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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post735327041121746960..comments2016-03-09T11:32:05.283-05:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Transitional Technologies and RPGsJames Maliszewskihttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30197774935097029632010-11-06T01:19:17.818-04:002010-11-06T01:19:17.818-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Spawn of Endrahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83495266656599323982010-11-06T01:15:57.313-04:002010-11-06T01:15:57.313-04:00One aspect not explored in this analogy (which bea...One aspect not explored in this analogy (which bears on the OSR) is the loss of fidelity between analog tape and digital mp3 (or the digital transfer to CD). What is being lost in the music is the range and texture of sound, which vinyl folks go on about all the time. Largely that is the decimation involved in compressing the audio files, but also the norm is to listen to music now on earbuds ... i.e. speakers that are 1cm in diameter. No serious person would settle for that as a norm of listening even 20 years ago. The walkman filled a niche (personal sound while mobile), but at the same time, the boom box was the serious mobile party sound system, and in homes people had component stereos of greater or lesser elaboration.

The thing I wonder about is really the loss of signal that the shift to one technology or another drives. mp3 as a default format has stripped away entire ranges and landscapes of sound (and arguably, all recorded music has vis a vis live music, so I don't mean to be blindly nostalgic). It's not that we can't have a full and rich spectrum of sound , but if the full spectrum is never presented to 10-, 12-, 15-year olds, then will people continue to make use of it, and carry it forward as a distinct MEDIUM?

So in a roundabout way, we may think about the old table top RPGs in this way. There is a texture and richness, a fidelity of signal, and also a mode of production that is unique to them, which can be lost if it is not reproduced through practice. And if no one knows of the lost richness, it simply disappears, WILL NOT BE EXPECTED, can not be retrieved. As an archaeologist I face this constantly: I look at a potsherd, an arrow point, a sculpture, and can try to envision what artistic tradition and personal acumen went into it's production, but no matter how long I stare at it and reverse engineer it, I can at best reproduce a decimated, and relatively sterile, approximation of the "system" that produced it. As much as I study it now, I can't reconstitute its production as a viable self-sustaining craft/art production mode, because the links in the chain of production (which are social institutions, usually) have been been severed.

Unless the taste and the style and the experience of table-top rpg is transmitted directly to others not familiar with it, and it is found to be superior to other forms (i.e., computer games), or at least stand on its own merits, the MEDIUM that is table-top rpg can not be carried forward. There will be no taste for it, no feeling for it, no palpable sense of its style, no desire to consume and reproduce it.

It is, I suppose, a question of whether anyone cares about the loss of texture, depth, quality, warmth, or whatever that I think the old school provides, that newer systems don't (balanced against all of the things the new systems do provide). But really, this old school 'feel' is precisely the basis of most marketing and propaganda for new old school products. A common rhetorical theme appeals to the gamer that isn't quite getting what they needed from some newer-fangled system they've migrated to, and OSR is the proposed solution. The unanswered question is how many outside the old school base will be compelled by this argument.Spawn of Endrahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79678894012872029632010-11-05T00:48:06.275-04:002010-11-05T00:48:06.275-04:00Sigh... Yes, sadly paper-and-pencil RPGs are a tra...Sigh... Yes, sadly paper-and-pencil RPGs are a transitional technology. As the human race get's stupider and stupider, we'll needs microprocessors and CGI to replace our atrophied and vestigial imaginations.School Masterhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-23766694428611474262010-11-05T00:45:43.335-04:002010-11-05T00:45:43.335-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.School Masterhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-5514210812943614032010-11-05T00:44:18.086-04:002010-11-05T00:44:18.086-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.School Masterhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26822653874679994712010-11-04T19:04:21.103-04:002010-11-04T19:04:21.103-04:00Quick story - how I got into RPGs. It was summer,...Quick story - how I got into RPGs.

It was summer, 1989. I was six years old. My Dad and I had just finished reading 'The Hobbit', and now, we were on vacation in Florida, visiting my Mom's side of the family. A lot of the time, I spend with my Grandpa, as the two of us played 'Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link'. We both loved it as much as the first one, and enjoyed exploring the huge world together.

Anyway, one night, all the adults are out, and the teenaged next-door neighbor is babysitting me, my sister, and my cousins. I'm going on and on about random fantasy stuff, and suddenly, she says, 'have you ever heard of Dungeons and Dragons?'

The very first thing I think of as she describes the game is '...I could be LINK!!!' I loved the idea that I could take this character that I thought of as really cool, and take him on adventures that I and other people thought of. I got the Mentzer red box for my birthday, and the blue box (complete with Isle of Dread) for Christmas, and though I never played them with other kids, they were my first taste of rpg books. So, I guess you could, theoretically, say that I came to roleplaying because of the limitations of computer games. :)

Because of that, both types of gaming have very much been linked in my mind - for instance, the first time I ever saw AD&D rules was through playing the old 'Pool of Radiance' crpg. When I finally did start tabletop gaming in Middle School, my gaming inspiration was pretty evenly split between whatever fantasy books I was reading, and whatever computer games I'd been playing.

So, basically, I see computer games and tabletop as two worlds that aren't mutually exclusive, and I see CRPGs as something I can 'mine' for gaming just as much as books.

(I should also probably add that, while I've played several MMOs, I've found that the roleplay on them always ends up being tremendously disappointing, due to their domination by snotty, cliquish, passive-aggressive sophists - but then again, I'd say the same thing about the LARP I tried going to, so maybe it's just me.)

Interestingly, though, I just realized that, I don't think that I ever actually got to 'play' as Link. Maybe I'll have to keep it in mind...Chaos Clockworkhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78720638344798521932010-11-04T15:44:09.916-04:002010-11-04T15:44:09.916-04:00I hope I don't repeat anyone's thoughts he...I hope I don't repeat anyone's thoughts here, but reading the topic made me think this:

Computer games are not creative activities. You are basically following a predefined scripted world where your ability to improvise is limited to whatever was programmed into the game system. From the GMs point of view there is no comparison to the creativity required for running an RPG and what you do when playing a computer game. Even in when you can create levels in a computer game it is very limiting compared with the wide open vistas that you have for creating a world in an RPG (especially if you homebrew your rules). So for GMs, from a creativity perspective, Computer Games do not hold a candle to RPGs. On the other hand from the Player's point of view it is much less the case, though still very true in most cases. All that said, I think that the creativity aspect of GMing can be brought into computer games, and will be eventually. Then the two worlds will merge, and then we will all live in little pods like that nice man Neo.VBWyrdehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-81383643439723119862010-11-04T04:41:49.139-04:002010-11-04T04:41:49.139-04:00The way I look at it, there are several distinct e...The way I look at it, there are several distinct elements at work here. (coming at this more generally than focused on the transitionary element)

-First is videogames as entertainment. While a videogame can't give the creativity and freedom of a tabletop RPG, it CAN give spectacle and a sense of more...Direct control, in a way. Speaking as a young man of only 18 years of age, I can tell you that my RPG experience has a distinct feeling of...Disconnect, in that I'm only poking at the mechanics to have my success or failure at an individual task determined largely by a (often weighted) random decision. A realtime action videogame has far more direct interaction with its mechanical end, giving it more grip as a /game/.

-Second is the social element. I think what happened there isn't that people got less social, but that they got less interested in socializing /randomly/. People still hang out with their friends, they just don't particularly want to meet their neighbor just because they live on the same street. This is good and bad, but its main problem is limiting how we meet new people and potential players. The whole concept of the Network and its decay.

-Third is freedom to play when and how one wants. If I want to play D&D with my buddies, well, okay, let's all get together and play. If I take a random vacation day off of work for the hell of it and want to play...Well, crap. All my friends are off at their jobs. Meanwhile, I can play Halo at 2 AM in my underpants if I'm so inclined, and can likely find people to play with/against if I want to do multiplayer. To compare to non-interactive media, everything short of live theater is available on-demand, or close to it. TV, movies, books, music, graphic novels, all can be enjoyed at 2 AM in one's underpants.

-Fourth is the...Alternative means of roleplaying as a general concept that people have. And I don't mean pretending to be a naughty schoolgirl and the perverted teacher. I mean stuff like RP guilds in WoW, or freeform online roleplaying, which is how I got into the concept to begin with. People have an urge to /tell stories/, not necessarily to do so with polyhedral dice and grid paper. I won't say the RP guilds or the freeform forums are /better/, but they're certainly where most of those potential teenage D&D fans are, in large part because that's all people know.

Finally, I'd just like to say: Someone above mentioned they could only think of two videogames that'd sparked their imagination. Really, dude/dudette? I don't know what you're playing, but most every modern game on my shelf sparks my imagination when I play it. Whether it's Fallout, or Devil May Cry, or even Halo, the elements grab my brain and start to extrapolate new elements and concepts. Now, maybe I'm crazy for going that far, but it's media, and quite frankly, I don't see any reason why one form isn't as capable of grabbing one's thoughts and sending them spiraling off into new waters. ...My metaphor kind of got lost there.

EDIT: Oh, and my not-a-robot word verification was "nonante". I have decided this is a creature not unlike a deer on steroids. If you sharpened the deer's antlers to /razor sharp points/ and put them on independently controlled muscle nodes, letting the creature twist and tilt them around like a cat does with its ears.Jasonhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74035385362123514162010-11-03T20:15:39.333-04:002010-11-03T20:15:39.333-04:00"By this I mean that the ability to design and bui..."By this I mean that the ability to design and build your own computer RPG will require less and less specialized knowledge and dedicated resources."

This has been available for a long time. There have been many "make your own CRPG" products.Robert Fisherhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50828561926800551902010-11-03T06:28:09.754-04:002010-11-03T06:28:09.754-04:00The basic ground's been covered in comments he...The basic ground's been covered in comments here, I think. I'd just add that, although RPGs are fundamentally different from anything (and I mean anything) offered on computers, they were indispensible to the evolution of long-interaction-period (ie non-"casual") video games. To the extent we have video games deeper than space invaders and plants vs. zombies, RPGs and wargames are to blame. And I'd be fascinated if anyone knows how big a market long-interaction games actually have now, as a share of the overall video game market - I've an unscientific feeling that wii games etc tend to devolve to easily-digested little bites (game levels, simple sets of interactions), and that multi-hour campaign-type play is diminishing again, after the spike of WoW.

And on that topic I see that the spectre of market share is not so easily dismissed: this is an avowedly non-commercial (or soft-commercial), non-mainstream forum, and yet most of us still equate the "real world" with "what most people are doing right now." Despite James' last paragraph, the prompt for a post like this is consciousness of difference from the norm. And I think it's a mistake, despite the history of video games and the common fantasy language, to imagine that the payload/reward of video games has anything to do with that of RPGs.

As for the fear of extinction (which here is alleged no longer to apply to video games), my question is why do we engage in this cultural practice, of playing games, and why would video games be more appealing to more people than RPGs? I don't have a complete answer, but I think part of it is merely a scale issue: video games and RPGs both started out as almost-exclusively male pastimes, but video games became more entrenched because (pauses to put on hard hat) a large enough number of males played them long enough and steadily enough that large numbers of females could no longer ignore them (and I'd stake long enough at about 25 years, and a large enough number as, say, 40+% of the breeding pool). So now females also play video games in large numbers, and it's stopped being something you "grow out of." We can ask what snagged those males for 25 years, and why they played in sufficient numbers, but I don't think we have to assume that there was any more critical difference than that - any idea of video games being somehow intrinsically more lasting or higher evolutionary achievements in entertainment than RPGs.richardhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-33194385674863976002010-11-03T01:17:36.379-04:002010-11-03T01:17:36.379-04:00@Akhier- I agree wholeheartedly. Maybe my video g...@Akhier- I agree wholeheartedly. Maybe my video games suck, but my experience of tabletop gaming is WAY different from a video game. The world of a video game is preprogrammed, while our D&D worlds are constantly changing at the blink of an eye. I bought Labyrinth Lord for $30 bucks and I can play for the rest of my life, create any world I can imagine. I spent $60 on Oblivion and I can only play in that one world and all I can really do is fight, cast, talk, and pick up/drop items.

On that note, with video games it is impossible to get the experience of a dungeon master. World creation, rules modification, sculpting of the experience...this is lacking even in the best video games.

My contention is, and I mean this with no grognard crankiness at all, that people are lazy. The laziness we all have inclines us to choose the inferior at times just because its easy. We readers of your blog, however, grew up at a time when we didn't have the easy way available, so we discovered the joy of the "hard way." I liken it to listening to music on an iPod vs. live music. Live music is immensely more entertaining, but we go to live performances less than our ancestors because we have the ease of recordings. But when we can rise above our sloth, we get to enjoy the satisfaction of the true art. Likewise, far into the future I believe kids will overcome their sloth, pick up an rpg and have an experience unlike any they've had before.Monkhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-581545460814335242010-11-02T21:53:02.331-04:002010-11-02T21:53:02.331-04:00Despite there being video games that are called &q...Despite there being video games that are called "roleplaying games" you can not currently get a true role playing experience from them. In a good game of DnD with a competent DM anything you think of can happen whether its swinging from a chandelier or having your characters make some wooden dice and paper then play some DnD themselves. A video game no matter how good can only do what it is programmed to do and no programmer thinks of everything. Saying that because we have computer roleplaying games so we do not need DnD is like saying we have computer sports games so we do not need to play the real thing.Akhier the dragon heartedhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79570914383813072042010-11-02T19:36:25.543-04:002010-11-02T19:36:25.543-04:00I'd go further back-- tabletop RPGs are more l...I'd go further back-- tabletop RPGs are more like pianos. You don't need to plug them in, but you need to do *something* to make the music and get everyone sing along: "Those were the days!"Brianhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-67013257361480723052010-11-02T19:02:53.313-04:002010-11-02T19:02:53.313-04:00Me: What did you do at grandpa's today? Son: I...Me: What did you do at grandpa's today?
Son: It was fun! We listened to a bunch of Granpa's giant black CDs.

The RPG experience is different then listening to music, watching movies, or playing a video game. The best way I can describe it is like "Cabella's Big Hunter". Yeah, you shoot a deer, but man, you ain't hunting!

There will always be a segment of the population who enjoys the real, and those who would rather do vicariously. Theatre, Concerts, Board Games, and RPGs will always exist. Here is where the next generation of writers will get their experience.Infamoushttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-42109759975918680652010-11-02T18:51:45.811-04:002010-11-02T18:51:45.811-04:00The preceding in reply to, "So long as I cont...The preceding in reply to, "So long as I continue to derive pleasure from tabletop roleplaying, what difference does it makes if most people would rather do something else?"Deltahttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-52284346073996835162010-11-02T18:51:10.976-04:002010-11-02T18:51:10.976-04:00Of course, there are network effects. More people ...Of course, there are network effects. More people playing one game makes it easier to find other players/ producers/ audience.Deltahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79586863156725452482010-11-02T18:12:44.196-04:002010-11-02T18:12:44.196-04:00I think the key thing to remember is that changes ...I think the key thing to remember is that changes to the culture are harder to see or emphasize with when a major change occurs. There are people growing up now who don't have the same perspective as we do.

If you're a kid today in many (but not all) modern cultures, you have seen computers from the outset, which means they are used to things from the get go that we are only now getting used to. When people say "computer won't replace the feel of paper, the smell of fresh newsprint", to defend the old ways, etc., they don't realize that the kids who grow up with a tablet/e-reader will likely not care about that stuff.

Do I think there will be social drawbacks and things to criticize? Yes, I do. But I also believe that there are a lot of positives from these changes as well.JRThttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30229909974598810702010-11-02T17:42:59.527-04:002010-11-02T17:42:59.527-04:00I've been thinking thoughts like this myself. ...I've been thinking thoughts like this myself. When I watch my daughter I realize she already lives in a world apart from mine. Heck, probably a bunch of you people reading this comment does. I grew up during the cold war, and becoming older I have many times reflected upon how strongly this have affected me. All my ideas on freedom, society and how to meet the End stem from that. Mind boggling.

On another matter, Blackstone's comment feels a bit cynical, but oh so spot on...Andreas Davourhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-53638968099237265602010-11-02T17:23:58.900-04:002010-11-02T17:23:58.900-04:00On RPGs, as I've said many times: "Tablet...On RPGs, as I've said many times: "Tabletop RPGs are to video games as theater is to movies."

In each case, the former is more immediate, intimate, has deeper personal connections, has once-in-a-lifetime happy accidents, and is generally preferred by those professionals working in the industry. The latter is easier to package and reproduce on a mass scale and therefore market to the public at large (making it both a better business and far more familiar to most consumers). Both will continue side-by-side, but the ratio (very small to very large) will not change appreciably.

Great observation on technological continuity between us and our parents' generation.Deltahttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11598593197859843992010-11-02T16:46:21.037-04:002010-11-02T16:46:21.037-04:00It isn't the console or standard PC games that...It isn't the console or standard PC games that have taken the newer generations away from the pen and paper hobby. It is MMORPGs like WoW. There is a lot of online social interaction around the regular groups of players in guilds. That is totally the modern equivalent of what I grew up doing in a real face to face group. I'm not saying they are the same thing, because they aren't...but it is the modern day substitute.Gavinhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-61918027611888945032010-11-02T16:06:04.436-04:002010-11-02T16:06:04.436-04:00I think that there will be an increasing convergen...I think that there will be an increasing convergence between the tabletop and the computer RPG. By this I mean that the ability to design and build your own computer RPG will require less and less specialized knowledge and dedicated resources. Also, the increased utility of such programs will also feed back into the tabletop environment, especially with the increasing prevalence of tablets at the table.

[An idea of the later is the new edition of Warhammer FRPG, which makes extensive use of specialized material components, both to provide a continuing revenue stream and to defeat piracy. Fine for FFG, with it's ready access to boardgame component manufacturers, but what if you wanted to customize or modify the game, or don't have access to these resources. Now what if that was a dedicated app for a tablet? The entry bar is a lot lower. And you get an increased revenue stream (one for each player) without the shipping and warehousing issues. Let alone the electronic release of new expansions and additions. Eventually I see rule books disappearing, and tabletop games being run from the "character sheet" on the tablet (possibly talking to the other tablets in the vicinity by wireless). Or at least I find the idea that is starting to become possible intriguing.]Reverance Pavanehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32479292601874900042010-11-02T15:37:17.804-04:002010-11-02T15:37:17.804-04:00No need to worry. As soon as the Great Internet Ba...No need to worry. As soon as the Great Internet Ban of 2015 kicks in, due to such communication devices being a threat to National Security, we'll be back in business!

The wi-fi suppression fields will only be averted only if you are extremely affluent, as they will be a luxury. Internet isn'y for common folk.

RPG's will be back as our main Bread & Circus!

Ciao!
GWGrendelwulfhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-44298995341605773682010-11-02T14:44:31.340-04:002010-11-02T14:44:31.340-04:00What a society holds as popular in entertainment i...What a society holds as popular in entertainment is generally a reflection of the society as a whole.

-Instant gratification.
-Little to no REAL human interaction.
-Little or no mental effort upon the entertained.

there is much in today's culture that's fits this criteria well.blackstonehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64563471757823313092010-11-02T14:43:19.994-04:002010-11-02T14:43:19.994-04:00RPGs aren't transitional they are a mostly uni...RPGs aren't transitional they are a mostly unique invention. The mighty video game was once a fad that was even declared a dead market by professionals. popularity of entertainments ebb and flow.

The walkman and the ipod do the same darned thing and really are the same thing an electronic gadget to play entertainments to the user on the go. Whiel the specifics may have changed and ipod (or other feature rich) mp3player is just a fancy walkman.
Fancying up real roleplaying games will be trickier then fancying up the walkman.

Remote game play over computers doesn't improve face to face game play or the sales of roleplaying games.JDJarvishttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-33967750442743100252010-11-02T14:43:01.696-04:002010-11-02T14:43:01.696-04:00The ubiquitous technologies of our youth are alien...The ubiquitous technologies of our youth are alien to today's youth. What would the inverse corollary be to: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Any sufficiently dated technology is indistinguishable from ___?

On a related subject, last year there was a great story in BBC's news magazine about a 13-year-old kid being asked to trade in his iPod for a Walkman for a week:

http://techcrunch.com/2009/06/29/kid-swaps-ipod-for-sony-walkman-gets-confused/

Here's a great quote from the article: "It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape."Todd A. Gibsonhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com


text: On Fri, 2004-01-30 at 13:37, Andrius wrote: > i was still talking about using xml derived from common xml schemas for > communication purposes. anyway, i still > haven't done a concise reasearch of bioinformatics tools and can't say > if something is already implemented, it may. > So was I. My point was that different databases have very different data sets and it would be difficult to find a common xml schema. SOAP seems to be a much better way forward (than plain XML + XML Schema), because you can customise it much more towards different needs and you don't have to agree on a common schema. It also seems to be what most databases are implementing at the moment (see BioMoby).... > i'm looking forward for scientists to have research tools such as > programming languages for their > specific field so everyone could develop their own research routines and > systems. commercial packets > are too closed for this. we need java for bioinformaticians, but it > should be independant of java (or any other > general programming language) , because java expresses too much of > object oriented programming, constructs which confuse researcher without > computer science background. i want all (at least researchers) to be > programmers, because full computational potential can be > grasped having a right customizable tool ( such as programming > language). i just have some intuition and if you have something > to add i'll be happy to hear. Well... in an ideal world... but in my experience there are two kinds of researchers: The one's who are really into computers and know a couple of programming languages and wouldn't mind learning Java. The other kind (the majority) is those who can use web interfaces, but don't really want to know anything more about computers and wouldn't want to learn even a really simple language. So it's a good idea, but is there a 'market' for it? Cheers, Michael. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part URL: <http://www.bioinformatics.org/pipermail/bbb/attachments/20040130/9bc74d6d/attachment.sig>

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Carlos Tevez has admitted his surprise at the quality of Italian football, conceding that it is 'the most difficult' League he's played in.
The striker joined Juventus in the summer from Manchester City, and after a superb start to the season, the Argentine has been moved to comment on Serie A and Coach Antonio Conte.
"I was genuinely surprised," he told Tuttosport. "I thought it was easier to play here, but instead it is more tactical, fast and a lot more hard work.
"It is the most difficult League in which I have played.
"It seems that every team who comes up against Juventus treats it like a World Cup final. Everyone wants to beat us – so we always have to give 100 per cent. It's incredibly difficult.
"But Juve have given me my desire to play football. That is the best thing for a player – being happy. And I am here.
"Conte is tough, but he is a phenomenon. I was very surprised – for him, every game is like a final. He always wants to win and is never satisfied.
"He is a workaholic – but you can see that because of the results we've got on the field. He's also very rigid with regards to the power he holds. He made me understand the first time we spoke that he is in charge.
"Conte has to stay here. But I think he would do great things everywhere. He is a great Coach and a serious professional.
"He would have no problems in either England or France.
"Comparisons with Ferguson? They are both winners. Both of them consider their clubs to be the best in the world.
"For Ferguson, the Manchester United badge is the most important thing and is to be defended at all costs. And that's the same for Conte."
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk


text:
By Amanda Wicks
Within music exists the belief that sadness can fuel the kind of creativity that produces better art. But what happens when rappers just can't find the tears to express themselves and make "really real" tracks? Well, Mac Miller has just the solution.
Related: Mac Miller Drops Video for 'Stay'
Miller stars in a new Funny or Die commercial about getting sad right quick. The answer? Pop a pill.
In the fake ad, Miller reps the pharmaceutical solution DreadLexa aka The First Depressant For Rappers. "As an artist, depression and anxiety are part of my creative process, so when I found myself suffering from chronic happiness and contentment, I knew I had to do something," he says in the beginning. He explains taking Dreadlexa allowed him to tap into his demons once again.
A voiceover breaks down how the drug works. "Dreadlexa is the first prescription depressant created for musicians, designed to drag you back into that dark creative space you fear and need to create music people respect."
The voiceover adds, "Dreadlexa works best if taken with alcohol after Googling yourself." But rappers should be careful. If they take too much Dreadlexa they're likely to produce too many banger tracks, which can cause a rise in self-esteem.
There's always a trade-off.


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Now I See A Person Institute (NISAPI) is a non-profit organization that specializes in Community Engagement: Collaborative Recovery Model of mental health and substance abuse treatment. We provide therapy and counseling services in naturalistic environments in Los Angeles County, California. In addition to these services, we offer training to graduate students, interns, and service providers in the collaborative recovery model of community-based services.
NISAPI specializes in traditionally difficult and high risk populations. Within our theoretical model we involve significant members within the client system to aid in transformative and long lasting change. Our clients learn to see themselves through genuine and strength-based lenses that transcend diagnosis or treatment history into new self-identities, agency-empowerment. Our clients help to direct their own change and new possibilities in the lives they wish to lead.
Therapy at Now I See A Person Institute
We invite a new understanding of the person. Through dialogue, new experiences and possibilities arise in a safe and spontaneous manner. As opposed to an office setting, the outdoor environment of a horse ranch provides an atmosphere of normalcy. The resulting conversations between therapist and client surround themes of building healthy relationships, managing conflict, and promoting healthy self-identities. Clients learn to be co-facilitators in a journey of change.
We wish to create an environment in therapy where one does not feel judged, but is allowed a conversational space where the client can lead us to what is important to talk about. Our belief is that clients need the freedom to express their thoughts in a manner that respects and hears their ideas for change.


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Showing Suppliers 1 - 19 of 19
Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation (6 Products)
Address: 1201 South Second Street, Milwaukee, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer
Description: Innovative Industrial Automation Rockwell Automation, the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Throughout the world, our flagship Allen-Bradley® and Rockwell... (more)
AW Direct, Inc.
Address: 401 S. Wright Rd., Janesville, WI
Business Type: Distributor
Electronic Industries, Inc.
Address: 19 East Irving Avenue, Oshkosh, WI
Business Type: Distributor
Everbrite, LLC
Address: 4949 S. 110th St. PO Box 20020, Greenfield, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer, Service
Future Electronics
Address: 17975 West Sarah Lane, Suite 160, Brookfield, WI
Business Type: Distributor
Description: More Than a Distribution Company Future Electronics' is a world-class leader and innovator in the distribution and marketing of semiconductors and passive, interconnect and electro-mechanical components. They operate in 169 locations in 41 countries in the Americas, Europe and... (more)
Grainger Industrial Supply
Business Type: Distributor
Description: Grainger helps customers save time and money by providing them the right products to keep their facilities up and running. Grainger's customers are 2.0 million businesses and institutions in 157 countries. While each customer has a unique facility to operate and a different problem to solve, our... (more)
Address: N21 W23020 Watertown Rd. Branch 490, Waukesha, WI
Address: 4455 Stewart Ave. Branch 340, Wausau, WI
Address: 202 N. Jackson St. Branch 491, Milwaukee, WI
Address: 3711 S. Memorial Dr. Branch 323, Racine, WI
Address: 751 Morris Ave. Branch 326, Green Bay, WI
Address: 5819 N. 117TH St. Branch 489, Milwaukee, WI
Address: 501 Atlas Ave. Branch 464, Madison, WI
Address: 600 N. Lynndale Dr. Branch 339, Appleton, WI
Address: 7025 S. 10TH St. Branch 488, Oak Creek, WI
J.W. Speaker Corporation
Address: N120 W. 19434 Freistadt Rd. PO Box 1011, Germantown, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer, Service
Description: J.W. Speaker Corporation is a privately held company based in Germantown, Wisconsin that manufactures vehicular lighting products for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket applications. The company primarily specializes in light emitting diode (LED) technology, but does... (more)
PM Supply and Pool Service LLC
Address: 1919 Cofrin Drive, Green Bay, WI
Business Type: Distributor
Address: 601 Rayovac Drive PO Box 44960, Madison, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer
Rayovac Industrial
Address: 601 Rayovac Drive, Madison, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer
Visa Lighting
Address: 1717 W. Civic Drive, Milwaukee, WI
Business Type: Manufacturer


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these are so weird. Meow
Are we serious internet? I know we're weirdly obsessed with our cats but this is a bit ridiculous. Also a bit hysterical.
I am by no means a cat person, only because I am highly allergic and could never participate in this without hacking up a furball, however if you do have a cat I recommend you try this out!
Now isn't just the time to grow your play-off beard or pull a Bret Kiesel… Duck Dynasty has met it's match… introducing the CAT BEARD!
Check out some cool cat beards & test it out! Then send us your cat beard pictures! Click here to upload them to starpittsburgh.com.
I guess you could try this with your dog but that might get weird. Why not!


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'stutter'.
Found 1 result
5 second stutter
rjsict posted a topic in FSUIPC Support Pete Dowson ModulesHi Pete I am now a fully fledged member of British Airways Virtual so am now using the Phoenix client for Pireps. I have however had, since installing FSUIPC a stutter every 5 seconds when using the new Aerosoft Airbus. When I removed the DLL from the FSUIPC folder (to not use FSUIPC) the stutter disappears. I would greatly like to get to the bottom of this small niggle as I would love to use FSUIPC full time in conjunction with BAV Phoenix and maybe also set up my controls via it. At present I 'enable' FSUIPC by putting back the DLL when I need to use it for BAV. Background: FSX with ASN weather (although the same without the weather engine) Intel i7 3770k overclocked to 4.5Ghz 256Gb SSD for FSX and 256Gb for Win 7 Home 64bit GTX680 2Gb It doesn't matter where I am or what weather I use, in the Aerosoft Airbus I get this stutter in all views. I don't have the Flight Recorder switched on and have investigated many avenues to see what is causing it to stutter constantly every 5 seconds. It doesn't happen within any of the FSX stock aircraft? I understand the Aerosoft Airbus is certainly a more complex simulation, and if its just the limitations of my system then so be it, however I wanted to seek support from you before I give up and just put up with it? Is there any possible explanation for this issue and if you would like log files etc I would be happy to provide them? Many thanks for taking the time to consider this query.


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Broadway IdiotHD Closed Captioning
Doug Hamilton
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download this movie.
About the Movie
From punk rock mosh pits and sold-out stadiums to the Great White Way, this electrifying documentary follows Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong as he works with Broadway veterans to turn his mega-hit album, "American Idiot," into a Broadway musical. The film goes behind the scenes to reveal the creative choices and challenges made by Grammy® winner Billie Joe and Tony® winning director Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening") to create the thrilling and one-of-a-kind musical experience. More than just a making-of profile, "Broadway Idiot" is a portrait of a world-famous artist having the guts to try something totally new. The film grants insider access to the actors' rehearsals, the creative team's process and live performances that reveal Billie's transformation from rock star to Broadway star. "Broadway Idiot" provides a unique window into the art of theater as rock stars and stage stars collide and create something never seen before. A FilmBuff Presentation.
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
- Reviews Counted: 20
- Fresh: 13
- Rotten: 7
- Average Rating: 5.8/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: As a chronicle of how one rock star slowly fell victim to the Broadway bug, it's kind of amusing.
Fresh: A fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining if hardly trenchant show biz documentary ...
Fresh: For theater geeks, a key interest will be getting rare access to witness how a complex production comes together.
Rotten: Less a documentary than a video souvenir playbill.
Customer Reviews
Saw it in Austin
I was fortunate enough to win tickets to the first screening of this film this past spring. It gives excellent insight into the process that the play went through and Billie Joe's journey to the stage. Can't wait to watch it again!
Saw it at the Woodstock Film Festival
Terrific film. Fans of Green Day and Broadway won't be disappointed. I'd seen the Broadway show 9 times, so it felt like I'd spent an evening catching up with old friends.
This show is amazing
I saw the Broadway show just this past year and loved it. I can't wait to see this documentary of everything behind the scenes! <3
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- $12.99
- Genre: Documentary
- Released: 2013


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Fantasy Baseball 2008: Waiting in the WingsApril 15, 2008
Many fantasy owners and I share the same philosophy on draft day, "Never pay for saves." Drafting an elite closer such as K-rod in the fifth round is a complete waste, considering you could have drafted quality starting pitchers such as Zambrano, Haren, or Halladay. Relief pitchers barely affect your team's ERA, WHIP, and K totals at the end of each week, while the starting pitchers previously mentioned deliver solid numbers for those areas.
So who to draft or pick up off the waiver wire if your looking for cheap saves? Pick up these potential closers who are waiting in the wings.
Masa Kobayashi - The Indians close Joe Borowski was sent to the DL with a strained tricep, or should I say shellshock. Borowski has given up three home runs in the four innings he has pitched this season, including a walkoff grand slam by the Angels' Torii Hunter, and Manny Ramirez's two-run blast in the top of the ninth inning last night. Although the Indian skipper is known for letting Borowski work out the kinks and continue closing through hard times, his trip to the DL lets him experiment with other options. Although Rafael Betancourt is next in line, his peripherals are hardly better than Borowski's. Who's next? Masa Kobayashi. He's looked solid in the 4.1 innings he's pitched this season, only walking one batter and showing great control. He'll pick up a few saves in Borowski's abscence, and once Joe's back, say hello to being a setup man.
Brian Fuentes - He was the undisputed closer in Colorado 2 seasons ago, but much has happened since then. He is now the setup man for the erratic, but effective Manny Corpas. But Corpas has hardly looked on the ball so far this season, giving up a run and walking two batters in the 9th last Sunday vs. Arizona, not to mention already blowing a save on the April 6th against the same team. Give Corpas about 5 more bad outings, and back comes Fuentes.
Salomon Torres - He's the setup man for Eric Gagne. You know what will inevitably happen to Gagne. Enough said.
Scot Shields - It is true that K-rod is really pissed at the Angels. He wants more money, blah blah blah. And he's not looked like K-rod at all, rather like Armando Benitez. In 5 innings of work hes given up 4 earned runs, and walked 5 batters. I'm not saying K-rod will be de-throned, I'm just saying it is very possible, and good ole' reliable Scot Shields will get alot of save opportunities with the pennant seeking team of the Angels.


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Plot Overview
When the Internet boom was still alive and kicking, so was Michael Meyers. In the latest - and probably not the last - film in this long running franchise, Michael goes live on the Internet.
Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes) creates a contest, and the winners get to spend the night in the old Meyers home live on the web. He and his partners rig up the home so that every room is covered on camera.
The winners are a mix of people with all but one really wanting to be there. Three of them are close friends, with one hoping to be the next superstar, one a master chef, and one, well, not really sure what she wants to do other than not spend the night in the Meyers house.
Little to their surprise, Michael has been living in the house, and he does not much care for them setting up camp. Thanks to the aid of a wireless PDA device, Sara Moyer is able to run from Michael as he stalks her around the house.
What is it going to take to kill this guy? Die Michael, die!
The film must have been conceived during the Internet explosion. It does sort of tie in with the latest reality TV craze that is wasting all of the prime time air these days.
The most surprising portion of the film is during the opening, with long time Halloween scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. I will save that enjoyment for you.
This film also runs fairly short, at just one minute shy of 90 minutes.
If you are a fan of the Halloween franchise, then this film might be worth renting. For most others, you can probably skip over and go on to something more entertaining.
The transfer is definitely the best part of this film. In fact, it is very good. Most of the film is spent in low light conditions, and the scenes are free of grain and noise. In short, the film has excellent shadow detail.
The soundtrack in this film is a character all on its own. The surrounds are used throughout the film along with several bass riffs. The bass is used to make you feel uneasy before something jumps out and grabs you.
The MPEG encoding, while not terrible by any means, does drop to video for longer amounts of time than normal. You may notice occasional glitches on flag based players and HTPCs.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
Stitch is the creation of Dr. Jumba (David Ogden Stiers), who put him here to wreak havoc on the world. He was designed to destroy. Dr. Jumba is arrested and the grand council says that Stitch must go.
When Stitch escapes and makes his way to Earth, he is "found" in a local pet store by Lilo. Lilo is currently being raised by her older sister Nani. Lilo is also constantly getting into trouble, and this causes a problem for Nani as Mr. Bubbles is her case worker and is threatening to take Lilo away if she can't do a better job.
Dr. Jumba is sent to earth to track down Stitch and bring him back before he causes any more trouble.
Stitch is just down right mean! He was designed to destroy everything he comes into contact with. Throughout the film he causes nothing but trouble.
My initial reaction to this film was that it is not for children. I mean who wants to watch a little monster destroy everything out of nastiness? While visiting family for the holidays, I discovered that everyone I knew with kids had bought this film for them, and their kids all loved it.
It seems that the young kids don't really understand that Stitch is mean. They just find him to be a funny creature that is always getting into trouble. So while I stand by my belief that this film is not really for children, it seems that children do love it.
With that said, it is a pretty big change from previous Disney work. It is an original concept and one I think that is well executed.
The animation style is interesting, and it reminds me of older animation with static backgrounds with characters plopped on top. This is not a dig at the animation but just pointing out the artistic look and feel of the film.
There is very little in the way of extras on this disc. This is unusual because Disney has been packing their DVD animations to the rim lately.
Most of the recent Disney releases have been direct digital transfers, but this film is not. While it does look excellent overall, there is a bit of noise in saturated colors that is a result of being transferred from film.
Because it is an animation, the entire soundtrack is fabricated. Every last detail has to be created, and Disney has done an excellent job here. The soundtrack is very enveloping. In fact, it may be a bit too aggressive for some of the younger children who scare easily at loud noises. Of course if they are just watching this film on a smaller TV, then that will not be a problem. For us adults with 5.1 systems, this disc does rock!
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
Without giving too much away, Graham (Mel Gibson) wakes up one morning to the screams of his children. He rushes out to the corn field to discover that someone has plowed down a bunch of his corn.
Graham assumes that this is some prank that has been committed by some local boys. Shortly afterwards, Graham and his family see that this same thing has happened around the world and that when viewed from the sky there are visible patterns in the corn.
More and more events begin to take place that make Graham wonder if this is really a hoax or not.
I will warn you now that Signs moves at a very slow pace. It takes its time setting up the events. It feels very much like a Hitchcock film from the opening credits until the very end.
The film focuses very close on Graham, his two kids, and his brother. A lot of time is spent developing the characters and setting us up for the final outcome.
I really liked this film a lot. To put that in perspective, I also like "Unbreakable". If you are looking for a fast paced film or a lot of action, you are going to be disappointed with Signs though.
I highly recommend a purchase of this film if you are a fan of M. Night's work. If you did not care for Unbreakable, you may want to rent this one first.
There are a lot of extras on the disc. There are several features from long to short. There are also a few deleted scenes included. As usual I recommend you stay away from the deleted scenes until you have finished watching the film.
The film has a mixture of day and night shots. A lot of the action takes place in dark scenes. These scenes are always free of any noise and grain. The opening shots have a tremendous amount of detail up close. Except for some occasional edge enhancement, I consider this a pretty good transfer.
The soundtrack in this movie could have been a starring character in the film. The movie is actually quiet on the music front and instead relies on ambient noise to create tension. The film is encoded as an EX soundtrack or 6.1. If your processor has the capability, a 6th channel will be extracted from the left and right surrounds. They make good use of that channel in this film.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
Up and coming fashion designer Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) has just become engaged with Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) who just so happens to be the son of New York's mayor.
There is one small little problem, it seems Melanie is already married. Of course not wanting to ruin the relationship with Andrew, she heads off to her home in Alabama to get her husband to sign divorce papers.
Wouldn't you know that Jake (Josh Lucas) is still in love with Melanie and is why he has not signed the divorce papers, up until now.
So, Melanie wants to marry Andrew, but Melanie is still married to Jake. Jake is still in love with Melanie. Melanie does not realize it yet, but she is still in love with Jake.
The only real problem I had with this film was the predictability. You could see the ending coming from a mile away. That is ok though as the ride to the end was fairly entertaining.
Most of the story is spent in Alabama where we slowly learn about Melanie's wild childhood, a.k.a. "Felony Melanie." We also learn that this recent fashion success is really trailer trash in disguise. Surprise, surprise!
The film is cute and I don't consider the time spent watching it a waste. It has moments that will make you chuckle and is well worth the rent. I recommend renting it, rather than a purchase. It is a one-time watch.
I used to be a huge fan of deleted scenes. However, as time goes on I find myself watching them less and less. I did, however, enjoy the deleted scenes on this disc. There is an entire subplot that has been excised from the film. The subplot was removed based on the audience reactions from early test screenings of the film.
There appears to be a fair amount of edge enhancement. The up close shots look fairly clean and detailed, but the long shots show visible haloing around objects. Some of the night shots appear a bit grainy, but all in all it is a good looking movie.
I was most surprised by the audio soundtrack of this film. Most romantic comedies are focused on the front soundstage of the room, but not this film. The surrounds are fairly active with ambient environmental noise. The dialog is always intelligible. There does not appear to be any audible distortion caused by mic preamp clipping.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
When the heavyweight champion of the world, Iceman Chambers (Ving Rhames), is accused of rape, he is sentenced to serve a prison sentence.
A long time a go, in a galaxy far, far away, an up and coming boxing champion Monroe Hutchens (Wesley Snipes) is convicted of killing a man, so he is sentence to life in prison.
Monroe is currently the prison boxing champion and well respected. When the Iceman shows up, the first thing he does is antagonize Monroe. Because of this, Monroe is put into solitary so that a fight won't ensue.
One of the "godfathers" in the prison happens to be a boxing fanatic and sets up a match between Monroe and the Iceman. When the warden tries to stop the fight, he is sent on vacation.
This film sure does play a lot like a mini Mike Tyson story with the whole heavyweight / rape storyline. There are a few scenes where we see the victim being interviewed and we also see his response. We never really know what happened.
Monroe came across as being the good guy in this film, but it is hard to feel for him knowing now matter how the film ends, he will still be in prison. They really want us to dislike Iceman as he comes off arrogant throughout the film.
I thought both actors played their roles well for what they had to work with. The fight scenes were well executed, but does the mob really have that much control over the prison?
The transfer is just ok. There is visible noise in the dark scenes, and there is not a lot of shadow detail present. There is also not a lot of detail in some of the close-ups, and the long shots look overly soft.
Other than the crowd noises from the fight scenes, the sound track is pretty flat. Having said that, the dialog is always intelligible, and no audible distortion was present, even during the thick of the fights with the crowd screaming.
The flags are about average. There is the usual drop to video with every chapter break. There are more 2-2 sequences than normal, but not too much.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
"Alive" covers the miraculous tale of a large group of athletes – rugby players and friends – surviving months in the Andes mountains after their plane goes down. The October, 1972 event gained wide awareness with the 1993 theatrical release of this movie, spawning a rash of survival movies and parodies. While the worst part is unavoidably the cannibalism, director Frank Marshall polishes the story for the mainstream by playing heavily on themes of conflict, spirit, and resolve.
The pace of "Alive" resembles a roller coaster ride, starting up with a strong, mood-setting monologue by a crash survivor, played by John Malkovich. Shortly after a brief "we're-having-too-much-fun" horse around, the highly convincing and impressive plane crash rockets past, possessing the momentum for much of the movie. From there, the passengers continually decline while their hopes continue to peak and plummet. That is, until Nando (Ethan Hawke) and Antonio (Vincent Spano) lead the group to the satisfying foregone conclusion.
Alive is not only a solid and uplifting survival movie, which succeeds in being powerful even 10 over-stimulated society years after its original release. Much of its lasting success is due to it being a true story, and this enhances your ability to live vicariously through the characters. I did find that I wanted to learn more about the survivor's personalities and lives than what was provided during the movie. This need was substantially filled in the DVD's extras, which includes the 1992 BBC documentary "Alive: 20 Years Later" and a hauntingly familiar field trip "Return to the Andes". The documentary contains interviews with a few of the survivors, who detail their life before, during, and after the ordeal. "Return to the Andes" is a great clip to watch after spending the movie in the "what-if-it-was-me" mindset, and one can only imagine the sudden rush of emotion when returning to such a location.
The video transfer was more than acceptable for the documentary styled survival movie. There were some grainy dark scenes and some noise here and there, but it won't distract from the story. The sound was acceptable, with the only interesting surround content coming on the crash scene.
There are a large number of drops to video on this disc, but there is no drop on the chapter breaks.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Ya-Bing Chu -
Plot Overview
POS51 is a hot new wonder drug by master chemist Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson). The new drug is supposed to be 51 times greater than anything on the market (they don't say whether it is a stimulant like amphetamine, or a depressant like heroin) and has sparked a lot of interest. Elmo decides to double cross his boss, the Lizard. He blows up the lab, with the Lizard inside and then heads overseas to England.
What he does not realize is that his attempt to kill the Lizard failed. The Lizard sends his hit woman Dakota after Elmo to retrieve POS51.
Elmo hooks up with Felix DeSouza after arriving in London to make the sale. When the drug deal goes wrong, the two spend the rest of the story trying to stay alive.
It starts with a younger Elmo, who has just graduated from pharmacy school, being pulled over while under the influence of pot. The drug bust costs him his license to practice, so he goes underground. Thirty years later, Elmo has created Formula 51.
While the story is filled with plot holes, it does entertain. Don't take the movie too seriously and you will be ok. There are some pretty good action sequences and Jackson is always great at delivering his lines, well, with the exception of the dialog in Star Wars.
The film feels a bit like a music video.
This is easy to recommend as a rental on a Friday or Saturday night, but not Tuesday. My expectations were fairly low, based on other reviews I had read, but I was pleasantly surprised, once I got past that really lame opening that is.
This is one good looking disc. With the exception of some recent titles, Columbia is fairly consistent in delivering quality transfers. The exterior shots are clean and detailed, as are the interior shots. The colors are clean and free of any chroma noise.
The disc contains both a widescreen and Pan & Scan version of the film. Each film is contained within a single layer. Because of this, they have applied a horizontal filter on the film prior to encoding, which results in a slight softening of the image.
The soundtrack is pretty active. There is an MTV style score to go a long with the fast edits. The dialog always remains intelligible, and there was no audible distortion.
There is a long drop to video at chapter 20. Every chapter break also has as drop to video.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
Trevor survives a horrible car crash in which his wife dies. However, for some reason he is suspected of murdering her. As he begins to have blackouts and disturbing hallucinations, reality becomes more difficult for Trevor to discern. Is he responsible for her death? Who are the disfigured characters in his dreams?
Not my standard fare, these franchise supernatural horror films are generally not on my my list to watch, especially on Valentine's day.
This film is the 6th in the Hellraiser series. The plot description on the box has nothing to do with the actual movie. The story would have been better served on the small screen as an extended "Outer Limits" or "Tales From the Crypt". However, the dead end tales from the crypt know enough to stop breathing and swallowing when they are supposed to be dead.
I would certainly not suggest this film for anyone but a fan of the franchise or genre.
My real question is why did the producers bother with a lot of extras for this DVD, while the "Aliens Special Edition" had virtually none (sob)? They include a story commentary with the director, alternate scenes with directory commentary, and a visual effects walkthrough.
The cinematography was well executed and certainly a high point of the file. The transfer was reasonably well done, with only minor edge enhancement. The sound was adequate.
While there are a bunch of drops to video, none of them are caused by a chapter break. The drops to video are relatively short.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- J. Irving -
Plot Overview
Each Sunday a small group of grad students get together to discuss social issues. They each take turns bringing a guest to dinner. It seems this Sunday, Pete (Ron Eldard) invites Zachary (Bill Paxton), a backwoods trucker who gives him a lift after having car trouble.
When Zachary threatens Marc, Pete comes to his rescue, and this changes their lives forever. No longer do the five students simply sit around and talk about change, they actually take the initiative for the first time by trying to make the world a better place.
I have been waiting a long time for this film to be released on DVD. I have watched the original laserdisc many times over the last few years.
The film is a very dark comedy. It has an amazing main cast, and the characters that come over for dinner are great. They have a surprisingly great set of supporting characters for such a low budget film.
The dialog is clever, and the social issues they cover are just so incorrect, I love it!
The image quality is a good improvement over the previously released laserdisc. The image does not have any of the chroma noise that is so evident on the LD.
There is virtually no edge enhancement at all. The colors are also deeply saturated, and there is good shadow detail.
The soundtrack is not a 5.1 mix like most current releases. It does contain a Dolby Surround (Lt/Rt) mix. The dialog is always intelligible, and there was no audible distortion.
The encoding is like most from CTHV, every chapter break has a drop to video.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
When the world is in danger of being destroyed, again, Agent J and the Men in Black must enlist the help of former Agent K because he is the only one who possesses the knowledge to save the planet.
The problem is that they neurolyzed Agent K in the first film, so he no longer has memories of being an MIB agent.
I am torn on this film. While I enjoy the humor of Will Smith, and I like the creatures and jokes, the film feels like a recycle of the first. Even though II is very short in running time, it actually feels a bit longer. But, there are some clever new jokes, although they come and go quickly.
The second disc does contain a good deal of extras. There is an alternate ending to the film. There is a blooper reel. There are several little features that cover the creatures and what it took to create them, sound design, make-up effects, and the storyline.
You get the all important Will Smith music video and some multi-angle deconstructions.
Overall, the image quality is very good. There is a good deal of shadow detail, and the blacks of the MIB uniforms are noise free. A good portion of the film takes place at night, and the images remain noise free even so.
There is only a small amount of visible edge enhancement. The picture is a bit soft, like most CTHV DVDs.
The good news is that CTHV has released a widescreen and P&S on two different DVDs, so the disc space is put to good use. All of the extras are packed onto the second disc.
The audio sound track is excellent. The surrounds are put to good use, and the music is very dynamic. Even during the thick of it, the dialog always remains intelligible.
The encoding is about the same as other CTHV discs. Every chapter break has a drop to video.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
Plot Overview
When two ex-cons find an orphaned baby, they are anxious about their new responsibility conflicting with their lifestyles. In trying to find the answers, they end up doing something they've have never done before . . . the right thing.
At first glance, this film appears to be a spin on one of my favorite films "Raising Arizona" with a touch of "Happy, Texas" thrown in for good measure. That isn't really a bad thing. Although this movie is certainly not as good as Raising Arizona, it was a nice evening's diversion. The cast is certainly solid, and Gary Oldman gave a very good performance as bumbling redneck father figure to Skeet Ulrich's protagonist.
The story had some good comedic moments as well as some thought provoking things to say. I felt satisfied from the experience.
There is a Trailer, but that's it.
The quality of the digital transfer was really quite bad. Edge enhancement was clearly noticeable. There was also a lot of noise and pixilation with color transitions.
The audio is just slightly better than the video.
The entire disc is encoded as video. If you want to watch this disc on a progressive scan player, it had better be a cadence reading player.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- J. Irving -
Plot Overview
Thirteen friends from the International High School in Prague intend to have the party of their lives before they graduate and never see each other again. They decide to break into Prague's biggest swimming pool to have the party. Unfortunately, people start to die and it soon becomes apparent it is one of them doing the killing.
Just one look at the DVD case and the title will give you a general idea of what to expect from this film. There are no significant North American actors in this piece Actually there are no actors in the piece at all. The script is really bad, the premise is old, and there is little or no suspense in the film. They shot it in Prague to save even more money.
The villain suffers from one of the worst cases of what I refer to as "black ninja of death" syndrome. He is omniscient, indestructible (until the end), has the ability to vanish, change clothing in an instant, crawl behind inaccessible walls, and strike his prey with a complete inability to think. Ultimately, we are given no good reason for him to be the murderer, other than something about not fitting in.
The dialog is poorly dubbed by people who appear not to have a good grasp of the English language. The voices do not always appear to match the actor's stature, and sync is noticeably off.
The extras are of the standard "cast bios" and "trailer" variety, not that we'd want to know much more about this film.
The transfer is clean, probably due to the fact that there were very few viewings or duplication of the master. The audio was clear without any noticeable distortion, which is unfortunate because the musical score really stinks, and we get to enjoy it in digital clarity. Visually, the cinematography is reminiscent of BBC productions.
There are only 5 drops to video, but they are all rather long. You really need a cadence based player if you want to watch this in progressive scan.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- J. Irving -
Plot Overview
From the Back Cover: Crazy Jose (Paul Rodriguez, "Rat Race") has just smuggled a multimillion-dollar shipment of Mexican Viagra into the U.S. The problem is that it was stolen from the Mob. Now, New York wise guy Eddie Colucci (Nicholas Turturro, "NYPD Blue") is taking his "family" to cattle country to get the shipment back. Out of the city, these mobsters go out of their minds. They are surrounded by dim-witted farmhands, gun-toting good old boys, and Eddie's wife, Candy (Elizabeth Berkley, "Showgirls"), who can't seem to keep her hands off the Sheriff (Matthew Modine, "Any Given Sunday"). It's Cowboys vs. Tough Guys as they shoot off their mouths and shoot up the town.
When I see Mathew Modine, Paul Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Berkley as top billing for a film, I am reassured that Academy Awards are safe, but there is potential there somewhere, sparse as it may be. Well, I'm sorry to report that none of that potential was realized.
This movie was little better than a Dukes of Hazard / Police Academy cross-over reunion. Cows, manure, and Viagra are always funny, right? Berkley gives a performance that brings to mind Cindy Crawford in "Fair Game". Add the soundtrack being borrowed from "Cannonball Run", and we have 120 minutes where I would rather be plucking nose hairs.
A trailer. That's it. Mercifully.
Although the transfer to DVD did not include edge enhancement, and is clear, there is what appears to be a complete lack of anti-aliasing.
The audio is flat sounding. It is a Dolby Surround (Lt/Rt) mix vs. a 5.1 discrete mix.
The entire disc is encoded as video.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- J. Irving -
Plot Overview
Writer and director Nanni Moretti is also the movie's main character Giovanni, a psychiatrist dad who must deal with more than just his patient's problems.
The film starts on a positive note, namely the everyday details of Giovanni's normal, loving family. There are only some minor issues with the wife Paola (Laura Morante) and the high school-aged Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) and Irene (Jasmine Trinca), but these only serve to endear the family as a realistic and desirable set of neighbors.
Soon enough, harmless choices lead to Andrea going on a diving trip with friends that ends in a fatal accident, refocusing the whole family on what's gone and what's left. A love letter from a summer camp acquaintance of Andrea's provides an interesting transition and finale to the family's grieving. The acquaintance, Arianna (Sofia Vigliar), is unexpectedly and almost unrealistically mature – perhaps that's why her parents have allowed her to travel with her new boyfriend to a stranger's home in a foreign country. Regardless, the encounter provides heartwarming kindness and needed closure to Giovanni's self-doubt and soul searching.
The beauty of this film is in its illustrative portrait of one family's life and times – it's realistic, it's touching, and it's pleasing. It doesn't have a big climax or many unusual plot twists, but "The Son's Room" is a great experience without needing anything extraordinary. This top award winner at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival is a fine choice for a serious or thoughtful movie rental night.
Overall, the image quality is quite good considering the budget. Some of the night scenes show a bit of noise, but we suspect it is a result of not having any horizontal filter to remove detail.
The film is mainly dialog driven, and it is always intelligible. There was no evidence of mic preamp clipping.
There were very few drops to video, and only 4 of them were caused by chapter breaks. All in all, it is good encoding.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Y-Bing Chu -
Plot Overview
An ancient artifact is discovered during an archeological expedition in the 1920s. It is not until present day that the military, with the help of Daniel Jackson, is able to unlock the secrets and activate the Stargate.
Led by the Air Force, a small team sets out on a journey through the Stargate. Their mission is pretty simple: see what is located on the other side and then return (in one piece) and report their findings.
The problem is when they arrive, they are missing the address to dial home (now where did I put that MCI card?)
Stargate started off on a very high note, but began its trip south near the final third of the film. Even with the cheesy "text book" finale, it is very entertaining film.
I have become used to the TV series that is now in its 7th season. It was a little unusual to see Kurt Russell playing Colonial Jack O'Neil again. I had also forgotten what a jerk his character was in the beginning.
The only other main character the TV show retains from the movie is Dr. Daniel Jackson who was played by James Spader. The actor cast for the TV series did a good job in replacing Spader.
I was surprised by how little there was on the disc in terms of extras. On disc 1 is a 12-minute feature about the possibility of visitors from other planets and the evidence that exists. The second disc has a couple of trailers and a 25-minute making-of feature.
Artisan has a done a first rate job with this latest edition of Stargate. Previous versions were unimpressive, as they were not anamorphic and were plagued with serious edge enhancement artifacts. This is without a doubt the best the film has ever looked.
There are two versions of the film on DVD. The director's cut is located on disc 1, and the theatrical version is located on disc 2. I chose to watch the director's cut. While the transfer is really good, the film element used has a few artifacts on it, most of which appear to be part of the added footage. At one point there is a big purple blob that pops up for about 30 frames. The majority were isolated to one added scene.
There is a great deal of image detail, with just minor edge enhancement. It looks really, really good.
The soundtrack is almost as good as the video. The surrounds are used to provide an enveloping atmosphere. While the travel through the Stargate is not involving as some of the scenes from the latest Star Wars films, it is still thrilling.
If you are a fan of this film at all, here is a great transfer.
I have included the encoding numbers for both the director's cut (DC) and the theatrical release (T). The director's cut actually has less encoding errors. None of the errors occur on a chapter break, which is a good sign.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- Stacey Spears -
"Wishmaster - The Prophecy Fulfilled"
Plot Overview
Lisa unwittingly unleashes an evil genie. If she makes three wishes, the rest of the evil Djin from his dimension are unleashed upon the earth. Will she make the final wish?
This being the 4th installment of what I feel is a less than stellar series, I thought I might be in for a painful viewing. With costumes and special effects easily rivaled by the original Star Trek, and far far less compelling, Wishmaster met my expectations. Slimy latex monsters that are shot in open daylight (apparently night shots would have cost too much) don't inspire fear from moviegoers these days.
Basically the whole experience in watching this film appears to be waiting for someone to wish for something from the bad guy, who then twists the wish around to their detriment, usually in some gruesome, yet remarkably fake looking, way. I think the appeal in the original was that the Wishmaster would do some sort of clever twist on people's wishes. Now, viewers wish for the bad guy to "put up a better fight" or wish for "hot needles in their eyes" and such. Doesn't leave much room for one liners. Basically don't even bother with this movie.
There is a nice assortment of extras for such a bad movie, which include:
Commentary by director Chris Angel and select cast members, Theatrical trailer(s), The Djinn's Guide to Dating: A question and Answer Session, "Wishmasterpiece Theatre: An Inside Look at the Film", Storyboard Gallery.
The digital transfer was of standard quality, not great but nothing terribly noticeable. Audio was pretty standard as well, although, there really wasn't much worthy of listening to except maybe for the stupid deep voice modulation done on virtually every character. Must have had a bad cold virus kicking around the set.
This is another recent title that has been encoded with an old C-Cube based encoder.
To have a better understanding of what the flags above mean, please refer to our "A Beautiful Mind" review.
- J. Irving -
Plot Overview
Sy Parrish (Williams) manages the One Hour Photo Center at SaveMart. He has been processing the photos for the Yorkin family since their first child was born. Unbeknown to the Yorkins, Sy has also made copies of all their photos for himself, which he pastes on his living room wall at home. He is a lonely man, and fantasizes being part of their family. When an unexpected event ruins Sy's dream of the perfect family, he becomes violent.
Although Sy is pretty quiet and unassuming for most of the picture, the music keeps the mood scary throughout the entire film.
Robin Williams' claim to fame has been as a comedian. Over the past few years though, he has moved into drama, and his role here as a psychopath establishes him as a serious artist. He would have been perfect in the original "Psycho", perhaps even more chilling than Anthony Perkins. It will be interesting to see if he becomes typecast as either slightly strange ("Mrs. Doubtfire") or as full blown nut cases such as in "One Hour Photo" and "Insominia".
There is a Writer/Director Commentary, Anatomy of a Scene, Making Of, Charlie Rose Show interview, and Trailer.
- John E. Johnson, Jr. -
Plot Overview
In the 1930s, Irish gangster John Rooney (Newman) has Michael Sullivan (Hanks) to settle all arguments with a Tommy Gun. When Michael's son Michael, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) tags along on a job, and witnesses the results, Rooney is worried about whether or not the little boy will ever talk about what he has seen. The tragic outcome to this problem sends Michael on the run, with photographer-hit-man Maguire (Law) chasing him.
Although a bit ponderous and slow at times, Perdition is a well done and very artistic study of how violence, money, and power are never out of sight of one another.
There is a Writer/Director Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Making Of, Production Notes, and Photo Gallery.
- John E. Johnson, Jr. -


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Aadharbhut Prasuti Sewa (APS) is Nepali for Basic Maternity Services. We provide free health services to women and children, including pregnancy, birthing, postnatal and reproductive health care. Our founding members are experienced female healthcare professionals who have an exciting vision to improve the health of Nepal's women and children and significantly reduce mortality. The Centre also provides training for other healthcare workers to improve services throughout the country.
We embrace the assistance of volunteers, both local and international and rely on donations to help us provide our services free of charge.


text: Top Drawer Digital Present : Madcap : Artillery Out Everywhere from 21/05/2011 Cat Number: TDDR007 A: Madcap Artillery With Artillery Madcap provides a J-Tek classic full of energy.The 4x4 kick sits on top of busy breakbeats and the hard hitting stabs push this track nicely along till its massive breakdown where the lush spacey old skool sounding pads give you a breather before it picks back up the pace again. B:Madcap : Artillery (Mshcode Remix) Mshcode Makes his Top Drawer Digital Debut with his remix of the track and does it with some style ,he stays true to the originals vibe but crushes the stabs into to submission and gives the track a fresh new feel. DJ Quotes 601 : Killer tunes guys we'll def support both mixes,nice! DJ Ratling : All over The Remix Yellow Finger : Loving The Original Dusted Breaks : Really great to hear this kinda sound coming back! , Both tracks are wicked and remind me of the early 90's hardcore movement! Nasty Squad : Nice tracks, chug along nicely Buy Them Here : Nu-Rave : https://www.ravedownload.com/labels/top-drawer/cat_136.html Beatport : https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html...+Drawer+Digital+Records&contextEntityId=18254 Juno : http://www.junodownload.com/labels/Top+Drawer+Digital/releases?ref=label_topdrawerdigital Track It Down : http://www.trackitdown.net/recordlabel/120450/top-drawer-digital.html Check us on the web : Our Website : http://www.topdrawerdigital.com/ Our Blog : http://topdrawerdigital.blogspot.com/ facebook group : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=161698824160 youtube channel : http://www.youtube.com/topdrawerdigital Twitter : http://twitter.com/lucastopdrawer And check this new Future Jungle Blog : http://futurejungle.blogspot.com Thanks Lucas Top Drawer Digital


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- Accreditation
- Academic Calendar
- Academic Forms & Policies
- Academic Services
- Army ROTC Program
- Art and Science Research Symposium
- Course Catalog
- Course Offerings
- Faculty-Student Ratio
- First-Year Experience
- Honors Program
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Internships
- Library
- Meet the Faculty
- Office of the Provost and Academic Vice President
- Program Requirements
- Registration Basics
- Student Records
- Writing Center
Graduation Plans
Rocky Mountain College is committed to helping you attain your degree in a timely fashion. For more information about our academic programs, as well as about specific content in those programs, please refer to our program requirements sheets.
Linked to each major is its current graduation plan:


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I am looking for any information on Hartwell's from Oil City Pennsylvania,early 1900's My father was Charles Hall Hartwell Jr. and he was born April 8, 1912. His father passed away when sometime around 1928. His mothers name was Florence, and it is believed her maiden name was Rootsfoot. I would appreciate any information I could get on any of them.
thank you
Claudia (Hartwell) Fleming


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Check out appoLearning.com, because your kids deserve the very best educational apps!
In a time when I thought all tilt controlled games were clunky and gimmicky, there was one game to prove me wrong. An iOS classic if there ever was one, Tilt to Live from One Man Left was one of the smoothest tilt controlled games of its time, and remains fun to play to this day with frequent updates. Well, it's been quite a few years since then, and One Man Left is here with an official sequel, and it's redonkulous! No, really. The name is Tilt to Live 2: Redonkulous. Read more at Appolicious »


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Machine Learning
Clinical Informatics
Our group is dedicated to developing machine learning algorithms to leverage large medical data stored in Electronic Health Records. Our approach brings to bear new methods to derive accurate, multi-dimensional models from large collections of observational data.
Our research team brings together machine learning, natural language processing experts, database architects and programmers from the Center for Computational Learning Systems (CCLS) at Columbia University along with clinicians from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).
Project link:
Climate Informatics
The threat of climate change is one of the greatest challenges currently facing society. Given the profound impact machine learning has made on the natural sciences to which it has been applied,
An Advanced Learning Paradigm: Learning Using Hidden Information
Estimation of Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of Electrical Feeders and Related Components
In the New York City Power Grid, electricity is transmitted via primary distribution feeders between the high voltage transmission system and the household-voltage secondary system. These feeders are susceptible to different kinds of failures such as emergency isolation caused by automatic substation relays (Open Autos), failing on test, maintainence crew noticing problems and scheduled work on different sections of the feeder.
EEGMine: A Distributed Framework for Learning on iEEG Data
Rigorous Learning
Rigorous Learning
A National Science Foundation Grant (CCR-0325463):
New Directives in Predictive Learning: Rigourous Learning Machines.
Senior Team Members: Vladimir Vapnik, David Waltz, David Hessing, Eugine Ie, Alex Gammerman, Nataliya Pavlovich
Concept Learning for Vision and Planning
Concept Learning for Vision and Planning
A National Science Foundation SGER(Small Grant for Exploratory Research): Computational Basis for Cognition: Concept Learning for Vision and Planning grant to study the Computational Basis for Cognition.
Senior Team Members: David Waltz, Yoav Freund, Eric Baum


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fountainhall school pupil Millie Thomson has an extra reason for enjoying Christmas.
Her fantastic design has been chosen by local MP Michael Moore to adorn the front of his festive card. And the delighted Scottish Secretary paid a special visit to Millie's school to give the P1 pupil his personal thanks.
But the man battling to keep Scotland in the UK found his annual Christmas card design competition was just as tough a problem.
He commented: "I received so many fantastic entries from schools across the Borders, it was very difficult deciding on a winner.
"After much deliberation, I chose Millie's design and it was great to be able to congratulate her in person. Her artwork will appear on the front of my Christmas card and will be sent to hundreds of my friends, family and colleagues."
He added: "I want to thank all the students who took part for their brilliant creative efforts.
"A special congratulations is also due to the eight runners up whose entries are now on display in my constituency office window and being admired by many passers-by."
Runners-up were: Charlotte Tuckwood, P3 Kirkhope; Rhiannon Gerrard, P7 Glendinning, Galashiels; Gosha Czerwinska, Drumlanrig, Hawick; Liam Hyslop, P6 Heriot; Ryan McMichan, P3 Drumlanrig, Hawick; Sophie Bell, P5 Heriot; Kyle Lothian, P3 Balmoral; Galashiels, and Olga Burt-Smith, P7 Kirkhope.


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Who can participate?
• Families and or/children ages 10 and up with an accompanying adult
Where are we going?
• Camp Cielito, 1.5 hours from Panama City, Panama
What are we doing?
• Camp improvement construction in the AM
• Facilitate VBS in the afternoon for some
What is the purpose?
• Camp Cielito supports the central government's education requirement for religious education and provides an opportunity for a youth Methodist spiritual retreat experience
Where are we staying?
Saturday arrival night and Friday departure eve:
• Panama City-church conference lodging/ bunk bed-dorm rooms
• Camp Cielito- in cabins
Where are we eating?
In Panama City:
• Restaurant Dining
At Camp Cielito:
• Short walk where meals are prepared and served (by hired cook; sitting at tables on porch)
What documents/prep do we need?
• Updated Passports
• No shots needed
Is there medical care for emergencies?
• "World class" hospital 90 min away from camp, in Panama City
• Branch clinic 30 min away from camp
What's the weather like?
• Low 80s F daytime
• Low 70's nighttime
• Rain-only likely in the afternoons (like summer in Atlanta)
What about the water?
• You can drink the tap water in Panama City, but filtered or bottled recommend at Camp
What other activities are possible?
Team activities at camp:
• outdoor games, nature walks, campfires, songs
Local Excursions:
• Old Panama
• Colonial Panama
• Panama Canal
• Summit Gardens
• Local Beach
• Local Zoo
How much does the trip cost?
• $800-$850 / person
• Housing (7 nights)
• Camp food/water
• Restaurant food
• Construction/Operations
• Insurance
• Excursions
• Airfare
Why should we go?
"The United Methodist Church has an emphasis on ministry with the poor, and it's something that is transformative, to begin walking alongside others, cultivating relationships and making a difference."
It's a meaningful experience for the whole family, and relationships that make a difference can be built by people of all ages.
Church leaders have seen the impression mission trips have on the children who attend, and how the children serve as an important part of the team. "Children often become leaders, teaching parents and other adults. They are often the first to make deep connections across the cultural divide. There is no language barrier for the kids, play is universal." The children interacting is often the first step toward bringing together the mission team and the people they serve.
A recent mom/mission trip participant also recognized the powerful memories the mission trip made for her family. She said, "I don't think any family vacation has had the impact on all of us like the family mission trip to Panama did."
The rest, renewal, and togetherness many long to achieve during a vacation can be found while making a huge difference in the lives of others.
Ultimately, you will receive a rewarding experience to last a lifetime. So... what are you waiting for? Let's go to Panama!!
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
1548 Mt. Vernon Road, Dunwoody, GA. 30338
To be a dynamic Christian community of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ!


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Cleveland! – this is for you!!! But first a question. What in the hell is happening in that city? The Cavs blow up the world and win a title. And the Indians haven't lost since.
The hottest team in baseball, plays for the hottest city in the world.
The Indians have won 9 in a row. They have the lowest era in the AL. They're perched in first place above the world champion Royals. And yesterday in Detroit they finished their third straight sweep of the Tigers this season while nearly retiring Justin Verlander in the process.
It's getting weeeeeeeird in Cleveland. The Cavs came back from down 3-1 to beat a 73-win team. And the Indians just jumped a former league MVP for four home runs. In one inning. Cleveland rocks!
Why not just have Verlander stand behind the l-net and soft-toss some derby pitches for Cleveland? I know it's only 74 games into their season. But it was also a 52-year wait for Cleveland to win a title. Can you imagine a world where they win 2 of them in the same year????
The Cavs rule the world. The first place tribe has won 9 in a row. What's next – the Bob Griffin's Browns jump out 5-0? Hell no.
But I love what the Indians are doing. Best rotation in baseball right now. They're not just beating teams, they're crushing them. Cleveland's outscored their opponents by 40 runs during the 9 games.
And it's not like Tito Francona hasn't shocked the world before, Cleveland. That man's not daunted by the Cavs coming back down 3-1 on the Warriors. He came back from down 3-0 on the Yankees. 52-year draught? He broke the 86 year curse.
And I just don't know if this country is ready for Cleveland to become the coolest dude in the room. They already got their punching bag taken away, and the bullies don't know what to do.
I saw it- day after the Cavs won the whole thing, the reaction was "nice win. Now go get a football team." During the Cavs parade I was still getting jokes about – FYI Rome, there's a million people there because only a dozen Clevelanders actually have jobs…
Hey Van Smack, the Cleveland parade lasted 6 hours because they know they won't have another one for 60 years.
Yeah except what if they have another one in 4 months? J.R. Smith will still be walking around with a bottle and stogie, waiting for it. But what will the trolls do then? Just laugh at the Browns? Or flip all your dumb jokes over to Detroit and Buffalo? Because right now they don't work for the Indians and Tito.
I'm not rooting for it. But team content is honking for it, and I think it would be hilarious if suddenly C-town, was title town. And the rest of the world would melt down.


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Sat, May 3, 2014
Lowell, MA
CCA is excited to host its 4th Annual CCA River Run to benefit Community Christian Academy, a non-profit organization. We provide quailty education to a multi-cultural generation and are proud to be hosting this race to raise funds for our new community playground in Lowell, MA. Every dollar raised will go directly to the playground for our deserving students. Please visit www.ccariverrun.org for more information!
Race begins and ends on our campus and is followed by an exciting Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Fun Day includes games and activities for all ages, live music, great food, and more. This is an event you won't want to miss. Register now - first 200 registrants recieve a free tshirt.


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Revolt against valentines: Love isn't 1 day affair
New Delhi, Feb. 11(ANI): Valentine's Day and controversies go hand in hand and even this year, there are people revolting against it.
Durga Vahini, a Bajrang Dal activist in Hyderabad recently said, "Love shouldn't be for one day, don't celebrate Valentine's Day."
Meanwhile, another activist said that Valentine's Day doesn't belong to India nor it is Indian culture, adding that it will only destroy the Indian culture.
The protestors were even seen burning papers and gift cards.
The month of February, which is called the season of love, often ends up with protest and revolts that mostly take place around youth centric areas. (ANI)


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Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Article 14, Section 3474(m) and Article 90, Section 4884(c)
Update of ANSI/ASME References for Slings and Cranes
Subsection (m)
Subsection (m) specifically addresses wire rope and wire rope slings in terms of the manufacturers' ratings which are to be available for inspection by the Division and minimum design safety factors of at least 5 for running in light load use. The regulation states that if there are no ratings available, employers are to refer to the American National Safety standard ANSI B30.9–1971 tables. The regulation also addresses use of wire rope with safety factors less than 5 under special conditions (e.g. where found to be impracticable, where specialized equipment is used, etc.)
A revision is proposed for subsection (m)(1) to amend the reference to ANSI B30.9–1971 by updating it to ANSI/ASME B30.9–1996 standard for slings.
The proposed revision will merely clarify to the employer that when it is necessary to refer to the ANSI/ASME wire rope and wire rope sling rating tables, the tables contained in the 1996 B30.9 standard shall be used. The proposal may result in some employers having to check the performance specifications of their wire rope/slings equipment in comparison to the new tables or contact the manufacturer to ensure the proper rating table is available for inspection.
Section 4884. Scope.
This section establishes the application of Group 13 safety orders to derricks, cranes, and boom-type excavators. The scope statement contains specific requirements that the design of cranes, derricks, etc. is to be in conformance with national consensus standards (i.e. ANSI, ASME B30 Standards), testing and maintenance, or alternative designs by a registered engineer, and in conformance to Title 8, Electrical Safety Order regulations for electrically powered cranes.
Subsection (c)
Revisions are proposed in subsection (c)(1) to include a new designation of subsection (c)(1)(A) to address older equipment and conformance to the national consensus standards currently listed for the design, construction and installation of various types of cranes and derricks. Subsection (c)(1)(A) would specify cranes and derricks placed in service after September 28, 1986 through October 1, 1998 are to comply with either the older or current editions of the ANSI/ASME standards depending on the type of crane or derrick. The phrase "placed in service before January 1, 1995" which follows the reference to the ANSI/ASME B30.6–1977 standard is proposed for deletion. The proposed revisions will only clarify to the employer which ANSI/ASME standards the particular crane or derrick shall conform to.
A new subsection (c)(1)(B) would require cranes and derricks placed in service after October 1, 1998 (proposals anticipated effective date) to be provided with a label, plate or marking certifying that the crane/derrick conforms to the current applicable ANSI/ASME B30 Standard. Further revisions are proposed to delete subsection (c)(3) which specifies an effective date after which all derricks placed in service are to conform to the ASME B30.6-1990 standard.
The proposed revisions in conjunction with the previous revisions in subsection (c)(1) will have no effect other than to clarify to the employer that newer cranes and derricks are to conform to the most recent ANSI/ASME crane and derrick standards. Where the equipment is not already labeled or marked as required, the employer may need to acquire from the manufacturer the necessary ANSI/ASME information. Using this information, the required identification label, plate or appropriate marking can be provided on the crane or derrick.
The deletion of subsection (c)(3) will have no effect other than deleting repetitive language as a result of the proposed language in the new subsection (c)(1)(B).