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"It's all still in front of us," the Browns keep saying, but any truth in that line expires today if they lose another game to Baltimore.
There's nothing wrong with the Browns that a three-game winning streak won't cure.
Since a three-game losing streak hasn't killed them, they keep acting as if it has made them stronger.
As Joe Haden puts it, seeming to actually believe it, "Everybody knows everything is still in front of us."
You half suspect somebody is advising the players to "talk like Chud."
After each loss, Rob Chudzinski has faithfully said "it" is still there "in front of us."
The slogan expires today. It's lose and get left behind.
On the other hand, if the Browns beat Baltimore (4:25 p.m. kickoff, CBS), they will be 4-5, their best record since 2007 — in a year 4-5 is in the hunt.
If not?
"If not" haunts the franchise like The Grim Reaper. The Browns almost never get a semi-big game this late in a season.
Losing and falling to 3-6 would conform to a way of life in this era of following the team that replaced the one that moved to Baltimore.
The expansion-era Browns have been 3-6 after nine games in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011. It was better in 2007 (5-4) but worse in 2009 (1-8) and 2012 (2-7).
That's one nasty decade.
It's a new November, though, and the division has a fever:
• AFC North leader Cincinnati just lost a Thursday night game at Miami on a weird overtime safety. The Bengals also lost defensive MVP Geno Atkins to a season-ending injury.
• Defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore lost a bunch of players and three of its last four games.
• A loss at Oakland last Sunday proved the Steelers have just ... lost it.
The Browns, on the other hand, are on a comparative uptick. They had a shot at beating the only remaining unbeaten team last week before a punt-return fumble and two odd holding calls foiled them at Kansas City.
The Browns seem to think they could be onto something, especially with quarterback Jason Campbell showing well in his first start.
They're into a three-game window of opportunity to be relevant, with the Baltimore game leading into the bye week, followed by a game at Cincinnati, then the first of two games against Pittsburgh.
If, by some miracle, the Browns could get those three, they would be 6-5, no worse than a game out of first place, and maybe better (the 6-3 Bengals play at Baltimore next Sunday, then face the Browns, then have their bye, then go to San Diego).
First comes the humongous task of ending an 11-game losing streak to Baltimore.
"It's a real big game," nose tackle Phil Taylor said after Friday's practice. "November is that time when you make that push ... that push for the playoffs.
"We've got to go out there and play the ball we can play."
Can they? The three games they won were started by Brian Hoyer. Campbell must prove he can restore that vibe.
Few current Browns have been on the field to see actual evidence Cleveland can beat Baltimore. Actually, it's two Browns.
Offensive captain Joe Thomas and defensive captain D'Qwell Jackson are the only players who were on the roster the last time the team tamed the Ravens.
"We beat them twice that year," Thomas recalls. "I don't remember the first one at all (a 34-17 win at Cleveland on Sept. 30, 2007)."
The rematch came with the '07 season at a crossroads. The Browns were 5-4 after a 31-28 loss to Pittsburgh, heading into a game in Maryland.
"Josh Cribbs had a long return in the game at Pittsburgh," Thomas said — Phil Dawson missed a long field goal that would have sent it to overtime. "The second Baltimore game was a bigger game.
"We were down by 3 and Derek Anderson took us down to field goal range (a 51-yard attempt on the last play of regulation).
"I remember Phil's kick hitting the stanchion (behind the crossbar), and that they ruled it was no good.
"We headed for the locker room. We thought the game was over. I remember how crazy it was when they changed the ruling on the field goal, and how exciting it was to go back on the field and win in overtime."
The final was 33-30. It was Nov. 18, 2007. It was the last time.
"It's been too long," Thomas said. "Obviously, beating them would be huge."
The Browns had a chance for a big win at Baltimore on Sept. 15, taking a 6-0 lead when ex-Raven Billy Cundiff kicked a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half.
Early in the third quarter, on second-and -5 near midfield, Trent Richardson lost 3 yards, a play that shades the decision to trade him two days later. The Ravens got the ball on a punt, and Joe Flacco drove them 80 yards en route to a 14-6 in.
Campbell replaced an injured Brandon Weeden late in the fourth quarter.
"My mind was moving faster than my bones at that point," Campbell said.
The next week, Campbell went back to the bench in favor of Hoyer. Hoyer's injury and Weeden's struggles gave Campbell his chance at Kansas City. He exceeded expectations. Now, going on 32, he has visions of his first trip to the playoffs in a nine-year career.
"We want an opportunity to be in the hunt late in the season," Campbell said. "We're a young offense that's growing. We need to try to grow really fast.
"They're still the defending champions. They're coming in here with a mindset of must-win as well. That kind of puts a playoff type feel to it."
Campbell senses the Browns are primed to play one of their best games.
"We understand we're going to get the Ravens' best shot as well," he said. "Our goal is to play four quarters of football. We haven't done that just yet.
"You have to earn respect. How you earn respect is winning games."


text:
About Dedy Sufriadi
Dedy Sufriadi's energetic paintings layer abstract forms, charged phrases, and floating symbols in allover, expressionistic compositions. Through a process that merges concentrated study with stream-of-consciousness response, he pairs philosophical and pop-cultural texts with symbols spontaneously triggered by the excerpted passages. Sufriadi describes his work as a means to explore the interplay between "intelligence and intuition," as demonstrated by the combination of scrawled existentialist theory texts and doodle-like drawings in his paintings. The large-scale canvases, built from acrylic and pen, recall the work of neo-expressionist painters such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel.
Indonesian, b. 1976, Palembang, Palembang City, South Sumatra, Indonesia, based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Doubtful Victory Episode 17 Eng Sub
GODramas.Com – Doubtful Victory Episode 17 Eng Sub
Synopsis :
A fake detective, Oh Il-Seung (Yoon Gyun-Sang), punishes evil and regains his real life. Kim Jong-Sam was framed for murder and received the death penalty. He has been in prison for 10 years, but he breaks out of prison. Circumstances leads him to take up the identity of Detective Oh Il-Seung and he joins a team of detectives including Jin Jin-Young (Jung Hye-Sung).
Detail Drama :
Drama: Doubtful Victory (literal title)
Revised romanization: Uimoonui Ilseung
Hangul: 의문의 일승
Director: Shin Kyung-Soo
Writer: Lee Hyun-Joo
Network: SBS
Episodes: 40 (35 minutes/episode)
Release Date: November 27, 2017 —
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 22:00
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea
Watch Doubtful Victory Episode 17 Eng Sub
Eng Sub Available
How to watch the videos : Please select the Tab you want to watch. For example : select Eng Sub Full Tab if you want to watch Eng Sub Full video. To watch RAW Full use the same instructions. Thank You
RAW Full 1
Ratings for Doubtful Victory Episode 17 Eng Sub :
Date : 2017/12/25
TNMS (Nationwide) : –
TNMS (Seoul) : –
AGB (Nationwide) : –
AGB (Seoul) : –
Sources : TNmS Media Korea and AGB Nielsen Korea


text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
BlueScout Technologies Reports Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results
By: PR Newswire
Nov. 29, 2012 10:50 PM
- Operating expenses down 77% for the quarter and 66% for the nine-month period -
CHANTILLY, VA, Nov. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - BlueScout Technologies TSXV: SCT, providers of the BlueScout OCS-210 for optimized wind energy generation, reported its financial results for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012. All figures are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated.
Select Highlights
Legal Updates
Financial Performance
BlueScout recognized revenue of $50K for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, compared to $348K for the three-month period ended September 30, 2011. The Company has $742K of deferred revenue and customer deposits recorded on its consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2012 related to product shipments that have performance provisions that are expected to be recognized in future quarters. On a nine-month basis, BlueScout recognized revenue of $510K for 2012 compared to $738K for the same period in 2011.
Operating expenses for Q3 2012 were $2.6M, down 77% from $11.2M for the corresponding period last year. Excluding the non-cash items, litigation expense, one-time August 24 financing fees and one-time rebranding fees, operating expenses in Q3 2012 were $2.2M, down 23%, compared to $2.8M for Q3 2011.
For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2012, operating expenses were $7.4M, down 66% from $21.4M for FY2011. Excluding the non-cash items, litigation expense, one-time August 24 financing fees and one-time rebranding fees, operating expenses were $6.0M, down 49% from $11.8M for the same period last year. Selected operating expenses are detailed below:
Cost of sales for the three-month period ended September 30, 2012 was $598K compared to $527K for the same period last year. On a nine-month basis, cost of sales was $1.2M compared to $1.6M for the same period in 2011. Cost of sales include product inventory costs and all costs associated with the installation on, and integration with, wind turbines.
General and administrative expense for Q3 2012 was $196K, down 70% from $625K for Q3 2011. The decrease is primarily due to reductions in travel related expenses and repairs and maintenance costs. On a nine-month basis, general and administrative expense was $659K compared to $2.2M for the same period in 2011. The 2011 expenses were predominantly related to travel and maintenance related to the Falcon 50 aircraft which the Company has not been affiliated with since October 22, 2011.
Sales and marketing expense for Q3 2012 was $101K compared to $15K for Q3 2011. Sales and marketing expense includes expenses for trade shows, advertising, promotion and sales and marketing consulting costs. The increase is primarily due to $64K of rebranding costs and $22K of expenses associated with trade shows during the quarter.
Professional fees totaled $1.6M for the three-month period ended September 30, 2012, up from $331K for the same period last year. The increase in professional fees for the quarter is due to legal expenses, primarily related to litigation matters, and costs associated with the August 24 financing which totaled $572K. Legal expense was $873K for the third quarter of 2012 versus $131K for the same period last year. On a nine-month basis professional fees were $2.9M for 2012 ($1.7M related to litigation) and $1.0M for 2011.
Third quarter 2012 research and development expense was $77K compared to $384K for the same period last year. On a nine-month basis, research and development expense was $257K compared to $3.7M for the same period in 2011. Research and development during 2012 has been centered on the transition to contract manufacturing and turbine integration.
BlueScout recorded a net loss for Q3 2012 of $2.6M or $0.02 per share, compared to a net loss of $10.9M or $0.10 per share for Q3 2011. On a nine-month basis, BlueScout generated a net loss of $6.9M or $0.06 per share compared to a net loss of $20.7M or $0.22 per share for the same period of FY2011.
As of September 30, 2012, BlueScout had cash and cash equivalents of $2.1M and working capital of $3.4M, compared to cash and cash equivalents of $6.0 million and working capital of $6.2 million at December 31, 2011.
BlueScout has filed its financial statements for the three and nine month period ended September 30, 2012 and related Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) with securities regulatory authorities. BlueScout's financial statements, MD&A and related documents are available via SEDAR as well as through the Company's website, www.BlueScout.com.
Conference Call
BlueScout will hold a conference call on November 30, 2012 at 1:00 pm ET to discuss its third quarter 2012 financial results.
To access the conference call by telephone, dial 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please connect approximately 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the call to ensure participation. A question and answer session for analysts and institutional investors will follow management's presentation.
A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at www.BlueScout.com. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. The webcast will be archived at the above web site for 30 days.
A taped rebroadcast will be available to listeners until 12 a.m. ET on Friday, December 7, 2012. To access the rebroadcast, please dial 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 and enter passcode 72229223, followed by the number sign.
About BlueScout
BlueScout Technologies (TSXV: SCT) increases energy production and decreases operating costs by applying groundbreaking microgeographical wind flow sensing to turbine control systems that increases the effectiveness and availability of wind turbines. BlueScout combines precise, optically based wind forecasting with advanced predictive control architectures to ready the turbine for the imminent wind inflow changes - optimizing energy production and reducing the harmful effects of wind turbulence on the turbine. With extensive operating data on multiple wind turbine models, BlueScout is the leading, value-added innovator in wind turbine performance and optimization.
The team consists of experienced high-tech, R&D and manufacturing engineers, innovative entrepreneurs, and proven leaders. The BlueScout team has unique expertise and shares a firm commitment, as part of the wind power industry, to continuously improve the reliability of wind power generation through innovation. For more information, visit www.BlueScout.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release, include, but are not limited to, economic performance and future plans and objectives of BlueScout Technologies. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although BlueScout believes that the assumptions and factors used in making the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. BlueScout Technologies disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE BlueScout Technologies
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text:
New Rising Media: "Ahead of the iPad announcement on March 7, Aatma Studio has released their vision of an iPad 3 concept, with retina display and the use of 3D holographics and table projections."
Still its not sure i must say ....Apple will unveil on march 7th ..
Worst design I've seen yet. There's no place to grip the thing without touching the screen.


text:
General Information:
Wednesday: 10am - 4pm
Thursday: 12pm - 5pm
Friday: 10am - 5pm
Upcoming Events:
(1) Thursday, March 30:
Lunch presentation on current securities-related issues on China and future challenges to the Chinese Securities market.
Time/Date/Location: TBA
Co-sponsored by the Stuart School of Business and the Center for Labor and Financial Markets
Spring 2000:
Project: International Humanitarian Law Education Initiative
Project: Refugee/Asylum Law On-Line
Project: Rule of Law Projects
Project: Rule of Law Externship
Project: Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DADD) scholarship
Project: Kosovo Economic Development Project
Project: International Policing
Project: Chicago-Kent Colloquium of International Law
Project: Landmine Action Symposium, Chicago-Kent Colloquium of
International Law
Project: War Crimes Documentation IPRO
February 25, 2000
Topic: Anti- Personnel landmines and International
February 8, 2000:
Topic: Student Activities Meeting:
February 18, 2000:Fall 1999:
Topic: Ten Years of Freedom:
The Rule of LAw and the Free Market Economy in Poland
Thursday, December 2nd:
Topic: Current Issues in the Middle East Peace Process
and discussion featuring Yehuda Blum. Yehuda Blum is the Hersch Lauterpatcht Professor
of International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Blum
served as Law Clerk to the late Justice Goitein of the Israel Supreme Court, and has
been a professor at Hebrew University since 1965, writing widely on international law
issues. Professor Blum also served as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations from
1978-1984, and was on the negotiating team that led the Camp David Accords. During
Professor Blum's presentation he shared observations on the major issues facing the Middle
East Peace Process.
Tuesday, November 16th:
Topic: GLAPI GENERAL MEETING
Representatives from each
of the following organizations presented information about their
Thursday, November 11, 1999
Establishing the Rule of Law in Kosovo: The
Challenges of Building a Democratic
This panel
discussion examined current efforts in Kosovo to create a functioning judiciary,
Tuesday, November 9, 1999
Topic: CUBA: Human Rights Abuse & U.S. Embargo
Thursday, November 4, 1999:
Topic: The Danger of Landmines: Experiences of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Demining CommissionWednesday , November 3, 1999:
Topic: Russia in Transition: Overview of Current Constitutional Issues


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 6th Feb 2013 14:23 UTC
"Experience mobile life without carrier or Samsung overlays. Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich lets you customize your screen for faster access to the widgets you use most. Multitasking is no longer a chore with quicker access to notifications and recently used apps. Blazing web browsing and voice-controlled search lets you find what you are looking for, faster." Yes, this is Samsung advertising against its own TouchWiz nonsense. No words.


text:
Rating: 1.8/5 (Total votes: 4)
• True multi-room audio - play different songs in different rooms or the same song in every room
• Legendary Denon audio quality
• Quick and easy setup
• Utilizes your existing home wireless network
• Play from online music services, music stored on your mobile device, USB, analog inputs, computers, NAS drives.
• Supports multiple users and multiple music service accounts
• Industry-leading microsecond audio synchronization between speakers
• Modern audio DSP optimization
Anywhere Sounds Amazing!
FreewareAndroid - Free Downloads Android Market Apps, Applications, Games, APK, WiFi, Sync, GPS for Google Android OS


text:
You look like you could use a good old fashioned 20% off. Code: SPACE20
Still life forks
object concept forks still life
Loading more work by Jean-François Dupuis...
10% off
for joining the Redbubble mailing list
Receive exclusive deals and awesome artist news and content right to your inbox.
Free for your convenience.


text:
|Wading River, N.Y.
|High School:
|Shoreham-Wading River
|Previous Team:
|Long Island Yellow Jackets (Five years, 2010 Blue)
2011: Second on team in goals and points (15-3-18) ... 14 games.
High School: Under Armour All-American 2010 (North team) … US Lacrosse All-American 2010, honorable mention All-American 2009 … Newsday All-Long Island 2009, 2010 … All-county 2008-2010 … Team captain in 2010 … New York State Tournament MVP in 2010 … Led team in goals (70) and had 29 assists in 2010 … Led team in points (52 goals, 54 assists) in 2009 … Unsung Hero 2007 … Won New York State championship, Long Island championship and Suffolk county championship each year she played with Shoreham-Wading River … Teammates at SWR included current Yale teammates Brittany De Lea and Erin McMullan … New York Team 1 for School Girls at 2009 National Tournament … Also ran cross country for three years (all-league in 2006 and 2007) and played soccer for one year … Member of National Honor Society … Academic All-American in lacrosse in 2009 and 2010 … Academic All-League in soccer in 2009 … Long Island News 12 Scholar Athlete Award in 2010 … Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2008 and 2009 … Principals List all four years.
Club team: All-Galaxy 2008 and 2009 for Long Island Yellow Jackets … Teammates with Yellow Jackets included current Yale teammate Erin McMullan.
Why Yale? "I chose Yale because it offered me the best of all worlds. It provides the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious schools in the world, as well as the ability to play lacrosse in the outstanding and challenging Ivy League."


text:
Select Newspaper
Compose Ad
Dates & Payment
We are looking for an alliance for our son (Name), aged (30) years, residing in (Location), height (6'1"), (B.Com) graduate, (Religion), (Caste). The bride should hail from a decent, educated family. (Same caste/ caste no bar). Should be around (24) years. Contact with (Astrological) details 0000000000 or Email to email@example.com
PQM for (Location) based fair girl, 1980 / 163 cm, Corporate Lawyer, LLM/UK, parents Sr. Exec., seeks liberal minded, suitable match in early 30's. E: email@example.com with photo. Caste no bar.
(Location) based (Religion) issueless divorcee boy 30/6'1'' BE wrkg with MNC seeks suitable (Veg./Non Veg.) match. Contact : 0000000000 E: email@example.com
Alliance invited from a well-settled decent cultured family for our daughter (Name), age (21) years, height (5'5"), fair Complexioned, (B.com) Graduate, residing in (Location). (Religion), (Caste), (Others).
Alliance invited from a (decent) (cultured) family for our son (Name), age (30) years, height (6'1"), Good-looking, (B.Com) Graduate, (Religion), (Caste), residing in (Location). The bride should be around (24) years. Should hail from (Decent) family, (same caste/ caste no bar) and should preferably be a (BA) Graduate. No demands. Contact: 0000000000 or mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.
PQM4 Beautiful Kayastha Girl, 25/5'6", B.Tech(CSE), Working in MNC Pune, 4 Lpa, Father Sr Class I Officr, Mob: xxxxxxxxxx ; Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Aug 29, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Sweet looking ride man. Makes me miss my SRT4.
Jul 31, 2006 at 11:24 pm
Hey not to bad looking yourself, I like what you did with the system, I'm going to fiberglass my back sometime soon.
Jul 20, 2006 at 5:24 pm
i love the mods!! i'm only running mid-high 13's. nice ride


text:
New era looms for West Side Ice ArenaBy TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
January 20. 2014 11:16PM
MANCHESTER — A newly formed company wants to take over the operation of the city's West Side Ice Arena with an eye toward transforming it into a multi-use recreational complex.
The proposal is a partnership between local businesspeople and the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association, which currently runs its league at the arena, located off Pinard Street.
The group is doing business as Renaissance Park LLC, which registered with the state in November. Its lead manager is John Hebert, who did not return a call for comment on Monday.
The aldermen's Committee on Land and Buildings will consider the proposal at its meeting today.
In a letter to the committee, Hebert wrote that the company is interested in a "comprehensive, multi-phased, and long-term plan to assume operational control of, and improvement to, the West Side Arena and potential adjacent properties."
The letter does not offer financial details on the company's proposal, but states that the arrangement with the city would be on "mutually agreeable and beneficial terms" and would "honor and advance the strategic and long-range plans for economic and civic development in the city."
The West Side arena, completed in 1974, is run by the Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Division. In addition to hosting the youth hockey association and other private leagues, it's used by Manchester High School West and Merrimack High School.Mayor Ted Gatsas said he was interested in getting more details about the proposal. Gatsas first floated the idea of having a "public-private partnership" for the arena in 2010.
Gatsas said on Monday that he would be open to an arrangement along the lines of the McIntyre Ski Area, which since 2009 has been run by a local ski school.
"A public-private partnership makes sense," he said, adding, "I'd look at anything that comes forward."
Steve Tempesta, the president of the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association, said the group's involvement in the plan didn't reflect any dissatisfaction with how the city ran the arena. "We have a great relationship with the city. It's just an option to make it bigger and better," Tempesta said. "The idea is to make an area on that side of town with a lot of options for athletes. My belief is it's not just going to be a hockey facility, but a multi-functional facility."
The West Side arena, along with the JFK Memorial Coliseum and the Derryfield Country Club, are run by the parks division as part of its Recreation Fund. The facilities generate their own revenue, which is supposed to fund their budget, although in recent years this hasn't always been the case. The Derryfield has been running significant deficits; the JFK Coliseum and West Side arena have also struggled to cover expenses.
The budget situation for the West Side arena, however, appears to have improved.
For the current fiscal year, expenses are estimated at $327,750, while revenues are projected to be $434,190. The lion's share, $390,325, is coming from the youth leagues, according to the city's 2014 Budget Book.
It's not clear if the city is currently carrying bond debts for the arena. In 2009, the city installed a new roof at the arena at a cost of $400,000.


text:
December 31, 2011
An Interview With:
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison. Opening comments?
COACH MATTISON: First of all, I can tell you on behalf of the Michigan football program we're really honored and proud to be here. This is a tremendous Bowl. And I know you couldn't tell by looking at me but I have been in a lot of Bowl games, and the Sugar Bowl is one that I haven't been in, and it's really a great Bowl. The people down here have been tremendous, and I know our players would echo that. You can tell by how they've acted and how they responded, and they really have enjoyed themselves down here.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. Asking about the novelty of facing an ACC team. These conferences don't tend to get together during the regular season. You guys like the fact that it is a novelty game going against the Hokies?
COACH MATTISON: I don't know if I would look at it as the Big Ten versus the ACC. I think it's more Michigan having the opportunity to play a team like Virginia Tech.
You know, Virginia Tech has a great tradition. They have had tremendous success. And you can see why they have been so good. And it's going to be a definite challenge for us to play this type of a team.
Q. Can you talk about your decision to come back to college football? I know you just believe that you're a college football coach.
COACH MATTISON: I think the people from Ann Arbor have asked this question before. First of all, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach at a place like Baltimore. John Harbaugh has got Michigan ties. Jim was his brother, obviously. His dad, Jack, was my head coach at Western Michigan. Coached at Michigan.
In the three years that I was at Baltimore, it was a tremendous experience. I had the opportunity to coach some of the greatest players in the game. And they were not only great players, they were great people.
But I just missed the on‑the‑field ‑‑ the chance to take some young man that maybe is not a great football player or people say he's not a great football player or he doesn't believe he's a great football player and help him to get to become as good as he can.
And that's something that I've always enjoyed in all my years of coaching. And I missed it. When Brady Hoke got named the head football coach, Brady and I coached together at two different places, he's one of my closest friends, and it's Michigan.
And I honestly would never have done this if it was any other school but Michigan. And if you aren't from Michigan, if you're not ‑‑ if you haven't been around the University of Michigan, what these young men have done this year is why it's Michigan.
And it's why you come back. And it's why you leave a great job in the NFL to go coach at Michigan. And I mean I think that's the biggest reason.
Q. Greg, you talked all year about next man up. And when Will and Brent go down with injuries, how critical has that been to kind of get people in that know what they're doing and can fill in those gaps?
COACH MATTISON: Well, you know, you won't know that until the game's over, you know? The one great thing is that in our practices and anybody that is in our program is expected to do it the right way, is expected to do it the way we want to do it on defense.
And so these guys have gotten reps all year. And these young men know that whoever's in that huddle, and whoever is lined up on that defense, there's an expectation. And you play it this way and only this way.
And I think we'll see what happens with Will. But when Nate went down, it's unfortunate, because he's given so much to the program. He's been one of those guys that has really, really improved. So the next two guys come up. The next guy has to step up and they've got to play the way we expect them to play.
Q. We've seen Will go around on crutches, how much has he been able to practice? And do you have a limit of how much time he can miss before you may rule him out?
COACH MATTISON: That's really up to Paul. That's up to our medical staff. Over the years in coaching I've had guys that have missed an entire Bowl practice and all of a sudden they were cleared. And you now have another hand, you now have another guy that can play.
You can't worry about that as a coach. If you're a coach and all of a sudden somebody goes down and you start worrying about that, you're not going to do a great job. And it truly is, at our place, with Brady, and our staff, next guy. Next guy. These are our players. This is Michigan defense. This is how you play. You're expected to know what to do.
You're supposed to execute what we call ‑‑ and I'm very confident that they'll do that.
Q. You talk about during the season you're preparing one week for a Nebraska or Ohio State. How much different is it when you have several weeks to look at one opponent and get ready?
COACH MATTISON: Well, you have to be careful. And you hit it right on the head. And my biggest mistake ‑‑ and I've done this over the years ‑‑ is you watch so much film of a team that pretty soon you start thinking well this might be good and this might be good, and you know it will be good, but can the players execute it? And then all of a sudden you've got to say a little voice comes in your head or it's Brady in your head or somebody saying: Remember how you got here. And remember. And we're fortunate, with our defensive package, I think is we've grown.
So we take from this for this game and take this for this game. And after all the dust has settled you go back saying: Okay, this is our package, this is what we do, and now let's execute it against this offense. And that's what's happened.
Q. Does Virginia Tech remind you of any teams that you guys have faced this year?
COACH MATTISON: Well, they're a combination ‑‑ first of all, I really believe they're an outstanding offense. And I think the guys that know me, I usually say it pretty honest. Their quarterback is bigger than some of our defensive linemen. This guy, he's an athlete.
And I think the thing they show me ‑‑ they show you some of Nebraska, with some of their zone read option and their option that they like to run with the big quarterback. And then they come right back with Wilson and they run the football like some of the best players in the Big Ten run it.
So they've got the ability to go to a lot of different offenses out of one set of offensive players. And so we've had to prepare each personnel group gives you something different. And their wide receivers will be the biggest wide receivers we've played against all year.
The quarterback for sure is the biggest. And the thing that I notice when I was looking at their personnel, I think we've got four freshmen or redshirt freshmen that are starting in our defense or playing in our defense.
And I believe that Virginia Tech, I think you must have to be a junior or senior to ever get on the field there, because they're all juniors and seniors.
So it's going to be a very veteran team that we'll be going against also.
Q. Speaking of your freshmen, how long did it take to build up enough trust with Blake to throw him out there against guys like Marvin McNutt?
COACH MATTISON: About one play. You can tell ‑‑ you can tell if a guy kind of has it. And one thing about corners that have a chance to be really good, they have a very, very short memory. Their conscience isn't very good, because just about the time in practice where you're yelling at a young man for not doing what he's supposed to be doing, he's already forgot what you just said and he's ready to play the next play.
And that's what allows corners to be successful. And Blake is going to ‑‑ the thing our defense is going to have, and Blake's one of them, you're going to be tested in this game.
That's the great thing about playing a Bowl game and then playing a BCS Bowl game and then playing a team like Virginia Tech. Anything that's good that you've done this year, you're throwing it back out on the line and now you're saying, okay, I've got to back that up.
And that's what these guys are going to have to do. They have to see and show that where they're headed on defense is there and they'll be tested on that.
Q. Just curious, coaching staff, do you guys log as many hours at a Bowl site as you would if you were back at Ann Arbor, is it the early mornings and long nights?
COACH MATTISON: Yeah, my wife's having a heck of a time. No, it's exactly the same. You have to prepare. You can't go to a Bowl site and practice and not evaluate the film. You have to evaluate it as a staff before you can go over it with your players. You have to go through the game plan. You've got to ‑‑ all of those things that you do that you spend time in doing, you have to do it the same way.
And Bowls are for, in my opinion, they're for the families. They're for the young men that are playing and the coaches, it's your job to get your team ready to go.
Q. What was your initial impression of Jordan Kovacs? I guess in spring training is the first time you've seen him, and how has he progressed through the season?
COACH MATTISON: I can't remember what my first impression was of Jordan. I know one thing, he caught my eye a number of times in practice as we got going, because he continued to do what we asked him to do. Even if it wasn't right, he was the ‑‑ he's one of those ‑‑ and I don't like to use the word Michigan guys, but over the years Michigan has had some players that you can count on, and you just say this guy's going to make the play. And Jordan has showed that all year, that somebody's going to make a big play, if somebody's going to blitz, if somebody's going to be there ‑‑ and he's not perfect. But he is going to go out every single play and go as hard as he can go. And that's a Michigan football player, a Michigan defensive player.
He's been a huge, huge part of our defense. And I mean another part of him is a lot of guys might have missed three or four games. I think he only missed two when he got hurt. He's fighting back.
When he got hurt he looked at us and said, coach, I'll be back right away. A lot of guys wouldn't have done that. But he's a special young man.
Q. After everything this unit have been through the past couple of years, was there ever a time when you had to infuse confidence in them? Were they an unconfident group when you first got to Michigan last spring? And how ‑‑ seems like they've got a swagger now after the season. How have you seen that develop, sort of just their mentality after going through the past couple of years?
COACH MATTISON: Well, the way you get confidence is, first of all, you put the work in to become a good football player. The second thing that happens is then under the lights, and there aren't any bigger lights than at Michigan, under the lights you play Michigan defense. And there's 115,000 that are going to let you know if you played Michigan defense or not.
And then the third thing is you know and believe that if you execute the plan, then you're going to be successful. And all those things have happened throughout this year where the guys said, okay, now I understand what I'm supposed to do and I understand that's not good enough; this is. And as it got to the "this is" then you take the next step, now you gotta do it on the road, now you gotta do it in a big game. Then they started believing the package and the defense and what we're doing, if I execute it, then we're going to be good. So that's what this last game is all about, you're rolling it out one more time and you're saying: Okay, let's find out, do you measure up? Are you a Michigan defense?
Q. Craig talked about how Will Campbell has basically his own personal coaching staff. How has he responded to that kind of attention in practice and the position he might be thrust into next week?
COACH MATTISON: Will has responded well all year. There aren't just three starting defensive linemen. You can't make it doing it that way. You've got to always look at it as if there's five or six starting linemen.
And you're going to be playing ‑‑ whenever you put a defensive linemen in a game in a crucial part of a game he's a starter. The times are passed when one defensive lineman plays the whole game if you get ahead you mop up you put a guy in. Doesn't happen that way. And especially the way we do it, because we've rotated, we've tried from day one, even when guys weren't ready, we rotated guys in in crucial times.
So when all of a sudden it's time for you to say: Okay, instead of you coming in the second quarter, you're going to start the first quarter, that's about where it's at with Will. And I have utmost confidence. And I'm happy for him.
I'm excited for him, because he has an opportunity now to show what he can do, and that's what this game is going to give him.
Q. You've talked about being a Michigan defense. Again, a couple of guys said the Illinois game is when they felt they were getting there. I was curious if that was a turning point for your crew, or if you saw those elements of being a Michigan defense in that game, particularly?
COACH MATTISON: I really did. That game was a special game, because that was a very good offense at that time. I think they had won six straight games earlier in the year, and we knew they had ‑‑ they were a type of team that could hurt you on defense. And that was the first time, I think, that they, for most of that game handled all phases of defense. Stopping the run, pressuring the pass, defending the pass, and they looked like I envisioned a Michigan defense.
And that's a swarming, hitting, aggressive defense. And so that was the first time I think we all kind of said that, okay, you finally got here, now let's see if you stay there. And that was where we were at.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.
Michigan Defensive Selected Players Quotes
Michigan DE Ryan Van Bergen
(On what is it like to be at the Sugar Bowl) "It is awesome, especially for the seniors. This is our last time to spend quality time with these guys, because – most likely – next time we get together we'll be watching their game from the sidelines. It is the last time to really bond as a team because we are not only teammates but great friends."
(On thinking about last year's staff) "I think we have a blueprint on what not to do and we have done things wrong in the past and we hope to change things for this coming year. This means with everything – preparation, with our attitude, with our effort, with our enthusiasm, and where our focus is during a bowl week, especially in a place like new Orleans where focus can easily go out the window."
(On how Will Campbell has handled the coaching) "I think he had a bit of an ego coming in as a freshmen with the 5-star rating and that happens with all the high school hype that media creates. He has actually really humbled himself out and takes coaching just as well as anybody else on team, and he probably is criticized more than anyone else on the team."
(On moving inside if needed) "Yes, I know every position on the defensive line. That is one of the things I have placed on myself, so I can help out as much on the field and direct. I played the 3- technique for the first couple of games, but right now our least amount of depth is at the end, so I need to really focus on that and buckle down."
(On what the seniors have talked to the team about) "We really haven't had a need for a meeting. Everyone has been really focused in practice. We are hitting each other every single practice, which I don't know how many other bowl teams do that. We are going full-go against our scout team. It's a very physical, aggressive mentality that we have had all season, so there is no need to have a meeting."
(On the difference from last year's bowl week) "Attitude, enthusiasm and effort are the three things we lacked in practice, and that is from a player's perspective and has nothing to do with coaching. That was the attitude of the team and that is something we have changed in regards to practice this week."
Michigan S Jordan Kovacs
(On Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas) "He's a very good quarterback, big guy. I think he's about 6-6, 250 pounds, so he's going to be tough to bring down. He's a [Pittsburgh Steeler's Ben] Roethlisberger-type quarterback. He's not exactly always looking to run, but he's definitely a threat to run the ball. He's a very athletic guy, big guy, and he's tough to bring down and he's got a cannon – so, we've got our hands full with him and with the offense in general. So we're looking forward to the challenge.
(On Virginia Tech's big receivers) "They have very good receivers; big guys. At all of their skill positions, they have some true athletes. I think their average receiver is probably about 215 pounds and about 6-4, so they're a little bigger than me. We've been working on jump balls and that kind of stuff, because we know that it could be that kind of game. But, at the same time, if we do what we've done all year and we can keep the ball in front of us and communicate then I think we'll be alright."
(On the team's success this season after the previous) "Our struggles the previous three seasons have really made this season all the more sweet. I think those have helped us this season because it's made us even hungrier than ever before. A lot of our success this season can be attributed to those past struggles. I think those three seasons helped us grow and turned us into a stronger team. We've come closer than ever before. We've got a great senior class that stepped up and led this team."
(On having a better season this year) "I think I've got great teammates that put me in position to make plays. Defensively, we have a great scheme that's really helped us out. Coach [Greg] Mattison has coached this scheme for several years now and he's done a heck of a job with us. We've got great coaches and great players, and they just put me in position to make plays."
(On advice from his dad, who was a former player) "He doesn't say too much, but he encourages me to stay focused. That's the trick with these bowl games. You've got so much stuff going on. You've got all of these different events like, last night, we went bowling and we did this and that. You've got to keep the main thing, the main thing, and that's to win the game, because you can spoil your whole trip."
Michigan Linebacker Kenny Demens
(On Virginia Tech's quarterback Logan Thomas) "Yeah, he is a nice size guy. He is tough. He runs downhill when he wants to. It's a great challenge for us and we are looking forward to it."
(On facing big running quarterbacks in the past) "I would say he is similar to the quarterback we faced in last year's bowl game. This guy is much taller. He has a long stride. We are looking forward to playing such a great quarterback."
(On Thomas as a passer) "One thing that he does, that I noticed on film, is that he wants to throw the ball. He is a pass-first quarterback. That is going to take him a long way."
(On the importance of stopping the run in this game) "That's what Coach [Greg] Mattison and Coach [Brady] Hoke want. They want us to be run stoppers first. Stop the run and then the pass. If you stop the run, you are more prone to win that game. Just playing great defense all around, that is our goal for this game."
(On David Wilson) "He is a great tailback. He has a great burst. He has great running back vision. Our goal for this game is to swarm to the ball. Nice, good pursuit angles and wrap up. He can break tackles easily. He is a great running back."
(On having a month of rest) "Coach Hoke ensures that we don't lose one step. We are in pads every day. We won't lose that."
(On the stage) "It's awesome down here. This is my first BCS Bowl game. They take real good care of us. New Orleans is a beautiful city. The people down here are really nice and welcoming. We are loving it."
(On the program's progress this year) "We came so far. That credit goes out to our coaches. A large part goes to the seniors. They do a great job of making this team their team and keeping everybody on board including the freshman guys and making sure they are confident when they step up and play."
(On the importance of winning this game) "It's really important. We want to win this game so we can start off next year the right way. It's going to be huge for us to go into the off-season with that confidence and that swagger that the team has had overall. I really look forward to that. A win would do us justice."
(On being down in New Orleans) "It's wonderful. This is my first BCS Bowl game, second Bowl game. New Orleans is a beautiful city. The people who are running the Sugar Bowl have been nothing but nice and welcoming to us."
(On winning for the seniors) "They have done a great job. Next to the coaches, they have made sure that everybody is on board. They bring the young guys on board to ensure they have the confidence to play. This is the senior's team."
Michigan DT Mike Martin
(On striking balance between having fun and getting serious for the game) "The first night here everyone did their thing and checked out the city. But each day as the game gets closer we've been reeling it in a bit and getting more focused. We've had a good balance between having fun and knowing what we're here for. It's a business trip."
(On Virginia Tech) "They're dangerous. They got the quarterback and a 1600-yard rusher. We're going to have to shut those guys down. The coaches have put some things in on the defense and we have to execute. If we're not assignment-sound, it won't work just like any other game. They're a very good team, very dangerous, so we have to make sure we're assignment-sound."
(On Virginia Tech Quarterback Logan Thomas) "He's the biggest quarterback we've faced. He's going to be tough to bring down. We have to get bodies on him. He's going to have to pay taxes if he wants to run the ball. They like to do a lot of inside runs with the quarterback and we're going to have to put bodies on him. By the third and fourth quarter we don't want him wanting to run as much. We want his body hurting a little bit, so that's what we're going to have to do.
"He's got a really good arm. If you give him time in the pocket, he's as good as anybody back there. We need to get pressure on him. In the run game, they like to do some inside runs with him. He's not as quick as Denard [Robinson], with the look we get from him, but when he gets going he's fast and hard to bring down. When it's third and four or third and three, he's the type of guy who can fall over to get the first down. We just need to get bodies on him. That's the biggest thing."
(On his final game playing for Michigan) "I've come to peace with it. The fun thing is seeing these younger guys and realizing that it's their time to step up now. I think these younger guys, Will Campbell and Quinton Washington, are starting to realize that it's their time to step up and lead. They're doing a great job with that."
(On the end of season) "This is a great place to be. I'm glad we're here, but this team is not complacent. We've been very hungry throughout this whole week. We haven't faced an opponent in almost a month so we're excited to play a football game, a big football game. This is huge for us."
Michigan DE Craig Roh
(On Will Campbell's opportunity to play Tuesday night) "Will's been improving a lot. The coaches have been on him a lot as well. He has a great opportunity to show what he has improved on."
(On how Campbell is handling the individual attention from practice) "He's been absorbing as much as he can. He basically has Brady Hoke as his personal coach as he coaches the defensive tackles. He's improving a lot and responding by improving."
(On how close he feels they are to being a "Michigan" defense again) "I really felt like the Illinois game, we became a good defense. We know what we are capable of and we know we are a good defense."
(On how bowl prep has been so far as they prepare for another explosive offense) "Our bowl prep has been intense. Coach [Greg] Mattison is making sure we do not miss any details whatsoever. We are going to know Virginia Tech inside and out."
(On what stands out on Virginia Tech's offense) "Their offense is very fundamentally sound. They've got guys that make plays, a great quarterback and running back. It's a good offense."


text:
Boston man accused of dealing cocaine and heroin in SalemBy JAMES A. KIMBLE
Union Leader Correspondent
June 24. 2013 8:32PM
SALEM — A Boston man was arrested on drug charges after police allegedly found him with 190 small baggies of crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine inside of his car.
Roberto Agosto-Vazquez, 27, was charged on Saturday night with two counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute after being interviewed by a police officer while standing outside of his car, police said.
Officer Joshua Dempsey was on a routine patrol around 6:05 p.m. at a BJ's Wholesaler parking lot when he spotted Agosto-Vazquez and a male passenger in his car acting suspiciously, police said.
The male passenger saw Dempsey and quickly exited the vehicle and got into another car nearby, police said.
Dempsey interviewed both men. The man who ran to another car claimed he had just driven from Seabrook to visit a friend and say hello, according to police.
When police searched the pockets of Agosto-Vazquez, they turned up several small bags of narcotics, police said.
Agosto-Vazquez was arrested for possession of a controlled drug.
Dempsey then got a search warrant for the car, and found 189 more baggies containing crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine inside the vehicle, police said.
Police added the two counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute after a search of the car.
Agosto-Vazquez was arraigned on all three charges in 10th Circuit Court in Salem on Monday.
His bail was set by a judge at $50,000 cash. He will have to appear back in court within the next couple of weeks for a probable causing hearing.
The two counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute are felonies that carry potential state prison sentences and a fine.
The possession of a controlled drug charge is a misdemeanor.
The passenger in the car was not charged.


text:
By Suzanne Plunkett
British sports fans are a serious bunch. When it comes to football (they never call it soccer), many would rather lose their home than miss their team score a winning goal. Club allegiance is often demonstrated with tribal passion - influencing tattoos, clothing and even choice of marital partners.


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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (AU - DVD R4)
Final Fantasy is a visual feast that has different things to offer different viewers
Well it's finally here! The film that millions of fans have been holding out for years makes its way onto shelves after at least half a dozen delays. It all started back in 1997 when a little Playstation game called Final Fantasy VII made its way into stores and quickly became one of the most popular games of all time. Now the creators of the original game team together again to bring the heroes from that game back in a motion picture entitled Advent Children. The film was originally slated to be a ten minute anime short, which then became a thirty minute anime short film. It then developed into an hour-long 3D animated visual extravaganza before becoming this one hundred minute roller coaster. With the original release date being early 2004, the release date has been thrown around before finally settling on late 2005 in Japan and mid 2006 Worldwide.
It seems fair that after the failure of 2001s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Square Studios would want their second attempt at a Final Fantasy feature to have more insurance of success, which is probably why they would choose to base it on the most popular and famous of the games. Many fans were very unhappy with Spirits Within as it betrayed the video game roots and went with a more conventional sci-fi approach. This film attempts to rectify that by returning directly to the game that put the franchise on the map and continuing where it left off.
It has been two years since the end of the game, and the city of Midgar is now a wasteland after the devastating magic attack from the games finale. The once oppressive Shinra Company is now reduced to three guys running out of a run-down shack. The events of the game have left the world in a very sorry state, with all that was once powerful now destroyed, leaving behind a weak civilisation. To make matters worse, there is a deadly illness spreading quickly. Former hero Cloud (voiced by Steve Burton) is now a delivery boy, spending all his time alone on the road so he can deal with the events of his past. When three new bad guys make their way into town starting all new levels of supernatural mischief, he must come to grips with the tragedy in his life and become the hero people need him to be once again.
The plot of Advent Children is very dense. What is written above only scratches the surface of the overall plot. This means that those who did not play the game may find themselves very lost here. There is a brief introduction that does its best to fill in the epic events from the game, but with total game play time being around sixty hours it has trouble doing so coherently. That having been said, if you did play the game this movie is a little slice of heaven. You are back in the world you spent so many hours immersed in and fought for. The makers obviously knew game players would be itching for this film so try to make the most of it, including as many characters as possible, if only for one scene or two, visiting as many locations as possible, and having the events of the game tie in with the film as much as possible. This is at times great for a fan, at other times it seems a little desperate, meaning that it seems like they had too much to do and too short a running time to do it.
With that in mind, the story does focus very closely on Cloud, with most other characters being supporting in his quest. This is a blessing to newcomers as they are not swamped by too many main characters. Game characters such as Tifa, Barrett, Red, Vincent, Aeris, Yuffie and Cait Sith are all included, and all get their chance to shine on screen at some point but are not given long to do it. In an odd move, former villains the Shinra Company are given more screen time than the other heroes, as well as three new villains. There is also a special appearance by an old friend\enemy. Fans will eat it up, while others will wonder what the fuss is all about.
Visually the film is absolutely stunning. Although not overly life-like, the characters look amazing (Tifa in particular looking gorgeous), the action scenes are spectacular and inventive, and the whole world is brought to life more beautifully than imagined. The film really gives off every indication of being based on a game as the action scenes include special moves used by characters in the game, appropriately over-the-top 'stunts' and a genuine feeling Final Fantasy plot. It all works great and is a feast for the eyes.
The voice casting is also excellent. It's good that they actually took the time to cast it well. Steve Burton is not quite what many were expecting for Cloud but pulls it off great and Rachel Leigh Cook is lovely as Tifa. Most are cast to match the talent from the original Japanese cast and do very well. Also excellent is the music score which is dynamic and exciting. The soundtrack is very much worth buying.
Is the film any good? That really depends on if you played the game or not. Either way it's a visually stunning film which is well cast and has spectacular action sequences. If you played the game, it bring the universe onto screen in a way that Spirits Within failed to do and re-unites players with their favourite characters. They should love every second. Newcomers will more than likely be lost in the plot which requires knowledge of the games events and characters so will probably feel unsatisfied in the end. As someone who was obsessed with the game though, this writer was very happy, and was breathless at the end of this fast-paced adventure.
The film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. As mentioned this film is a visual feast so video is very important. Luckily we are not let down, as we get a clear undistorted picture which is nearly flawless in the way of grain and artefacts. Although clear, when comparing to the superior video on the Japanese release we see that the colours are much paler and the edging less sharp on this local release. Perhaps the transfer came from a weaker source? Regardless, the picture is still very clear and helps the viewer to take in this effects extravaganza the way they were meant to.
We get the original Japanese track and the dubbed English track, both in 5.1 Surround. In both tracks the dialogue is clear, the surrounds are used wonderfully with a variety of music and directional effects, and the sub is not one bit overbearing. The only sync problems come with the English track which is to be expected when dubbing a foreign language over a film. Both tracks are worth the checking out due to the fact that they are excellent. (I watched the original Japanese track first and then did the English later and I would recommend doing the same as you would be watching the original track first)
The only extra on the first disc is a short film called 'Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII', which sums up the story of the game in a way that is much more appropriate than the little introduction in the film. This is long and gives the story the time it needs. It also features of deleted dialogue from the film
The second disc is home to the other extras. Starting with 'The Distance: Making Advent Children', which gives a blow by blow as to how the game became the movie and how the movie was made. Worth watching for anyone who liked the movie.
There are eleven deleted scenes, which total around two minutes. Each is basically an angle that wasn't used in the film. Not very exciting, especially when there were several shots in the trailers that are neither in the film nor here. For example a fancy looking action scene where Cloud and his bike are blown into the air and clash swords with villain Kadaj before hitting the ground.
Speaking of which, there is a selection of trailers. Several very nice trailer for the film, as well as a number of trailers for further Final Fantasy VII projects, including a game for the mobile, a game for the PSP and a 'third entry' in the series in the form of a third person shooter for PS2. Looks like fun.
Finishing the package is the Venice Film Festival footage, which is pretty much a cross between the film in a nutshell and a trailer. There is no deleted footage here so if you saw the movie, you really don't need to see this.
Overall it's a totally decent set of extras, but one has to wonder why the director's commentary from the Japanese is missing. Granted it's in Japanese but I hear you can put subtitles on DVDs these days. Also missing is the 'Last Order' short film which provides some further back story.
A real treat for those who played the game, but others will be lost and confused. Either way it's a well made action flick which is a real visual feast. We get a solid package here as well with nice audio and video and a fine selection of extras. Fans should buy this ASAP, others should try it, and you may just enjoy it for what it is: a fun action flick with a fine set of extras to enjoy later.
Review by Brett Anderson
Existing Posts
I'll try to keep that in mind Eva. As for why my location says Afghanistan I have no idea! As for where I've been, well been renovating. Kinda hard to review stuff when everything is in a total state of chaos!
No offence Brett, but in future please notify us when a film sports an NTSC-PAL transfer (like the R4 & R2 of Advent Children do). Thanks.
The animation is excellent but they still suffer the issue with poorly depicted facial expression...
Wait, Brett Anderson? Afghanistan? Is that where you've been?
Gabe Powers wrote: The film looked great, but made zero sense to me and looked more like an amazing promo reel of cut scenes than a 'film'. I've never played the games though.
That makes sense. I really tried to push that the film won't make sense to newcomers.
That makes sense. I really tried to push that the film won't make sense to newcomers.
The film looked great, but made zero sense to me and looked more like an amazing promo reel of cut scenes than a 'film'. I've never played the games though.
spooky.. I just watched this yesterday night
I loved the game, but the film didn't work for me, I didn't find it engaging enough.Or maybe I'm getting old... The R2 disc I saw wasn't that great either, if I remember correctly,it suffers from terrible aliasing, compression artifacts, etc. Not a problem with the transfer, I think, more a fact that certain scenes don't look finished, like they rushed to get the movie out. A true digital tranfer should have looked flawless. This didn't, like it was over compressed.
Cool as school. More please!!!!!!
Great review,
This movie was amazing!
This movie was amazing!
nice review I loved ever min of this
Parental guidance recommended.
Disc Details
Release Date: 2nd May 2006
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Swedish, Turkish,
Extras: Featurette, Short Films, Trailers, Deleted Scenes
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Tetsuya Nomura, Takeshi Nozue
Cast: Steve Burton, Rachel Leigh Cook, George Newbern, Takahiro Sakurai, Ayumi Ito, Tsuduruhara Miyuu
Genre: Action, Animation and Fantasy
Length: 101 minutes
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text: No one has more fun giving vehicles ridiculous names than Geely, and the Geely King Kong is no different. Even though it's essentially a small four-door hatchback, which is nothing like King Kong, it is named after the jungle beast. Also, King Kong is resilient and this little hatch isn't even close.


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Dublin, Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xls98q/public_safety_lte) has announced the addition of the "Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2012 - 2017" report to their offering.
Considering its thriving ecosystem, spectrum flexibility and performance metrics, public safety organizations worldwide recognize LTE as the de-facto standard for mission critical mobile broadband communications.
With spectrum already allocated, public safety agencies in the Middle East and the U.S have already begun to operate private LTE networks. Signals and Systems Telecom estimates that the installed base of private public safety LTE base stations (eNode Bs) will reach nearly 80,000 globally by the end of 2017, following a CAGR of nearly 80% between 2012 and 2017, and will serve more than 1 Million private public safety LTE subscribers worldwide.
However it is important to note that the transition to LTE is one of the will be one of the most complex technical changes the public safety communications industry will ever witness and will present challenges in its own rights. Furthermore spectrum, regulatory and budgetary issues in certain regions such as Europe will delay large scale deployments.
This report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides considering the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, the challenges, spectrum allocation strategies, the industrys roadmap, deployment case studies, vendor strategies, and the application ecosystem for public safety LTE, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2011 till 2017.
Also covered are public safety LTE service revenues as well as device and infrastructure (eNodeB base stations) shipment and associated revenue forecasts. The reports comes with an associated XLS datasheet covering quantitative data from all figures presented within the report, as well as a list and associated details of 26 global private public safety LTE network deployments (as of November 2012).
Key Questions Answered:
- Which countries will be the first to deploy and adopt LTE for public safety applications?
- How many private public safety LTE base stations (eNodeBs) and user devices will ship in 2017, and how will these compare to the wider commercial LTE market?
- How will the VoLTE ecosystem evolve and how will this impact PTT and voice services for public safety LTE?
- How much revenue will the public safety LTE application ecosystem generate in 2017?
- How will public safety LTE device shipments vary by form factor (Handportable LMR Terminals, Mobile In-Vehicle LMR Modems, Notebook PCs, USB Dongles, Smartphones, PDAs) overtime?
- Is a 10 MHz bandwidth for LTE realistically feasible to support public safety applications?
- Does Huawei stand a chance in the public safety LTE market following its ban in the U.S?
- How many first responders rely on private and commercial mobile broadband networks for their daily tasks?
- How will private and commercial public safety LTE subscriptions compare in 2017?
- How will public safety LTE subscriptions compare to other mobile broadband technologies such as WiMAX and HSPA in 2017?
Key Topics Covered:
1 Chapter 1: Introduction
2 Chapter 2: An Overview of the Public Safety Mobile Broadband Market
3 Chapter 3: Public Safety LTE and Mobile Broadband Industry Roadmap
4 Chapter 4: Public Safety LTE and Mobile Broadband Applications Ecosystem
5 Chapter 5: Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Vendor Assessment
6 Chapter 6: Public Safety LTE Spectrum Allocation Strategies Worldwide
7 Chapter 7: Market Analysis and Forecasts
Companies Mentioned
- Airspan Networks
- Apple
- AT&T Mobility
- Brazilian Army
- China Mobile
- Cisco
- Eircom
- Ericsson
- Huawei
- Kenwood
- LG Electronics
- Motorola Solutions
- New York Police Department
- Nokia
- Panasonic
- Raytheon
- Samsung
- Saudi MOI
- Sepura
- Sony
- TetraNed
- T-Mobile
- U.S Army
- Vodafone
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xls98q/public_safety_lte
Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager.
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
Sector: Broadband
Source:Research and Markets


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Shopping Guide: The "New" Hi-Low Hemmed Dress
Hi(gh)-low hemmed dresses–or mullet dresses as they are sometimes called–are usually associated with the obnoxious wedding dresses and prom gowns of the '80s. But designers have now deconstructed the image of these bi-level beauties. They've added grungy, edgy touches for a more modern feel. The hi-low dress is the Billy Ray Cyrus of the fashion world, in the best way possible.


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by Nancy Salvato
Coaches must produce winning teams or they will be terminated. Managers must make their quotas or they will not be retained. Teachers must ensure that students…oh, wait a minute. Tenured teachers will receive an increase in salary every year based on their level of education and years in the classroom.
Mike Antonucci, writing in the Education Intelligence Agency Communiqué says that, "Student enrollment in the United States will grow this school year by a total of 349,452 students (0.7 percent). The number of classroom teachers is expected to grow by 62,443 (2.0 percent)."1 This translates to, "one new teacher for every 5.5 new students."2 Although most enrollments will be at the secondary school, "49,965 more elementary school teachers (2.8 percent)," are expected to be hired in our schools.3 "That's one new K-8 teacher for every 1.8 new K-8 students".4 I'm left wondering how this can happen.
Antonucci explains that there will be significant teacher turnover in the coming years through retirement and layoff of probationary teachers. Tenured teachers, in all likelihood, won't be affected.5 Retirements and layoffs cannot be the only way to accommodate all these new teachers. There will have to be additional ways to add more staff.
Almost five years ago, Jay Greene, a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research co-wrote a piece about the effects of funding incentives on special education enrollment. What he and his colleague determined was that, "schools are increasingly diagnosing students as disabled and placing them in special education for reasons unrelated to those students' genuine need for special education services."6 Ample evidence seems to suggest that it is financially advantageous for a school to label a child "special needs" because state and federal funding can then pay the tab – provided the school is located in a bounty system state. In other words, it is all about the money.7 "If a school provides extra reading help to students who are falling behind in reading, the school must bear that cost itself. But if the same school redefines those students as learning disabled rather than slow readers, state and federal government will help pick up the tab for those services."8 In other words, tax payers will cough up more money to support education. The bottom line, "The ever-accelerating growth of special education enrollment is becoming an urgent problem for American education, drawing off more and more billions of dollars that could otherwise be spent on better education for all students."9
Fast forward to the 2006-2007 school year. Dan Lips, an Education Analyst at the Heritage Foundation and a Goldwater Institute Senior Fellow, writes that, "Federal spending on elementary and secondary education has grown dramatically over the past six years, increasing from $27 billion to $38 billion between 2001 and 2006. According to the U.S. Department of Education, annual spending on the Title I program to assist disadvantaged children grew by 45 percent during that same period. In 2007, the department will spend 59 percent more on special education programs than it did in 2001."10
More and more federal and state money is being funneled to our public schools to help disadvantaged and special education students. How is it possible that there are so many more disadvantaged and special education students in today's classrooms? Well, the first question is the easiest to answer. Because there are so many children from families who speak a native language other than English; whose income levels reflect below minimum wage; who enter school several grade levels behind; there are more disadvantaged students in our schools. The second question implicates the "progressive education" agenda which places "self esteem" ahead of academic achievement.
Progressive educational theory advocates prefer that students be graded subjectively; not compared to other students. This is why standardized tests are considered an anathema to good education. Students are taught to read and do math by teachers using pedagogy based on ideology, not evidence based methods. Most reading and writing in our public schools is narrative and extensively researched papers are almost non existent. This contributes to so many graduates of our public schools needing remediate courses in reading, writing, and math.
Teachers utilizing progressive teaching methods are not held accountable for ensuring that each student entering their classrooms makes a year's academic growth. Of course, if benchmarks are subjective, it's impossible to measure. Granted, when teachers are faced with students of radically differing ability levels, it is difficult to provide each one of them a sufficient amount of attention unless countless extra hours are put in during their planning time or after school hours to bring these kids up to speed. Even then, it depends on the diligence of the student to be willing to spend extra time in that way. At any rate, efficiency is not part of the progressive agenda.
So what do progressive schools do with the students who cannot meet subjective benchmarks of education progress, regardless of the reason? The formula for deciding if a student is eligible for special education is rather simple. There has to be a discrepancy between ability and performance. If it is significant, a child can be labeled as having a learning disability. After this occurs, the child is not expected to accomplish as much learning in a given amount of time. The standards by which this child is to be measured are, in effect, "lowered".
In a school with limited resources, instead of giving the child adequate time and attention to catch up with his or her peers, the child falls further and further behind. In a school district with adequate resources, the child is enrolled in a resource room and given additional support through one on one attention with a specialist or teacher's aide who helps ensure that homework and tests are understood and completed under less stressful circumstances. Hopefully, as the child learns better study skills and achieves incremental successes, there will be less need for "special education." Obviously, a severely disabled child will never be able to keep up with peers.
So that's it. As more and more students are labeled disadvantaged or special needs, the federal and state government, I mean taxpayers, will provide additional money to help ensure these students will receive the additional support necessary to achieve an "adequate" amount of learning; "adequate" being subjective. The question that must truly be considered is what is being done to ensure that these "labeled" students will become independent enough to succeed without additional resources? Can they eventually excel in the "real" world? How much and what form of knowledge should be accessible after 12 years of public education? What are the "real" world expectations of these children?
Meanwhile, progressive schools of education continue to churn out more and more teachers to meet their bottom line. The students aren't the only ones hurt by this. Although some "Newbies" will leave school prepared to teach in shortage areas of Math, Science and Special Education, many will enter a market which will not be nice to them. Some will be hired as classroom aides. In effect, they will intern for a few years at salaries which require them to work additional jobs to make ends meet.
Others will find jobs, but come to realize that after spending all that tuition money for a specialized education, they really do not care for their chosen profession. Still, more will be bounced around between schools as enrollments wane and they suddenly find themselves without contracts to teach. Too much accumulated experience will make them too expensive to hire. A fortunate few will take positions in schools which offer them tenure. An even smaller amount of them will end up at schools at which they love to work and also be granted tenure.
How can this situation be reconciled? One way is to change schools of education to reflect the standards used by medical and law schools. Another way is to make schools compete for taxpayer dollars in a free market. A third possibility is to alter teacher contracts to compensate teacher's based on students achieving standardized benchmarks, not based on tenure or subjective evaluations. But that is proving an almost impossible row to hoe.
Unions benefit the most when substantial numbers of teachers are employed; teachers utilizing them as their sole bargaining agents and paying the requisite union dues to be used to further a progressive political agenda. Therefore, unions benefit from smaller class sizes designed to make it a little easier to manage a heterogeneously grouped classroom and which require more teachers. They benefit when contracts limit instructional time with students and require more teachers. They benefit from a progressive education agenda which emphasizes feelings more than successful teaching strategies; in which kids are expected to learn in cooperative groups and in heterogeneous classrooms. Progressive education virtually guarantees that more students will be labeled "special education" and additional teachers will be needed in non traditional or specialized capacities in order to meet individual student's learning needs.
Therefore, unions will continue to deliver the vote to school board members that implement ideologically based teaching methodology which ensures that many children will never reach their full academic potential. For those not convinced, consider this: a progressive agenda is supposed to be about self esteem; dictating that ability grouping and competition is bad. If that is truly the case, how much worse it must be to be labeled a "special needs" student. At least if you are 3rd string, you are still on the team.
6-9 Effects of Funding Incentives on Special Education Enrollment http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_32.htm
10 Strings Attached http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/ArticleView.aspx?id=1203
1-5 The Education Intelligence Agency COMMUNIQUÉ – November 20, 2006 http://www.eiaonline.com
Copyright © Nancy Salvato 2006
Nancy Salvato works as a Head Start teacher in Illinois. She is the President of The Basics Project, (www.Basicsproject.org) a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (C) (3) research and educational project whose mission is to promote the education of the American public on the basic elements of relevant political, legal and social issues important to our country. She is also a Staff Writer, for the New Media Alliance, Inc., a non-profit (501c3) coalition of writers and grass-roots media outlets, where she contributes on matters of education policy.


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April 22, 2011
Game One Box
Game Two Box Score
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara came from behind to defeat Cal State Northridge, 5-4, in eight innings during the teams' Big West series opener on Friday afternoon at Campus Diamond, but the Matadors used a big third inning to propel themselves to a 9-2 win in the second game of the twinbill.
The series will be decided on Sunday in a rubber game at noon at Campus Diamond.
With the split, UCSB now stands at 23-20 on the season and 7-4 in Big West play. The Matadors have gone 16-27 overall and 4-7 in league games.
Trailing 4-3 at the bottom of the eighth inning in game one, senior Jessica Beristianos hit her second home run of the season over the right field fence to tie the game. The Matador coaches proceeded to pull pitcher Carly Wade, who had previously allowed the Gauchos to tie the game at the bottom of the seventh when Lauren Boser hit a two-out base hit to left field scoring McKenzie Kane. Her replacement, Hannah Fraijo, hit Amanda Ziegler with a pitch before striking out the next batter.
With one out and a runner on second, Kathryn Pilpil hit a double to deep left center field driving Ziegler home for the game-winning run.
Northridge had struck first in the game when Madeline Sale hit a two-out RBI single to score Mikayla Thielges.
The Gauchos battled back in the third when, with two runners on and two outs, Allison Taylor sent a hit through the left side sending Pilpil across home plate. A single up the middle by Lainey DePompa scored Kane to give UCSB its first lead of the day at 2-1.
The Matadors knotted things up in the fifth when Sale hit her second RBI single of the game to center field. Then, in the seventh, Sale captured the lead for Northridge with an RBI double to left field, scoring Tracy Allen, who was at second after a double of her own.
Krista Cobb (11-9) went the distance for the Gauchos pitching the complete game and allowing four runs on four hits. She walked five and struck out six in the win.
At the plate, Brooke Putich was impressive, going 3-for-4. Amanda Zielger, who has been worked into the lineup after Keilani Jennings suffered an injury last week, had a strong outing as well going 2-for-3 with the game-winning run.
In game two, the Gauchos were able to get ahead first at the bottom of the first inning when Lauren Boser sent a single to right field pushing Pilpil home from second base.
The Gaucho lead didn't last long as Northridge's offense exploded in the third inning. Samantha Slonicker gave CSUN the lead with a double hit down the left field line that bounced off of the third base giving both Mihm and Jaci Carlsen ample time to score. An RBI double by Thielges followed and after a single from Allen, Sale drove home Thielges.
UCSB earned the first out of the inning when Korrine Randazzo hit into a fielder's choice, but the Matadors were not done. Jessica Fridwall singled up the middle during the next at-bat to score Allen and bring the Northridge lead to 5-1.
Jenny Liepman came in to relieve Andriana Collins in the circle and was able to gain the final two outs on a sacrifice fly by Karla Chapparo and a fly out to right field by Mihm.
Northridge added three more runs in the fifth when Mihm hit a homer over the left field fence. In danger of having the game called due to the run rule, UCSB was able to prolong play when DePompa drove Pilpil home with an RBI single to center field at the bottom of the fifth.
Collins (12-11) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) off of seven hits in 2.1 innings of work. She walked one and struck out two. Liepman also went 2.1 innings and allowed three earned runs off of three hits while walking two. Cobb came in a finished the game; she did not allow a hit or a walk while striking out two. Pilpil led the team going 2-for-3 with both of the Gauchos' runs in the loss.
To purchase tickets for tomorrow's series finale with the Matadors, click here.


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Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday proposed a $50.9 billion budget that would raise state gas taxes and vehicle fees, expand Medicaid to more uninsured adults and double the number of 4-year-olds in a preschool program for at-risk kids.
The Republican governor's spending plan, which needs approval from the GOP-led Legislature, also calls for socking more money in a rainy day fund, a bigger state police force and a modest 2 percent boost in spending on K-12 schools, universities and community colleges.
Snyder called it a responsible budget at a time Michigan's economy is turning the corner.
"This is not the time to go back to the bad habits that caused the financial messes of the last decade," he said during a half-hour of remarks before passing the baton to Lt. Gov. Brian Calley.
In providing a more detailed plan to fix ailing roads and bridges, Snyder proposed increasing the 19-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax and 15-cents-a-gallon diesel tax to 33 cents for both, with the tax fluctuating after a couple years depending on fuel consumption and construction costs. He is dropping previous calls to replacing the per-gallon tax with a levy at the wholesale level.
Vehicle registration fees would rise, too, under Snyder's plan — though he is open to different ways to raise the revenue. The typical family overall would pay $120 per vehicle more each year in gas taxes and vehicle fees — a tough sell even if people recognize roads are in bad shape.
Of his request for $1.2 billion more for the transportation system, Snyder said: "I don't say that lightly."
He and business groups say Michigan will be stuck with much larger repair bills in the future if lawmakers do not act. Snyder also cited repair-shop bills associated with driving on pothole-ridden roads, dangers for motorists and said spending more would create jobs.
"This is common sense to me," he said.
Snyder also formally recommended making 470,000 more residents eligible for Medicaid — a move he said would initially save the state $200 million a year. That, too, is looked at with skepticism by Republican legislators who worry the federal government will renege on a promise to cover 100 percent in the first three years, phasing down to 90 percent in 2020 and after.
The governor said the state would save on Medicaid because more people who now receive mental health services and medical care from state-funded programs would instead be covered with federal money. He called for setting aside $100 million a year of those savings so Michigan can pay 10 percent of the cost for new enrollees down the line. He said the expansion would effectively cost Michigan nothing until 2035.
"The bottom line is better care at a lower cost. This is not about taking money and spending money from Washington. I don't believe in that," he said while noting the problem of the uninsured visiting emergency rooms because they do not have health insurance. "They're classified as uncompensated care. They're still real people."
Snyder also wants to boost the number of low-income children receiving dental care. His proposal would cover 70,500 children in Ingham, Ottawa and Washtenaw counties. Currently more than 440,000 children in 75 of the state's 83 counties are enrolled in the program.
Public schools, universities and community colleges would get 2 percent more overall funding in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
He asked lawmakers to double enrollment of 4-year-olds in a preschool program for kids at risk of failing. Over two years, the number of participants in the Great Start Readiness Program would rise from 32,000 to 66,000.
Democrats and school officials will likely support Snyder's call for more early childhood funding but complain that overall education spending is not going up enough. Snyder and GOP legislators cut education funding significantly in 2011 and slightly increased it last year — after a few years when it was propped up with federal stimulus money.
K-12 districts that now get the minimum amount of aid would receive $34 more per student this fall, with the minimum grant being raised from $6,966 to $7,000. Mid-level and wealthier districts would not get the extra money but could qualify for additional funding if they meet performance benchmarks (up to $100 per pupil) or "best practices" ($16 per student) — incentives similar to what the governor included in his last budget.
Though the focus traditionally has been on per-pupil funding levels, the Snyder administration says that is not the best gauge of school spending because of a change in paying for retirement benefits for school employees. A 2012 law limits the portion of districts' payroll required to go toward the retirement system, so Snyder's administration is budgeting to spend $430 million for excess liabilities — or the equivalent of $250 per student.
Districts have grappled with mandatory retirement payments eating more of their budgets.
The amount each university and community college gets would depend on its ability to meet performance standards — such things as graduation rates, how much research and development they do and the number of graduates in high-demand degree programs.
Snyder also called for higher hunting and fishing licenses fees, $25 million in tax incentives for movie makers — half what is allocated in the current budget — and hiring a net 107 more state troopers. Though the budget generally does not specify where new troopers must be based, Snyder likely will decide to again target crime-ridden Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw.
He proposed putting $75 million more in the rainy day fund, which would total $580 million. It was near empty when Snyder took office.
State budget: Snyder seeks to raise gas tax, expand Medicaid
Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday proposed a $50.9 billion budget that would raise state gas taxes and vehicle fees, expand Medicaid to more uninsured adults and double the number of 4-year-olds in a preschool program for at-risk kids.


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Ding Dongs: Labor brings down HostessEDITORIAL
November 17. 2012 11:33PM
Legend has it that Twinkies can survive a nuclear holocaust. Alas, they could not survive a mindlessly obstreperous (look it up) labor union.
Like GM and Chrysler, Hostess, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and other baked goods, bore an enormous burden of imprudent labor contracts. Business Insider reported in January that "rising labor costs are really killing the company's balance sheet." According to the company's bankruptcy filings, "an astonishing 97 percent of the company's unsecured claims are from employee pension funds, totaling nearly $1 billion."
As The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, "Hostess ultimately was brought to its knees by a national strike orchestrated by its second-largest union." That would be the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM). The company's largest union, the Teamsters, agreed to major concessions after union leaders were granted access to the company's books. According to the Associated Press, the Teamsters urged the BCTGM to rethink the strike, saying that Hostess really could no longer afford the generous, previously agreed upon contract. The smaller union refused. One BCTGM worker shouted from a picket line last week, "Shut it down!"
Well, they got what they wanted. Roughly 18,500 people are suddenly jobless. The union employees who held out for nearly $1 billion in pension obligations are out both the pensions and their jobs. What stellar work.
It is long past time that Big Labor, in both the public and private sectors, stopped living in fantasy land. Lavish pensions and uncompetitive wages are relics of a bygone era. They are not coming back, at least until the rest of the world catches up to our living standards, which, to say the least, is going to take a while.
Business owners and taxpayers are not bottomless wells of cash to be drained for the benefit of workers. There is only one destination for workers and labor leaders who continue to indulge in that fantasy: unemployment.


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News & Events
For the Media
Great Lakes Scientists Hit the Ice
[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/iaglrhockey.jp g ]
Usually these types of events are reserved for Olympic or world championship games, but participants at this year's annual International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Conference have placed themselves against each other in test of international collaboration: an ice hockey game of Team IAGLR Canada versus Team IAGLR USA.
The game closed the 51st Annual IAGLR Conference, which was held at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, from May 19 to 23. At the conference more than 400 scientific presentations on recent research on the Great Lakes/St Lawrence River ecosystem were presented, in addition to two special presentations by Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar and Waterkeepers Alliances founder Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Clarkson University Associate Professor Michael Twiss organized this inaugural match. "There is indeed some professional rivalry among scientists in these two countries that share the largest source of surface freshwater on Earth," said Twiss. "I thought it would be nice to put that to a test that also gets us physically active during a week of meetings. The idea of a hockey game was welcomed by many of my colleagues and IAGLR and they all helped make this possible. Since some of us have benefited from an IAGLR Scholarship during our studies, I thought it would be a nice way to give something back to this organization."
The teams vied for the '"Defy Cup," a trophy created from Potsdam Sandstone and Adirondack maple, donated by Clarkson University President Tony Collins. Clarkson University, located in Potsdam, in the northern reaches of New York State, has 84 years of tradition playing collegiate hockey and the Defy Cup befits this initiative.
"We have balanced the teams with the intention of maximizing the skill equality," explained Twiss. "This meant trading players of one nationality to play on the other team. This may seem to defy convention, but international collaboration is not new to these researchers. These two nations have agreed to peacefully share these waters since the War of 1812, and from an environmental view point, the Boundary Water Treaty of 1909 specifically outlines sharing these waters to protect their integrity.
"Much of the research presented at each IAGLR conference is conducted to great extent by collaborative efforts among governmental, academic and non-governmental organizations between both countries - something that most people may not be fully aware of. This is an exciting test of that international collaboration. And, of course, all players want to win the Defy Cup! We are already looking forward to next year's game at the IAGLR Conference in Toledo, Ohio."
Team IAGLR USA rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game 4-4 in the second period but fell short despite scoring a goal in the last minute of play to surrender a 6-5 Team IAGLR Canada victory.
Photo captions: Betsy McGregor, mother of former Clarkson Golden Knights Men's Hockey Captain Mac Faulkner, drops the puck at the ceremonial face off with Team IAGLR USA player Professor Mike McKay of Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio) (left) and Team IAGLR Canada Graduate student Shannon LeBlond of Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario).