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On the last day, they gathered for a group photo. They were videogame programmers, artists, level builders, artificial-intelligence experts. Their team was—finally—giving up, declaring defeat, and disbanding. So they headed down to the lobby of their building in Garland, Texas, to smile for the camera. They arranged themselves on top of their logo: a 10-foot-wide nuclear-radiation sign, inlaid in the marble floor.
To videogame fans, that logo is instantly recognizable. It's the insignia of Duke Nukem 3D, a computer game that revolutionized shoot-'em-up virtual violence in 1996. Featuring a swaggering, steroidal, wisecracking hero, Duke Nukem 3D became one of the top-selling videogames ever, making its creators very wealthy and leaving fans absolutely delirious for a sequel. The team quickly began work on that sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, and it became one of the most hotly anticipated games of all time.
It was never completed. Screenshots and video snippets would leak out every few years, each time whipping fans into a lather — and each time, the game would recede from view. Normally, videogames take two to four years to build; five years is considered worryingly long. But the Duke Nukem Forever team worked for 12 years straight. As one patient fan pointed out, when development on Duke Nukem Forever started, most computers were still using Windows 95, Pixar had made only one movie — Toy Story — and Xbox did not yet exist.
On May 6, 2009, everything ended. Drained of funds after so many years of work, the game's developer, 3D Realms, told its employees to collect their stuff and put it in boxes. The next week, the company was sued for millions by its publisher for failing to finish the sequel.
Front and center in the photo sits a large guy with a boyish face. You can't tell from the picture, but he had gotten choked up when he made the announcement. His name is George Broussard, co-owner of 3D Realms and the man who headed the Duke Nukem Forever project for its entire 12-year run. Now 46 years old, he'd spent much of his adult life trying to make a single game, and failed over and over again. What happened to that project has been shrouded in secrecy, and rumors have flown about why Broussard couldn't manage to finish his life's work. What went so wrong?
This is what happened.
Broussard would not talk to Wired for this story. He was polite about it, but because his firm is being sued over its failure to complete Duke Nukem Forever, he declined to be interviewed, as did his cofounder and partner, Scott Miller. Broussard also emailed his former employees to warn them not to talk; many refused my requests, often because they remain friends with Broussard. But enough were willing to discuss the game — almost all anonymously — that a picture began to emerge, aided by Broussard's and Miller's prodigious postings on discussion boards and a handful of public interviews.
Broussard and Miller met in the late '70s in Dallas, during Miller's senior year of high school. They would hang out in the computer lab, programming clunky 2-D and text-adventure games. When Miller was in his twenties, he invented the shareware model of selling games and formed his company, Apogee (which started going by 3D Realms in 1994): He'd break a game into chunks, release it for free on BBSes, get people addicted, and then charge them for the remaining parts. By 1990, he was publishing and marketing titles created by others. He quit his day job and brought Broussard on. They were a study in contrasts: Miller, guarded and quiet, became the savvy business dealer, while Broussard — a voluble, energetic, ponytailed presence who carried around a single notebook as his organizational tool — became the creative impresario, famous for an unerring sense of what was fun. In 1992, the duo published Wolfenstein 3D, created by a then tiny studio called id Software. It was the first game to let players run around a 3-D first-person environment shooting enemies, and it became a breakout hit, selling 200,000 copies. 3D Realms went from being a $25,000-a-month startup to a $200,000-a-month corporation. The realistic, lead-spewing shoot-'em-up was born.
By 1994, Broussard began concocting his own breakout game — one that would upend the conventions of the fledgling genre. Where other titles were gloomy and self-important, his would be brassy, colorful, and funny. Instead of playing as a faceless marine, gamers would play as Duke Nukem, "a combo of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Arnold," as Broussard described him. Broussard and Miller assembled a seven-person team to build the product. The pair had a knack for discovering talent: One of their recruits was a 17-year-old programmer from Rhode Island — barely out of high school — who created their game engine, the crucial piece of software that displays the 3-D world for the player. After a year and a half of work, Duke Nukem 3D was released online in January 1996.
Sales were explosive. The game was addictively fun and crammed with racy humor, including strippers you could tip (at which point they'd flash their pixelated boobs) and mutant pigs dressed in LAPD-like uniforms. Critics went fairly mad with praise. In most games, the world was static, but Duke Nukem players could interact with objects — they could get Duke to play pool or admire himself in a mirror ("Damn, I'm looking good!" he'd say). The title sold about 3.5 million copies, making Miller and Broussard straightforwardly wealthy.
In April 1997, Broussard announced a follow-up: Duke Nukem Forever, which he promised would outdo the original in humor, interactivity, and fun. The firm set no formal deadline, but Miller predicted the game would be out within about a year, "well before" Christmas 1998. "We see Duke Nukem as a franchise that will be around 30 years from now, like James Bond," Miller told a gaming site. Broussard compared Duke to Nintendo's Mario — a character that would star in title after title, year after year.
But the cycle that would demolish Duke Nukem was about to begin.
Part of what caught Broussard off guard was the sheer speed at which videogames were improving. In the late '90s, the processing speed of computer chips exploded, so each year programmers were releasing more and more powerful game engines — able to handle increasingly lifelike graphics, more enemies onscreen at a time, smarter artificial intelligence, and more objects that could be destroyed.
This ignited an arms race in game development. When Duke Nukem 3D came out, Broussard's Duke Nukem engine — called Build — produced the best-looking game around. Barely a year later, though, it looked antiquated. Broussard's key rival in the Dallas gaming scene, id Software, had announced its Quake II engine, which produced graphics that made Build seem blocky and crude. Broussard decided to license the Quake II engine, figuring it would save him precious time; programming an engine from scratch can take years. Though 3D Realms never confirmed how much it paid for the license — Miller referred to it as "a truckload of money" on a gaming news site — the price was said to be as high as $500,000. When the engine was released in December 1997, Broussard's team quickly began creating game levels, monsters, and weapons around it.
Epic Fail It was supposed to be the blockbuster sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. Instead, Duke Nukem Forever became the biggest videogame that never was. A few key milestones. —Benj Edwards
__Jan 1996__Duke Nukem 3D is released. The sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, is announced in April 1997.
__Nov 1997__3D Realms shows off early DNF screenshots, targeting a mid- to late-1998 release using the Quake II engine.
__May 1998__Trailer for DNF is shown at videogame industry convention E3. Fans and critics rave.
__May 1999__The game isn't shown at E3. Broussard says, "We're sick of jumping through pointless PR hoops."
__May 2001__3D Realms releases its first video in years. "No, this is not some kind of sick joke," the company Web site says.
__May 2003__Publisher Take-Two Interactive says DNF will not come out in 2003; blames its financial difficulties on ongoing delays.
__Dec 2008__3D Realms releases a new desktop wallpaper image of DNF.
__May 2009__3D Realms shuts down internal development. Take-Two sues.
By May 1998, the team had created enough material to show off at E3, the annual videogame industry convention. Duke Nukem Forever was set in Vegas; in the game's plot, Duke operates a strip club and then has to fight off invading aliens. Broussard showed a trailer featuring a dozen different scenes, including Duke fighting on the back of a moving truck, jet airplanes crashing, and furious firefights with aliens. Critics were awed: "It sets a new benchmark for making a 3-D game more like a Hollywood movie," Newsday proclaimed. Broussard was clearly obsessed with making his product as aesthetically appealing as possible. When he brought a few journalists over to a computer to show off bits of the game, he pointed out the way you could see individual wrinkles on characters' faces and mused over how to make his campfire more realistic. ("As soon as we mix in some white smoke and some black smoke, I think we'll be there," he said.)
Behind the scenes, though, Broussard was already unhappy with the results and was craving better technology. A few months after the Quake II engine was released, another competitor, Epic MegaGames, unveiled a rival engine called Unreal. Its graphics were more realistic still, and Unreal was better suited to crafting wide-open spaces. 3D Realms was struggling mightily to get Quake II to render the open desert around Las Vegas. One evening just after E3, while the team sat together, a programmer threw out a bombshell: Maybe they should switch to Unreal? "The room got quiet for a moment," Broussard recalled. Switching engines again seemed insane — it would cost another massive wad of money and require them to scrap much of the work they'd done.
But Broussard decided to make the change. Only weeks after he showed off Duke Nukem Forever, he stunned the gaming industry by announcing the shift to the Unreal engine. "It was effectively a reboot of the project in many respects," Chris Hargrove, then one of the game's programmers, told me (though he agreed with the decision). Broussard soon began pushing for even more and cooler game-building tools: He ripped out the ceiling of a room at the 3D Realms office to assemble a motion-capture lab, which would help his team in rendering "complex motions like strippers," he noted on the 3D Realms Web site.
Broussard simply couldn't tolerate the idea of Duke Nukem Forever coming out with anything other than the latest and greatest technology and awe-inspiring gameplay. He didn't just want it to be good. It had to surpass every other game that had ever existed, the same way the original Duke Nukem 3D had.
But because the technology kept getting better, Broussard was on a treadmill. He'd see a new game with a flashy graphics technique and demand the effect be incorporated into Duke Nukem Forever. "One day George started pushing for snow levels," recalls a developer who worked on Duke Nukem Forever for several years starting in 2000. Why? "He had seen The Thing" — a new game based on the horror movie of the same name, set in the snowbound Antarctic — "and he wanted it." The staff developed a running joke: If a new title comes out, don't let George see it. When the influential shoot-'em-up Half-Life debuted in 1998, it opened with a famously interactive narrative sequence in which the player begins his workday in a laboratory, overhearing a coworker's conversation that slowly sets a mood of dread. The day after Broussard played it, an employee told me, the cofounder walked into the office saying, "Oh my God, we have to have that in Duke Nukem Forever."
"George's genius was realizing where games were going and taking it to the next level," says Paul Schuytema, who worked for Broussard and Miller heading up the development of Prey, another 3D Realms title. "That was his sword and his Achilles' heel. He'd rather throw himself on his sword and kill himself than have the game be bad." By the end of 1999, after blowing several publicly proclaimed release dates, Duke Nukem Forever was nowhere near completion. Half the weapons were still just sketches, and when a new version of the Unreal engine was announced — one designed for live, multiplayer online battles — once again Broussard opted to upgrade. Worse, former employees say, he did not appear to have an endgame — an overall plan for what the finished product would look like, and thus a way to recognize when it was nearing completion. "I remember being very impressed by the features. It was incredibly cool technology," says the developer hired in 2000. "But it wasn't a game." It was like a series of tech demos "in a very chaotic state."
It's a dilemma all artists confront, of course. When do you stop creating and send your work out to face the public? Plenty of Hollywood directors have delayed for months, dithering in the editing room. But in videogames, the problem is particularly acute, because the longer you delay, the more genuinely antiquated your product begins to look — and the more likely it is that you'll need to rip things down and start again. All game designers know this, so they pick a point to stop improving — to "lock the game down" — and then spend a frantic year polishing. But Broussard never seemed willing to do that.
Mike Wilson, a former games marketer with id Software and 15-year veteran of the industry, suspects that Broussard was paralyzed by the massive success of Duke Nukem 3D. "When Duke came out, they were kings of the world for a minute," Wilson says. "And how often does that happen? How often does someone have the best thing in their field, absolutely? They basically got frozen in that moment."
Broussard was also cursed with money.
Normally, game developers don't have much cash. Like rock bands seeking a label to help pay for the cost of recording an album, game developers usually find a publisher to give them an advance in exchange for a big slice of the profits. But Broussard and Miller didn't need to do this. 3D Realms was flush with cash; on top of the massive Duke Nukem 3D sales, they had other products that were selling briskly, including several add-on packs for Duke Nukem 3D that they'd outsourced to another developer. (They even licensed their Build engine for a dozen games, bringing in more dough.)
So when Broussard and Miller began work on Duke Nukem Forever, they decided to fund its development themselves. They arranged for a publisher, GT Interactive, to help with marketing and physically shipping the CDs, but they took only a tiny $400,000 advance. (Later, Take-Two Interactive — famous for publishing the Grand Theft Auto games — bought the rights from GT Interactive and became the publisher for Duke Nukem Forever.)
Other game developers envied the freedom that Broussard and Miller had, at least at first. Developers and their publishers, indeed, are often at war. It's like many suits-versus-creatives relationships: Developers want to make their product superb, and the publishers just want it on the shelves as soon as possible. If the game starts getting delayed, it's the publisher that cracks the whip. Broussard and Miller were free to thumb their noses at this entire system. Indeed, they even posted gleeful rants online about the evil of publishers and their deadlines. "When it's done" became their defiant reply whenever someone asked when Duke Nukem Forever would be finished. They even criticized their publisher viciously in public. In 2003, Take-Two CEO Jeffrey Lapin complained to analysts that Duke Nukem Forever was so late he had begun writing it off as a loss, and he predicted it wouldn't be out anytime soon. Broussard erupted. "Take-Two needs to STFU," he hissed in a dicussion-board posting, using the well-known shorthand for "shut the fuck up." "We don't want Take-Two saying stupid-ass things in public for the sole purposes of helping their stock," Broussard continued. "It's our time and our money we are spending on the game. So either we're absolutely stupid and clueless, or we believe in what we are working on."
Yet the truth is, Broussard's financial freedom had cut him off from all discipline. He could delay making the tough calls, seemingly forever. "One day, Broussard came in and said, 'We could go another five years without shipping a game'" because 3D Realms still had so much money in the bank, an employee told me. "He seemed really happy about that. The other people just groaned."
The only serious pressure came from fans. Duke diehards were losing their minds waiting for the game, crowding discussion boards to pester the developer. ("Sometimes I feel like a thousand Dr. Evils are looking at us yelling 'throw me a frickin' bone here!'" Hargrove, the programmer, complained on 3D Realms' Web forums.)
To keep fans at bay, Broussard decided to put together another trailer for E3 in 2001. It was the first peek at Duke Nukem Forever in three years, and it was genuinely spectacular. Duke rode on trains and in cars while blasting enemies. Wounded soldiers held their guts and groaned in pain. A pack of enemies attacked on Jet Skis. The trailer was the talk of the show. After four years of work, Duke Nukem Forever looked as good as any other game in development, and maybe even better.
The 3D Realms staff returned to Texas elated. One told me that the period immediately after E3 felt like the closest they came to shipping the game. "The video was just being eaten up by people," he said. "We were so far ahead of other people at the time."
But Broussard still didn't seem to have a finish line in sight. "I was hoping for George to come in and say, 'OK, that was great, we got what we wanted, let's get this done now!" another employee said. "But he never did."
The long grind began to wear on the staff. The Duke Nukem Forever team was unusually small; by 2003, only 18 people were working on it full time. This might have been adequate back when the game was announced in the mid-'90s. But in the years that Broussard had spent tweaking Duke Nukem Forever, games had become bigger and bigger. It wasn't unusual for a developer now to throw 50 people or more at a single title. In essence, 3-D games had grown up: It's as if Hollywood had evolved from tiny hand-cranked three-minute reels to two-hour epic blockbusters in half a decade. Successful developers had disciplined management that set deadlines and milestones. Someone at the top carefully made sure every piece was moving along. Yet Broussard and Miller hadn't changed with the times. They were still designing "with a 1995 mentality," as one former employee told me — trying to produce a modern, massive game with a stripped-down little group.
After eight years of work, even Broussard and Miller seemed chastened by their failures. In 2006, journalist Tom Chick became one of the few outsiders in years to get a peek at Duke Nukem Forever. Broussard appeared nervous, almost contrite, about the delays and continually referred to an index card while talking about the game's features. "We fucked up," he told Chick. "Basically, we threw everything out and started again."
Then a staff rebellion broke out. For longtime employees, the incessant delays posed two big problems. One was professional cred: Duke Nukem Forever was the only modern 3-D game some of them had worked on; if it didn't ship soon, they'd have spent nearly a decade with nothing to show for it. The other was money. 3D Realms paid its designers less than many competitors, most notably id Software down the road. Broussard motivated them by offering profit-sharing. "Their business model was to pay the developers very low, but with a potential payday at the end that was pretty substantial," says former employee Schuytema. As Duke Nukem Forever failed to arrive, so did that big payday.
By August 2006, at least seven people had left — nearly half the team — taking with them years of experience and institutional memory. "It was a waterfall," recalls one employee; after the first employee announced he was leaving, another quickly followed, after which the rest all fled in a torrent. Some seemed openly bitter. "I left because I was burned out after working on the same project for five years without any end in sight," former Duke Nukem Forever programmer Scott Alden posted on Shacknews.
Ironically, the end was within reach, even if Broussard couldn't see it. Raphael van Lierop, who was hired in 2007 as a creative director, was given several pieces of the game to play. It took him about five hours. Broussard was stunned; he'd thought those levels would take half that time to get through. "You could see the gears turning, with him thinking, 'Oh wow — maybe we've got more game than we think,'" says van Lierop. Broussard had been staring at the game for so long, he'd lost perspective.
Van Lierop was excited: From what he'd seen of it, Duke Nukem Forever was so well developed — and so graphically superior to any other game in production — that if 3D Realms pushed hard for a year, they could release it and "blow everyone out of the water." No, no, Broussard replied. It was two years out. Van Lierop was stunned. "I thought, 'Wow, how many times have you been here, near the finish line, and you thought you were way out?'"
By then, even Miller's two sons were making jokes about the delays. "Duke Nukem Taking Forever," they teased their father.
The exodus of employees seemed to shock Broussard into action. By the end of 2006, he appeared to finally become serious about shipping the title.
Pressure was also building internally. Former employees told me Broussard's relationship with Miller was slowly deteriorating over Broussard's inability to complete Duke Nukem Forever. It's certainly possible that Miller was angry that Broussard was blowing through so much money on the game. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller proclaimed he was "dumbfounded" that it had taken them so long.
To mount a final push to get Duke Nukem Forever out the door, Broussard went on a hiring spree. "Need more help. Must go faster. Scotty, we need more powah!" Broussard wrote in a discussion-board posting advertising the new design jobs. Within a short period of time, the size of the team more than doubled, from 18 to about 35. Many of those he hired were high-powered creatives, like Tramell Isaac, a 12-year veteran of the industry. "All of my friends wondered if I was crazy. Why would I go to 3dr?" he later wrote on his blog. "The funny thing is, I knew what I was signing up for ... George made it perfectly clear in our discussions prior to me joining that this would not be a walk in the park. You got to respect the man for that."
One particularly crucial hire was Brian Hook, who became the project's lead, a central boss operating directly below Broussard. Hook realized the challenge ahead: He was inheriting "a fractured and demoralized project that lacked direction, milestones, or cohesion," as he later described it. Hook, former employees say, also attempted something nobody had done successfully before: He pushed back on Broussard's constant requests for endless tweaks and changes. And when Broussard complained, Hook held firm. He was the first employee to stand between Broussard and his beloved game, making it possible for the team to move forward without getting stalled by new requests.
On January 26, 2009, Broussard got on a plane to New York with a copy of the game to show the publishers at Take-Two. "Packing up to go visit our publisher and show them the game and cool sh!t to get them hyped and excited," he posted on Twitter.
But the money was finally running out. Broussard and Miller had spent some $20 million of their own cash on Duke Nukem Forever — and their current development team would likely burn through another several million dollars a year. Miller and Broussard were forced to break their cardinal rule: They went to Take-Two with hat in hand, asking for $6 million to help finish the game.
In court documents both companies later filed, Broussard and Miller claim that Take-Two initially agreed, then quickly backtracked, offering only $2.5 million. Take-Two officials dispute this: They claim they were sufficiently dubious that they offered only $2.5 million up front, agreeing to give another $2.5 million when the game was completed. Either way, Broussard and Miller rejected the counteroffer.
With the negotiations at an impasse, Broussard and Miller decided the end had come. On May 6, they announced that they were disbanding all development at 3D Realms. They would continue to hire other developers to make other games for them, but 3D Realms would cease to create anything itself. Broussard took that last photo and then bid his creative staff good-bye.
Will Duke Nukem Forever ever come out?
Many believe that the game as it currently exists is dead. A week after 3D Realms shut down development, Take-Two sued, arguing that by failing to produce the game, 3D Realms had deprived the publisher of future profits. As compensation, Take-Two demanded that 3D Realms pay back the $400,000 advance and $2.5 million that Take-Two had fronted in 2007. Take-Two also demanded the source code for Duke Nukem Forever. 3D Realms blasted back with a countersuit, arguing that since it had never formally issued a date to release Duke Nukem Forever, it was blameless.
Many observers think Take-Two is attempting to bleed 3D Realms dry until it has no more cash, then convince a judge to force Broussard and Miller to hand over intellectual-property rights to the Duke Nukem franchise to repay the $2.5 million advance. "It's an IP grab," says one Dallas-area developer. If Take-Two actually secured the rights to Duke Nukem, it might likely throw out the by-then-aging Duke Nukem Forever and simply hire new developers to produce new Duke games. But even without the suit, there is only a short window for Duke Nukem Forever to come out in its current form before it will have to be revised yet again, to keep pace with changing technology.
The Duke franchise is still potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite more than a decade of waiting, the excitement over the game is still remarkably high; its die-hard fans might be the most patient on earth. But if they want to play Duke Nukem Forever anytime soon, they'll need more than patience: They'll need a miracle.
Contributing editor Clive Thompson (firstname.lastname@example.com) wrote about netbooks in issue 17.03.


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I have been patching and quilting for very nearly thirty-five years - since I was 15 years old. Having begun with the basics of hand patching and quilting, I have since experimented with many techniques and styles and I continue to seek new challenges and to push my boundaries as a quilter.
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Country Walk of Winter Haven
We are now offering the opportunity to tour our floorplans from the comfort of your home. Use the emails and numbers below to schedule your video appointment.
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Community Information
- Hours
Sun 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Mon - Tue 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wed 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Thu - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Contact Info
Online Sales Consultant
Country Walk Model Center
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- Stainless Steel Appliances
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My Notes
School Districts Near Home
|School Name
Elbert Elementary School
Public | K-5
|2.4 mi.
|School Name
Denison Middle School
Public | 6th-8th
|3.5 mi.
|School Name
Winter Haven Senior High School
|3.4 mi.
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Area Information
Central Florida
Welcome to Central Florida! We're excited for the opportunity to serve as your home builder in the Greater Orlando area. D.R. Horton offers Townhomes, Single-Family Homes, and Vacation Homes in this area, featuring one and two-story homes, all constructed with our spacious, open-concept floor plans. With homes available from Express, D.R. Horton, Emerald, and Freedom, we have a home for every stage in life.
U.S. News named Orlando as a Top 100 city to live in, and Forbes named Orlando number one for Top Cities for Job Growth. Central Florida offers plenty of activities to fit your lifestyle needs. Whether you're active, a foodie, theme park lover, or sports fanatic – Central Florida communities offer a variety of ways to help make your new house a home.
Enjoy world-class theme parks during the day and retire to your own bed in the evening. Central Florida is home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Seaworld, and LegoLand. Beautiful weather year-round provides hours of fun at Disney's Blizzard Beach, Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove and Universal's Volcano Bay. Other local attractions such as Gatorland, FunSpot America, HolyLand, Dinosaur World, and Pointe Orlando will keep you experiencing full days of action-packed fun.
Looking for some late-night entertainment? Walkable entertainment complexes and districts, such as Universal's City Walk, Disney Springs, I-Drive, and Downtown Orlando, provide ample ways to enjoy your evenings with or without children.
The Amway Center, located strategically in Downtown Orlando, is home to the NBA's Orlando Magic. Just down the road, the newly built soccer stadium is home to not one, but two professional soccer teams; Orlando City and Orlando Pride. Looking to beat the heat? Cool down at an Orlando Solar Bears game, Orlando's triple AAA professional hockey team. Catch a game on campus at Orlando's Hometown University, University of Central Florida, located just outside downtown Orlando.
Central Florida has come a long way in developing into a top Foodie City. WalletHub ranked Orlando as number one food city in the U.S. in 2017, and Central Florida has continued to not only maintain, but consistently develop innovative food to the scene. Lake Nona recently opened Boxi Park, a 30,000 square foot shipping container park with a mix of restaurants and bars. Audoban Park's East End Market is a local food market inspired by Central Florida's local farmers and food artisans. Orlando restaurants have also been featured on Travel Channel's "The Zimmern List" and Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives".


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"24's" time is almost up.
20th Century Fox TV and Fox appear ready to end the long-running hit after this season, the show's eighth.
Studio and network execs declined comment — but it's believed that the final decision will be made in the next day or two. Move is not a huge surprise, but still reps the end of an era for Fox.
"24" helped usher in Fox's ratings surge in the 2000s, as the franchise — along with "American Idol" and "House," among other series — led the network to the No. 1 spot in the adults 18-49 demo.
But the cost of producing "24" has continued to increase, while ratings have dipped. A one-time critical darling, "24" has also received its share of knocks from critics this season.
The studio is said to be considering shopping "24" to other nets — but given the thriller's age and pricetag, it's believed interest from other outlets will be limited.
Yet even as the bell tolls for "24" in primetime, the franchise is far from dead. Sutherland and the "24" team have been keen on adapting the show as a feature film, and have made major strides in recent months toward making that long-term goal a reality.
Twentieth Century Fox's film side recently hired scribe Billy Ray ("State of Play," "Flightplan") to pen the script for the feature version (Daily Variety, Feb. 8.)
Ray's pitch, which takes Jack Bauer to Europe, was a hit with Fox execs and producers of the high-concept television series.
Script is said to have come through "24" star Sutherland, who's also an exec producer on the series.
Such a move into the features world was considered impossible while production continued on the TV series — given that "24" takes much of the year to produce, with its feature-like shooting schedule. But with the show expected to end its run, the ability to focus on a movie could now finally be in sight.
"24" was created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow, while exec producer Howard Gordon runs the show through his Real Time Prods. banner.
Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment produces the show along with 20th Century Fox TV.
Sutherland has starred throughout all eight seasons as Jack Bauer, a federal agent and member of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (and who has saved the world several times over). "24" made noise for its real time format, in which all 24 episodes take place as consecutive hours in the same day.
Although it was developed before the attacks of 9/11, the show, which bowed Nov. 6, 2001, in many ways began to mirror the changed world, given real-life fears over terrorism and debates over torture methods. Skein's depiction of an African American president was seen as a ground-breaking precursor to the 2008 election of Barack Obama.
The show has won the Emmy and the Golden Globe awards for drama, while Sutherland has scored both an Emmy and a Globe for actor. "24" has also received Emmy Awards for writing and directing; last year, Cherry Jones won an Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.
This season's edition of "24," which takes place in New York, stars Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jones, Anil Kapoor, Annie Wersching, Katee Sackhoff, Mykelti Williamson, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Diamantopoulos and John Boyd.
Other exec producers include Evan Katz, David Fury, Manny Coto, Brannon Braga, Brad Turner, Alex Gansa and Grazer.


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Group revenue down 1.9% to £43.6 billion; full year organic service revenue decline 4.3%
Significant progress on unified communications strategy: acquisition of Kabel Deutschland (KDG), announced acquisition of Ono, ongoing fibre build in Spain and Portugal, with Italy to commence this year
Guidance for the 2015 financial year
Vittorio Colao, Group Chief Executive, commented:
It has been a year of substantial strategic progress. The sale of our Verizon Wireless stake has rewarded shareholders for their support, and enabled the acceleration of our strategy through the acquisition of KDG, the pending acquisition of Ono and our Project Spring investment programme.
Our operational performance has been mixed. The Groups emerging markets businesses have performed strongly throughout the year: we have executed our strategy well and have successfully positioned ourselves for the rapid growth in data we are now witnessing. In Europe, where we continue to face competitive, regulatory and macroeconomic pressures, we have taken steps to improve our commercial performance, particularly in Germany and Italy, and are beginning to see encouraging early signs.
I am confident about the future of the business given the growth prospects in data, emerging markets, enterprise and unified communications. We have commenced our Project Spring two-year investment programme which will accelerate our plans to establish stronger network and service differentiation for our customers. I expect the first signs of this to become evident later this year, with wider 4G coverage in Europe and 3G coverage in emerging markets, improved network performance and increased customer advocacy. While cash flow will be depressed during this investment phase, our intention to continue to grow dividends per share annually demonstrates our confidence in strong future cash flow generation.
Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD)


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Article content
Federal New Democrats floated the idea of a new tax to pay for municipal infrastructure improvements, QMI Agency has learned.
While NDP infrastructure critic Olivia Chow said she's not calling for any tax increases, one of the proposals in a discussion paper prepared by her office and put before MPs on a House of Commons committee studying Canada's infrastructure deficit would allow municipalities to impose a 1% value-added sales tax.
"I'm not advocating for higher taxes. The paper reflects what some other countries are doing to address the serious problem of crumbling infrastructure," she said.
A copy of the discussion paper, dated Oct. 28 and distributed to members of the House of Common standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities on Nov. 1, suggest that a sales tax "presents" an alternative to boosting property taxes, and that the idea could be voted on in a referendum.
In Ontario, that would take taxes to 14% when the 5% federal tax, 8% provincial tax and potential 1% municipal tax would be combined.
The memo Chow distributed to MPs also presents other ways municipalities could get more cash for infrastructure, including direct grants from the federal government.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the idea of a municipal tax should be a non-starter as it would put retailers out of business and drive more Canadians to the U.S. to bargain hunt.
"Cities are not strapped for cash — they just choose to spend their cash on fat salaries, bonuses, benefits and pensions, especially for mid-level bureaucrats, instead of spending the money building roads and subways," said CTF national director Gregory Thomas.
At a Toronto news conference Tuesday lamenting the city's crumbling infrastructure, Chow joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in calling on the government to invest heavily across Canada.
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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Je T'Aime, Me Neither: The anatomy of a successfully written-blog turned into an influential Romance Website for Parisians
Right. You've decided to start a blog.
You have visions of writing articles for The Huffington Post at some point, but for the moment, you're all set to create your own niche in the ever-expanding universe of bloggers.
And then, you find out it's not as easy as it looks.
You're scratching your head often, trying to come up with interesting content on a consistent basis.
Or, you don't have any followers at all, and it's been one whole day already!
Fear not! Faint heart never won...well, you probably know the rest.
Becoming a successful blogger is possible for everyone.
Of course, it depends on your definition of success, too, and I know what you're thinking: that to become an expert in your craft, it'll take a lot of blood sweat and tears.
Well, yes and no.
Let's take a look at Paris-based Lily Heise's website / blog and see how she did it.
1. She developed a large network of friends made up of influential expats & Paris-based media houses & publications.
As you peruse the Je T'aime, Me Neither website you'll notice that links to all kinds of social media can be found everywhere, thereby increasing her reach worldwide and providing avenues of access for anyone, anywhere who would be interested in her "brand." Also, there is a lot of content, bright and engaging to catch the eye and interest of visitors.
She's just like you: passionate about a subject and wanting to share her thoughts with the world. Part of being a successful blogger is having followers and being able to engage with them. This is one of the most important ways to build a community. Lily likely began with getting all her friends to help spread the word. You can do the same. Get on Facebook or Twitter and spread the love. Use Instagram, LinkedIn and other media that may be more centric to your content.
2. Her Writing style.
Lily is a born storyteller—that's her style and it's what she's good at doing. She is the author of the book that is her website's namesake, Je T'aime, Me Neither, and it can be found here. Her second book, Je T'Aime… Maybe?, the sequel to first book will be released in the coming months.
Throughout her website, you'll note that she uses colorful imagery to invoke a certain sense of belonging and nostalgia when she writes her articles about her experiences in life and love, drawing the reader in. It works for her, and it might just work for you, too.
Think about it: people like hearing stories, going to movies, reading a book they can't put down. They want to be entertained. If that's not your style, what do you prefer? Are you witty, serious, poetic? Find the right tone that fits your content the way Lily did, and run with it.
3. She's been living in Paris for more than 10 years and knows pretty well every single thing/place she writes about.
Lily, image courtesy of Je T'aime Me Neither
Lily is an expert in her field because she took the time to get to know it like the back of her hand. She fell in love with Paris when she arrived and shares her experiences and adventures to help others, new to the city, find their way. Whether you're writing about cars or food or whatever the subject, do like Lily did. Become familiar and comfortable with your topic so the content is effortless and a pleasure to read.
4. She's passionate about the romance/dating-experiment-writing niche.
Are you fervent about your chosen topic? Lily's book was based on her experiences—good and bad—in dating and romance. Her website is an expansion of those experiences, past and present, and now incorporates other things like travel, places to take a date, fun things to do, and so forth. She's passionate about it, and that leaps off every article on the site. You'll know you've found the right niche when your fingers itch to write and your heart beats fast at the delightful prospect of sharing your thoughts with the world.
5. She seems to be a Life-Long-Learner.
Screengrab of Lily's travel page.
Lily travels all over the world and shares her experiences through pictures and engaging stories. This is a constant, for her, and she's not afraid to try new things, being more than willing to write a funny anecdote about her successes and failures. Always expanding her knowledge, Lily looks for opportunities to learn something and broaden her horizons. Travelling helps us learn more about our environment, and how better to interact with others. My own worldview was broadened when I arrived in Paris and met so many expats. We learn more about ourselves, in our interactions with others, and so can you.
Having a thirst for knowledge, like Lily, is a good thing. It could help round out your blog and add a richness and variety to your content.
6. She's developed a writing routine.
At least one new piece of content is published every week by Lily, whether on her website or elsewhere. And if it's an outside source, then it's likely linked to her blog, anyway. She has contributed to local and international publications, including The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Frommer's, and Lonely Planet.
Whether short or lengthy, it's helpful to post something on a regular basis so that your soon-to-be addicted followers will know to visit on those days. It will build interest and attract readers. Be patient during this time period and don't give up. Lily had to start small, too. Rome wasn't built in a day, but then, neither was Paris. Or your blog. Consistency is key to keep people coming back and spreading the good word.
Lily Heise is passionate about her topic, has a large social network, engaging content, and is close to being an expert in her field. You can do the same. She did it, and so can you. Lily took a dark period in her life when love took a downturn and made it into an adventure. She's never looked back. You can do the same, whether it's unique ice cream flavors, or toy trains. Be brave, my friends. A single step and a dash of determination is all that's needed, I promise.
Over to You.
Thanks for checking out this article. Did you enjoy it? Have you ever visited Lily's website? Have you ever read her book? Is there anything to add onto what's mentioned in this article? Love it or hate it? Please leave a comment in the section below and don't forget to follow Lily on social media to get updated on her latest articles and her upcoming book.
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Book Talk
- Margaret Becker CCM Magazine
- 2005 29 Mar
This month CCM welcomes veteran singer/songwriter Margaret Becker as our new books columnist. With her vast experience in music as a performer and mentor of many up-and-coming artists, author of a couple books, herself, and an advocate of organizations such as World Vision and DATA, we knew she'd be the perfect voice to add her insight into the books past and present we should all read. …
One look at my garage, and you'll know the truth about me. I am a struggling romantic with a pack-rat compulsion. I save stuff.
From a rock I picked up in Mali, Africa to my faux, patch work college blanket, behind the closed doors of my minimalist house hides the truth: If something makes an impact on me, I hang on to it.
Among my many treasures are a few well-worn books. They sit in two spiraling stacks on the floor of my bedroom next to my nightstand; and on any given day, Frederick Buechner's "Listening to Your Life" (Harper Collins San Francisco) is less than three books from the top.
"Listening to Your Life" is a devotional — not as in the "fluffy," formulaic kind but, rather, the old-fashioned kind. The kind that spurs deeper faith, requires you to be mindfully present and challenges you to consider dense mysteries.
It's not thematic — not overtly anyway — because it is made up of excerpts from the many books Buechner has written over the years. You may read dialogue from one of his fictional characters such as Godric, who states simply "What's lost is nothing to what's found, and all the death that ever was, set next to life, would scarcely fill a cup." Or hear the thoughts of Buechner himself: "The final secret, I think, is this: that the words "You shall love the Lord Your God" become in the end less of a command than a promise."
Buechner is a preacher, a writer, a dreamer and one of the best storytellers you will ever encounter. He writes from his humanity in a way that acknowledges the mysteries of living out faith while still managing to flatter heaven. And all of this is honest. Honest doubt. Honest acceptance. Honest devotion. How incredibly refreshing to read a preacher who can say, without any addendum, that he doesn't know. And conversely, who can say without a doubt that God is — regardless of what we know.
The first time I read "Listening to Your Life" in 1995, it changed the course of my life. The many times I've read excerpts since then, it has challenged me in all the right ways. It's a classic.
This book restores dignity to the word "devotional."
Margaret Becker has been a singer/songwriter for the past 20 years, garnering such impressive accolades as 20 No. 1 radio singles, four GRAMMY Awards and four Dove Awards. She is preparing to release her third book this fall called "Braving the Elements."
From the Fiction Files:
New writer Rick Dewhurst offers up an amusing read with his "Bye Bye Bertie: A Joe LaFlam Mystery" (Broadman & Holman). This "serious" novel (that's bathed in humor) tells the story of how Joe Flam, a second-rate detective who's desperate to marry, gets involved in the case of a missing person … with a family he hopes to marry in to. For those who's taste runs along the lines of Ray Blackston's "Flabbergasted," check this one out.
Historical Perspective:
Bethany House Publishers and author Leith Anderson are releasing an unusual book this month — "Jesus: An Intimate Portrait of the Man, His Land, and His People." Anderson describes the book as a biography" of Jesus that uses the gospels to tell His story as well as to understand the cultural significance of the time during Jesus' life.
Relationship Compass:
Single and looking for a date? Then pick up Dr. Henry Cloud's "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping" (Zondervan). The title says it all — a "how to" book from a biblical perspective to help singles get out of relationship "ruts" and learn to find the right mate the right way.
The Artists' Corner:
Chris Tomlin, well-known worship leader/songwriter, debuts his first book with "The Way I Was Made" (Multnomah). Tomlin tailors his book to a college-age audience as he reveals his journey of faith and finding his calling and exhorts his readers to listen to God's leading in their own lives.
Sandi Patty also releases a book, "Broken on the Back Row: A Journey Through Grace and Forgiveness" (Howard), this month detailing the story of her life — from growing up as the daughter of musical parents all the way through her early career, first marriage, divorce, remarriage and later career. Readers will appreciate the candidness and sincerity from "The Voice" as she tells her story of grace, forgiveness and lessons learned.
© 2005 CCM Magazine. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Click here to subscribe.


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Emlagh House is available for exclusive use for all types of occasions. Corporate think ins, small group outings and gatherings, social activity breaks such as painting, knitting,spiritual meetings etc. We are willing to accommodate small groups and extended groups up to 20 people. Recently we have been choosen as a venue by couples who want to celebrate their weddings without fuss and yet have a very memorable experience.
Luxurious privacy, exceptionally good breakfast, dedicated staff and the staggering beauty of the location are the primary ingredients of Emlagh Country House. Add to these the small details that make so much difference and you have a special occasion venue without equal in this part of the world.
Whatever you have in mind we can make it happen.
Contact us today about the Exclusive Use of this Country House Accommodation Dingle.


text: That old chestnut... Type II error & ABX 2017-07-03 20:57:54 Our objective in listening tests is to establish whether a perceptible difference exists between samples. Convention entails setting alpha at 0.05, equating to the correct identification of at least 12 samples out of 16.Beta is a slightly trickier matter. I know this has been debated ad nauseam here, but discussion has often been in the context of comparing the virtues of blinded vs. sighted testing. I don't want to re-litigate that, and I suspect that I and most people here accept that sighted tests are unacceptable and inappropriate for scientific studies. My intention here is certainly not to 'talk down' blinded testing, but to focus on the statistical approaches people adopt:In the case of comparing Redbook to higher frequency formats, the existence of perceptible difference is well understood as implausible. The 'effect' of higher frequencies (such as it exists) must have extremely low effect size, but for the purposes of statistical assessment, that effect size is theoretically >0. This in and of itself effects a higher beta. Accordingly, high beta appears to be a natural consequence of comparing two things which are functionally identical.With this in mind, my question... Is the existence of low power even a concern for us, or does it merely confirm our point about samples being indistinct?My thinking: If we simply seek to establish whether perceptible difference exists, then the inability of individuals to demonstrate difference (i.e. 0.05 criterion not met) is consistent with high beta, because the effect is so small (or non-existent) as to be imperceptible.Thoughts?Edit: I should add, I realise many ABX tools now provide indications of statistical power. My question relates more to whether low power is even a legitimate concern in the first place, given that we're dealing with samples which are near-impossible to distinguish, and which necessarily display high beta anyway. Last Edit: 2017-07-03 21:19:27 by Foobar3030


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Does a Hybrid Postal Model Have Merit?
A recent study from a Washington think tank argues the U.S. Postal Service should provide only last-mile delivery of mail and open all other aspects of the mail system to competition. The report from the non-partisan Information Technology and Innovation Foundation came to a similar conclusion as an earlier proposal from a group of four mailing industry leaders who released a concept paper that also proposed a public-private partnership with the Postal Service focusing on final delivery. Those authors envisioned that this so-called hybrid model would encourage innovation and efficiency.


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Florida Georgia Line Dishes On Rapper Nelly's Country Roots
By Lauryn Snapp
September 11, 2019
Country superstars Florida Georgia Line hosted their first-ever 'FGL Fest' on September 7th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The duo has been trekking across the U.S.A. on their 'Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour,' and felt it was time to host their own music festival.
FGL is known for bridging musical genres on and off the stage, so who better to join them onstage than "Country Grammar" rapper Nelly?
But how "Country" is Nelly? Cody Alan got the answer.
FGL's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley shared that Nelly is incredibly down to earth.
"When you talk to him, man, he says, "I'm a country boy." That's what he says that all of the time," shares Tyler. "We always laugh and say, "man we feel you."
"Nelly. He is just a family guy. He loves his people, the people around him. He does what he wants, in a way, and he is very independent. He is a visionary and an inspiration to us," Tyler continued.
With the addition of 'Round Here Records,' there was speculation that FGL would be producing Nelly's next E.P. However, Tyler took the time to set the record straight. "Man that was just a dirty rumor running around town, but we probably would. You never know. We will see what happens."
While we wait for a FGL produced rap album, Florida Georgia Line has confirmed that a new album is on the way. 'The Acoustic Sessions' will be available on October 18th and features the country duo's biggest hit songs from their studio albums in acoustic form.
"Time flies, man. It's cool to go down memory lane and relive these songs in a whole different way," Brian Kelley tells Cody. "We get to bring it back to the basics of me and Tyler writing songs on the back of his tailgate with two acoustic guitars."
"It's a blessing to put out and relive. It's a big sing-along," says BK.
Florida Georgia Line's 'The Acoustic Sessions' Track Listing:
- "Cruise"
- "Round Here"
- "Stay"
- "Get Your Shine On"
- "This Is How We Roll" (feat. Luke Bryan)
- "Sippin' on Fire"
- "Sun Daze"
- "Dirt"
- "Anything Goes"
- "Confession"
- "Smooth"
- "May We All" (feat. Tim McGraw)
- "God, Your Mama, and Me" (feat. Backstreet Boys)
- "Simple"
- "Talk You Out of It"
- "Meant to Be" (feat. Bebe Rexha)
Start your engines and gear up to watch CMT's Hot 20 Countdown on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15 to see Cody Alan and full coverage of Florida Georgia Line's 'FGL Fest.' It all happens on CMT at 9a/8c.
Photo Credit: Getty Images.


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Exit to the corporate 4life.com?
Exit to the corporate 4life.com?
Barcelona, December 16, 2019. Thanks to the support of hundreds of 4Life distributors and Preferred Customers, we can keep on building one more year a future full of love, education and quality of life for disadvantaged children. Now that 2019 is about to come to an end, we can confirm that this has been a very special and significant year in terms of funds collected. In the last 12 months, Foundation 4Life™ has donated an extraordinary amount of €25,270 to SOS Children's Villages.
4Life philosophy is based on three main pillars: science, success, and service. This spirit is shared with Foundation 4Life™, which raises awareness about disadvantaged children and the impact we can make on their lives. The foundation also plays a key role in all special 4Life events; for example, at the European convention Together 2019 alone an amount of €21,114 was raised, whereas €2,370 during the Master Builder Trip. These collections were used to make improvements in several villages and day centers of SOS Children's Villages, many of which are located in Spain and Italy: Valencia, Madrid, Mallorca, Zaragoza, Turin, etc.
In addition, during the refurbishment of 4Life European headquarters in Barcelona, a large amount of furniture in good condition was donated to SOS Children's Villages Catalonia to help keep local villages and day centers in the best conditions.
One more year, we want to thank all those who contribute —both sporadically and regularly— to improve the lives of all these children and their families. We make it possible only thanks to your help.
4Life has offices in 25 markets to serve a global network of independent distributors and their customers.
For more information:
Calvin Jolley
Vice President
Corporate Communications
[email protected]
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Expectant mother Olivia Wilde stepped out in New York City on Thursday (April 10). Olivia and her fiance Jason Sudeikis are expecting their first child together.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images shown on the site. I do not claim credit for any of the pictures unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyrighted to their respectful owner. If an image appears on alisacelebkids that belongs to you, and you wish for it to be taken down, please E-mail me and I will promptly remove it.


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Shop Announcement:
We are all concerned with the amount of plastic in our oceans. All of my sterling silver jewellery does come in a plastic presentation box, however, these are made from 95% recycled plastic.
Please contact me before purchasing any of my products from a shop without a shop name of Obsidian Butterfly or Obbbutterfly Jewellery to check it is legitimate. Thanks
Sterling Silver Once Upon A Time Necklace
A quirky, story book necklace, hand made from sterling silver. A square of silver has been hand cut, and etched with a copperplate style 'O'. It has then been stamped with 'Once Upon A Time' in a story book font, to look like the beginning of a fairy tale. Two loops have then been soldered to the back for the chain, and the necklace has been oxidised to blacken the wording.
Pendant size approx 3x3cm
Comes on an 18 inch sterling silver chain
Comes in a presentation box
Please take a look at my other items
Shipping & delivery
This item will be posted to you by Obsidian Butterfly within 3 days of receiving payment.
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Returns Policy
You have 14 days, from receipt, to notify the seller if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item.
Unless faulty, the following types of items are non-refundable: items that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements; items which deteriorate quickly (e.g. food), personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken.


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The City Graphs show summary and historical data in graph form. The Population pie chart shows the proportion of Children, adults and Elderly in your city. Stores Change shows the change in your stores from last turn to this turn. Stores Total shows the Amount of each store type, and the pie chart the proportion of each in your total wealth.
Last Edit 03-13-2010 07:20 PM


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A Soft start motor is a device used typically with electrical AC motors.
How do they work?
They work by helping reduce the torque and load in the power up and electrical current surges that are typical with motors during their start-up phase. The soft start only does this temporary however as it is only needed primarily during start-up
Features and benefits:
Can control multiple phases of power up
Control of starting toque in machinery
Motor power ratings ranging up to 700 kW and above
Inline contactors are not necessary if the machine it is used on is electrically isolated
Control starting times of the soft start
Voltage boost functions available to control over toque
Can be mounted to DIN, panels or simply snap on capabilities
Where might I use one?
Smaller size cranes
Automatic doors/gates
Fans or pumps
Conveyor belts


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60 Listings Found Page 1 of 5
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Never miss out on a potential dream home again. Save this search and set up an email alert today.Save Search
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From a single page to a larger, dynamic CMS website (WordPress), we can provide an affordable, custom designed website that showcases your business, describes your company's services and provides essential information and points of contact.
Welcome to internetbuff website designers
Affordable, search engine and mobile friendly websites backed up with a wealth of online marketing experience.
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Ready for the future
All websites are designed in line with current best practice and with an eye on future expansion.
Search Engine OptimisationIn the good old days, SEO was easy. You could set a website live with a few (poorly) written meta tags and have it at the top of Google within days. Those days are unfortunately long gone. With the level of competition today and the complexity of the search engines' ranking formulae, it can now take significant effort, knowledge and time to reach your goals of improving website traffic and return on investment.
A few ways we can help
Conversion optimisation
Improve conversion of your existing traffic streams with A/B testing using experiments.
Content optimisation
Assess and refine your website's content using your competitors as the benchmark.
Link building
Relationship building is the ideal way to gather new, high quality, trustworthy links.
Competitor research
Keep abreast of your competitors. Continually measure yourself against them.
Data analysis
Review, report and analyse data from analytics and webmaster tools. Act on it.
Social media
Share content and join the discussion across relevant social media outlets.
Animated Video Production
Animated videos are the perfect way to tell your story when your ideas and business concepts are difficult or impossible to tell with traditional video or where your budget is limited and precludes on location filming. Set to music or utilising a voice over artist, animated videos can pack a punch at a very reasonable cost.
Premium Websites
Effective Online Marketing
Expandable Websites
Fast Turnaround
Why Choose Us?
Premium Level of Support
A single UK based designer deals with all aspects of the design and implementation. Support requests receive phone and email responses within minutes or a few hours, not days or weeks. We pull out all the stops, completing your website within days of receiving your content.
Our Target is 100% Satisfaction
You get an unlimited number of reviews prior to the launch of your website and we work on your site until you are 100% happy with the result. We appreciate your involvement and feedback every step of the way. After all, you know your business better than anyone.
No Hidden Costs
There are absolutely no hidden costs. We'll provide you with a free, no obligation quotation for any web design, video production or SEO work and you'll never pay a penny more!
Over 12 Years of Experience
We have over 12 years experience in website design and search engine optimisation. We've gained fantastic experience promoting websites using channels such as email, PPC, video, search engine optimisation, social media and affiliate marketing. We've sat on both sides of the affiliate fence, working both as a super affiliate and also running an online store.
We Never Outsource Abroad
Check the small print of many design houses and you'll find that they outsource abroad and restrict client / designer communication to just sporadic email. All design and marketing work is carried out by Internetbuff in our serviced office space in Southend in the UK providing you with immediate telephone access to your designer in your own timezone!
Tablet and Mobile Friendly
We produce custom, responsive designs that look great on tablets and mobiles too. With over 33% of all UK web browsing made on a smartphone or tablet, can you afford to miss out on all that mobile traffic? Testing your website on multiple devices, across all current web browsers and screen resolutions – we've got the mobile web covered.
Cutting Edge Designs
We love following web design and SEO industry trends and are constantly updating and retraining with the tools of our trade. With full access to advanced design tools from Adobe and Maxon, we push the boundaries with each and every design – while keeping in mind best practice to help you achieve the maximum return on your investment.
Local SEO Included
Local search engine optimisation is included! Search engine friendly URLs and your pages optimised for Google for your top keywords. Your site submitted and listed on Google (usually within 3-5 days). We also offer ongoing search optimisation packages.
Diverse Skillset
We have extensive experience in all aspects of online digital design and marketing including affiliate program management, logo design, video production (both traditional footage and 2D / 3D animated), PPC management (Adwords and Bing), SEO, social media and YouTube marketing.
Some of Our Work
Quilty Guides
Bags by Kirsty
New Tracks Travel
Ace Design and Developments
World Trade Distribution
Vibeglo Cosmetics
Scottish Acupunture Forum
Kinesomania Video Production
Epping Forest Education Consultancy
Business Recovery Financial Help
Rental Income Tax Advisors
Essex Property Angel
Israel Venture Partners
Gutterclear UK
DCA Business Recovery LLP
Optimised for Mobile & Touch Enabled Devices.
More and more people are using their tablet computer or mobile phone to locate services and buy products online.
It's now imperative that websites display well on all types of devices. Before you buy a website, make sure that you ask 'is it responsive?'Learn more
What Our Clients Say
I have had a few e-commerce websites built over the years and have found that working with Simon at Internetbuff has been by far the most pleasant experience of them all! Everything was done quickly and professionally and to my exact specifications and I am very pleased with the end result. I recommend Internetbuff 100% if you are looking for good service and a fab new website.
InternetBuff have risen to challenges and produced an amazing website attractive to both children and adults. They have used skills to bring our vibrantly illustrated products to life. Always efficient in responding to pleas of help and requests for changes I would highly recommend Internetbuff to produce and manage your website.
Since we started using Internetbuff to work on and improve our SEO, we have seen a big increase in calls and emails for our services as prospective customers are finding us more easily on search engines. A massive thank you to Simon at Internetbuff for dramatically increasing our website exposure over the last 3-5 months.
Internetbuff stepped in to pick up the development of our site and we couldn't be happier with their work. They were professional, responsive and easy to deal with throughout – and importantly we are really pleased with the final product. I would be happy to work with them in the future as the site and business grows, and would certainly recommend them. Thanks!
Many thanks to Simon for his patience. I am a complete novice at websites but with Simon's professionalism and dedication to producing superb websites he has helped me with two excellent presented websites. 5 * service.
Simon recently revamped our website, setting up a one-page design. We are extremely happy with his work, and he was excellent at bringing our ideas to life. We were particularly keen on ensuring the website was responsive, to ensure the site appeared correctly on mobiles and tablets. This, along with the parallax design, was handled expertly. Simon produces quick results, but the work is of the highest quality. We would strongly recommend Internetbuff to fellow businesses, and are delighted to add our testimonial to Simon's large collection of happy customers!
Just had to write to say thank you and how pleased we both are with our new website. It looks so fresh, slick and professional and the feedback we've already had from existing clients has been extremely positive. We now come up on page one so the SEO seems to be working well. The design process was very smooth and working with Dropbox made the swapping of files and ideas so quick and simple. Many thanks once again.
If you want a website that looks professional and fits your expected criteria then Internetbuff is the right choice. I have no hesitation in recommending this company, Simon is very approachable and was able to define the exact look I was after. Professional looking site for a great price! Thank you.
I have been delighted by the speed and helpful manner in which Simon has created a stunning website for me. Working with groups and individuals in both China and the UK, I was concerned that the website should prove equally attractive to both markets and this certainly seems to be the case. By the use of just one click customers can learn about the company in either English or Chinese. I have already received some very positive comments from my Chinese colleagues and am confident that my new website will bring further business to my growing company. I would recommend Internetbuff without any reservations.
Simon has been very helpful and understanding with us when designing and building our website. The whole process has been efficient and no task was too much of a problem for him. I would definitely recommend The Internetbuff to anyone looking to build a website that draws people attention, whilst still providing the key information. After completion Simon has also provided assistance in the managing of the website which is also very much appreciated! 10 out of 10
I chose Simon to work with me on my website as after a meeting with him, it was clear that he had an open mind and was able to understand the sometimes, not very clear points I was trying to put across. Throughout the process Simon was prompt and professional. Generally all updates and communications came within 12 hours of me responding and in the end it was me who held up the process as everything was done so quickly ! I also felt comfortable asking for changes and saying when I didn't like a concept. At no point did Simon make me feel uncomfortable and he always came up with an alternative. Many of the aspects that 'make' my website were Simon's suggestions. I would highly recommend Internetbuff and have already embarked on another venture with Simon.
Reliable, efficient and with great integrity. Internetbuff has been very creative in their approach to tackling our needs of creating a site that meets the very high standards required for a British Secondary School provision which is addressing education needs in the 21st Century virtually! I would recommend Internetbuff to anyone considering a website for their organisation.
When initially looking for a web designer, we requested further information and quotes from around 15 companies. We were immediately impressed by the speed and quality of the response; qualities that were present throughout the experience. We have been extremely impressed with the service provided by Internetbuff. The website was a complicated task, and Simon was completely unfazed by this, and in addition, came up with various excellent ideas and improvements to the original specification. I have no hesitation in recommending Internetbuff to businesses looking for a quality end product, but in addition, someone who goes above and beyond the service expected.


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ALBANY, N.Y. � Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was elected to her first full, six-year term Tuesday night, fending off a challenge from Republican Wendy Long.
Gillibrand was in the unusual position of facing the voters twice in two years after being tapped in 2009 to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, who became secretary of state. Gillibrand won the right to finish out the final two years of Clinton�s old term in 2010. This time, she ran for a new six-year term.
The former upstate congresswoman initially got a chilly reception from some fellow New York Democrats who felt she was too conservative and lacked gravity. Gillibrand has steadily built up support statewide over the past three years, in part by taking on high-profile causes dear to the left, like gay rights and women in politics.
Gillibrand spent some of the year campaigning not for herself but for other Democratic women.
The call for Gillibrand was based on an analysis of interviews with voters as they left polling places across the state, conducted for The Associated Press by Edison Media Research.
Long is a New York City lawyer with experience in conservative politics who was making her first run for public office. Long served as chief counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, a conservative advocacy group, and had done press work for Republican senators.
Long won a three-way primary in June after promoting her opposition to any tax increases and same-sex marriage while supporting other conservative positions. Her general election campaign, badly outspent by the Gillibrand campaign, was notable for its attacks on the incumbent�s record and blaming policies the senator backed for New York�s grim economic condition.


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Here at Hitch City, we understand that you use your vehicle to do more than just drive to and from work. For over 40 years, we've been helping our customers get more out of their vehicles. Anything from trailer hitches to bike racks and more are available here.
Both our customers and distributors agree that Hitch City is devoted to serving their customers well. For 14 years now, our customers have voted Hitch City as the best place to satisfy truck and car accessory needs in the Greater Toronto Area.
One of our distributors, Thule, has inducted us into the "Thule 5-Star Dealer Program," which recognizes dealers that go above and beyond to provide customers with the ultimate point of reference for Thule products, service, and support.
Our wide selection ensures that customers get what they need when they need it; and we buy our products directly from the major suppliers to ensure the best possible prices.
We are more than just a retail store. We're a group of knowledgeable technicians and staff that remains up-to-date on changing technology, developments and styles by attending trade shows and manufacturers' trainings to continue our education. We know how to use, find, and install roof racks, trailer hitches and much more.
We also carry a full line of popular accessories from bug deflectors and window visors to running boards and tonneau covers for your truck, van, sport utility vehicle or car. Whether you want to accessorize your family vehicle, or equip your commercial truck with tool boxes, ladder rack, or truck cabs, Hitch City has what you need.
On top of our truck and vehicle accessories, you will also find a wide array of quality landscape maintenance products for the home owner, commercial landscaper. We offer the highest quality zero-turn, riding and walk behind mowers, line trimmers, leaf blowers and power equipment manufactured by many of the premier industry suppliers such as Hustler, Husqvarna, Ferris and Exmark. For the snow removal specialists, we carry a full line of snow plows, snow blowers, salt and sand spreaders from Arctic, Western, Fisher, SnowEx and Sno-Way.
Give us a call with any questions about our online selection, or come in to one of our Greater Toronto Area locations to speak with one of our specialists, and receive a vehicle specific free quote on anything that we carry.
© Hitch City 2011-2020. All Rights Reserved. HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | REQUEST A QUOTE | SHOP ONLINE | SHIPPING POLICY | FEEDBACK | JOB OPPORTUNITIES | SITE MAP


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Optometrist - Hanley
7 days left
- Recruiter
- Vision Express
- Location
- Hanley
- Salary
- Competitive Pay + Great Benefits
- Posted
- 07 Oct 2020
- Closes
- 07 Nov 2020
- Job Role
- Optometrist
- Sector
- Multiple Practice
- Contract Type
- Permanent
What would you like to see as an Optometrist? It's a simple question, but it's at the heart of who we are, what we do and how we do it. So, when it comes to working with us, you'll see a big difference too. As you are only too aware, it's a great feeling when you're able to help someone see better. At Vision Express we like to give you the freedom to deliver the kind of service you'd like to receive.
We're looking for an Optometrist to work as part of a team delivering total satisfaction to our customers through conducting thorough eye examinations, contact lens assessments and contact lens aftercares.
There's every reason to love working as an Optometrist at Vision Express. As a big and successful business, we're able to offer loads of other rewards too. Here are just a few of them:
- Competitive pay with a review each year
- Generous holiday allowance
- Life Assurance & Pension – all with employer contribution for long-term peace of mind
- Free Eyewear for you annually and available from your first day…and that's not all, either. We offer generous discounts on all our products for your family and friends….helping you all look and feel great
- A 'lifestyle benefits' package that lets you mix and match from a range of special deals, from shopping discounts, health-club membership and holiday offers, to name just a few
- Lots of benefits for families, including childcare vouchers, family friendly policies and enhanced maternity and paternity leave schemes
- Flexible working and the chance to take time out with career breaks
- Recognition and awards for long service (we love giving these out)
- An employee assistance program that's there with specialist advice and support if ever you need it.
- Be registered with the GOC
- Have achieved the core competencies as specified by the College of Optometrists and approved by the GOC
- Demonstrate commercial awareness
To apply for the role of Optometrist, please submit your CV below or contact us on 0115 9882161


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Editorial: The changing war against al-Qaida
The capture Saturday of a senior al-Qaida operative in Libya and a raid in Somalia the same day by Navy SEALs broke some new ground in the Obama administration's counterterrorism operations.
For the first time, the administration acted in Libya under the auspices of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), in which Congress sanctioned war against al-Qaida. For only the second time, it held a suspect captured outside a war zone for interrogation on a Navy ship — using the same authority under which the Bush administration detained militants at the Guantanamo Bay prison. In Somalia it attempted, unsuccessfully, to capture a terrorist commander rather than target him with a drone strike.
These operations were legal and justified, in our view, even if they incurred some risks: Libya's crumbling government, which publicly denounced the Tripoli raid as a "kidnapping," could be further undermined. Though the tactics may have been dictated largely by circumstance, the raids can only be welcomed by those, including us, who have called on the administration to seek to capture, rather than kill, al-Qaida leaders and to rely on military forces, rather than the CIA, to lead operations. The interrogation of Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, a Libyan known by his alias Anas al-Libi and a longtime member of al-Qaida's core leadership, could yield valuable intelligence about the organization and its nascent operations in North Africa without compromising his eventual prosecution in a civilian criminal court in the United States.
It's worth noting, however, that neither of these operations fits well with President Barack Obama's announced counterterrorism policies. In a major speech in May, the president rejected suggestions that the AUMF be updated, instead promising "efforts to refine and ultimately repeal" it. In his recent address to the U.N. General Assembly, he asserted that the world was "more stable than it was five years ago" because the United States was "shifting away from a perpetual war footing." In fact, the AUMF and continued U.S. "war footing" enabled both of the weekend's operations.
What these episodes demonstrate is that the battle against al-Qaida, far from ending, is morphing and spreading to other regions, particularly in Africa. As several legal experts have pointed out, as U.S. operations move to countries and targets far from Afghanistan and the original al-Qaida cadre, the legitimacy of the legal and political authority provided by Congress's 2001 act erodes. While the suspect captured in Libya has been indicted for his alleged role in the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the reported target of the Somalia raid was not part of al-Qaida's pre-2001 organization.
As tempting as it may be to declare "the end of a decade of war," Obama would be wiser to recognize — as he did in approving these operations — that the war against al-Qaida continues. What's needed is not the repeal of the legal justification for fighting it but an update that provides more explicit authority for operations in places such as Libya and Somalia.
Editorial from the Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com.


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Pure DWTS – "Calm Before The Storm" Weekend Media In The News
"You come out and show me a proper dance. I'm fed up, Maks, with shirts coming off." – Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman
Remember that one? LOL I am so missing this show, are you? It's the "calm before the storm" though. I can feel it.
So, first up in some weekend updates, a reminder to watch "Miss America" Saturday night on ABC. Brooke Burke will be helping to host. Tony Dovolani will be one the judges. He's going to have his work cut out for him. You can see some of the contestants below presenting themselves on the Las Vegas Strip outside of the Planet Hollywood with Boys To Men as the Master of Ceremony.
Cheryl has been so busy. Along with her "Forever Tango" tour, she's also offering free dance lessons for local teens at Burke's Mountain View, California ballroom on Jan. 12th. More details below and a promotional picture of her from Mountainview.patch.com. (are her shoes not cute, or what? 🙂 )
Keep your dance card open for Monday, when "Dancing with the Stars" two-time champion Cheryl Burke and fellow dancers from the hit musical Forever Tango will appear at her Mountain View ballroom. From 6-11:30 p.m. Burke and her troupe will host free dance classes for teenagers from local schools. This fundraiser will benefit "The Dance Club Mountain View," a program developed by the nonprofit Mountain View Police Activities League and Cheryl Burke Dance Mountain View.
For those of you missing Alec and Edyta like myself (cries, please bring these two back!!), here they are opening the show for the Everett Dance Competition in California last month.
Mark was interviewed by The News Herald this week in promotion for his new album "HurtLoveBox". He also mentions dancing which you can read on below. Be sure to read the link for the full story and interview.
When asked what dance he would perform to each of his solo songs, Ballas graciously said "Faith" would be a rumba, while "The Way You Work" would be a tango. Welcome to Ballas's world, where despite his best efforts to get his music career off the ground the reality is his popularity orbit remains steadfastly "Dancing With the Stars"-based.
There's something about Ballas' personality that has allowed him to become the go-to professional dancer for contestants with, if not baggage then, interesting pop culture history.
"I try to not pay attention to the media," Ballas said. "When I meet the person I go in with a clean slate and just meet them and take them for what they really are and who they really are rather than what people perceive and write about them. So I had great partners. I've never had one rude or obnoxious."
Mark also taught a "Master Class" for "Dare to Dance" in Cincinnati, Ohio while he was there this past week. The donations went to help his foundation which helps suicide preventation and mental health awareness.
And just a mention on Paula Abdul's new show "Live To Dance" for those of you who watched the show this past week and were discussing it in other posts. Apparently the ratings weren't very good on the second night. This source is calling it a "flop". 🙁 From Robot Celeb.
On Tuesday night the show debuted to 10.3 million viewers. That is about half the size of the audience that American Idol gets, but still it was a decent number and not a terrible starting place. On Wednesday the show aired the second half of the premiere and finished off the first round of auditions. It also lost about 23% of its audience. Viewership plummeted to around 8 million viewers. It finished fourth in its timeslot behind The People's Choice Awards, Modern Family and Law & Order: SVU. Worse yet was its collapse in ratings among the much coveted 18-49 year old demographic. Here it dropped about 25% from a 2.4 rating on Tuesday to a 1.8 on Wednesday. Essentially, that means that almost all of their loss in viewers was in the 18-49 age range. Not a good sign.
I would expect it to get worse in coming weeks. In two weeks the show will play head to head with the much anticipated debut of American Idol. That will most likely draw more of her viewers away.
If there is a silver lining to the clouds it is that that Live to Dance is just a short run show scheduled to end in mid-February so the odds are that they won't cancel her mid-season. No matter how badly things could get they will probably let her finish out the full season. They have already committed much of the money by building her the dome building and finding the contestants. What is left will be pretty cheap in comparison.
I don't know that this loss is ratings is the announcement of the death of Live to Dance, but it certainly proves one thing for sure. Paula Abdul clearly didn't have the much of an influence on the success of American Idol.
Ok Dancettes, that is all for now!! Have a super weekend! 😉 xxx


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Find the best haunted houses near me Mooseheart, Illinois
The Fear the Massacre Haunted House is the best and offers over 20,000+ sq. ft. of sheer nightmares. This terror ride is newly renovated every year so gather your nerves for 2017! Get your tickets to Chicagoland's best haunted house right now. Don't miss the new Freak Show 3D and Fear the Massacre Haunted House.


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Our specially trained technicians know our cars like the back of their hand. So you can rest assured your much loved MINI will get the service it needs, to the highest of standards – and always using Genuine MINI Parts.


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To the editor:
We used to live in the Town of Sanford, and now we live in the City of Sanford.
Springvale was a village, and now it is the suburb of the city.
Last month, I took my garbage to the town dump; this month, I took my refuse to the city disposal.
We had town meetings before, and now we have city politicians.
We had the edge of town, and now it's the city limits.
The town hall is now the City Municipal Building.
We were the largest town in Maine, and now we are a small city.
We used to go to town, and now we venture into the city.
"On the town" now means "city night" life!
The town clerk is now a city official.
A townie was born in the town, and now he or she is a city baby.
Townspeople are now city folks.
Town roads are now city streets, and town paths are city sidewalks.
Town father is the city manager, and the town newspaper is the city crier.
The town person is a city slicker.
The village view is now a cityscape.
The town golf club is now the city greens.
The town watering hole is now the city nightclub.
The town meeting vote will now be the city referendum.
The town cop is now part of the city CSI/SVU.
Town houses are now city apartments.
The town doctors and nurses are now city practitioners.
You have to watch what you say to us, now that we are no longer townspeople; we are sophisticated city dwellers and we know everything.
Don't worry, we still have a month to go downtown before we have to sing "city sidewalks, it's Christmas time in the city."
Nancy Fuller
To the editor:
It all ended well, and it was a collaborative job well done by both the Sanford Police Department and the scrap dealer who purchased the 31 stolen brass cemetery flower vases to begin with. But with all due respect, the purchase shouldn't have happened in the first place.
With today's technology, there's no reason why scrap dealers shouldn't be made aware of these thefts ahead of time. Stolen goods are worth nothing to the thieves if they can't "fence" them. Perhaps it's time to take a look at tightening up the regulation.
I'm very familiar with these vases, as we have one on my father's grave. When not in use, it inverts to be stored in a hole underneath it, and there's a small chain securing it to the base. Believe me when I say there's no other use for this type of vase due to the nature of its design. I can tell you if it got stolen, my 89-year-old mother would be heartbroken.
Not for nothing, if I owned a scrap business and a guy comes in with 31 of these very specific cemetery vases, that are found literally nowhere else other than a graveyard, I think I might have a few questions for him!
Bill Thomas
To the editor:
I read your editorial in the Nov. 15 issue of the Sanford News. I would like to endorse Maura Herlihy for the position of interim mayor.
Thank you.
Lionel Sevigny