text:
INTRACOM Defense Electronics
Tactical Communications, Data Links and Telemetries, Information Security, Integrated Solutions, Hybrid Power Systems and Security Solutions
- Company Details
- Products & Services
- White Papers
- Videos
- Press Releases
- Regional Offices
- Contact Company
INTRACOM Defense Electronics (IDE) is the leading defence telecommunications and electronics systems provider in Greece, which specialises in the design, development and manufacturing of products that incorporate modern technologies in a wide range of applications.
The company offers solutions that include command, control and communication systems (C³I), encryption devices, missile electronic components, tactical communication systems, surveillance, reconnaissance and security systems, hybrid electric power and electric energy storage systems, and software for military applications and testing equipment.
IDE contributes to international development and production programmes, as well as overseas co-operations for the production and export of defence equipment and is a registered member on NATO's vendor list.
The company's products and services are deployed in Cyprus, France, Germany, Luxembourg (NSPA), Libya, Sweden, the UK and US.
Tactical Communications
IDE's tactical-wideband communications products cover the specific needs of the defence sector, and are already successfully operating in various land platforms in short, medium and long-range, fixed or mobile applications.
IDE's tactical communication systems are based on extensive and proven expertise in voice-data-video transmission, advanced radio and custom waveform design, as well as communication and transmission security.
The company's tactical communications solution portfolio includes:
- Spartan: software defined IP broadband radio for secure information transfer at the tactical level
- WIWAN: an advanced IP-based tactical communications network for secure, multimedia information transfer, interconnecting deployed forces at all levels of command in the contemporary theatre of operations
- WISPR: a state-of-the-art, full programmable digital communication system that incorporates a new philosophy in vehicle and inter-vehicle communications
- Tacticon: a tactical IP communication system that provides real-time single and multi-party voice communication and data exchange services among dispersed Communication Nodes, Command Post, Field Headquarters, Tactical Operation Centres, adjacent Battalions and supported units
- Nauticon: a flexible digital communication system that integrates the internal and external communication equipment of any modern naval platform. It can be configured for distributed switch architecture for survivability as well as for physical separation of red and black information processing
Data Links and Telemetries
IDE has significant experience in the design, development, qualification, and production of missile data link and telemetry systems used either in surface-to-air (ESSM), air-to-air (IRIS-T) or ground-to-air missiles (IRIS-T SL).
IDE's innovative data link designs are based on field-proven knowledge and expertise in designing and incorporating high-tech waveforms and protocols, in addition to the extended embedded software control capability.
Information Security
IDE's encryption products feature the highest level of technological advancements. The SECLINE series covers a wide range of applications, including data, fax and voice, (SECLINE a-PLUS), bulk encryption (SECLINE MBit) and IP networks (SECLINE IP).
The SECLINE series of encryption devices is designed to use specialised cryptographic algorithms, fully developed by IDE and certified by the national security authorities. Relevant research and development activities take place in state-of-the-art laboratories, exclusively dedicated for this purpose (for example, TEMPEST laboratory).
Integrated Solutions
IDE has experience in systems integration for land and naval applications and can modernise platforms for land and naval systems.
Integrated solutions offered by IDE include:
- VSAT CRONOS: a secure, autonomous transportable VSAT (very small aperture terminal) system supporting communications for mobile units, headquarters, peacekeeping missions as well as other special contingencies
- WiTAC3S-L (wireless integrated tactical C3 system, land): a military-of-the-shelf (MOTS) integrated tactical communication suite suitable for upgrade or mid-life modernisation of existing customer vehicles
- WiTAC3S-N (wireless integrated tactical C3 system, naval): a military-of-the-shelf (MOTS) integrated tactical communication suite suitable for upgrade or mid-life modernisation of existing customer vessels
- iDEFENDER: An integrated solution for optimised surveillance and critical infrastructure protection addressing the management and mitigation of physical security threats
Hybrid Power Systems (HPS)
IDE offers a series of electric power conversion, storage, management and cost saving products to supply environmentally safer energy.
Thorough research and consistent evaluation of critical technological and economical parameters has led to the development of the HPS family, which lead to an early return of investment related to conventional off-grid systems.
A growing range of products is complemented by custom-made solutions for any demanding requirements.
Security Solutions
IDE continuously monitors the emerging and evolving security threats and vulnerabilities in the fields of critical infrastructure and border surveillance and provides state-of-the-art technology development and integrated solutions for public safety and disaster relief agencies.
One of IDE's core competencies is the multi-sensor, multiplatform, multi-system integration for security specific applications and technologies.
Moreover, IDE specialises in:
- Comprehensive command and control
- Common information picture composition for tactical, operational and strategic levels of command
- Information exploitation and dissemination
- Mission planning
- Multi-sensor information fusion
- Threat assessment
- Physical security information management (PSIM) integration
- Training and simulation
IDE provides services dedicated to calibration, design and engineering development, power amplifier design, manufacturing, software engineering, test systems engineering, verification / qualification, after-sales support, knowledge transfer and training.
Combining experienced personnel, specific industry knowledge and the latest technology achievements, IDE ensures high-reliability and quality services that meet and exceed customer requirements.
Industrial Co-operations
IDE has a long and successful history in industrial cooperation programmes for the international defence sector marketplace. The company has supplied advanced equipment, provided professional services or delivered complex turnkey projects to defence industry groups, organisations and national armed forces.
The company's experience and know-how in defence applications are enhanced through its involvement in new programmes and have established IDE as a key company in the domestic and international defence systems development and production market.
The company is currently successfully involved in the manufacturing of numerous major defence systems and products, in cooperation with defence industry leaders such as Boeing, Diehl BGT Defence, Kraus-Maffei Wegmann, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Saab, Thales and Zeiss Optronik.
Contact Details
INTRACOM S.A. Defense Electronics Systems
21 km Markopoulou Ave.
19400 Koropi
+30 210 667 8000
+30 210 667 8001


text:
Vanilla Bean and Giada Jr, Jr.
Dip: Giada's Warm Artichoke and Bacon Dip Recipe
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 5 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- One 8-ounce bag frozen artichokes, thawed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (16 ounces) mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
For the dip: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round ceramic deep-dish pie pan or a 1-quart baking dish.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and bacon and cook until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. In the same skillet, add the oil (if needed), shallots, garlic, artichokes, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the shallots are translucent and the artichokes begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, 1/2 of the cooked bacon pieces and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until combined but still chunky. Place the dip in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining bacon pieces. Bake until just warmed through (do not let the dip boil), 10 minutes. Serve the pita chips alongside.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
2008-12-19 32 -94
Fri 19 Dec 2008 in Longview, Texas:
After a week of watching the geohash circle the edges of the graticule, with me stuck in the middle without a bicycle, today's geohash marker popped up right inside the dot indicating the city of Longview. Yes! It was within four kilometres of my hotel room. Discouraged as I was from weeks without a geohashing success, I expected that it would be nevertheless unsuccessful, but I would still mount an expedition. I used Google Earth map view to zoom in on the point until it was only evident that it was near but not on an actual street, then switched to hybrid view to determine whether it was in a private horse paddock, a military installation or the city water reservoir. It seemed to be in lightly-wooded undeveloped land, but if there's one thing I've learned from geohashing in different parts of the world, it's that the same nondescript colour and texture can be a swamp, a burned out forest, a field or a firing range. I also knew from working here that the Google Earth aerial view is quite out of date and there could be new roads or subdivisions there.
- Robyn - hoping Longview locals will surprise her later today.
I drew myself rough instructions to go south on 4th, east on Eden, take the south fork onto Marguerite, and so on, up to the point where I would have to either bushwhack or explore new roads. It wasn't strictly necessary to follow those roads, but how can you deviate without a plan.
The first part of the adventure went very well, despite Longview having no sidewalks. I just walked in the gutter and on people's lawns until I noticed a paved pedestrian path through the woods and going roughly in the direction of the geohash. So, spontaneously and adventurously, I took it. It emerged later on one of the roads on my route, and there was a traffic light there, so I used that intersection to cross a highway. I passed a rollerskating rink and continued down Eden Road. I wasn't quite on my route, but I was getting steadily closer to the geohash. Before long the numbers on the GPS blinked over from kilometres to metres. Nine hundred-odd metres to go!
The geohash was slightly to the right, and buildings on the right looked promising. There were fences, but behind the fences I could see parking lots and other evidence of open, publicly accessible space. Eight hundred metres to go and the right side of the road was woods. Woods with no fence in front. With seven hundred and fifty metres remaining the track to the geohash was at right angles to the road, as was a wide trail into the lightly wooded land.
It was like a dream about geohashing. The trees were pretty, and dense enough to suppress the growth of underbrush but widely spaced enough to pose no impediment to my passage. The ground underneath was dry and as firm as a race track. There were little gray squirrels, and light gray birds with white bellies, and finger-length lizards. The largest possible animal I could encounter would be a deer. With five hundred metres to go, there could still be a ten foot high electric fence, or another impassable barrier. I laughed out loud as I came to a winding stream than cut deeply through the woods. It was so narrow I could jump over it with a running start. And I did.
I'm thinking to myself that if someone who had no idea what Mother Nature could do imagined a MNIMB Geohash, this is what they might believe it was like. With 300m to go the brush became a bit thicker, so I detoured around the edge of the thickest part, and came out on a road. The geohash was across the road ... behind a church ... towards a fence.
Would it be before the fence or after the fence? With 90 m to go, the fence was about 90 m away. Step, look at GPS, step, look, step, look. Nine metres left. The fence is more than nine metres away. Victory is mine!
I photograph the GPS and me and suddenly realize that I am shielding the GPS from the sun. The clouds are gone! I have to go back to work! But no, it's just a momentary parting of the clouds. The sky itself is celebrating the end of my long geohashing drought.
As a complete coincidence, considering the amount I move around, I have geohashed an adjacent graticule.


text:
- "There was only one ship."
- "One? Are you sure?"
- "Yes. They called it the Pillar of Autumn."
UNSC Pillar of Autumn (C-709)[5][6] was a Halcyon-class light cruiser in the UNSC Navy. It was informally referred to as the Autumn, and its name abbreviated to "PoA."
Prior to the Fall of Reach, Pillar of Autumn was selected to support Operation: RED FLAG, a SPARTAN-II operation to capture Covenant leaders. Captain Jacob Keyes was placed in command. The operation was forestalled by the Covenant assault on Reach and the cruiser was one of the few UNSC survivors and fled the system having lost most of its intended SPARTAN-II passengers.
The cruiser was guided to the Soell system by the AI Cortana. There it was engaged by a Covenant fleet guarding Installation 04. Keyes crash-landed the ship on the installation where the surviving crew continued the battle against the Covenant and later, the Flood. The ship's sole remaining combat effective SPARTAN-II, John-117, was forced to detonate Pillar of Autumn's fusion reactor, destroying the ship and the installation to prevent the installation from firing.
Human-Covenant WarEdit
Pillar of Autumn was constructed at the Reyes-McLees Shipyards on Mars in 2509 as one of the then-new Halcyon-class cruisers.[7] Due to its expensive honeycomb structure, the blueprints were radically altered soon after the Autumn's construction with only the first eleven of fifty possessing it.[8]
It saw action during the First Battle of Arcadia against the Covenant in February 2531. The cruiser was heavily damaged engaging two CCS-class battlecruisers.[4] The cruiser contributed experimental M-145D Rhino to the ground fighting.[9]
The cruiser was later decommissioned with the other Halcyon-class cruisers. Unlike its sisters in Aszod, the Autumn was merely placed in long-term storage as military surplus, just in case it should be needed later. As fate had it, that time came in 2550 when the UNSC was desperately low on ships to defend the Theater of Operations around Zeta Doradus (the site of secret ONI projects), and it was reactivated as an emergency support ship.[8]
Preparations for Operation: RED FLAGEdit
- Main article: Operation: RED FLAG
By 2552, it was obvious to the UNSC that the war could not be ended with conventional military action. A desperate plan was conceived to end the war by capturing the Covenant's leadership and forcing the enemy to the negotiating table. SPARTAN-II commandos would commandeer a disabled Covenant ship, locate the Covenant homeworld and abduct the targets. Pillar of Autumn was selected on August 25 by the AI Cortana to disable an enemy ship and deliver the Spartans aboard; the ship was selected for the Halcyon-class's durability, despite its class's usual lack-luster offensive capabilities.[10] Command of the ship was given to Jacob Keyes, a well-proven tactician and Captain.
The cruiser received another refit for the mission, including a state-of-the-art fusion power plant.[11] Cortana was transferred to handle the shakedown.
Also on board was a D77-TC Pelican that had been modified for the SPARTANs selected for the mission. It had double the armor plating, grappling attachments, and a serrated titanium ram. This Pelican was repurposed during the Fall of Reach to insert John-117, Linda-058 and James-005 into Reach Station Gamma, in order to enact Cole Protocol on the UNSC Circumference. Unfortunately, the modified Pelican was destroyed when it crashed into the station.[citation needed]
Fall of ReachEdit
- Main article: Fall of Reach
Pillar of Autumn was prepared to deploy on August 30. However, before it could depart the Epsilon Eridani System it was recalled to Reach; the UNSC fleet was mustering in preparation for an imminent Covenant attack on the planet. Cortana remained in control as the ship's normally assigned AI was not yet operational.
The UNSC hoped that an opportunity to capture an enemy ship would present itself, however the course of the battle forced the Spartans to deploy on other missions. Blue Team went to Reach Station Gamma to enforce the Cole Protocol while Red Team went planetside to reinforce the Orbital Defense Generators. While the cruiser performed well, the battle was lost as the Orbital Defense Platforms fell silent. There was only time to recover the remnants of Blue Team, John-117 and the clinically dead Linda-058, before the ship was forced to flee the system.
During the space battle over Reach, Pillar of Autumn defeated a Covenant supercruiser on its own that even the Fleet's carriers could not defeat, proving Pillar of Autumn to be one of the most durable warships ever built by UNSC Navy.
At some point during the conflict, Pillar of Autumn returned to drydock at the Aszod ship-breaking facility to rescue any survivors on the planet and retrieve a package. Shortly before the ship fled the system, the remnants of Noble Team were tasked with delivering a fragment of Cortana's data chip to Pillar of Autumn. The ship left drydock immediately afterward. It was nearly destroyed by a CCS-class battlecruiser before it could take off, but the Cruiser was destroyed by Noble Six with an Onager.
Pillar of Autumn was supposed to have made a random Slipspace jump in accordance with the Cole Protocol. However, Cortana surreptitiously guided the ship to the Soell system and, ultimately, to Installation 04 instead. The AI used coordinates obtained from a Forerunner artifact on Sigma Octanus IV.[12] The Covenant pursued along the cruiser's exit vector and arrived at Soell first with a battle group of CCS-class battlecruisers.
The Battle of Installation 04 Edit
- Main article: Battle of Installation 04
Pillar of Autumn was immediately engaged upon arriving at Threshold. The cruiser was spared destruction by the Prophet of Stewardship who feared stray Plasma Torpedo fire might damage Installation 04. So the Covenant made to board and capture the ship instead. Pillar of Autumn destroyed four ships and damaged Truth and Reconciliation before boarders disabled its Magnetic Accelerator Cannon with an Antimatter charge.
Captain Keyes ordered the crew to abandon ship. John-117 was given Cortana for safekeeping, and ordered to keep the AI out of enemy hands as part of the Cole Protocol. The crew left the ship for the ring in whatever craft were available and the cryo pods were jettisoned. Keyes directed Pillar of Autumn on a course to crash land on the ring. The Covenant finally began hitting the ship with plasma torpedoes, but the cruiser survived the landing reasonably intact. The survivors would later transfer supplies from the ship to Alpha Base.
The release of the Flood added an unexpected dimension to the battle. Monitor 343 Guilty Spark was preparing to fire the installation in response to the outbreak; in conjunction with the entire Halo Array this would wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. John-117 and Cortana returned to Pillar of Autumn to destroy the ring by detonating the still-functioning fusion reactors. An attempt to activate the cruiser's self-destruct from the bridge failed due to 343 Guilty Spark's interference. The Spartan was forced to manually destabilize the reactors with tactical ordnance.
The Spartan and AI escaped the subsequent detonation and the ring aboard a Longsword fighter still docked in Launch Bay 7. The effort to destroy Halo with Pillar of Autumn succeeded, sparing the universe from the Flood and a Halo activation.
Pillar of Autumn would be so well known that it would have a line of cruisers that entered service after the Human-Covenant war, the Autumn-class heavy cruiser, named after it and the lead ship of the class, UNSC Pillar of Autumn, in honor of the original Pillar of Autumn.
Pillar of Autumn was roughly 43 years old at the time of its escape from Reach and its later destruction on Installation 04. It was a cruiser of the Halcyon-class, the third largest in the UNSC Fleet at the time.[7] Like other Halcyon ships, Pillar of Autumn was equipped with a honeycombed internal bracing structure that allowed it to function even after sustaining critical levels of damage.
Power plantEdit
Pillar of Autumn was refitted with an improved nuclear fusion engine that supported the two smaller existing reactors around a newer larger one, which were capable of boosting the overall power output by 300% for a short time if needed.
Fusion reactors generate extreme heat which must be removed in order for them to remain active without overheating. The Autumn's overhauled reactors were an especially severe case of this. Usually, the excess heat was conducted to a chemical agent which would then vent into space. However, Pillar of Autumn's upgraded specifications also included an upgraded cooling system, which featured a "laser-induced optical slurry of ions chilled to near-absolute zero," which is far more efficient than the typical method and removed the reliance on expendable chemical temperature-control substances. In essence, the amount of excess heat removed by the new system increased as the reactors' output did. This self-regulating and self-cooling power plant was critical in combat since it virtually eliminated a commander's concerns about overheating and slagging a ship's engines.
Pillar of Autumn's reactor was able to be overloaded by explosives, either grenades or rockets, destroying the vulnerable vent cores. Once these were destroyed, the reactor began to go critical, resulting in temperatures of over 100,000,000 degrees and a thermonuclear explosion large enough to tear apart a Halo Installation.[13]
The upgraded Pillar of Autumn received extensive refits, including several to its weapons systems. Eventually, it was host to a very powerful armament; far in excess of the original Halcyon-class ships.
- With extra power capacitors and power recycling systems, Pillar of Autumn's MAC gun could fire three consecutive shots per charge.
- The MAC gun fired lighter projectiles compared to most ship grade MACs, but these rounds worked much like Shredder Rounds. Each charge was able to fire 3 rounds.
- 300 Archer Missile pods, arranged in thirty columns and ten rows. Each pod contained 26 individual devices, equaling 7800 missiles.[14]
- One Shiva-class Nuclear Missile, loaded onto a remote-controlled Longsword interceptor.
- Three ship-launched HAVOK Tactical Nuclear Warheads.[15]
- Forty 50mm MLA Auto-cannons with overlapping fields of fire for point defense against single ships. Two of these cannons were later salvaged by the surviving humans on Installation 04 and were used to defend Alpha Base.
- Multiple Prototype Plasma Rhinos in 2531.
- Multiple Scorpions.
- Multiple Warthogs.
- Multiple Pelicans.
- Multiple Longsword Interceptors.
Engine roomEdit
Pillar of Autumn's engine room was a large, three-deck high chamber allowing access to the fusion engine core. Side passages allowed for movement from the bottom deck all the way up to the catwalks on the third. The manifolds into the cores were suspended above the second deck. Controls on the third deck retracted these manifolds, exposing a vent that led directly into the core. It was using this method to expose the core via the vents that John-117 ultimately destroyed the ship and Installation 04. This room is the largest room in Pillar of Autumn with the exception of the hangar bay and the "Leap of Faith" room.
- Airlock 31, 32: Lifeboat destroyed by the Covenant to make way for a Boarding Craft.
- Airlock 51: Lifeboat was destroyed by unseen Covenant artillery as it departed from the airlock.
- Airlock 52, 53, 61, 62, 63: Lifeboats managed to make it out of the vessel.1
1Airlock 61: John-117, Cortana, nine other Marines on board and the Bumblebee pilot.
Known crewEdit
- Pillar of Autumn's model is approximately 1.17 km long, a reference to John-117.[16] The ship's length is exaggerated in the final level of Halo: Combat Evolved to provide a 3 km long vehicular course.
- The Marathon logo is prominently displayed on Pillar of Autumn's starboard and port sides in Halo: Combat Evolved. The ship's official emblem has the Marathon logo as well. The Marathon logo was also visible in the window of the ship in the opening cut scene of the level The Maw. However, the ship's official emblem was changed to the Seventh Column logo in Halo: Reach and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, as seen on the hull of Pillar of Autumn and Captain Keyes' ID Patch to avoid property rights issues.
- On the first level of Halo: Combat Evolved, the bulletin board just outside the bridge of the ship contains 7 amusing clips, including some throwbacks to Marathon and a flier for a missing cat called Jonesey, a reference to the cat from the Alien movies. The board also has a flier telling Marines to "Keep it Clean", a statement later used in Halo 3: ODST.
- The re-textured bulletin board in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary includes a classic Internet gag image of a "cat found" poster mistaking an opossum for a cat, a poster labelled "Dark Planetoid Rising" featuring the Forerunner planet Requiem as it appeared in the Legendary ending of Halo 3 and a "troll" face on the bottom-left. The board also includes an image of a goose with the caption "Have you seen my Goose," the "Fist of the Unicorn" band, and others.
- Prior to being refit for the Spartan mission, Pillar of Autumn was equipped with Mark II fusion engines (which supplied only 10% the power of modern reactors), and had just one regular MAC gun and six Archer missile pods.[7]
- In Halo: Fall of Reach, Pillar of Autumn is described as having a command chair and a rotating section to simulate gravity. In Halo: Combat Evolved, both of these are absent.
- Spartan Nicole-458 in Dead or Alive 4 has a combo move called "the Pillar of Autumn."
- Although not officially confirmed, in BioWare's Mass Effect 2, during a section of a mission, Pillar of Autumn can be seen in the background of one of the cutscenes.
- Pillar of Autumn is the first UNSC ship in all the Halo games that you are able to explore the inside of.
- In the beginning shots of The Mona Lisa episode 5, the first part of the ship name, "The Pillar of Au," can be seen floating in space.
- In Halo Wars, when the Covenant assault Arcadia, one of the ships defending it is Pillar of Autumn.
- In Halo: Combat Evolved, the antennas are positioned on the first hexagonal structure. In Halo: Reach, they are positioned on the second and a defense cannon is positioned in the first hexagonal structure.
- In the last campaign level of Halo: Reach, The Pillar of Autumn, if the player does not kill the battlecruiser at the end, the final cutscene will show Pillar of Autumn being cut in half by a glassing beam.
- Although the crew of Pillar of Autumn were widely credited with being the first humans to encounter the Flood, the crew of UNSC Spirit of Fire encountered the Flood decades earlier.
- Despite the ship's pristine appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved (Anniversary) and Halo: Reach, Pillar of Autumn was damaged during the Fall of Reach.
- This is the most featured named ship in the Halo universe.
- The Pillar of Autumn has a few sister ships,UNSC Dawn Under Heaven and the UNSC Toulouse.[17]
- Halo: Combat Evolved (First appearance)
- Halo 2
- Halo 3 (Memorial plaque only)
- Halo Wars
- Halo: Reach
- Halo: The Fall of Reach
- Halo: The Flood
- Halo: First Strike
- Halo Wars: Genesis
- Halo Legends
- Halo 4 (Mentioned only)
- Halo 5: Guardians (Hologram only)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo - page 95
- ↑ Halo Waypoint: UNSC Pillar of Autumn
- ↑ Halo: The Flood, page 136
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Halo Wars, level Arcadia City
- ↑ Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets, page 60
- ↑ Bungie.net: Bungie Weekly Update 01.29.10
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 238, ("The Pillar of Autumn is forty-three years old," Cortana said. "Halcyon-class ships were the smallest vessel ever to receive the cruiser designation. It is approximately one-third the tonnage of the Marathon-class heavy cruiser currently in service."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Halo: Combat Evolved: Sybex Official Strategies & Secrets, Page 60
- ↑ Halo Wars, level Dome of Light
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page ?? ("…At the time deemed unnecessarily over massed and costly due to series of cross-bracing and interstitial honeycombs… Halcyon-class ships, however, have a reputation for being virtually indestructible. Reports indicate these ships being operational even after sustaining breaches to all compartments and losing ninety percent of their armor.")
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page ??
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Epilogue, page 336
- ↑ Halo: Combat Evolved, level The Maw
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach, pages 274-275 ("Captain Keyes mentions performing a fly-by inspection of the starboard shuttle bay and counting Archer Missile Pods thirty across and ten down, making for 300 Archer Missile Pods. The next sentence then reads "Each pod held dozens of missiles." The count of 128 Archer Missile Pods with 30 missiles each must be a severe under-estimation of the ship's missile payload.")
- ↑ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Chapter 29, page 275 ("In response to Captain Keyes' question about the small single ships in the launch bay, Lieutenant Hikowa states, "Yes Sir. One of the Longswords is equipped with a Shiva Nuclear Warhead; it can be remote piloted. We also have three HAVOC Warheads on board").
- ↑ halo.bungie.org: The Pillar of Autumn Conundrum
- ↑ Halo Waypoint - News, Rockin' & Railin'


text: On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Zachary Pincus <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: > I'm not 100% sure what the backwards-compatibility guarantees for > scipy are right now, but the matlab 5 IO is pretty new, so hopefully > useful changes like these won't be a problem. (Any one can say for > sure?) In general, backward compatibility for SciPy isn't as big a constraint as it is for NumPy. NumPy is an extremely mature codebase that is widely used by many projects, so we have to be *extremely* careful about ABI/API breaks. SciPy on the other hand is still considered 'beta' software, so we should be focusing on getting it to the point that we consider it more 'production' code. Once we get to that point we will need to start being much more careful about ABI/API breaks. Of course, no one is going to want to use SciPy if we arbitrarily break their code with every release of SciPy. So we just need to strike a reasonable balance of fixing and improving SciPy, while not chasing off users. In this particular case, the changes to the mat file io looks very reasonable. I will let Stéfan van der Walt or Matthew Brett make the final call, but I would like to see this patch (or a revised version of it) get in. Thanks, -- Jarrod Millman Computational Infrastructure for Research Labs 10 Giannini Hall, UC Berkeley phone: 510.643.4014 http://cirl.berkeley.edu/


text:
(dir: Bennett Miller)
Truman Capote (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) wanted to write the nonfiction book of the decade about a Kansas bloodbath and its perpetrators. Little did he know how cannibalizing the life story of hapless drifter Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.) would become its own kind of manslaughter. First time feature director Bennett Miller has crafted a deceptively bare bones parable about an artist's responsibility to his art versus the cost to his soul, set against a lonely Midwest wilderness and stocked with stand-out performances from Hoffman, Collins Jr., Chris Cooper, Bob Balaban and Catherine Keener. As austere and merciless as an icewater baptism, and just as difficult to recover from upon completion.
Violet Glaze PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Stephen Gaghan)
Critics complain that individual story lines are underdeveloped, but Syriana isn't meant to be a character study. The politics of Stephen Gaghan's sprawling oil industry may be maddeningly intricate but, like viewing a Diego Rivera mural, from afar the portrait of self-destructive greed is clear. This film is not an expose, or a conspiracy theory, and we don't need to give the characters any sympathy. The central story elements (the power struggle between a leader who wants to build up his oil-rich country and one who wants to get rich by playing the corporate puppet) should be familiar to anyone with knowledge of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Latin America for the past 40 years. If the film doesn't add any new information to this abomination, the dark humming portent at its closing that this will not end until we've swallowed ourselves whole is still powerfully conveyed.
Michael Buening PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Fernando Meirelles)
This year's best movie for grown-ups, The Constant Gardner is a throwback, in the nicest possible way, to the cinema of the '70s. An ultimately heartbreaking romance wrapped up inside a well-constructed and credible political drama, Fernando Meirelles's movie is hardly a thrill-a-minute rollercoaster ride of explosions, shoot-outs and smug one-liners. But it is graced with exceptional performances from both Ralph Fiennes and the lovely Rachel Weisz, and it tells much of the truth about the African continent if only from an inevitably external perspective.
Roger Holland PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Peter Jackson)
Proving that he truly is the heir apparent to the '70s vanguard of blockbuster cinema (read: Lucas and Spielberg) that crazed Kiwi Peter Jackson delivered his homage to the movie that made him want to be a filmmaker in the first place, and the results were epic indeed. Sure, it's too long and offers a few miscast actors along the way (sorry Mr. Brody), but as he proved with his brilliant Lord of the Rings films, Jackson understands the dynamics of big screen action. And once we get to that sinister Skull Island, he shows his penchant for expertly choreographed staggering set pieces again and again and again. From the terrifying T-Rex battle and bug pit to a sublime moment of ice "skating" in Central Park, this is not just a director's love letter to his artistic inspiration this is his own legacy to the art form itself. What a mighty and magnificent bequest it is.
Bill Gibron PopMatters review
(dir: David Cronenberg)
Director David Cronenberg, adapting a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, gleefully takes American cinema's fixation with evil invading innocence (Shadow of a Doubt, Out of the Past, Blue Velvet) to craft an enormously entertaining thriller that ridicules our love of screen brutality as we, the audience, feign virtuousness. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is an ideal father and a highly efficient killing machine code named "Joey," whose unmasking threatens to tear apart, but ultimately brings his family together. If this starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie would be a high concept action romp called True Lies. Cronenberg's exploiting of this dichotomy, the horror of the tautly and realistically detailed action meshed with the winking humor of its genre conventions, forms the unsettling basis of his masterful drama.
Michael Buening PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: George Clooney)
For all of its politics and heavy-handed allegory, Good Night, and Good Luck is before everything else a taut, beautiful piece of filmmaking. Director George Clooney hit a home run with his first outing, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but it was too reliant on a Soderbergh-esque narrative and cinematographic qualities. Here, though, Clooney steps out on his own as a director and steps up with a thrilling political noir as indicative of the period it's paying homage to as it is to the present political climate. The monochrome photography of Robert Elswit is simply amazing, with blacks as thick as ink and whites as clean as freshly washed linen. And the acting of everyone involved, from Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, and Frank Langella to David Strathairn (who literally becomes legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow) is exceptional and flawless.
Dante Ciampaglia PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller)
Welcome to the future of filmmaking. Not just from a technical standpoint and no film from 2005 could hold a fully rendered foot-candle to City's shockingly inventive computerized production design but for a full blown bucking of the entire Tinsel Town system. When he couldn't get the puffed-up powers to be to credit creator Frank Miller as "director" of this film, Robert Rodriguez up and quit the Guild, thumbing his nose at those who would deny that 'visualization' is part of the cinematic process. Some of the dialogue is hopelessly corny and the interwoven plots often play like cheap dime novel noir, but Rodriguez and Miller have proven, implicitly, that something visually stunning can be made out of expertly crafted ideas, all tweaked with a little cutting edge technology. All flaws aside, in the years to come, Sin City will be the milestone that begat the true post-millennial movement in digital filmmaking.
Bill Gibron PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Steven Spielberg)
Steven Spielberg's second film of 2005 is not only the better of the two, but also his best work in years, if not his best work ever. Munich, which focuses on Israel's retaliation against Arab and Palestinian terrorists in the wake of the kidnapping and execution of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, finds Spielberg as a director less interested in happy endings and infallible good overcoming utter evil as much he is with plumbing the depths of moral ambiguity. Spielberg's "serious" works have always been marked by a certain naïveté, coloring them as simplistic and almost utopian. Not so here. Spielberg reveals a side of himself as a storyteller that he hasn't shown before: that of a filmmaker able to ask hard questions while putting the burden on his audience to work out the equally tough solutions.
Dante Ciampaglia PopMatters review
(dir: Christopher Nolan)
It's been a rough 10 years or so for Bat-fans. They paid their $8.50 to watch in horror what Joel Schumacher hath wrought in Batman & Robin, and hung their heads in despair (for free) as the franchise lay dormant, enduring the implicit taunts of intelligent X-Men and Spider-man movies. But in swoops Christopher Nolan, and the day is saved. His Batman Begins is not only faithful to its source, but terrific stand-alone entertainment. It's the kind of superhero movie that gets your non-nerd friends interested in comic books, however briefly; who wouldn't be tempted to pick one up after watching this smart, serious (but not humorless) and impeccably cast extravaganza? Christian Bale is especially perfect as Bruce Wayne first and Batman second, rebuilding the Dark Knight from haunted youngster on up.
Jesse Hassenger PopMatters review Amazon
(dir: Ang Lee)
The story of how the movie Brokeback Mountain came to be is a story characterized by "floating" and uncertainty. It is based upon a short story written by Annie Proulx, garnered the title of "the best non-produced screenplay in Hollywood" and literally "floated" for seven years through the executive suites of all the major studios, with no one knowing exactly what to do with or make of the subject matter. Gaining the moniker "the gay cowboy movie" (which is a huge disservice to the narrative), Brokeback Mountain became a film that was toxic to many. Irrespective of how one may feel about the premise, many things are certain: the cast is exceptional, particularly Heath Ledger in an Oscar worthy performance, Ang Lee's precise, intricate and sensitive direction is a sheer marvel, and the film's epic scope deals in a love story that straddles the decades, a tale of surviving in a time and place where the feelings these two men have for one other are a truly fatal taboo.
Courtney Young PopMatters review Amazon
Phantom Electric "Feels" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Maggie McClure "You For Me" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Rhyal Knight "Little Hands" (audio) (premiere) // Music
TIFF 2017: 'The Shape of Water'
// Notes from the Road
"The Shape of Water comes off as uninformed political correctness, which is more detrimental to its cause than it is progressive.READ the article


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Ashita no Anime
Anime of Tomorrow
Tag Archives: moe
Saki: Achiga-hen – Episode of Side-A Ep. 1
April 17, 2012Posted by on
Initial impression – pleasing, but lacking impact (5/10)
Spring 2012 (12 episodes) (more info)
While I think Saki is nice, I'm not sure what else I can say about it. I know next to nothing about mahjong and I find it hard to swallow the idea that there's a large enough community of players in a rural junior high school to warrant a dedicated club that is nationally ranked (though I've been wrong before). More acceptable might have been an underdog story similar to what was introduced in Chihayafuru, as cheesy as that sort of premise might be. I do like the nice variety of characters and their natural acceptance of the paths their lives are about to take. Instead of focusing on what they're losing by going their separate ways as they grow up, they want to cherish the time they have together in the present and that's definitely something to value. I imagine from here this anime is going to turn into some sort of reunion story as the three friends meet up again through the game that originally brought them together as children. I'm optimistic this series isn't going to turn into a "sports anime," based on some weird super-mahjong theme, but there just doesn't seem to be a very energizing conflict to keep things interesting. So even if Saki seems to be a pretty, well-thought and laid-back slice of life story centered on mahjong, I'm unimpressed by the nonconfrontational start.
Acchi Kocchi Ep. 1
April 16, 2012Posted by on
Initial impression – fuel for the moe inferno
Spring 2012 (12 episodes) (English synonym – All Over the Place, title literal translation – Here and There) (more info)
If Lucky Star can be thought of as moe crack, then Acchi Kocchi is probably closer to moe sugar. It's such a sweet anime that I'm sure most people are going to get a sour taste in their mouths unless they've properly conditioned themselves for this kind of style (as I have =P). I like how the two main characters Tsumiki and Io clearly care for each other with a slight, awkward honesty. While they are not in a serious relationship, unlike most anime romances they aren't vehemently denying their love; instead going for a sort of soft consensus with their mutual feelings. It's not an atypical friendship between hero and heroine and that simple novelty is more than enough to give this series a nice flair of originality. Integrating males into a moe series is also a rarity and when it is done it often isn't done very well with focus always going to the girls and leaving the guys to the sidelines. But Acchi Kocchi gives both genders fairly equal measures of presence, which is inspiringly daring. It's a kind of delightfulness that has gotten my moe passion burning brightly and I'm salivating at the thought of what the future holds.
Anime of the Year 2011
March 6, 2012Posted by on
What's immediately clear about C^3 is that it's trying to be a philosophical discourse about the bonds of humanity to the tools we use. What's amazing is how well it accomplishes this goal—shattering the initial trepidation that this series might turn out to be nothing more than a gilded brick. Haruaki's strong, competent personality provides a natural foundation for the other characters to rely on, but the real gem comes from the sadistically cute voice acting of Yukari Tamura. Watching her magnificent portrayal of Fear was plenty to elevate C^3 to number five on my list of 2011's best anime.
It's not often an anime comes along that blends issues of science and morality as well as No. 6. It reminds us that the natural resources of our world can be our greatest sources of inspiration and innovation. But we also need to respect the power of nature, especially when dealing with phenomena we don't fully understand. Accepting our own place in nature is also pivotal to our survival, which goes hand-in-hand with our respect for our fellow humans. Through a bit of fantasy, science fiction and post-apocalyptic ingenuity, No. 6 fits nicely into last year's fourth place.
Wandering Son touches on some very important, often misunderstood and undiscussed issues dealing with the growth of children into young adults. Its core theme deals with gender identity and how this confusion and desire to be someone very different from society's expectations can lead to turmoil. This anime takes a very candid view of what men and women are expected to be and tells a story through the eyes of some honest young people about acceptance and being who you want to be, rather than what someone else wants you to be. It's a powerful concept, the art is beautiful and the wonderful music is the icing on the cake that puts Wandering Son at third place for 2011.
I'll come right out and admit that my choice for A-Channel to be the second-best anime of 2011 was highly biased by my own personal experiences—the lens through which I view the four main characters. Although each of the four girls are colorful and unique, I can see a little of myself in each of them. Like Run, I have a hard time waking up in the morning and I'm bad at reading the atmosphere of social situations. Nagi is smart, wears glasses and is sensitive about her self-image—just like me. Yuuko and I are both tall and ticklish. And Tooru hates hot summer weather, which is also one of my greatest enemies. It's just good, hilarious moe fun and its charms will put a warm smile on your laughing face.
Everything about this anime is so spectacular it's easily capable of deflecting the attacks of any naysayer and I predict this title to be one of the most cherished, memorable anime in history. We're literally witnessing the rise of an anime for the ages—something that will transcend generations to come. Its accomplishments are too numerous to go into detail here, so I'll do my best to keep my enthusiasm brief.
1. Madoka took the magic girl genre that generally doesn't get a lot of love from more casual anime fans, threw away everything wrong and then added its own original flair to show that the right amount of creativity can make anything shine brightly.
2. The story is deep and intellectual. Between imagining ways of warping space and time, then twisting the delicate emotions of young people who wish to fulfill their kindest desires resulting in tragedy while distorting misunderstood feelings, culminating in a selfless, powerful will that can alter the physical properties of reality itself, there's no shortage of deep thinking and fresh ideas.
3. Music and art that merge the story and setting into a complete piece, crafted with such flawless skill that we're unlikely to see this level of quality again for quite some time. It's just so tight and focused, not a second, not a color, not a single word is wasted fluff that would distract from the central story.
It's really just a no-brainer that Magic Girl Madoka Magica would be my anime of the year.
C3 Cube x Cursed x Curious (review)
January 26, 2012Posted by on
Final impression – spectacularly human (9/10)
Autumn 2011 (12 episodes) (alternate titles – C^3 – C³ – C Cubed)
When Haruaki received a mysterious package from his father, he should have guessed it might turn into a girl. Fear-in-Cube is a cursed torture device that has accumulated centuries of hate and death, allowing her to manifest as an intelligent being in her own right. She was sent to live with Haruaki so that she might escape the cruel destiny that has compounded into the misery of her existence. But that's not going to be easy when the slightest trigger of violence can send her into a blood frenzy of flying guillotines. On top that, she's the target of underground organizations of all colors. Some see her as an abomination to be destroyed while other seek out the power she possesses to use for their own misdeeds. Either way, she's going to have to depend on wise-beyond-his-years Haruaki to make sure she stays true on her path to rehabilitation.
When I started to brainstorm for my review for C3, my first instinct was to start with something defensive that made an effort to excuse some kind of shortcoming. But then I realized that the brilliant composition of this anime needs no excuses to protect it from simple-minded twits who only want to focus on perceived shallowness when all they're really seeing is the reflection of their own bias on the surface of a vast, deep ocean. And C3 is splendidly deep. It is a story about the human qualities of our tools—the extensions of ourselves we create in order to enhance ourselves to either our benefit or our detriment. When we use a tool long enough we often start to apply human characteristics and personality to it as it becomes an augment of our bodies; even taking on a share of our own souls. Thus are our tools extensions of our own creative or destructive tendencies.
The theme of C3 is societal responsibility—we must clean up our own messes as well as the messes that happen to cross our paths rather than pass the blame or hope someone else picks up the slack. It's an uplifting triumph of chivalry and of people who genuinely wish to make the world a better place. Additionally, Haruaki is one of my favorite male characters in recent anime because he's not perverted, introverted, spineless or shy around women. The overused trope of the weak male lead finally gets tossed out and that makes me incredibly happy. Given this anime's style, I could very easily have seen it devolve into some ecchi harem show like Mayo Chiki or Boku wa Tomodachi. But C3 decidedly stays away from that territory and keeps things classy, even avoiding an obligatory swimsuit or onsen episode that populate so many anime that seem to lose their creative sparks halfway through.
Kill Me Baby Ep. 1
January 9, 2012Posted by on
Initial impression – not as bad as I thought it might be
Winter 2012 (12 episodes) (more info)
With an art style reminiscent of some big-name moe anime, Kill Me Baby is just asking to be compared to its predecessors. Unfortunately, It doesn't have the charm of Lucky Star nor does it have the quirkiness of Pani Poni Dash. But to its credit, it goes about its humor with a level of seriousness which belies its over-stylized moe appearance. There's very much a sense that this anime is determined to be original. But a niggling detail that I just can't seem to let go of is the very abrupt and matter-of-fact way the setting and characters are introduced. I can't point to any negativity this creates and for the most part it fits with Kill Me Baby's fast pace. But all the same, I feel like I'm lacking some crucial details that may simply be nonexistent in the first place. Maybe it will grow on me if I give it a chance, but Kill Me Baby doesn't wow the viewer with its first episode.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (review)
January 6, 2012Posted by on
Final impression – short-lived, repetitive fun (6/10)
Autumn 2011 (12 episodes) (alternate title – Bokuha Tomodachiga Sukunai) (title literal translation – I Don't Have Many Friends)
Kodaka was never very good at making friends and being half-Japanese with dirty blonde hair didn't help his popularity at school. Yozora was always a tomboy and couldn't get along with the other girls. When she forces Kodaka to go along with a new club she's made for the explicit purpose of making new friends, their circle grows in ways they didn't anticipate. It turns out Sena, the most popular girl in school, wants to seek real friendship instead of the empty admiration of her posse. Then things get ridiculous when Yukimura joins in order to work on developing his masculinity. Then the easily excitable Rika enters the scene to be with a group where she can let loose her passionate personality. As this varied group of social rejects stumbles their way through discovering the norms of youth, their clashes of personality set off fireworks of camaraderie.
When I first started watching this anime I had high hopes this was going to be a satirical story about how socially awkward people have a hard time making friends. What I got was a harem anime with an underlying subplot about the reunion of two childhood friends. There's nothing immediately wrong with that and I don't feel mislead. But I think a better plot catch would have been to appeal to a fan base that can relate to other people who typically have difficulty making friends. And on that note I am a bit disappointed a chance for a more meaningful story was passed up. This is especially poignant when several entire episodes of this short series are devoted to the characters just playing video games together in their clubroom. Overall, it's dispersed with some very memorable moments that give a smile and a chuckle, but all the rest just melts into background noise. The pacing is quite poor and never gets a chance to wow the viewer.
Working!! 2 (review)
January 5, 2012Posted by on
Final impression – unchecked misconceptions are hilarious (8/10)
Autumn 2011 (13 episodes) (alternate titles – Working'!! – Wagnaria'!!)
The staff of the family restaurant Wagnaria aren't your average group of employees. Takanashi grew up in a family of tall women, despite the fact that he has a fixation with small and cute. Popula is a short, high school girl who is sensitive about her height. Inami is an incredibly strong girl with an intense, often violent fear of men. Yachiyo is a hard-working, air-headed waitress who always carries a sword with her. Yamada ran away from home for unknown reasons and leeches off of others' kindness while living in the restaurant's attic. Satou is a hard-working chef with an off-putting personality. Souma is Satou's comrade in the kitchen and has an amazing talent for digging up people's secrets. And overseeing all of these personalities is Kyouko, a glutton of a manager who constantly eats all the restaurant's supplies.
Working!! 2 is one of those rare anime where the story is so episodic that it's hard to imagine a large amount of character growth or a clear conclusion to an overarching story. Normally this would characterize an anime that feels unpolished with no clear goal or motivation—especially for a sequel—but that's not the case. While the cast has some typical stereotypes, they all have enough depth to be interesting and engaging. Every day is an adventure for the characters as they contend with daily problems and pursue their own goals with great enthusiasm. While it would be nice to see some of the relationships become more defined and start to blossom more fully, it's not necessary for the series to feel complete. Indeed, many of the most hilarious moments in Working!! 2 stem from compounded misunderstandings and can't be resolved without drastically altering the spirit of the anime. In the end, Working!! 2—just like the first season—is a unique formula that makes you laugh and smile.
K-ON! (series review)
January 2, 2012Posted by on
Final impression – heartwarming and funny, but oversold
K-ON! (8/10) Spring 2009 (13 episodes) (title literal translation – Light Music!)
K-ON!! (6/10) Spring 2010 to summer 2010 (26 episodes)
K-ON! Movie (7/10) Autumn 2011
When spacey Yui Hirasawa started high school, she decided she wanted to become a more involved and engaging person. Carefree Ritsu Tainaka and pushover Mio Akiyama had a long standing pact to start their own band. The warm and friendly Tsumugi Kotobuki wanted to be in choir, but when she bumped into Ritsu and Mio, she decided to stay and make new friends. These four crossed paths in their first year of high school and the light music club or "K-ON" was born (if you're wondering how light music becomes K-ON, the Japanese words for light music are karui ongaku, hence K-ON). Through a few stumbling blocks, they managed to make it through their first year when the serious Azusa Nakano joined the club to help give them all a better team cohesion. From there, it's an adventure of playing music and goofing off as only the five girls' band, After-school Tea Time knows how to do.
K-ON! and I have a somewhat flimsy relationship. I'm a big fan of the moe subgenre of anime and the first season of K-ON! delivered terrifically. It was fast-paced, funny, clever, insightful and most importantly not a second was wasted. It all added up to an entertaining experience. The music was at times lackluster and a little over the top, but it all fit together beautifully to set up the phenomenon that would come later. Then the second season began to air and it immediately became apparent from the much slower pace that this was not going to have the impact that the first season had. It was really quite sad to see something fresh suddenly get turned into a vacuum; sucking away the value that the first season set up by putting the viewer through drawn-out, drudging, pointless story arcs. Admittedly, the second season's music was much improved over the first season, but that's little consolation for the huge sacrifice that happened to the story.
So does the K-ON! Movie breathe life back into the franchise that had become a bloated, empty appeal to the fan base? The short answer is no, but I'll add a caveat that the movie has much better pacing than the second season did. There are equal measures of story, punch lines and character development that were seriously lacking in K-ON!! However, this gets undercut by a distinct lack of new music which would really have helped keep things fresh. The product is a icon of compromise and mediocrity, fighting its desire to pander to the established fans while creating enough new material to keep everything afloat.
Kimi to Boku Ep. 1
October 26, 2011Posted by on
Final impression – different, but not different enough (5/10)
Autumn 2011 (13 episodes) (more info)
Kimi to Boku is a school drama about a group of childhood friends who have become high school students and are now relying on their shared pasts and camaraderie to enjoy their youth and shape the adults they are going to become. This sort of description would typically characterize a moe anime with an all-female cast, but that's where you'd be wrong. It is refreshing to have an entirely male cast in a scenario that most people would shove into a trope that gets done way too often. However, what's most pleasing is that this gender reversal actually works to create something that is a moderate success. As many good things it has going for it, Kimi to Boku is one of those pleasant anime with some fun moments that gave me a good chuckle, but I just can't see it becoming anything particularly interesting.
I don't recall it having always been this way, but J.C. Staff has really been cranking out anime over the past few years. Seemingly, about two anime each season now. And the more this pattern has increased, the more it feels like they're sacrificing quality for quantity. They still put out good stuff like Kamisama no Memochou, but the trend seems to be leaning more towards average stuff like Kimi to Boku.
Mayo Chiki! (review)
October 11, 2011Posted by on
Final impression – Sometimes fun, mostly just empty (5/10)
Summer 2011 (13 episodes)
Jirou is a high school student with a fear of women. It can't be helped. His mother was a pro wrestler and this little sister seeks to emulate her. So she uses Jirou as a punching bag, which has led to a condition where if a female so much as tries to touch him, he gets shivers down his spine and a desire to run away. Things are rough for an adolescent boy who can't get too close to girls. But things go from bad to worse when he finds out that Konoe, the school's most popular boy, is actually a cross-dressing girl. She's doing this in order to train to become a butler for the aristocratic Kanade, because after all…only men can be butlers. Kanade wants very much for her dream to be fulfilled, so in order to ensure that Jirou keeps Konoe's identity a secret, she insists the two of them become friends. Otherwise, she's going to make Jirou's life a living hell.
The trope of someone being allergic to the opposite gender has been done many times and it's really starting to get tired. Mayo Chiki! can basically be summed up as poorly orchestrated ecchi moe with a side order of comedy. Not the best set of priorities when you're choosing a theme for your anime. It watches like a cross between Hanaukyo Maid Team and Maria+Holic as told by Hayate no Gotoku with the drawing style of Ookami-san & Seven Companions. It has funny and clever moments, but it's all just so transparently contrived and unimaginative. That's not to say there aren't any fun moments. There are a few clever plays on Japanese words that the fansub groups neglected to explain to the 99% of their audiences who will not appreciate the puns without a significant understanding of Japanese. I found myself cheering for the characters occasionally, but that gets old fast—especially when they don't grow an inch in thirteen episodes.


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I made a lag switch with what I believe to be a Cat5 cable (doubt it's cat5e, it's pretty old). I tried using the solid orange wire (or at least what I though was the orange wire) and didn't work, it would just immediately disconnect me every time. I then went to try the solid green wire, and then found out I cut the brown wire, not the orange wire, but proceeded with the green anyway. Again it did the same thing, I tried using the switch, and the second I turn it on, I get disconnected. So then I go to use the sold orange wire, and once again, same thing happens, I flip it on, and it disconnects me from the PlayStation network. any help?
P.S. I have it hooked up like this:
Modem -> Linksys router -> lag switch -> PS3 and when I tried hooking it up Modem -> lag switch -> Linksys router -> ps3, even though the lag switch wasn't on (technically off), my router couldn't get an internet connection.


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Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 | 6:57 p.m.
The Clark County School District canceled all sporting events scheduled for Wednesday night because of transportation safety concerns caused by today's snowstorm.
Six 4A boys' basketball league games, six 4A girls' basketball league games and six girls' soccer games were postponed. Wednesday was also supposed to be the first night of league wrestling duals.
No make-up dates have been set yet for any of the events.


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NEW YORK (Jan. 19)
On the full moon or 15th of the month of Shevat we celebrate the new year of the trees. The 15th in Hebrew letters is "tu" and so we call the day Tu B'Shevat. While Tu B'Shevat has always been considered a minor festival, it has gained new significance in the last decade as an environmental celebration of the natural world. With the right questions, it can lead us to a greater understanding of ourselves and our relationship with the rest of creation.
Since the beginning of the modern Zionist settlements in Israel, Tu B'Shevat has been Jewish Arbor Day. It symbolized the return to and revival of the land. In the Diaspora, the Jewish National Fund used Tu B'Shevat to raise money for the planting of trees in Israel. Many of us can remember buying a tree in Hebrew school. For each dime we bought a leaf in a cardboard tree. For those of us outside of Israel, Tu B'Shevat gave us a connection to the real land of Israel when previously it had been primarily symbolic.
The new year of the trees was established by the school of Hillel as the time of the beginning of the separation of the fruit tithes and the prohibition of orlah, the use of fruit of trees during the first three years after planting (Leviticus 19:23-5). Trees which blossomed after this date were considered to belong to the next year. The 15th was chosen because most of the annual rain of Eretz Yisrael falls before the 15th of Shevat and the trees may blossom before that time.
In the last 10 years there has been a different focus given to Tu B'Shevat. A Kabbalistic seder has been revived and reinterpreted in a modern environmental context. The Tu B'Shevat seder consisted of a series of blessings over various fruits and combinations of white and red wine which symbolized the seasons and God's presence in the natural world. Given the growing importance of environmental spirituality and social action among Jews, it is only natural that the Tu B'Shevat seder should reappear.
Every seder should tell a story and every seder story is a response to four questions. Here are four possible questions that could be asked at a Tu B'Shevat seder: What do I know about the place where I live? Where do things come from? How do I connect to the earth? What is my purpose as a human being? These are questions asked by Mitchell Thomashow, director of the doctoral program in Environmental Studies at Antioch New England Graduate School, in his book "Ecological Identity."
The questions that "should be at the heart of environmental education" can also be adapted to be at the heart of our environmental spirituality and be expressed in a Tu B'Shevat seder. Ask the questions and consider some possible answers.
What do I know about the place where I live? Trees are particular about the place in which they live. A tree can tell us a lot about the history of its place and how humans have acted upon it. In the tree we can see the effect of human settlement and industry as well as natural events like storms or fires. How much do we really know about the places we live? Try as we might to make every suburb the same ersatz Arcadia, each physical locale in which our communities are built, has a geological, biological and cultural story. This question should make us learn and tell those stories. Then we can become rooted not only in the Land of Israel but also in the land on which we actually live, work and worship.
Where do things come from? Everything we eat, everything we wear or use has its roots in the natural world. Who made them? Where did the materials come from? How were they processed? What is the environmental cost of our expecting to buy any product from anywhere in the world delivered to our front door? What is the true cost of our being able to eat fresh vegetables all year round? This question leads to a series of questions that should make us better appreciate our abundance and wealth.
How do I connect to the earth? The first human was called adam: earthling. We can never leave that original name. All that we are, all that we are made of, all that we live on, comes from the earth. We may try to separate ourselves from the rhythms of the earth. We may heat and air condition our houses and cars, but we cannot live outside the earth. We may shape the earth but we can never completely control it. We belong to the earth; the earth does not belong to us.
What is my purpose as a human being? One might also ask what is the purpose of a tree? A tree does not live to be a resource. It has a worth and a meaning in creation beyond our needs. And so we have a purpose and a worth beyond our roles as producers and consumers. Is there some greater good for humanity? This question calls upon us to recognize our place in the order of creation. Like the trees, we are voices in that great choir of life that praises with its every breath the Creator of the Universe.


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Journal Of Commerce
May 12, 2014
Architecture Matters |Allan Teramura
In February, I had the honour and good fortune to receive an invitation on behalf of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) to attend an address from His Highness, the Aga Khan, to a joint session of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.
The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the world's Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder of the Aga Khan Development Network, which works to improve living conditions for people in 30 countries.
He spoke of the importance of civil society which he defined as "an array of institutions which operate on a private, voluntary basis, but are motivated by high public purposes."
Professional associations, such as the RAIC, are included in this group, as are those that work in media, the arts and education.
It is his firm conviction that civil society is essential for the success of any democracy, as such organizations have unique talents and competencies upon which all societies rely.
Professional associations are particularly important, in his view, as they are bound to uphold ethical standards of practice that go beyond the mere commercial transaction.
If a situation exists that threatens quality of life, it is often civil society organizations that are best suited to speak out, to act or otherwise intervene.
Being a recognized authority on a subject lends credibility to opinions, particularly if it is clear that one is not advocating for commercial reasons.
While organizations that deal with the natural environment and human health are well known to the general public, those that deal with the built environment tend not to be.
This needs to change, as there are many issues to address, globally and locally.
For example, too many people in First Nations communities don't have access to clean drinking water and functional sanitation systems.
Furthermore, the design and location of many of these communities, unrelated as they are to traditional practices and knowledge of the land, can exacerbate poor living conditions rather than improve them.
Our cities, meanwhile, are wasteful of non-renewable resources, and continue to grow in haphazard ways that threaten to make this situation even worse.
Buildings consume more energy than they should.
The willingness of civil society to deploy energies and skills can make all the difference.
An excellent example is the intervention of Architectes de l'Urgence du Canada, a non-profit group, in the northern Quebec community of Kitcisakik.
With volunteer labour and a borrowed sawmill, they introduced construction training and assisted the community to repair their homes and build new ones.
The community now can sustainably harvest timber and build dwellings as needed, breaking the demoralizing cycle of dependency that had developed over the years.
In Shia Ismaili culture, contributing one's individual energies on a voluntary basis to improving the lives of others is a central principle.
For those of us not part of this community, it is more than philanthropy; it is an opportunity to achieve what the Aga Khan has described as "enlightened self-fulfillment."
Other opportunities include advocating for changes in public policy.
The RAIC, for example, is in early stages of developing a strategy for implementing incremental changes to Canada's energy codes, to align with the objectives of the 2030 Challenge.
As architects, we know that dramatic improvements to energy performance are achievable today, and it is our view that we have a responsibility to ensure that this is understood by the public and their elected representatives.
In the words of the Aga Khan "the voices of civil society are voices for change, where change has been overdue."
Allan Teramura, MRAIC is the Architecture Canada | RAIC regional director for Ontario North, East and Nunavut. Send comments or questions to email@example.com.
May 12, 2014
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|Strength of Schedule Report
January 3, 2013
BP Daily Podcast
Effectively Wild Episode 111: How Do Major-League Managers Differ from Non-Baseball Bosses?
Ben and Sam discuss Joe Maddon's value and the ways in which managers might have more or less impact than the typical non-baseball boss.
Download Here (16 MB; 17:23)
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
1 comment has been left for this article.
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Really glad you two brought up Bud Black. I agree with the consensus that he's a good manager but you sure couldn't back that up by the win-loss column.
Jan 03, 2013 09:26 AM
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As she prepares to touch down in Australia for a string of Laneway performances and solo shows, Feist releases her latest video from Metals– "The Bad In Each Other".
Feist's soulful vocals and bluesy guitar riffs work well with Martin De Thurah's sorrowful video. It opens with a man burying his dog in the desert and follows a series of awkward moments and poignant characters. Let us know what you think.


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"We are excited to bring Chester's great tasting chicken to the folks of Salem," says Chester's spokesperson. Chester's, a fried chicken foodservice offering in the convenience store category, is celebrating the grand opening of a new location Salem, Ala. This location is in The Store, which is walking distance from Auburn University. This Chester's location
Home State of Chester's Gains Another Store
Petro Stopping Center Re-Opens in Salina
TravelCenters buys back and re-introduces former franchise location. TravelCenters of America LLC (TA), owner of Petro Stopping Centers, today announced it has completed its planned acquisition and opening of the newest Petro travel center at Exit 252 off I-70 in Salina, Kan. "We were very happy to have the chance to buy this location and
Gilligan Oil Adds Six Dunkin' Donuts Restaurants
Dunkin' Donuts is seeking new and existing franchisees to develop restaurants throughout Cincinnati and the surrounding areas of Dayton and Toledo. Gilligan Oil Co. LLC has signed a multi-unit store development agreement with Dunkin' Donuts for six new restaurants in Cincinnati. Currently, Gilligan Oil owns and operates three Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Cincinnati market
Dunkin' Donuts Seeks Franchisees in Chicago
Dunkin' Donuts expands, offering single and multi-unit opportunities with no minimum unit requirements. Dunkin' Donuts is expanding in Chicago and seeking new franchise agreements in the city. Most recently, Dunkin' Donuts signed a multi-unit store development agreement with Sam Patel for two restaurants in Chicago. The first restaurant opened in December 2010 at the University
7-Eleven Expands in Manhattan
7-Eleven's c-store franchise is taking New York by storm, with plans to operate some 100 stores in Manhattan by the year 2015, the International Business Times reported. At present 7-Eleven operates a mere 10 locations in Manhattan and expects to reach 15-20 locations over the next two years, before soaring to the 100 mark. "We
7-Eleven Confirms End of Discussions With Casey's
7-Eleven Inc. has confirmed that discussions with Casey's General Stores Inc. regarding a potential transaction have terminated. 7-Eleven made a preliminary proposal of $40 per common share for a consensual transaction on Sept. 2, 2010. After completing additional due diligence, 7-Eleven raised its offer to $43 per common share. 7-Eleven believes its revised proposal fairly


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The ActivePost National Schools Programme is set to introduce over 100,000 young New Zealanders to the sport of cricket each year.
Have-A-Go Cricket (5-8 years) starts out as fun with friends, then moves to Kiwi Cricket (7-10 years) and can go much further as BLACKCAPS batsman Kane Williamson knows. He started playing cricket when he was six at Tauranga's Pillans Point Primary.
"Cricket was always a real passion, so any chance I could get to play whether at school or on a Saturday, I always jumped at the chance."
Williamson, who scored a century in Bangladesh last week, says junior cricket was where he developed his love for the game. "I certainly recommend every boy or girl has a go at cricket - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."
The aim of the ActivePost National Schools Programme is to encourage kids to be active and foster a love of cricket. The programme operates through clubs, communities and schools. It supports participation, coaching and also umpiring activities.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Chief Executive David White says the relationship between NZC and ActivePost is key to ensuring the development of junior cricket in New Zealand. "We're delighted New Zealand Post has joined us in our vision to promote and introduce cricket to the next generation, a role which secures a bright future for our sport.
"The ActivePost National Schools Programme will have wide-ranging benefits for the whole community as people coach, umpire or simply watch from the boundary, as well as helping to develop our future BLACKCAPS and White Ferns," said Mr White.
New Zealand Post Chief Executive Brian Roche says cricket's status as the country's number one summer sport makes the new alliance a perfect fit for the organisation, which has been providing service to New Zealand communities for over 170 years. "We're delighted to welcome junior cricket to the family of ActivePost partners – which includes junior hockey (Small Sticks Hockey), Water Safety NZ, Waka Ama, Athletics New Zealand and Sport New Zealand.
"Cricket is one of our favourite team sports, promoting a range of skills as well as providing the obvious health benefits from getting out there and having a go.We're proud to play a part in helping the next generation have the opportunity to enjoy this great game," said Mr Roche.
Sport New Zealand Chief Executive Peter Miskimmin says as supporters of ActivePost, they're pleased to see the programme go from strength to strength. "We're keen to ensure Kiwi kids continue to have a sporty childhood, and ActivePost is doing its part to make sure that happens."


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Following a dollar through government
I was surprised to see the U-T give space to the comments of Harry Maker (Letters, March 11) regarding raising the minimum wage.
Maker states "Government spending is the best driver of jobs," and the goes on to share his view of how the money works its way through the economy. He ends by stating "The economy isn't that hard, you just have to quit thinking like a Republican." (I really don't know what this has to do with the minimum wage).
Of course, Republicans believe that they are better qualified to know how to spend their own money rather than being forced to give it to a profligate government that borrows 40 cents of every dollar and is driving the country toward bankruptcy. […]
"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." – Margaret Thatcher. – Kenneth Klaas, Spring Valley
Mr. Harry Maker's statement, "Government spending is the best driver of jobs," neglects to take into account the fact that the dollar he is so happy to have a police spend on shoes and cars was forcibly taken from someone who earned it and who was likely to spend it on shoes and cars too.
Long before Mr. Maker's happy police officer spent his dollar on shoes and cars, the IRS required the entire nation to expend more time on documenting income than the nation spends on building trucks, all time and energy wasted on making paper files for IRS bureaucrats to read.
Then backed up by lawyers and special courts, the IRS grabs the dollar minus the massive cost of taking it and then passes it along to Congress, which then spends a massive amount of time thinking about what to do with that dollar, employing thousands of fellow thinkers as staff, lobbyists, legislators and executive branch staff […] to just decide the dollar should go to a police officer.
Then once the money is somehow diverted through state agencies who must also obtain their share to manage that dollar, the money must then go to a city which has a council, management and for the dollar to then be turned over to the police department with its many chiefs, assistant chiefs, inspectors, captains, lieutenants and sergeants, all of whom have to be paid for.
Finally the one dollar that Mr. Maker is so happy that the police officer can spend to create jobs but it cost some 50 other dollars to get it there in the first place.
Maybe Mr. Maker could answer why it wasn't better for the person who earned the dollar to spend it the way he would see fit. Perhaps he might buy shoes and a care, too, and not have wasted 10 other dollars on bureaucrats that create no wealth. They just squander it. – Larry Stirling, Mission Hills
Make Americans a priority
In response to "S.D. Veterans For Peace tops goal for assisting homeless" (March 10): This looks like a great project to help the homeless, especially the thousands of veterans sick in the streets of San Diego. This is a project that gives me pride, to see our tax money been put to a good use for a change.
Let's hope that it will help the citizens of our great country and doesn't end up being abused, like everything else and end up as homes for the illegal population of San Diego. I know that when you do charity you can't really discriminate who you do the charity to, but me, as well as many other citizens, are tired of helping Mexico take care of its poor here, at taxpayers' expense.
We have millions of Americans suffering on this economy and our priority should be to help them and not the citizens of Mexico. – Ana Zuniga-Maus, San Diego
Wearing a badge of wisdom
In response to "99-year-old was great at running races and [county's] jail" (Local, March 11): Leland McPhie sounds like a name in a novel, but as Fred Dickey's article describes, the 99-year-old former boss of the San Diego [County] jail, is quite a real character. He can't walk as fast as he used to, but there isn't much that gets by him.
Leland was a captain in the Sheriff's Department, and as a runner won many a medal, but his eyes were sharp. He says that drugs, gangs and the breakup of the family have been the changes responsible for today's increase in criminal activity. Sober conclusions from a man who never drank, smoked, banged heads and is still worth listening to. – Rich Marcell, University City
Always being bombarded with articles about wars, crime and bad economies, it is refreshing to read an article about someone who still enjoys life at the age of 99. The story of Mr. McPhie in Fred Dickey's column was uplifting and touching.
Mr. Dickey's approach in his column is always grass-roots and honest. Thank you, U-T, for publishing positive articles. – Lauretta M. Johnson, San Diego
A bravo to youths
On Saturday night, March 9, Symphony Hall hosted the annual San Diego Unified School District's annual High School Instrumental Honor Concert. Chosen by audition and encumbered by numerous practice sessions, 143 students from 12 high schools performed under the direction of renowned guest conductors. The free concert was introduced by San Diego Symphony maestro Jahja Ling and included remarks by school board members Kevin Beiser, and Richard Barrera with a presentation by Deputy Superintendent Phil Stover.
The teenage students displayed astonishing musicianship. But this was much more than a free concert. All dressed in formal black and white and carrying their beloved instruments, they presented a picture of discipline, a devotion to their craft and an affection for their teachers that was truly amazing.
In an age of increasing violence, frequent gang wars and mounting drug problems, one's faith in the future of the human race was not only rejuvenated but restored. – William P. Haney, La Jolla
It's about teaching
Hard to believe that among all of the issues facing our education system in San Diego, the cuts to student programs, increasing class sizes, shrinking teacher population and budget deficit (according to the March 10 article "Board ups central office salaries, makes new hires" – currently reported at a mere $88 million of a $1.1 billion operation budget). But the San Diego school board amazes me with the announcement that they will be raising the salaries of school administrators and adding more administrators to their numbers. How will they do this you ask. By selling off "surplus" equipment and assets AND a reduction in the teaching force by not replacing any that leave.
We should be concerned with school programs, equipment and TEACHERS. The education of the children should be the prime concern.
What is wrong here, folks? How many of you out there can honestly say, "A school administrator made me today"? I think it is time that the current board be replaced with a board concerned with the education of our children rather than the "administration" of the school. – Jack Hollenbach, Carmel Valley
Small cut shouldn't be a big pain
A few weeks ago the U-T showed a chart of the ever-increasing cost of government and the minuscule "cut" which amounted to 1.17 percent. A shrinking tax base funds the government. If the government and those on the tax-receiving end can't handle a 1.17 percent cut for once, then I'm afraid this country has reached a point where too many in this country are too dependent on taxpayers and there never [will] be any real cuts to government at all. – Michael Ksiazek, San Diego
What about the taxpayers?
Brad Pacheco, chief CalPERS spokesman, confirms your editorial position (Letters, March 9). He never once mentions the taxpayers for whom he and CalPERS really work. He says CalPERS has been "active in ensuring public pensions are sustainable." These are meaningless words since the pensions are not at all sustainable right now! California will go bankrupt trying to pay the ever-increasing amount of money required to sustain these overly generous pensions.
He goes on to say CalPERS "will continue to adjust our strategies and methods to keep promised benefits affordable and secure for public workers." Affordable for whom? The taxpayers certainly can't afford the ever-increasing benefits, and "keeping them secure" is a joke. If CalPERS loses 50 percent of its assets, the taxpayers have to make it up. If they increase assets by 50 percent, they demand even more generous benefits. It's heads you win, tails I lose for the people of California. – Blaine Stauffer, San Diego
Put San Onofre's future to two-county vote
There is a simple and direct way to resolve the debate about San Onofre. The issue needs to be put to a vote in San Diego and Orange counties on the same day.
The county counsels in the two regions need to draft identical ballot measures that simply ask for a thumbs up or thumbs down vote on reopening the nuclear power plant. This way, the 6 million people living closest to San Onofre, which is operated by Southern California Edison (SCE), will have their say in the matter.
I'm guessing those evacuated from Fukushima nearly two years ago in Japan might like to have that option as a do-over. Today, their former homes, schools, shops and parks are shuttered in a veritable 20-kilometer "dead zone" which some experts predict could last as long as 10,000 years.
Last September, the Friends of the Earth reported that 58 percent of SCE customers polled living within the San Onofre service area opposed the reopening of the power plant. The only trouble was that figure represented a mere 406 out of 700 people questioned. Hardly an overwhelming groundswell of opposition in my opinion.
To counter those findings, SCE said, "Any survey of its customers' opinions should 'accurately describe the role San Onofre plays' both in power generation and reliability and grid support." Not exactly the most comforting of words if you ask me.
A simultaneous special election in San Diego and Orange counties will allow millions of people the opportunity to voice their opinion on this contentious issue. After all, if San Onofre blows one day, where will everyone go? There simply aren't enough condos in Palm Springs to accommodate us all. – Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach


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Dart Helicopter subsidiary Apical Industries gained EASA approval for its pop-out/emergency floats for the Robinson R44 and R44 II, the company announced. The floats represent a lightweight, easy-to-install option for operators who routinely or even occasionally fly over water, Apical said, adding that the kit is also suitable for installation on the R44 Clipper.
The four-float system can be mounted on float tubes or standard skids. Each float includes inlet check valves and combination manual topping/pressure relief valves. One option includes skid extensions to ensure the standard skid gear float compatible. The floats may be inflated at up to 5,500 feet above the landing surface and have no age limit.
Dart Helicopter Services arrived at Heli-Expo'08 with a basket of STC'd products on display at Booth Nos. 33, 35 and 2263. Its subsidiary and affiliated companies own more than 400 certifications, manufacture more than 500 products and distribute more than 1,300 aftermarket products to 120 countries. The company previously earned certifications for the float kit from the FAA and Transport Canada.
Apical Industries is here at Heli-Expo with a trio of float, life raft and gear door enclosure kit products. Apical announced it has also received FAA approval of a nose landing gear door kit for AB139/AW139 helicopters, with Transport Canada and EASA approvals pending. The bolt-on kit reduces drag and cabin noise associated with an open front wheelhouse while improving service life and resisting water absorption. It can be installed as a stand alone or as a replacement kit, and uses factory provisions found on all aircraft.
Apical has also received EASA approval for an AgustaWestland AW139 life raft kit previously approved by the FAA and Transport Canada. It includes two externally mounted raft pod assemblies and an inflation reservoir with a mechanical activation system that inflates both rafts.
Each pod assembly features a twin-tube 10-man reversible raft and an integrated passenger step as well as a canopy and survival kit. The rafts are deployed with two cockpit mounted T-handle levers mounted along the pilot and copilot door frames, and one T-handle on the passenger compartment sub-floor, easily reached through an access panel.


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The NPD Group released its monthly point-of-sales data reports, showcasing a four percent rise, or $19.3 million, in overall trends across new physical software, hardware, and accessories for May 2016. The report showed a healthy install base of the Xbox One and PS4, which currently have 43 percent higher cumulative unit sales than their predecessors at the same point in their lifecycles. NPD also reported that new launches were a major driver of the May 2016, selling nearly double in unit sales and 108 percent more in dollars compared to new launches last May.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was the best-selling game for May 2016, which helped Sony rank as the leading software publisher of May 2016. The game, Doom, ranked second, followed by Overwatch as the third-best selling game. Accessories debuted mixed results, which resulted in an overall decline of two percent in dollar sales, or $2.5 million.


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Wes Lyons and Ryan Mundy are two Woodland Hills prospects that have signed with the Mountaineers. Lyons was a four-year letter winner at wide receiver. Mundy transferred after four years and Michig...
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MAPLEWOOD — It took an impressive comeback at first doubles, but the Stillwater girls' tennis team completed the sweep while defeating Mounds Park Academy 7-0 in Wednesday's nonconference dual meet.
The Ponies (2-0 SEC, 5-1) had already wrapped up the team victory, but Jenna Sherrick and Hannah Quinn were trailing 5-0 in the third set of their match against Zoe Chambers and Abby Croonquist at first doubles. Sherrick and Quinn, however, rallied to win the final seven games to record a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 triumph.
"It was a nice team win against a good team," Ponies coach Dave Kahl said. "The final score wasn't nearly indicative of how close many of the matches were. The match of the day was at first doubles."
Stillwater received singles wins from Savannah Johnson, Shelby Anderson, Elizabeth Quinn and Emma Germundson and also prevailed at the other two doubles spots in two sets. Remi Larson and Amanda Williams pulled out a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory at second doubles while Emily Frenchik and Lexie Sherrick won 6-4, 6-3 at the third spot.
Stillwater 7,
Mounds Park Academy 0
No. 1 — Savannah Johnson (St) def. Emily Mudge, 6-1, 6-2.
No. 2 — Shelby Anderson (St) def. Rachel Lindrud, 6-4, 7-5.
No. 3 — Elizabeth Quinn (St) def. Isabel McKeown, 6-2, 6-4.
No. 4 — Emma Germundson (St) def. Ani Bailey, 6-2, 6-2.
No. 1 — Jenna Sherrick-Hannah Quinn (St) def. Zoe Chambers-Abby Croonquist, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.
No. 2 — Remi Larson-Amanda Williams (St) def. Kendra Stone-Jenny Portis, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
No. 3 — Emily Frenchik-Lexie Sherrick (St) def. Gracie Grecentese-Mimi Lyons, 6-4, 6-3.


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So I'm on CD 16 and I was all excited because it finally felt like I was getting somewhere with this ttc business. This is my first round of clomid. I'm on 50mg CD 3-7. I've been monitering my cervix and cervical mucus and things were looking good. I've been testing with OPK which have all been negative, but my cervix was opening and quite high, the CM seemed to be getting stickey and egg white like, and then bang. Last night my cervix was low and closed. (Sorry if this is TMI) So do you think that's it for this cycle for me? Are my chance of ovulating this cycle over?
11yrs... did you have ovulation pain on one or both sides? I have had cramping off and on for the last couple of days. That's about the only physical symptom (other than the mood swings!) I'm still experiencing. The hot flashes have gone away. I think I'll actually ovulate either tonight or tomorrow. Hopefully the rest of the cycle will be smooth sailing!
Thanks.... Yeah the cramping is way more noticeable with clomid. I have had left sided cramps for the past couple days and now tons of ewcm.... I am hoping it is o time... I am not gonna look for early preg symptoms this time either. Clomid gives you every eps there is. Cramping, nausea, morning and motion sickness, miagranes, tender breasts and moodyness... fatigue dizzyness I can go on and on.......... LOL!! I will just wait till about 16dpo and test... Yeah right like i can wait that long... LOL!!!
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