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Hohner M2009BX-A Marine Band Crossover Boxed Key of A
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Marine Band CrossoverWith the Crossover we have expanded the Marine Band series to introduce a new, top-of-the-line professional quality instrument for the discerning player in modern blues, rock, jazz, soul or funk. The revolutionary laminated bamboo com
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Hohner Diatonic 14 Day Replacement and 90 Day Harmonica Warranty - Hohner harmonicas and melodicas are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects and properly tuned at the time of purchase. Any instrument found to contain manufacturing defects or other noticeable imperfections will be, at Hohner's option replaced at no charge provided the harmonica is returned to the place of purchase within 14 days of the original purchase date. Concurrently the instrument will be, at Hohner's option repaired or replaced provided the harmonica is shipped to the Hohner Service Center within 90 days of the original purchase. Proof of purchase and service form is required. Click here to submit a harmonica for warranty service. This warranty excludes all consequential damages. It does not cover damages resulting from accident, misuse, normal wear and tear or tampering. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
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Prince Harry says he'll beat US, others to S. Pole
LONDON (AP) -- Prince Harry said Friday he will take part in a race to the South Pole later this year, leading a team of wounded British military personnel against counterparts from Australia, Canada and the U.S.
In a tongue-in-cheek challenge issued at a news conference, the 28-year-old royal warned his competitors that the Brits would have some tea "ready for you when you join us at the Pole."
Harry and his fellow Walking With The Wounded teammates will participate in the 208-mile (335-kilometer) South Pole Allied Challenge in November and December of this year.
That may be the height of the Antarctic summer, but conditions will still be bitterly cold. The four-week expedition will see racers drag sleds weighing more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) and face extreme temperatures and savage winds.
Harry has already taken part in one expedition with Walking With The Wounded, a charity which raises funds and keeps injured servicemen and women in the public eye through feats of endurance.
In 2011, he took part in the charity's North Pole trek, but had to withdraw earlier to attend his brother Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.
During the news conference, Harry was given a red polar coat by adventurer Inge Solheim, who served as the North Pole treks' guide.
This time around Solheim will be the guide for the American team from Soldiers to Summits, which is made up of Mark Wise from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Therese Frentz, from Del Rio, Texas, Margaux Mange, from Lakewood, Colorado, and Ivan Castro, from Raeford, North Carolina.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Washington State Department of Revenue has issued its annual comparison of county assessor statistics.
Property tax assessments were the subject of a recent debate between Port Orchard mayoral candidates Tim Matthes and incumbent Lary Coppola.
Topics that have surfaced during the debate include:
a. the accuracy and fairness of Kitsap County Assessor's property valuations.
b. the possibility of a class action lawsuit on behalf of commercial property owners whose assessed values increased sharply.
c. the possibility of changing appeal laws/procedures to reduce the burden of proof on the property owner.
If either b. or c. goes anywhere, I'll be following up on it. As for a., if I'm interpreting the DOR analysis correctly, it appears Kitsap County's success rate/satisfied customer rate — judging from the percentage of appeals per properties assessed — is better the state average.
Now for the qualifying statement. Mike Gowrylow, DOR spokesman, specifically states in his press release, "Washington's thirty-nine county assessors operate within unique local geographical, political, and economic environments that often influence the attributes of a county's assessment system and the level of services they provide. Consequently, making direct comparisons between individual counties may result in distorted or misleading conclusions unless additional information is considered or more in-depth analysis is conducted."
And yet, the report "is intended to provide property tax administrators and decision-makers with a uniform set of comparative statistics to assist in the analysis and evaluation of assessment operations and the adequacy of assessment resources."
Also note: the numbers counties reported for their budgets, FTE levels, and appeals were as of a specific point in time (March 2011) and may have changed since then. The report also tallies assessed values, number of parcels, new construction, number of appeals and other relevant figures.
Kitsap County in 2010 had a total of 112,218 parcels and a total assessed value of nearly $28.2 billion ($28,158,972,045) representing 3.48 percent of the all-county total AV. Commercial properties (46 in manufacturing, 4,416 in commercial use) make up 4 percent of the total number of properties.
Kitsap's average value per parcel is $246,986. The straight up state average for counties like Kitsap that do annual assessments is $177,056. The statewide weighted mean, in which data are given weighted values for a more statistically accurate description, is $256,918.
The DOR analysis looked at workloads based on staffing and number of parcels assessed. The Kitsap Assessor's office lost 2.9 percent of its staffing between 2009 and 2010; the drop was 7.2 percent between 2010 and 2011. Statewide staffing decreases varied widely, with a number of counties showing no change between 2010 and 2011. Lincoln County's staffing decreased by 20 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, San Juan County increased its staffing by 16.5 percent.
Looking at number of inspections per appraiser, Kitsap was about in the middle of the pack with 1,255. Douglas County had the heaviest load with 3,663. Garfield County had the lightest, with 302.
Check out page 36 of the document for a report of the number of appeals each county had in 2009 and 2010. Kitsap had 615 in 2009, with 64 appeals going to the Washington State Board of Tax Appeals. Kitsap in 2010 had 573, with 1 going to the BTA.
Statewide appeal totals were 35,162 county-level appeals in 2009, 3,480 BTA appeals in 2009, 24,299 county-level appeals in 2010 and 1,002 BTA appeals in 2010.
Looking at the percentage of appeals compared to the total of non-exempt parcels, Kitsap's appeal rate was .55 percent for 2009 and .51 percent in 2010 among counties that assess annually (13 counties assess cyclically, less frequently than each year). The 2009 state average is .80 percent and the state weighted mean is 1.33 percent. Looking at the 2010 appeal rate, we've got .61 percent average statewide and a statewide weighted mean of .84 percent.
So Kitsap did better than average in 2009 and 2010, and quite a bit better than the statewide weighted mean in those years. I'm guessing that's cold comfort to those who saw large jumps in assessment in those years.
Kitsap County does a detailed assessment, with a visual inspection of the property, every six years. Complaints typically result when the detailed inspection results in a jump in property value, as properties that have, according to the assessor's office, been undervalued are brought into line with current comparable assessments.
The law states the assessor must value properties at "True and fair value," which "means market value and is the amount of money a buyer of property willing but not obligated to buy would pay a seller of property willing but not obligated to sell, taking into consideration all uses to which the property is adapted and might in reason be applied." The law goes on, "In determining true and fair value, the assessor may use the sales (market data) approach, the cost approach, or the income approach, or a combination of the three approaches to value."
So, I'll leave you with a question or two or three, "How (if at all) would you change the law on assessments, and why?"
"How, if at all, would you change the law on appeals, which currently requires the property owner to show 'clear, cogent and convincing evidence' the assessor is wrong?"
"What, if anything, do you think could a class action lawsuit on behalf of property owners who feel they've been unfairly assessed could accomplish?"
Thanks for your thoughts. Chris Henry, reporter


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Earlier today we asked Macworld readers and collegues for their questions about the new iPhone 5. Now we have been to the Apple press event and held one in our hands we have some answers. You can also read our iPhone 5 review.
Q: What does the iPhone 5 feel like to hold?
Not only does the new iPhone 5 feel considerably lighter than the iPhone 4S, it is surprising just how light and comfortable to hold it is. Apple claims it's 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S, we would certainly agree. Perhaps it's years of experience with the iPhone 4 and then the iPhone 4S which had lead us to anticipate something much more weighty, but we were pleasantly surprised. We always felt that the iPhone 4/4S felt like it had a big heavy weight in the middle. With the iPhone 5 what weight there is feels evenly distributed, but we can't emphasise enough how little weight there is.
The new iPhone 5 is incredibly thin as well. Compared to the iPhone 4S, we'd say you could lose the black/white edging round the aluminium bevel that serves as the antenna, and what you'd be left with would be comparable to the new design, give or take a couple of millimetres. Potentially by being thinner your thumb has less far to reach around the iPhone 5, so the slimmer form factor contributes to the comfort of holding the device.
The design feels less edgy too – the sides of the iPhone 4/4S always struck us as sharp and very angular. This time round the edges feel a smoother, this is down to the "complex and ambitious" manufacturing process described by Apple designer Jony Ive in this Apple's video about the new iPhone 5. Apple not only polishes and textures the surfaces, it uses "crystaline diamonds" to cut the edges.
Q: Apple's made the screen bigger, does that mean the iPhone 5 is larger?
When we first heard the rumours that the iPhone 5 would have a larger screen and therefore be bigger than its predecessors we were worried. Would smaller fingers and thumbs be able to reach areas of the screen comfortably? Watching Apple's presentation we were somewhat relieved to hear that Apple had thought of that. During his presentation Phil Schiller explained that one of the most important things to consider was that it should fit beautifully in your hand and that it should be easy for users to reach things with their thumb. This is why Apple says that while the phone is slightly longer, it is no wider. Holding the iPhone 5 is the real test of this, and we were again pleasantly surprised. Once in the hand we almost forgot the phone was any bigger, it felt completely natural. We didn't feel that we had to stretch our thumb any more than usual to reach things.
Q: Is there less room on the front of the phone for the Home button now that the screen is bigger?
We had wondered whether the bigger screen would mean that the home button would be squashed onto a smaller area. The area below the screen isn't noticibly smaller, and the Home button seemed just the same as always.
Q: How do the sides of the iPhone 5 compare to the iPhone 4S?
We had wondered whether there would be obvious differences to the antennae bezel, but looking at the stainless-steel band around the edge of the phone there wasn't anything noticeably different. There are still four points in the four corners where the antenna meet – those are the same joins that caused all the bother around antenna-gate when people found that by forming a seal over the gap, the iPhone 4 antenna wouldn't work as well. This time the joins seem less like gaps than on our iPhone 4S. We don't anticipate this being a problem for Apple with the iPhone 5.
At first glance you might think the right side is similar to the iPhone 4S. But it's not. The sim card slot is smaller – Apple has switched to a nano-SIM for the new iPhone. This is even smaller than the micro-SIM used by the iPhone 4, 4S and iPad, so if you have one of these devices you won't be able to simply swap SIM cards.
The left side looks similar to the iPhone 4S, although the mute switch is very slightly slimmer. The up and down buttons are identically placed. We'd heard a rumour that the vibrate response you get when you switch the iPhone mute button was different, but it felt exactly the same to us.
The base of the iPhone 5 is where you see the biggest change.
Other than the obvious change – the new Lightening port that is about a third of the size of the old dock port, the headphone jack is now at the base of the phone, along with bigger speakers of differing lengths. At the base of the iPhone 5 were two screws either side of the Lightening port, these appear to be the same to the ones on the iPhone 4S.
With the headphone port moved to the bottom, the top of the iPhone 5 features only the on/off switch.
Q: What about the screen, how does that compare?
We were particularly interested to get a look at the screen as we had heard that Apple had ditched Samsung as its screen supplier, with this first batch of iPhones using Sharp and LG screens. During the keynote presentation Apple made a big deal of the new screen, claiming that images are sharper, that the screen offers 44% more colour saturation for full sRGB colour, and that it will experience less glare in sunlight. We did our best to test the glare – we were in a room with lots of fluorescent lighting, and it certainly seemed to be the case that the reflection of the lighting was more apparent on the screen of our iPhone 4S. We also found that we could see the screen of the iPhone 5 more clearly from a wider viewing angle.
Q: What's the iPhone 5 look like from the back
As the various rumours and leaks had suggested, the back of the iPhone 5 is made from smooth anodized aluminium, the same material Apple uses for its MacBook laptops. This strikes us as a safer option than a completey glass back, as has been the case with the past two generations of iPhone. But Apple hasn't completely banished glass from the back of the iPhone: along the top and bottom of the back are inlays made from glass. Also on the back is a redesigned layout for the camera, with more distance between the lens and flash, to accommodate a mic.
Q: Is the iPhone 5 camera any different?
Apple's boasting better low light performance and improved noise reduction with the new iSight camera in the iPhone. Just to make it even better, Apple's given it a sapphire crystal lens cover, which Apple says helps protect your lens and make your images clearer and sharper. Given the lowlight of the venue we took a few snaps to test the claims and they certainly appeared to be clearer images than the same shots taken with our iPhone 4S – looking closely we could see more detail in the gloomy background of the shot taken with the iPhone 5.
Q: Are photos and videos now in widescreen?
Apple couldn't confirm if the pictures or video were taken at a 16:9 aspect ratio, the most common ratio for widescreen TVs. Photos taken with the iPhone 5 fill the screen and look great, we imagine that if we looked at photos taken with an iPhone 4S on the iPhone 5 we'd see black bars on either side of the shot, in the same way that Apple says apps that haven't yet been designed to take advantage of the wider screen will have black boarders.
Ever since the first iPhone we've wondered why Apple hadn't offered a widescreen, given that movies and modern TV shows are filmed in that format. Finally our prayers have been answered and widescreen movies can take full advantage of the screen.
Q: Panorama sounds like a fun idea, does it actually work?
We like the idea of being able to take panorama shots with the iPhone 5. Unfortunately when we tried there was some sort of interference appearing in the shot. The Apple representative with us claimed that it was the first time he had seen it and proceeded to demonstrate Panoramas. When taking a Panorama shot the user is guided to keep the camera straight via a box containing an arrow and a line that appears in the middle of the phone. You aim to keep the arrow on the line, it's a simple and intuitive way to train users to keep the phone straight. The process wasn't intuiitive enough for me, however, even before encountering the problem with interference I began by holding the iPhone in landscape, before being told to take the panorama in portrait, as the Apple rep explained: "That way we get a wider shot from top to bottom." The finished product was good, although with obvious warping, but we get the impression that it's supposed to be fun, rather than accurate.
Q: What about the front facing FaceTime camera?
Rather than being placed in the top left, the front-facing camera is now placed in the middle. It's unlikely that this will make a big difference to where your face appears on your friend's screen. We're curious about the location of the proximity sensor, it appears above the the iPhone 4S speaker, but on the front of the black iPhone 5 we had trouble tracking it down.
Q: How is navigating the web using the bigger screen?
Apple told us that the extra long screen means you can see more of the webpage. We looked at Apple's iPhone 5 web page on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S and there was a difference of about six lines of text.
Scrolling up and down on a webpage is just the same, the only difference is that the scroll bar is longer on the iPhone 5. There is also a full screen view with an overlay to make navigation between web pages easier.
Q: Now that the screen is wider is the keyboard bigger and easier to use?
In horizontal mode the keys are a bit wider. In portrait mode the lay out is the same. We still found it difficult to type.
Q: What is the new, smaller Dock connector like to plug in?
The new Dock connector is still a fixed connection like the old iPhone dock connector, the main difference is it doesn't matter which way round it is when you plug it in. There had been some speculation that it would be similar in design to a micro USB plug, it is not.
Q: What about the software?
We had a look at the new Maps app to see how well it coped in London, and tried to speak to Siri.
Unfortunately Siri couldn't hear us above the crowd. We don't know if this is because Apple now lacks the noise-reduction audio processing technology that had been licensed to it by Audience, Inc. This technology is key to Siri's operation. We'll certainly be testing this more at a later date.
As for Maps. There were 3D maps available for the few areas in the UK that we looked up, but the 3D Flyover maps were only available for the very centre of the cities we tried. For example, Macworld's offices on Euston Road were not covered by the Flyover maps, just standard 3D, but as we saw from the keynote, Big Ben is available in Flyover mode 3D.
Q: How fast is the iPhone 5?
It was hard to test the performance of the iPhone 5 in the press centre where there were many devices vying for WiFi and 3G. That said, the phone was quick and responsive.
Q: Will I be able to get the iPhone 5 on 4G
Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 5 will be available with Everything Everywhere (which is an umbrella brand for Orange and T-Mobile). EE's 4G service will be available in London, Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham in a few weeks time. EE says that 16 UK towns will have 4G by the end of the year.
Follow Karen Haslam on Twitter / Follow MacworldUK on Twitter
iPhone 5 review, including photos of the new iPhone 5
Apple iPhone 5 camera: same megapixel rating but better resolution and low-light performance
Apple unveils iPhone 5 with 4in display, A6 chip, thinner, lighter aluminium design


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Sprint Hops Aboard the Windows 8 Train With $100 HTC 8XT Smartphone
Beginning next Friday, July 19, Sprint will be offering one of its first Windows 8-based phones, the HTC 8XT, for $100 after a rebate. The HTC 8XT is comparable to HTC's midrange 8S, but is the first Windows 8 smartphone to come with "BoomSound," which means that it has dual front-facing stereo speakers and a dedicated amplifier. The 8XT has a 4.3-inch display, a 1.4 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor and an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera. Sprint is also expected to launch the Windows 8-based Samsung Ativ S Neo sometime this summer.


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Assessment |
Biopsychology |
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Individual differences |
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Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Cognitive Psychology: Attention · Decision making · Learning · Judgement · Memory · Motivation · Perception · Reasoning · Thinking - Cognitive processes Cognition - Outline Index
Ambiguous images (or reversal images, puzzle images, perceptual rivalry and reversible figures) are optical illusion images which exploit graphical similarities and other properties of visual system interpretation between two or more distinct image forms. These are famous for inducing the phenomenon of multistable perception. Multistable perception is the occurrence of an image being able to provide multiple, although stable, perceptions. Classic examples of this are the rabbit/duck and the Rubin vase.[1] Ambiguous images are important to the field of psychology because they are often research tools used in experiments.[2] There is varying evidence on whether ambiguous images can be represented mentally,[3] but a majority of research has theorized that they cannot be properly represented mentally.[4]
Other examplesEdit
Examples include*
- face/vase drawings,
- Impossible objects.
- My Wife and My Mother-in-Law
- Necker cubes
- Rabbit-Duck Illusion
- Rhombille tiling (viewed as an isometric drawing of cubes),
Identifying and resolving ambiguous imagesEdit
Middle vision is the stage in visual processing that combines all the basic features in the scene into distinct, recognizable object groups. This stage of vision comes before high-level vision (understanding the scene) and after early vision (determining the basic features of an image). When perceiving and recognizing images, mid-level vision comes into use when we need to classify the object we are seeing. Higher-level vision is used when the object classified must now be recognized as a specific member of its group. For example, through mid-level vision we perceive a face, then through high-level vision we recognize a face of a familiar person. Mid-level vision and high-level vision are crucial for understanding a reality that is filled with ambiguous perceptual inputs.[5]
Perceiving the image in mid-level visionEdit
When we see an image, the first thing we do is attempt to organize all the parts of the scene into different groups.[6] To do this, one of the most basic methods used is finding the edges. Edges can include obvious perceptions such as the edge of a house, and can include other perceptions that the brain needs to process deeper, such as the edges of a person's facial features. When finding edges, the brain's visual system detects a point on the image with a sharp contrast of lighting. Being able to detect the location of the edge of an object aids in recognizing the object. In ambiguous images, detecting edges still seems natural to the person perceiving the image. However, the brain undergoes deeper processing to resolve the ambiguity. For example, consider an image that involves an opposite change in magnitude of luminance between the object and the background (e.g. From the top, the background shifts from black to white, and the object shifts from white to black). The opposing gradients will eventually come to a point where there is an equal degree of luminance of the object and the background. At this point, there is no edge to be perceived. To counter this, the visual system connects the image as a whole rather than a set of edges, allowing one to see an object rather than edges and non-edges. Although there is no complete image to be seen, the brain is able to accomplish this because of its understanding of the physical world and real incidents of ambiguous lighting.[5]
In ambiguous images, an illusion is often produced from illusory contours. An illusory contour is a perceived contour without the presence of a physical gradient. In examples where a white shape appears to occlude black objects on a white background, the white shape appears to be brighter than the background, and the edges of this shape produce the illusory contours.[7] These illusory contours are processed by the brain in a similar way as real contours.[6] The visual system accomplishes this by making inferences beyond the information that is presented in much the same way as the luminance gradient.
Gestalt grouping rulesEdit
In mid-level vision, the visual system utilizes a set of heuristic methods, called Gestalt grouping rules, to quickly identify a basic perception of an object that helps to resolve an ambiguity.[2] This allows perception to be fast and easy by observing patterns and familiar images rather than a slow process of identifying each part of a group. This aids in resolving ambiguous images because the visual system will accept small variations in the pattern and still perceive the pattern as a whole. The Gestalt grouping rules are the result of the experience of the visual system. Once a pattern is perceived frequently, it is stored in memory and can be perceived again easily without the requirement of examining the entire object again.[5] For example, when looking at a chess board, we perceive a checker pattern and not a set of alternating black and white squares.
Good continuationEdit
The principle of good continuation provides the visual system a basis for identifying continuing edges. This means that when a set of lines is perceived, there is a tendency for a line to continue in one direction. This allows the visual system to identify the edges of a complex image by identifying points where lines cross. For example, two lines crossed in an "X" shape will be perceived as two lines travelling diagonally rather than two lines changing direction to form "V" shapes opposite to each other. An example of an ambiguous image would be two curving lines intersecting at a point. This junction would be perceived the same way as the "X", where the intersection is seen as the lines crossing rather than turning away from each other. Illusions of good continuation are often used by magicians to trick audiences.[8]
The rule of similarity states that images that are similar to each other can be grouped together as being the same type of object or part of the same object. Therefore, the more similar two images or objects are, the more likely it will be that they can be grouped together. For example, two squares among many circles will be grouped together. They can vary in similarity of colour, size, orientation and other properties, but will ultimately be grouped together with varying degrees of membership.[5]
Proximity, common region, and connectednessEdit
The grouping property of proximity is the spatial distance between two objects. The closer two objects are, the more likely they belong to the same group. This perception can be ambiguous without the person perceiving it as ambiguous. For example, two objects with varying distances and orientations from the viewer may appear to be proximal to each other, while a third object may be closer to one of the other objects but appear farther.
Objects occupying a common region on the image appear to already be members of the same group. This can include unique spatial location, such as two objects occupying a distinct region of space outside of their group's own. Objects can have close proximity but appear as though part of a distinct group through various visual aids such as a threshold of colours separating the two objects.
Additionally, objects can be visually connected in ways such as drawing a line going from each object. These similar but hierarchical rules suggest that some Gestalt rules can override other rules.[5]
Texture segmentation and figure-ground assignmentsEdit
The visual system can also aid itself in resolving ambiguities by detecting the pattern of texture in an image. This is accomplished by using many of the Gestalt principles. The texture can provide information that helps to distinguish whole objects, and the changing texture in an image reveals which distinct objects may be part of the same group. Texture segmentation rules often both cooperate and compete with each other, and examining the texture can yield information about the layers of the image, disambiguating the background, foreground, and the object.[9]
Size and surroundednessEdit
When a region of texture completely surrounds another region of texture, it is likely the background. Additionally, the smaller regions of texture in an image are likely the figure.[5]
Parallelism and symmetryEdit
Parallelism is another way to disambiguate the figure of an image. The orientation of the contours of different textures in an image can determine which objects are grouped together. Generally, parallel contours suggest membership to the same object or group of objects. Similarly, symmetry of the contours can also define the figure of an image.[5]
Extremal edges and relative motionEdit
An extremal edge is a change in texture that suggests an object is in front of or behind another object. This can be due to a shading effect on the edges of one region of texture, giving the appearance of depth. Some extremal edge effects can overwhelm the segmentations of surroundedness or size. The edges perceived can also aid in distinguishing objects by examining the change in texture against an edge due to motion.[5]
Using ambiguous images to hide in the real world: camouflageEdit
In nature, camouflage is used by organisms to escape predators. This is achieved through creating an ambiguity of texture segmentation by imitating the surrounding environment. Without being able to perceive noticeable differences in texture and position, a predator will be unable to see their victim.[5]
Many ambiguous images are produced through some occlusion, wherein an object's texture suddenly stops. An occlusion is the visual perception of one object being behind or in front of another object, providing information about the order of the layers of texture.[5] The illusion of occlusion is apparent in the effect of illusory contours, where occlusion is perceived despite being non-existent. Here, an ambiguous image is perceived to be an instance of occlusion. When an object is occluded, the visual system only has information about the parts of the object that can be seen, so the rest of the processing must be done deeper and must involve memory.
Accidental viewpointsEdit
An accidental viewpoint is a single visual position that produces an ambiguous image. The accidental viewpoint does not provide enough information to distinguish what the object is.[10] Often, this image is perceived incorrectly and produces an illusion that differs from reality. For example, an image may be split in half, with the top half being enlarged and placed further away from the perceiver in space. This image will be perceived as one complete image from only a single viewpoint in space, rather than the reality of two separate halves of an object. A classic example of point-of-view creating an ambiguous image is the Necker cube.[5] Street artists often use tricks of point-of-view to create 2-dimensional scenes on the ground that appear 3-dimensional.
Recognizing an object through high-level visionEdit
To go further than just perceiving the object is to recognize the object. Recognizing an object plays a crucial role in resolving ambiguous images, and relies heavily on memory and prior knowledge. To recognize an object, the visual system detects familiar components of it, and compares the perceptual representation of it with a representation of the object stored in memory.[6] This can be done using various templates of an object, such as "dog" to represent dogs in general. The template method is not always successful because members of a group may significantly differ visually from each other, and may look much different if viewed from different angles. To counter the problem of viewpoint, the visual system detects familiar components of an object in 3-dimensional space. If the components of an object perceived are in the same position and orientation of an object in memory, recognition is possible.[5] Research has shown that people that are more creative in their imagery are better able to resolve ambiguous images. This may be due to their ability to quickly identify patterns in the image.[11] When making a mental representation of an ambiguous image, in the same way as normal images, each part is defined and then put onto the mental representation. The more complex the scene is, the longer it takes to process and add to the representation.[12]
Using memory and recent experienceEdit
Our memory has a large impact on resolving an ambiguous image, as it helps the visual system to identify and recognize objects without having to analyze and categorize them repeatedly. Without memory and prior knowledge, an image with several groups of similar objects will be difficult to perceive. Any object can have an ambiguous representation and can be mistakenly categorized into the wrong groups without sufficient memory recognition of an object. This finding suggests that prior experience is necessary for proper perception.[13] Studies have been done with the use of Greebles to show the role of memory in object recognition.[5] The act of priming the participant with an exposure to a similar visual stimulus also has a large effect on the ease of resolving an ambiguity.[13]
Trouble with ambiguous perceptions: prosopagnosiaEdit
Prosopagnosia is a disorder that causes a person to be unable to identify faces. The visual system undergoes mid-level vision and identifies a face, but high-level vision fails to identify who the face belongs to. In this case, the visual system identifies an ambiguous object, a face, but is unable to resolve the ambiguity using memory, leaving the affected unable to determine who they are seeing.[5]
See also Edit
- Binocular rivalry
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Monocular rivalry
- Multistable perception
- Optical illusion
- Visual Perception
External linksEdit
- EncycloZine – A collection of visually ambiguous patterns
- Sandlot Science – Optical illusions and brain-teasers
- Archimedes' Lab – Optical illusions and puzzles
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).
Cite error:
<ref> tags exist, but no
<references/> tag was found


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(CNN/Gray News) – Everyone hates them.
The FCC proposes new rules that would allow phone companies to block robocalls before they reach customers.
The phone rings. It looks like a local number, possibly from a friend or the doctor's office. But instead, it's some pre-recorded message for health insurance or consolidating student loans or who knows what else.
It's another robocall.
The Federal Communications Commission says it wants to help.
A proposal by the agency would give phone companies the authority to block the calls by default before they ever get to your phone.
The technology to do this already exists, but companies have balked, fearing their solutions would be considered illegal.
If approved, the FCC's proposal would squash those fears and could take effect later this year.
One study says Americans received more than 26 billion robocalls last year.
That's almost twice as many as in 2017.
Copyright 2019 CNN and Gray Television Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


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|Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on October 9, 2017
Q: According to media reports, this week US President Trump is possibly going to decertify the Iranian nuclear deal. As one of the key countries involved to ensure the passage of this deal in 2015, is China concerned that the deal that was reached after so much hard work would be affected due to this move?
A: We made remarks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) at request before. The JCPOA is an important outcome of multilateralism and a model of peacefully resolving international hot-spot issue through political and diplomatic means, which has played a key role in upholding international non-proliferation regime and the peace and stability of the Middle East region. We hope that all relevant parties can properly resolve their differences and jointly uphold and implement the JCPOA.
Q: According to reports, in response to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, US President Donald Trump said on Twitter over the weekend that agreements between the US presidents and their administrations and the DPRK in the past 25 years have been violated before the ink was dry, and the US has wasted massive amounts of money and effort. He said only one thing will work. Some have associated this with what President Trump said to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson before, that is, trying to open the door of negotiating with the DPRK is a waste of time. Many have taken this as a signal that the US may resort to force. How do you comment on that?
A: We have noted the recent remarks of various parties, including an article published in the Washington Post written by former US President Jimmy Carter which said that the US should offer to send a high-level delegation to Pyongyang for peace talks or to support an international conference including the relevant parties at a mutually acceptable site. Moreover, there are reports that the results from the Gallup snap poll of 14 countries suggest the vast majority supports the effort to pursue diplomacy and find a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula crisis.
The current situation on the Korean Peninsula remains highly complex and severe. We hope that various parties can strictly observe and implement the UN Security Council resolutions, refrain from provoking each other and aggravating the contradiction, exercise restraint and caution to ease the tension.
We have stated multiple times that the core and essence of the Korean Peninsula are security issue. We shall not forget our original aspiration if we want to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. A revisit to the September 19 Joint Statement of 2005 will lead to the conclusion that as the two main directly concerned parties, the US has mainly called for the DPRK's promise to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs while the DPRK has put its chief concern on the US'confirmation that it has no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with nuclear or conventional weapons. So to speak, the original aspiration of both the DPRK and the US is security. To our regret, in the process of pursuing this goal, they have lost the track due to various reasons and the knot tied even more tightly.
Only by remembering the original aspiration can we keep pressing ahead. This also applies to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Only by addressing the legitimate security concern of various parties in a balanced manner can we truly open the door to peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. To this end, various parties need to show more sincerity, sit down at the negotiating table, enhance mutual trust through dialogue and seek a viable way out for peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through negotiation. Only by doing that can we find a fundamental solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, uphold the general peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and this region and best serve the common interests of the relevant parties.
Q: It is reported that a recent statement issued by Philippine Department of Finance said the Philippines will issue yuan-denominated bonds worth of 200 million US dollars in China by around November of this year. The Philippine side is very thankful for the assistance provided by the Bank of China, and this is the first of many such bonds in the future. How do you comment on that?
A: Since the overall turnaround of China-Philippine relations last year, cooperation in various fields between the two countries have thrived. China welcomes the Philippine Department of Finance's move to strengthen cooperation with Chinese financial institutions and issue yuan-denominated bonds in China. We believe the relevant measures will help deepen our cooperation on finance and investment and boost the Philippines'infrastructure construction and advance the China-Philippine relations in an in-depth way.
Q: Over the weekend, the Indian defense minister visited the Nathula pass in the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary and had friendly interactions with the Chinese soldiers. What is your comment?
A: The Sikkim sector of China-India boundary has been delimited by the historical treaty of 1890, and the Nathula pass has been the best witness testifying to this fact. The Chinese side is willing to jointly uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas with the Indian side on the basis of observing historical treaties and the relevant agreements and accords between the two sides.
Q: Recently, the US government has announced the lifting of economic sanctions on Sudan. What's your comment?
A: We have noted the US'announcement to lift its economic sanctions on Sudan and we welcome that.


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EFA/CFA with mixed nominal and ordin...
Mplus Discussion
Categorical Data Modeling
Jong Min
posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 1:43 pm
Can I get some help with the following data analysis question?
I have 8 indicators that are measured in a mixture of nominal and ordinal levels. Those questions are all related to assessing subjective "health status."
Q1. with 5 ordinal categories
Q2-Q3. with 3 ordinal categories
Q4-Q5: yes/no
Q6: with 5 ordinal categories
Q7-Q8: yes/no
What is the best way of reducing these different mixed type of indicators? Traditional EFA would not work in principle due to their levels of measurement. I wonder if using EFA/CFA with categorial variables in Mplus would be appropriate. Can I calculate Factor Scores in Mplus?
Eventually, the reduced variable will be used in the context of regression, with replicative weights applied in Stata program.
Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 1:58 pm
Binary and ordered categorical variables can be considered in EFA. I'm unclear about what you mean by "levels of measurement".
Jong Min
posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 2:11 pm
Dear Linda,
Thanks for your quick reply. Sorry for confusion. By "level of measurement," I meant that traditional EFA is for either interval or ratio levels of measurement, but variables that I have were measured as nominal or ordinal level of measurements. I was hoping to get some suggestions on how to best reduce a mixed group of nominal and ordinal variables into one variable...
I hope this clarifies your confusion.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 2:20 pm
In Mplus, factor indicators in EFA can be continuous, binary, ordered categorical, or combinations of these variable types.
Jong Min
posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 4:26 pm
Dear Linda,
Thank you for your reply!
nina yamanis
posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 12:00 pm
Dear Drs. Muthen,
I am doing a CFA with both binary and ordered categorical variables using Mplus 2.13. In the output, I did not see the threshold information for the categorical variables. Was this information available in this version of Mplus?
Below are the barebones of my syntax for reference.
variable: ;
usevar are ;
categorical are ;
analysis: type = general;
factor1 BY ;
factor2 BY ;
factor1 WITH factor2;
OUTPUT: sampstat standardized ;
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 12:13 pm
You need to add MEANSTRUCTURE to the TYPE option of the ANALYSIS command to obtain thresholds.
nina yamanis
posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 5:27 am
Thank you!
Gaye Ildeniz
posted on Sunday, March 03, 2019 - 5:08 am
I know that these posts are a little outdated but can you please confirm that it is possible to have both ordinal and binary items simultaneously, in EFA and CFA?
Thank you.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, March 03, 2019 - 11:40 am
Yes this is possible.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Monday, March 04, 2019 - 1:31 pm
Yes this is possible.
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Posted by Editoress on 05/3/08
From the headlines...
Celebrity sports stars seek friends for community bike ride to raise funds for BC Cancer Foundation
Cycling superstars Axel Merckx and Alex Stieda, hometown hockey hero Trevor Linden and Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati are going for a bike ride on June 1st - and they want company.
At a pep rally outside the BC Cancer Agency's research centre in Vancouver today, Axel, Trevor and Ross invited anyone who can push a pedal to join them on June 1 for a 36km bike ride along West 10th Avenue through the scenic beauty of the UBC endowment lands. The ride is part of BC Cancer Foundation's Westside Cycling Classic, presented by the Airey Group.
Children's Safety Village gets a boost
Ontario is providing $15,000 to help the Niagara Region Children's Safety
Village (http://www.niagarasafetyvillage.com/) expand its programming and continue its work in teaching children about road safety.
UCI says increased testing is changing cycling's drug culture
Cycling is finally turning the corner in the fight against doping through its "biological passport" program, the sport's world governing body said Friday.
The UCI is preparing to issue the passports to 854 professional cyclists who are providing regular blood and urine samples to build up individual scientific profiles of their bodies.
"We are seeing a major change at the top level of the sport," International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid said at a news conference. "We all are aware that cycling has a doping problem and for 40 years has been dealing with a doping problem. We needed to go at it with a huge campaign in which we bombarded athletes with tests and the biological passport program gave us that opportunity."
Italy's Petacchi doubtful for Giro
Italy's Alessandro Petacchi is doubtful for this month's Giro d'Italia because of breathing problems, his team's sporting director Vittorio Algeri told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"He has tried to train but could not because he still has problems breathing," the Team Milram director said.
McEwen casts doubts on Olympics bid
Australian sprint cyclist Robbie McEwen says he is not making the Olympic Games his priority and may not go to Beijing.
Top rider facing doping charge
At least one top cyclist is to face doping charges after thousands of blood samples were analysed as part of the International Cycling Union's blood passport program, the UCI said today.
The UCI did not reveal the identity of the cyclist concerned, but said he is one of 23 riders who "warranted further scrutiny'' following 2172 tests on blood samples as part of their far-reaching passport scheme.
Daily Telegraph
The Niagara Classic: like broccoli, you have to try it once; The speed, colour, suffering and glory will hook you
Sunday May 18, top of Saylor's Hill on Effingham Road in Fonthill. Cyclist or not: be there.
St Catharines Standard
Pedalling around Pelee - Island's flat terrain perfect for cycling
Richard Masse's first visit to Pelee Island was not a smooth journey.
"We tried two or three times and kept missing the boat; we got there too late," the Windsor-native explains. "When I finally got on, I was so excited I drove my car onto the boat and looked around and thought 'oh geez we should've missed this boat' because it was frozen to the dock."
No easy ride to the top
Edmonton couple summits Mont Ventoux on a bicycle built for two
Mont Ventoux is known as the "Geant" of Provence. At 1,912 metres, it is a mountain that stands alone and dominates the horizon throughout much of Provence. It is the stuff of legends.
Regina Leader-Post
Riding a 'velo' in Paris is tres fashionable
As soon as I got home to the City of Light, I noticed them: weird silver-violet installations all over Paris. I heard they began appearing at the beginning of the summer. By August, the implantation was complete: Paris had been taken over by bicycles.
The Province
Tips for adults on bicycle riding safely with a child on board
Barb Wentworth is a bicycle safety planner for the City of Toronto and a national examiner for CAN-BIKE, a cycling education program offering courses to adults and children.
She offers some suggestions for adult cyclists who plan to hit the road with child seats mounted on their bicycles
Daily Gleaner
Ready for the road?
As gas prices surge across the country, some motorists may be eyeballing their two-wheelers for more than just recreational fun.
With analysts predicting national average gasoline prices will top $1.40 a litre this summer, leaving the car at home in favour of cycling to work or to run errands could become an increasingly appealing alternative for those seeking to alleviate pump pain.
Daily Gleaner
Bring on the Bikes
A local group is challenging commuters to leave their vehicles at home from May 26 to June 1, in a Bike to Work Week event.
"In British Columbia, transportation accounts for 42 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions," said Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition Mia Kohout.
Abbotsfor-Mission Times
Cycling across Canada to fight kids' cancer
John Murray and as many as 50 other cyclists from around Canada are crossing the country for a good cause.
Murray, a Burlington resident, has committed to being a national rider in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, a 19-day, 7,600 kilometre endeavour that starts June 2
Burlington Post
No boundaries for young cyclist
Muscular dystrophy sufferer gets set to ride across country
On May 13, Montrealer Keith Martin, 22, will begin the 8,000-kilometre cross-country trek with four friends.
Montreal Gazzette
BMXer killed on site in 2006 Family upset with decision
20-year-old Milton man who died while building a BMX track at Halton Place in 2006, and the Ontario Cycling Association are doing all they can to ensure the track is not leveled.
The track was built without a development permit, and the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) is ordering the owner of Halton Place, Timor Leckebusch, to remove it by flattening and rehabilitating the site.
Caledon Enterprise
The Running of the Bicyclists
his weekend, four local bike shops will host swaps -- Skirack in Burlington, Earl's Cyclery & Fitness and the Alpine Shop in South Burlington and Onion River Sports in Montpelier.
The swaps are some of the most highly anticipated events on the cycling calendar and the ceremonial start to the Vermont biking season. And with $600 courtesy of Uncle Sam burning a hole in your pocket, you're bound find a way to spend it at the swaps.
Over the years, bike swaps have become all things to all people. Looking for a townie bike to ride to the weekend bar crawl? Need yet another mountain bike for your kid who just won't stop growing? Look no further than a swap. But be prepared to throw a few elbows to get what you want.
Burlington Free Press
On yer vélo -Claire Armitstead takes a tour round France with the Ondaatje prizewinner
In 1869, a cycling magazine was launched in France. The masthead of Le Vélocipède Illustré featured a voluptuous Lady Progress astride a bicycle. In his manifesto, the editor intoned: "The velocipede is not a fad born yesterday, in vogue today, to be forgotten tomorrow.
Biking to Change Lives
Yesterday, I met up with a friend of mine who works on Wall Street. We talked about many things - from the credit markets, potential job losses to anticipated market performance. At the very end he told me about a trip he's making to D.C. today. He's participating in a race to raise money for returning war veterans and their families. I was so touched by what he and many others are doing to help the veterans and their families regain their mobility and independence that I asked him to send me a note about it.
It's called World T.E.A.M Sports, and it's an organized two-day 120 mile bicycle ride that takes place in Washington. You can learn more about it at http://worldteamsports.org/. According to the web site, the organization's Hub on Wheels event in Boston this past September drew 3,000 participants - including Sen. John Kerry.
Fox Business
24 Hours of Booty celebrates LiveSTRONG Day on May 13
24 Hours of Booty, Inc. (www.24hoursofbooty.org), which runs the Official 24-Hour Cycling Event of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the only 24-hour road cycling charity event in the country, is celebrating LiveSTRONG Day on Tuesday, May 13 by wearing yellow and handing out LiveSTRONG bracelets and 24 Hours of Booty goodies in Founders Hall in Uptown Charlotte from 11:00 a.m. ˆ2:00 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to wear yellow on this day in support of fighting cancer.
Carolina Newswire
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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Some researchers believe they have uncovered a major security break in the Android mobile operating system that could affect almost all of its smartphones, according to a report.
Bluebox Security, a mobile security startup, wrote about the flaw on its corporate blog, saying that the bug gave hackers a "master key" into the Android OS, according to the Washington Post. Apparently the weakness is the security verification process on Google Play applications, which lets hackers modify APK code to turn an app into malware that take over anyone's phone without flagging any attention.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Hackers can steal any information the app would collect, as well as possibly turning the phone into a zombie.
Bluebox said it reported the security problem to Google in February, but it's up to manufacturers to issue fixes. Only some have, namely the Samsung Galaxy S4, according to Bluebox.
As always, there are some ways to lessen the problem: don't download suspicious apps and update your device. Although Android is known for having more malware than Apple's iOS system, the main problem seems to be user-generated by downloading free and often compromised games and apps.


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Medical student elected to AMA Minority Affairs Governing Council0
HONOLULU (Sept. 30, 2013) — Jacques Ambrose, a fourth-year University of Hawaiʻi medical student, brings passion to causes including increasing the numbers of minority medical professionals and the health of the homeless.
Now, he has earned the opportunity to share his passion for social justice on a national scale, as the first Hawai`i medical student ever elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Minority Affairs Governing Council.
Through June 2014, Ambrose will be the sole student representative on the governing council, which consists of eight other members, all physicians. The goals of the minority affairs governing council include increasing the number of medical students and physicians from underrepresented minority groups and advising the AMA on minority issues.
Ambrose is a graduate of McKinley High School and Grinnell College. At the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), he has been active in student groups that promote social justice. He has written scholarly research, including a study of the representation of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island physicians in Hawai`i, which was published in the Hawai`i Journal of Medicine.
"I'm determined to help break the cycle of health disparities among minorities," Ambrose said, explaining that disparities include a disproportionate number of preventable diseases, deaths and disabilities suffered by minorities when compared with non-minorities.
As part of his commitment to fill the gaps that exist in minority healthcare, Ambrose has served as a peer mentor and student advisor, guiding and encouraging underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged students to pursue higher education. He is active as an intern and student representative on the Hawai`i State Senate and Hawai`i Healthcare Transformation Initiatives.
Ambrose credits many people for inspiring him, among them the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, whom he met at the annual AMA Conference in Chicago. "She has been one of my guiding inspirations for her work in improving primary care and fighting health inequities. She, as a longtime Minority Affairs Section member, was attending a business meeting at the AMA conference," Ambrose said.
This past April, Ambrose co-chaired a symposium on homelessness at JABSOM. He also authored the first-place Medical Student Essay in the PMAG (Pacific Medical Administrative Group) Medical Professionalism Essay Contest.
Research by Ambrose has also been published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education and the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.


text:
Web Site Infrastructure Discussion
From Openembedded.org
Discussion about using a project management tool like Redmine. Would likely replace bugzilla, and some wiki functionality. It seems likely the main OE web site would remain in mediawiki.
Not sure where to post this but I wanted to ask if anyone has heard of National Clicks?
Can someone help me find it?
Overheard some co-workers talking about it all week but didn't have time to ask so I thought I would post it here to see if someone could help me out.
Seems to be getting alot of buzz right now.


text:
It has been too long since I've been to a Yelp Elite event so I was happy to make it this one. Hubby tagged along with me, he's my favorite +1 to take along. Fitlife Foods has been on my list of places to try for awhile. There are plenty to choose from in the area – St. Pete, Clearwater, and Tampa, all easy to get to. The Elite event was at the South Tampa location.
If you are not familiar with Fitlife Foods, they provide freshly prepared meals and snacks, all made in house with fresh ingredients. There are different size options (small, medium, large, or one size). They also have customized wellness solutions to fit your goals and time schedule, designed to best suit your needs.
I was very impressed by this location and the kitchen and food prep area. We were spoiled with an assortment of foods to sample and tempt our taste buds. From Sicilian Chicken Meatballs to their Signature Nacho Cheese Queso Dip, a Chili Lime Dip, and an AMAZING Snickerdoodle Cookie…. It was all delicious and extremely fresh.
I was also impressed to learn that they cut their meats and fish IN the cooler. We met "Polar Bear" Mike who works in there all day! They have large walk-in refrigerators and freezers and a very clean kitchen area. All of this means that the meals we purchase will be very fresh and full of flavor. Served in recyclable plastic containers, each meal is labeled with nutritional info and the "Best By" date, no more than 3 days out.
Since I follow Weight Watchers, I was calculating the points of a couple meals using the nutritional info. They made my day when they offered me a list of their meals with "points" calculated! It couldn't be any easier! From breakfast to burgers, full meals with sides, sauces, and desserts, it is all very well planned out. I look forward to trying the meals we brought home and can't wait to go back!
As with the other Yelp events I've had the pleasure of attending, there was plenty of Yelp Swag and we were once again treated well with Fitlife samples and goodies to bring home. My blogging friends Katrina, Grace, and Caroline were there, but I was a bad blogger and didn't get any photos of us! I also met new Yelp Elite member, Dianna. it's always fun to meet new people at this events.
Thank you Fitlife Foods and Yelp for a nice evening and delicious foods!
Have you been to Fitlife Foods or a similar type service? What is your favorite meal? Let me know!


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It's safe to see the wizard, Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz
You'll see he is a whiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was
If ever, oh ever a wiz there was, the Wizard of Oz is one because
Because, because, because, because, because
Because of the wonderful things he does
So go and see the wizard, Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz
Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) is a magician in a travelling circus. He doesn't earn much money, but his work allows him plenty of opportunity for philandering. He realizes though that his occupation makes him unsuitable as a husband… unsuitable for anything, really. He longs to do or be something great. Fate intervenes when he gets chased into his hot air balloon by an angry, jealous strongman on a day when a tornado is approaching. Oz and his craft are sucked into the storm.
When he emerges, he's not in Kansas anymore. He's found his way to the wonderful land of Oz. It's a beauteous, magical realm filled with plants and creatures beyond the imagination. Almost as soon as he lands, however, Oz is greeted as the fulfillment of a prophecy. He's greeted by Theodora (Mila Kunis), a good Witch who informs him that the kingdom of Oz is plagued by a Wicked Witch, but that it's prophesied that a great Wizard will fall from the sky and defeat her, before claiming his place on the throne.
Oz doesn't know how to react to that. For one thing, he's attracted to Theodora, and doesn't want to dispel her illusions of him. Eventually, as he's led into the Emerald City and Theodora's sister Evenora (Rachel Weisz) shows him the royal treasure, he wants to keep pretenses up to get ahold of the mountain of gold. But the truth is, he's just a man, and the only magic he knows is some slight of hand.
Nonetheless, he sets off to find and defeat the Wicked Witch. With the help of a flying monkey in a bellhops' uniform (voiced by Zack Braff) and a small talking China Doll (Joey King) he meets along the way, Oz learns he has more going in his favor than he initially thought. He has the belief of the people of Oz.
"Oz the Great and Powerful" is a gorgeous, fun slice of family entertainment.
The land of Oz itself benefits greatly from 3D and CGI. The Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road look fantastic, and the surrounding landscapes are lavish and detailed. Director Sam Raimi expertly mixes in practical sets and green screen work in order to create a believable, beautiful environment. This kind of fantasy film is the perfect playground for digital artists, and they take full advantage of it by creating a wondrous realm and then rendering it in 3D that the audience can actually see and feel.
Within this world, a simple, but charming story takes place. Franco's Oz comes from a life full of bs'ing people, but when it comes times to prove what he's got for real, he balks. It isn't until he realizes that his great con-man skills could come into play here as well that he starts to make headway. His companions, Braff's monkey and King's doll are sweet substitute's for Dorothy's companions from the '39 film. The plot machinations aren't complex, but they do have a worthwhile story to be told, and it works nicely as a prequel to the events of the original.
Acting wise, certainly James Franco isn't a threat to win any awards for this performance. The many criticisms of him and his abilities won't be dispelled with this role. But with everything else that's going on being so colorful, he's not asked to carry the show. There's plenty of support surrounding him, most notably Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz as the three witches of the land.
Certainly, this movie is no threat to eclipse "The Wizard of Oz" in anyone's heart. That film had an incomparable cast, legendary songs, and has had 80 years of being beloved. As a prequel and companion piece, however, we could do much worse. In today's day and age of shameless cash grabs and unworthy remakes and sequels, it's refreshing to see a property being revisited in a respectful manner. "Great and Powerful" is a prequel that makes sense within the mythos, and offers viewers a new and entertaining story, all while maintaining the spirit and tone of the original film.
That in itself is a rarity, and worth recommending.


text:
GREELEY, Colo.—A proposal to form a new state in northern Colorado is getting public support.
More than four dozen people showed up Thursday at the first public meeting to discuss a proposal to form a 51st state. Most of them said they support secession.
The Greeley Tribune reports ( http://tinyurl.com/llmdhjv) people from Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties are included in the discussion.
The U.S. Constitution requires that legislatures must first approve any state that is to be created within its jurisdiction.
Commissioners say legislative efforts to crack down on energy drilling and gun laws are prime reasons for the movement.
Information from: Greeley Daily Tribune, http://greeleytribune.com


text:
CFS is committed to delivering the highest quality sporting apparel to our clients, we provide the same service to everyone – small orders to large orders CFS will work with you to ensure your garments are delivered on time and the best quality at affordable prices.
The Cricket and Football Shop is also a leading supplier of all sporting goods & equipment from Netball to Linemakers and goal posts, whatever your needs we can assist.
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We also supply a full range of high performance Netball training kit to suit all of your team's training needs. Our training range includes netball dresses, bibs, t-shirts, singlets, shorts and socks.
CFS Gear can also provide a full range of Netball accessories for team players, officials/supporters.
Our range of accessories include caps, hats, kit bags, water bottle and stubby cooler.
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