 at 04:41 AM.
Member Retired
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Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany
Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets
considering the pricing of Que, I've got a simple reference calculation: iRex 800S(G).
It seems to be relatively successful. "Relative" depending on the reference figures. Apple (or maybe even Sony or Amazon) might consider sales figures of iRex 800 mediocre at best. But for a (again, relatively) small company like iRex I guess we can consider the huge response (at least in this forum) a success (assuming it kind of reflects the sales figures). But with a smaller display as iPad and (as the other eInk readers) significantly less options, there shouldn't be any room left for such a niche product (and niche manufacturer). But still, it seems to be the most successful iRex product so far.
Quite frankly, I'm not even a big fan of Que or Skiff. Those seem to be great units, but personally I don't really have any demand for units that big. I already don't use my Kindle DX or iRex 1000S: Difficult to find a comfortable reading position and difficult to transport when traveling.
But we always have to consider the target revenues of such units/companies.
And to use another reference figure: Not so many years ago, Apple Macs have been in a similar niche. Sales figures of Apple hardware back then (and even now) for HP or Dell would have been disastrous.
Or take iPhone: With iPhones sales figures, other manufacturers went bankrupt and did drop the business. But again, their overhead was bigger and their target revenue couldn't be met, whereas Apple with its additional revenue (iTunes) and lower target settings has been more than fine.
Honestly, I'm a bit allergic, when some members aggressively and permanently rephrase, "Apple has sent a strong message and killed all the market potential" of such products. I'm pretty sure, those manufacturers have considered tablets and low cost products in their business model. And btw: It's not my company (neither Apple, nor the underdog), so why should I even care. But I recognise for some weeks now, that the undertone in some threads becomes more aggressive and in parallel the discussion less informed (not targeting at you, but some others of this very thread)...
Last edited by mgmueller; 02-26-2010 at 10:10 AM.
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I agree that people is reacting in a very negative way (me included) for products that before were considered "competitively" priced compared to the market's other offerings and that now are perceived as overpriced (QUE and E101 come to mind). Ignoring its price tag for a moment the QUE is exactly what I need for reading academic papers, nothing more nothing less, but even when I can afford one I could not convince myself to preorder it prior to Apple's announcement and far less now after yet another point of comparison like the iPad makes it look even more unreasonable (from the perspective of a potential buyer, that is).
The reason why the iRex 800 has been able to succeed is because currently there is no bigger touch-screen reader than its older, more expensive sibling (1000S). The only direct competitor for the DR800 is the PRS-900 (both in terms of price and features) and the former offers an extra inch (8" vs. 7") for the same price so there is an added value that justifies its purchase but that it might lose in the months ahead once all the other readers that I mentioned are released, offering similar features yet more screen estate and lower prices (like the DR950).
I am sure that the QUE was and still is very attractive for many potential buyers in this forum (me included) otherwise this thread would not be on its third page. I am sure it will sell at least more than the 1000S that apparently has been able to find a market despite its price. I just wish PL would do just like Apple has done and bring their quality products at affordable prices to the masses even if they have to cut some features here and there.
Again, I might sound like an Apple fanboy but even when Jobs plays dirty and has no mercy for its competitors (they basically put Amazon on the spot with publishers) I have to admit that because they are so aggressive with the competition I can enjoy a subsidized Droid for $150, an $800 Alienware gaming laptop (traditionally uber-expensive) and soon enough a $500 tablet that would have cost thousands of dollars a few years back. I agree that it is not fair for small companies, but it is because of Apple's dirty business that my next eReader will probably have twice the features for half the cost of what I would have had to pay a year ago!
Last edited by Estuche; 02-27-2010 at 01:19 AM.
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Lowering prices is not something you can call "dirty tricks". Dirty tricks are DRM, Sony's rootkits, HTML5 limitations, etc. But Apple has a right to put their things in the market at the price they feel right. The more competition the better.
Plus, I wouldn't imagine QUE competing with an iPad. The PL is much more a niche product than Apple's device anyways.
Last edited by Logseman; 02-27-2010 at 01:57 AM.
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I think PL have killed themselves and the Que by taking so long to release the product!
Damn! I have been hearing about the thing since 2008 and now,, 2 years later, still in Pre-Order!!
Come'on! you lost the competitive advantage that set you apart in the first place, and you gave competitors the chance to follow up, produce something much better and at a better price.
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It is not a matter of rights, as the QUE has the right to survive and perhaps succeed when it enters the market, but what seemed a reasonable price now looks outrageous in terms of cost/benefit. Then again I am glad I am just a customer who will benefit from the inevitable price shift of dedicated eReaders, but I am sure that for companies like Plastic Logic Apple's move was dirty indeed.
What I wonder is how many of the businessmen (QUE's target) that take pride in their Macs or iPhones, or are just drawn by the coolness factor will be persuaded to get an iPad instead and save $150 worth of books (or ~15 bestsellers) use iWorks and enjoy some tunes while they are at it. I guess only time will tell!
Last edited by Estuche; 03-01-2010 at 03:45 AM.
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I don't understand how a pricing decision can be "dirty business": if the competition doesn't give added value to what the iPad can give, the competition will vanish. And if the iPad is something that the customers don't find anyhow worthy (or worthy enough to scratch their pockets), the price won't matter as it'll fail miserably. It's all a matter of perceived value. Value is subjective, indeed.
Why should Apple price their iPads in higher levels? . Apple aspires to be a market leader, not a follower, so it's logical that they want to win the initiative in pricing their products. (There are reasons why the prices should be higher, mainly because like every big business Apple externalises costs to the public, mainly the taxpayers, and their economies of scale are overvalued in reality, but that's another fully different topic)
What I understand as "dirty business" implies using the force of the state as to harass potential competitors or customers, as we see regularly with copyright and patents. Apple does its deal of it, too, but I don't see why their decision to price things as low as they want can be objected.
Last edited by Logseman; 03-01-2010 at 04:42 AM.
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I have no idea what you mean by creating an "illusion of value;" it seems to me that if Apple is making a 30% profit on the iPad, the iPad is even now priced a little high, but it's going to sell like crazy even at that. Where's the illusion? The "illusion of value" lies more with the large ereaders: you think that because you're paying such a high price, you're getting something of value for your money, but what you're really doing is paying a ton of money for a device that can't do a tenth of what something like the iPad can do. It comes down, in the end, to whether having an e-ink screen is worth all that money to you. I expect that the number of people who are such die-hard e-ink fanatics that they absolutely must have e-ink over everything else will be pretty tiny compared to the number of people who will say that e-ink would be nice, but the entire device is so limited in capabilities compared with the less expensive iPad that the e-ink device just doesn't make any kind of financial sense unless money is just meaningless to you to begin with.
But still, none of that is Apple's fault: you seem to be suggesting that Apple should have said, "Oh, those poor guys over at Plastic Logic, their e-ink screens cost them so much that we really ought to just go ahead and price the iPad at $900 so they have a chance to sell their product."
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Before reading my replies there is something important that apparently was not obvious enough in my posts despite my explicit comments and that I want to emphasize: I, as a potential buyer, am glad that Apple did what they did in terms of pricing. That can only benefit us as consumers. When I criticize Apple's pricing of the iPad I do it from the perspective of an eReader manufacturer such as Plastic Logic or Amazon (which I am not, just for the record, lol). Ok, lets get started!
If you take the perspective of a manufacturer like Plastic Logic who probably took the Kindle Dx as reference for pricing (being their only potential competitor at the time) and you price your item at $650 it is still perceived as acceptable by the market standards. Now if three weeks after you make the announcement you find out that the iPad is being priced for half of what it was rumored you start feeling screwed by the big players! Again, I personally have no issue with that as a consumer (if you read my previous posts you can confirm this). However, from the manufacturer's perspective Apple's aggressive pricing was a dirty low blow.
When I say illusion of value I am referring to the fact that the iPad is a very appealing product when compared to dedicated eReaders (which is the topic of discussion) yet if you compare it to either netbooks (that Jobs criticized a lot during his keynote, yet can do more and are cheaper) or other Media tablets offerings such as Archos (who introduced today two $200, 7" and 8" models) or Notion Ink's Adam (with its amazing screen, and starting at $327) there is really no added value in buying an iPad (to make things worse they are just exporting the iPhone's OS instead of a sweet OS X version )
then again, my comments, that apparently are unsettling for some were made from the perspective of a manufacturer, and are different from what I feel personally as a consumer. Hope this helps.
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I've seen quite a few balance sheets with figures >50% - and still those companies have been close to chapter eleven. Remember general costs >20% and remember tax and remember allocations for different plants/regions/profit centers...
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For the screen size the price is okay.
I would like a skiff reader but they have this 'nerve ranking green light' on the left side. That's probably very annoying ...
Anyway, the comparison with a laptop is not possible. Have you read a lot of text on a tft monitor. After some hours you're eyes hurt and you really want to do something else. I'm really enjoying to sit at the lake in the sun and read a good book with my e-book reader.
Two things are not so good. The OS of the device is windows based and it doesn't have an sd card extension.
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If Plastic Logic would have release the QUE the exact same day as the iPad, at twice the cost, I would have bought it immediately.
It's that much better for my purposes. I plan to read 8.5" X 11" PDF technical manuals and textbooks with it.
I don't understand why the iPad is even considered in the same category by the educated people on this forum. It is not E-Ink. It is LCD. Basically a tablet PC with an Apple twist (sleek design, incredibly closed and limited use).
I really hope that PL didn't delay their product because of pricing. If it was buggy, fine, make sure you release a solid product. But don't run and hide from the iPad.
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what i am hoping now with the Que is that they have had time to add some of the functions that weren't originally going to be available until the end of the year.
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I totally agree with granz. I have my Irex Iliad for which I have paid at least 500 Euro before few years ( I am not sure now, it was 500 or 600 Euro) and I was totally happy with it. Now I am looking for something bigger for my technical documents and I was willing to pay 700 Euro + 50 for a case for Irex DR until I read about some newer e-readers. Now I am a little undecided but it has nothing to do with the price. If a thing does what it has to do I am willing to pay more for it. And I am sure if Que or Skiff or whichever of those bigger e-readers will be good enough there would be enough buyers for those. A lot of my friends have argued with me as I bought my Irex Iliad that I could get much better deal with some netbook for 200 Euro. But I didn't need a netbook. I needed good e-reader and I got it.
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Quick Facts
Nestled in a beautiful 67-acre wooded campus, five miles northwest of Terre Haute, SMWC has been leading generations to aspire higher since 1840, when it was founded by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the Sisters of Providence. As a testament to its commitment to quality education, SMWC consistently ranks as one of the best colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report.
A coeducational, Catholic, liberal arts college, SMWC embraces student-centered academic innovation and welcomes students of all faiths. Whether on campus, online or in the graduate programs, students learn how to think critically, attain goals, and effect positive change in the spirit of service and social responsibility.
With SMWC, you can:
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Pardon me while I step away from my shiny, happy, black and gold trance to go the f*ck off!
Fact: The Saints have a history of sucking.
Fact: The Saints played a tight NFC Championship game and were a few key plays away from not making the Super Bowl.
Fact: The NFC Championship referees did not call a perfect game.
Fact: The Colts are an experienced, talented team that will present major challenges for the Saints.
Fact: The Saints' pitiful history and the team's emotional connection to the city is the stuff of Lifetime Original movies.
Looking at the above list of facts, all of which no Saints fans could or should deny, you can see why so many people have their crusty underwear in a bunch about the fact that the Saints have made it to the Super Bowl. I mean, if you just focus on those facts and those facts alone, even a few wishy-washy Saints fans might be tempted to label this team a fluke, or just plain ole lucky. And it's obvious they'll get their asses handed to them by the Colts because they don't even deserve to be in the Super Bowl, right? RIGHT?!
Well, let Nola Chick break down a little something to certain (not all) Vikings fans, several members of the media, and a generic assortment of haters out there who seem to think that Super Bowl appearances are based on some sort of lottery drawing or, I don't know, whoever sold the most brownies at the county bake sale. You're either envious to the point of ignorance, void of a soul and common sense, or you've gone mad due to what can most likely be attributed to an untreated case of syphilis.
The Saints were the #1 seed in the NFC with the second best record in the league. They achieved home field advantage throughout the playoffs, not by beating up on Notre Dame and Temple in the regular season. They beat actual NFL teams. In fact, they beat the dog shit out of several teams in the National Football League. Do you not remember? Allow me to recap.
Teams the Saints Beat:
Lions, Eagles, Patriots, Giants, Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Bucs, Falcons, Redskins, Panthers, Rams
Teams the Saints Beat the Dog Shit Out of:
Eagles, Patriots, Giants, Jets, Bills, Comeback ass-whipping against Miami, Bucs
Okay, so we've established the Saints are good enough to beat NFL teams. Cool. And apparently, they can beat them convincingly. Alright, great. Now what about the fact that half the teams we beat had less than stellar records? My rebuttal is that the other half were legitimate playoff contenders until the very end, 3 of them made it into the playoffs and one of them made it to the AFC championship game.
Too bad we couldn't prove ourselves in regular season like the Vikings, who faced the likes of the Browns, Lions (twice), Bears (twice…and got beat once), Rams, and Seahawks. Not to mention they had just as many "almost losses" (since apparently those now matter) in their regular season, like that miracle play against the Baltimore Ravens at the end of regulation in Week 6. Oh don't think I forgot, homies. Nola Chick NEVER forgets. But you see, I didn't judge you based on what you almost did. A win is a win. It's all about the W. That's what y'all were yelling in regular season, at least.
Fast forward to the NFC Championship game and suddenly, it's the opposite of Brandy's song. Apparently, "almost" does count. Let me 'splain something to you people. When your team turns the ball over 5 times, when your QB chokes in the clutch and when your special and defensive teams can't hold their own in overtime, there's nothing "almost" about it. No one gave the Saints anything on Sunday. The defenders stripped those balls from your players on 2 occasions and I'm pretty sure Brett Favre wasn't intending to throw a pass to someone in a black and gold jersey. The Saints defense made big plays when it mattered most and your team suffered the consequences. That's how this game goes. Perhaps this is just the first year you paid attention, you bandwagon freak. Had Favre won in a close game, he'd have been hailed a hero but when the Saints win, it's dumb luck? Kill yourselves.
Oh, and as for the ref complaints…the refs shat on both teams and the Saints were more heavily penalized in the game. 9 penalties for 88 yards against the Saints compared to 5 penalties for 32 yards against the Vikings. And for all of you boo-hooing over a missed roughing the passer call on Brett Favre, consider it a make good for the "unnecessary" unnecessary roughness call your qb got earlier in the game.
"But it's not fair. They were hitting our quarterback so hard. He's made of glass. Boo-hoo!"
This isn't a f*ckin' ballet class. This is FOOTBALL!!! It's tough, it's dangerous and that's just how Brett Favre likes it. Don't hail him as a rugged warrior one day then treat him like a porcelain doll the next. We don't roll like that.
Sidebar: Here's a friendly reminder to you Cowboys crackheads. Your team didn't make it to our dome. You got stomped on by the team we beat. How the hell can you fix your mouth to say "you deserved to go to the Super Bowl." Bitch, this isn't some school field trip to Disney World. You don't get points for good behavior at the end of the year. You gotta win to make it. You've gotta give your all. And if your all wasn't enough, then it wasn't your year. Better luck next time, loser. Go cry in your billion dollar stadium and choke on a Tex-Mex meal.
As for you "media machine", well you're just a predictable asshole. "We love the Saints!..The Saints are rusty…The Saints are unstoppable!…The Saints suck." You know who sucks? YOU DO!!! According to your calculations, I should be lacing my grits with arsenic this week as I prepare to do whatever it takes to miss the Cowboys and Jets battling it out in the Super Bowl. Can the Saints lose to the Colts? Absolutely! Will they? Well I don't know, freak. That's why they play the game. I can tell you that the Saints have one of the best offenses in the league so they're more than capable of giving the Colts a run for their money. I can also tell you that just as the Saints have some weaknesses, so do those precious Colts. Sure the Saints might get their hinds handed to them. But you know what, they can do a pretty good job of waxing some tail too, especially when they're motivated. And you, media schmuck, have been giving them all the motivation they need.
Final point: We may hail from the Big Easy but NOTHING has come easy for this team. Sure we've sucked in the past and sure we have some sappy story that makes for good headlines but no one handed us a damn thing. This team worked their butts off this season. They gave everything. The league would have loved a Vikings-Colts match up just as much as the big wigs are salivating over this one. No one "fixed" the playoffs, you internet forum jackass. That's the most ridiculous, asinine thing I've ever heard. Wanna know what I think about this whole "fixed" theory? I think whatever creature that spawned you should have been "fixed" nine months before you exploded onto this Earth as a living, breathing accident. Geaux F*ck Yourselves…all of you!!!
The Nola Chick has spoken. Oh, and Who Dat!
And now back to my regularly scheduled, black and gold, happy place.


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G Adventures - Costa Rica
March 2010
We had an amazing day. It started with a 2 hour bumpy van ride, stopping for lunch at a butterfly farm (beautiful!!!) and at a banana plant where we enjoyed a fresh coconut on the side of the road. As Isaac said, "Nothing like some refreshing coconut milk on a hot (and can you say HOT!!!) Costa Rican day". We saw a volcano with smoke pouring out!!! We then took a 2 hour boat ride to Tortuguero, a place only accessible by boat through small canals and is completely remote. We are staying at the Turtle Beach Resort. I haven't been anywhere like this. Isaac says it is awesome and five stars despite no TV, no hot water, and beds with just one sheet. Not sure if you would manage Sherry. It is so hot here we just jumped in the gorgeous turtle shaped pool surrounded by lush vegetation. We also went for a walk on the black sand beach. At 7 pm we met the gang for supper. The gang consists of the family from Calgary, our guide for the trip, Samantha, and our nature guide for this portion. After supper it was canoeing in the canals, looking for alligators, caiman and monkeys. We just saw our first monkey swinging up above.
Tomorrow we start our day at 5:30 am for a boat tour hoping to catch the animals when they are active and then a mud hike to see more nature. The rest of the day will be a pool day as it is soooo warm but not nearly as warm as it will be on our last few days when we are at the beach on the pacific side of the country.
So we have had an awesome day. Isaac is healthy and loving it.
Shelley and Isaac
Posted by curlygirl 18:59 Archived in Costa Rica Tagged family costa rica tortuguero


text:
It may be best known for its party scene, but local people know a different side to Ibiza. Discover the island's rural landscapes: a tricolour of red soil, green hills and blue sea.
Juan Bonet lifts his wine glass into the sunlight, tilts it to one side and squints into the velvety red liquid with the expression of a man in the grip of a profound pleasure. He sits at a long table on the terrace overlooking his family vineyard, the fluffy curlicues of his white hair buffeted by a strong breeze. Behind him, the twisting green vines stretch out into the distance, their leaves tinged with gauzy mid-afternoon light, their stems rising up from a rich ochre-red soil. The sky beyond is washed with strokes of cobalt and cerulean blue, and a faint but perceptible smell of aniseed and wild garlic hangs in the air. Juan brings the glass to his lips and takes a measured gulp, the stain of the grape lingering for a moment at the corners of his mouth. 'In Ibiza, we say that there is always red, blue and green,' he says, pouring another slug from the bottle. 'The hills are evergreen. The soil is red. The sky and the sea are blue.'
Juan has lived a lifetime among these colours. Seventy years ago he was born here, on the grounds of the Sa Cova vineyard, in a dilapidated stone building built into the gentle slope of the hillside. His father was a farmer who kept chickens and raised livestock. The vines were not cultivated for wine until Juan took over in 1990, but, as a little boy, he remembers picking the grapes and eating them as he walked. 'I was always eating,' he laughs. 'Very greedy.' Later, I accompany Juan as he strolls through his fields to check the progress of the vines. He stoops to loosen a heavy bunch of small, blackish Monastrell grapes from the stalk and offers me one: a syrup-sweet burst on the tongue. 'I'm still eating,' says Juan with a smile. 'Still learning from the land.'
His Ibiza, with its vividly painted landscape and plentiful harvests, seems to exist in a different temporal space to the hedonistic playground this corner of the Balearics is usually associated with. In fact, there are still parts of the northern half of the island that remain virtually untouched, and spiritually far removed from the sprawling club scene of San Antonio - even though, at 220 square miles, Ibiza's geography is compact.
Rural Ibiza is a place of windswept clifftops, isolated fishermen's coves, whitewashed village churches and valleys cooled by a whispering sea-breeze. It is the Ibiza the ancient Greeks used to call the 'pine-covered island', a fertile land where almost every patch of soil is filled with trees bearing different fruits - figs, quinces, lemons, carob seeds and almonds - so that the surrounding air is perfumed with their ripening scent. The triptych of colours Juan refers to infuse every element of the surroundings. Often all three are visible at once - like at Can Martí, a 400-year-old farmhouse encircled by 16 and a half hectares of freshly-tilled earth planted with tomatoes, potatoes and pomegranate trees. Here, the deep burnt sienna red of the soil - rust-coloured because of its richness in iron - mingles with thickets of foliage and a sweep of clear sky.
Reached by a potholed pathway, Can Martí is a working farm providing selfcatering accommodation, situated outside the village of Sant Joan de Labritja. The main building has been restored using traditional techniques, so that its stone walls seem to blend seamlessly into the environment. The whole place appears to have sprouted out of the ground in a forest clearing scattered with blazing colour: bruised pink hyacinths, magenta-tinged wild gladioli and orchids with petals the colour of oyster shells.
'We wanted to preserve the soul of this place,' says Isabelle Brantschen who moved here from her native Switzerland in 1994 to set up Can Martí with her husband, Peter. She, like Juan, feels an affinity with the colours of her adopted homeland: Isabelle's hair is gathered round her face in soft, red curls and she jokes that her scalp has soaked up the shades of the soil. 'Even Ringo has adapted to the colours,' she says, gesturing towards a sandy-coloured dog almost precisely the same hue as the stone flagstone on which he is lying. 'We found him on the beach as a stray and he was black. Now look at him.' Ringo, happily chewing on a dried-out chunk of homebaked olive bread, pays no attention.
The road that stretches westward from Can Martí dips and winds through shallow valleys, lined with the spindly silhouettes of almond trees pressed against the expanse of sky. Every now and then, the landscape is punctuated by a tiny village like Sant Mateu, set amongst the olive groves and consisting of little more than a whitewashed church on the brow of a hill. Then, as the road curves sharply round to the left, Can Cires restaurant comes into view. When I arrive, the walls are being given a fresh coat of paint in preparation for next week's fiesta - a party in celebration of the village's patron saint, during which the 40-odd inhabitants gather to sing, dance and roast a pig on a spit.
At Can Cires, the focus of the owners Victoria Mari Torres and her husband Francis is on cooking locally sourced, seasonal produce with a traditional Ibizan slant. The lively restaurant buys its goat's cheese from a couple in their 80s, Maria and Vincente Cordona, who produce salty, smooth roundels of cheese, as soft and plump as a freshly iced wedding cake, from their smallholding a few miles inland. 'We've been making cheese for 60 years,' explains Maria. 'It keeps us young.' To demonstrate the point Vincente, a former dancer, executes a series of improbably graceful high kicks.
The Can Cires speciality is 'crostas con tomato', a dish of crunchy, twice-baked croutons of bread served with fresh tomato and olive oil. 'This dates from a time when people used to make bread four or five times a year,' explains Victoria as she serves the crostas in a shallow terracotta bowl, brimming over with juicy, golden chunks. 'They would choose a day without rain so that the wood for the fire would not be wet. The loaves would last them for months. To make the crostas, they would take a loaf, tear it up and cook it again in the oven to make it crisp.'
After the meal, a bottle of the local tipple, hierbas, is brought to the table. It is a strong concoction made with at least 14 different types of herb, including fennel, rosemary and lemongrass. The liquid hits the back of my throat like an electric shock, at once bitter and sweet. And although I have come here in search of the red plenty of the soil and its produce, I realise that the journey has led me also to the green that Juan talked about: the herbs inside this bottle have given the liquid the exact mossy-yellow colour of the pine forests and vineyards that surround us.
Here, at the northernmost tip of the island, the vines grow thick, branches bent double with grapes ready for harvest. At the Agroturismo Vinya d'en Palerm in Sant Miquel, the Palerm family - farmers of this land since 1898 - make their own wine in a vast plastic barrel just behind the main house. The adjoining cattle shed has been renovated to provide four clean and comfortable guest rooms and visitors are sometimes offered a glass of Juan Palerm's rich, homemade red wine at sunset. His wife, Maria, serves up a wonderfully tangy marmalade for breakfast, alongside plates filled with home-grown figs, melons and tomatoes. 'We haven't changed that much for our guests,' explains the couple's daughter, Neus. 'We haven't needed to - the land has always been like this.'
It is true that rural Ibiza retains a certain timelessness, despite the inroads mass tourism has made in other parts of the island. The small bay of Pou d'es Lleó, just outside Sant Carles, is a world away from the sunlounger-packed beaches of the south. Approached along a pitted dirt track, the rocky cove curves like a horseshoe around the lucent blue waters. Sun-bleached boat sheds are built into the honeycomb rock, with long slats sloping down to the water so the fishermen can easily push their way out for the early morning catch. This was once the entrance to a major port after the Phoenicians settled here in 654 BC. When Ibiza was conquered by the Moors, this entire stretch of coast became an important trading area.
A hint of the Islamic influence still remains at Can Curreu, one of the island's first agroturismos when it opened in 1997 - the door handles on each of the 17 bedrooms are the shape of the hand of Fatima. More often seen on doors across North Africa and the Middle East, Fatima's hand is believed to ward off evil spirits and is named after the compassionate daughter of the Prophet Mohammed.
The nucleus of Can Curreu is the 500-year-old whitewashed farmhouse - framed by heavy bows of blooming pink bougainvillea - that has been in the Mari family for generations. Vicente Mari, the current manager, can remember his great-grandfather working the land here. Pathways spiral away from the central house and lead to the traditionally built single-storey guesthouses, scattered like sugar cubes over an undulating hill.
Vicente's 81-year-old father Pedro still lives here, tending to the chickens and the horses, and looking after the fertile vegetable patch. The produce is used by Can Curreu's restaurant - lemons, for example, are the main ingredient in the silky-smooth sorbet. Pedro's face is weathered, brown as an almond husk. 'I look like I'm a hundred,' he says with a grin, picking handfuls of wild basil from the ground and handing me a stalk. 'But I work hard to keep strong.' His daughter, Maria, looks on, shaking her head. 'He doesn't need to do any of this but he still remembers this as his farm,' she explains, affectionately. Maria can recall hiding in the sprawling branches of the almond trees as a child when her mother was shouting at her to come inside for a siesta.
As Maria weaves her stories together in the encroaching dusk, the sky turns to pale pink and then becomes streaked with a vermilion red. The wild basil is still in my hand and as I chew a green leaf, releasing its strong, earthy flavours, the colours of Ibiza seem at once to be all around me: in taste, smell, sound and sight. Gradually, the shades of the sky merge into one, like a paintbrush jiggled in a jar of water. And then, with Maria still talking and the taste of wild basil in my mouth, darkness falls softly over the island.
Elizabeth Day is an award-winning journalist and feature writer for the Observer. Her debut novel, Scissors Paper Stone (Bloomsbury), is available now.
The article 'The three colours of Ibiza' was published in partnership with Lonely Planet Magazine.


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Boats are like rich parents, in that they will float you for a few years while you drift around playing acoustic guitar and getting drunk. Live the dream with this Groupon.
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- $15 for an all-day water-taxi pass for one adult (up to a $30 value)
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Taxis circle past Bayside Marketplace, the Miami Beach Marina, and the downtown Riverwalk station, carrying passengers aged 3 and younger for free. See the full daily schedule here.
Biscayne Xpress Water Taxi
The Biscayne Xpress Water Taxi glides across Biscayne Bay, circling through its three stops—Bayside Marketplace, the Miami Beach Marina, and the downtown Riverwalk station—in a constant two-hour loop. Up to 42 passengers drink in views of coastal Miami and its gamboling manatees and pelicans as crew members impart juicy factoids about the city to visitors. At the Bayside Marketplace stop, patrons can browse a 120-store shopping complex or charter a fishing boat at Pier 5, whereas the Miami Beach Arena stop drops seafarers near a glut of restaurants, and the downtown Riverwalk station delivers visitors straight into the city's rhythmically beating heart.


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As our regulars would know, rushing into conclusions is something we try very hard to stray away from, at least until we get to review whatever needs reviewing first. It goes without saying that MediaTek's two new chips are rather exciting, as it would appear that both the successor to the quad MT6589T – the MT6588 – and the all new octa-core MT6592 have both crossed into hostile territory. This means that the performance on both these chips appears to be finally launching a credible threat to Qualcomm's complete dominion in the higher end. We gather that from the first few official benchmarks of the octa-core chipset, the higher-powered 2GHz version of which scores as high as 32,600. The less potent, 1.7GHz version of the MT6592 scores a tad lower, at just shy of 30,000 as you can see. Sure, syntethic benchmarks like AnTuTu are by no means and exhaustive performance criteria, yet they often provide a good perspective.
MediaTek did not disclose whether these scores resulted on a 720p or a 1080p device – an important distinction. Fortunately for us, the 1080p Zopo ZP998, a recent MT6592-touting entrant, has already been put through the test and scored 28,118.
Of course, there is some talk that AnTuTu is overly generous with its scoring on multi-core platforms, and we could definitely imagine that the software may not yet be fully optimized. Regardless, if you also consider the fact that the MT6592 comes with a quad-core Mali-450 GPU clocked at 700MHz, (@600MHz in the case of the new quad MT6588) you can definitely see how the new crop of MediaTek chipsets may be a threat to the status quo.
As always, we'll have to wait until a phone sporting the new chipsets graces our office before crowning MediaTek an official contender. Until then, the MT6592 only sounds great on paper.


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Now, I'm a little older and it's time for some substance rather than just a 'fast food'-like relationship. I served in the Army in the mechanized infantry in Iraq and now own a small construction company and want to meet someone that will be a good partner.
Simply put, I'm a regular guy. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. My life's pretty good but I'd like someone to share it with.
Food...I'm a fan. Let's explore.


text: The trombone valve/neck guard protects the tubing and/or valves from the acidic oils on your neck. It is made of the finest quality American leather and of course has our Tripotec Layering System TM to keep the area clean and protected from moisture and acids. All guards are handmade here at the shop and inspected before we package them to insure we maintain the high quality our customers are used to in Leather Specialties Guards. Leather - Brown


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Dr. Seuss's The Foot Book
Children's book review by Steve Barancik
Ages 0-5
How many, many feet you meet!
On one level, this certainly isn't Seuss's most exciting book.
It's from the Bright and Early series, the Seuss books for the youngest readers. Very few words, lots of repetition, and lots of clues from the pictures about what we're looking at.
Compared to Bright and Early books like Mr. Brown Can Moo and There's a Wocket in My Pocket, there are no nonsense words in The Foot Book. It's all in the dictionary! You're free to consider that a positve or a negative.
Review continues.
We're talking simple. A typical two page spread reads...
His feet
Her feet
Fuzzy fur feet
I can't see calling The Foot Book a story, since there is no narrative. The book's only sense of continuity is provided by the friendly brown creature (you can see him on the cover) presenting a wide variety of feet for our enjoyment. (There are plenty of made up creatures depicted - with made up feet - just no made up names.)
Alert: In 1996, the publishers came out with a board book version of Seuss's Foot Book, subtitled Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites, and though I haven't seen it I can report that more than a few parents and reviewers seem to consider it an abomination. In one example I saw cited...
Sick feet, trick feet
Sick feet, well feet.
Ahem. Yes, they're opposites. NO, they don't rhyme.
While I haven't read the book personally, I will share with you my opinion on rewriting the work of a picture book genius whose aptitude with meter and rhyme hasn't been matched before or since...
How dare you!
Okay, back to business...
Feet are fun, and fun is a great way to make reading appealing. Since no one draws funnier feet than Dr. Seuss (and since the publishers still haven't retitled it The Handbook for Feet, check out The Foot Book. It's toe-riffic!
Every other Seuss book.
Read more of Steve's reviews.
Best Children's Books - Find, Read or Write home page.


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WITH Alessandro Del Piero's coveted signature secured, Sydney FC will set about an audacious plan to double their crowds and sign up to 10,000 members for the first time in their history.
Averaging an 11,816 crowd from 14 matches last season, the Sky Blues' hierarchy already believe they can now break through an average crowd of 20,000 - all thanks to the biggest coup in Australian club football history.
They'll aim to match the Waratahs' average of 20,900 a game and close in on the city's two biggest drawcards, the Sydney Swans (24,981) and Canterbury (23,572).
Sydney's board also firmly believes Del Piero can catapult them to the prominence they last enjoyed when Dwight Yorke was the marquee player in season one, a year they averaged 16,669 fans a week.
Ambitious as that all seems, a string of inviting fixtures awaits that could attract crowds of up to 25,000 - if the Sky Blues are winning. Del Piero's first home game, against Newcastle on October 13, is sure to bank a 30,000 crowd, and there is already talk it could be far higher.
Both home matches against traditional rivals Melbourne Victory could pull bumper crowds, with Sydney's final home game of the season against Melbourne a potentially mammoth fixture if both are in finals contention.
Then there are several visiting clubs that have a tetchy history with Sydney. Former coach John Kosmina and former marquee player John Aloisi, both of whom
failed to meet expectations during their stints with Sydney, now manage Adelaide and Melbourne Heart respectively. Graham Arnold, who knocked back Sydney to stay at Central Coast, brings his Mariners to Allianz Stadium on December 27.
However, the most combustible visitors are sure to be Brisbane Roar - where crowds won't just flock to see Del Piero but to witness Sydney's Pascal Bosschaart and Brisbane's Besart Berisha resume last season's hostilities.
Add in Sydney's first home derby, against Western Sydney Wanderers on December 15, and no wonder the club believes it can break their largest regular-season home crowd of 33,458, for the final round clash with Melbourne Victory in 2008.
Asked about whether Del Piero could spearhead such a sharp rise in the Sky Blues' crowds, Sydney chairman Scott Barlow was bullish.
''It's not pie-in-the-sky stuff at all. We think that's the type of impact he will have,'' Barlow said yesterday. ''I'm not going to propose a number for our crowds for the season but there's no question it will have a major impact on corporate hospitality sales, on membership sales and on ticket sales.''
Barlow said the response from the public, especially the corporate sector, had been overwhelming. ''I was in the office this morning and everybody was pretty busy to say the least. I know by 9.30 this morning we'd sold a large number of our corporate boxes for the whole season,'' he said.
On the field, coach Ian Crook expects Del Piero to hit the ground running when he arrives late next week.
Asked about how Del Piero would fit into a team that has two new attackers, Yairo Yau and Krunoslav Lovrek, Crook said: ''We're not going to reinvent the wheel here. He's played 19 years for one of the biggest four or five clubs in the world, as a No.10 or a No.9. We're not going to change that. You have to keep him central in the game, try and get him in positions where he can affect the game.''


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DragnMastr13 Photographer
V PorModel Female Burbank, California, US
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About MeI love the fusion of traditional and alternative beauty and changing the cookie-cutter perception of what beauty is. I love the lines of the body and am comfortable working in many different fun environments, from simple to super edgy.
I grew up with artistic sisters and friends, but my first photoshoots were in Hawaii, where a local artist also painted some portraits to display. I was featured in a three page spread in the July 2010 issue of Rebel Ink magazine. Since then, I have gotten more tattoos, and would love to show them off. Among others, my entire right leg from my ankle to my hip is a gorgeous peacock.
I love adventure. I was raised in PA, graduated with a BS in biotechnology, worked as a research scientist in CO (where my main passion was snowboarding), did QC in Oregon, until skydiving took hold of my life. After moving to Hawaii to live out of my car and pay off my student loans, I now live in LA where I am one of the top skydiving jumpsuit designers in the world. For other fun, I ride my bike, do yoga, run, and swim. Another tidbit: I have always been drug/alcohol/caffeine free.
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Credit NotesWhitney Drake, Kauai, HI
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A TEA dance will mark the 75th anniversary of Wirral Citizens' Advice Bureau's formation next month.
The afternoon of musical entertainment takes place at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Wallasey on Friday, September 5, starting at 3pm.
A tea dance has been chosen to mark this occasion as it is reminiscent of the entertainment people sought out at the time of the Bureau's creation in 1939.
To this day, many thousands of people attend such events every week up and down the country, enjoying music from the era and dancing the afternoon away.
Providing entertainment is singer Peter Jones, who will play music very much in tune with the era when the Bureau first opened in Wirral.
Those attending are invited to dress in clothes from the era. Alongside the event, the Bureau is selling raffle tickets.
Philip Howley, chair of CAB Trustees, said: "The event will be a really enjoyable afternoon of dancing and music, to celebrate the important wok that Citizens Advice on Wirral has undertaken for the last 75 years.
"As well as singing and dancing, there will be a range of tea and cakes which those attending can enjoy.
"Above all, as well as providing a great afternoon's entertainment, it will help raise vital funds for the Bureau and help us continue to provide free and impartial advice to the people of Wirral.
"I am particularly pleased that the Mayor & Mayoress of Wirral have taken time out of their busy schedule to formally open the event.
"No one knows when they might have a problem they can't sort out.
"That's why we plan to be here for your children, family and friends.
"But as an independent charity, we can't survive without your help, so please think about supporting this event, having some fun, and ensuring that advice and support remains free to all."
Tickets for the event, available from any Wirral CAB office, cost £7.50, with all proceeds going to support the CAB.


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Pizza Patrón
|Antonio Swad
|San Antonio, Texas
Pizza Patrón Inc. is a United States pizza chain headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.[1]
Pizza Patrón operates locations in Arizona, California, Illinois and Texas. The chain opens locations in mainly Hispanic neighborhoods, catering primarily to the Hispanic market.[2] In addition to the franchise's 100 locations across the southwest, 40 more are currently under development. The franchise's logo features a face in a fedora hat (earlier logos did not include a face). The chain's original slogan was Más Pizza. Menos Dinero. (Spanish for "More Pizza. Less Money.") Pizza Patrón was founded in 1986 by Antonio Swad, of Lebanese and Italian descent. Swad is also known for founding the Wingstop brand, which he sold in 2003 to focus on growing the Pizza Patrón brand. He currently acts as the president of Pizza Patrón; the Brand Director since 2003 is Andrew Gamm.
In 2006 Pizza Patrón successfully introduced new products like Patrón Dippers and Fiesta Wings, and established its "Lista" (ready now) pizza program nationally. In addition, Pizza Patrón developed a dine-in store model, the Pizza Patrón Rapidito (airports/malls) model, the "Tiendita" (portable mini-store extension) and its "Lista" drive-through concept. These progressive additions to the concept were largely responsible for the 34.55% increase in business that Pizza Patrón experienced in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2006.[3]
Pizza por Pesos[edit]
In January 2007, Pizza Patrón announced its new "Pizza por Pesos" policy which enabled the chain's customers to pay for pizzas with Mexican pesos for a limited time. Though the company was not the first to implement such a policy in the United States, the move came at a time of increasingly heated debate over illegal immigration in the United States and caused the chain's Dallas headquarters to receive complaints and death threats.[4] It also created publicity for the chain, garnering media attention from several outlets (including Fox News and The Colbert Report). After the first week of the promotion, one owner reported that he took in about $15,000 pesos (close to $1,400 USD) at his two southern California branches, accounting for roughly 20% of his profits.[5]
On May 3, 2007, the company reported that sales in the first three months of 2007 were up 35% compared to sales during the first three months of 2006. The company attributed the strong growth in sales to publicity generated by news reports about the "Pizza for Pesos" campaign and said that its policy of accepting pesos, originally scheduled to last only until the end of April, was being made permanent.[6]
Pizza por Favor[edit]
On June 5, 2012, Pizza Patrón launched its "Pizza por Favor" promotion offering a free large pepperoni pizza to any customer who ordered in Spanish. The event sparked controversy and criticism from conservative groups. The Conservative Caucus, an organization that advocates for English as the official national language of the United States, criticized "Pizza Por Favor," and on the day in May when the promotion was announced, Pizza Patrón's email servers were maliciously hacked into. The company received international news coverage and gave away 80,000 pizzas during the one-day promotion, including 50,000 during the three-hour window it advertised plus another 30,000 in free-pizza coupons given to people still waiting in line after supplies ran out and business hours closed.
On February 11, 2014, Revel Systems, a provider of iPad Point-of-Sale systems, announced that Pizza Patron had chosen its POS solution for its chain of stores, making it the first pizza chain able to accept bitcoin payments.[7]
See also[edit]
- ^ "Contact Us." Pizza Patrón. Retrieved on December 30, 2011. "Pizza Patrón Inc. 10999 Petal Street Suite 200 Dallas, TX 75238"
- ^ Jargon, Julie (December 30, 2010). "Pizza Chain Remixes Ads For Slice of Bicultural Pie". The Wall Street Journal. p. B1.
- ^ "Pizza Patron Sees Staggering Fourth Quarter Sales". Pizza Patrón (Press release). 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ "Pizza promotion met with death threats - CNN.com". The Associated Press. Dallas, Texas. 2007-01-11. Archived from the original on 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
- ^ Altman, Larry (2007-01-16). "'Pizza por Pesos' translates into profits in Wilmington". Daily Breeze. Wilmington, Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
- ^ Despite Death Threats and National Debate Pizza Patron(R) Will Continue to Accept 'Pesos for Pizza'
- ^ Is Square A True Point-Of-Sale Player After Its Whole Foods Deal? A Bitcoin-Friendly Rival Says No
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pizza Patrón.


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The ways authors represent foreign languages in their books are interesting. In some cases, they use a different typeface to indicate that a character is speaking a foreign language. The typefaces used sometimes resemble the alphabet normally used to write the language in question. This enables the readers to follow what the characters are saying, while being aware that the other characters in the book can't do so. In other cases, authors write in the languages themselves and either find some way to provide a translation, possibly as a footnote, or just leave both the readers and the other characters in the dark.
If authors can be reasonably sure that their readers will understand text in another language, they don't need to provide a translation. This is the case in Welsh and Irish books which often contain snippets of English.
Quite often authors ignore language differences, unless they're integral to the plot. Somehow characters are able to understand one another even though they speak different languages.
How do authors portray foreign languages in books written in languages other than English?


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It's Thursday morning and you're praying to the porcelain princess. You've been passed out on the cold tile floor since three a.m. mumbling something about Smurfs and squirrels. What are some stomach soothers acceptable for low-carbers? Put down the … [Read more...]
A low-carber asks: What can I eat when I'm sick with the flu?
Boredom eating and weight loss: When to give in… and when not to
Put down the cracker and nobody gets hurt,We're wild and wooly creatures of habit.The tv comes on at the end of a long day, and weary eyeballs are assaulted with messages for cookies, chips and Burger Happy. Blood sugar levels have dipped since … [Read more...]
Can I snack at night?
Flax cracker with cream cheese and dill is a good choice. Regardless of weight loss plan, night time is the undoing of many a dieter. Whether from boredom or actual hunger, one quick aquestion will answer whether to assuage hunger--or … [Read more...]
Breakfast on the Go
Enchiladas for breakfast? Why not? Mornings are about as chaotic and potentially painful as two wombats stuck in a pair of nylons. One can't simply grab for a box of cereal or slap two slices of bread in the toaster either. Where does that … [Read more...]
Mock Apple Danish Spread
The apple doesn't fall far from the jicama tree (Jicama is a tuber) I am serious. I have been in the kitchen today because I have a jicama I wanted to try out. So I pick up this vegetable root about the size of a softball on steroids from the big … [Read more...]
Happy Halloween, Lindt chocolate style
1. Stay out of the candy2. Stay out of the candy.3. Stay out of the candy.Can't follow tips 1-3? Try substituting with something you can have. Trick or Treat everyday for adults, Lindt 85% chocolate is not only a low-carb confection, you can do more … [Read more...]
My Virtual Model user tool shows weight loss progression
Virtually off the charts source Back in 1993, while Teletubbies were still the face of PBS, Louise Guay, Ph.D., and Jean-François St-Arnaud had a vision. If gauging weight loss with flowcharts and graphs and numbers scribbled on pads of paper … [Read more...]
I know what you ate last movie: Night of the Living Dead
Hug a Zombie, but don't lose your head.They slurg through the house, looking for anything to eat. The dead look in their eyes, pants hanging down to their knees and speech impediments consisting of gutteral grunts and groans make it instantly unclear … [Read more...]
How to Prepare Fresh Pumpkin
The gourd finds its way into your shopping cart, follows you home, dons a face and then is ready for what? The garbage? Poltergeist pish, I say! Why not make the most of your precious pumpkin? I tend not to carve my gorgeous gourds, instead … [Read more...]
Low carb Quesadillas
Quesadilla made with vegetable shells Softer white wheat tortillas tend to be used for Quesadillas. … [Read more...]
Low carb Tostadas
Getting the mostada from tostada A Tostada is made on a crisp shell (you leave these on the counter on a rack--or in the oven--to crisp up). You can pick these up to eat them. Traditionally the shells are made from corn … [Read more...]
Halloween Mini Pizzas
No Halloween is complete without festive foods. Whether there are kids involved or we're the kids, enjoy the excitement that prepared, gluten-free buns, an oven and some pepperoni will bring this fall. On a busy evening, as daylight no longer … [Read more...]
Ten tricks for a healthy treat of a Halloween
Halloween and low-carb sound like two phrases that seemingly won't go great together; nonetheless, you'll see the nougatty chewy section that is my reasoning, and you won't toss mental candy apples in my direction. One slip-up now could well … [Read more...]
Italian Nachos
Pictured: Woman loves nachos. Nacho loves woman. Legal happiness in at least one state. One of my favorite things in the world is a plate of loaded nachos. Back in my former high-carb lifestyle, when I entered any Chili's or Old Chicago, the order … [Read more...]
Italian Spaghetti Squash Bake
Served with green beans, you have a winner for dinner. Please excuse the atrocious coloring. It's really not that orange. Busy school days, and crazy work days. No matter how you serve them up, it boils down to being too busy to prepare healthy … [Read more...]


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Author has written 1 story for Naruto.
Hi, everyone I made a decision recently that I would take down some of my previous stories. After reading it, I found a lot errors and I would like to re - edited it and try to make it more exciting. Hopefully I could find way to come up with exciting plot.. I just want to say thank you to all those people who read all of those stories.. I really appreciate your effort in reading it.. Thank You!
I'm planning to make new stories and I hope you will like it.. Thank You!
Thanks for reading my fics from the bottom of my heart. To the following thank you for making me in one of your favorite lists. sinful ai, softball1406, Night Angel, AngelOkibi, Natsumi-chan, Winkie, Nekessla, stinky!!! Thank You so much... To Natsumi-chan thanks for encourging me to write and you've been really a great help for inspiring me. And to PerfectSoldier thank you *salamat* for all the help. ^_^


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The singer told his fans on Twitter that he was 'good' and had no 'bumps or bruises' after falling off stage at his show in Noblesville, Indiana over the Labor Day weekend.
Someone needs to tell Luke Bryan to be more careful. A video recently surfaced showing the country singer having a minor accident when he performed in Noblesville, Indiana over the Labor Day weekend as part of his 2014 Farm Tour.
In the one-minute clip, Bryan is seen in the middle of performing his hit song "Suntan City" when he takes a giant step and suddenly falls off stage. Fortunately, a number of excited ladies standing close to the star catch him and help him jump back to the stage.
Bryan then continues his performance without missing a beat as if nothing's happened. After the show, he addressed the incident in a Twitter post. "All good here. No bumps or bruises," he wrote. "Our stage is different in every amp. Little stage variations. Hell I gotta just pay more attention."
This won't be the "Play It Again" hitmaker's first time to fall down mid-concert in the past few months. He had similar accident during shows in February and May. So far, he hasn't sustained any serious injuries.


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Areas of Expertise:
Stuart Jackson is L.E.K.'s Global Managing Partner and a member of the Global Leadership Team. Stuart is responsible for directing the firm's global strategy and operations.
In his leadership capacity at L.E.K., Stuart has worked with hundreds of clients in industries such as MedTech, manufacturing, and consumer products. These clients have enjoyed higher growth, increased their profit margins in existing businesses, added scores of new services and products, and completed more than 100 merger and acquisition transactions - all based in part on Stuart Jackson's advice and concepts. Stuart is the author of the highly-acclaimed book "Where Value Hides: A New Way to Uncover Profitable Growth for Your Business" and dozens of articles published in journals such as Wall Street Journal, Journal of Business Strategy and Harvard Business Review. He was selected by Consulting magazine as one of 2012's Top 25 Consultants for Excellence in Leadership based upon his acumen in the areas of business strategy and management. Stuart has been with the firm for more than 30 years, serving in the Boston, Chicago, London and Los Angeles offices.
Prior to joining L.E.K., Stuart was a manufacturing engineer with British Aerospace. He has a degree in Engineering from Cambridge University and won a NATO Fellowship to INSEAD, where he received a Master of Business Administration with distinction. Stuart currently serves on the Board of Quarri Technologies.


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Franco Sarto Larriat Boots were this week's shoe shop top seller, and my guess is because they are not only uber cool, but they are on sale to boot (pun intended)! Regularly $178.99, they are now $134.24 (25% off) with free shipping from ShoeDeals4U.com.
Ankle harness detailing styles a flat riding boot cut from rich suede and topped with a functional snap for easy entry. Pull-on style. Approx. boot shaft height: 16″; 14″ calf circumference. Suede upper/synthetic lining and sole.
More Sale Shoes at ShoeDeals4U!


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Chris Christie does not want to talk about DraftKings, FanDuel
Wednesday night saw the latest installment of the Republican primary presidential debates, with the candidates gathering to discuss the most pressing issues in the United States today, and also DraftKings and FanDuel.
Fantasy football fan Jeb Bush was asked whether the popular daily fantasy sites should be treated as gambling and Bush responded by shouting out Rob Gronkowski and Ryan Tannehill for leading his team to a 7-0 record, before adding that states should regulate the sites, according to FOX Sports.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie then stepped in and let it be known he did not think fantasy football was worth the candidates' time.
"FANTASY FOOTBALL?!?!" pic.twitter.com/iiM4OwJlda— BigHeadSports (@BigHeadSports) October 29, 2015
Christie's friend and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a shareholder in DraftKings, and recently defended the daily fantasy sites, saying they increased fan participation in the sport.


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Related Items
Trending Stories
U.S. to Face Mexico in Final Group Match of Olympic Qualifying
U.S. Women's National Team
Olympic Qualifying Notes from San Jose, Costa Rica
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2004
or couches in the lobby pecking away at their keyboards.
USA vs. MEXICO PREVIEW
painfully…on two own goals. The USA has won each of the 10 meetings against Mexico, but one of the closest ever matches was the most recent, the two-goal
victory in Dallas last November. The USA defeated Mexico, 3-2, in December of 2000 in Houston. Outside of Texas, the USA has defeated Mexico by an average of
7-0, which includes a 5-0 win on Sept. 7, 2003, before the 2003 Women's World Cup.
head coach Leo Cuellar's team has looked impressive in Costa Rica, taking apart its first two opponents by pounding in 13 goals (just two less than the USA), many coming off classy combination play. Former Atlanta Beat player Maribel Dominguez and Patricia Perez, a pair of shifty attackers, have combined for 10 of Mexico's goals while feisty UCLA star Iris Mora is always dangerous. Mexico also has a highly skillful midfield featuring the diminutive but crafty Monica Vergara. Mexico's defense is anchored by Monica Gonzalez, a former Notre Dame star and Boston Breakers player. Tall and rangy, the Mexican team captain will be a key to slowing the U.S. attack. Jennifer Molina, a former Colgate University player from Methuen, Mass., is probably the best women's goalkeeper in Mexican history. Both of her parents were born in Mexico City. Mexico features five Mexican-American players who played youth and/or college soccer in the United States.
The U.S. players celebrated April Heinrichs' 40th birthday last Friday by dressing in all black and wearing homemade black veils, holding a mock wake at lunchtime, and sung the birthday song in a somber tone as the 40-years-young coach walked into the lunch room. The team then sang the birthday song with their regular gusto as two cakes were brought in by the hotel staff, and Joy Fawcett's middle daughter Carli helped Heinrichs blow out the two candles, one with a 4 on it and the other with a 0.
Several players went for a quick shopping trip on Saturday afternoon in search of the strong local coffee blends as gifts for those back home (and perhaps for themselves on a morning that features an early training session). The players were searching for a particular brand that they heard was particularly good, but could only find four bags of it at a local store. Typical of the eager and kind Costa Rican shopkeepers, the woman behind the counter offered to order more. The U.S. players ordered around 40 bags, which the shopkeeper will deliver straight to the team hotel next week.
Mia Hamm to a Haitian defender who insisted on giving the U.S. forward some "up close and personal" attention during the first half of the USA's 8-0 win last Friday.
"Listen, if you're going to keep holding me like that, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Mia."


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When a Shogun betrays his homeland, the DARK path is the only way...
Dark Shogun Epic Dragon is the dark counterpart of Shogun Epic Dragon. It can so far only be obtained when the offer shows up.
ATTACK DELAY: 35 seconds
Mahou Crown: Fires orbs from the crown floating above it. Currently unknown if they can be fired rapidly.
Sphere Summoning: Probably causes an explosion in the shape of a sphere.
Katana Invocation: Summons a huge sword & spins around knocking enemies back while dealing damage.
Dark Shogun Epic Draggy: Spawns a draggy to assist. Max 4
- It's the very 1st dark counterpart of any dragon in Social Empires.
- It is one of 4 dragons to have a crown. The other are Shogun Epic Dragon, Laser Epic Dragon and Neon Epic Dragon.
- It is the second dragon released what has a sword. First is the Shogun Epic Dragon.
- It's the dark counterpart of 'Shogun Epic Dragon.
- This Dragon's Katana is nearly twice as big as itself.
- It's been revealed in one of the recend updates that this is Shogun Epic Dragon's brother.
- It's the 1st dragon known to have a sibling. The 2nd being Electric Epic & Electric Dynasty Dragons .
|Epic Dragon
|Laser Epic Dragon ● Neon Epic Dragon ● Black Demon Epic Dragon ● Black Epic Dragon ● Taiji Epic Dragon ● Nebula Epic Dragon ● Red-Hot Epic Dragon ● Shogun Epic Dragon ● Dark Shogun Epic Dragon ● Jewel Epic Dragon ● Skull Epic Dragon ● Thunder Epic Dragon ● Electric Epic Dragon ● Golden Epic Dragon ● Enel Epic Dragon ● Ghost Epic Dragon


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Looking For The Best Way to Get Xfinity in Snowmass Village, CO? CableTV.com Has What You Want
Thanks to Xfinity from Comcast, Snowmass Village residents have more ways to watch TV and save money with packages that provide everyone's favorite channels. Packages include digital cable channels, DVR recording and playback, and On Demand, so Xfinity TV fits your schedule.
Most Americans spend 35 hours every week watching TV, and Xfinity brings TV to Snowmass Village, CO to fill these hours with the most enjoyment possible. Xfinity TV provides Snowmass Village sports fans with their favorite local cable channels. Xfinity TV specials bring you all your favorite channels so you always have the television shows and movies you love.


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New Trailer For [.Rec] 4: Genesis Online
This is the end...
First announced together way back in 2010, the original idea was that [.Rec] 3: Genesis and [.Rec] 4: Apocalypse would film more-or-less concurrently and be released close together. Clearly that didn't pan out, since Genesis arrived a couple of years ago. But here, finally, is a trailer for Apocalypse, picking up Manuela Velasco's story, left hanging at the end of [.Rec] 2.
Series honchos Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza directed the first two [.Rec]s in tandem, but went solo for the prequel and this threequel, taking one each. Plaza handled Genesis, so Apocalypse is Balaguero's, and sees Velasco's Angela rescued and taken to an impromptu base set up on an oil tanker. Inevitably, however, the quarantine doesn't hold, and the survivors are soon once again faced with infected victims of the franchise's unique, peculiarily Catholic zombie rabies virus.
Genesis abandoned the first two films' chaotic handheld found footage style after its first few minutes, and judging by this clip, Apocalypse doesn't use POV at all: an interesting choice since it was such a part of [.Rec]'s early identity (and gives the franchise's title its meaning). But after Genesis' detour into splatstick comedy, we do seem to be right back into the darkness for part 4.
We're told Apocalypse is definitely [.Rec]'s final chapter. Is this really the end of everything? Who will survive and what will be left of them? We should find out sometime later this year. There's no UK release date yet, but it's out in its native Spain on October 31.


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New Zealanders eye two Games boxing medals
New Zealand will win two Commonwealth Games boxing medals, but were controversially denied a third.
Aucklander David Light and Hamilton's David Nyika have qualified for the semifinals of the Glasgow Games to guarantee themselves a medal and New Zealand its first boxing silverware since 2002.
But the major talking point among the New Zealand team today was how West Coast welterweight Bowyn Morgan was robbed in his quarterfinal.
Morgan took on England's Scott Fitzgerald in the bout of the night and though no-one doubted it was close, nearly everyone though the Kiwi won.
Not two of the three judges, though. Morgan was markedly better than Fitzgerald in the opening round, but the Moroccan judge Hassan Zoubid and his Argentinian mate Gerardo Poggi favoured Fitzgerald.
The second round was closer with Zoubid and Poggi again favouring Fitzgerald while Korean judge Seogwon Kim gave the opening two rounds to Morgan.
Morgan was crestfallen to have lost, but gracious in defeat.
"I'm gutted, mate. I knew it was close and I thought I did enough, but obviously not."
The 25-year-old moved away from Greymouth and his 4-year-old daughter Pheonix so he could spend more time training with national amatuer coach Phil Shatford in Christchurch.
"It stings eh, I kind of feel like I've let Pheonix down," he said.
"But I gave it my all; I know I can't have done or given anymore and I know I left it all out there."
His team-mates were quick to tell Morgan they thought he'd won - though that's to be expected. But then Welsh coaches approached Morgan and Shatford to tell them they thought the Kiwis were unlucky.
The English coaches looked sheepish and did not celebrate the victory while a member of the New Zealand team said an English coach told them the win left them with an uneasy feeling.
New Zealand's last female hope, Magan Maka was also beaten in her quarterfinal.
Maka did not have luck on her side, but was smiling after her loss to Canada's Ariane Fortin.
She said having a first round bye wasn't helpful as it meant she missed out on a bout before going up against gold medal favourite Fortin.
Earlier Light won his quarterfinal, but the young Auckland heavyweight won't have his parents in the Glasgow crowd when he receives his medal because father Len was too ill to travel.
Light is guaranteed at least a bronze medal after beating Kenya's Charles Okoth is today's quarterfinal. The medal, whichever one he gets, will be dedicated to his parents and is due to their sacrifice and support.
Light, 22, quit his job for Auckland landscaping company KB Construction at the start of the year to focus on his boxing and has now set-up home back with his parents Len and Cathy.
And when he needed to stump up with plenty of money to fight overseas, it was his parents he called.
"It's been five years to get to this point," he said after his quarterfinal win today.
"International events are what you need, if this had been my first international event, I would have bombed. To get to Europe from New Zealand for boxing can be five grand there, five grand back so it's a bit of a rich man's sport."
The New Zealand Olympic Committee raised the bar for boxers who now need to prove they're capable of more than just competing at Oceania level.
Light and others not already considered in the elite needed to fund themselves to get to Europe to take on the best.
For Light that's meant two trips to Serbia in the last two years, one to China and one to Finland.
"It's just, 'hey mum, can you give me $10,000'," he said before calling them and their support "amazing".
"I think [his medal] means a lot to them, they'll see it all worth it.
"They were going to come, but my dad's a bit sick.
"He's okay, he had his third stroke in 2012. He's over the moon. He's always been really supportive.
"I skyped them and they watched the replay. They were all bursting into tears, they're happy as."
And so is Light, though now he's guaranteed a medal, he'd rather it is gold.
He's got a top opportunity in the semifinal, too. He takes on Scottish brawler Stephen Lavellle.
The pair have met before - two years ago - and Light won.
"And I think I'm a better fighter than then."
Nyika was already into the semifinals courtesy of his quarterfinal win yesterday.


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'WPIAL hangover' dooms baseball teams going into state tourney
Following a 5-2 loss to Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game Thursday, May 29, Baldwin baseball coach Dan Caponi called practice for 10 a.m. Saturday.
By noon, Caponi was wondering why he had even bothered.
"The Saturday after we played the final was probably the worst practice of the year," Caponi said. "I was happy to get it over with."
Unfortunately for Baldwin, it served as a fairly ugly omen.
Baldwin was one of several teams to suffer from what Seneca Valley coach Eric Semega texted Caponi to warn him about the night of the Class AAAA final: the WPIAL hangover.
The Highlanders never shook off that championship game loss and suffered a 9-3 defeat to DuBois in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
"As an adult, you can remind them that they still have something else to play for," Caponi said. "But I'm not sure it sinks in."
At least Baldwin wasn't alone. For the first time since 1992, there won't be a WPIAL team playing for a state title after Seneca Valley lost in the Class AAAA semifinals Monday.
No softball team made it either, meaning it's the first time since 1979 that the WPIAL doesn't have an entrant in either set of finals.
Three of the four WPIAL champions went down in the opening round of the state playoffs — the first time since 2007 that's happened — though the reasons differed.
California, the Class A champion, ran into Penn State-bound left-hander Dylan Cyphert, who fanned 10 in a masterful performance for Cranberry.
"He threw a lot of fastballs to get ahead," California coach Nick Damico said of Cyphert. "He threw our two, three and four hitters first-pitch offspeed. He was getting it over the plate. He can throw three or four pitches for strikes. That's tough to handle. Plus, when you're throwing mid- to upper-80s, that's tough for anybody at any level."
West Allegheny was unable to regroup after upsetting Blackhawk ace Brendan McKay, who lost for only the second time of his career. Indians pitcher Colin Claus struck out nine but gave up an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning in a loss to Punxsutawney.
Steel Valley, the WPIAL winner in Class AA, gave up seven early runs en route to a 10-4 loss to Bedford, its first loss to a Class AA team this season.
Meanwhile, Blackhawk and Carmichaels — who along with Seneca Valley were the only ones to win a state playoff game this season — bounced back from runner-up finishes with wins.
"It's difficult both ways," Blackhawk coach Bob Amalia said. "One to get you mentally back up because you lost; the other to bring you back down to reality a little bit."
Blame the WPIAL hangover all you want, but logistics played a part, as well.
The finals usually are spread over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, before the state playoffs start the following Monday.
This year, rain pushed the completion of three of the four games to Thursday, meaning throwing the same pitcher in both games would have been tough.
West Allegheny (Colin Claus) and Carmichaels (Brandon Lawless) were the only two teams to have a pitcher start the WPIAL final and a first-round state game.
For Carmichaels, its win over Southern Fulton was an emotional one. The Mighty Mikes were irked that Lawless was unable to throw for the completion of the Class A final Thursday because of how the WPIAL handled the rain delay.
"We were real upset," said Lawless, who went seven innings and struck out nine to pick up the first state playoff win of his career. "After that game, we wanted to focus on the next one. We kept it in the back of our heads, tried to forget about it and take it out on the next team."
Besides California, Quaker Valley and Seton-La Salle also had difficult draws.
Quaker Valley struck out 10 times against Mike Mock of Martinsburg Central, who is 10-0. Indiana-bound Zach Guth of Franklin fanned 11 Seton-La Salle batters.
"The rest of the state has some talent, too," Rebels coach Shawn Trainor said.
It would be tough, especially this season, to find any WPIAL coach who would argue.
Jason Mackey is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at email@example.com or via Twitter @Mackey_Trib.


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Author has written 10 stories for Resident Evil.
Name: Damon
Age: 18
Gender: Male
A little about me: So... I haven't been writing for, what, two years? I blame school and girls and society and everything from the water to the gummy bears in my teeth. Maybe one day I'll actually finish something on here, but until then I'll work on high school and college and whatever else life wants to throw my way.
My Writing Style: I tend to write what I would say to describe a situation, mostly it isn't very detailed, and will always write with the character in mind. I make character driven stories. Trouble with grammar and spelling as been one of my many struggles I've had to deal with when writing, but I try to improve.
Favorite Fanfiction Authors:
More to come.
|Works Of Arts
|Games Resident Evil


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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo drives Danish box office
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Niels Arden Oplev's film, has single handedly driven ticket sales in Denmark over the first quarter of the year. The movie accounted for 20% ofall ticket sales in the first three months of 2009 and led to a 3% rise compared to the same period last year.
Restricted Content
Registration is required to read the entire article and to gain access to other restricted areas of the website


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" Brand: Others / Product Type: Garden Shed "
* Prices may differ from that shown
When myself, my husband and two children moved into our last house, our second home together, (I think in 1986) the place needed extensive modernisation. It was quite a jump up from our previous small two bedroomed terrace, and we managed to purchase this due to it needing so much work done to it. We obtained permission for rewiring, and central heating to be installed before moving in on the completion date, but it still needed much work.
Gradually, we managed to repair, modernise and decoratethe interior but the garden was another matter.
As soon as we had the house hospitable, and spring had sprung, we turned our attention to the garden, or jungle would be a better word. Only the first few feet of garden could be accessed before the bushes became too dense for entry.
It wasn't a huge garden, although we had to take the estate agents measurements as being correct. One couldn't see to the end of it. There was a massive rose bush smack bang in the middle. It wasn't in great condition and was in a terrible spot. A very large hydrangea bush competed ing with it for space, alongside nettles and brambles.
My parents came around with a scythe and so, armed with this and shears, trimmers and secateurs, the battle commenced. Quite soon, and after much hard labour, a garden of sorts began to appear. It was interesting really, with crazy paving trailing haphazardly around the garden and plants growing through the earth in unusual palaces. It certainly couldn't be called a uniform garden.
What did emerge through the undergrowth, was very interesting, but immediately showed up as being dangerous. What we had previously only been able to spy the rooftop of, and believed to be a concrete and wooden shed, was indeed, part of a barge, but a very old one. The glass was smashed from the windows and the walls seemed to be hanging perilously. A real hazard to children. So, although of interest it was pulled down with much haste.
So we needed a shed. At that time we didn't need a large shed just somewhere to keep the gardening tools, a couple of garden chairs and a a few bicycles and outdoor toys belonging to a three and five year old. We thought a shed of about six by four would be adequate.
We chose to buy an overlap wooden shed with a window. While we waited for delivery hubby laid a concrete base for the shed.
The shed came and the children wanted it for a playhouse. Hubby opened up the pack and built the shed. It looked good. We were proud of our garden shed. The rest of the garden wasn't exactly beautiful, but a start had been made.
The shed was basic but served our needs for a few years. Then we realised it was just too small. Of course, the amount of outdoor toys had increased, especially as we had two more added to our brood. We had also added more tools to our supply. And, I've got to admit it, we do tend to be hoarders.
Then mum and dad had a clear out of their wooden garden shed and realised that they didn't need a ten foot shed and would rather have more garden space. Did we want to swap? Yes, we said, seems a good idea if the sheds will transport without falling apart. Luckily my dad and hubby are both good at these sort of jobs and the transplanting of sheds went ahead successfully. Hubby had to extend the concrete platform base though for this larger shed. The panels and door all came apart easily enough and were fitted back together securely and with very little fuss.
The reason I thought of reviewing this shed is because when visiting my dad a recently (I visit most weeks) he asked me to have a look at his garden she had been trying to cut down some vine from his neighbour's garden which had been covering much of his land. He had cleared the area around his shed, formerly mine. Now my dad's quite good at remembering to do jobs that maintain things so often creosotes his fences and this shed. I remarked that the shed was old now and hadn't it lasted well? Dad agreed, saying it was in good shape.
We left the shed that was swapped with my parents on moving to our current home, but the overlap wooden shed has lasted around eighteen years, and still looks to be going strong.
This type of shed is available from many places, but please note that many do not have the window, which I believe is nice touch and useful for plants and just to let some air and light into this shed which can be used as a small working space or storage area.
Argos currently sell this shed for, £159.95. I cannot remember how much I paid.
Here is some further information concerning this garden shed as taken from the Argos website. www.argos.co.uk:
FCS certified timber.
Mixed softwoods.
Tongue and Groove depth 7mm.
Dip treated.
Solid sheet roof and floor.
1 styrene window (61.4 x 61.4cm).
Door (single) frame size (H)163, (W)66.5cm / (H)5ft 4in, (W)2ft 2in.
Height/pitch (H)167, (W)66.5cm / (H)5ft 5in, (W)2ft 2in.
External size (H)198.1, (W)133.4, (D)183.6cm / (H)6ft 6in, (W)4ft 4in, (D)6ft 0in (including roof overhang).
Internal size (H)186.4, (W)113.4, (D)174.8cm / (H)6ft 1in, (W)3ft 8in, (D)5ft 8in.
Overhang size (W)1.12, (D)0cm.
Hasp and staple lock.
Kerbside delivery only.
Packed and strapped flat for home assembly.
Manufacturer's 10 year anti-rot guarantee.


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Europe and North America can recruit democratic allies from Asia to add to NATO's strength.
NATO Needs to Recruit Beyond the Atlantic
James Goldgeier is a co-author of the recently released Transatlantic Academy report titled "Global Shift: How the West Should Respond to the Rise of China." In August, he will become dean of American University's School of International Service.
June 14, 2011
During his tenure at the Pentagon, Robert Gates has periodically complained about Europe's increasingly insufficient investments in defense and the shortage of NATO members capable of fighting wars. Unfortunately, the problem is growing more acute, but as the secretary recently noted, American complaints are unlikely to produce different results anytime soon.
Europe will, however, have to do more for its own security as time goes on. As the strategic threats shift away from Europe to Asia, the United States will inevitably devote more attention and resources to the Indian and Pacific oceans. As it does so, Europe will need to become more responsible for the security problems in its neighborhood, particularly in the Mediterranean and the lands between the European Union and Russia.
It won't be easy, because the Europeans don't yet recognize the need to spend more on defense, and because the continuing financial crisis is squeezing resources. The only viable long-term strategy is for Europe to develop a serious common security and defense policy. Last year, the United Kingdom and France decided that they will have to pool their resources to develop effective defense capabilities; that type of coordination will be necessary on a continental scale.
Meanwhile, for NATO to have any future, the alliance will have to develop greater capacity to respond to global threats like terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction arising from outside of Europe and North America that affect our common security. To do so, it will need democratic partners from other regions — Australia, Japan and South Korea — that can add to NATO's capabilities. An institution that remains purely trans-Atlantic in character will be neither relevant nor sufficiently capable in the face of 21st century challenges.


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How To Use Graphics Software To Optimise Underwater Photographs
The computer screen that you are currently viewing is made up of millions of pixels each one of which is subdivided into three colours - red, green and blue. These are often referred to as the 'Primary' colours. If all three colours are turned on at the same time and at the same intensity the result is a pixel that appears white. This is called additive mixing; your colour printer may use subtractive mixing in which case the colour ink cartridges will be cyan, yellow and magenta. The main thing for us to remember as regards correcting undewater photographs is that the sea progressively filters the red part of the sun's visible light spectrum - a somewhat unfortunate fact of life for those of us who enjoy diving!
The direct result of this is photographs that have a distinct green/blue cast. Not only that but relative contrast is also drastically reduced making everything look washed out. Below is an example image taken in the Red Sea at a depth of around 12m using a Vivtar 6200W six mega pixel digital camera.
As we can see this image whilst quite interesting content wise is terribly green. So what, if anything, can we do to improve it?
The first thing we're going to need is a graphics application. Adobe Photoshop is probably top of the list for most people but unfortunately it's rather expensive. An excellent alternative, one that I've been using for years, is Paint Shop Pro now currently at version X5. I use version X which I've had for a couple of years. It may prove difficult to find but version XI is available from Amazon.co.uk for around £12 - cheap as chips. Especially when you begin to discover what you can do with it.
As we know the fundamental problem here is caused by the sea's filtering out of red light and to a lesser extent blue light. There is still some red content in the image (if there weren't then we'd be in serious trouble) but it is so low in comparison to the green and blue content that to all intents and purposes it has disappeared.
Let's assume that we're going to be working on numerous images and therefore let's customise PSP a little so as to make working with these images easier and quicker. Open PSP, right click on any tool bar and choose 'Customize'. From the 'Image' catagory scroll down to 'Split to RGB' and drag it to one of the tool bars. Do the same thing with 'Combine from RGB'. Now go over to the 'Adjust' catagory and drag 'Fade Correction' to the same tool bar as the others.
Now we can start to do the magic. With the coral scene above selected in PSP I click on the 'Split to RGB' tool and PSP gives me three new images which represent the individual red, green and blue contents of the original scene.
We can immediately see that the brightest image is the green; the blue is fairly bright but look at the red - pratically nothing in comparison to the other primary colours. What we're going to do now may seem a little odd but not to worry because it works a treat. We're going to create a new image from these three 'raster' images but in so doing we're going to build the red content of the new image from the blue content of the original image. We're not replacing the red content with the blue but rather increasing the orginal red content and using the blue channel as the reference as to how much.
Click on the 'Combine from RGB' tool icon and select the tick box - 'Sync blue and green to red if possible'. The dialog box should now look like this...
Now deselect the tick box and in the drop down box for the red channel source choose the blue image...
Click 'Ok' and PSP creats a newly combined RGB image which magically has an awful lot more red in it...
At this point we can see that the newly combined RGB image while a lot healthier looking is still a bit green and generally lacking in colour. Prepare to be amazed!! For this particular image the next step isn't too important but we'll follow it through anyway because with other images the results will be very dramatic. Click on the 'FadeCorrection' icon, select the value '5' as the amount of correction and click 'Ok' to close the dialog. This is basically just a contrast adjustment. The next step is were things really start to happen. Hold the 'shift' key down and press 'H'. This will bring up the 'Hue/Saturation/Lightness' adjustment dialog. For the scene in question I've used '72' for the saturation level, '-70' for the hue shift and '-11' for the lightness.
I've also taken the opportunity to save these parameters under the preset name 'Underwater Correction'.
Applying these corrections to the image results in an entirely different looking scene which is far more represenative of what it would have looked like if bathed in white light. The final optional step is to sharpen the image slightly and then we can compare the original image with the PSP corrected version...
Here are some other before and after images that have been corrected using exactly the same procedure...
For this image the Hue/Saturation/Lightness settings were -70, 32, -11
For this image the Hue/Saturation/Lightness settings were -60, 4, 3. The digital noise in the image is due to the overall lack of light that was available at the time of taking the photograph. The shot was taken in the Red Sea at around 15m on the Umm Gamaar reef and these particular Yellow Butterfly fish were hiding in the coral. However, all things taken into consideration it's not a bad result.
For this image the Hue/Saturation/Lightness settings were -60, 65, -4. What a shame that this beautiful Angel fish decided to pass underneath a coral fan just at the wrong moment! I'll just have to go back for another try....
The technique described here should be applicable to any quality graphics application Photoshop included. Pleae feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions.
is qualified to PADI Open Water Instructor level and lives with his wife in central Italy.
They run a lovely self catering holiday apartment in the Sulmona valley.


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The 30-year-old played 18 Tests for the Kangaroos and 21 State of Origin matches for Queensland.
"I have been forced into making this decision because of a degenerating knee problem that has required surgery twice in the past six months," he said.
Webcke will see out the remaining two years of his contract with Brisbane, for whom he has played 215 times.