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Most modern games take thousands of man-hours to create, not to mention an army of artists and musicians, but there's still some scope for solitary hacker to write something entertaining. After all, it didn't take a team of 500 coders and a Hollywood movie-set budget to create Tetris - Alexey Pajitnov managed pretty well on his own (until various filthy capitalist running-dogs of the West ran off with his idea, of course...)
In this tutorial, you're going to learn how to make a really simple mouse game with Python. If this is the first coding tutorial you've read - and you've certainly never written a line of Python code before - you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to understand; Python code is famous throughout the programming world for being very much self-explanatory.
If you're already familiar with other programming languages such as C or PHP, you'll applaud Python's simplicity. For instance, code blocks are marked by indentation rather than curly braces - see this program:
def saystuff(somestring): print "String passed: ", somestring saystuff("Wowzers")
If you're new to Python, make sure that you have the language installed (most distros install it by default, but otherwise it will be available in your distro's package manager). Enter the above code into a text editor and save it as test.py in your home directory. Then fire up a terminal and enter:
python test.py
All being well, Python will interpret the code and spit out a line of text. Our sample program here merely sets up a subroutine called saystuff, which prints whatever text string is passed to it. You can see that the code of the subroutine is indented with a tab.
Execution proper begins with the first call to saystuff, which passes the string Wowzers to be printed. It's as easy as that - you're almost ready to get coding.
But one last thing: you'll also need the Pygame modules for this tutorial. Pygame provides an extra layer on top of Python, linking with SDL and letting you display images and output sound effects in your programs. It's very widely available and will almost certainly be available in your distro's repositories, but otherwise you should download it from www.pygame.org.
Although game genres vary enormously, in terms of the underlying mechanics, most games involving sprites (image objects) moving around follow a similar code path:
Now, we're going to write a little game that has several balls bouncing around the screen, and the player's objective is to avoid colliding the mouse pointer with them. Sounds easy? Well, if we add some randomness to the ball movements - ie they don't always move at the same speed - then it suddenly becomes a lot trickier.
You can't just hold the mouse pointer in the bottom-left of the screen, say, because a ball could zoom down there at any moment. Throughout this, a counter keeps track of how many seconds you stay 'alive'. It's a very basic concept, but it demands good mouse dexterity and a laser-like focus on the screen.
But first things first: let's work out how to get a single ball bouncing around the screen. How does the ball know when to reverse direction? Fortunately, there's a very easy method to achieve this: we have two variables that we use to alter the ball movement.
For each loop of the game engine, we add these numbers to the ball's position. If the ball is moving right, for instance, then it's because we're adding 1 to its horizontal position each loop. If the ball hits the right edge of the screen, we start adding -1 to its horizontal position, thereby moving it to the left.
Makes sense? If you're unsure how this works, here's a Python program to demonstrate it in action. You can find this code in the source code for this project. To run this program, you'll also need an image called ball.png alongside the code, which is a 32x32 pixel image containing a white (filled) circle on a black background.
If you want to make ball.png yourself, just create a new 32x32 pixel image, fill it with black, use the circle select tool to create a new circle selection and fill that with white. Save it as ball.png in the same directory as ball1.py and run it by entering python ball1.py. Alternatively, just use the ball.png in the source code for this project.
from pygame import * # Use Pygame's functionality! ballpic = image.load('ball.png') done = False ballx = 0 # Ball position variables bally = 0 ballxmove = 1 ballymove = 1 init() # Start Pygame screen = display.set_mode((640, 480)) # Give us a nice window display.set_caption('Ball game') # And set its title while done == False: screen.fill(0) # Fill the screen with black (colour 0) screen.blit(ballpic, (ballx, bally)) # Draw ball display.update() time.delay(1) # Slow it down! ballx = ballx + ballxmove # Update ball position bally = bally + ballymove if ballx > 600: # Ball reached screen edges? ballxmove = -1 if ballx < 0: ballxmove = 1 if bally > 440: ballymove = -1 if bally < 0: ballymove = 1 for e in event.get(): # Check for ESC pressed if e.type == KEYUP: if e.key == K_ESCAPE: done = True
Let's step through this. In the first line, we tell Python that we want to use routines from the Pygame library. Then we load the ball image we created before and store it in an object called ballpic, and create a true/false variable to determine when the game has finished.
The following four lines are hugely important: these declare variables which control the position and movement of the ball. ballx and bally store the location (in pixels) of the ball in our game window - 0,0 being the top-left, and 640,480 being the bottom-right pixel.
ballxmove and ballymove store the numbers we add to the ball for each game loop; we set them to 1 initially, so that when the game starts, 1 is added to ballx and bally each loop, thereby moving the ball down and to the right. So, our ball starts in the top-left of the screen, and starts moving diagonally down-right when the program starts.
Next, we set up a new Pygame window and start the main game loop, filling (clearing) the screen with black and drawing our ball at its current position (code comments are denoted with # characters). The following code chunk determines how the ball is going to move:
ballx = ballx + ballxmove bally = bally + ballymove if ballx > 600: ballxmove = -1 if ballx < 0: ballxmove = 1 if bally > 440: ballymove = -1 if bally < 0: ballymove = 1
In the first two lines, we update the ball's horizontal (x) and vertical (y) position by adding the two movement variables. If ballxmove and ballymove are 1, then the ball will move 1 pixel right and 1 pixel down each game loop.
But then the following if statements check to see if the ball is near the edge of the screen, and if so, change ballxmove and ballymove accordingly.
If, for instance, the ball position is over 600 pixels horizontally, then it should 'bounce' off and start moving left - so we start adding -1 to its position (effectively subtracting 1).
With just a few lines of code, we've managed to create the impression that the ball is bouncing around the screen - not bad! The final lines of this program set up a keyboard handler, so that you can quit the game by pressing the Esc key at any moment.
Our prototype ball-bouncing program - not much to look at yet, but seeing this on your screen will indicate that you've got the basics working.
All good and well so far - we have our basic game structure in place. Now we want to add more balls, and also detect if the mouse pointer is colliding with any of them. For the former, we're going to set up an array of 'dictionary' entries to keep track of the balls. This gives us a huge amount of flexibility: we can have as many balls as we want, instead of limiting ourselves to ball0, ball1, ball2 etc. Dictionaries are a doddle in Python:
mydict = {'Bach': 100, 'Handel': 75, 'Vivaldi': 90} print mydict['Vivaldi']
Here, we associate three words with numbers, and then print out the value contained in 'Vivaldi', which is 90. We'll use a dictionary to store the X, Y, X movement and Y movement values of our balls - a bit like a struct in C. But whereas C bogs us down in memory management turmoil, in Python we can create loads of ball objects without any hassle at all, giving them their own individual dictionary entries.
The final thing we need to think about is collision detection. How do we tell when the mouse pointer has collided with a ball? Logically, it seems sanest to go through the position of every ball and compare them with the mouse pointer location. But we have a trick up our sleeve: the balls are white, and the background is black, so why not just detect when the mouse pointer is over a white pixel? That only takes one line of code, and is very fast...
Here's the code, which you can find as ball2.py in the source code for this project, along with the ball.png picture we created earlier (it's exactly the same).
from pygame import * import random ballpic = image.load('ball.png') ballpic.set_colorkey((0,0,0)) numballs = 10 delay = 5 done = False balls = [] for count in range(numballs): balls.append(dict) balls[count] = {'x': 0, 'y': 0, 'xmove': random.randint(1, 2), 'ymove': random.randint(1, 2)} init() screen = display.set_mode((640, 480)) display.set_caption('Ball game') event.set_grab(1) while done == False: screen.fill(0) for count in range(numballs): screen.blit(ballpic, (balls[count]['x'], balls[count]['y'])) display.update() time.delay(delay) for count in range(numballs): balls[count]['x'] = balls[count]['x'] + balls[count]['xmove'] balls[count]['y'] = balls[count]['y'] + balls[count]['ymove'] for count in range(numballs): if balls[count]['x'] > 620: balls[count]['xmove'] = random.randint(-2, 0) if balls[count]['x'] < -10: balls[count]['xmove'] = random.randint(0, 2) if balls[count]['y'] > 470: balls[count]['ymove'] = random.randint(-2, 0) if balls[count]['y'] < -10: balls[count]['ymove'] = random.randint(0, 2) for e in event.get(): if e.type == KEYUP: if e.key == K_ESCAPE: done = True if screen.get_at((mouse.get_pos())) == (255, 255, 255, 255): done = True print "You lasted for", time.get_ticks()/1000, "seconds!"
The general concepts behind this code are the same as before, but there's lots of new juicy code to explore. Near the top, where we load our ball image, we also set its colorkey to (0,0,0)' which is the RGB (Red/Green/Blue) value for black. What we're saying here is: set all black pixels in our ball picture to be transparent.
This is important when we have many balls bouncing around, as we want them to overlap gracefully, and not have unsightly black corners drawn on other balls. So, only the white pixels of our balls will be displayed.
The following numballs and delay variables affect the difficulty of the game. As you'd expect, numballs controls the number of balls in play, whereas delay is the time (in milliseconds) that the game should pause each loop. You can leave these as-is for now - but if you fancy more of a challenge, you can up the number of balls and reduce the delay.
Our balls = [] line sets up a new array of ball objects, and in typical Python fashion, we're not limited to the number of objects (nor do we have to define the number straight away). The
for count in range(numballs):
line sets up a loop which runs numball (10) times, adding new dictionary objects to the balls array and giving them starting values - top-left of screen, and random movement down-right. The 1, 2 in the random number generator means 'any number between 1 and 2 (inclusive)'. So we have 10 balls, all starting off with random speeds.
Next, we set up the screen as before, and add an event.set_grab(1) line which constrains the mouse pointer in the game window; it'd be too easy if you could move the mouse pointer outside! Then we have our main game loop. As before, we fill the screen with black, and then use another for loop to display (blit) all our balls to the screen.
After updating the screen and delaying (so that it runs at the same speed on all machines), we again traverse through our array of balls, updating their positions with our movement variables. Each ball has its own copy of xmove and ymove in its dictionary entry, so they can all move independently.
Following this is the game logic, which determines if the balls have reached the window edges. This time, we've tweaked the values so that the balls can go slightly off-screen (remember, they're 32x32 pixels). This is vital for the gameplay: it means you can't just move the mouse cursor into a corner and never get hit! The balls now reach every part of the screen, so you have to keep moving the mouse.
The final three lines of code are new: screen.get_at() returns the pixel colour value at the specified position, which we set as the mouse pointer with mouse.get_pos(). We say: 'if the pixel colour at the mouse position is white (255,255,255), then done = True so the while main game loop will end.
Finally, we print the number of seconds for which the player survived - time.get_ticks() returns it in milliseconds, so we divide it by 1000 before displaying it.
This is more like it! Multiple circle mayhem demands lightning reactions and pixel-perfect accuracy with the mouse pointer...
Not bad for 55 lines of code, is it? As mentioned before, you can increase the difficulty of the game by raising the value of numballs at the top - the default of 10 is tricky enough, but if you think you're dextrous enough, try knocking it up to 15 or 20 for some finger-twistingly frantic gameplay.
There are many other aspects of the game you can fiddle with too, such as altering the random numbers used in the main game logic (if ball has hit screen edge) section.
Pygame is chock-full of features to play around with, and, using a handful of lines of code, you can add sound effects or even a background music track to the game. www.pygame.org/docs/ has some fantastically in-depth documentation to help users explore its functionality, along with a reference to all the routines used in this tutorial.
Having programmed in countless languages and environments, from Amiga Blitz Basic to C#-SDL on Mono/.NET, I can safely say that Pygame is one of the most blissfully easy game programming setups around - it's the perfect way to concretise any game ideas that are floating around in your head. Good luck!
The final version of our game is hardly a tour de force on the graphical front, but we can spruce it up a bit by adding a background image. However, it's important to remember how we're dhttp://www.pygame.org/etecting where the balls are - we're looking for white pixels. So your background image shouldn't contain any fully white (255,255,255 RGB) pixels, otherwise the game will end if you mouse over them!
Find a picture and resize it to 640x480. If you suspect there are any white pixels in the image, you can always lower its brightness in Gimp which will eliminate such problems. Save this picture alongside ball2.py and call it background.jpg. Now, in ball2.py, enter the following code beneath the early ballpic.set_colorkey line:
backdrop = image.load('background.jpg')
So now we have our background picture in memory, ready to use. But we need to display it on the screen every loop, so further down in ball2.py, replace the screen.fill(0) line with this:
screen.blit(backdrop, (0,0))
This draws the background image before the balls. Note that if it's quite a complex image (eg lots of colours), then this extra blitting process will slow the game down slightly - but you can tweak the ball speeds and delay variable to compensate for that.
First published in Linux Format magazine
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Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - March 27, 2009 @ 2:29am
This was my first exposure to Python and was the perfect excuse to try it out... I ended up making four different colored balls, assigning them to a list and then adding them randomly to the balls array... I had 800+ balls bouncing around at one point!! Sweet!
Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - March 27, 2009 @ 2:30am
This was my first exposure to Python and was the perfect excuse to try it out... I ended up making four different colored balls, assigning them to a list and then adding them randomly to the balls array... I had 800+ balls bouncing around at one point!! Sweet!
Tim (not verified) - March 27, 2009 @ 8:21am
I just had to comment and tell you guys on a great job you guys are doing.
I recently added you by RSS and have read some great articles by you guys.
Love the in-depth linux articles and your coding tuts
Keep up the great work!
ahmed (not verified) - April 9, 2009 @ 7:53pm
Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - January 31, 2011 @ 4:36pm
how you get this to work
Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - March 27, 2011 @ 8:40pm
have no knowledge how to program but heard about Python so here goes it. I will try this one as it isn't so long to code.
thanks again,
Ben (not verified) - July 18, 2011 @ 9:51pm
when i try and play it a red highlight goes over ) and i dont know why?
pradeepcse (not verified) - August 8, 2011 @ 1:50pm
thank very much free open source
HTMLgrrrrl (not verified) - November 12, 2011 @ 3:26am
I am new to Python, but I have been practicing C and C++ for about a year now. I am definitely surprised by the simplicity of Python, and I loved coding this game. There is a great book by Al Sweigart (Invent Your Own
Computer Games with Python 2nd Edition)that has other great Python games, but of all the ones I've coded so far, this one takes the cake. Thanks!
Python Program EPICNESS! (not verified) - March 9, 2012 @ 8:30pm
Awesome, I'm 13 years old. And creating things in python, VB.Net. Where would i be without internet NO WHERE
123456789 (not verified) - April 12, 2012 @ 1:35am
Thank you for the help, this page was very useful.
iornside8710 (not verified) - May 1, 2012 @ 10:27pm
you forgot to have just plain import pygame at the top and right below where you print the time you survived you forgot to have pygame.quit() with out these the program would break when i died mabey im using a more updated version of python then when this was made idk but this is how i got it to work.
sergio (not verified) - May 2, 2012 @ 1:20am
I get a "there is no soundcard" message in the terminal. The window opens up but it's just a black background with nothing on it. ?? I'm using Mint 12
Anonymous yourmother (not verified) - October 18, 2012 @ 11:07am
yourmother smells like a male
Chuck Norris (not verified) - October 26, 2012 @ 12:56pm
I keep getting syntax errors and i dont know what to do... HELP!
Anonymous Jim (not verified) - November 13, 2012 @ 2:01pm
This works perfectly, except...after the game has ended, either by the mouse pointer coming in to contact with a ball or pressing escape, the mouse pointer cannot be moved from the game screen. It is stuck inside it. I have to restart my raspberry pi after each game! Is there a way to solve this?
Anonymous Bumguin (not verified) - November 16, 2012 @ 10:18am
this program doesnt work it is a virus...
Anonymous shithead (not verified) - November 29, 2012 @ 1:57am
ugly shit
confused (not verified) - January 13, 2013 @ 5:07pm
just typed up the first lines of code to get one ball working. it's letter for letter and the ball just goes off the screen. no bouncing happening. no errors in code. what's wrong!?
Windows Execution (not verified) - February 11, 2013 @ 5:21pm
but you have to put parentheses around items when you want to
print them.
print ("You lasted for", time.get_ticks()/1000, "seconds!")
awesomeepiceli (not verified) - March 2, 2013 @ 8:41pm
I just get a black screen after the refresh line.
miss. python (not verified) - March 19, 2013 @ 7:53pm
thank u i am just starting python ! its so simply! -from my raspberry pi
ignoremefurever (not verified) - July 1, 2013 @ 4:58am
If the print statements are getting errors, you're using Python 3, which isn't covered in this tutorial. Don't panic; look up a newer PyGame example and get coding. Try this one, if you don't want to find your own:
inventwithpython dotcomslash pygame / chapter1 . html
Note: Ubuntu users, do not uninstall Python 3 under any circumstances. You will crash your computer, likely irreversibly.


text:
You're fine, Paul -- I suspect my example was unnecessarily obscure. There are _two_ invocations of rxp in my example. What's not at all obvious is that the error message comes from the second of those. What I should have done, to be clear, is as follows: > cat c.xml <c≯</c> > (echo "<?xml version='1.1'?>" ; rxp c.xml)> cc.xml > cat cc.xml <?xml version='1.1'?> <c≯</c> > rxp -U 1 cc.xml <?xml version="1.1" encoding="UTF-8"?> Error: pcdata not normalized in unnamed entity at line 2 char 6 of file:///tmp/cc.xml ht -- Henry S. Thompson, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, SCOTLAND -- (44) 131 650-4440 Fax: (44) 131 650-4587, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com URL: http://www.ltg.ed.ac.uk/~ht/ [mail from me _always_ has a .sig like this -- mail without it is forged spam]Received on Thursday, 21 March 2013 09:32:20 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:16:45 UTC

subset: commoncrawl


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Budget Adjustment RequestsPage address: http://www.mnsu.edu/campushub/programs/budgetadjust/
The Process
The Budget Adjustment Request process reviews certain costs students may incur which are either not covered or exceed the amounts covered in the financial aid cost of attendance. This includes costs associated with: commuting, child care, study abroad, internship, student teaching, aviation flight labs, and required program equipment or materials. Please note that not all situations can be considered under this process.
Contact the Campus Hub for further information.


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MLB Baseball - Preview
The fans at Safeco Field will be treated to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners when they take their seats on Wednesday.
The Royals will give the ball to starter Ervin Santana in this one. Righthander Santana is 9-9 this season with a 3.16 ERA.
It'll be Hisashi Iwakuma toeing the rubber for the Mariners in this contest. Righthander Iwakuma is 13-6 with a 2.76 ERA so far this season.
Kansas City was a 4-0 loser in its last match on the road against the Mariners. They lost as -125 favorites, while the total score of 4 made winners of UNDER bettors.
Team records:
Kansas City: 83-74 SU
Seattle: 69-89 SU
Kansas City most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Chi White Sox are 4-6
After playing Seattle are 3-7
After a loss are 9-1
Seattle most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 2-8
Before playing Oakland are 5-5
After playing Kansas City are 7-3
After a win are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kansas City's last 12 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Kansas City
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Seattle is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games
Seattle is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Next up:
Kansas City at Chi White Sox, Thursday, September 26
Seattle home to Oakland, Friday, September 27


text: Softub, MAAX Spas and California Cooperage Hot Tubs sales and service. We carry BBQ Islands, Primo Grills and Therasauna (far Infarred saunas) Made in the USA. We sell Softub and hot tub chemicals, parts and accessories. Use hot water therapy for natural pain relief after working out, after your favorite sport or to relieve aches and pains from the common cold or just plain old stress. We are the largest Softub Dealer on the west coast serving all of the Bay Area. Can't make it to the store? Order your water treatment supplies and we will ship it for Free as long as your order is over $125.00.


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Monday, June 29, 2015
23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years
1. Be open-minded.
2. Don't compare your life to others.
3. Never settle for someone who doesn't make you happy. No matter how hot they are.
4. Cut the toxic people out of your life ASAP.
5. Never trust a guy who calls his exes crazy.
6. Your perception of beauty will change as you get older.
7. The definition of success is subjective.
8. Compliment people more often.
9. Being a feminist is not a bad thing.
10. Support other women; don't try to bring them down!
11. Meditation will change your life.
12. Never choose a guy over the important things in your life.
13. Stop over-analyzing everything!
14. Do not change who you are for someone else.
15. People are always going to judge you. So stop caring about what others think of you.
16. If you want to have sex, have sex... as much as you want.
17. If you like it, wear it.
18. There's nothing wrong with not wanting to get married or have kids. (And anyone who tries to make you feel bad about that is really shitty tbh)
19. Don't be overly picky when it comes to dating/Date people who you wouldn't normally date.
20. Be yourself, not who others want/expect you to be.
21. Don't take relationship advice from magazine and websites too seriously.
22. Eat more fruits and veggies!
23. Your life can change at any moment.
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text:
Dress Code for Ascots, Bolo Ties, and Other Anomalies
Every man knows the classic neck and bow ties. Whether the tie is skinny or wide, is pre-tied or self-tied, has stripes or an intricate paisley pattern – the idea and general look is the same. However, there are other types of neckwear found in mens fashion throughout the world. Below is a list of ties that are much less common in daily wear.
The Ascot
Nowadays, ascot ties are much less common. It is a type of neckwear that resembles a cross between a silk scarf and a classic necktie. When untied the ascot is much wider and shorter than a regular necktie. Also, instead of having one narrow, and one broad end, the ascot tie has two ends that are symmetrical and equal in size. The ascot originated during the end of the 19th century in England. The ascot was part of the required attire for the infamous British horse race "The Royal Ascot" – hence the name. Traditionally the ascot is worn with top hat and tails and is part of formal morning and/or daytime attire. Today the ascot is worn much more casual. Even though men still wear ascots with tailcoat jackets for formal daytime weddings for instance, it is most commonly worn in a much dressed down fashion. Modern ascots are tied much looser and resemble more of a tugged in scarf. While formal ascots are solid colored the more casual ascots show more color and patterns – such as paisleys or foulard.
The Neck-Slip
The neck slip is a hybrid between the regular necktie and the ascot. The neck-slip is worn very loosely and tucked into the dress shirt so that only the ring around the neck is visible. It is a great fashion accessory for the slightly older male. It looks great in combination with sports coat, blazer jacket, as well as with a classic smoking jacket.
The Bandana
The bandana is typically associated with cowboys and early railroad workers. It is the type of neckwear that is most associated with working class men than any other. Bandana's are usually made from cotton and were worn to protect the neck from the sun as well as to help absorb sweat. If you want to try wearing a bandana then we suggest to wear it with a cotton shirt and tug it into the shirt in a similar fashion as you would with the ascot.
The Bolo Tie
The bolo tie originated in Arizona in the mid 20th century. It is a decorative type of neckwear that consists of a braided leather string and an ornamental clasp. The bolo tie became the official tie of Arizona in 1971. It is usually worn with western wear such as tight denim jeans, cowboy boots, flannel shirt, western belt and belt buckle, and the cowboy hat.
Your Cheap Neckties Team


text:
I'm having trouble making ends meet and managing my finances. Is there somewhere I can get help with this?
The Office of Financial Aid provides more services than just processing financial aid applications. If you need help understanding your finances, learning money management skills, or repairing your credit, you can make an appointment with a financial aid counselor and get help with these sorts of issues. Our office also provides financial planning workshops for graduating students to help prepare them for financial success after law school.
I'm an international student. What are my financial aid options?
Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for federal financial aid (including Stafford and Grad PLUS loans). Some international students may be eligible for a commercial student loan if they have U.S. credit history or a U.S. citizen co-signor. Georgetown Law's International Student Financial Aid Information guide has been designed to provide potential resource alternatives to non-U.S. citizens, who are ineligible to receive Federal financial aid. Another website may assist international students with basic information to help adjust to the U.S. way of life. Canadian students interested in studying in the U.S. should visit this website for useful information.
Read more answers to frequently asked questions about:
- The Application Process
- Student Loans
- Disbursements of Financial Aid
- Federal Work-Study
- Enrollment Requirements
- Graduation Matters


text:
The Tangible Risks of Moving Bank-Profit Goal Posts
It is the dream of every field-goal kicker on a blustery day: to move the uprights just a few yards closer. Some big banks may have found a way to do that.
Big banks have faced numerous headwinds that limit their profitability, as shown by recent first-quarter results. These have ranged from new capital requirements to customers reining in borrowing to a superlow interest-rate environment that crimps margins.
The result:...


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|Bookshelf Home | Contents | Index | PDF
Siebel System Administration Guide > Siebel Server Infrastructure Administration > About Other System Management Components >
About Siebel Administrator Notification (AdminNotify)
The Siebel Administrator Notification (alias AdminNotify) is a component that belongs in the Auxiliary System Management component group. It is a batch-mode server component that notifies the Siebel administrator when problems are detected on the Siebel Server or its running components. For further information on component notification, see About System Alert Notification.
|Siebel System Administration Guide
|Copyright © 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.


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I asked Eileen about her books…
I have a journalism background but am now into writing novels. My multi-book BackTracker Series starts with THE TRAZ in 1986 and follows the characters lives through several decades. I'm also the author of SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT, an adult SciFi novella. Although THE TRAZ was my debut novel (it appeared first as an ebook), THE CAT is special because it was my first publishing contract. It's an ego booster when someone thinks they can make money on your book.
Where do you live? Give us a picture of your home.
I live in the northern boreal forests of Alberta Canada. There are lots of deciduous trees, some spruce, many ponds, hills and lakes, and a few rivers. There are also open expanses of cattle and grain farms. There is abundant wildlife—deer, moose, elk, coyotes, and bears to name just a few of the larger inhabitants of the wilderness surrounding me.
Generally, everything just looks white from November until sometime in March. This past year, however, we didn't get snow until January. Winter sports such as snowmobiling, skating, curling, hockey, snow-boarding, and ice-fishing are very popular. I have trails through the forest right outside my door on which I cross-country ski. In summer, people go fishing or play on the many lakes with their boats and seadoos. In the fall, hunting is popular.
What about your road to publication? The usual rocky-road?
I first self-published THE TRAZ as an ebook and then as a paperback. My book marketing coach encouraged me to self-publish in conjunction with the release of Schrodinger's Cat by WolfSinger Publications. Having more than one book out is a great sales tactic—if people read one of your books and like it, they are likely to buy others you have written. I spent a lot of money editing THE TRAZ, buying the cover, formatting the manuscript for uploading, creating a video promo, etc. I quit smoking around this time and used the money I saved to do this. I wanted THE TRAZ to showcase my abilities—and perhaps attract an agent or publisher.
As I was readying FATAL ATTRACTION (the sequel to THE TRAZ ) for publication, I was approached by an Edmonton, Alberta publisher. Imajin Books bought the e-rights to THE TRAZ and released a second edition with a new cover and a few minor changes. They then released a School Edition of THE TRAZ in both e- and print formats. They also bought e- and print rights to FATAL ATTRACTION—so, my plan worked!
It's much easier and cheaper to have a publisher than to self-publish…but then, you don't have total control over your book and you have to share your profits. To me, though, it's worth it. I now have more time to write and I have a partner (my publisher) helping me sell and promote my work.
Was getting published in Canada as challenging as everywhere else?
Although the Canadian and provincial governments support the literary arts, these funds usually go to non-fiction, literary-style fiction, and poetry. There is also quite a lively short-story market. Trade novels, though, are a difficult sell—many Canadian novelists end up with American or British publishers.
I'm very lucky that my publisher is on the cutting-edge of cyberspace marketing. Canada has a small population, so accessing the international readership market has huge potential. The future of ebooks is also bright and Imajin Books is well-positioned to tap into that expanding market.
I'm writing a series at the moment – fun, but oh boy, what a challenge! How do you work on your series?
The BackTracker Series was written during a low and lonely time in my life. The characters appeared to me and dictated their stories. They were my company…into the wee hours of many mornings. I did not know that their stories would end up being a series…each time I finished a book, I thought their stories had ended. Then, they'd start talking to me again and a sequel would begin. Unfortunately, they did not dictate their stories in proper grammatical form and didn't follow the rules of story-telling. In their defence, neither they nor I had publication on our minds at that time. When my daughter encouraged me to try to get published, I had a lot of polishing to do. It took me longer to get THE TRAZ publishable than it took me to write the entire 7-book series!
My life is no longer low and lonely. I'm fulfilling my life-long dream.
What does the future hold for you, Eileen?
The next big event will be the release of FATAL ATTRACTION this fall. Then…I have all those other books in The BackTracker Series to polish and publish. I have two novels for middle-grade kids drafted. I'm hoping to have one of those ready for submission this fall. It's one I based on my childhood and wrote for my own kids and grandbabies…so it's important to me.
I'm also working on another adult SciFi novella. Not sure when that one will be ready! I tell people that writing and publishing is such a slow process that my futuristic novels are historical novels by the time they make it into print!
That's all, folks! (Now where did I get that from?)
Thank you, Eileen for an interesting and honest account of your writing life. Wishing you all the best for the future with your writing, and I look forward to appearing on your blog too – always wanted to go to Canada! 🙂
REMEMBER! Check out Eileen's ebook on Amazon – free for three days! U.S. time.
And comment on the blogs involved on her blog tour for the chance of winning her competition.


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Fabio Cannavaro has had a successful operation to mend ankle ligaments he tore in Italy's first Euro 2008 training session.
The defender was ruled out of the tournament after being injured on Monday when he was tackled by team mate Giorgio Chiellini.
"The surgery lasted little more than half an hour and was perfectly successful," the Italian football federation said in a statement on Wednesday after the Real Madrid player went under the knife at a clinic in Vienna.
Cannavaro, who said he expected to be out for a few months, will stay with the squad in Austria to offer support during the tournament. He was replaced in the squad by Alessandro Gamberini although a decision on who will take over as captain has yet to be made.
"It's tough to lose the skipper," Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi said. "We've lost our leader. His presence on the pitch means so much."
Italy start their campaign against Netherlands in Berne on Monday before facing Romania and France in a tough Group C.


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Co B 6 Arkansas Inf
Civil War Confederate
Died March 5, 1925
Section Confederate Site 1043
Photo Provided By ArkansasTies.com
Contributed on 7/4/09
Record #: 210881
On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arkansas, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 7/4/09 • Approved: 7/8/09 • Last Updated: 8/16/12 • R210881-G0-S3


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Showbox Christmas
Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, December 20, 2009
Plainview Symphony Guild Debs met Sunday afternoon in the Max Gabriel Room at Covenant Hospital Plainview to make Shoebox Christmas bags for Meals-on-Wheels recipients. Here, Emily Falkenberg (center) carries an armful of toilet paper as Shaina Dulakis (left) and Kendra McDonough put items in bags. Some 131 bags were prepared for delivery.


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From straightforward and colorful, to complex and ominous, 1800 Tequila's bottles are sporting a new look — for a limited time, at least. The recently released creative, vibrant illustrations adorning the glass bottles are part of 1800 Tequila's second annual Essential Artists collection. Inspired by art and the want to support emerging talent, this now yearly contest challenges users to create designs for the company's tequila-filled bottles.
From 15,000 submissions, eleven proposals from talented artists and graphic designers from New York to Hawaii were selected. Their original artwork is a mix of artistic emotions and themes, but all are innovative and unique. In addition to the eleven artists there is also a 'celebrity' design courtesy of Studio Number One — Shepard Fairey's creative agency — which is bursting with a rising group of star designers. And though the contest is over, if you think you can do better than the twelve showcased talents, give it a go by designing your own masterpiece bottle directly on 1800 Tequila's website.


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Chapter 4: Akatsuki
Three exhausting days later, they finally reached the pass over the mountain. Sasuke left the path and led her along a small forest track. And, unexpetedly, in the middle of the forest, there was a village. Sakura was astonished. "What is this?"
"Don't ask any questions for now. You aren't supposed to be here."
They walked along the village's protective barrier and Sakura whispered: "We're being watched."
He nodded. "They noticed us already. They're suspicious. Don't do anything that could look like an attack." He led her to an entrance and much to her surprise there seemed to be no one to guard it. They entered the village and Sakura started to feel even more uncomfortable. The village was small, but what was bothering her was that it seemed as if it was abandoned. There were no people on the streets. But Sasuke didn't seem to care, so she stayed silent and followed him. He headed for the largest house in the middle of the village and opened the door. Two men were waiting inside.
"It's forbidden to bring civilists", one of them said. "Who is she?"
"She wants to be one of us", Sasuke replied. "Is Kin-san here? I need to talk to him."
One of them nodded and they stepped aside. Sasuke turned around and told Sakura: "Wait here and don't move. They won't hurt you."
Obediently she stayed and watched him leave the room, hoping that he'd come back soon. She had a bad feeling about this, this room, this place was… frightening. Something was wrong with it and she would have preferred to leave this village right there and then and never come back again.
Curtly, Sasuke explained how he had met Sakura. Kin was listening quietly, and Sasuke added: "She doesn't want to give up being a Shinobi. I know her, she is strong, she could be helpful for us. She has nowhere else to go. Her hatred for the Hidden Leaf Village could come in handy and I'll take full responsibility for her. She won't tell anyone about this."
"This doesn't sound right to me. Are you sure it was a coincidence that you met her? Maybe she is a spy or an assassin."
"I considered that too, but if the Hokage really wanted kill one of us or send us a spy, they wouldn't have chosen her. We used to be… friends. I can read her easily. If she was planning something, I would have seen through it immediately."
"Very well", the head of the village said. "If she really wants to become one of us, she could be useful indeed. The Kyuubi is still at the Hidden Leaf Village. She might provide us with essential information. But I want proof that she isn't a spy. I'll send someone to make sure she was banned from the Hidden Leaf Village. And meanwhile, you two will go out on a mission. You will watch over her and make sure she kills the target herself. If she betrays us… kill her."
Slowly he nodded. "Alright."
"You're leaving tomorrow. You'll receive information about the mission later."
Sasuke turned to the door, but before he could open it, Kin added: "You're taking a great risk, Sasuke. If she is a spy, we're in danger. I hope you are aware that you're indeed responsible for her. If she causes us any trouble before we make sure she is trustworthy, you'll pay with your life."
When Sasuke returned, he seemed even more serious than usual. "What did he say?", Sakura asked, worried.
"We'll talk about it when we're alone." He pulled her along and together they left the building.
Sakura followed him through the village until a small house, which door was unlocked. "We'll stay here. You'll get new clothes soon, but so far there is no other place to stay for you." They entered and he locked the door behind them. He made sure that there was no one in the house and then he said: "Okay, Sakura. They decided to give you a chance."
"But there is a catch, right?"
"Well, sort of. Tomorrow, we are going to leave for a mission. They want you to kill someone."
"This is some kind of test, right? They want me to prove my loyalty", she said and he nodded. "Alright. I want to know who these people are and what they're doing. I can't kill for someone I don't even know."
"We're part of the Akatsuki. We search the shinobi nations for powerful beings and strong bloodlines, and…"
"W-wait a second!", she interrupted him. "Akatsuki? Are you telling me…"
"Yeah", he replied. "It's the organisation Itachi is a part of."
Sakura wanted to say something, but she was too surprised. But this actually made sense. That was the reason why Sasuke was working for these weird people. To be able to meet his brother. That was why Sasuke had done all these horrible things since he had left the Hidden Leaf Village. He was known as a ruthless killer and she had always wondered how he could have become someone like that. Now she knew, she should have known from the start. Itachi. Revenge. "Have you found him already?", she asked hoarsely. "Your brother, I mean."
"No. He is one of the nine, they hardly ever show up at our hideouts. And whenever he showed up, he was already gone when I arrived. Itachi is like a phantom, you cannot find him if he doesn't want to be found."
"That means you are a member of this… organisation to find him."
He nodded and said: "Don't ever say that out loud. I don't know if Itachi is even aware that I'm here. They have lots of hideouts in all shinobi nations with thousands of men working for them. I was recruited after I left Orochimaru. Since no one ever asked, I guess they don't even know that I want to kill him."
"This doesn't sound right. Maybe Itachi knows about all of this. Aren't you afraid that this is just his way to keep an eye on you?"
"Maybe it is. But to me, it's a way to find him, eventually. And to become stronger."
Sakura sighed. This was even worse than she had expected. She had met Itachi only once, but he was neither stupid nor careless. But when it came to Itachi, Sasuke wasn't reasonable. It was no use to try and talk to him. Instead she said: "Okay. Tell me more."
"Okay. I suppose you know that the actual akatsuki consist only of nine members, including Itachi. They want more power, currently they are trying to find and capture monsters like the kyuubi banned into human bodies. They recruit people like us to search for powerful beings and bloodlines, to gather information and do all the stuff they don't want to do themselves. It's most important for them to keep the akatsuki organisation a secret, that's why they want to test you. They need absolute loyalty."
"How does murder prove anything about my loyalty?"
"Believe me, that's not all they're going to do to make sure that you aren't a spy. But everyone has to pass this first test, just to make sure one is willing to kill for the organisation."
"I see… so, are you going to come with me?"
"Yeah. But I'm only supposed to support you. You have to kill him."
"I understand."
Oh my, I'm so sorry I didn't update for such a long time. I was a little worried, since this thing about the Akatsuki turned out to be so wrong… I know you guys can be very critical and didn't know if it would be a good idea to post this. But I guess it can't be helped, this is essential for the story so it has to stay that way. I also don't remember if this chapter has been seen by my beta-reader yet (sorry, it's been so long…). I didn't want to bother him with something he probably already saw through so I'm gonna post this just as it is cause it looks fine to me. Well… sorry again, everyone.


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"Online courses allow students from around the world to participate in face-to-face interaction with fellow students, as well as industry professional guest speakers, by means of the Internet," said Dana Roun, Director of Audio Programs.
Winter Park, FL (PRWEB) January 22, 2010
Full Sail University (fullsail.edu), is pleased to announce the Music Production Bachelor of Science Online Degree Program. This degree program is specially designed to cater to students who have a variety of relevant knowledge upon entering the degree program, ranging from novice to professional in music technology, musical performance, music theory, and composition.
In the newly developed 32-month program, students will study the history of western music and the life and works of some of its greatest composers and music producers. The materials used are presented by way of podcasts, video interviews, study modules, and guest speakers via live broadcast. A digital portfolio will be created and completed through the duration of the program. The student's digital portfolio and supporting website are launched early in the curriculum so they are able to continually review and update as the student progresses through the program. Students will also participate in mutual assessment sharing as well as developing online marketing and sales skills.
Upon completion, the graduate's skill set will include an understanding of contemporary music hardware and software technology, a thorough knowledge of music marketing and business concepts, a solid grounding in music theory, history, and composition. Additionally, the graduate will enter the job market with an online personal portfolio of professional quality music projects produced during the course of studies.
The Apple Launch Box will include: a 15" MacBook Pro, Logic Studio, Microsoft Office, Sibelius 6, Mbox 2 with ProTools LE, M-Audio KeyRig 25 MIDI Keyboard, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones, and a Shure Microphone Package.
"Online courses allow students from around the world to participate in face-to-face interaction with fellow students, as well as industry professional guest speakers, by means of the Internet," said Dana Roun, Director of Audio Programs. "We here at Full Sail are extremely excited to deliver an innovative style of education to passionate students seeking creative careers in the entertainment industry, and deliver a fresh new approach to learning music production."
About Full Sail University:
Since 1979, Full Sail University, located outside of Orlando, FL, has been an innovative educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. With over 34,000 alumni, graduate credits include work on OSCAR®, Emmy® and GRAMMY®-winning projects, best-selling video games, and the #1 grossing U.S. concert tours. Full Sail's 191-acre campus and online education platform proudly welcomes over 8,000 students from 50 states and 57 countries.
Full Sail currently offers a total of 29 degree programs including: Associate of Science Degrees in Graphic Design and Recording Engineering; Bachelor of Science Degrees offered in: Computer Animation, Digital Arts & Design, Entertainment Business, Film, Game Art, Game Design, Game Development, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Music Business, Music Production, Recording Arts, Show Production, and Web Design & Development; Master of Science Degrees in Education Media Design & Technology, Game Design, Entertainment Business, and Internet Marketing; and Master of Fine Arts Degrees in Creative Writing and Media Design.
Full Sail was most recently named "Best Company" in the 2009 Orlando Business Journal's Reader's Choice Awards, as well as the 2008 "School/College of the Year" by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. The university has also been previously named: The Harvard of Game Schools by Tips & Tricks Magazine; one of the top three New Media Schools by Shift Magazine (alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University); one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs in the world by Electronic Gaming Monthly; one of the Best Music Programs in the country by Rolling Stone Magazine; one of the Best Music Business Departments in the Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide; and one of the Best Film Programs in the country by UNleashed Magazine.
For more information about Full Sail, please visit http://www.fullsail.edu.


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At AMS Vans, we offer low prices on handicap vehicles for sale in Clifton Park, NY and nationwide. We offer customized support to help you find new or used wheelchair vehicles with side or rear entry lowered floor van conversions to meet your needs and budget. Our disability vehicles are ideal for personal or commercial transportation for wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and powerchair users. We will deliver a new or used wheel chair car to Clifton Park and often still save you thousands of dollars compared to other wheel chair car dealerships. So visit us today, and soon you will be exploring the possibilities in Clifton Park, NY.
You will have boundless wheelchair minivan options at AMS Vans, including buying a new or used wheelchair minivan, selling us your wheelchair minivan, trading in your vehicle towards a wheelchair accessible car purchase, converting your minivan for wheelchair accessibility, renting adapted vehicles, and finding adaptive mobility equipment for adapted vehicles.
Planning to buy a wheelchair accessible car in Clifton Park? We can assist you. We sell top brands of handicapped vans online, such as Dodge, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota, with a wide selection of new handicapped vans with new conversions and used handicapped vans with new or used conversions. In addition, we carry used handicap automobiles by AMS, VMI, Braun and other brands with models such as the VMI Northstar, Braun Entervan and many others. Our goal is your absolute satisfaction, so if you don't see the particular accessible van make or model that you're looking for, then contact one of our professional mobility staff today. We will help you locate and find the perfect wheelchair van that meets your budget and mobility needs at a price you can afford.
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Give us a call if you would like to try out one of our wheelchair cars or if you need to rent a handicap van for 2 weeks or longer in Clifton Park. We deliver van rentals to nearly anywhere nationwide, and compared to other wheelchair vehicles for rent, you can often still save money even with the delivery fee. You can pick from side or rear entry wheelchair accessible vans with additional mobility options available.
For the purchase or installation of mobility equipment in Clifton Park, New York such as wheelchair lifts, mobility scooter and powerchair vehicle carriers, transfer seats, or other adaptive equipment in Clifton Park, New York, contact us today. Harmar lifts and many other major brands are offered. If we do not carry the mobility equipment you seek, we can special order it for you to meet your specific disability vehicle needs.
Featured Vans


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IntelliCase is a marriage of protective polycarbonate and a hinged cover.
Fold the flexible cover to the back to make an upright workstand (great for reading and watching slideshows or videos), or lay it down: it creates just the right incline for touching, tapping and typing.
Strategically-placed magnets in the cover activate magnetic sensors to automatically wake and sleep.
IntelliCase's micro-textured surface is easy to grip and pampers your iPad mini, inside and out, in fresh patterns and colors.
- Hard-shell polycarbonate case protects the back of your iPad
- Flexible hinged cover protects your touchscreen
- Cover folds into 2-position (upright or inclined) workstand
- Automatically wakes and sleeps your iPad
- iPad mini
- iPad mini 2
- iPad mini 3


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|Size & Form
Liver PF combines herbs and other nutrients known to support the liver's detoxification functions. It is especially directed toward the Phase 2 enzymes which remove toxins in the liver. Artichoke and milk thistle extracts have been shown to protect liver glutathione levels and to enhance the synthesis and release of bile, an action important for the elimination of toxins from the body. PicroMAx contains the compound kutkin that, like silymarin flavonoids in milk thistle, supports the liver's natural regenerative ability, most likely through a stimulation of protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Pantethine activates alcohol metabolizing enzymes and is a co-factor in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Alpha Lipoic Acid is an important antioxidant in its own right that also help the liver regenerate glutathione. N-accety-L-cysteine (NAC) serves as a precursor to glutathione. Uridine is important in the biosynthesis of DNA and in the preservation and transfer of genetic information.*
Home | Contact Us | Ordering Info | Privacy Policy | 105% Guarantee | Pay It Forward (5% Earned on Every Order) | Customer Referral Program
*Statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Prices are subject to change at anytime and without notice. The majority of the product information has been reprinted from the manufacturer.


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Sun, 15 February 2015
After too long of a break we are back and dive into the difficult task of deciding what are some underrated episodes from The Simpsons absolute peak seasons, 4 through 6. Enjoy! Please take the time to rate, review, tell a friend, and follow us on twitter @Jerkspod.
Direct download: Ep_21_-_Underrated_Episodes_from_Seasons_4-6.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:24pm EDT
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Chapter 3 : One Word Turns into a War
|Rating: 15+
|Chapter Reviews: 4
Background: Font color:
Chapter Image by ahoythere @ TDA
One Word Turns into a War
It was the morning before the first full moon of the cycle. Remus was standing in front of the mirror, attempting to comb down his light brown hair which was sticking up in the back something fierce. His hands were shaking so hard he was to the point of giving up. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to pull himself together. He felt a hand cover his own and slip the comb from between his fingers. �Thank you, Sirius,� he whispered softly before he even opened his opened his eyes to see him.
Sirius smiled and ran the comb through the other boy's hair, doing his best to tame the bed-shaped mess. �You look worse than usual.� If it hadn't been for the sympathetic and kind tone to the boy's voice, he would have sounded cruel. He stared at Remus in the mirror, his eyes worried.
�I haven't been sleeping,� Remus said, lamely.
Sirius' features twisted in confusion. �I haven't heard you in weeks.�
�No.� Remus shook his head and took the comb back from the other boy. �It isn't that. I haven't been able to fall asleep at all.�
�Why don't you get some sleep now? Just skive a- Don't walk away from me.�
At the word skive, Remus had made a break for the door. �You know I can't. If anyone noticed th-�
�Moony,� Sirius pleaded with him. �No one will notice you're gone for one day. James and I can cover for you. We'll say you're skipping for your birthday or we played some prank on you and you're glued to the wall. Come on.� He wrapped his hands around Remus' arm and started pulling the boy towards the bed. �You need some sleep.�
Remus was staring down at the floor. Despite his not wanting to miss class, he was giving serious thought to it. His inner battle was cut short when Alice poked her head into the room.
�Remus, love, are you ready?� Alice walked into the room and ignored the glare she was receiving from Sirius. �Are you okay, you look kinda sick,� she whispered.
�Actually, he isn't feeling -�
�I'm fine,� Remus interrupted with a sharp tone. He took Alice's hand and gave it a little squeeze. �I just slept wrong, I'm fine. Let's go, I'm really hungry.�
Remus couldn't be certain, but he was fairly sure he heard Sirius mutter something involving the words werewolf and bunny as he led Alice out of the bedroom. He shot the other boy a warning look and wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulder to head to the Great Hall.
Remus managed to make it through breakfast and his morning classes without having an incident, but by the time lunch arrived, he was looking dreadful. Halfway through the meal, he had already dropped his sandwich in his lap, twice, and knocked his juice over onto the table.
Alice aided in the clean up and glanced out of the corner of her eyes at Remus. �You feeling alright, love?� she asked quietly. When Remus responded with a weak nod, she pursed her lips and turned towards him. �Remus, what's wrong?� she asked adamantly. �Maybe you should go to the nurse,� she pressed on. She lifted her hand to the boy's forehead and frowned. �You're burning up.�
�I'm fine,� Remus whispered, pulling the girl's hand from his head. �Just drop it, I'm okay.� He leaned over and gave Alice a kiss on the cheek, then lovingly passed his hand through her hair.
�Yes, really.�
Alice gave the boy a weary look, but stopped speaking. She ate in silence, occasionally looking across the table to see James or Sirius throwing worried glances at Remus. She dropped her fork, letting it clang loudly against her plate. �Are you sure? I can walk with you to the wing, it isn't a big deal.�
Remus closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath before shaking his head. �Alice...dear, I'm perfectly fine. Just finish up or we'll be late to our next class.�
�I don't think everything's perfectly fine. Your hands are shaking.� Alice widened her eyes and snapped up the boy's hand, clutching it between her own and holding it against her heart. She stared at the boy with pained eyes and opened her mouth to speak again.
�Don't you know when to back off?� Sirius growled. Pressing his hands hard against the table. He leaned forward and stared at Alice with cold eyes.
�Excuse me?� Alice snapped, staring right back into Sirius' gaze and returning the coldness.
�He said he was fine. Just shut your mouth already,� Sirius snapped, leaning a bit closer over the table.
�Sirius, stop,� Remus whispered. He rubbed at his eyes with the tips of his fingers on his free hand and stared down at the table.
�I'm sorry, but she asked you like...ten times! How many times does a bloke have to answer the same stupid question before she'll shut up?�
Alice dropped Remus' hand and got to her feet. She threw her legs over the bench and stared back down at Sirius. �I don't see how it's any of your business!� she shrieked loudly enough that the surround students stopped their meal and turned to watch the scene.
�Alice, please sit down,� Remus whispered, tugging on the girl's robes.
�No. Not with that jerk still here.� Alice looked down at Remus, her eyes flashing in her anger. She leaned down and put her hands on the table, then bent over it to bring her face close to Sirius'. �I don't know what your problem is,� she hissed, �But I suggest you get over it. Fast.� She stood up and whipped her robes around rather dramatically and stormed out of the Great Hall.
All four boys watched in silence as Alice departed, each of them wearing shocked faces. Sirius was the first to move. He rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head, a loud, half-laughed sigh coming from his throat. �Moony, I'm so-�
�Shut up,� Remus snapped, turning his face to meet Sirius' shocked eyes.
Sirius' face fell in hurt at his friend's harsh tone. �I was trying to a-�
�Damn it, Sirius,� Remus interrupted. �The next time you wanna have a go at my girlfriend, maybe you could have better timing.� He got to his feet and stepped over the bench, his tired eyes still bearing down into Sirius'. �Don't you think I'm dealing with enough right now?� he added, throwing his napkin down onto his unfinished lunch. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath before heading out of the Great Hall to find Alice.
Sirius stared after Remus with his mouth hanging open. After a moment, he turned to James. �I can't believe he just did that. I was say-�
�Shut up, Sirius,� James sighed, his eyes focused on his food.
The offended boy narrowed his eyes at James. He cast a glance over towards Peter, who instantly dropped his gaze onto his own plate. Slowly, Sirius shook his head and dragged his hand back through his hair. He put his elbow on the table and rested his head upon the back of his hand as he looked down at his food. He picked up his fork and poked at the cold lump of chicken sitting on his plate. The dejection from all of the other Marauders ate into him until he stood up and threw his fork down, making a loud enough clatter to start up a chain of whispers around him.
�Sit down,� James ordered dryly without even looking up. �Don't you dare go bother them.�
A low, canine growl built in Sirius' chest and he snapped his teeth threateningly at James. He hadn't intended to go after Remus, but because of the accusation, that was exactly what he decided upon doing. He charged out of the Great Hall and whipped the Marauders' Map out of his pocket. Staring down at the mess of students, he quickly spotted two down a hall to themselves.
After watching the names move closer, Sirius wiped the Map and headed to his bed.
Meanwhile, Remus dashed down the hallway, unsure how Alice was able to get so far from him. He called her name until the girl consented to stop, then pulled her over towards a window to keep out of the middle of the hallway.
�I'm sorry, Remus,� Alice whispered as she stared idly out of the window. �He just made me so mad. I don't know how you can put up with him; he's like a child. He's a complete jerk.�
Remus made a sharp huff and took Alice's hand into his own. �Look, he was bent out of line, I don't argue that, but I can't...I can't let you insult my best mate like that.�
Alice made a sour face and pulled her hand free from Remus'. For a moment, he thought he had angered her until she put her arms around his neck and moved closer to him. �Alright.� She licked her lips and shifted a bit. �I just wish I knew why he was being like that to me.�
�I don't know why,� Remus answered. �I'd tell you if I did, but Sirius....� He trailed off and leaned against the wall, his arms looping around the girl's waist. �Sirius can be complicated, to say the least. I think he has it in his head that you're gonna ditch me; lead me on and ditch me.�
Alice looked up into Remus' eyes and faltered. �That isn't true though! I wouldn't do that. I love you,� she argued. When a flinch was visible on Remus' face, she slid her arms down from around his neck and rested her hands on his chest. �Sorry, I know that you aren't ready for that. I'm not asking you to say it back, but you can't stop me from telling you how I feel.�
Remus nodded and put his forehead against Alice's. �I know,� he whispered before pulling her into a soft kiss.
Remus walked into the bedroom and dropped his bag down onto the floor next to his bed. He sat down heavily on the edge of Sirius' bed and looked down at him with disappointment in his eyes. Sirius folded his arms over his chest and rolled over to his side, a childish snort coming from his nose.
�You missed class,� Remus said with a matter-of-fact tone.
�You missed tea.�
Remus rolled his eyes and fished a scrap of parchment from his robe pocket. He dropped it onto Sirius' head and got up from the bed. Sirius rolled over and picked up the parchment as he sat up on the bed. �What's this?� he asked, unfolding it.
�The notes for the classes you missed. You're welcome,� Remus answered with an unamused tone as he headed for the door.
�Moony, wait.� Sirius dropped the parchment and hurried to intercept the boy from leaving. He put his hands on Remus' shoulders and looked up at his face. �I'm really so-�
�Don't.� Remus pulled out of Sirius' hands and took a step backwards. �Don't apologize, okay? If you're really sorry, then you'll...you'll figure out whatever it is that you hate so much about Alice and...get over it.�
�I don't know what it is!� Sirius growled. He put his hands in his hair and tugged at it in frustration. �She just makes me so mad.�
�Could it be that you're jealous?� Remus asked simply. The confused look on the other boy's face brought a sigh from Remus. �I know you get a lot of girls, Sirius, but you snog them a few hours then you're done. They're gone. Maybe you're just jealous that someone wants me for more than just my lips.� He braced himself for Sirius' laughter, but it never came. The two stood in silence for a while before Remus forced himself to break it. �I have to get some dinner and get to the Hospital Wing. Moon comes up early tonight. Are you coming?�
�Of course!� Sirius was obviously wounded from the question.
Remus merely nodded and stepped around Sirius. He met Alice in the common room and gave her a quick excuse about Prefect duties before he took off into the hallway. Sirius watched as the two shared a quick kiss and was taken aback when Alice's eyes jumped to him. The girl put her hands on her hips and stared up at Sirius with the coldest eyes he had ever seen. Sirius just glared right back.
A Note From the Author: Hey! I hope that everyone is enjoying so far. Don't be afraid to leave me a few thoughts. Thanks for reading!! --Jenna
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Chris and Matt go to the Palladium to sit down with Cake's John McCrea! They talk the politics of being a musician, how Cake came to be and being on the road. Make sure to listen until the end for a couple songs from the sound check.
Nerdist Podcast: Cake
Haze of Love is one of my fave songs by Cake. Fashion Nugget is a choice album and will forever remind me of my senior year of high school.
God I love John so much. Cake's been my favorite band for a while. I would watch the SHIT out of a CAKE animated series!
Long time listener, first time commenter. I usually love the show but this episode hit some of my button issues and it took me three sittings to get through it all.
It's always disappointing to hear musicians spout the RIAAs misinformation. His viewpoint is perfectly valid because it's his viewpoint but the impartial evidence does not support him (though he does seem to fall into the unfortunate segment of the music industry that is least well served by the old music industry and takes least advantage of the new music industry so things are probably worse for him than for most). Check out the infographic here http://www.techdirt.com/skyisrising/ and the full report if you're interested in the evidence.
Related to his specific "17%" figure I couldn't find the data to support or refute it from the information I could access. I did find that the difference in occupational employment of musicians and singers between May 2005 (http://www.bls.gov/oes/2005/may/oes272042.htm#nat) and May 2009 (http://www.bls.gov/oes/2009/may/oes272042.htm#nat) was a drop of only 3,150 jobs. This despite having been in recession since December 2007 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late-2000s_recession and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_late_2000s_recession#December). How many other industries faired so well?
The years are based on the data accessed via this page http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_arch.htm where May 2009 is the most recent year available and May 2005 is the first year that the data is presented in a way that can be compared in this way (earlier years did not track musicians and singers as a separate value as far as I could see).
Regarding his complaint that iTunes takes 30%, bricks and mortar retailers used to take 40% (based on figures via TuneCore http://blog.tunecore.com/2010/10/music-purchases-and-net-revenue-for-artists-are-up-gross-revenue-for-labels-is-down.html). i don't see why the digital retailer taking 10% less than the high street retailer is a bad thing for him…?
On evolution (no confrontational tone is intended). It's both a fact and a scientific theory. Nich Hustler, here's an experiment that has 14 years of data on evolutionary processes across over 50,000 generations of e. coli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._coli_long-term_evolution_experiment (or http://myxo.css.msu.edu/ecoli/ directly). You can see evolution for yourself if you set up an experiment. The only reason you 'can't' in 'macro' evolution is timescale (try breeding 50,000 generations of human beings in a lab environment and see how long it takes you) and ethical concerns but the evidence is all around you. Just look at the history of dog breeds for one. Oh, and there is no 'missing link' by the way, that is a reference to a pre-evolutionary theory of life called the Great Chain Of Being (from the 3rd century AD IIRC). It has nothing to do with Evolution.
What an enjoyable podcast. Growing up in Sacramento and having gone to high school with a few of the guys, I avoided them as a band so as not to seem like a groupy. I did come to enjoy them as I got older. John's comments about the Sacramento music scene are spot-on. It's always gone through periods of being pretty good and really shitty. Chris, thanks for your comments about the City of Oakland. I've lived in SF and the East Bay, and Oakland has a lot of great qualities, especially the people.
Never mind, I figured it out. Haze of Love and Bound Away.
What is the first song played? I figured out the second. I am a new Cake fan.
I guess American also could mean Canada and Mexico and all South American countries. Sorry other countries.
Rush is his "Big Dumb American Rock" goto? Has he listened to Rush? Subdivisions is amazing!
Also they are Canadian.
@Chris C One of the first times I saw Cake was in 2004 in boston, I remember John was so angry at half of the crowd for not being loud enough, he faced the other side of the crowd the entire time… I dont think he came off as a diva, it was more comedic and entertaining.
He has strong convictions, also… if it was in 2005, they were promoting Pressure Chief, which has a single entitled, "Carbon Monoxide"… it would have been pretty hypocritical of him if he didnt address it…
I very much enjoyed this podcast. CAKE is awesome, and John is a enjoyable to hear in my ears.
The comment about Rush made me sad though…
Hey guys, love this podcast. Love it when I don't even know the guests. You and your team are amazing.
Just to say the whole thing with Darwinism (and I am not about to start hating on you guys). I am not necessarily someone who believes evolution isn't real or anything. I suppose I don't really care that much. But my thing is, science must be observable (at least as I understand it) and that particular kind of macro evolution isn't. I'd be open to seeing it happen. But the thing is as far as I know and I stopped caring 5 years ago, significant evidence for the suspiciously missing links is very lacking. Like people say oh there are these part monkey people, but then you go look up the percentage of the bones found for that one body is really low and open to reinterpretation on the rebuild. Or where is the half whale half dog body etc.
I used to be a bit of a fundamentalist and a creationist. And while I am not any more, there were still a lot of valid questions posed by the material I had looked at. And scouring the internet didn't find great answers.
I often think of scientists a lot like doctors. They make some really big educated guesses sometimes (not all the time), you know that moment when doctors tell you take these pills, but if this happens try this pill instead. I'm thinking this guy is making the same kind of guesses I do about IT problems all the time. Superfreakanomics gave good input on this kind of thing.
Blah, anyway I don't care. But I am just saying there are other perspectives outside of just rejecting the idea because I lack intellect.
Enjoyed John's thoughts on the music industry. Never been to any of those pirate sites but it doesn't surprise me they would make money off of the music they give away for free. Then they portray all musicians as they have money to burn. The world is not a better place with 17% less musicians.
Great episode guys! Jon McCrea is such smart, funny man. Keep up the Musician interviews. These guys have earned their food.
I remember when Cake came to Chicago for a show and their lead singer was a total diva bitch. He complained that there was some "diesel exhaust smell" while he was on stage, stopped in the middle of the set and refused to start playing again until it was gone. Needless to say, the audience was pissed.
First time commenter, Long time follower. First, Chris you were my favorite piece and only reason I watched Singled-Out! For awhile it was worth screaming Jenny McCarthy to hear your snark and watch stupid people not understand; unfortunately her huge mouth (no offense) just became too much. The other inspiration for this "little"note is to thank you for your most recent podcast. The clouds parted, the sun shined, and angels sang when I saw you were talking to Cake. I too was introduced to them through Fashion Nugget and I instantly fell in love. While I was from the grunge school I was also in 9th grade and looking for something to connect to. I love everything about Cake. To this day I sing random lyrics as I walk and drive around (I now listen to NPR or myself in the car). Every now and again they surface and I get a jolt to the heart that keeps me hopeful that all is not lost in the music world. Thank you for what you do Nerdist and Cake.
The palladium as in the worcester palladium?
I can't wait to listen to the podcast. I love CAKE, saw them live back in 2005 they were AMAZING.
Yeah for John McCrea and Cake!
I worked with John back in stone-age, pre-Cake, UCLA days at Audio Visual Services (which was only 1/2 as geeky as it sounds). His view of music at the time was exactly what he said in the podcast regarding his future formation of Cake.
He was super smart; always making me think and challenging my assumptions as a young naive college student, and he probably had no idea.
Good to hear he's still as sharp as ever, still making me think, and always been happy he did what he wanted and went out and just started making enjoyable music (mostly) his way.
His perspectives on art and the business of art are dead on and should give all artist a lot to think about.
Fun podcast.
Before I listen to the rest of the show I gotta say this. I don't know if she needs to know this but Katie's been super awesome for the Podcast Producing stuff at Nerdist Industries. She's been the best on Todd Glass Show and the little bits of her popping up sometimes on You Made It Weird, just adds something nice there. I'm sure she does more (tonnes more) in the background where we don't hear her. Awesome work Katie if you somehow stumble to this. Cheers.
What a great episode! The themes brought up were completely unexpected.
cake, wilco, ben folds… Nerdist, you have some great taste in music.
Great podcast, nothing like listening to some cake on a friday
Ive never been a huge cake fan, but I LOVE the music themed podcasts (being a musician myself). John had some great things to say. Its amazing hearing about what other artists think about how crazy the industry is now.
Man, I love listening to Chris' mellifluous voice in the intro. Makes me wanna buy everything he talks about…
The cake is NOT a lie! And neither is The Nerdist Video Game! http://tinyvikinggames.weebly.com/games.html
Ooh, this is exciting! Two of my favorite things in one wonderful hour! Thanks!


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July 13, 2008
The Oldest Gang in Town
By WORDS BY DAVID BENEDICT
This month, 'West Side Story' returns to the London stage in a form unchanged since 1957. Time for a 21st-century makeover? Certainly not, says its original lyricist, Stephen Sondheim...Two woodwind players sneak in fast with an insistent cross rhythm, expectation shimmers on the air... "Could it be? Yes it could/ Something's coming, some-thing good/If I can wait!/ Something's coming, I don't know what it is/But it is/Gonna be great!"
That's not just Tony's opening number from West Side Story, it's as good a description as you'll find of the entire genre-busting show, the now legendary musical transplant of Romeo and Juliet to gangland Manhattan. And although its latest production doesn't open in London until 22 July, there's one incontrovertible reason why the musical-theatre industry expects it to match that expectation: it's not really new at all. This is less of a production, more a reproduction.
Trevor Nunn and John Caird's Les Miserables may be the same across 38 countries and in 21 languages, but that's because it's still the original production, which has never closed. Revivals are a different matter. Whether you're directing The Taming of the Shrew or Kiss Me Kate, the job is all about presenting the work afresh. But not with West Side Story.
You don't have to imagine what Broadway critics saw - and largely raved about - on its original 26 September 1957 opening night, because an exact facsimile of that is all the lawyers will allow. Not for nothing is this billed as "The 50th Anniversary Production". This is a masterpiece and no one's messing with it.
Back then, its creative quartet boasted two headline names: director/choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein. The "book" (adaptation, structure and dialogue) was by screenwriter and playwright Arthur Laurents and the lyrics were by a 25-year-old making his Broadway debut.
That 25-year-old, Stephen Sondheim, is now regarded as musical- theatre's greatest iconoclast, who regularly gives the nod to intelligent rethinks of musicals he has written on the grounds that while a director must do what Sondheim wrote, how he or she chooses to do it is up to them. He recently applauded a version of Sunday in the Park with George in London that completely reimagined the show via video projection, and went on to win five Olivier awards. So it's something of a surprise to discover that he is unperturbed by the stringent demands of the Robbins estate. Isn't their policing of the piece in danger of creating museum theatre?
"In that context, 'museum' is a pejorative term," he counters. "Yes, West Side Story is a preserved object that's locked into place. But you could just as easily call it a classic."
This show, he argues, is not like other musicals that stand or fall by their score and book. It's closer to a ballet where every step, moment and movement is precisely notated so that it can be endlessly recreated.
"Choreographed movement is central to its storytelling and structure. Although much of the dance music was technically written by Jerry's assistant Betty Walberg, Jerry's choreography is still so apt because he worked so closely with Lenny [Bernstein], just as they had done on their ballet Fancy Free. Whether another choreographer could match that level of inspiration, I don't know."
Sondheim isn't using 20/20 hindsight to be overly generous. Robbins was, to a great extent, the show's prime mover. It began life in a discussion at his home where he persuaded Bernstein and Laurents to create a contemporary Romeo and Juliet set on the Lower East Side during Easter/Passover with a Catholic Romeo and a Jewish Juliet. Laurents began a scenario for East Side Story but with everybody's diverse commitments, the project foundered. Six years later, poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel, when Bernstein was in town to conduct at the Hollywood Bowl, he and Laurents clocked newspaper headlines about teenage Latino gangs and the idea swung into focus.
Anyone watching the musical they made, or the 10-Oscar-winning film, cannot fail to spot that it's driven by dance. At considerable cost to his producers, Robbins demanded double the rehearsal time - eight weeks instead of four - so that he could also choreograph it. And he made damn sure everyone knew it: ever since the initial tryout in Washington, all publicity for the show has to bear the legend, "Based on a Conception of JEROME ROBBINS." The writers' names follow, also in capitals, but beneath them in a separate box comes the killer: "Entire Original Production Directed and Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS."
That's less surprising when you know that by this time Robbins not only had a string of Broadway hits to his name, but was also one of America's leading ballet choreographers. Though he died a decade ago, the controllers of his estate stick zealously to his will, and reinterpreting his choreography for contemporary audiences remains forbidden.
Until recently, that stipulation stretched to design. Stage design dates as fast as any other kind and, 10 years ago, when the show last toured the UK, Oliver Smith's original sets seemed not so much revived as exhumed. Painted backdrops may have looked beautiful in 1957 but theatregoers are now used to a different aesthetic. And so the estate has relented: the current revival has new sets - lots of scaffolding - costumes and lighting.
Part of Sondheim's antipathy to tampering with the original may stem from his reaction to the film. Robbins wound up with an Oscar for his efforts but he had been sacked less than halfway through the shoot so much of his vision never reached the screen.
Sondheim is clear-eyed about it. "Theatre is about the audience's imagination, movies are not. They could not find a way of translating stage language to film language. I found it all too pretty, with self-conscious scenes of candy-colour-co-ordinated washing and sneakers. Having the gang dance down the street isn't frightening, it's fun. One of my favourite stage images is what Jerry called 'the leapfrog'. Seeing three actual bodies, 450 pounds of beef, leap over people on stage feels menacing. On the screen it just looks like leapfrog."
Sondheim is currently reworking the show for yet another "revival" for Broadway's 2008/09 season directed by Laurents, who is soon to turn 90. With the exception of Maria, firebrand Anita and possibly her brother Bernardo, the Puerto Rican gang of Sharks will now speak only Spanish. "I'm not sure yet how we will work out the lyrics, and how or why they will sing in English, but we're already casting." Robbins's physicality, however, will remain untouched.
The rights holders are evidently of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school. But if they're not careful, West Side Story will ossify. Isn't it time the keepers of the Robbins flame had the courage to let dynamo director/choreographers such as Rob Ashford, Matthew Bourne or Susan Stroman take this masterpiece out of the museum and into the 21st century?
'West Side Story' is at Sadler's Wells, London EC1, from 22 July until 31 August. (www.sadlerswells.com), then touring (www.westsidestorytheshow.co.uk)
(c) 2008 Independent on Sunday, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.


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