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ADDISON COUNTY — With the exception of lacrosse, the playoffs followed form on Wednesday for area high school teams.
In softball, the Vergennes, Mount Abraham and Otter Valley squads — the Nos. 2, 4 and 5 seeds, respectively, in Division II — all won one-sided games without allowing runs, while No. 7 Fair Haven ousted No. 10 Middlebury.
In baseball, No. 7 Otter Valley, the defending D-II champion, advanced, while in D-I No. 11 MUHS lost a heartbreaker to No. 6 Rutland.
The biggest stunner came in D-I girls' lacrosse, where No. 11 Essex knocked off No. 5 MUHS. In a milder upset, No. 9 Stratton eliminated No. 8 Mount Abraham in D-II boys' action, where also No. 4 Rice ousted No. 13 VUHS.
In softball, the host No. 2 Commodores posted the biggest win, 18-0 over No. 15 Lamoille (2-13) in five innings. Taylor Paquette tossed a no-hitter, striking out seven and walking one, and also drilled a bases-loaded double to spark the attack. Phoebe Plank added two hits and two RBIs for VUHS, which improved to 15-2 and will host No. 7 Fair Haven (11-6) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in a quarterfinal. A win in that game would almost certainly mean the Commodores will host undefeated defending state champion BFA-Fairfax in a Tuesday semifinal. The final will be played in Poultney at a time to be determined.
The host No. 4 Eagles won almost as impressively, 15-0 over No. 14 Rice (4-13), also in five innings. Rachael McCormick and Sam Forand teamed up to toss a no-hitter and Melanie Rotax homered, tripled, singled twice, and drove in three runs. Kelsey Haskins picked up two RBIs, while Meghan Livingston and Ashley Boise drove in a run apiece as Mount Abe improved to 14-3. The Eagles will host OV on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in a rematch of a game they won this spring in Bristol, 11-10, in eight innings. The winner of Friday's contest will almost certainly travel on Tuesday to meet top-seeded Lyndon, which compiled a 13-1 record, but against a softer schedule than either local team faced.
Meanwhile in Brandon, the OV softball team finished up a game suspended from Tuesday by topping visiting No. 12 Lake Region, 14-0. The Otters led, 4-0, when play resumed on Wednesday and pulled away from there. Taylor Aines tossed a two-hit shutout and fanned 11, and also homered, singled and drove in three runs. Brittany Bushey knocked out three hits and drove in two runs, Megan Santell doubled and singled twice, and Maia Edmunds drove in two runs. LRU fell to 6-10, while OV will carry a 12-5 record into Bristol on Friday.
Finally in softball on Wednesday, Fair Haven earned its Saturday date at VUHS by topping the Tigers, 13-5. The Slaters scored six runs in the fifth after the Tigers had rallied to tie the game at 5-5. Anna Fabian earned the pitching win, while Timi Carone (four hits) and Marissa Lamoureux (three hits) led the attack as the Slaters improved to 11-6. Justina Jackson started and took the loss, while Haley Davis pitched in relief for MUHS, 7-10. Krisandra Provencher had three hits as MUHS finished at 7-10, including many close losses.
In Brandon on Wednesday, the OV baseball team advanced by edging No. 10 Enosburg, 4-2. Winning pitcher John Winslow tripled home Will Claessens to snap a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning, and then scored an insurance run on a Mike Winslow single. Shane Quenneville added a pair of hits to boost OV. John Winslow tossed a complete game, striking out 11, as OV improved to 10-7; Enosburg dropped to 6-10. On Friday, the No. 7 Otters will travel to meet No. 2 Mill River (14-3); the Minutemen own two wins over OV this spring.
In Rutland at the same time, in D-I No. 6 Rutland edged the No. 11 Tigers, 1-0, on an unearned run in the sixth inning: Andy Cassarino tripled and scored on a throwing error. That was all the Raiders could muster off MUHS senior hurler Aaron Smith, who struck out eight while allowing three hits and two walks in six innings. The game was suspended in the second inning on Wednesday, and Rutland hurlers Cassarino and Andy Kenosh held the Tigers to one hit, a Sam Messenger single. That came in the fifth, when the Tigers put runners on second and third with none out. But a double play on a failed squeeze bunt helped Rutland work out of the jam. The Tigers finished at 7-9, while the Raiders improved to 11-5.
In D-I girls' lacrosse on Wednesday, visiting No. 12 Essex bolted to a 5-0 lead in the first 12 minutes, and No. 5 MUHS never really recovered in a 15-11 loss. The 6-10 Hornets led by at least three goals the rest of the way, led by seven goals from Anna Olsen and four from Charlotte Stuart. Essex goalie Haley Drury stopped 10 shots. Emily Robinson led MUHS, which reached the final in each of the past three years, with five goals and an assist, and also contributing were Katie Holmes (two goals, assist), Emma Donahue and Sophia Abdul Sater (a goal and an assist each), and Emily Kiernan and Alexis Ouellette (a goal apiece). Tiger goalie Baily Ryan stopped eight shots as MUHS finished at 10-5.
In D-II boys' lacrosse in Bristol on Wednesday, visiting No. 9 Stratton bested the No. 8 Eagles, 13-9. The game had started on Tuesday, but was suspended after eight minutes with Stratton leading, 2-1. Stratton led at the half, 6-5, and slowly pulled away after the break as Finn McNamara poured in six goals overall. Stratton goalie Sean Pomerantz stopped three shots as his team improved to 7-5. For the Eagles, who finished above .500 at 8-7, Charlie Meyer led the attack with three goals and an assist, Gus Catlin and Travis Bachand each scored twice, Tyler Willey and Lucas Richter added a goal apiece, and goalie Tucker Paradee made eight saves. Coach Paul Lowe said given that the Eagles had only 18 players, he was happy with their season and their effort on Wednesday. "Our team played hard throughout the game and left nothing on the field. It was a close game until the end and I am proud of their performance," Lowe said. "We are a young team and relatively small, but we never give up on ourselves."
Also, another young and inexperienced D-II lax squad, the No. 13 VUHS boys, fell at No. 4 Rice, 14-2. Erik Eisenhower scored both of his team's goals as the Commodores wrapped up their season with a 4-12 record.
In other lacrosse news, the No. 5 MUHS boys in D-I will be steamrolling No. 12 Spaulding on Thursday afternoon. That game is the completion of a contest suspended on Tuesday late in the first half with the Tigers leading, 6-1. The date of the Tigers' next game has been changed from Friday evening at No. 4 Brattleboro to Saturday at 3 p.m.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected]


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Wizard of Oz, The (UK - BD)
'Lions and tigers and bears in HD, oh my!' Marcus sings as he skips to Oz...
Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) wants more than to be on her family farm. She craves adventure and magic and wonder, and when local meanie Miss Almira Gulch (Margaret Hamilton) threatens to take her dog Toto away and she gets no support from her Aunt Em (Clara Blandick) or Uncle Henry (Charles Grapewin), Dorothy decides to run away from home and find the freedom she was looking for.
Having a change of heart after meeting the travelling fortune teller Professor Marvel (Frank Morgan) Dorothy returns home, only to arrive during a tornado. With her family and friends already safely tucked away in the storm cellar, Dorothy and Toto run into their home and when Dorothy is knocked unconscious by a flying window pane her world literally turns upside down and the twister takes her over the rainbow to the land of Oz, where only a Wizard, a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley) and a Lion (Bert Lahr) can help her get home before the Wicked Witch of the West catches up with her.
How in a world drowning in photo realistic CGI, franchise based epic tales and family aimed adventures that try desperately to cater for each individual member, does this seventy year old movie, based entirely on a painted background sound stage, with a villain being a simple painted green lady with arched fingers, still manage to outdo most of them at almost every turn? The Wizard of Oz is a movie that I seem to appreciate more and more as the years roll by. As a child I used to look forward to watching it at Christmas with my Mum, and then as I hit my teenage years it was the last thing I wanted to watch. Later on it snuck into a re-watch and I was totally won over by it all over again and today after sharing viewings of it many times with my kids, it's a movie, that while not one of my all time favourites, is one that sits snugly close to my heart.
Seeing it again in all of its HD glory I paid special attention to the parts that I adore the most, the first being the tornado scenes. The small mini movie of an introduction that sets up Dorothy's adventure/hallucination (whichever way you chose to look at it) gets straight to the point and lays all of Dorothy's childlike problems out for all to see, but for me its not until those wonderful shots of the tornado tearing its way across the fields toward her farm that The Wizard of Oz becomes extraordinary (yes I know, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' is before that but what can I say? I love that twister!). For a movie where nearly every visual trick they pull is an illusion that's easy to see through, the tornado moments are absolutely mind blowing and for me are still some of the greatest special effects to grace our screens.
Arriving in Oz, we get the next element of The Wizard of Oz that is every bit as great its always been and no it's not the Lollipop Guild song (I've never been able to work out who's the ugliest one in that band of three), it is of course the Wicked Witch of the West. Despite all my best intentions, I have to admit she still sort of wigs me outs. She's just a green chick in a simple black witches outfit, but there's still something about the way she points her witch fingers and cackles her voice that makes her one of the best villains ever, and as the movie goes on she ain't afraid to throw some fire balls about either.
Moving on to the first of Dorothy's co-travellers, the scene that introduces the scarecrow is a junction I still adore reaching. I must have heard his song about what he'd do with a brain a million times, but every single time is still a magical moment in cinema. Everything from his dance (falling over) moves, that twinkle in his eye and the absolute believability that all he wants is a brain is a massive element of what makes The Wizard of Oz hold itself high in the fantasy movie realm, You believe in these characters. Despite all of your senses telling you these are costumes, these are actors, if they keep walking they'll walk straight into that painted background, but none of it seems to matter, somehow, despite itself, this movie wraps you up in these characters journey to see the Wizard and the real magic of cinema shines out of the screen.
Moving through the meeting of the Tin Man, which once again comes with a great introduction (and another twisted appearance from the Witch—how is standing on a shed as creepy as she makes it?) and grinning along with the 'lions and tigers and bears, oh my!' build up to meeting the Lion, we're now officially off to see the Wizard and while I'd go as far as to say the movie teeters off a little bit for me here (and it's not all of that scene stealing Lion's fault) there's still plenty to enjoy.
Now, Frank Morgan as the Wizard, doorman, guard and whatever else, is a performance I couldn't care less about as a child or as a teenager, but as an adult, I really enjoy this guy's approach to his many roles. Not only does he provide one of my favourite movie lines 'Well, that's a horse of a different colour', but he comes packed with lots of character and approaches his multiple roles with equal amounts of heart and chuckles. The Wizard visuals aren't exactly up my street and I've never really liked the floating head and flames combo, nor do I like the insistence that this small group go off to either kill the Witch and get her broomstick or die trying, but I guess we get the whole melting Witch because of it 'what a world, what a world' so I guess its worth it, even if I think it sticks out from the light tone of the rest of the movie a little too much.
Getting to the end of the umpteenth time I've seen The Wizard of Oz it still leaves a smile on my face. I really enjoy seeing all of these characters getting their trinkets proving that they had what they wanted all along and I really do believe that these three guys are gonna miss Dorothy when she goes home (a factor that is beautifully re-captured with the reunion in Return to Oz).
The Wizard of Oz continues to prove that it's one of the greatest feel good, beautifully orchestrated pieces of cinema out there and despite the fact that the logical side of my brain keeps screaming at me that I shouldn't buy into its simplistic approach, or that it's all on a soundstage with painted backgrounds or even that a better adaptation should be made, these instincts are won over by the side that just enjoys believing in the unquantifiable amount of magic wrapped in this classic tale, its characters and its love for that land that sits somewhere over the rainbow.
I'll start by saying that the upgrade here wasn't the jaw dropping step up that I thought it would be, but in all fairness [/i]The Wizard of Oz[/i] has been treated pretty damn well on the last two DVD releases so the enhancements here didn't need to be as drastic as other less cared for movies. That said, the improvements in the 1080p transfer are still immediately noticeable and generally impressive.
Beginning with the sepia opening, everything looks clean and the proof of the masterful restoration work done over the years is immediately apparent. There are only minor specs of dirt, no real signs of age outside of the style and beyond the ever so slight flicker that's always been part of The Wizard of Oz. The image is near flawless (which for a seventy year old movie is enough to hail it as a virtual miracle).
Opening the door after the crash down to Oz, the vibrancy of the colour and the brightness of the lighting hits with more effect than ever before. The detail in the transfer immediately struck me, getting a real feel for the textures and what the sets were made of. The shiny model leaves and plants of Munchkin Land have never looked so plastic. The borders of where painted backdrop meets set decoration really show the scale of the vast set and every little scrunched face and bald cap of the little people surrounding Dorothy are beautifully captured.
Of course, despite this step up in colour and detail the upgrade still has its limitations on show. Skin textures can still feel pretty soft, especially in some Dorothy's close ups, though it has to be pointed out that there are a couple that show off every freckle on her face and are simply astonishing. In addition, there are other shots that come with that Wizard of Oz softness, some intentional to provide a soft focus close up and others showing the filmmaking limitations and while all of this is part of the movie's charm they are more noticeable than ever when compared to the best of the best looking scenes. Also for the grain sensitive out there, there is a level of grain here but of course this is the filmic quality of the movie as opposed to a problem with the transfer.
In regards to really studying how The Wizard of Oz was created, there really isn't anywhere else that shows it off as greatly as this Blu-ray manages. Seemingly every brush stroke of the sets or make up techniques are apparent. The lines of where face meets make up on the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion are all there to be marvelled and the costumes are just astonishing. From Dorothy's chequered dress, through the perfect black of the Witch's dress, from the glowing red ribbon in the lion's hair to the redness of Dorothy's hair or the range of greens in the face paint on the witch. It's all on show here like never before and for the hardcore Oz fans you are really in for a treat.
The audio is a 5.1 TrueHD track, but honestly nearly everything lives in the front speakers and fairly simply at that. Dialogue sits in the centres and the music fills the lefts and rights. I personally found the overall power of the track to be slightly lower than a standard Blu-ray release and had it a few notches higher to meet my requirements, but I'm not going to hold that against it because the track is clear and strong and other than the hiss of the original musical recordings this seventy year old movie sounds more impressive than some movies released in this decade.
Little bits that really shine out of the tracks are small special effects that while not overly dynamic have been represented much better here than previous standard definition releases. The thump of the house hitting down on Oz makes full use of the bass, the musical numbers ring out with absolute clarity and small growls from the lion or booms from the Wizard's scare tactics in his chamber have a weight that I've never really experienced with the movie before.
Disc One: Blu-ray
Sydney Pollack hosts the commentary which consists of archive interviews, sound clips and historian details of the classic. It's commentary tracks like this that not only highlight just how effective a commentary can be but how a commentary can make an already fantastic movie an even more enjoyable event re-watching.
'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic' (50:49 SD) is almost a classic unto itself now. The 1990 documentary narrated by Angela Lansbury really is a hell of a detailed affair and the nostalgic approach to it all is warming and thoroughly enjoyable. Everything on offer here, from deleted scenes, stories of the behind the scenes politics as well as set pictures, interviews and costume tests is just more than you could ever desire from a Wizard of Oz documentary.
'The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz' (29:45 SD) is a more up to date documentary with the likes of Peter Jackson and Howard Shore giving opinions on the movie... oh and Sean Astin. This is very much in tune with the Disney documentaries that live on the platinum editions and all of the stories that come from all involved make this another great watch.
'Because of the Wonderful Things he does: The Legacy of Oz' (25:05 SD) looks closely at how the popularity of The Wizard of Oz grew and grew though its TV airings—how its TV screenings became a yearly event that always proved popular with ratings and how it was as important a part to the movie's legacy as its initial cinematic run. The documentary also goes into what the story represents as well as the spin offs it created, the merchandise it generated and the auction of the ruby slippers that came years after the movie.
'Memories of Oz' (27:39 SD) has cast, cast families and celebrity fans discussing their memories of the movie, lines, scenes, moments and more on the effect the movie had to the world. It goes into a bit more detail on the matte paintings and some of the special effects (including the step from sepia into colour) and because of the documentary's inability to stick to one thing for too long it never gets bogged down in some of the elements that begin to repeat themselves from the other previous documentaries.
'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook' (10:27 SD) is the L. Frank Baum book narrated by Angela Lansbury reading the story over the books illustrations which is a nice addition.
Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz (11:27 SD) is the short but very detailed look at just what the massive restoration entailed and 'We Haven't Really Met Properly...' (21:23 SD) is a collection of Angela Lansbury narrated clips focusing on all of the key actors (even looking at Terry as Toto) and all run for two to three minutes or in a play all function.
'Audio Extras' allows you to watch the entire movie with either the music and effects track only or the original mono track. Joining that is the ability to listen to audio tracks of original recordings, outtakes and variations of all of the songs all combining to an hour and ten minutes worth of music.
'Leo is on the Air Radio Promo' (Audio 12:26), 'Good News of 1939 Radio Show' (Audio 01:01:02) and '12-25-2950 Lux Radio Theatre Broadcast' (Audio 01:00:00) are a whole collection of Wizard of Oz related radio shows featuring various cast interviews and the Lux Radio one even features Judy Garland reading her part in a radio play of the story.
'Sing-Along with the movie' is what you'd expect with Karaoke style coloured fonts and of course you can chapter select the songs you're after rather than watching the whole movie.
'Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power' (10:31 SD) covers a small glimpse from an MGM TV show that shows a brief look at The Wizard Of Oz, but focuses mainly on how electricity was used to make movies.
'Cavalcade of the Academy Award Excerpt' (02:14 SD) features the clips from The Oscars and Garland getting her award. 'Texas Contest Winners' (01:26 SD) is a segment from a short film showing a cast meet and greet outside the rehearsal hall.
'Off to see the Wizard' (03:57 SD) are Chuck Jones cartoon segments featuring Wizard of Oz characters that were used on an ABC prime time slot that showed family films (I love this sort of thing) and 'Still Galleries', which is split down into eighteen sections with areas like Oz On Broadway, Deleted Scenes and Oz Revivals, which are literally packed with images to view. Some of the poster artwork over the years is great to flick through and there really are some great photos on offer too.
There are six trailers from 1939 to 1998 to look through in their glory, and hitting the 'Additional Footage' section, 'Harold Arden's Home Movies' (04:40 SD) shows the composer's home recording of the portrait sittings and visits to the set which are all great to see and very personal in their feel and the 'Outtakes and Deleted Scenes' (04:37 SD) of which there are five, includes a deleted Scarecrow scene in full.
'It's A Twister! It's A Twister!: The Tornado Tests' (08:17 SD) demonstrates the amazing work done in creating these incredible effects and really shows off the simple yet totally effective nature of the effects and finishing up disc one is the Warner Online selection.
At this stage, I would have given The Wizard Of Oz top marks for the amount of in depth wonderfully enjoyable features (as well as a few that will really only excite die hard Oz-ites) but it doesn't end there because there's a disc two!
Disc Two: Blu-ray
In the first segment, 'Behind the Story', our first extra is 'Victor Fleming: Master Craftsmen' (34:08 SD), which looks specifically at the director's body of work with input from Leonard Maltin, William Friedkin and many others. This really broadened my knowledge of a director I knew very little about and is a fine addition to the features, focussing on more than just the movie.
'L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain' (27:45 SD) looks at the writer of the original book and his life leading up to it. It looks at the illustrations, the public response to his story and the adaptations that followed. Lastly 'Hollywood Celebrates its Biggest Little Stars' (10:23 SD) highlights Oz's little actors who play such a big part in the movie. They recount their personal stories and their work on the film and how it affected their lives.
In the 'Extras' section of disc two, we arrive at 'The Dreamer of Oz' (01:32:48 SD), which stars John Ritter as L. Frank Baum in a TV biopic. Made in 1990 it has to be said that this transfer looks awful and the over acting is TV-special-a-mungus, but kudos to Warner for including it.
'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1910' (13:18 SD) shows the short original silent movie of the story from nearly a hundred years ago (whoa! It has a better transfer than 'The Dreamer of Oz' which is only twenty
'Her Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz 1914' (59:07 SD) and 'The Magic Cloak of Oz 1914' (43:15 SD) and 'The Patchwork Girl of Oz 1914' (50:43 SD) are three more short films featuring Oz stories and shows a bit of a franchise happening in the early silent films.
'The Wizard of Oz 1925' (01:11:53 SD) is yet another full length adaptation from the silent film era and 'Wizard of Oz 1933' (08:13 SD) is a cartoon short in disintegrating quality but packed with animated charm.
Disc Three: DVD
As a nice bonus for the kids' rooms and completist sake, Warner throws in a standard-definition version of the movie as well.
So there we have it—a batch of features that literally cover everything. In fact the only thing I can think that's outstanding is a documentary about all of the many TV homages over the years (which I guess would be a copyright nightmare) and as a personal selection a mention of Alan Moore's take in his 'Lost Girls' spin on Dorothy's story, though to get that on anywhere near a family friendly movie is probably a little too much to ask.
A release that shows off exactly what the power of Blu-ray can achieve for a much-loved movie. Warner has treated their crown jewel with just the right amount of love and have given us a package that is loaded with treats.
The AV is just about as impressive as a catalogue title comes and the features come by the bucket load. Essentially Warner Bros. have thrown down the emerald coloured gauntlet to all of the other classics out there and sets a standard in what can be considered a 'complete package' on the Blu-ray format. I can only hope other studios follow suit (and yes I'm eyeballing you too George Lucas).
For anyone wanting to take a trip back to Oz or to take someone along for the first time, there really is no better place to get your Oz fix. This caters for newcomers and diehard Oz-ites alike and frankly this is the easiest recommendation of the year.
Anyway, that's it from me, I'm off to see if Dark Side of the Moon syncs up any better with the HD version...
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Suitable for all
Disc Details
Release Date: 2nd November 2009
Discs: 3
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono English, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono French, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono German, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Italian, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Spanish, Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Portuguese
Subtitles: English HoH, French, German HoH, Italian, Italian HoH, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Extras: Commentary by Historian John Fricke Including Archival Interviews of the Film's Cast and Crew, Music and Effects Track, Sing-Along Audio Feature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic, (1990 TV Special), Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz, Memories of Oz (2001 TCM Documentary), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook, Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz, We Haven't Really Met Properly (Cast Profiles), Audio Jukebox Selection: Leo is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast, Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power, Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt, Texas Contest Winners, Off to See the Wizard Excerpts, Stills Galleries, Six Trailers, Harold Arlen's Home Movies, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, It's a Twister! It's a Twister! The Tornado Tests, Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (New), L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain, Celebrating Hollywood's Biggest Little Stars (New), The Dreamer of Oz (1990 TV special) (New), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910 Short), His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz (1914 Feature), The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914 Short) (New), The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914) (New), The Wizard of Oz (1925 Feature), The Wizard of Oz (1933 Animated Short), Sing-Along DVD Copy of the Feature
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy and Musical
Length: 101 minutes
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Extruding new opportunities
New ways of shaping, forming, squeezing and puffing foods â cooking
them along the way â are coming out of today's extruders.
They're not just for pet foods and kid snacks anymore. Today's extruders have opened the door to a global array of new food products – including new nutrition-packed varieties.
More than two generations have passed since the birth of the twin-screw extruder. During this period, U.S. consumers have taken gradually to extruded foods. The most conspicuous examples of the technology – snacks like General Mills' Bugles – have enjoyed some marketplace success. But they have been, by and large, the flyweights of the food pyramid. When it comes to nutrition, we just haven't taken them too seriously.
But time, circumstance and imagination have changed the reality if not the perception. Today, food makers around the world are discovering new ways of shaping, forming, squeezing and puffing foods not only for fun and flavor but to create healthful substance as well. Today's extruders are producing crispy flat bread, baby food, pet food, high fiber products, candies, puffed snacks, pellet snacks, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in puffed and flaked forms, meat analogues, pasta, cheese snacks and instant drinks and soups.
Starch content plays a major role in the type of product an extruder can produce. Rice, potato and tapioca expand well when fried. Rice yields a crunchy texture. With a lower starch content than the others, corn expands less. The resulting product has a harder texture and crunchier bite.
Wheat, oat, barley and other high-fiber grains also expand less. They are the central ingredients in healthful snacks and cereals. Expect a heavy and crunchy cereal with these grainy ingredients.
Where have all these variants come from? How is it that a pet- and snack-food technology has suddenly spilled nutrition into the processing stream?
An extruder works by taking a blend of raw ingredients in one end and subjecting it to high heat and pressure in a cylinder. As the mix passes through the extruder cooker, it is shaped and fully or partially cooked. It takes its final shape as it is forced through a die at the exit end.
Twin screw extruders welcome nearly all forms of foods and ingredients. They can handle a wide variety of granules and products with a wide range of moisture, fat, and carbohydrate content.
Their adaptability is well suited to a processing era that demands flexibility to control both capital and operations costs. Twin screw extruders permit precise control of process parameters and can perform multiple functions at once.
They are reliable machines that yield consistent product repeatedly. Furthermore, products vary little from lab to production line, making scale-up a relatively simple process.Meaty imitations
Extruded protein extenders and meat analogues have sparked global interest. They offer alternative high-quality main-course protein foods from vegetable sources. Today processors can simulate nearly any type of fish, poultry or meat flesh in a highly palatable and easy-to-use form.
Texturized vegetable proteins have found their way into thousands of formulations. Soy protein, always valued for its versatility, has become a preferred protein source offering an assortment of nutritional advantages.
"Alternative protein sources are becoming critically important," says Doug Baldwin, director of sales and marketing at Wenger Manufacturing Inc. (www.wenger.com), the Kansas City, Mo.-based manufacturer of extruders. "The food industry looks to extruders to process soy or other oil seeds into texturized protein."
Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) is the preferred protein material for the majority of today's meat analogues because, in the hands of an able processor, it can duplicate true meat fiber.
"A high-moisture meat analogue material doesn't require drying," says Baldwin. "It comes off the processing line with 70 percent moisture. You can get product that resembles a chicken breast fillet right off the extruder."
Archer Daniels Midland (www.admworld.com), Decatur, Ill., commercialized its high-moisture meat analogue this past year. Marketed as Nutrisoy Next, it is available in a ready-to-use form.
"The previous generation of TVP, ADM's texturized defatted soy flour, used a single screw extruder to yield a product with low moisture content – less than 35 percent," explains Cheryl Borders, manager of soy foods applications for ADM. "Our new products range in moisture content from 50 to 80 percent, varying with preferred texture."
The new generation of meat analogues offers convenience and quality advantages. Available in strips, nuggets, cubes and shreds, they can be used in hot or cold entrees and retort applications. The products are more receptive to flavors than previous generations of analogues. Though they can mimic beef or pork in flavor or texture, poultry has been the principal target.
"While you can add flavor to low-moisture extruded meat analogues, the product loses a lot of flavor when it leaves the extruder due to the pressure drop," says Borders. "There's less pressure drop with high-moisture product. As product exits the extruder and enters the cooling die, the temperature change increases the viscosity, which also helps in developing the desired texture."
The technology for such products, including use of the cooling die, has been available for a quarter of a century. "But really, it's not so much the improvement in twin screw extruders as much as the time becoming ripe for this type of analogue," says Borders. "Seventy-four percent of consumers perceive soy as healthy today. Now they are accepting soy foods and looking for new options."
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The Bilingual Studies program provides an interdisciplinary approach to the interaction of the Chicano with other cultures in a bilingual, multicultural setting. It helps to prepare students for transfer to a four-year university major in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education. Bilingual Studies enhances understanding of one of the country's fastest growing population groups.
Bilingual Studies courses are taught in English and the curriculum is designed to meet District and baccalaureate general education and multicultural course requirements. The program offers courses in bilingual studies, Chicano culture, history of Mexico and the United States, language and literature, speech, music and physical education.
Students completing the associate degree in Bilingual Studies will be able to work as teachers' aides in bilingual elementary classrooms. Students who complete the additional lower division transfer requirements for San Diego State University will be able to transfer with junior standing in the Liberal Studies major with emphasis in Elementary Education. This major prepares students to become elementary school teachers both in traditional and bilingual, bicultural classrooms.


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Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 02, 2013
Within one week, WPL Publishing will kick off a four-part webinar training series to help professionals prepare for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Design and Construction (BD+C) exam.
The course is designed to provide an intensive and comprehensive review of the knowledge areas required for success on the exam. It is intended to bridge the gaps between other exam preparation resources, such as the "LEED BD+C Reference Guide" and "LEED AP BD+C Study Guide," and provide interpretations of key information contained in these resources. To register for the webinar series, which will begin Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), visit http://tinyurl.com/nrmudcp.
The course, which consists of four two-hour webinar sessions, will cover the following topics:
Session 1 -- Introduction/Sustainable Sites, Oct. 8, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Session 2 -- Water Efficiency/Energy and Atmosphere, Oct. 15, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Session 3 -- Materials and Resources, Oct. 22, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Session 4 -- Indoor Environmental Quality/Innovation and Regional Priority, Oct. 29, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
The webinar series will help attendees do the following:
- Understand the application of LEED requirements in varying project circumstances.
- Learn about the primary green-building strategies that contribute to LEED credits.
- Comprehend referenced standards and calculation methodologies for key LEED credits.
- Understand how to better focus their study and use other resources effectively to prepare for the exam.
The course will include a review of the key elements of each prerequisite and credit in the rating system and use presentation and project examples to help attendees understand the concepts and retain critical information.
Addressing webinar attendees will be Green Building Services Inc.'s (GBS) Richard Manning and Beth Shuck. Mr. Manning has more than 20 years of experience as a professional architect. Over the last decade, he has advised on a broad range of projects in the United States and Canada and has overseen successful certification of numerous LEED projects. Ms. Shuck is a LEED consultant and project manager at GBS. She directs LEED certification efforts for various project types, including institutional buildings, office buildings, and higher-education and municipal facilities. Under her direction, project teams work collectively to pursue high-performance design strategies along the most appropriate path relative to their construction budgets and schedules.
Webinar tuition is based on location, not number of participants, so each registration site can have multiple participants for one low price. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/nrmudcp.
WPL Publishing Co., Inc. provides expert training, education, and development resources for the construction industry via live webinars and its ConstructionPro Network website (http://www.ConstructionProNet.com). Through ConstructionPro Network, WPL publishes the independent newsletter ConstructionPro Week, providing news, analysis, and insightful commentary about recent developments involving construction law, green buildings, building information modeling, and various construction managerial technologies and techniques.


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Earn Points just for signing up and more points every time you shop. It's simply rewarding.
* Required Fields
(based on 38 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Most Liked Positive Review
Updated nose pads work
I have read the reviews regarding broken nose pads. The newly designed nose pads have a screw from the lenses to the pads. I keep these in my front pocket (as opposed to...Read complete review
I have read the reviews regarding broken nose pads. The newly designed nose pads have a screw from the lenses to the pads. I keep these in my front pocket (as opposed to back pocket). That may help with crushing and damage. I have had these for a month with no problem. They are my favorite readers by far and I have purchased several other types.
Most Liked Negative Review
Excellent, but has one annoying flaw
Excellent idea, concept. I find them to be very convenient for both carrying, fit, and lens quality. However, yes, I have experienced a very inconvenient flaw in the frame quality. With...Read complete review
Excellent idea, concept. I find them to be very convenient for both carrying, fit, and lens quality. However, yes, I have experienced a very inconvenient flaw in the frame quality. With less than two months use, the two little plastic pieces known as the nose guard have broken. The result is the sharp metal mount for the guards now rest against your skin and can be harmful to your health.I am currently searching for a solution. Perhaps a parts purchase or warranty parts shipment. If the nose guard pieces were more durable I would change my rating of this product from "2" to a "5". I just purchased my second set of this product, but I guarantee there will not be a third purchase unless there is a simple and inexpensive solution to this problem.
Reviewed by 38 customers
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Nose pad broke...Needs a retro fit to correct.
By Mike W.
from 11570
Comments about Foster Grant Gavin Fold Flat:
These are a great design and would have been perfect had the plastic nose pad not broke after two days of regular use.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Case hinges break after two days.
By JF
from Montreal Canada
The glasses themselves are great. But the carrying case is very low quality.
best glasses ever.
By Iztok
from EU -Slovenia
Nice to carry and very good quality.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
By JR
from Fishkill ny
Interesting design, and for that price i figured they would last sadly dissappointed !!
3 pairs and every one of them the nose piece cracked.
By Jonathan
from Dallas, TX
I bought a pair and liked them so much, I bought 2 more pair, one at home, one for work and one spare, kept in my vehicle. All of them have nose pieces that fell off or cracked within 45 days of wearing them. Super cheap plastic that is too hard for the purpose. I don't know if they degrade in UV light or what, but their material is not capable of normal easy use. I've had other glasses that have never had a problem after years of use, but these need a nose piece redesign.
By Ned
from Bonita Springs FL
nose tabs keep breaking off. Friend of mine who has them has had the same problem. I think there is a defect in the case which breaks off the tabs.
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Case hinges break after very light usage
By Back to bulky cases for the pocket
from Hanover, NH
I bought these because I wanted a thin hard case to fit in my trouser pocket, not look bulky, and keep glasses from breaking while in the pocket. But the hinges on the case failed completely in only a few months with relatively light usage. Very disappointing.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Why only two choices now?
By Not to 2.50 yet.
from Des Moines, IA
I climbed a mountain using these glasses and they worked great all along the way. They fit perfectly in a side pocket where they were out of my way until I needed them, but very handy when I did. Since then, the nose pieces did fall off - but I used them really hard for quite awhile before that happened. I love the flat design better than any other reader and I would love to buy more of them. However, the options for the reading power have been reduced to just 1.00 or 2.50. Neither of those two extremes work.
Absolutely love these reading glasses
By Full-Pockets Mike
from Dallastown, PA
I visited sites with reviews on these relatively expensive reading glasses on at least three different occasions and was put-off by the comments about lenses easily scratched and frames easily damaged - often within days of purchase. I seriously wanted to replace my fixed-frame readers in their large, standard-size hard case which took up so much room in my front pocket. I bought the Gideon Brown folding version but quickly got annoyed with having to unfold them several times a day. I returned to read more reviews on the Gavin fold flat because I really wanted them to 'work' - they'd take up so little space in my pocket. I then read the review that made the difference for me, saying he'd read the same foreboding reviews about easy and early damage, but he just was extra cautious with them - any time he took the glasses off, he put them in the protective case. He was careful in handling them and was cautious to avoid the lenses contacting anything. He said his have lasted a long time.I've had the same experience - I've had mine for 4-5 months, using MANY MANY times daily and do not have any issues with them whatsoever. I can't say enough about how grateful I am to having a glass case that occupies so little space in my front pocket. They've made a huge difference for me. Thanks Foster Grant - if you could drop the price $5 they'd be an even greater help.
By Nick the Greek
from New Orleans, LA
Images shared by Nick the Greek
To make it simple for you to choose the frames that best fit your face, we have included the measurements of every frame we currently have available. Frame measurements are determined by several widths, including lens width, bridge width, and temple width. To determine your perfect fit, you can simply use a ruler to measure the width of your face from temple to temple. This distance will be very similar to your frame fit and will help you pick the correct size.
500 George Washington Hwy. Smithfield, RI 02917 USA Call (800) 426-6396


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In today's world, it seems we have steps and "how tos" for almost all areas of life. How to get a foot in the door to a new job, how to talk to your kids about touchy issues, but one area where we can sometimes be left in the dark is when it comes to the bedroom. Learning how to organize the bedroom may seem trivial, but this task can help you live a much more calm and focused life. By eliminating the stress of a messy room, you could eliminate a lot more problems than you think.
Organize the Bedroom Without Destroying Your Sanity
Read More // TAGS: bedroom, clean room, clutter, organize


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Feb 8, 2011
Why Fraggle Rock is Even Better as an Adult
If there's one thing I love, it's Fraggle Rock. If there's two things I love, it's Fraggle Rock and pizza. New contributor Hilarie Mukavitz has written a brand new article about one of these things--bet you'll never guess which! We talk a lot about Fraggles around here... but we hardly ever get down to brass tax and talk about why the show is so great--and we almost never talk about why those Muppet fans who haven't seen the show definitely should. Fortunately for us, Hilarie's article covers both of those bases. But enough rambling from me... read on!
Why Fraggle Rock Is Even Better As an Adult
Hilarie Mukavitz - Revisiting a show you loved in your childhood can be dangerous. I've noticed 3 things tend to happen:
1. The show doesn't hold up at ALL and you wonder what you were thinking.
2. The show doesn't hold up well....but you still have a great deal affection for it because you liked it in your childhood.
3. The show DOES hold up, and you can appreciate it in ways you couldn't in your childhood.
Fortunately for me, Fraggle Rock definitely fell into the 3rd category. I was 5 when Fraggle Rock first aired on HBO. Monday used to be my favorite day of the week because that was when it was on. Re-watching the show in my 30's, I've been blown away at how well-crafted the show is. Here's a few examples:
No Villains, Just Misunderstandings
Very rarely will you see an actual villain in a Fraggle Rock episode. In episode 106 "The Preachification of Convincing John" Mokey's cause of the week is to convince the Fraggles not to eat the Doozer's constructions anymore. What Mokey doesn't realize is she's pretty much messing with the ecosystem of Fraggle Rock. When Fraggles don't eat the Doozer's constructions, the Doozers nearly need to move elsewhere so they can keep building, otherwise they will die. In other words, the cause of the conflict is Mokey... not because she is malicious, but because she didn't have all the information. I didn't really appreciate this at the time, but this is much more sophisticated writing than to just have some two dimensional villain of the week come in to cause the conflict.
Nothing Is More Important Than Music
On the Season 1 DVD extras, Jerry Juhl talks about how when they were looking for music for the series, initially they were inundated with your classic cutesy children's music. Then he heard the demo for the Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee song "Follow Me." He knew that was the right feel for the show.
The lyrics have a simplicity, without dumbing down or being cutesy. "Every sunrise shows me more and more, so much to explore, come and follow me." Balsam and Lee had an amazing output of songs in their 5 seasons on Fraggle Rock. There was a wide range of musical styles from folk to blues to New Orleans jazz. The lyrics are so solid, a lot of the songs could easily be performed in their own right.
Gobo Has a Crisis of Faith
Episode 301 "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" explores the different holidays that happen around the Winter Solstice. The Fraggle version is the Festival of the Bells. Every year at that time, the rock would "slow down" and the Fraggles would ring their bells to wake up the Great Bell in the heart of the rock. Gobo goes on a quest of sorts because he has doubts over whether the Great Bell actually exists. I'm sure as a child I just thought "Oh, it's a Fraggle Christmas episode." However as an adult I thought "Holy cow! Gobo's having a crisis of faith! ON A CHILDREN'S SHOW!" Somehow I can't imagine a theme with that sort of depth happening on most other children's shows of the era. "Papa Smurf? I don't smurf in the smurf anymore!"
Red Keeps Up With the Boys
Like many other little girls, Red was my favorite Fraggle. I was used to female characters that tended to be girly girls, princesses, or more of a side character. Red Fraggle was a definite first. What I loved about Red was she was right in the thick of things. She not only could keep up with Gobo, sometimes she'd win the competition. She was also way more like a lot of the girls around me. These days when I see Red I smile because she's so much like my sister and my niece.
The World Peace Message
Initially I was startled when I found out the main concept behind Fraggle Rock was to promote world peace. It was similar to the feeling I had when I found out the Narnia stories were actually about Christianity. "Wait... I just thought it was a great story... oooooh yeaaaaaaah!" You see the three interconnected, and frequently clashing cultures of the Gorgs, the Fraggles, and the Doozers. All sorts of heavy issues like war and the environment were tackled, without being preachy. It still was an entertaining children's show.
If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend checking out Fraggle Rock no matter what your age. Like all of the best of Henson's work, there is something in it for everyone.
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier
3 comments:
Really great article - Fraggle Rock was and still is one of my favorites, it was extremely well written and well performed - like so many of the Henson Company creations, each character was so distinct and fun, and the show got a great positive message across without being too heavy or preachy.ReplyDelete
Watching this show on Netflix with my son, and you couldn't be more right on. I can't think of another kid's show (or many adult shows) so dedicated to the message that no matter who you are, where you are, you're operating on a sliver of the facts and your own unique perspective. That's important not to forget, as many of us do.ReplyDelete
I just watched Kermit's Rainbow Connection on Youtube, and I think what you described about Fraggle Rock is true for a lot of Jim Henson's creations. They constantly remind me of the saying- 'everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten'. As kids, we probably just liked watching the shows because they were entertaining, and inspired a sense of wonder. Looking back as an adult though, so many of the stories have simple truths about the deeper meaning of life. Funny how as adults we spend so much time trying to find the meaning of life, and figure out our place in the world. The answers to life's questions aren't written on the back of anything...they were given to us when we were children...the trick is to remember what they were and to always keep them in mind.ReplyDelete
See my blog post inspired in part by Kermit's Rainbow Connection: http://writingunwrittenends.blogspot.com/


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Bluffton is growing up. That isn't really big news, but what comes with it sometimes makes news.
Growing pains and tough decisions about the town's future are on the agenda - for all of us.
What do we want Bluffton to look like in five or 10 years? We all probably would answer that question differently. And sometimes the answer might just depend on what day it is asked.
Nonetheless, helping to shape the community we all call home is a priority.
Being proactive and getting involved in the process of how planning and zoning decisions are made is a role residents can play.
Volunteer to be on the planning commission. Attend public meetings about planning and zoning.
Pay attention to signs that are posted to let residents know about impending zoning changes to land slated for development.
When we drive by a development and wonder out loud why something is where it is and how it doesn't seem to make sense to us, there are reasons for the madness.
We may not always like those reasons, but decisions made five or 10 years ago today are affecting how development occurs in Bluffton.
I've seen the growth in other communities I have lived in and managing the growth and making everyone happy just didn't happen very often.
Our quality of life is at stake and how the community looks and feels also is.
If you think we notice it and ask questions then you can just multiply that by 10 or even 100 when business and industry comes to scout an area.
I've been around or part of an economic development recruitment trip to a community a couple of times.
When the CEO or president of Company A comes to town they bring a few folks, a spouse or family, and spend a couple of nights without a lot of fanfare.
They drive around, check out the community in terms of parks and recreation, traffic, schools, health care, shopping, entertainment and try to get a feel for the community. They may even pop into a grocery store, dry cleaners or buy some produce from a local farmers market.
It's all about getting an impression of the community without announcing that they are there scoping it out.
All the glossy public relations and marketing materials are great, but it's that firsthand visit and first impressions that sometimes make a difference for Company A when it comes time to decide if they put their headquarters in Bluffton, South Carolina or Fairhope, Ala.
Other important factors also are health care and schools. Access to first-rate health care and good public schools is sometimes a deal breaker.
Having housing options at all ranges also comes into play. We certainly have that covered.
Bluffton is growing whether we like it or not. It's how the town grows and what business it recruits that will shape our future.
Be part of the process. Get involved, ask questions and help make our community one that people want to be a part of.
Editor Kathy Nelson may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 843-815-0800, Ext. 19.


text:
|Rescooped by Christine Margocs from iGeneration - 21st Century Education (Pedagogy & Digital Innovation)
Can't wait to test drive these for my kid who hates writing. #irony #powerofthepen
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Sherri L. McLendon's curator insight, April 9, 2015 1:54 PM
Can't wait to test drive these for my kid who hates writing. #irony #powerofthepen
Anu Ojaranta's curator insight, May 19, 2013 11:35 AM
Pointers for modern school library design and facilities!
Gust MEES's curator insight, May 14, 2013 1:15 AM
Sharla Shults's curator insight, May 14, 2013 10:23 PM
The Librarian...the most diversified teacher of all!
Ana María Correa's curator insight, February 25, 2014 10:59 AM
A really lovely infographic that brings it all home...
EdTechSandyK's curator insight, May 21, 2013 8:17 AM
Always confirm citation formats with the original authority (MLA, APA, etc.), but this is a nice quick reference.
Tim Hopper's curator insight, May 22, 2013 10:52 AM
Why schools need to lead in the use of digital technologies, not be dragged reluctantly into the 21st century.
Dean Mantz's curator insight, May 31, 2013 4:17 PM
Thanks to Jaime Forshey for sharing this infographic addressing digital manners. It is a great example of connecting infographics to digital citizenship.
Sandra Mustacato's curator insight, June 19, 2013 7:07 AM
ThiIesha's been created by Ian Jukes' and the 21C Fluencies. This should be worth checking out.
Jason Verbovszky's curator insight, June 2, 2013 10:47 AM
Interesting stats around e-textbooK use and student views.
Mario Marais's comment, June 6, 2013 9:03 AM
I wonder what the picture is in Africa and South Africa? USA is saturated with laptops and iPads and smart phones...
Karen Bonanno's curator insight, February 16, 2013 4:18 PM
This post provides an example of a young girl who made a 'childish mistake' and the 'mistake' went viral. Vicki, the author of the post, provides some sensible ways that teachers can educate kids on responsible use.
Nancy Jones's curator insight, February 19, 2013 9:23 PM
This has some great examples and interesting lists. Seems to be a strong suggestion that parent Ed about this is equally important
Mary Reilley Clark's curator insight, February 24, 2013 6:42 PM
Some good talking points here. Check specifics, as the post is two years old.
Deborah Owen's curator insight, February 7, 2013 8:53 AM
"School libraries always have been interdisciplinary spaces deeply connected to the curriculum, instrumental in developing students' research and information literacy skills, and committed to creating an environment of free reading that supports lifelong learning and curiosity. These traditional roles and strengths are increasingly critical as society faces a deluge of digital information, and the lines between content user and content creator are blurred and even actively
Jeni Mawter's curator insight, February 11, 2013 8:16 PM
Libraries are digital platforms serving the needs of schools and communities.
Toni Thompson's curator insight, February 22, 2013 3:38 AM
I believe Google drive is a fantastic tool for both learners and lectures....and its free!!!! however to further enhance the online learning experence also include google "hangout" within your tool kit. Simply brilliant! :-)
Ken Morrison's comment, November 17, 2014 1:31 AM
Thanks. Have you been using this? Is it safe? Is it spammy? I do think that they look nice. I am curious of the benefits of creating an account. Can you track information such as GeoTagging, etc?
RitaZ's comment, November 17, 2014 4:10 PM
Not used this tool yet myself, Ken, but planning to. Maybe you can track back users who could answer your queries. Sorry about this :-(
RitaZ's comment, November 17, 2014 4:10 PM
Not used this tool yet myself, Ken, but planning to. Maybe you can track back users who could answer your queries. Sorry about this :-(
Michelle Ingram's curator insight, October 22, 2017 7:10 PM
A great resource for teachers to share with students on digital citizenship. A printable poster is included for classrooms.
Dr. Laura Sheneman's curator insight, May 26, 2013 8:55 AM
If you don't have a pintrest account: http://dhoozy.com/?p=1522
Michelle Ingram's curator insight, October 22, 2017 7:05 PM
A website which offers links to netiquette information. There are also elementary digital citizenship posters.
Donna Macdonald's curator insight, February 14, 2013 4:49 PM
Although speaking is quite fast, good video on copyright.
EdTechSandyK's curator insight, January 29, 2013 6:56 AM
From the Blog: "In the 21st century, we as educators have a moral imperative to make sure our students are equipped with proper "baloney-detection tools" so that they can avoid being mislead and misguided in a flood of information."
Based on the "facts" I see my adult friends posting on Facebook all the time, these are must-have skills for EVERYONE, and it is essential teachers become better bullspotters so they may pass those skills along to their students.


text: DB Grant Haley (5-10 180) of Atlanta has offers from USC, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech with interest from Georgia and Missouri. Every offer he has is as a defensive back, except for the Gamecocks. "They're telling me they want me more as an athlete and said they would like to see me on offense," said Haley. He visited USC last month for a junior day. "I liked it a lot," he said. "I like the facilities and I really like the coaching staff. I've talked to coach (Lorenzo) Ward a couple of times and I'm working on a better relationship with (USC)." Vanderbilt was his latest visit and the Commodores surprised him. "I liked it a lot more than I thought I would," said Haley. "I like what they have going on up there." He has also visited Florida and plans to visit Tennessee soon. As a junior he totaled 40 tackles and seven interceptions with seven offensive touchdowns. Haley does not have any favorites.


text:
Before & After: Beth's Beachy Summer Kitchen
Like this entry? Favorite it below!
- Name:
- Beth
- Location:
- Seattle, WA
- Division:
- United States
- About my kitchen reveal:
- We wanted this kitchen to feel lighter and more open so we took out the soffits and the pony wall at the bar to create more of an island feel with seating. We laid out a much more efficient cabinet design as well. Replacing all the cabinets, counter tops, appliances and the sink and faucets gave it and updated look. We also bleached the wood floor to give it a nice beachy feel as this is our summer home.
- My best tip for a successful kitchen makeover::
- Sticking with the original layout helped keep costs down as we didn't need to redo the plumbing or rewire. Also, marble countertops scratch easily!
- My favorite meal to cook in my kitchen::
- Homemade pizzas with fresh local tomatoes and basil!


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(click on picture to watch a video)
Summer Leaders Experience (SLE)
The SLE Application for summer 2019 iscurrently CLOSED. Applications for Summer 2019 will be opened on January 15, 2019.
Preliminary requirements to attend the SLE include an a
SLE Applicants must:
The SLE application is a two-part process. First, applicants must complete the "Candidate Questionnaire" which is Part I of the United States Military Academy application. Since this first step in applying for the Summer Leaders Experience is Part I of the USMA application process, SLE applicants will also have an open USMA application file. This will save them time and effort should they later decide to apply to become a USMA cadet.
After finishing Part I, applicants interested in SLE must submit Part II (Workshop/Week Preferences) in order to compete for an SLE offer. When the application window is open, links to the SLE application can be found in the top right corner of this page or using the button labeled "Apply for SLE" at the bottom of this page. The link will only appear during the SLE application window January through March.
To be clear, individuals interested in applying for the Summer Leaders Experience MUST complete Part I, the Candidate Questionnaire, and then apply specifically for SLE using the button that appears on the bottom of this page during the active application window.
How are you spending the summer after your junior year of high school?
Get introduced to a completely different college experience by attending our SLE. This is a week-long immersion in academic, military and social life for those considering the United States Military Academy. You will explore the United States Military Academy from all angles, including some intense military training and athletic activities. An action packed week, it's the best way for you to gauge the challenges you would encounter and overcome as a United States Military Academy cadet.
Academics Experience
You can choose from a variety of courses in different academic areas, such as (click here for more details in our SLE Information Brochure):
Military Experience
You will also take part in daily military training including:
Athletic and Social Experience
You'll enjoy a lot of social interaction including intramural sports and social events where you'll get to know fellow SLE attendees and West Point cadets. You will also have the chance to ask cadets questions about the Academy and the Army. The entire week will give you a good sense of whether the United States Military Academy is a good fit for you.
Once Open for Registration - Apply Early
Acceptance for SLE is very competitive, so apply online early. Approximately 500 students are selected to attend SLE for each of the two sessions. The cost is $400, not including your transportation costs. Admission for SLE is on a rolling basis, which means acceptance letters will go out even before the application deadline. Each year there are a limited number of needs-based scholarships to defray the cost of attendance. Selected applicants will receive more informaiton about applying for need-based scholarships. It is our goal to ensure financial means are never an obstacle to a worthy candidate's SLE attendance. For more information please see our brochure and the link to the FAQ page on the right. For any other questions, please email us at: email@example.com
Please note: SLE was formerly known as the Summer Leaders Seminar (SLS). The program's title has been changed to Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) because this new title is descriptively more accurate. If you encounter older literature or resources referring to SLS, please know that this is effectively referring to the current SLE program and except for the name, is very much the same experience described in that literature.
To apply for SLE while the application window is open, you must first complete the Candidate Questionnaire located HERE.
Social media for West Point Admissions is designed specifically for prospective applicants. We share insights about the Admissions process and provide you with a behind the curtain peek into Cadet Life at the U.S. Military Academy. It contains completely different content from the social media linked at the top of this page. Enjoy!
behind the curtain
External Links Disclaimer - The appearance of hyperlinks to external sites does not constitute endorsement by West Point or the U.S. Army of the linked web site or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, West Point and the U.S. Army do not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this Department of Army web site.
Only questions or comments regarding the technical aspects of the Web site should be sent to the web master. If you are reporting a broken link, please help us by identifying the page or Web site where you found the link or web address.
Please click here to send an email to the West Point web team.


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We love fab plus size fashionistas, but we hate plus size swimsuits. Most are hideous (tropical floral printed lycra MUST die). Most are overpriced ($125 for something you will literally wear twice a year? NOT).
So we found a gaggle, over 24 to be precise, of super stylish plus size swimsuits for under $50. (P.S., if you're PAID, check out these amazing velvet plus size swimsuits from ModCloth and swimsuits from Monif C.
Awesome Plus Size Swimsuits for UNDER $50
One Pieces Plus Size Swimsuits
The classic one piece gets a few updates this year (lots of mesh inserts.. lots). This is a great basic swimsuit that covers you in all the right places.
Women's Plus Control Max Halter Swimsuits, $59.94 from Old Navy
Dragonfruit Twist Front Maillot by Shore Club, $47.60 from Sonsi
Ribbed Twist Front Halter One-Piece Swimsuit, $32.90 from Wet Seal
Mesh Moment Keyhole Swimsuit, $18.00 from Forever 21
Plus Size Bikinis
This hot new trend continues to gain steam with bolder plus size fashionistas. Embrace the look by pairing your bikini with a pair of killer heels.
ASOS CURVE High Waisted Bikini Pant With Stripe, $18.10 from ASOS
Plus-Size Mix and Match Collection; $26.99 for Swim Top, $22.99 for Swim Shorts from Target
Fierce Fiesta Bikini Set, $27.80 from Forever 21
ASOS CURVE Bikini Top In Ombre Print, $20.96 from ASOS
Bold Pattern
Patterns provide additional coverage by "tricking" the eye because our brains are trained to continue patterns (thus not noticing any budges)
Plus-Size Ruched Tankini; $27.99 for Swim Top, $22.99 for Swim Bottom from Target
Bazaar Fringe Swimsuit by Swim Sexy, $54.60 from Sonsi
Pixelated Southwestern Swimsuit, $27.80 from Forever 21
Strategic Ruching
Ruching is a girls best friend, adding the right details exactly where they should be (at our waists) and providing a welcome distraction from any tummy issues
Posh Ruched Strapless Swimsuit, $29.80 from Forever 21
ASOS CURVE Exclusive Plunge Swimsuit, $47.64 from ASOS
Catherine Brock
Latest posts by Catherine Brock (see all)
- The Famous Double G — All About Gucci - December 15, 2018
- 6 Luxe Leather Pieces on Our Holiday Wish List - December 14, 2018
- Everyday Budget Outfit for Petite Pears - December 13, 2018


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I would like you to make more videos like this! I feel like you are talking about me. The video will help other people to understand me better. I also really like your animated characters!
"Amazing things Happen" gracefully evokes the sensory and emotional experiences of people with Autism. It's a rallying cry that all people are special encourages tolerance and acceptance in children and in adults and is a must see in ever global classroom.
Young people with autism from our local area liked the video. They asked us to add it to our Local Offer website to help raise awareness. We were really happy to do this and think the animation is great.
Succinct, positive, informative, undeniably life changing.
I love this video, I have watched the video 7 to 8 times already. I also love the animated characters. It seems like it is me in the video.
Understanding our sometimes complex differences can often be a golden key to happiness and success: this touching animation offers that understanding of autism in such a fun, clear and uplifting way!
This video is not only useful for increasing acceptance in non-autistic children, but we found it incredibly useful also to increase self-awareness in children with Asperger syndrome. It's a an amazing way to explain the diagnosis to them!
This is a really brilliant introduction to understanding autism, very well crafted and a great way to tackle any fear or prejudice in a clever concise manner
Watching the Amazing Things Happen video is a joyous experience every parent would want share with their children.
Brilliant!!! The descriptions are accurate, and the messages so clear.
We aim to raise autism awareness among young non-autistic audiences to encourage understanding and acceptance in future generations.
© 2018 Amazing Things Happen All Rights Reserved.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International


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text: WR Chris Godwin of Middletown, DE has emerged as a major USC target and plans to visit this spring. He camped with the Gamecocks last summer and got his first look then at the program. "I was impressed with it," Godwin said. "The facilities are top notch. Coach Mangus said he's very interested and I'm one of the top receivers on the board." Godwin has been to Maryland and Penn State for junior days. He will visit Ohio State this coming weekend and will Rutgers the following weekend. "No one is standing out," he said. "South Carolina is definitely a school I'm interested in. I'm not going to rush a decision." Godwin has 16 offers including USC, Stanford, Ohio State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Cal, Boston College and NC State. Last season Godwin had 42 catches for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns.


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SAN ANTONIO | Jeb Bush wouldn't say Wednesday night whether he's likely to run for president in 2016, but at Saint Leo University he did suggest a surprising role model for the sort of president he'd strive to be: Lyndon Johnson.
SAN ANTONIO | Jeb Bush wouldn't say Wednesday night whether he's likely to run for president in 2016, but at Saint Leo University he did suggest a surprising role model for the sort of president he'd strive to be: Lyndon Johnson.
No, the conservative former Florida governor didn't hail Johnson's Great Society initiatives. Instead, he hailed Johnson's forceful, hands-on leadership that, among other things, produced a 25 percent across-the-board income tax cut.
"He went and he cajoled, he begged, he threatened, he loved, he hugged, he did what leaders do, which is they personally get engaged to make something happen," said Bush, who recently read Robert Caro's latest Johnson biography.
Bush's homage to Johnson before several hundred people at the Pasco County campus was one of his only shots at President Barack Obama, who has earned a reputation for avoiding hands-on negotiating with congressional leaders.
"I saw an unnamed person in the White House about a month ago say, 'You know, Lincoln would have had a hard time in the climate we're in today, with the Republicans being so intractable,'?" Bush said. "Really? You're comparing what we have today to a civil war? Really?"
Mostly, though, the ex-governor many Republicans hope will run for president talked about the potential for bipartisan cooperation to make several basic steps to generate more economic growth.
His prescription amounts to a three-legged stool: a focus on ramping up North American energy production; comprehensive immigration reform that would make America more welcoming to nonnative innovators and entrepreneurs; and education reforms to ensure America is equipped to sustain the growth generated by the first two legs.
"The greatest news that has happened since the commercialization of the Internet is that the United States has the potential in the very near term to become the largest producer of oil and gas in the world," Bush said, noting that advances in so-called " fracking" and horizontal drilling are already dramatically growing the natural gas industry.
With thoughtful safeguards and regulations, Bush said, the natural gas revolution stands to reindustrialize the country, create millions of high-wage jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions, save consumers money and require a smaller military presence overseas and "not put the lives at risk of brave men and woman for other countries."
Bush has a book coming out next month about immigration reform, and he argued Wednesday that sensible immigration policies could be another major growth engine. As the population ages, the country needs policies to ensure a strong workforce, and those would include encouraging more people learning science and technology skills at American universities to stay in the country.
Both parties deserve blame for the status quo, he said, with Republicans talking tough about the rule of law "as a way to win primaries," and Democrats sitting back and letting the Republican immigration rhetoric lose them general elections.
The country needs to control the borders and enforce the rule of law, but also should provide a pathway to legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants already here if they pay a fine, learn English and abide by the law, he said.
"To me �— and I'm here at this great Catholic institution and this is what my church teaches me — it is completely un-American to require people living in the shadows."
But economic growth won't last unless the country gets a grip on its education system, said Bush, who has been crusading for years for greater accountability.
As governor, Bush sought to ban offshore drilling within 100 miles of Florida shores, but he said Wednesday the BP oil spill — occurring in deep water far away from Florida — led him to rethink that. With technological advances, the risks can be minimized, he said.
" I think we should be part of the solution in creating energy security for our country. … We can't be antiprogress, we can't be anti-innovation, antitechnology," he said.


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posted by Thom Holwerda on Wed 5th Sep 2012 21:10 UTC
"Copying design choices (use of materials, shapes, manufacturing limitations) purely as aesthetic is toxic, and it's not design. It misunderstands the very nature of what product design is supposed to accomplish and ignores the true nature of what the product is and what it does." Concise but spot-on criticism of skeuomorphism by Wells Riley. Couldn't agree with this more.


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I'd like to request third party integration of digital signatures such as adobe sign, hello sign, or docusign. It's possible these companies may do the heavy lifting themselves and do all the code for the server edition, which can be integrated into the saas edition.
Digital document signing is almost a must have nowadays.


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"The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems," said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison in the press release, "Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system - applications to disk - where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up."
"This is a fantastic day for Sun's customers, developers, partners and employees across the globe, joining forces with the global leader in enterprise software to drive innovation and value across every aspect of the technology marketplace," said Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's CEO, also in the press release, "From the Java platform touching nearly every business system on earth, powering billions of consumers on mobile handsets and consumer electronics, to the convergence of storage, networking and computing driven by the Solaris operating system and Sun's SPARC and x64 systems. Together with Oracle, we'll drive the innovation pipeline to create compelling value to our customer base and the marketplace."
The deal has received unanimous approval of Sun's board, and is likely to go down this summer, after shareholder approval.


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39th Milford Oyster Festival
The town of Milford will once again hold a festival in celebration of "everything oysters" on Saturday, August 17th. Past attractions include live music, classic car shows, Milford Police K-9 demonstrations and plenty of oysters. Admission is free, and the festival will be held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Phil Kohan, Diane Wallberg, Jay Pinto/Hartford Courant
Copyright © 2018, Los Angeles Times


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Tape Delay TonePrint by Dann Huff
With a high degree of tape saturation this toneprint gives a very full sound to the guitar without getting in the way of the clarity of the sound. Dann spent a lot of time tweaking the taper of the pots exactly to his liking, but start with all knobs at 12 o'clock and you'll get the exact sound Dann is using in the video.
Get the TonePrint Now
Have an iOS or Android device? Use the TonePrint AppDownload the TonePrint EditorTape Delay TonePrint by Dann Huff
<iframe width="920" height="518" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3QJoUtT5CmQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent"></iframe>
Other TonePrints by Dann Huff
TC: Who inspired you over the years when you were creating your own personal guitar tone?
Dann: When I was 14 years old I wanted to be Larry Carlton or Al Di Meola- both of which I never became. No rock music – AT ALL – no country, but a lot of R'n'B. I totally missed Jimmy Page the first time around, and I had no interest in Hendrix, I discovered him later. I know it's terrible, it's like guitar heresy. I felt that Carlton was more interesting harmonically. His vibrato was/is beautiful, and he is a great player, but I was more interested in that harmonic value and the control. At that time I wasn't interested in the flash or the rebellion. I was a happy kid, there was no need for the whole rock idiom and it didn't inspire me from a point of identity
TC: What are the main ingredients in your tone in terms of effects (e.g. chorus, flanger, delay, etc.)?
Dann: Well, it's mostly delay, distortion, and reverb, those are the main ingredients for me. Maybe because I came from the 80's where I did all my session playing, I used up all the chorus that was actually manufactured (laughs). I like the chorusing effect if it is really minimal, and I do like modulation, but I do it from a delay standpoint.
TC: Have you ever been so inspired by a tone you created that you ended up writing a tune based on that specific tone?
Dann: I don't write much these days, but the answer is – yes.
TC: Do you work on developing your tone continuously, or do you feel that you have found a fundamental tone that will last throughout your career?
Dann: Now that I spend 95% of my time producing it's an immediate necessity. I don't hire out as a guitarist much these days, but I work with a lot of guitar players. The pressure to be able to facilitate tone very quickly, and certainly when I'm plugging and playing it, has to be there pretty immediately because I don't have the time to sit there and dig with my gear.
TC: Normally, do you prefer having access to many parameters, or do you like simple pedals with just a few knobs better?
Dann: These pedals appeal to me. I love in-the-box stuff and I love to have options, but when it comes to pedals I tend to shy away from pedals with gazillions of knob. Simplicity certainly appeals to me in the context of a pedal board.
TC: How come you signed up for creating your own personal TonePrint(s)?
Dann: Curiosity. I love the fact that you dial in the parameters and stamp them into one pedal that you like, and it appeals to me that as you change and evolve the pedal can change and evolve with you.
TC: In your opinion, what is the single coolest thing about TonePrints?
Dann: The coolest thing is that it's the coolest thing. Once you get an idea of the faceprint of it, it looks very simple overall, even for a computer savage as me. I like this format, it's more conducive to the mentality of a guitar player than that of a keyboard programmer, and that's where pedal companies sometime get off the mark, or get too boutique-ish. It looks like we can grow with this thing. Once you have this pedal you have your delay pedal, you have Joe Perry's delay pedal, you have everybody's delay pedal. It never gets old.Read more about Dann Huff


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These troubling economic times have been rather cruel to Texas game development studios. In the past few months, we've seen Midway's Austin studio shuttered, NCSoft's Austin-developed Tabula Rasa announcing its shutdown, and most recently, Plano-based Gearbox laying off a number of employees following disappointing sales of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. Rumors began floating around that the developer's highly anticipated shooter based on the "Alien" franchise was next on the chopping block.
According to Gamasutra and Kotaku, this is not the case. After chatter began making the rounds that Sega cut off funding and Aliens: Colonial Marines was about to go the way of most of the Nostromo's crew, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford took it upon himself to quash the hearsay with an official statement to Kotaku, in which he said that although the company's focus has shifted away from growth and toward efficiency, Gearbox is still hiring. Most importantly, Pitchford confirms that both Colonial Marines and Borderlands are still in the works. That's good news for people looking to exterminate some xenomorphs.


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Residents in north Derbyshire and the Dales can expect the unexpected today at the weather varies from brilliant sunshine to rain.
The day will start off sunny, followed by some light rain 11am to around lunchtime. It is then expected to become sunny again before turning to rain again at tea time.
In the evening it will be cloudy. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 19 degrees Celsius.


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A BlankTV Premiere Presentation:
Angry Bears - "Stay Gold"
Blank TV and Connecticut pop-punkers Angry Bears have joined forces to bring you this exclusive acoustic session straight from Angry Bears HQ! Stay Gold is taken from Angry Bears spring release Stay Gold E.P.
Angry Bears are the exciting and energetic pop-punk trio from Norwich, Connecticut. Initially established in 2008 under the name 'Licensed To Save', Aaron, Dylan and Rich-O reformed as Angry Bears in early 2010 with a new sound, energy and passion for music.
Angry Bears quickly made a name for themselves in the local scene, grabbing attention with their high octane, aggressive, live shows, during which the band is renowned for forging an energetic rapport with their ever growing crowds. In spring of 2012, They released their debut E.P Stay Gold, producing a release that integrates the natural aggression and raw energy of the band, with up beat tempo and melody, and unlike many of their contemporaries, Angry Bears impresses when delivering both the pop and the punk in this engaging six track release.
With word spreading beyond merely state level, Angry Bears landed a number of notable support slots, with the likes of Rock Loves Emily, and Victory Records Victorian Halls. Continued recognition culminated in Angry Bears receiving two nominations at the Whalie Awards (Best Record and Best Punk/Ska Song) - Southeastern Connecticut's answer to The Grammys.
Stay Gold only fuelled the fire already surrounding Angry Bears, and a feature in June's Alternative Press magazine acknowledged the bands continued assault on national and international recognition. A performance at the Rooftop Rockoff at Mohegan Sun Casino kick starts a busy summer of shows for the band whose debut music video is out in August, before the band returns to the studio to work on the follow up to Stay Gold in the fall.
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|Palo Alto, Calif.
|High School:
|Menlo School
|Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
2012-13: Rowed in the #3 seat of the Novice 4 A boat at the Joy Cup (4/06) … sat in the #4 seat of the third Varsity 8 boat against Dartmouth and Harvard (4/13) … at the EARC Sprints Regatta (5/19), he rowed in the #6 seat of the third Varsity 8 boat.
2011-12: Saw action in six races during the season … raced on the A team in the #7 seat at the Dartmouth Green Monster (11/5) … competed in the #7 seat on the MIT B boat at the Foot of the Charles (11/19) … rowed in the #1 seat on the MIT varsity team at Yale (4/7) … held the #7 seat on the MIT freshman boat against Harvard (4/14) … competed on the MIT varsity four boat in the #1 seat versus Cornell (4/21) and in the #2 seat at Penn (4/28).
Off the Water at MIT: Majoring in aeronautical and astronautical engineering … conducted a UROP with Professor Julie Shah in the Interactive Robotics Group during summer 2012.
High School: A 2011 graduate of the Menlo School … played soccer … award winner in physics, Chinese, English and history.
Personal: Son of Marie-Jo Fremont and Brian Tucker.


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Deal or No Deal
Token-free Play
Play Deal or No Deal.
Unlimited free play for as long as you like!
How to Play Deal or No DealPlay our Deal or No Deal game and beat the odds - and the bank. There is no real money involved, so have fun and see how far you can push your luck!
Each suitcase contains a sum of money. The amounts in the suitcases are listed at the side of the game screen. As you open each suitcase, it disappears and its amount is shaded in on the side lists.
First choose one numbered suitcase from the 26 on offer. This becomes 'your' suitcase and it is moved, unopened, to the top left-hand corner of the game screen.
In each round of the Deal or No Deal game you must select more suitcases; six in round one, five in round two, etc. The suitcases are opened as you click on them and the amount in each suitcase is shaded in on the lists at the side.
These amounts are now out of play and cannot be won.
At the end of each round, the Banker makes you an offer based on the amounts of money that may still be won. You decide whether to accept the offer or not - Deal or No Deal!
If you decline the Banker's offer at the end of each round, the game continues with you choosing more suitcases to view. When only two suitcases remain, one in the main board and 'your' suitcase up in top-left corner, you open 'your' suitcase and find out if you managed to beat the bank.
If you accept the Banker's offer at the end of any round, you may continue to play to the end and find out if you were wise to accept when you did, if the amount in 'your' suitcase was higher or lower than the bank's offer or whether the Banker may have made a more generous offer later on.
About Deal or No Deal
YouPlay's Deal or No Deal game is based on the popular television game show, screened in over 40 countries around the world. Contestants vie to beat the Banker, a cunning figure intent on thwarting their chances of winning cash prizes.
There are 26 briefcases containing amounts ranging from 50c to $200 000. The contestant chooses one briefcase as 'their own', and then starts opening the remaining cases, hoping to reveal small cash amounts. The earlier these small amounts are revealed, the more chances that the $200 000 will be in that first case!
After each round, the Banker tries to tempt the player to sell their case to him by offering an amount of instant cash. The player must either stick with the original briefcase choice - 'No Deal', or make a 'Deal' with the Banker to accept his cash offer in exchange for whatever dollar amount is in their chosen case.
YouPlay's Deal or No Deal online game is perfect for those who like a strategic challenge!


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Herald Tribune
Florida officials and the Legislature have tried several different ways to push policy holders out of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance.
They have raised rates, reduced coverage, even offered to lend private insurers $350 million to encourage them to take on new customers.
Those efforts have largely failed. Citizens announced recently that it will close the year down only 9 percent from a record high number of policies, and that it was suspending the controversial loan program.
Maybe it's time to try something more practical: Require private insurers to meet financial standards that would make them at least as reliable as Citizens.
With 1.34 million policies, including 90,000 in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Citizens remains Florida's largest property insurer. Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders cite the potential financial risk to the state if a major hurricane strikes and Citizens can't pay its claims.
But a report this year by the state's Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate found that numerous small, undercapitalized private insurers operating in Florida would be "as much or more of a financial risk" than Citizens in the event of a hurricane.
It doesn't take a hurricane.
And it doesn't take a hurricane for insurers to collapse.
Florida hasn't been hit by one in seven years, but, as the Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson has reported, in 2011 Tampa-based Homewise Insurance became "at least the eighth Florida property insurer to become insolvent since 2004" -- the 11th if you count multiple insurers under one holding company that failed.
As a result of the Homewise failure, all insurance policy holders statewide face a 1 percent rate increase next year -- an average of $20 per homeowner -- to cover the insurer's $142 million in unpaid claims.
As the Herald-Tribune's 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning series showed, Florida's insurance regulators not only permit private insurers to carry dangerously low reserves but encourage them to take on more policies than they can safely cover.
Major insurers, which began to pull out of Florida or reduce their exposure after Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, have shown no inclination to expand coverage. The lack of available, reliable coverage led the Legislature to create Citizens in the first place.
Failure to meet requirements.
The state's latest effort to increase the private market's share was the plan to have Citizens lend $350 million to smaller insurers to encourage them to take homeowners' policies from the state-run program.
Under the plan, private insurers would receive 20-year loans of up to $50 million when they assumed policies from Citizens. The insurers would have to keep those policies for at least 10 years and could not raise rates by more than 10 percent for the first three years.
But critics pointed out that the loan program would drain Citizens' large surplus -- built up during the hurricane-free years, and through the rate hikes and reduced coverage -- and limit its ability to withstand a major hurricane, with no guarantee that the loans would be repaid.
To its credit, the Citizens board of directors agreed to hire outside auditors to review the proposed program. The auditors are expected to make recommendations early next year.
That Citizens officials decided to suspend the loan program, at least until the auditors make their report, is another potentially promising development.
Citizens President Barry Gilway said, after discussions with insurers interested in taking the loans:
"I seriously doubt even if the ... program would proceed that we would have any real takers that meet the financial requirements that we believe would be necessary."
The companies' failure to "meet the financial requirements" is yet another indication that the state needs to focus not just on lowering the number of Citizens policyholders but on raising the standards for private insurers in Florida.


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OCZ Gladiator MAX Review
Are you big on overclocking your processor? Well if you are, you know exactly how important it is to make it run as cool as possible. This is where the role of a CPU cooler comes into play. We are all looking for that perfect cooler that is going to allow us to get that last MHz out of our processor, but how can we do it when we are sitting at very high load temperatures? OCZ may have a solution for you with the release of their Gladiator MAX CPU Cooler. OCZ has always been a trusted name when it comes down to the CPU cooling business, and they have come out with the Gladiator MAX that has the heatpipes bare on the base for direct contatct with your CPUs IHS. I am very curious to see how well it's going to be able to cool my processor when overclocked and put up against some of the already proven coolers out on the market.
Closer Look:
The packaging for the OCZ Gladiator MAX is a very intersting looking package; the front allows you to see the OCZ fan that you are able to mount on the Gladiator to help cool it through a cut-out covered by a clear plastic. The OCZ logo is in the upper left hand corner. The right hand side of the front has the description of the cooler as being a "High performance CPU Cooler", while the bottom of the package is where you are going to find the Gladiator MAX name printed. There is a small picture of the Gladiator on the front down in the lower left-hand corner of the cutout. When you look at the back of the package, you are going to see a picture of the cooler without the fan installed on it with the Gladiator MAX logo printed under it. There is a bunch of contact information printed at the bottom of the back as well. Taking a look at one of the sides, you are going to find the key features while the other side is where you are going to find the specifications along with the different applications for the OCZ Gladiator MAX.
The way that the Gladiator MAX is packaged is different; the cooler is packaged in a foam protector to keep it safe during transportation, and the fan is in its own molding to keep it separate from the cooler and safe from hurting the fins. There is a bag of goodies tucked away in the molding for the cooler and a user manual floating around outside the moldings.
Inside the bag of goodies is where you are going to find everything you need to mount the OCZ Gladiator MAX to your motherboard, to cool your processor as well as everything that you are going to need to mount the fan to the heatsink. There are two different brackets for different socket types, making the heatsink able to be mounted on different motherboard and makes. There are four black rubber pieces that you slide between the fins on the heatsink and then press through the screw holes to mount the fan to the Gladiator; this helps reduce the noise of the setup.
Now that we know how the OCZ Gladiator MAX was packaged and what comes with it, the next step is to take a close look at the cooler itself.