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About FCM Consulting
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The FCM Consulting team includes senior corporate travel, procurement and technology professionals from across FCM's global network. Members of the FCM Consulting advisory group hold global management roles with FCM and have extensive professional history working with leading global business brands.
FCM Consultants are located across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. We work across borders, cultures and offer in-depth local knowledge in every market.
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text: Erol Alkan is a London-based electro DJ of Turkish descent. He was resident DJ and founder of London nightclub Trash. Trash was located at The End nightclub in Central London, and in its ten years (1997 - 2007) saw performances by Peaches, LCD Soundsystem, Klaxons, Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Electric Six and many more up and coming bands.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Spring construction
Congressman Bobby Rush, left, and Gov. Pat Quinn look on as Shoshi Mabina, IDOT-highway construction careers training program coordinator, speaks about the benefits of a $486 million spring construction program for roads and bridges near the Stony Island feeder at Olive Harvey College in Chicago.
Heather Charles, Chicago Tribune
Copyright © 2018, Chicago Tribune


text: PBS NewsHourPBS NewsHour/NPR RNC Special - Day 3 Special | 3h 25m 34s Watch full coverage of the Republican National Convention hosted by NPR and PBS NewsHour. NPR's Rachel Martin joins PBS NewsHour's Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff to bring you insights, analysis and updates from the convention floor. Aired: 07/20/16 Rating: NR checkmarkAdd to WatchlistProblems Playing Video?Report a ProblemClosed CaptioningShare:Share this video on FacebookFacebookShare this video on TwitterTwitterShare this video on Google PlusGoogleShare this video via EmailE-mailEmbedEmbed Code for this videoEmbed CodePBS NewsHourPBS NewsHour/NPR RNC Special - Day 3Width in pixels px Height in pixels px Copied to your clipboardUnable to copyLabelCopy to ClipboardClick to copy embed code for videoCloseCloseReport a ProblemBefore you submit an error, please consult our Troubleshooting Guide.Type of ErrorVideo doesn't loadVideo loads, but doesn't playVideo jumps back/forwardOnly audio is streamingSponsorship playback errorOtherPlease add more detailsCancelSubmit ReportYour report has been successfully submitted. Thank you for helping us improve PBS Video.CloseCloseClose


text:
Recently the atheist student organization on the campus of the University of Texas – San Antonio held what I would surmise as a publicity stunt. In the public form of the school campus the group offered to exchange porn for bibles. There are several issues, most of which are associated with immature behavior and what I would term adolescent level judgment.
Offering to exchange porn for the Christian bible would almost be the equivalent of offering to exchange a Boston Red Sox fan a Yankees hat for outfielder Dave Roberts' glove. Not only is this sacrilege and insulting it is structured to be an insult and to infuriate a group that they obviously disagree with. Based on the student's response of holding prayer groups on the spot they have accomplished this task.
In breaking new we recently find out that the Republican National Committee has published and presented a PowerPoint presentation depicting our President and several members of the Democratic congress as comic book characters or children's story villains. According to the reports this presentation was provided to the "large donors" of the RNC and was intended to be a scare tactic to drive contributions to the party and its members. In my view, there are very little if any differences in both activities.
Resorting to an extreme tactic to either make a point or drive donations simply shows poor judgment and an extreme lack of character. Poking someone in the eye and then insisting that they listen to your position or opinion is not only absurd it is a most telling sign of one's mental capacity to engage in a civil disagreement.
Why am I disturbed by this behavior? Two reasons… one being this collage group is claiming to represent a position that I subscribe too and two they are resorting to tactics that insult not only the Christian position but the intellectual position of atheists around the world. "Drawing attention" to one's self or agenda by acting like a group of school children should not be on the table as an option to pursue.
Intentionally engaging in activity you know is the most offensive activity you could possibly engage in to insult and degrade another person or group of people is always, in every instance, without exception a bad idea. There is no sociological, psychological, or anthropological evidence that this activity will lead to anything other than a fight, a war, or a terrorist attack. This is so egregiously wrong that it should be removed from anyone's list of options that happens to have a maturity level above a ten year old.
Redeeming quality…
It has been suggested that anyone who would agree that the Christian bible is itself "smut" should back this campaign. There are variations on the definition of the word smut, none of which I would use to describe any theological text. Regardless of you opinion of the Christian bible, supporting a position that places yourself or a group in a position of advocating an activity that is the most insulting to someone you disagree with is simply absurd. One would expect that we could disagree without being disagreeable.
It has also been suggested that it is in fact the religions extremist are themselves responsible for the perception of the porn industry and thus anyone else who does not subscribe to their rhetoric would not find porn objectionable. This is simply an ill conceived argument. I am personally aware of people who follow no particular theological practice that find issue with many points the Christian dogma condemns.
Going after our own…
My position of displeasure and disappointment in this group as well as my vocal condemnation is a direct result of my position of "cleaning one's own house". I do constantly remind my Christian and Muslim friends that it is their responsibility to stand up against what they themselves claim is a bad representation of their own respective faiths. (Pat Robertson or Alhaji Mutallab for example…) If someone is misrepresenting, degrading or outright insulting or damaging a mutual position it is the responsibility of every person sharing that position to not only work to condemn the activity but initiate activity to counter the destructive activity itself.
To the students of the University of Texas – San Antonio atheist group, I strongly encourage you to withdraw from any future activity that even remotely resembles this type of engagement as well as issuing a full public apology not only the any religious theology you have obviously insulted but to the entire world of atheists who have now damaged by your actions.
- Peace, Chad
Views: 270
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text:
Death Proof (UK - BD RB)
Chris has also taken a look at Quentin Tarantino's half of the Grindhouse flick
Three friends—Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and local radio disc jockey 'Jungle' Julia Lucai (Sydney Poitier)—are driving trough Austin, Texas on their way to a bar to celebrate Julia's birthday. However, unbeknownst to them, they are being followed by a mysterious man in a souped-up 1970 Chevy Nova with a skull on the hood. While drinking at the Bar, Julia reveals that she made an announcement on her show earlier that day, offering a free lap dance from Arlene to the first guy to call her Butterfly, buy her a drink and recite a certain poem. As the evening wears on, we're introduced to Pam (Rose McGowan), who has been left stranded at the bar by her boyfriend. Her plight is overheard by another patron, who introduces himself as 'Stuntman Mike' (Kurt Russell) and offers to give her a ride home.
After spending some time at the bar flirting with Pam, Mike approaches the other girls and zeroes in on Arlene. Although initially frightened by Mike, he fulfils all of the necessary criteria for the lap dance and she agrees to go through with it to prove she's not 'chicken shit'. At the end of the evening Arlene leaves with Julia, Shanna and their pot dealer Lanna, while Stuntman Mike gives Pam a lift home in his 'death proof' stunt car. Shortly after leaving the bar, Mike reveals himself to be a sadistic misogynist as he takes the terrified Pam on a high speed ride before breaking hard enough to force her to smash face-on into the dashboard, killing her. Mike then sets his sights on the other girls, overtaking their car and then hurtling towards them at high speed with his lights off. A split second before impact Mike flips his lights on, but it's too late for the unfortunate girls, who are all killed in a variety of gruesome ways.
Fourteen months later, after being cleared of any wrongdoing in girls' deaths, Mike is once again on the prowl, this time in Lebanon, Tennessee. He comes across another car full of girls—Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), and Kim (Tracie Thoms)—who all work in the movie industry. They are on their way to the airport to pick up another of their friends, stuntwoman Zoë Bell, after which they stop off for a bit to eat. In the diner Zoë manages to convince them to take a detour so that she can test drive a white 1970 Dodge Challenger (or the 'Vanishing Point car' as she calls it). The girls agree, unaware that they are being stalked by the deranged Mike who once again tries to use he 'death proof' car to lethal effect. However, these ladies are no damsels in distress, and when Mike makes his move he realises that he might just have fucked with the wrong women.
As with Planet Terror, Death Proof has been extended beyond the original theatrical version, with around twenty-four minutes of additional footage reinstated. I didn't see Death Proof in its original incarnation and without a commentary track it's hard to say exactly where the new footage fits in, but I'm sure the helpful folks at the IMDb will be able to sort you out if you're interested.
Death Proof is a film of two halves, and nowhere is this better illustrated than the video presentation. Arriving at its theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (1080/24p AVC), the first half of the film is much like its counterpart Planet Terror, with innumerable film artefacts and many a visual hiccup. It's not quite in the same league as the beautiful filth of Rodriguez's film, but it is still intentionally grimy and therefore quite hard to objectively criticise (not that reviewing is entirely objective anyway).
However, about half way through, just as the film moves into its second act, the transfer suddenly switches from grindhouse to gorgeous. Gone are film artefacts and print damage (save for a few minor white specks here and there), to be replaced by a strong, detailed image with bold colours and an almost 'shiny' appearance. It's quite jarring, but ultimately an effective tool for visually separating the first act from the second. On balance I think I actually prefer the dirty opening act, because it helps sell the low-budget feel and somewhat dubious acting, but all-in-all I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the transfer, probably even slightly more so than Planet Terror.
Death Proof arrives with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack that, like the video, has a bit of a split personality. The first act is almost exclusively front-oriented, with what little surround action there is being restricted to the patter of rain during a few scenes at the bar and the occasional musical cue. In fact the rears are used so sparingly you could be forgiven for thinking that you're listening to a stereo mix at times (albeit with some nice panning). During this segment dialogue is also a little hard to discern, but after a while I came to the conclusion that it was an intentional move on Tarantino's part. The stand out element for me was the bass, which roars with guttural ferocity every time Stuntman Mike revs his muscle car's engine.
The second act of the film opens up the soundstage considerably, with greater integration of all five channels and—gasp—even some discrete sound effects. Dialogue is also easier to pick out in this segment, while bass remains as throaty as ever. However, what really impressed me was the quality of the soundtrack. Unlike Rodriguez's Carpenter-esque score for Planet Terror, Tarantino has opted for his usual blend of quirky and downright catchy songs. It is their presence that helps to elevate the track from average to great, and I defy anyone to be able to get April March's 'Chick Habit' out of their head.
The Death Proof Blu-ray is a little bit of a let-down after the fantastic supplemental material found on the Planet Terror disc, but what there is manages to entertain. Once again I've decided to break the extras down into separate entries, rather than write about them in elongated paragraphs.
Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof (20:39 SD): This is one of the longest featurettes on the disc and deservedly so. It concentrates on the insane men and women who drove the cars in the film, pulling off all of the crazy stunts that are often accomplished with computers nowadays. Tarantino talks about the various stunt drivers, who include Chrissy Weathersby, Steve Davison, Tracy Dashnaw and the legendary Buddy Joe Hooker. It's impressive to watch these guys perform the incredible stunts at upwards of seventy miles per hour!
Introducing Zoë Bell (08:57 SD): This is a short featurette that introduces us to the stuntwoman turned actress, who first worked with Tarantino on Kill Bill (where she doubled Uma Thurman). Bell is an incredibly likeable Kiwi with an infectious personality and a lot of talent. The director is clearly very impressed with her work on the film, both as an actor and as a stunt performer.
Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike (09:32 SD): This featurette introduces us to the character of Stuntman Mike and includes interview footage with both Tarantino and Kurt Russell. They discuss topics such as the genesis of the character and the life experience that Russell was able to bring to the role.
Finding Quentin's Gals (21:13 SD): As you might expect, this featurette details the casting process for all of the major female parts. Tarantino and some of the girls are on hand to discuss the process, with much time spent on Vanessa Ferlito (he wrote the part for her), Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Uncut Version of 'Baby, It's You' Performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead: This is just the full take of the actress singing 'Baby it's You', which proves that Winstead actually has a pretty decent voice.
The Guys of Death Proof (08:14 SD): This is the companion piece to Finding Quentin's Gals and once again features Tarantino enthusing about Michael Parks, Eli Roth, Omar Doom, Michael Bacall and, er, himself. It wasn't as interesting as the girls featurette (for obvious reasons), but I liked it well enough.
Quentin Tarantino's Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke (04:36 SD): This is a short love letter to Tarantino's long-time editor, Sally Menke. Again, it mostly features the director in talking head mode, discussing his working relationship with Menke and generally telling us how great she is. There's also an amusing bit at the end where he gets various members of the cast to say hi to her on film.
Double Dare Trailer (02:35 SD): This is a trailer for a documentary about Zoë Bell and legendary stunt woman Jeannie Epper, who used to double Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman. Jeannie Epper's list of credits is astonishing, as is the fact that she still continues to work into her sixties.
Death Proof International Trailer (02:20 SD): Although it makes no mention of either Planet Terror or Grindhouse, the trailer is actually pretty decent, even if it does slightly misrepresent the film.
International Poster Gallery: again, this basically does what it says on the tin. I'm not a big fan of still galleries, but it's nice that they've been included all the same.
Extended Music Cues: Extended versions of three musical cues by Ennio Morricone, Guido & Maurizio de Angelis and Franco Micalizzi. All three are presented in PCM audio, which is nice.
BD-Live: As with Planet Terror, the BD-Live features for this release are not available more than two weeks after release. What a gyp.
I said it in my Planet Terror review and I'll say it again here: I have no frame of reference to accurately compare this film to grindhouse movies of old. I didn't grow up watching them and I haven't discovered a love for them in later life. I guess it's a cultural thing, as movies of that nature seem to be a much bigger deal in the States than here in the UK. If you want to read a review full of comparisons and references to other genre flicks you'll have to wait until our own Gabe Powers gets his hands on the films.
With all of that said, I liked Death Proof. It's not without its shortcomings—forced dialogue and stilted, amateurish delivery—but many of those can be attributed to the intended tone of the piece (at least I hope that's the case). The cast are generally likeable, the girls are serious eye-candy and Russell's Stuntman Mike is a memorable villain. The stunts are also fantastic, and that's coming from someone who's not that into cars and vehicular stunts in general.
Once again I'm glad I waited for the Blu-ray release of the film for the enhanced audio-visual presentation, but I can't help feeling a little short-changed by the extras. They're not bad, but there's nothing particularly exciting either. Perhaps one day we'll get the full Grindhouse experience on Blu-ray, but until that day this makes a pretty decent stopgap if only for the strength of the A/V transfer.
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Chris Gould
Existing Posts
Wow, Tarantino used to make films using your DVD player? Talented bloke indeed.
let's not waste time fu_manchu is precise & to the point about this turd of a movie. I wrote elsewhere more on why I hated Death Proff so cannot be bothered to retype it but QT seriously damaged his reputation, & his future boxoffice credentials. I'll be RENTING after this debacle still at least I can remember QT when he could make quality movies on my DVD player. yet I haven't shook that bitter taste from DP 1-2 yrs later.
Fu_Manchu wrote: this movie is such a massive piece of c**p
Yeah Gabe, my Mrs enjoyed it as well, which is very odd for her. She mostly likes Sex and the City and s**t like that.
Yeah Gabe, my Mrs enjoyed it as well, which is very odd for her. She mostly likes Sex and the City and s**t like that.
this movie is such a massive piece of c**p
I just showed this to my mother while she was visiting, and she loved it. In fact, every woman I know that saw the film liked it. Between this and Kill Bill QT finally opened up all our girlfriends to exploitation classics. Though I'm not sure any of them are quite ready for Cannibal Holocaust yet.
The car chase is very good, but the girls in the second half I have never warmed up to. He spends so much time on the first set of girls, that the second set just seem like another helping of the same thing meal, just not as fresh or warm as the initial serving. The shorter cut helps because a lot of the yadda yadda is removed and we get what we wanted to see; T&A and fast cars.
I think Death Proof is an all round stunning piece of work from QT, especially the car chase 2nd half which has been watched many a time. But then I'm a stickler for a good car chase.
I grew up seeing these kind of double feature films at the drive-in and the local "grindhouse" theater (we called it the dollar movie). So I was excited to see this film experience. However, the public was massively misinformed just what this experience was and when I had the chance to go (two weeks after it opened) it was already out of my local theaters.
I finally got to see Planet Terror and Death Proof in their single, extended film form on DVD. I initially was very put off by Death Proof (love Planet Terror). The first half in Austin I loved, but absolutely loathed the second half with the new girls. I thought the demise of Stuntman Mike was weak. Through many viewings in this extended format, I still couldn't get beyond how the second half really drags the film down.
Then finally I saw the "experience" on Encore. They presented both films in their shorter forms, back to back with fake trailers and advertisements between the end of Terror and the start of Proof, and it was only then that I warmed up to Death Proof. I still think Tarantino could have created a stronger demise for Stuntman Mike, and the Austin first half is still far better, but all in all, seen as it was intended it is a fun companion piece to Planet Terror, fake trailers & advertisements.
I finally got to see Planet Terror and Death Proof in their single, extended film form on DVD. I initially was very put off by Death Proof (love Planet Terror). The first half in Austin I loved, but absolutely loathed the second half with the new girls. I thought the demise of Stuntman Mike was weak. Through many viewings in this extended format, I still couldn't get beyond how the second half really drags the film down.
Then finally I saw the "experience" on Encore. They presented both films in their shorter forms, back to back with fake trailers and advertisements between the end of Terror and the start of Proof, and it was only then that I warmed up to Death Proof. I still think Tarantino could have created a stronger demise for Stuntman Mike, and the Austin first half is still far better, but all in all, seen as it was intended it is a fun companion piece to Planet Terror, fake trailers & advertisements.
Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 26th January 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Dolby Digital 5.1 Italian, Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: English HoH, Spanish
Extras: Featurettes, Trailers, Poster Gallery, Extended Music Cues
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Sydney Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton
Genre: Thriller
Length: 114 minutes
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text:
Copyright Troll John Steele Insists That 70-Year Old Is Responsible For Porn Downloads... Even If Someone Else Used WiFi
from the uh,-no dept
And while it's entirely possible that a 70-year-old would download porn (who says they don't like porn?), in this case, the woman seems suitably confused about what's going on that it seems unlikely. At best, it sounds like she has an open WiFi, which someone else may have used. But, Steele is falsely claiming this doesn't matter:
The letter from Steele suggests that someone else using an unsecured wireless network isn't a viable legal defense for the account holder, noting that downloaders of child pornography have employed this excuse to no avail....This is simply untrue. In fact, generally speaking, US law and courts recognize that "service providers" don't have liability for third party usage of their networks. There are some conditions and exceptions, but to make a blanket claim like Steele did is simply false. Given his track record with these lawsuits and the attempts to pressure people into settling, it's no surprise that he'd mislead like that, but hopefully it just leads up to yet another court smacking him down.
In an interview, he said anyone who fails to secure their Wi-Fi is as responsible for the subsequent crimes or tragedies as a parent who leaves a loaded gun within reach of a 3-year old.


text:
SIAC says you should 'be part of the solution'
I've been working on a story about the metro Phoenix area and how a number of municipalities there are all watching each other very closely, waiting to see who will be the first to go to verified response for alarms. Initially I blogged about Goodyear and now it's Avondale making noise. I first blogged about this trend waiting to happen back at the end of March. At the time, I spoke with C.O.P.S. vice president of special projects Maria Malice who is president of the AzAA. She's been working tirelessly to make sure things turn out in a mutually satisfactory way. "We really want to work with them," Malice said. "With more and more cities waiting to see who's going to be first to go verified response it's critical that we be there working with them."
In my reporting on the story, I also spoke with SIAC executive director Stan Martin, who also went down to Arizona to speak with the folks in Avondale (who ditched the verified response idea, by the way). He showed me some new stuff on the SIAC site.
There's a link to a pretty impressive news video that convinced right away what a bad idea VR is. Check the video out:
Stan also mentioned that SIAC's looking for funds. If you haven't given in support of SIAC, check out the video they've put out, which highlights some of what they do. As Stan says, "Be part of the solution."

May 14th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

I see your point Mike. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I agree about the need for better service. I feel like the verified alarms movement whereby police have been responding to the efforts of companies like RSI and Sonitrol by offering priority response to alarms when they're proactively verified via video or audio by the alarm company makes a lot of sense.

As far as the video is concerned, I was under the impression that the video from the store was from a legacy CCTV with a DVR and that it wasn't part of the alarm system and so wouldn't have been utilitarian as a verification tool… But again, that's just my assumption. Regardless, however, assuming the alarm was false and calling the the RP to show up with keys is part of ECV, isn't it? It's certainly part of VR.

Again, thanks for the comment.


text:
Exactly. That's why I don't really understand what Ray wants to point out...
Hmmm... not sure about the "exactly" part. If I understood correctly, Rays wants to point out that your proposed test proves only that "the same" is "the same," i.e., proves nothing.
Cropping from the center is of course important to achieve the same effect, if cropping off-center one will instead simulate a shifted lens, and shift is as we know often used for perspective control in architecture photography.
Ray,To take the discussion further you need to post images that proves your point. Here's an experiment for you:1. Mount the camera on a tripod, point it at some area with geometric objects, like a playground or similar2. Shoot two photographs with one wide angle and one longer focal length (or use a zoom). Do not move the camera or change its direction.3. Make sure that you apply distortion correction in your raw converter so the lenses render as close as possible to perfect rectilinear4. Crop the wide angle so it has the exact same FOV as the longer focal length5. Compare.If I understand you correctly you claim that there will be some more difference apart from lower resolution. I have not been able to understand what difference that would be from all your long posts. Can you describe in a short way what you mean the difference between cropping a wider and using a longer focal length would be?I can give you a lead: the experiment above will show that there is no difference to be found.
Now this is what I suspect is going on here. People like JJJ and Bart, and others, are trying to claim that images taken with wide-angle lenses only appear to have a different perspective as a result of various lens distortions, ...
Linear perspective always works by representing the light that passes from a scene through an imaginary rectangle (the painting), to the viewer's eye. It is similar to a viewer looking through a window and painting what is seen directly onto the windowpane. If viewed from the same spot as the windowpane was painted, the painted image would be identical to what was seen through the unpainted window.
All I'm asking is for some bright spark to provide the explanation for these obvious exceptions and inconsistencies, as in the following example which highlights the problem and perhaps even proves that people like JJJ and Bart are wrong on this issue. I never accuse people of being wrong unless I'm also able to provide reasons and evidence for their being wrong.In view of the categorical statement from JJJ that "Cropping has zero effect on perspective, nor does print/sensor size or viewing distance and the biggest myth of all, focal length", then why have you required the act of cropping, in procedure # 4 above, in order to demonstrate that cropping has no effect on perspective?If two images taken with different focal lengths of lens appear to have the same perspective, and after cropping one of the images, the perspective is still the same, then that would demonstrate that cropping has no effect on perspective, provided one repeated the cropping a few times with different images just to be sure there were no exceptions.However, if all images taken from the same position, without exception, appear to have the same perspective, whatever focal lengths of lens was used, then what is the purpose of cropping, in your experiment as described above? Are you with me so far?
Now this is what I suspect is going on here. People like JJJ and Bart, and others, are trying to claim that images taken with wide-angle lenses only appear to have a different perspective as a result of various lens distortions, and that cropping removes such distortions to reveal the true perspective which is determined only by lens position.
Hi Ray,You suspect wrong.Re-read the posts that were linked to before, and you'll see that lens distortions play no role in linear perspective, they are merely aberrations.
We're simply dealing with an apparent perspective distortion caused by projection on a flat plane, and from usually viewing it from the wrong position/distance. If the flat plane projection were to be viewed from the proportionally correct position, the perspective would look exactly the same at it did in real life.Linear perspective always works by representing the light that passes from a scene through an imaginary rectangle (the painting), to the viewer's eye. It is similar to a viewer looking through a window and painting what is seen directly onto the windowpane. If viewed from the same spot as the windowpane was painted, the painted image would be identical to what was seen through the unpainted window.
"torger" summed it up pretty well in the preceding post, so I see no further need to keep repeating what has been said before by myself and others.
Grief Ray are you trying to convince everyone you have lost your marbles? Cropping is done so you can [easily] compare same sized image subjects side by side, thus proving that it is position, not lens choice that affects perspective. The only difference then is image quality.
It seems to me that you are describing self-explanatory things like "a wider lens has a wider FoV and therefore perspective appears different"?
The most natural-looking perspective is typically something whose focal length is close to the diagonal of the sensor, the appearance becomes close to what our eyes experience. As soon as you crop you effectively lengthen focal length and get a more compressed perspective in the image, but you also see less.
When people say that cropping has no effect on perspective what they mean is that no angles or relations change in the scene, ie no magic lightbending happens. They don't mean that the appearance of the perspective of final image does not change, because it does of course.
It's a confusion around how people use the word "perspective". You seem to use it in a painter's way, the apparent perspective in the final image, while those other guys use it as the eye see it when at the actual scene (ie "to get a different perspective you need to move to a different view point").
Partly in the discussion it seems like there are some deliberate misunderstandings and misinterpretations which makes it very difficult to move the discussion forward.
Viewing distance of the image can change the appearance too, if you stand very far away from a tele shot it may look more natural and less compressed, as what you see is so small it could be a cutout of what the eye sees. Likewise standing very close to a large print of a wide angle shot can make it appear more natural, as long as you look at the center and don't turn your head.
But in practice viewing distance is rather irrelevant I think as one nearly always watch an image at a typical distance and/or the trained eye has learnt to concentrate on what's in the frame only, ie a wide angle will always have the wide angle perspective look and the tele will have that compressed look.
I rest my case.
Good. Get all the rest you can. Because I don't think even you know what you're talking about any longer. Not that you ever did, at least in this regard.
Bob,This is a photographic forum, not a mathematics or geometry forum.
A photograph is usually a 2-dimensional representation, on a flat surface, of a particular scene that the photographer captured with camera and lens of choice.
Linear perspective is a scientific theory attributed to the architect Fillipo Brunelleschi, sometime around the year 1413.Now don't tell me, whilst I've been discussing the perception of perspective as it appears on photographic images, all along you've been discussing Brunelleschi's scientific theory and never once mentioned it.
I'm using the same term Bart (and I think JJJ) used. You can obfuscate all you want. You're wrong. You've always been wrong on this and if you persist in the silliness you've been engaging in up till now you'll continue to be wrong.
Original poster here. Shall I change the subject title to: 'when is much too much?'? :-)


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By M. ALEXIS SCOTT
Following more than a year of recovery from the "biggest school cheating scandal in U.S. history," Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Erroll Davis told a group of educators, business and civic leaders on Aug. 14 that the system is now "poised to succeed."
Davis, who joined the system in the wake of the school test cheating investigation in 2011 that implicated 187 educators in more than 50 schools, said that the system is now "on the right path."
"Things will be better, not just for a few, but for all of our students," he told the audience gathered Tuesday morning at the Cecil B. Day Chapel at The Carter Center.
Davis, who has agreed to remain beyond his interim status, said he is committed to implement plans and programs that will "build a culture of excellence" across all operations: students, teachers, administrators, staff and facilities.
Davis was introduced by young James Bond, a fourth-grader at West Manor Elementary School. Bond, nephew of Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond, introduced himself as "My name is Bond, James Bond." To the audience's delight, Young Master Bond went on to say that he was a straight A student and had perfect attendance last year.
His father Jeffrey Bond and Principal Dr. Reginald Lawrence looked on with pride. He told the audience they could get more information on him and Davis on the Internet. "You can Google him, too."
When Davis began his report, he praised the young student by saying he wasn't sure he could top his presentation.
Davis said it has been a busy year, and that he is optimistic that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will restore the school system's full accreditation. He said that the system has learned "powerful lessons" that will propel everyone forward.
Davis recognized the school board and several educators including Elisha R. Gray, a special education teacher at Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year and a state finalist for 2013; and Cascade Elementary School Principal Alfonso Jessie Jr., who has been with the school system since 1966. He called them a source of inspiration for the system.
Noting the flap over school closings and new bus schedules, Davis said parental engagement is one of the priority areas of the system moving forward. He admitted that many decisions had to be made and that some may have gotten ahead of adequate communications.
"Now that we have begun to stabilize the school system, we can focus on the real work of educating students," Davis said. He also expressed his appreciation to students, parents, educators, and other business and civic leaders for their support of the system.
He promised a "more consistent, aggressive and strategic focus across the entire school system" to improve student achievement. Davis pointed out that the performance problems in the school system are wide and deep. He said the system has only "a small subset of high performing schools," and it will take a lot of work over a long period of time to see improvement. Dramatic improvements are two to three years away, he said.
He said his review of the school system showed more than 200 initiatives had been attempted over the years to improve student performance, but they only worked "episodically, periodically and nothing worked systemically."
His review "revealed a disturbing trend," he said. We saw a tale of separate school systems. We created those disparities."
School Board Chair Reuben R. McDaniel III, praised Davis for being an accomplished leader who has brought them past the cheating scandal and its fallout.
"He is doing great things," McDaniel said in greeting the audience. "He has turned around operations… and everyone is "united in building a high-performing school system."
He said the system will work to improve all schools with a focus on four areas:
excellence, equity, ethics and engagement.
"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to be better," Davis said quoting NBA coach and executive Pat Riley.
Davis promised to invest more in professional development for teachers, encourage more collaboration among teachers and schools and use more sophisticated measures to increase student achievement.
He said he has placed administrators in the central office to monitor and maximize performance across the system. He said the school closings – seven – were not just about saving money, but also reallocating resources to meet other needs.
"We will narrow the disparities, not by bringing down the top, but by bringing up the bottom," he said.
"The integrity of innocent children should never be called to questions," Davis said. "We will have zero tolerance for unethical behavior." He said the every school has ethics advocates.
Of the 178 employees implicated in the test cheating scandal, 135 are no longer in the system. The have either resigned, retired or been terminated. He said 13 educators have been reinstated. The disposition of about 25 remains to be determined, but as of July 1, none of them were on the payroll.
"We are ready to put this very sad episode behind us."


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Date published: 2012-10-12


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It is now the run up to the final exams of my A2s so, not being nearly as clever as my parents think I am, I need to do a lot of revision too get the grades I need to get into university. The issue is, I really want too continue making bentos because I don't like the school food very much and I'm concerned about its nutritional value.
I already make lunches the night before because of the time it takes me to get ready in the mornings. Obviously I know that not cutting things into pretty shapes (although mum taught me a great trick to do carrot flowers quicker), and eating more couscous are good ones, but does anyone have any more sugestions?
Well I guess this is a little silly reply but you can try to put cherry tomatoes (just wash them a bit and they are done) as well as cocktail sausages... I guess you can cook them in the microwave. Also, try baby carrots and babybell cheese, grapes, kashews and dry fruits...
You know, try foods that are small and that don't really need to be cooked. I usually put those in my bentos and they are great. Besides, if you use raw veggies (like fruit or salads) they'll have more vitamins and you won't feel too heavy for the afternoon :)
I hope this helps! :D
My bento blog: http://justbento.com/blog/1305
My art blog: http://jizaacaso.deviantart.com
When I'm busy, we eat a lot of boiled eggs rolled in soy sauce, and fruit or raw veggies instead of cooked veggies. I also eat yogurt frequently with lunch--it keeps you full for longer.
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|L-R invitation, the banner, Sage making a wish, the kids making their custom snack mixes, the view from above, Cherry 7 Up: age of the birthday girl, the inspiration for the color scheme, and choice of beverage
We kicked it off with a snack mix table where the kids got to scoop their own custom snack mix into a ziploc bag. There were things like chocolate animal crackers (my new favorite!), goldfish, peanuts, almonds, craisins, marshmallows, fruit snacks, pretzels, and honeycomb cereal to choose from. Then we played a memory game where there were double pictures of Sage on the wall that were covered and they had to match the pictures. We played boys against girls and I can't believe how hyped up they were the entire game! They were so competitive and they loved seeing baby pictures of Sage.
After the memory game we put a balloon on everybody's ankle and they tried to pop each other's until we finally declared a 3-way tie between the last balloons standing. Those last three kids would have been there for hours, Bailey being one of them. The kids really had a blast with this one. It was loud and crazy. One mom came in the front door during this game and was very concerned at the noise :D Several kids asked if we could play it again. So if you're looking for a fun party game and you can stand crazed children and the volume, this is a great one!
I made 7 Up cupcakes at the request of the 7 year old birthday girl for the guests; and made her a tiny layer cake using her easy bake pans so she could have something that would hold 7 candles. After cake she opened her mountain of presents and we played a game of pictionary. A lot of kids started getting picked up at this point. We sent them all home with a thank you cookie and collapsed on the couch!
My goals for this party were:
- that Sage have a fabulous birthday first and foremost: check
- not have a need for utensils: check
- sew something: check (remember I am not handy with a sewing machine) I sewed the banner!
- not buy invites, favors, or decorations: check
I'd say the party was a success. It was made all that more special that both her grandmas, grandpa, Uncle Jim, Aunt Kellie, and Aunt Cris could come too!


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Treatment Options for Metastatic Gastric Cancer
I have a 33 year-old sister who has developed stage IV gastric cancer. The cancer was discovered last May 1999 and 85% of her stomach was cut out and 3/15 lymph nodes were positive. Recently, the cancer has come back outside of her stomach and has metastasized to her liver. Can you point me to any clinical trials?
Li Liu, MD, OncoLink Editorial Assistant, responds:
Dear P,
Thank you for your interest and question.
The standard care for patients with metastatic gastric cancer has been 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Some small randomized studies have demonstrated the survival advantage of 5-FU based chemotherapy plus supportive care over supportive care alone (Semin Oncol 1996 Jun;23(3):397-406). Some newer combination chemotherapy regimens have shown very high response rates. Unfortunately, the chance of cure for patients with advanced gastric cancer is low. New cytotoxic agents currently under investigation for advanced gastric cancer include irenotecan, taxol, gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, UFT, endostatin, and some immunotherapy agents.
Numerous clinical trials testing these agents and other treatments are available, either national or in some local medical centers. You can search active clinical trials through CancerNet, which is sponsored by National Cancer Institute.


text:
Open Source Contributions
1. SmartPOS 3.2. Advanced Integrated Point of Sale 100% Web and Integrated with SmartERP (Idempiere Distro)
2. Enhanced financial reports extension for Idempiere/Adempiere ERP
3. Panama localization for Idempiere/Adempiere ERP
And much more.
Conferences & Events
SmartJSP at the National University Radio: In recent days, we shared on the radio at Universidad Nacional, the following discussion on the best IT practices in the agricultural and livestock sectors, and some details about our SmartGanadero, Smartagro solutions:
http: //www.unradio.unal.edu.co/detalle/cat/el-coloquio/cy/2013/cm/8/article/pedro-rozo.html
SmartJSP in Krefeld, Germany, During 2015 & 2013, we had the pleasure of participating in the first and second global conferences of Idempiere ERP, sharing our technological advances and contributions with the SmartPOS solution, in the following URL, you will find information related to this event which was organized in Krefeld, Germany. http://wiki.idempiere.org/en/IDempiere_World_Conference & http://wiki.idempiere.org/en/IDempiere_World_Conference_2015


text:
How 'bout that person determined to make an impression with - eye bought, eye own, eye have, eye like, eye am so popular eye can't get enough of myself. Eye get so many wonderful emails from my throng of fans. Eye get so many checks in the mail. Eye had such a tough day with the Bentley being in the shop & the maid calling in sick. (Hint: This is what's known as bragging. It's boring - not impressive, enlightening or entertaining.) Want to mention a cool review or terrific news - GREAT - but don't take it to nauseating lengths. Just kinda makes everyone's EYES glaze over anyway.
Eye also despise when folks jump into a discussion on a specific blog / chat / conversation topic & try hijacking it to shamelessly promote themselves & their work, without at least a disguised attempt at providing topic-related input. Eye think that's rude. It's okay to say "eye tried it this way" or "eye had some success with _____ " or "eye had something similar happen to me" if it pertains to the subject .... but then ... zip it.
Eye don't know. Eye guess eye have little tolerance for the self absorbed.
"See" y'all. Eye gotta go now.


text:
Stories About My Father - Part 3: William Stafford as Witness
January 30, 2014
William Stafford (1914–93) taught at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon for 30 years. He achieved international acclaim as the author of dozens of volumes of poetry, winner of a National Book Award, consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, and Oregon Poet Laureate.
His son Kim Stafford is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, and the director of the Northwest Writing Institute at Lewis & Clark, where he has taught since 1979.
In this 3-part video series, Kim Stafford reflects on how his father lived, thought, taught, wrote, and, most importantly, listened—and what came of all that.


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text:
Local Veterans Day events planned
Veterans Day falls on Sunday this year and area veterans groups, municipalities, schools and other organizations plan events to honor those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Oneida Legion Post Commander Leo Matzke of Oneida urges area citizens to recognize the sacrifices men and women have made for this country.
"I think that Veterans Day is one of the most important holidays of the year," Matzke said. "It celebrates all vets."
Matzke recalled the phrase "All gave some, but some gave all," a sentiment shared by most branches of the military and the subject of Billy Ray Cyrus' hit song in 1992.
"I think there is a certain history of how we are all intertwined," Matzke said, "and that's important to remember."
Local events that are open to the public follows:
Canastota: The American Legion Charles Miller Post 140 in Canastota will host a 21 gun salute and flag ceremony at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11. The Legion will raise the flag at Clark Park at 11 a.m. and then conduct a solemn a flag burning at Charles Miller Post 140 at 1 p.m.
Oneida: Oneida American Legion Post 169 will have its flag burning ceremony at 3 p.m. at the post followed by a dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. to honor Vietnam veterans. Members and kids under five eat free, all visiting vets are only charged $1. Anyone else is $3.
Vernon: William Russell Post 404 in Vernon will have a color guard detail at Vernon City Hall at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 11.
Hamilton: Lloyd Evans Post 375 in Hamilton will hold a service at the Veteran's Memorial in Hamilton Park at 12:30 p.m. in Nov. 11.
Sherrill: The Sherrill Post 230 will have a ceremony at memorial field in the triangle park at 11 a.m. followed by an honor guard presentation. There will be a reception right afterward at Post 230.
Wampsville: Army veteran John Ready will speak at the Madison County War Veteran's Memorial at the County Office Complex in Wampsville on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. There will be a reception afterward at the Fireman's Hall.
"It takes all of our veterans in various roles for the military to work," Matzke said. "We honor our veterans that protect this country, protect each other and protect our freedom."


text: COTONOU (Reuters) - Tomb raiders have dug up more than 100 graves at a cemetery in Benin since Saturday for what authorities suspect is a black-market trade in human organs and skulls for voodoo ritual fetishes. The incident is the most serious case of grave-robbing in the West African state, the world capital of voodoo where most of the country's 9 million residents practice a benign form of the official religion. Authorities in Dangbo, a village 10 km (6 miles) from the capital Porto-Novo, began an investigation after a mason working at the cemetery said he spotted several masked men digging up the graves, from which organs and skulls were removed. "The desecration of graves is about money in this region," said Joseph Afaton, director of the cemetery.


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I had an interesting chat with a friend about her talented 9 year old.
Johnny (not his real name) is about to do his ABRSM grade 5 on the trumpet, which is pretty good going for his age.
Like many people who want to give their child a really comprehensive music education my friend and her son are considering starting a second instrument.
My friend thought he might start on the piano.
Now, as someone who loves playing piano and who tried to become a concert pianist I am the first to extol the many virtues of the piano.
But, and there is always a But – the piano is not for everybody. There will be limited time to practise a second study instrument – and I would say that piano needs regular practise of around 30 minutes most days to get to a level of proficiency where things are starting to become fun. I would say that other instruments can be more forgiving.
Piano music is also slightly more difficult to read, as there are two staves and multiple notes and chords to be deciphered at the same time – rather different to reading music for a single line melodic instrument. This is something which some children take to better than others and it is of course much dependent on practise.
The conversation started to take a more interesting turn though, when I asked:
"What does Johnny want to play?"
The answer was :
"Drum Kit"
I thought that was pretty clear then. Because:
I would always try to accommodate the child's wish of instrument. It can save a lot of arguing and when gently prodding to practise – which invariably you will have to with a young child. You can be comfortable in the knowledge that you have the moral high ground. After all, your child chose to play this instrument – you did not make them, and they should be aware that the expense of lessons brings with it some responsiblilty on the child's part to actually do some work!
Now I can totally understand why many a parent's heart would start to sink at that point. If you live in a flat or don't have the luxury of a studio or a garage where you can send you budding drummer to practise! A drum Kit can be VERY LOUD.
Luckily there now electronic starter drum kits for around £200 – they are much smaller than traditional drumkits and you play them through head phones – so really no noise at all! Do be careful about volume levels when your child is practising though – as you don't want to expose their ears to very high decibels – something which can precipitate hearing loss in later life. Something which also goes for listening to music on head phones. Of course you can normally also plug the kit into a pa and use it normally – who knows you kid might start up a band in due course.
By which time you probably really want to have that garage or shed.


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Law School Discussion
Applying to Law School
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Completely Intimidated to Apply
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Completely Intimidated to Apply
7 Replies
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Completely Intimidated to Apply
December 04, 2010, 03:20:30 AM »
Hi all,
This forum has been very helpful to me as I research more about the trials and tribulations of applying to law school. My biggest hesitance is my GPA. I received a 2.9 in my final year because of a lot of different factors; I paid my own way through college and I worked constantly my last two years to pay my living costs. It took its toll, considering I was a double major in literary journalism and criminology, law and society. Both required mountains of reading, writing and time, but I loved the subjects and got back so much more than any letter grade will ever show. That aside, I don't want to throw a "Woe is Me" party and make excuses; I simply should have chosen to work less and study more.
I'm considering whether or not to prepare for the LSAT, but what school in their right mind would accept such a low GPA? My LSAT score could potentially save me, but I do not have the means to take any tutoring or prep classes. I have the means to study on my own; I'll have the time to prepare, that's for sure. I'm currently serving in Central Asia as a Peace Corps Volunteer and the winters here are long and cold.
I also joined the forum that others keep talking about to see the school numbers and what not... all discouraging, haha. Still, I loved studying law in my undergrad work, though my grades do not show for it since those awesome law professors kicked my butt! My most difficult professor was the assistant dean to my university's law school; he taught using the Socratic Method, and people absolutely dreaded his class. I loved him, and I loved the anxiety of walking into his class to be potentially eaten alive that day.
I know I have the passion to pursue law school, but my GPA took a hit to my confidence in terms of the application process. Any advice would really be appreciated. Thank you!
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #1 on:
December 04, 2010, 07:58:06 AM »
From my understanding, Peace Corps is one of the few softs that holds any weight. If you can score a 170 or more, I do believe NOrthwestern would not be adverse to accepting you if you are concerned about rankings.
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #2 on:
December 04, 2010, 11:22:19 AM »
You can get into law school with a 2.9. If you score high on the LSAT there are numerous schools that would accept you and likley give you a significant scholarship. A 2.9 is probably not going to get you into the Ivy Leagues, but if you really do well you can transfer from a school into an ELITE school. The odds of that happening are not great, because 100% of students at any law school think they will finish in the top 10%. This results in 90% of incoming students falling short of that expectation.
Law school is like any other form of education and generally speaking it is what you make of it. A Harvard degree certainly helps, but with a 2.9 and a decent LSAT score you can definitely get into an ABA school. You will even have a good chance at getting significant scholarship money. If you pulled a 170 and 2.9 on the LSAT a lot of tier 2 or low tier 1 schools might almost give you a full ride or a lot of money.
Essentially the odds of you getting into a t14 as a first year student with a 2.9 are not very high. You can try to transfer into a better school for your second year, but do not count on it happening. However, even if you finish in the middle of the class at the 78th best school you can certainly go on to have an excellent legal career. You will have 40 years to work as a lawyer and if you are good at doing it you will succeed whether you went to Timbucktu Western-Eastern South state or Harvard. The main thing to worry about is whether you want to be a lawyer. If it is something you want to go then go to law school. . A 2.9 does not shut you out of law school by any means. It does shut you out of the Ivy Leagues for your first year though, but you can make it through and succeed. Good luck to you.
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #3 on:
December 06, 2010, 10:14:57 AM »
The posters above have both given you a lot of good information.
One thing you should do, though, is figure out what your LSAC GPA is. I'm guessing since you haven't yet taken the LSAT, you haven't paid for the Credential Assembly service through LSAC either. In order to make everything easier for the law schools, the LSAC standardizes undergraduate GPAs. They will look at all grades received from colleges through the completion of your bachelor's degree (so if you took college courses in high school, those count, but if, like me, you got an associate's degree after your bachelor's, those won't count). If you re-took a class and both grades appear on your transcript, they will count both grades.
With that in mind, here's a calculator you can use to determine your LSAC GPA:
Also, is the 2.9 only from your senior year and not your cumulative? Because schools care far more about the cumulative. You should still write a short addendum explaining the downward trend (heavy workload), but with a soft like PCV and a strong LSAT score, many will be able to overlook it.
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #4 on:
December 07, 2010, 05:34:54 AM »
Also -if you are serious about a particular law school, do well on the LSAT, and would have a good shot at being accepted but for your GPA, TALK TO THE DEAN. I think too many people take the fire-and-forget approach to their applications. If you have a compelling story (i.e. "excuse" for your GPA) and a strong LSAT you can dramatically improving your chances by getting off your duff, showing initiative, and pursuing the Dean to discuss your situation.
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #5 on:
December 07, 2010, 08:09:07 AM »
I'd suggest you give the admissions office at your local law school a call and talk with them. Admissions office people tend to be very nice, and many will give you their honest assessment of your chances of admission.
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #6 on:
December 11, 2010, 12:33:27 PM »
Thanks so much for all the responses; everyone had a lot of good advice and it's really helped me out. I've realized that it's been own passion to drive me towards law, and I'm a firm believer in the saying, "Ain't nothing to it, but to do it."
I'm thinking of setting the June exam as my goal. As an amusing tangent, I just wanted to throw in how humorous it is just in figuring out a way to get the resource materials to prepare. I live up north in the country of Kazakhstan; our Peace Corps office is down South, in the large city of Almaty. Our Peace Corps librarian informed me she has two LSAT books, complete with CDs, that she'd be happy to give me, but the current predicament is getting them up here. It's not work-related so she can't actually send them to me by mail because it's expensive... So now I'm waiting for a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer to return to Kazakhstan from her vacation in Croatia; her flight will arrive in Almaty, where she has agreed to retrieve the books. Then she will continue on to her home, in a city called Karaganda. Then a volunteer who lives in MY city will travel to Karaganda, because she had already intended to go down for the Christmas holiday. My books will exchange hands and then I will receive them upon friend's return to my city.
It will be interesting in June, because essentially I'll be taking a two-day train ride just to get to the sole office in Almaty that administers this test. I'll then take the test and regain my sanity on the two-day train ride back up North.
Like I said, tis a tangent! But thank you all again, and I'll continue to lurk around these forums and soak up more information because this knowledge really is beneficial to me. As I'd say in Russian here, da svidanya
45 y/o Non-Trad-2012 cycle
Re: Completely Intimidated to Apply
Reply #7 on:
December 12, 2010, 08:44:41 PM »
That'd be a great story to incorporate in your Personal Statement. Most folks just point and click for their books, or visit the
local Barnes & Noble.
"Yes, my books arrived by air cargo after being carried for 200 miles via mule train...."
Pages: [
Law School Discussion
Applying to Law School
Law School Admissions
Completely Intimidated to Apply


text:
Paul was just amazing. I love how, when he first came out, all the judges had this 'D: oh god no' look on their faces, and then he completely blew them away. <3~
& that woman looked like she was about to have an orgasm.
A performance that completely blew me away was Prince at the Super Bowl. Especially when he sang Purple Rain IN purple rain.
HOLY SHIT!! paul kicked ass although he looked so sad all the time...
i just got blown away by dream theater's 'the glass prison'. it seriously owns. alternate picking arpeggios?! i thought that never existed!! and the sweeping AAWW! the use of effects on this song and it's catchy and heavy. i listened to this many atimes today and am listening to it now. and they it was amazing live.
live version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7o8mEbgBCc&mode=related&search=
i saw those videos the other day and was amazed by both of them.
the little girl's performance is remarkable because she's six... i was expecting "i'm a little teapot".
paul was simply amazing since he's (as far as I know) untrained. i listen to a lot of opera, and while he certainly isn't on par with the greats he is phenomenal for an amateur. both of his performances were great, though i didn't care much for his song selection for the second performance. i know why he sung it - it has mass appeal and is very nice in it's own right, but personally i think there is much better stuff out there he could have sung.
Here is the original version by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman for anyone curious. btw, Andrea Bocelli is blind.
the great thing about paul is he'll hopefully turn more people on to opera. it's always been a misunderstood genre of music, and is rather intimidating to get into (but well worth the effort). i'm at the point were i rarely listen to anything other than classical, much of which is opera. to me, most anything else (at least of a pop or rock music variety) is starting to sound cheap and trashy.
Paul Potts again:
That ladies and gentlemen is why you never give up on your dreams.
Where is my pumpkin?!
I've just listened to Paul Potts just a few seconds ago and at first, I could honestly say, eventhough I've heard how many people have praised him, I had a doubt if he could actually sing in the first place. But, It was well worth it spending a few moments hearing such a great talent show itself at last. I think I've turned into a fan of his . . .


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Emergency Kit
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
The following information is provided as an illustration of good content for emergency kits. You may wish to put other things in your kits.
Emergency Service Pack
Be prepared for a mobilization call with an emergency service personal pack. To be ready in almost any kind of emergency, equip your pack using the following checklist:
_______ Poncho or raincoat (with hood, hat, or sou'wester)
_______ Change of underwear and socks
_______ Small bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, comb, needle, thread, shoelaces, and toilet paper
_______ Sleeping bag (or bedroll of two wool blankets) and waterproof ground cloth
_______ Maps of areas were your troop is likely to serve
_______ 50 feet of No. 5 sash cord or similar-sized nylon cord
_______ Hand ax or belt knife
_______ Water purification tablets
_______ Cook kit and canteen
_______ Flashlight
_______ Battery-powered radio
_______ Extra batteries (stored separately)
_______ Hard hat
_______ Other equipment as determined by weather (winter jacket, rubber boots, gloves, etc)
_______ Personal first aid kit
You can order a personal first aid kit through your local council service center, or you can make your own. Include gauze bandages, gauze pads, adhesive bandages, soap, burn ointment, and roller bandages.
Also put the following items in your pack if you have room. If you don't have room, store these in a box and keep them where you can quickly put them in your pockets.
_______ Matches in a waterproof container
_______ Emergency ration (well wrapped)
_______ Pencil and small notebook
_______ Handkerchief
_______ Extra adhesive bandages
_______ Compass
_______ Watch (unless you usually wear one)
_______ Scout knife
_______ Facial tissues
_______ Work gloves
Family Emergency Kit
If you received a flood warning and your family had to evacuate, you might have time to throw together a few items or dash to a well stocked emergency shelter. It would be better to have a box or suitcase of supplies ready. A prepared family keeps enough emergency supplies on hand to meet its needs for a few days or, better, for a week. These items come in handy in an emergency even if you do not have to evacuate. Some families keep their supplies in a basement shelter area or in a storm cellar, if they have one.
Include the following items:
_______ Three-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) stored in sealed, unbreakable containers such as plastic jugs
_______ Nonperishable packaged or canned foods and a nonelectric can opener
_______ Eating utensils
_______ Any special foods or other items for babies, elderly people, or disabled family members
_______ Family first aid kit
_______ Prescription medications
_______ Battery-powered radio
_______ Flashlight or lantern
_______ Extra batteries (stored separately)
_______ Matches
_______ Blankets, or a sleeping bag for each family member
_______ Emergency toilet, if needed -- use a garbage container, bucket, or similar watertight container with snug fitting lid; plastic bags for liners; and household disinfectant (chlorine bleach) for odor control


text:
Canadian Blank CD Levy To Increase By Another 38%
from the you're-a-criminal dept
The board notes that sales of blank CDs are declining, but justifies the increase by arguing that compression allows people to store more songs on a CD. Meanwhile, there's no levy on digital audio players (the Canadian record industry was worried it would legalize downloading and seemed to prefer to push for tougher copyright legislation instead). What's going to happen when the Copyright Board realizes that blank CD sales are likely declining, not because everyone is using compression, but because less people are using CDs? This "you're a criminal tax" has always been a short-term band-aid solution that's not going to fix the record industry's problem. Do Canadians really need to pay the record industry $30 million a year for the right to burn a few songs onto a CD every now and then? Luckily, the current government has expressed a desire to cancel the levy, though we'll have to wait and see if they can follow through.


text:
By Karl Terry: CNJ columnist
Remember being sent to the principal's office when you were in school?
If you don't then you came along after the days of corporal punishment in public schools because the sting of a wooden paddle will be seared into your memory if you grew up in that time. Even if you didn't get licks during your school days the threat of being bent over a principal's desk was a potent fear and just being sent to the office could reduce most kids to a pile of blubbery Jell-O.
I experienced both the anticipation and the actual red butt cheeks on two separate occasions during my matriculation.
In my dad's day teachers came off the farm and were tough as leather and had no problem dishing out proper punishment. Students then would get the business end of a paddle or a razor strap right in the classroom. There was also the threat of expulsion by being sent to the cloakroom (room at the back of classrooms where coats were hung).
Dad even got sent with his mouth taped up according to stories he told.
Too many parents with a clouded view of just how perfect their little angel really was eventually brought discipline dished out right in the classroom, to an end. Besides the possible punishment and the threat that your parents would be informed of your visit with the headmaster, being sent to the office was a stigma most good little boys like myself didn't want on their record.
Sadly, just months into my schooling in Mrs. Harmon's first grade class at L.L. Brown my record was stained. Cindy Branscum's blouse was also stained after I punched her in the nose during recess. I don't remember why I did it, on questioning her 25 years later at a class reunion she doesn't even remember the event. The consequences of being sent down to Mr. Wood's office stayed with me though.
I was sent down to the office where I ended up sitting in the big oak chairs outside Mr. Wood's office for the entire class period after lunch recess. I just received a good talking to before being sent back to class but that wasn't the source of my real trauma. The students were asked to bring their favorite books to school where the teacher would read them right after lunch recess every day. It was the day for my book to be read and I never got to hear Mrs. Harmon read "Barney Beagle" to our class.
While some scars can run deeper than physical punishment, I can still feel the heat on my backside after Mr. Carter gave me licks during my junior year.
I was caught red-handed exiting the high school parking lot in my 1968 Ford Fairlane amid a cloud of dust and gravel. I don't remember which teacher was crazy enough to step in front of my vehicle and send me to the office but I felt I had a good reason for driving that way.
It was homecoming and in those days we had a competition pitting the juniors and freshmen against the seniors and sophomores to see who could collect the most cardboard boxes for the fire. After a week or so of scavenging the alleys the easiest way to change the momentum came down to stealing from the opposing side's stash. We'd learned that the seniors were headed to Lyndon Johns house to make a raid and we needed to get there quick.
Mr. Carter gave me the choice of the paddle or an equal number of days in detention hall. He didn't hold anything back when he laid into me with that paddle. I tried to take it like a man but who knew a paddle could warm your backside that much and actually bring tears to your eyes.
Spare the rod and spoil the child — maybe — but Mr. Wood's form of punishment kept me out of the office for 10 years.


text:
Wayne County Historical Societys Museum Opens DAR Exhibit April 20, 1913In the late 1800s a revival in patriotism resulted in the formation of patriotic organizations. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) began on Oct. 11, 1890 after Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) closed its membership to women. Local sisters, Charlotte and Bertha Lane urged Harriet E. Rockwell Roberts, which were all members of DAR elsewhere, to organize a chapter in Honesdale. In 1913, Wayne Chapter DAR was granted a charter and the first meeting was held at the home of Harriets parents at 1416 Main Street, Honesdale. Her father belonged to SAR and several great-aunts had joined DAR chapters. First officers where, Regent, Harriet E. Rockwell Roberts; Vice-Regent, Mrs. Fred B. Whitney; Recording Secretary, Miss Ethel Lee; Corresponding Secretary, Miss Charlotte Lane; Treasurer, Miss Bertha Lane; Historian, Mrs. Homer Greene; Registrar, Miss S. Louise Hardenbergh; and Chaplin, Mrs. Eben Clark. The Board of Management was made up of Mrs. Eben Clark, Miss Marian Wilder, and Miss Alice Birdsall. Wayne Chapter chartered with 32 members and peaked in 1934-35 with 63 members. Among charter members were Honesdale born and nationally known artist Jennie Brownscombe and Helen (Hardenbergh) Cooke, who wrote Traditions of ... Wallenpaupack.
From the beginning, early chapter records show the emphasis on historical, educational, and patriotic endeavors laid out by the national organization (NSDAR) were supported. During the early years topics included womens right to vote, raising funds for Philippine scholarships, endowment, and construction of NSDARs Constitution Hall. World War I brought focus on aiding the war effort by donating to the European Red Cross and the retraining of wounded soldiers, knitting of 690 sweaters and 730 pairs of socks, canning several dozen jars of jelly, supporting a child (Jean Bouteiller) in France, and helping rebuild the childs home town. After the war, efforts focused on Americanization, American orphan relief, and child welfare.
Alma Gager Dix became and remained Regent of the Wayne Chapter in 1921 until her death in 1942. Her focus was historic preservation and placing historic markers throughout the area. A monument was dedicated in 1926 in Riverside Park, Honesdale commemorating Wayne Countys Revolutionary War soldiers. The chapter participated in Honesdales 1929 Centennial Parade, restored the Whites Valley octagonal school in 1931 and dedicated its plaque in 1933. Pleasant Mounts Revolutionary War soldier, Sarah Benjamins grave was also marked.
Wayne Chapter DAR continues today to award Good Citizenship metals, organize history essay contests, celebrate Constitution week, award Dorothy Noble Scholarships, support education, veterans, and conservation efforts, as well as preserving and marking historical sites.
Wayne County Historical Society invites you to visit this years 810 Main Street museums exhibit, celebrating a Century of Service ... Wayne Chapter DAR 1913-2013 opening on April 20th. For more information about the Wayne County Historical Society visit www.WayneHistoryPA.org.


text:
Anne Bliss
Broker Associate
|(309) 825-2663
|My Website
Team: Bliss Team
304 N Hershey Rd,
Bloomington, IL 61704
"Follow Your Bliss!"
Anne has been a full time, multi-million dollar Realtor for more than 34 years. On the board of directors for more than 10 years, secretary and treasurer too.
She helps at her church, works to help children in the Kiwanis of Normal, has been on the Alzheimer's committee and has a team for the Alzheimer's Walk, and helps with the Relay for Life every year.
Her other interests other than work are golf, tennis, bowling, bridge, water sports and watching or being with her 2 grandchildren and 2 children.
Call Anne or her partner and daughter, Kindi Bliss to list your present home or help you find a new home. 309-825-2663 Anne or 309-275-3707 Kindi.
We Specialize in Families!


text:
One Missed Call (UK - DVD R2)
Reviewer Marcus Doidge is checking his messages for One Missed Call...
Do you remember when you first saw The Ring? Whether it was the original Japanese version Ringu, or the US remake, it really didn't matter, this was something that felt exciting and new, right? Something that felt like the boot in the ass that horror so desperately needed at the time, right? It wasn't the same old slasher nonsense we'd all grown accustomed to which had become so formulaic you knew how it would end before the opening credits finished splashing across the screen. This was something genuinely creepy, ominous and darn right scary in places, making 'Japanese Horror' something of an event, especially with the likes of Dark Water and the original Japanese The Grudge to back this movement up.
So how is it that after ten years, we're still getting those three ground-breaking movies regurgitated on a regular basis? What with the sequels, the remakes, the prequels and handfuls of other knock offs how is it all essentially the same ol' Japanese ghost story?
From the get go, One Missed Call feels somewhat familiar, despite its slightly new angle. Yumi Nakumura's (Kou Shibaski) best friend Yoko gets 'one missed call' on her mobile phone (yes the title says it all). What's strange about the 'missed call' is that it's dated a couple of days in the future and what's even stranger is that it's a voicemail message from Yoko herself screaming in fear. Is this a prank? Is this a phone malfunction? Is this sounding somewhat like The Ring? 'Seven days...'
Anyhoo, you guessed it, Yumi's best friend dies exactly when the mobile phone foretold, but because it looks like a suicide the police don't want to hear Yumi's concerns and guess what—a few other people in Yumi's life get 'one missed calls' and they too die as foretold by mysterious video… I mean mobile phone. Is this sounding at all familiar?
I'm probably being a little overly mean at this point. Twenty minutes into watching One Missed Call and I've gotta say that I was intrigued. After all, this isn't just anyone directing, this is now legendary shock maestro Miike Takashi, a director who was and still is a key player in this western love affair with Japanese horror/violence/general bad-taste-in-the-mouth filmmaking. As well as a number of lower key projects (that surprisingly don't get half as much press in the UK) Miike knows how to structure a movie to lead his audience along the path towards his payoffs with ease, in fact he's bloody good at it.
He produces some genuine scares here and not always the obvious stuff. There are a number of very, very cool moments where you don't even realize something is in the shot (an arm or a hand) until it moves and man it's creepy. Miike also has a fine ear for horror sounds, in what is essentially a very calm quiet movie, when he wants you to freak out he knows how to do it but I'll go more into that in the audio section of this review.
So what comes next is the detective story element of nearly every Japanese horror movie. Yumi is approached by Yamashita Hiroshi (Tsutsumi Shinichi) whose sister's death was also connected to her mobile phone. This follows the usual path of going to dead people's normal looking houses and seeing pale people in cupboards out of the corner of their eyes, discovering stories of abuse and setting up the character that 'could' be the angry spirit doing all the cold calling on the mobile phones (yes all elements of both Dark Water and The Grudge). Just replace words like phone with water or angry spirit with grudge.)
This is all pretty uninteresting stuff, and not because it isn't handled well or executed sharply, which for the most part it is. It's just that it soon catches up with you that you've seen this all before. Outside of the really well handled 'live exorcism' of one of the missed call receivers which has some genuinely well handled horror, everything else just starts feeling like 'The Best of Japanese Horror Vol 1'. There's the abandoned hospital, the creepy black hair, the creepy arm on shoulders, the images in the mirror, 'ghosts' jumping frames of film, the dead body in a box that comes to life and the ending that wraps up nicely but still has twenty minutes on the clock so you know they guessed the wrong body and the… I think you get the picture. In fact I opted we change the title from One Missed Call to 'Ringu in Dark Water: The Grudge' or shall we go 'The Grudge of the Ringu in Dark Water'. I'll leave it up to you.
The picture is exactly what I expected. As with a lot of other Japanese Horrors this is a very noisy image. Nothing is noticeably sharp, there's a lot of grain and it's not a transfer that has anything to get excited about. Saying that, I personally think this aids the eerie feeling in a lot of this genre's releases and gives it a lower budget feel that lures you into its world quite effectively. That said, I'm sure not everyone will shares my feelings on this.
As I mentioned earlier, One Missed Call is a quiet movie for the most part. There are a lot of very calm discussions about the nature of angry spirits and lots of silent moments, all of which is very standard audio fare. The atmospheric music is again, fairly low key as are most of the general sound effects. However, then comes the horror sounds. Goddamn they kick into your speakers and this sound impact works well at making you feel uneasy. The hiss of the asthma inhaler, the loud bangs and the screeching of objects—they hammer home. I can't say for sure whether this is a genuinely good audio or if it's just effective against the bland normal audio of the rest of the movie but this is fantastically effective and obviously intentional. Oh and when the mobile phone ring tone appears in different areas of the 5.1 set up and you genuinely have moments of thinking that it's your own phone ringing, which is a nice little touch to keep you locked into the movie's events.
The only real feature on here, outside of the more than you'd expect trailers selection is the 'Making of' (52:10). Other than the misguided opening, in which Miike proclaims that most horror only scares you, rather than offering any other emotional response and his aim to bring more to the Japanese Horror genre (laughable), you actually get quite a good look see at the film-making process of this iconic Japanese director. What strikes you first off is just how old-school this all is and how some of the SFX I had thought a CGI effect, wasn't at all. It's just great to see make up and effects work of this level, done with people on set. Which bring me to the other thing i thought was cool: the footage with all the crew huddled together with puffa jackets on, standing behind Miike whilst he looks too cool for school, is brilliant. It really brings home the smallness of the production and it's all great fun watching them work.
Miike seems to have gone for a more restrained approach to what could have been a full blown horror by a man that does on screen shocks like no other. It's still a creepy little horror with some great ideas, but One Missed Call has just come that little bit too late to be considered anything exciting. It takes too many visual and story elements from the Japanese Horror movies that came before it and considering the standard setters for this fairly new genre and the big impact when they first hit, I'd imagine that the majority of One Missed Calls audience are going to feel like they've seen this all before.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
They obviously ran out of money for lights...
Simon Abrams Member Join Date: June 2005 Location: United States Posts: 710
Actually, the reason why it seems to take so many elements from films like RINGU and DARK WATER is because it's Miike's pastiche to what people think of as "J-horror." In his ZEBRAMAN, a film all about biased fan worship, he slips in the little girl from RINGU, well and all, into a sentai battle sequence. He's clearly been bitten by the J-horror bug bad and was more than content to make ONE MISSED CALL a light little tribute to the object of his worship.
IMHO or whatever.
IMHO or whatever.
Fabricio De Zuasnabar Member Join Date: July 2005 Location: United States Posts: 1,350
after watching the American remake or w/e it is... im not thinking on watching this... thanks, but wont even waste my time reading...
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
Rumour has it that Miike was kind of spoofing the genre with this one. Still, it's probably my favorite straight ahead, modern kwaidan. I thought it was scarier then Ring or Grudge.
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
No way was this scarier than the Ring. Give you the Grudge though.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
No see, that's the thing about scariness, it's not up for argument. It's totally a personal reaction.
Simon Abrams Member Join Date: June 2005 Location: United States Posts: 710
I don't think in Miike's mind there is a difference between spoofing and paying homage to something. See SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO for proof. It's clearly a labor of love but also a campy and even unpleasantly snide parody of not just DJANGO and A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS by extension but also of the western in general.
It's what makes him such a touch-and-go filmmaker to my mind. Sometimes he's as sharp as a knife and restrained and the next he's as structured as a rubber band.
It's what makes him such a touch-and-go filmmaker to my mind. Sometimes he's as sharp as a knife and restrained and the next he's as structured as a rubber band.
Chris Johnson Member Join Date: October 2005 Location: United States Posts: 1,465
Chris Gould wrote: They obviously ran out of money for lights...
No kidding, those pics are way too dark.
No kidding, those pics are way too dark.
Worst Nightmare Senior Member Join Date: July 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 6,716
Fabricio De Zuasnabar wrote: after watching the American remake or w/e it is... im not thinking on watching this... thanks, but wont even waste my time reading... Was it worth posting then? I am sure Marcus put a lot of time and effort into this.
Unless you are being sarcastic?
Unless you are being sarcastic?
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 24th March 2008
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, single layer
RCE: Yes
Video: PAL
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanse, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Extras: Making of, Trailer & Tv Spots
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Kou Shibasaki, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi
Genre: Horror and Mystery
Length: 107 minutes
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WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- A 24-point effort from Michael Carter-Williams Thursday and a stingy defense sent Syracuse into the NCAA's Elite Eight with a 61-50 win over Indiana.
The Orange knocked off the top-seeded Hoosiers with a typically strong defensive showing that limited Indiana to five points in the game's opening 10 minutes.
Syracuse, which has not been to the Final Four since winning the national championship in 2003, will try to return to college basketball's big show when it takes on Marquette in a Big East Conference showdown for the East Region title on Saturday.
The Orange won their only meeting with Marquette during the regular season, recording a three-point, road victory.
Indiana became the second No. 1 seed to be knocked out of the tournament. Gonzaga lost in the third round last weekend. Louisville and Kansas will try to uphold their No. 1 seeds on Friday.
Syracuse limited the Hoosiers to 16 field goals for the entire 40 minutes. Indiana shot just 33 percent from the field and made 3-of-15 from 3-point range.
Carter-Williams added seven rebounds while Brandon Triche contributed 14 points for Syracuse (29-9).
Indiana (29-7) was led by 15 points from Victor Oladipo. Seven-foot Cody Zeller was held to 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting.