text:
Bananagrams is a fast and fun word game that requires no pencil, paper or board. All you need is a table. One hand can be played in as little as five minutes. It is great for family fun as well as being educational. Bananagrams' portability makes it perfect for travel. Just grab the pouch and go.il
Brand: Moose
Type: Travel Toys
Age Group: 5+
Item condition: New
Availability: Click & Collect, Buy online
Store info
Please call/message for delivery costs.
Trover Learning is a family business operating for over 16 years, focusing on educational toys. Our hands-on approach to learning is reflected by the huge range of toys and resources on offer including games, books, puzzles, costumes, wooden toys, outdoor equipment, Language, Science and Maths resources, construction toys and much, much more.
Shipping policy
Trover Learning
All transactions are processed in AUD.
Products are delivered Australia wide using Australia Post (Registered Post). Shipping costs are influenced by the size and weight of the product and your location, exact shipping costs are calculated in the shopping cart and will be added to the order total before checkout.
Orders are dispatched within 2 business days and shipping times are estimated at between 3-10 business days depending on your location within Australia. Please be aware deliveries outside of metropolitan areas may take longer. This service will require your signature when the parcel is delivered. If you are not available at time of delivery, a card will be left for you to collect your parcel from the nearest Post Office.
Exchange, Returns, and Refunds Policy
Please choose carefully before you buy.
For faulty products, Trover Learning offers a 14 DAY REPLACEMENT WARRANTY, from the date you receive your product. They do not offer a satisfaction guarantee on any of their products, however due to their high level of customer service, they will always endeavour to keep customers happy and satisfied.
If your product is faulty, it will be replaced with an identical product. If they cannot replace the product, they will offer you the option of choosing another product of the same value, or provide you with a refund for the total value of the faulty product.
Please note: Standard postage fees apply to all return orders. Where the return relates to a faulty item, the replacement product will be sent out to you, at no charge, within 5 working days from the date we receive the faulty product.
When returning your product, please make sure you provide the following details:
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Please include the original order confirmation or invoice you received with your product. Also, if you haven't previously provided a contact phone number, please include this with your return. This will ensure the issue is resolved quickly, should anyone need to contact you.


text:
Greenpeace activists aboard inflatables hold banners reading: "Get Out Of The Arctic, Save The Arctic & #FreeTheArctic30"; and follow the 'Esimit Europa 2' as it nears the finish of the Barcolana Regatta in Trieste, to protest against the competition's main sponsor Gazprom. Greenpeace demands that Russian state-owned company Gazprom cease their high-risk oil exploration in the Arctic. The protesters also repeated demands for the release of the 28 Greenpeace International activists, as well as a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer, currently on remand, charged by the Russian authorities with piracy punishable for up to 15 years in prison. Greenpeace insists the charge is not valid under international law. 2013-10-13
© Lorenzo Moscia / Greenpeace
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subset: commoncrawl


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Okay, so you (or a family member or a friend) have MS and it will, in all medical likelihood, get worse. How does one live with that hanging over them 24/7?
Funny you should ask.
The biggest obstacle for many of us to mentally hurdle is the fear of what's next? What's next on the list to be taken away? I know of people who have a tough time sleeping because their onset symptoms came upon waking in the morning. They don't want to wake up with something else, so they don't sleep.
That may be one extreme of the issue, but there are many colors to this spectrum.
Tomorrow night, I'll chat about this very topic with two specialists in the field of MS Rehabilitation on the HealthTalk MS webcast. How can we prepare physically and mentally for the next curve ball MS tosses us? How do we simply acknowledge the fear of living with MS without being paralyzed by it?
These and more questions (mine and yours) will be discussed and answered in this hour-long webcast, Coping with Fear of MS Relapse.
Many of us think we're handling our MS fears when we're really shutting them off and just not dealing with them. Our discussion will range from understanding how the brain processes these thoughts/fears to how we can physically bolster ourselves for whatever is out there for us. We've already received some really good questions for this webcast; keep them coming!
Many of you have figured out that you can download our podcasts of these webcasts almost as easily as listening live (and it's much easier when it comes to scheduling). If you want to listen that way but still have some burning questions to ask, try posting them as a comment on this blog. That way, the MS community can take a stab at answering your question.
I propose you sign up right now (did I mention I'm the host?) It's good for what ails us!
Wishing you and your family the best of health.


text:
It is still way too early to see the full list of games that will be featured at the upcoming Houston Arcade Expo set to take place October 8-9, but there are already several games of note listed to be there. One of them caused a huge public uproar when it was released back in 1976, becoming the first socially controversial video game and thus cementing its place in early arcade history. I'd seen pictures of this game before but this year I finally get to check it out in person - Death Race.
First, let me tell you about Death Race's father. In 1975, Exidy created the game "Destruction Derby". In Destruction Derby you drive a car around the screen chasing drone cars and crashing into them to disable them.
Exidy licensed the game to the Chicago Coin Machine Company who had been a major player in the coin-op gaming industry since the 30's, but was running into financial troubles in the 70's. Chicago Coin released the game as "Demolition Derby" and not only sold fewer games than expected but, according to Pete Kauffman, founder of Exidy Games, refused to pay Exidy the required royalties. As a result, Exidy pulled Destruction Derby and made some modifications so they could re-release it as a new game to compete with Demolition Derby (their own game!). They changed the drone cars to stick figures, animated them to show them running while they moved around, and changed the crashed drones into cross grave markers. Reportedly the working title of the new game was "Pedestrian", but it was released in January 1976 under the name "Death Race". (The following year Chicago Coin sold all its assets to Stern Electronics.)
The commonly accepted story is that Death Race was based on the cult-classic movie Death Race 2000 that was released the year before.
Check out the movie trailer below:
The only problem with that theory is that Death Race was basically just a reskinned version of Destruction Derby which was already around when the movie was released - so it probably isnt exactly true. However, based on the title, the modifications made to the gameplay, and the timing of its release, it seems likely that the game reboot was at least inspired by the movie.
In the game Death Race you (and another player if there is one) use a steering wheel, gas pedal, and gear shift to maneuver a car around a single screen trying to run over "gremlins" (pedestrians). Once you run over a gremlin they shriek and then turn into a grave marker which blocks your path if you run into it. So eventually the graves of all your hapless victims become significant obstacles to your navigation of the screen. You have up to 99 seconds to run over and kill as many gremlins as possible. The following ratings are then assigned to you depending on how many kills you get:
1-3: Skeleton Chaser
4-10: Bone Cracker
11-20: Gremlin Hunter
21 or over: Expert Driver
If you're prepared to witness the unprecedented horror that is Death Race then steady yourself and check out the gameplay below: (Updated 11/28/2010 - Death Race was a no-show at the HAAG Arcade Expo, but I did finally get to play it at Funspot in New Hampshire since I first posted this so I replaced the original video I used here with my own):
According to Exidy, the pedestrians you pursued in the game were monsters (gremlins), not people, but that convenient distinction made little difference to the non-gaming public who were horrified at the gruesome brutality of the game.
Word of this horrific game started to spread. It was vilified in magazines such as the National Enquirer, Newsweek, and Midnight. As a result of all the negative press many arcade owners chose to simply avoid the game altogether and early sales suffered.
The National Safety Council called the game "sick and morbid". The story then spread to television. News stations were receiving complaints from parents that were worried about the evil influence the game was having on their children. For Christ's sake man! These are our kids we're talking about! The increasing notoriety of the game actually began to have the opposite effect and Exidy sales increased.
Even some people at other gaming companies were offended - such as Atari's Nolan Bushnell:
"We were really unhappy with that game [Death Race]. We had an internal rule that we wouldn't allow violence against people. You could blow up a tank or you could blow up a flying saucer, but you couldn't blow up people. We felt that that was not good form, and we adhered to that all during my tenure."
- Nolan Bushnell
Coverage spilled over onto the Weekend, Today, and Tonight shows on NBC. The controversy eventually culminated in a piece on 60 Minutes that investigated the psychological impact of video games. Anti-Death Race demonstations were held and there were reportedly even cases where protestors pulled the machines out of the arcades and set them on fire (although I'm still looking for documentation of that).
Ultimately, the increased attention to Death Race not only helped Exidy sell more games, but also seemed to help arcade sales in general. In fact, some have attributed the controversy surrounding Death Race with sparking renewed interest in the fledgling arcade industry that had been struggling. Any publicity is good publicity!
In 1987, Death Race gave birth to a son by the same name - Death Race for the NES:
In 1997, Death Race for the NES was attending a gaming conference in Vice City when he accidentally impregnated a prostitute named Playstation. Their bastard son was named Grand Theft Auto. Look how much litte GTA looks like his daddy:
Their 3D cousin Carmegeddon was also born that same year. A lot of folks say he looks more like his movie grandpa Death Race 2000 than his game grandpa Death Race, but they all still sit at the same dinner table at Thanksgiving:
And the family tree just continues to grow. So what am I saying here? Yes, I'm saying it. Grand Theft Auto IV = Death Race = Destruction Derby. So get over yourself RockStar!
Death Race has made cameo appearances in the movies Jaws 2 (1978) and Midnight Madness (1980).
The guys over at Rogue Synapse created a shareware version of the original Death Race that you can download and check out here: http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/death_race.php.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Death Race – The First Video Game Controversy
It is still way too early to see the full list of games that will be featured at the upcoming Houston Arcade Expo set to take place October 8-9, but there are already several games of note listed to be there. One of them caused a huge public uproar when it was released back in 1976, becoming the first socially controversial video game and thus cementing its place in early arcade history. I'd seen pictures of this game before but this year I finally get to check it out in person - Death Race.
Posted by MadPlanet at 8:47 PM 12 comments Links to this post
Labels: Arcade, Carmegeddon, Death Race, Grand Theft Auto
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Classic Handheld Gaming
Earlier today I was playing Pinball Hall of Fame on the Sony PSP. While I was impressed with the game's graphics and physics, it got me thinking back to a simpler era of handheld gaming. Let's go back to the late 1970s when all you needed to make a compelling handheld game was a series of red blips on the screen. Of course, I'm referring to Mattel's Football, Basketball and Baseball games.
I got football as a Christmas present while my brother got basketball. I added baseball a little while after that. I'm guessing that virtually every boy between the ages of 8-12 in the late 70s owned at least one of these three games. I can promise you that the hours I put into football alone far eclipses all of the time I've ever put into the PSP.
A few years ago Mattel re-released these games. My wife bought me the football game as a Christmas gift, making it the only non-clothing gift I've ever received for Christmas twice.
Posted by Fallguy40 at 9:42 PM 4 comments Links to this post
How Far Are You Prepared to Go?
One of the more intriguing game titles for me this year is Heavy Rain by Quantic Dream. The game released earlier this year to strong reviews, but it's so different from anything I've played before that I hesitated buying it. I finally took a leap of faith and got it last week. It was worth every penny.
Heavy Rain is not a traditional game. It's more of an interactive movie. You don't have standard control of the main characters as much as you choose their actions. The story follows the case of the Origami Killer who has kidnapped his latest child victim, Shaun Mars. You have approximately four days to find Shaun before the child is drowned.
The story is told through four main characters:
Ethan Mars: father of the kidnapped boy Shaun. Ethan's once perfect world has fallen apart and he will do anything to save his son.
Scott Shelby: private detective who has been hired by parents of past victims of the Origami Killer. He is conducting his own investigation to bring the killer to justice.
Norman Jayden: FBI serial killer profiler brought in to help the local police to track the killer. Armed with some high tech gadgetry, Norman must overcome his police partner who resents Norman's presence and his own drug addition.
Madison Paige: Madison is a journalist with designs on writing a book on the killings. In the process she gets close to Ethan and joins the race against time to save Shaun.
A lot of the action takes place in quick time events like you see in God of War, but unlike that game, there is no restart. The story keeps going. Each of the main four characters can die which alters the way the rest of the game plays out.
The story starts slowly as you get to know Ethan and his family and learn the dynamics of the game. Stick with the story though. About an hour in you will be riveted and if you can stay up all night (I can't) you might just play it straight through to the conclusion.
This game will really test you. Frequently you will be faced with hard choices. You will then find yourself doubting your decision as you move forward. I tried to play the game from the perspective of what would I do if faced with that choice. It's tough.
What really blew me away is the all of the possible endings. After I finished my playthrough, I went online and read about the endings that other people had and it was stunning how different their experiences were. I have read that there are as many as 22 possible outcomes which provides the game replay value.
Kudos to Quantic Dream for providing the most unique gaming experience that I've had in a long time.
Posted by Fallguy40 at 3:29 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Real Excitebike
Fallguy40 has been talking a lot about Exctitebike recently in the wildly popular forum (membership is limited so join now!) and I just happened to stumble across these pics (via Kotaku) of a real-world pixelated bike from Excitebike that some guy built - so I figured it was worth a quick-hit post. He posted a number of other pics showing off his project on the online magazine Vision02 that you can check out here. He also fabricated the helmet and gear of the little rider dude too.
Posted by MadPlanet at 9:57 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Excitebike
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Walburg Restaurant (and Arcade) in Walburg, Texas
I recently celebrated my birthday by hanging out in the hill country for a few days and going tubing on the Comal River. As a prelude to those activities we started things off with a side trip to a tiny town just north of Austin called Walburg to check out a place I recently discovered online that had just been screaming out to me for a visit - the Walburg Restaurant.
The Walburg Restaurant reportedly offered several things that are right up my alley - good German food, a wide variety of German beers, and an arcade on the property (what!?). And we were more or less in the area so I HAD to go check it out.
First, the beer - they list about 20 German beers on the beer menu on their website, but I'm pretty sure they had quite a few more choices than that - just don't ask me to name them because I had never heard of most of them and the only German I speak is Prost! (learned that one from Beerfest) and Jawohl, herr kommandant! and mach schnell! (got those off Hogan's Heroes. So many exclamation marks - do Germans really yell that much?). So anyway, good beer = check.
Next, the food. They have a menu, but we went on Friday night and they had the buffet rockin' so we went that route. It was a mixture of German and America food with stuff like schnitzel, bratwurst, and sauerbraten alongside fried catfish, shrimp, and brisket. Mrs. MP thought it was awesome, and although I was a little more tempered in my rating I still thought everything was very good except for the potato soup which I wasn't too crazy about. So German food = check.
And lastly, the tie-in to this blog (maybe this part shoulda been first), the Arcade. When is the last time you saw any arcade games in the wild? It's pretty rare man!
The arcade was in an old shack out by the biergarten and there were a couple dozen arcade games along with a foozball table and an air hockey table. I heard there were pins too but I didn't see any - hopefully I didn't miss an entire section somewhere!
Here is a quick rundown of the games I saw:
S.T.U.N. Runner (never seen this one before)
Marble Madness (in a Beat the Champ cabinet? but worked great!)
California Speed
Hydro Thunder
Crazy Taxi
Deer Hunting USA
World Class Bowling Deluxe
Sonic Championship (new one to me)
39-in-1 Multicade (2 of these)
Area 51 / Maximum Force (P2 gun didn't work)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (P1 joystick was shaky)
Williams Multicade (with Robotron, Defender, Stargate, Joust, Sinistar, Bubbles, Splat)
Trophy Hunting Bear and Moose
Crisis Zone
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Dynamite Cop (I hate this game)
Daytona USA (2 of them connected to each other)
Terminator 2 Judgment Day (P2 Gun didn't work, but P1 gun worked fine)
Nicktoons Racing (Monitor said "no-signal")
Off Road Challenge
Dolphin Blue (never heard of this odd 2003 shooter but I liked it!)
Rampage World Tour
Ms. Pac-Man (Turbo)
L.A. Machine Guns
Pole Position (Classic cockpit version - but not working! argggh!!)
I was hoping for a few more games and a few of them had some mechanical issues that needed a little attention, but overall I enjoyed it. Hey, the arcade gets major points just for existing at all! And the selection of games was okay - although I would have liked to see a few more of the older ones from the 80's, and a few more from a genre other than drivers and shooters. You could play a number of older titles - it's just that you would be playing them on a multicade instead of the real thing which is a little anticlimactic but still pretty cool. Mrs. MP played the hell outta Frogger on the Multicade.
The Arcade is only open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00 PM-Midnight, so if you want to play be sure to be out there in that timeframe. Otherwise you can still go in and look at them but they will all be powered down. Also, the Arcade crowd is mostly kids until it starts pushing 10:00 PM or so, but they are very small so they shove out of the way real easy (just kidding people!). They also have a biergarten and live music performed by the local group the Walburg Boys - but I was too busy in the arcade to go check them out so I can't say anything about them one way or the other.
So would I go back? Well, I don't know if I would make another special trip out of the way like that, but if I was already going to be in the Austin area then yeah, I would definitely go back. So check it out if you're in the area. The official address (if you are going by GPS) is in Georgetown, but if you're looking at a map they are in Walburg.
The Walburg Restaurant
Georgetown, Texas
Posted by MadPlanet at 5:34 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Labels: Arcade, Texas, Walburg Restaurant
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Well this is a real early heads-up on this game since it won't be out until Fall of 2011, but they just announced on the Playstation.blog that Insomniac just unveiled a new Ratchet & Clank title for the PS3 at the Gamescom event currently going on in Cologne, Germany - and it looks like fun.
The game is entitled Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and offers an online coop adventure for up to 4 players. You can play as either Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, or Dr. Nefarious.
I've been a fan of Ratchet & Clank since I played Going Commando for the PS2. I actually bought that game for my nephew a few years back for Christmas but he had already received it from someone else so I ended up playing it myself and surprise surprise I really liked it.
If you've never played a Ratchet & Clank game you really should give this popular franchise a try. This is the first time the series has offered coop play like this and if I can convince 2 or 3 of you to get it too I'm all over it. Check out the trailer.
Posted by MadPlanet at 2:27 PM 11 comments Links to this post
Labels: PS3, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, Video
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Arcade Flyer Archive
Posted by MadPlanet at 8:10 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: Links, The Arcade Flyer Archive
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Pac-Man Battle Royale
Next month Namco will be releasing the first new coin-op Pac-Man game in decades. It is a cocktail table style with the capability of 4-player simultaneous competitive play and looks pretty fun so hopefully I'll see one around somewhere. Here is what Namco had to say on their webpage about the game and its impact at the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas back in March.
"'Pac-Man Battle Royale' is a four player game where 'Pac-Men' battle it out by trying to devour each other with the last one standing winning each round. The simple, addicting, winner-take-all game play had show goers coming back to the booth all 3 days. The cabinet, specifically designed with the USA bar locations in mind, allows players to party while they play. Talking, laughing, and eating each other! The party atmosphere around Pac-Man Battle Royale was contagious as it spread all throughout Namco's booth. Show attendees were spotted wearing their Pac-Man Mardi Gras beads not only on the show floor but all over the Las Vegas strip after the shows closed at night."
Check out this video of the gameplay - looks like it would be fun with a couple of friends and a couple of beers. I'd play it!
Posted by MadPlanet at 11:42 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Arcade, Pac-Man Battle Royale, Video
Monday, August 9, 2010
International Video Game Hall of Fame
Over the weekend a Dallas legend was inducted into the Hall of Fame. No, not that blubbering Emmit Smith (sorry, I was an Oilers fan back in the day) - I'm talking about Ben Gold the 43 year-old who was a founding member of the US National Video Game Team and set the high score records on Stargate, Millipede, and Q-Bert as a teenager almost 3 decades ago.
Ben and a slew of his industry-legend cohorts were inducted to the International Video Game Hall of Fame in Ottumwa, Iowa - famous (to arcade history buffs anyway) home to the Twin Galaxies Arcade. There is no actual "HALL" for this Hall of Fame yet, but plans are in the works so someday a road trip to Ottumwa will be in order for me. So for now there is a website and some celebratory events this last weekend to honor the inductees.
For an interesting take on the event check out the blog that Ben Gold wrote for the Dallas Observer. He posted 3 of them covering the multi-day event.
Here is the full list of Inductees:
Eric Akeson, Turbo Pac-Man Champion
Kevin Bachus, X-Box Design Team
Ralph Baer, Historic Industry Pioneer
Rob Barrett, Tutankham Champion
Otto Berkes, X-Box Design Team
Seamus Blackley, X-Box Design Team
Nolan Bushnell, Historic Industry Pioneer
Brian Cady, Tempest Champion
Paul Dean, Spy Hunter Champion
Ben Falls, Moon Patrol Champion
Dennis "Thresh" Fong, Legendary PC Gaming Champion
Ben Gold, Legendary Arcade Champion
Ike Hall, Past Donkey Kong World Champion
Ted Hase, X-Box Design Team
Ken House, Dig Dug Champion
Andrew Laidlaw, Galaga Champion
Chris Mansfield, Kicker Champion
John McAllister, Asteroids Deluxe Champion
Billy Mitchell, Legendary Arcade Champion
Shigeru Miyamoto, Creator of Donkey Kong
Masaya Nakamura, NAMCO Founder
Steve Ritchie, Legendary Game Designer
Perry Rodgers, Mario Brothers Champion
Todd Rogers, Legendary Arcade Champion
Scott Safran, Asteroids Champion
Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, Legendary PC Gaming Champion
Steve Wiebe, Donkey Kong, Jr. Champion
Phil Younger, Berzerk Champion
Pac-Man - Classic Arcade Game
Posted by MadPlanet at 9:27 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: Video Game Hall of Fame
About a month ago I posted that I was intrigued by the new XBOX 360-exlusive Limbo – well I completed it yesterday and was not disappointed. It cost $15 on the XBOX Live Arcade and was about 5 hours of gameplay which extrapolates out to the same you would pay for a new game that offers 20 hours or so of play so that seems about right.
Limbo is a 2D puzzle/platform game made by Playdead - a new independent developer in Denmark. The only introduction they provide to the game is the tag line - "Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters Limbo." You play the boy and Limbo is hell-bent on killing you and generally confounding you with puzzles you must solve to continue searching for your sister.
The gameplay mechanic itself is pretty standard for an old-school platform game - move around with the joystick, hit one button to jump and another button to interact with objects. Simple. But the creative way they implement these controls is very impressive. And the controls were tight - you might miss a jump every so often but it would be because you weren't timing it right rather than sloppy controls. It was also a refreshing change from the multitude of FPS and 3rd person action titles out there.
The unique black and white film-noir silhouette visual style of the game is apparent from the video trailer below.
There is no dialogue, no text boxes, no real background music, just the sounds of the environment that you are in which are very impressive and add to the mysterious ambiance.
The puzzle components include many standard pieces like moving crates around to stand on, diverting water to cause objects to float, etc. but they also have some not-so-common devices like giant magnets, anti-gravity, and flipping the world so that you are playing upside down or sideways. Throw in some electrified surfaces, giant spiders, angry locals that want to kill you, a forest, a giant industrial complex with giant gears and conveyor belts and you pretty much have it. The same basic puzzle elements were used multiple times but in creative new ways each time. So even after you figured out how to solve one puzzle with a giant magnetized surface you had to use it in an entirely different fashion to solve the next one. They did a great job of not letting the puzzles get old. Also, the puzzles were difficult enough that they took you a while to figure out but not so difficult that it became a frustrating pain in the butt to keep trying (I hate those!). Then when you figured it out you said ah of course!
You die a lot in the game. After a few times you start to see the threats coming and can avoid them better, but watching the various interesting ways in which you are mutilated is part of the fun so I didn't hesitate to leap into the void on several occasions.
Like most puzzle-based games there isn't much replay value here. So it is a cheap quick hit game then put it away. I am not one of those guys that complains about a game being too short because I like short games too – but I liked this one so much I really could've easily enjoyed a few more hours' worth without getting tired of it. Still, for the $15 cost it was OK. All things considered an excellent game and I will definitely check out Playdead's next effort. I give it a 9.0.
I also found the following interview that GameReactor did with Mads Wibroe of Playdead if you care to check it out.
Posted by MadPlanet at 5:13 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: Limbo, XBOX 360, XBOX Live Arcade
Friday, August 6, 2010
Pac-Man Illusion
I saw this on YouTube and thought it was kinda cool. Short video showing a Pac-Man illusion this guy Brusspup worked up in his house. He has a bunch of others too.
Posted by MadPlanet at 11:49 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Tennis for Two - 1958
Yesterday after work I did something that I haven't done in years - played tennis. Not Virtua Tennis, but real tennis where you actually sweat and everything. Barbaric! But fun.
I've read a few books on the history of video games and there have been several that have laid claim to be the "first video game". The chronological order of these games are pretty well documented so it basically boils down to the actual definition of "video game" that you want to use. Well given my tennis match from yesterday I thought I would give a respectful nod to a game that was AMONG the first - Tennis for Two. (Apologies to Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, OXO/Noughts and Crosses, NIM on the NIMROD, etc.)
In 1958, the Brookhaven National Laboratory was having its annual Visitor's Day and the staff was putting together various exhibits for the visiting public. Physicist William Higinbotham created an interactive display using an analog computer and an oscilloscope which simulated the side view of a tennis court and allowed 2 people to each use a controller with a knob and a button to hit a ball back and forth over the net at each other at varying angles - he titled the game Tennis for Two.
It took Higinbotham about three weeks to develop the plans for the game and then it was actually built by Robert Dvorak. When the people started touring it was such a hit that reportedly there were lines out the building to check it out. Check out the video below and if you like you can read more about it on the Brookhaven National Laboratory's webpage HERE.
And then 42 years later Virtua Tennis was released on the Dreamcast.
Posted by MadPlanet at 8:45 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Tennis for Two, Video
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Retro Arcade Museum (Closed?)
I've never even heard of the Retro Arcade Museum until I saw a thread about it on the forums at KLOV but it looks like a cool place in Beacon, New York (ouch - VERY far from me) where the owner has set up a huge collection of arcade games, handhelds, consoles, etc. The unique thing about the arcade games is that almost all of them are pre-1980s so there are a lot VERY early games you've probably never even heard of with some electro-mechanical games too. I remember playing a few of those games from the 70's when I was a kid and I still think they are cool. Check out his website HERE.
[Updated 8/8/2010] I missed the piece on CNN but found this clip of it on their website.
[Updated 9/3/2010] One last update to this story brought to my attention by Arcade Heroes:
It looks like the city of Beacon finally voted to enact a law that would allow vintage arcade games to operate in the town - although they are still debating the highly controversial question that is sweeping the nation - "how do we define a vintage arcade game?". Regardless of the answer this highly efficient bureacracy arrives at it will be too late for Fred Bobrow and the Retro Arcade Museum which is officially closed for good due to financial problems brought about by the city's enforcement of this archaic law while they debated the finer points of whether Space Invaders was truly vintage.
"It's a moot point whether this law passes or not. I will be closing the arcade and all the assets will be liquidated," said Bobrow, whose business was forced to shut down due to an existing law prohibiting arcades in Beacon. "I'm now totally bankrupt and have been sideswiped by the city, who has changed their story several times and obscured the truth."
The full article can be found in yesterday's Poughkeepsie Journal at: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020309/1006/Owner--Law-too-late-to-save-Beacon-arcade
Posted by MadPlanet at 1:12 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Arcade, Retro Arcade Museum
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Insane Console History Video 2.0
I just saw this video on Elder-Geek.com that is kind of cool - the title says it all. It must have taken this guy a LONG time just to collect all the information and pics and sew it all together. The video shows over 450 consoles, computers, and dedicated game machines shown in chronological order with classic gaming music playing in the background. You might not sit through the whole thing straight through - it's over 23 minutes long - but I thought it was an interesting find.
The Insane Console History Video 2.0 from Elder-Geek on Vimeo.
Posted by MadPlanet at 2:16 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: Elder Geek, Video
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Force Unleashed
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, but I finished Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on the PS3 last night so I thought I would post my thoughts to get back in the posting swing of things. There were several technical bugs that distracted from the game but my love of the Star Wars universe made up for a lot of that. All-in-all not a great game but not bad either - I would give it a 7.4. Here are a few of my likes and gripes in a nutshell - might be a spoiler or two but c'mon you weren't gonna play this game anyway so...:
My dislikes:
- Repetitive gameplay with no real incentive or need to learn the various attack upgrades that you acquire.
- Too many repetitive quick-time events – used the same QTEs over and over like when you destroy those 2-legged walkers (which I discovered are called AT-STs - All Terrain Scout Transports).
- Targeting system was often shaky - I spent a lot of extra time trying to face in exactly the proper spot to grip something while some nice gentlemen were spraying lasers into my back.
- The screwy camera angles during the boss battles where it zoomed way out and made the already awkward targeting system even more challenging.
- The plethora of load-screens. This game installed about 2.5 gigs on my PS3 so what's with all the slow "now loading" screens?
My most meh moment:
- I heard about this over-hyped scene that was supposed to bring the house down where you use the force to grip a star destroyer and bring it crashing down. I more enjoyed gripping the tie fighters that were screaming by and throwing them around. Besides, c'mon even Yoda struggled a LITTLE when he floated that X-Wing around the swamps on Dagobah and I'm supposed to believe this Sith apprentice is gonna tear a star destroyer out of the sky? Sorry but no = meh.
..and my likes:
- You get to play as Darth Vader a little at the beginning. Evil shmevil - Vader is cool.
- Fighting all the baddies you remember from the movies like stormtroopers, tie fighters, Imperial guards, even Darth and the Emporer. You can even stomp some Jawas if you like that sort of thing.
- Killing baddies with the Force Lightning and gripping stormtroopers with the Force Grip and smashing them into buildings. It's the simple pleasures in life that keep me going.
- And my number 1 "hey that's pretty cool" moment - when your android buddy Proxy, who is programmed to try and kill you, attacks you and says "I still have one enemy program in my data banks that I haven't tried yet" and then he hologram-morphs into Darth Maul and attacks you with his double-sided light-saber staff. Darth Maul was the one bright spot for me in the 3 embarrasingly lackluster Star Wars prequels.
Posted by MadPlanet at 5:15 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: Force Unleashed, PS3, Star Wars


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Hi all,
i need to develop a code that can enable people to read any hindi language document by using java's swing , specifically JSwing. please tell how to go about doing this...
Various issues which i have come across is as follows:-
-how to access local file system.
-how to display this document using appropriate font and to recognize this font ?
Please tell how to go about coding for this application ?


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Key Holder: Flame Lily
Stylishly decorated this wooden tray depicts an elegant Flame Lily design. Hand painted, hand gilded and hand decorated with tough lacquer this wooden tray will withstand a heat up to 100oC BUT NOT METAL. Has two handles holes and is felt backed to avoid scratching surfaces.
All the prints are hand mounted and hand gilded.
Made in England. Comes Boxed.
Dimensions: 55cm x 39.5cm


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There has been plenty of conversation (and some uncivilized debate) about the growth of Boise. Forbes magazine reminds us that Boise anchors the fastest-growing area in the U.S., and the U.S. Census confirmed as much when it announced that according to 2017 data, Idaho is the fastest-growing state in the nation and the Treasure Valley accounts for more than half of that explosion.
We'll continue to take a deep dive into the ongoing dialogue over "smart growth," but at least give us a week to step back and say, like a proud parent, "My, my, look at how grown up you are." True, the City of Boise has had a few rough patches—let's consider those our middle school years. But we particularly love it when our readers remind us that it's possible to embrace the past, celebrate the present and look to the future with great anticipation, all at once. In fact, that's the theme of this year's Best of Boise.
We had an unprecedented number of nominations and votes this year, and for all of that, our first big thank-you is to you. You make this happen. Yes, each category includes a top vote-getter, but there were tens of thousands of Best of Boise voters who wanted to ensure the runners-up got recognition, too.
This year's Best of Boise is also coming a bit sooner than in years past. We thought late spring/early summer was an ideal time for our Big Le Boise street party, which this year will be Saturday, June 2 (attendance is mandatory). Plus, we thought, what better way to celebrate than for our Best to Boise issue to hit the streets the same week?


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PAGCOR Chief Domingo to Address ASEAN Gaming Summit 2020
January 23, 2020
ASEAN Gaming Summit is the largest standalone gaming conference in Asia. It will be held on 17-19 March 2020 at the Shangri-La at the Fort in Manila.
Looking for more articles about alfabet? You've come to the right place! Here's our list of all published content related to alfabet.


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The Cruiser's Choice- Superior Performance & Handling
While classic in profile and layout, J/42 steps into the future when considering structural strength performance, ease-of-handling, stability and sailing comfort. This progress is now available to the cruising sailor in a boat that handles like a 35 footer with the solid feel and motion of a 50 footer. When a gust of wind hits the J/42 it's as though someone pushed forward the throttles on a Concorde jet. Slicing though waves, there's little fuss. A slight lift of the bow over a wave is rapidly dampened. There is none of the three-dimensional pitch and roll often accepted as a rigor of cruising.
The patented SCRIMP process pulls triple the normal vacuum-bagging levels to draw all the air out of cored hull & deck laminates and to draw a slow-curing resin into every void in a single step. It's a better and healthier way to build boats because toxic styrene emissions are eliminated. It offers higher strength (65% vs. typical 40% glass content) and a void-free laminate far superior to hand lay-up or chopper gun construction. The savings in weight is added to the bottom of the keel in the form of a lead bulb, shaped as an inverted wedge with a tapered tail aft. This is why J/42's center of gravity (CG) is so much lower than other cruisers.
The Ideal Cruising Interior
From bow to stern: A self-draining deck anchor storage locker, behind the standard Lewmar electric windlass, is big enough for an anchor rode and cruising spinnaker, ready-to-fly in a ''snuffer" sock. A forepeak bulkhead separates this locker from a spacious owners stateroom with twin berths (convertible to an over-size double) and ample drawer, bin, cabinet & hanging locker space to store a permanent onboard wardrobe. The forward head /shower combination is private to the forward stateroom. The aft head serves multiple needs: it's ideally located for use at sea; as a wet hanging locker; as a private head for guests; and as a "separate shower" when there are no guests. Interior styling features bulkheads with exceptional joiner work in varnished cherry with cold-molded fiddles and door trim - a detail that's rarely seen, because of the tooling expense, in "one-off' custom construction. Hull lining slats, cabinets and drawers are also in varnished cherry.
Two 6' 6'' main settees double as sea-berths and are pitched outboard 5 degrees for secure sleeping at anchor. Stainless overhead grab rails are excellent handholds, drying racks and lee-cloth anchors. The cherry drop-leaf table is ruggedly built for security in a seaway. It's arranged away from the bulkhead, so guests aren't "trapped" during dinner. An optional bulkhead fold-down table is also available. The "J" galley is well ventilated next to the companionway and features a recessed, deep, double sink. Unique is the combination cutting board, serving tray and drop-in galley seat for easier meal preparation at sea. A Force 10 stainless LPG range has both broiler & oven. There is flip-panel access to a tall trash bin.
The navigation station features an over-sized table with chart storage, pencil/divider/reading glass rack, overhead panel for flush instrument mounting and a book/binocular/hat/cellular phone storage bin outboard. The aft double stateroom has four opening ports and hatches, a changing seat, hanging locker bureau with cabinet, three storage drawers and a bedding storage shelf. Five deck hatches over interior living spaces are mounted on the cabin trunk to permit use when sailing. Exceptional ventilation throughout is provided by 4 Dorade intakes, 10 opening ports and the dodger-protected companionway.
Introduced: 1995 Built to: Hull #77 Last Model Year: 2006


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The Undergraduate School at University of Maryland Global Campus offers more than 30 bachelor's degrees and undergraduate certificates to help you develop your professional value and open the door to career opportunities.
Flexible Learning and Transfer Credits
As a university serving busy professionals, we know you're looking for ways to earn your degree quickly and for less money. We give you credit for previous education, professional and military experience, and more with our flexible transfer credit options. You may be closer to a degree than you think!
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(Washington-AP) -- President Bush will transfer the powers of
the presidency to Vice President Cheney while he is sedated for a
colon check -- under the rules set out in the 25th Amendment to the
The amendment provides for the temporary or permanent transfer
of presidential power in case the president is unable to fulfill
the duties of the office.
The amendment was approved in 1967. Before then, the
Constitution did not indicate what should be done if a president
were alive but unable to serve.
Beginning with the first President Bush, presidents have made
contingency plans for such an event. Bush wanted strict succession
rules laid out after the confusion that ensued when Ronald Reagan
was seriously injured in an assassination attempt.
Bush Scheduled For Colonoscopy
(Washington-AP) -- President Bush will transfer the powers of


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Category : Form.
Topic : Create online forms google. Author : Scarlett Stein.
Posted : Tue, Sep 10th 2019 11:03 AM.
Format : jpg/jpeg.
You can access thousands of business form websites and find ready-to-use templates that can serve any purpose, real estate, employment, bills, sales, expense, inventory etc. All you need to do is enter the information you want to include in the pre-designed form and then, take prints. If you want a more customised printable form with company owned logos and original fonts, headers etc., you may purchase custom-made templates to give that extra branding to your forms.


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|New Canaan, Conn.
|High School:
|Choate Rosemary Hall
|House Affiliation:
Named to the Ping Division I All-New England team ... Claimed the individual title out of 93 competitors at The McLaughlin at Bethpage Red with a -2 three-round score of 69-69-71-208 ... Tied for 21st place at the Philadelphia Big 5 Invitational with a two-day score of 77-73-150 ... Had the lowest first round score (74) at the Caves Valley Inv., eventually finishing 14th overall.
Earned team's Alex Vik '78 MVP award after leading the Crimson in scoring average (74.13) and logging the team's lowest-scrign round (69) ... Named to Ping Alll-Northeast Region Team ... Finishes eighth at the Ivy league Championship in Atlantic City, N.J. with a three-round score of 70-73-71-214 ... Finished eighth at the Caves Valley Spring Invitational with a two-round score of 71-74-145 ... Finished third at the Princeton invitational with a two-round score of 70-77-147, including the first round's lowest score for the field ... Finished third at the Yale Spring Invitational with a two-round score of 74-75-149.
Led Harvard with an 18th place finish at the Mid Pines Invitational, one shot over par (71-73-73-217) ... Tied with Danny Mayer for he team lead at the ECAC Championships with a 28th place finish, shooting a 72-82 ... Finished 10th at the Ivy League Championships.
Named to the Ping All-Northeast Region team ... Earned All-Ivy League honors after taking fourth at the league championship (72-72-78--222) ... Led the Crimson with a 75.08 stroke average ... Finished ahead of 81.4 percent of his opposition ... Took ninth in a 94-man field at the MacDonald Cup (75-74-75--224) ... Was 15th of 213 at the NEIGA championship (76-75--151) ... Finished the season by taking second of 59 at the Northeast Invitational (38-70--108) ... Played in 19.5 rounds and finished with sub-80 scores in each.
Three-year letterwinner in golf at Choate Rosemary Hall ... Also lettered in soccer and ice hockey ... All-state selection as a soccer goalkeeper ... Two-year captain of the golf team ... Won school's William A. Pudvah award as the top all-around athelte as a junior ... Twice won coaches award for excellence in golf ... Dean's List student at Choate Rosemary Hall ... Helped organize a charity run to benefit cancer research ... Has served as an intern with the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution ... Also interned for U.S. Representative Christopher Shays ... Grandfather, Ernie Monrad '51 is vice president of the Harvard Varsity Club and was a 1991 winner of the Harvard Medal.


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Events for September 5, 2018 › Exhibit
Events Search and Views Navigation
It Takes 1000 Words Art Exhibit
It Takes 1000 Words features paintings by Drina Connors Kay.This exhibit at the SLC Arts Gallery at the Potsdam Town Hall, 18 Elm Street, is FREE, open to everyone, and wheelchair accessible. Art sales benefit the artists and SLC Arts. This … ContinuedFind out more »


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16D: Taiwan mother and child,heart logo,stamp on cover (Item number: #340591995)
Description View the complete description
- Condition: used cover
Seller See the store
- English (United Kingdom)
- Condition: used cover
Payment methods: PAYPAL
Normal airmail postage worldwide for 1 item : Euro 2.50 or 2 GBP ( items sent by normal airmail at Buyer's risk)
Combined sending for additional lots : additional Euro 0.50 (or 0.4 GBP) per item won.
Please NOTE :
a) Total payable sum in One sending totaling less than 10 Euros or GBP will be invoiced with Normal airmail (@ Buyer's risk), If buyer needs REGISTRATION with a tracking number for posted items, Kindly send a request, I shall reissue a new invoice.
b) Total payable sum in one sending totaling more than 10 Euros or GBP will be invoiced with Registered airmail come with a tracking number for posted items.
Payments should be settled within 7 days after the closing of a bid.
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Dark Sun
"I live in a world of fire and sand. The crimson sun scorches the life from anything that crawls or flies, and storms of sand scour the foliage from the barren ground. This is a land of blood and dust, where mysterious singing winds call travelers to slow suffocation in the Sea of Silt, and selfish kings squander their subjects' lives building gaudy palaces and elaborate tombs. This bleak wasteland is Athas, and this is my home." ~Blackmoons Journal
The world of the DARK SUN Campaign Setting is unique in several ways. Many familiar trappings of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game are missing or turned on their heads. Athas is not a place of shining knights and robed wizards, of deep forests and divine pantheons. To venture over the sands of Athas is to enter a world of savagery and splendor that draws on different traditions of fantasy and storytelling. Simple survival beneath the deep red sun is often its own adventure.
Newcomers to Athas have many things to learn about the world, its people, and its monsters, but the following eight characteristics encapsulate the most important features of the DARK SUN campaign setting.
The World is a Desert: Athas is a hot, arid planet covered with endless seas of dunes, lifeless salt flats, stony wastes, rocky badlands, thorny scrublands, and worse. From the first moments of dawn, the crimson sun beats down from an olive-tinged sky. Temperatures routinely exceed 100 degrees by midmorning and can reach 130 degrees or more by late afternoon. The wind is like the blast of a furnace, offering no relief from the oppressive heat. Dust and sand borne on the breeze coat everything with yellow-orange silt. In this forbidding world, cities and villages exist only in a few oases or verdant plains. The world beyond these islands of civilization is a barren wasteland roamed by nomads, raiders, and hungry monsters.
The World is Savage: Life on Athas is brutal and short. Bloodthirsty raiders, greedy slavers, and hordes of inhuman savages overrun the deserts and wastelands. The cities are little better; each chokes in the grip of an immortal tyrant. The vile institution of slavery is widespread on Athas, and many unfortunates spend their lives in chains, toiling for brutal taskmasters. Every year hundreds of slaves, perhaps thousands, are sent to their deaths in bloody arena spectacles. Charity, compassion, kindness—these qualities exist, but they are rare and precious blooms. Only a fool hopes for such riches.
Metal is Scarce: Most arms and armor are made of bone, stone, wood, and other such materials. Mail or plate armor exists only in the treasuries of the sorcerer-kings. Steel blades are almost priceless, weapons that many heroes never see during their lifetimes.
Arcane Magic Defiles the World: The reckless use of arcane magic during ancient wars reduced Athas to a wasteland. To cast an arcane spell, one must gather power from the living world nearby. Plants wither to black ash, crippling pain wracks animals and people, and the soil is sterilized; nothing can grow in that spot again. It is possible to cast spells with care, avoiding any more damage to the world, but defiling is more potent than preserving. As a result, sorcerers, wizards, and other wielders of arcane magic are generally reviled and persecuted across Athas regardless of whether they preserve or defile. Only the most powerful spellcasters can wield arcane might without fear of reprisals.
Sorcerer-Kings Rule the City-States: Terrible defilers of immense power rule all but one of the city-states. These mighty spellcasters have held their thrones for centuries; no one alive remembers a time before the sorcerer-kings. Some claim to be gods, and some claim to serve gods. Some are brutal oppressors, where others are more subtle in their tyranny. The sorcerer-kings govern through priesthoods or bureaucracies of greedy, ambitious templars, lesser defilers who can call upon the kings' powers.
The Gods are Silent: Long ago, when the planet was green, the brutal might of the primordials overcame the gods. Today, Athas is a world without deities. There are no clerics, no paladins, and no prophets or religious orders. In the absence of divine influence, other powers have come to prominence in the world. Psionic power is well known and widely practiced on Athas; even unintelligent desert monsters can have deadly psionic abilities. Shamans and druids call upon the primal powers of the world, which are often sculpted by the influence of elemental power.
Fierce Monsters Roam the World: The desert planet has its own deadly ecology. Many creatures that are familiar sights on milder worlds have long since died out or never existed at all. Athas has no cattle, swine, or horses; instead, people tend flocks of erdlus, ride on kanks or crodlus, and draw wagons with inixes and mekillots. Wild creatures such as lions, bears, and wolves are almost nonexistent. In their place are terrors such as the id fiend, the baazrag, and the tembo.
Familiar Races Aren't What You Expect: Typical fantasy stereotypes don't apply to Athasian heroes. In many DUNGEONS & DRAGONS settings, elves are wise, benevolent forest-dwellers who guard their homelands from intrusions of evil. On Athas, elves are a nomadic race of herders, raiders, peddlers, and thieves. Halflings aren't amiable river-folk; they're xenophobic headhunters and cannibals who hunt and kill trespassers in their mountain forests. Goliaths—or half-giants, as they are commonly known—are brutal mercenaries that serve as elite guards and enforcers for the sorcerer-kings and their templars in many city-states.


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NCAA hockey notes
Busy time of year for me, with general assignment duties, which explains why I haven't blogged my passion sport lately. But I've had plenty of time to collect some notes and get them out of my head, which, BTW, is still spinning since hanging around Damien Goddard from Let's Go DU.com and other never-die Pio puckers during last weekend's Denver Cup.
Goddard lives in Houston and came out for the tournament. If you think you're the biggest DU fan, you should compare yourself to Big D. He's one-of-a-kind. He introduced me to a bunch of folks that read my blog and our stories in the paper. Great times. I had a blast, boys, and will never underestimate your passion for college hockey!
THIN ICE. What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. Which is why DU players aren't going public on what the three CC guys did to get suspended last week. The Tigers' Chad Rau (one game), Derek Patrosso (until March) and Cody Lampl (until Jan. '09) each got suspended by the school for undisclosed reasons. Since CC's Mike Testwuide is the brother of DU's J.P. Testwuide, the Pios have a good idea what happened — from J.P. hearing it from his younger brother or from the Vail-based parents. My take: this is a family matter between two programs, and you have to respect the DU guys for not throwing their rivals under the bus — just because they can. It also shows a lot of respect for the Testwuides, who can be brothers without having to worry that their teammates are going to interfere with that bond. Plus, let's face it: college students sometimes make bad decisions, and they're much harder to hide when you play hockey at DU or CC. The guys on both teams are in the same fishbowl.
MANNO. Before the Denver Cup I predicted that DU goalie Peter Mannino was going to get career shutout No. 13 in the tournament, tying Gerry Powers for first in program history. I told him so, and Pete reminded me of that after Saturday's championship game. Another prediction: He'll have 2-3 more by the end of the season.
RUEGS. Lakewood native and DU soph Tyler Ruegsegger scored Monday in a win against Finland and is fifth in Team USA scoring with four points (two goals) at the World Juniors. Can anyone think of another Colorado native that has had a better amatuer hockey career before the age of 21?
AFA tie. Good for the Falcons, who rallied to tie Minnesota 2-2 Saturday in the consolation game of the Holiday Classic in Minneapolis. Air Force poured salt on the gaping wound that is Gophers hockey, and made the AHA 1-0-1 against the Lemon Heads in the tournament.
BROOKWELL. DU coaches refer to D-man Cody Brookwell as "The Big Guy." The 6-foot-4 sophomore is much more than a big kid; he's playing this year like he owns the defensive end of the ice. I told George Gwozdecky that Brookwell reminds me of former captain Bryan Vines, and George agreed. Big, tough, smart, good feet. And a great on-ice leader because of unselfish play. You don't see Brookwell in the offensive zone much, but man, he's impossible to miss at the other end.
SETH APPERT. The former DU assistant, now in his second year as the bench boss at RPI, went 0-2 against Rico Blasi and Miami a few weeks ago in a matchup between former Pio assistants, but that's just the tip of the iceberg of RPI's blown opportunities this season. Seth and his boys had Minnesota beat to begin the season, only to see the Gophers rally — big time, like they did against Air Force in March at the Pepsi Center — and then CC performed the same trick on Saturday in Tampa, Fla. Still, Seth has those guys going in a good direction.
Happy new year. It's a little after midnight, so 2008 has begun, and I have to go speak to the neighbors that are shooting fireworks off in my front yard and waking up my son. The first warning didn't work. Next time I'll show them to the new hockey stick I got for Christmas, but, you know, that's off the record.
BTW, I was just reminded that … you know you're getting old if, 1) The New Years party next door is bothering you. 2) You're not at that party. 3) You're trying to sleep during that party. — MC


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The Brother's Bloom - starring Robbie Coltrane
Almost top 10 movies of 2008
Following a lukewarm reception at the Toronto Film Festival, Summit moved this one to a May opening date. Two things occur to me regarding this. First, screw the reaction out of Toronto. This isn't a festival film, precious and dignified. Far from it. Rian Johnson's second film is a rowdy road comedy, a brotherly buddy movie, and a sweet daffy love story all disguised as a con man movie. In reality, the cons are the least important part of the film, a mere excuse to pinball all these characters off one another. Ever since "The Sting," this genre has been an excuse to build a mousetrap and set it off, which can certainly be fun. But "The Brothers Bloom" isn't trying to con you at all. It's heartfelt and earnest, and if Summit thinks they can stand one more date change, can I urge you to consider Valentine's Day? Really sell the shit out of the interplay between Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz, who does some of the loosest, warmest work of her career here. Everyone looks like they're having a blast, but I particularly fell for Rinko Kikuchi as Bang Bang, a very quiet little eccentric who packs a big punch, sort of like Harpo Marx if he were a really cute Asian chick. I love the look of the film, the sort of cartoon ballet that Johnson pulls off with it. It's very sweet, and I think this could turn into a "Princess Bride," a film that people grow very passionate about with time.The Escapist - starring Brian Cox
The 50 films that defined 2008
File under 'Tragically Overlooked'. Brit helmer Rupert Wyatt's prison-breakout debut features one of Brian Cox's finest performances.RocknRolla - starring Gerard Butler
Defining Moment
The escapees discovering a Stygian underworld stretching out before them.
Best Ensemble Casts of 2008
I'll be in the minority with RocknRolla on any list -- but if there's one thing Guy Ritchie can do, it's ensemble casts. It's a shame RocknRolla played second fiddle to Madonna and Ritchie divorcing, because I thought there were some fine performances in it, particularly from Tom Wilkinson, and The Wild Bunch of Idris Elba, Gerard Butler, and Tom Hardy.The 50 films that defined 2008
Guy Ritchie's return to form: a cocky, confident, occasionally perplexing but always kinetic crime caper.Summer - starring Robert Carlyle
Defining Moment
Gerard Butler being chased by unstoppable Russian Mafiosi.
Films that showed us the world
Ken Loach - DirectorWanted - starring James McAvoy
The film I really enjoyed was Kenny Glenaan's Summer, starring Robert Carlyle and Steve Evets. It's a story set in the East Midlands, about two childhood friends in their forties who are mutually dependent on each other. They are both on benefits and one is ill and dying. It is full of humanity and humour. It is very simply done and compassionate. You get drawn into the characters as the intricacies of their relationship are gradually revealed. You see the bright hopes they had as children and what happens to them later in life.
The 50 films that defined 2008
Comic-book action from Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov. James McAvoy turns macho and Ms. Jolie proves she's a true movie star.Source
Defining Moment
McAvoy curves a bullet around Jolie's self-assured form.


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BILLINGS, Mont. — A proposed deal on a Montana coal mine that supporters said would boost Asian exports of the fuel via the West Coast has stalled, according to court documents that show the companies involved are renegotiating terms of the sale.
Representatives of the two companies involved said Wednesday that a deal still was expected, but did not immediately address what prompted the renegotiation or what the new terms might be.
The original deal, announced in December, entailed a complex transaction in which Australia-based Ambre Energy would pay $57 million to Cloud Peak Energy for full control of the Decker mine near the Wyoming border.
Ambre has been seeking to ramp up production from the once-bustling mine, and ship coal to growing Asian markets through a pair of proposed ports along the Columbia River.
But the company faces stiff opposition in Oregon and Washington state, and critics have questioned whether Ambre has the financial wherewithal to see its ambitious plans to fruition.
Cloud Peak is seeking land and rail easements for a new Wyoming mine in the deal with Ambre.
The Wyoming-based company also would gain the option to move 5 million tons of coal annually through Ambre's Millennium port in Longview, Wash. — part of an industry-wide strategy to increase exports as domestic coal sales have faltered.
It was not clear what prompted the companies to seek an extension of a May 10 deadline they faced to settle a dispute over the Decker mine. The mine is co-owned by Cloud Peak and Ambre and has been the subject of a management quarrel that led to a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
Court filings requesting until July 12 to finalize the deal cited "unforeseen complications with the original sale."
The sale originally was slated to close April 1 and the deadline already had been extended once.
Ambre spokeswoman Liz Fuller said the company was continuing to work to complete the mine acquisition and that a deal could be finalized in the next few months.
A Cloud Peak spokesman, Rick Curtsinger, said the company had no immediate comment.
Decker was once among the largest coal strip mines in the U.S., and produced more than 10 million tons annually as recently as 2002.
But domestic demand for coal has been on the decline due to competition from cheap natural gas and the costs of making older power plants compliant with environmental regulations.
In December, Decker laid off 59 employees — more than one-third of its workforce. The mine is on track to extract only 1.5 million tons of coal this year, based on first quarter production figures reported to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Australian media last year reported that Ambre was at risk of financial collapse after a proposed coal mine and coal-to-liquid fuels plant it was pursuing in the country was rejected by government officials.
The Sightline Institute, a Seattle-based environmental think tank, in February released a report that revealed Ambre racked up losses of more than $124 million from 2005 through 2012. The company responded at the time that early losses are not uncommon for companies developing new projects.
-- The Associated Press


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Graduate Catalog
Equal Opportunity Policy
Cameron University is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action and promotes an environment of awareness and understanding of culturally diverse groups in our society. The University strives to maintain a campus climate of mutual respect and tolerance that is free from discrimination. Discrimination is unlawful and undermines the freedom of students, faculty, and staff to productively learn and work at the University.
This institution, in compliance with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and educational services.
To obtain information about applicable laws or to file a complaint of discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran contact the Office of Human Resources, Administration Building, Room 121, 2800 W. Gore Blvd., Lawton, Oklahoma 73505-6377, or you may call (580) 581-2245 or e-mail email@example.com.
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Corn, wheat, and soybeans started off strong on Sunday night's session but ended the trading day weak. December corn closed 7 ¾ cents lower at $8.00 ¾, November soybeans down 12 ¾ at $17.18 ¾, and December wheat down 7 ¼ at $8.81 ¼.
The export inspections fell short of expectations this morning and were a major factor in today's weakness. Soybean inspections were 17.40 million bushels compared to market expectations at 23.00 million. Wheat was 18.84 million bushels compared to 21.0 expected, and corn was 14.45 million, compared to 22.5 expected. The market can be extra sensitive to any changes in demand on a year like this. We will have to continue to watch for morning sale announcements and Thursday's export sales reports.
Weekly Crop progress shows corn at 76% dented (5-year average at 46%) and 26% mature (5-year average at 8%). Corn is now 6% harvested and crop conditions had a 1% drop in the good to excellent – now 22%. Soybeans also dropped a point in the good-excellent rating to 30% and 8% of the crop is dropping leaves.
Friday's Commitment of Traders report didn't show any signs of the funds slowing down their purchasing. The 'managed money' is now net long 342,893 contracts of corn which is an increase of 39,715. They are also net long 252,388 contracts of soybeans, an increase of 21,845! Clearly the funds have continued to press their bets.
The production estimates from the Pro Farmer crop tour were less than anticipated and generally viewed as "bullish". At the same time, we have Informa raising their acreage estimate (due to FSA numbers) and have corn and bean yield pegged above the USDA's current estimates. Even though Informa has raised their production estimates they have pegged demand much higher than the USDA bringing their ending carryout estimate lower.
Technically December corn had a bearish crossover in the exponential oscillator (see chart). This can be used to help spot a change of trend and given that we are entering harvest it is something to note in case of further weakness.
Chart: December Corn
Soybeans continue to look strong until we see a significant change in demand. Upside resistance is seen in November at $17.87 and downside support at $16.46.
Chart: November Soybeans
Please contact EHedger at 866-433-4371 if you would like to try our proprietary farm management software called AMMO. To learn more please visit www.ammoag.com.
Best Regards,
Trading commodity futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge and financial resources. The market information contained in this message has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed as to its accuracy or completeness. Market information may not be consistent with current or future market positions of EHedger LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents.


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March for Science - San Francisco
Together with in-laws and friends, including (unlike me) an actual scientist, we went on the march in San Francisco yesterday.
The most hand-written/individualized signs I've seen on any march. Quite a young crowd too, and I'd guess two-thirds female. We'll see if there's a long-term effect - I'm sure it depends on what people continue to do after the march.
UPDATE: here's something to do about it - get organized, and train to run for office:
Overview: Join us for a day of building political power for the climate movement by training bold, progressive climate activists to elected office at all levels. Potential candidates need to be identified, recruited, trained, and supported in order to achieve elected office—and once there, held accountable by the climate movement.
This training is for you if:
- You consider running for office yourself in the next 1-3 years
- You want to help a friend run for office
- You want to learn how a local electoral strategy could help your campaign


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Chuck Foresman
The Syngenta Resistance Fighter of the Year program recognizes individuals who are tackling weed resistance head on through research and educational efforts that provide growers with the solutions they need to combat this real and growing threat in the field.
Our 2009 winners demonstrate a passion for the preservation of glyphosate and the future of agriculture. They devote extensive time and effort toward their work and are helping many growers successfully manage glyphosate resistance. We know there are more individuals across the country with similar passion and devotion that are deserving of this recognition, which is why we are continuing our Resistance Fighter of the Year program.
2010 Resistance Fighter of the Year nominations are being accepted now through November 19, 2010, at www.resistancefighteroftheyear.com. Eligible nominees include retailers, consultants and county extension agents who have successfully implemented resistance management practices with producers in their area.


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There may come a time in late October when the Columbus Crew rue the points dropped at New England on Wednesday, but for now their 2-0 defeat is being put in perspective following a grueling stretch of matches.
Although the Crew lost an opportunity to pull to within five points of Eastern Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City and within one of current runners-up New York, their 4-1-2 mark over 22 days pulled them into the final playoff spot with seven matches remaining.
"This one initially is going to leave a bad taste," Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum told MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday night following the loss, "but the minute we get back to Columbus tomorrow and realize we have a few days off and take advantage of it, we'll be able to forget about it and move on."
Because of the international break, the Crew are idle until their match at New York on Sept. 15., which kicks off a string of three games in eight days.
After what they've been through recently, though, they should be able to handle the schedule.
"[Wednesday] obviously didn't go well for us, but over the past six or seven games we went on a good run there," Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven told the media after the match. "We can take a break after having a busy last month or so, and hopefully we can make a run for the playoffs."
Still, losing to a club that was winless in 10 games and out of the postseason hunt was a blow to their quest to qualify for the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
READ: Form deserts Crew as unbeaten streak comes to an end
The Crew (12-9-6, 42 points) are two points back of third-place Chicago, but the Fire have played one fewer match. Columbus are tied for fourth with Houston in the same number of games, but the Dynamo hold the first two tiebreakers – goals scored (39 to 33) and goal differential (+6 to +1).
Meanwhile, D.C. United (41 points) and Montreal (39) are lurking just outside the playoff field.
"We did a good job of getting the points in this period," Crew coach Robert Warzycha told MLSsoccer.com after the match. "This is a game you look at that we should win, but that's what happens in soccer."
Crew show tired legs vs. Revs
Warzycha went with the same lineup as Saturday's match against Montreal but in retrospective he said fresher legs might have helped Wednesday.
"Maybe we could have gone with different players because a few of them were tired," he said.
OPTA Chalkboard: Were the Crew tired?
Left back Josh Williams was coming off a one-game suspension but Warzycha opted to stick with Nemanja Vukovic at that spot while centerback Danny O'Rourke started his fourth straight match for only the second time this season.
Forward Jairo Arrieta also logged heavy minutes and is now goalless in three games. He tied the club mark with seven offside calls vs. the Revolution.
"You always know more after the game," Warzycha said of second-guessing his selections. "Overall, if we talk about the last seven games, we should be happy about how many games we won and how many points we got."


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A global acceleration program that helps startups build and scale great products by matching them with the best of Google - its people, network, and advanced technologies.
Google restricts access to some of its services in certain countries or regions, such as Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
Our mentors
Hear from our current mentors about their experiences with Launchpad and why they give back to the startup community.


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Gail Harris, last NY Giant to hit homer, dies
GAINESVILLE, Va. -- The last player to hit a home run for the New York Giants before they moved has died.
A funeral home says former Major League Baseball player Gail Harris died at his Gainesville, Va., home on Nov. 14. He was 81.
The final home run before the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1957 came against Pittsburgh. Harris played for the New York Giants and the Detroit Tigers between 1955 and 1960.
After his career as a first baseman, he worked in insurance sales.
A memorial service was held for Harris in Manassas, Va., on Nov. 17. Pierce Funeral Homes says his remains were cremated.
Harris was originally from Abingdon, Va.
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Our Director of Styling, Preston, shows you how to wear studs this Summer. We're all about studs! We paired this amazing studded blouse with a great studded boot for a cool rock 'n roll take on a summer look.
Shop the look:
AE Frayed Denim Festival Shortie
Plus, show us how you wear AE on Twitter & Instagram with #AEStyle for a chance to be featured on our blog!


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For the past few weeks, waterfowlers have been lamenting the bipolar nature of pre-peak-migration duck hunting. It's a here-today-gone-tomorrow proposition, as once plentiful local birds get pushed out by hunting pressure, leaving the skies comparatively empty.
That's the complaint I've been hearing from many of my contacts on the Flyway, especially those in the central and southern parts. But waterfowlers are optimistic by nature (what choice do we have?), and those same contacts who have been moaning about the poor season so far are pumped up about the weekend's Arctic clipper, which plunged temperatures up North into the single digits and promised to push birds south.
Last week, I heard several second-hand reports from north of the 49th parallel that conditions there are freezing up and birds are moving out. Hunters in Saskatchewan have been having good success, but say the small geese and many ducks are all but gone, leaving big honkers and some mallards to target.
In Manitoba, Phil Francone confirms he's not seeing many birds at all, though there are some Canada geese still around. "Every morning there's skim ice on the lakes," said Francone. "Though by afternoon most of it is gone. I think this cold front is going to lock up the smaller waters and move most of the birds out."
If refuge counts are any indication, many of those birds have already made their way down the Flyway. In South Dakota, the number of snow geese at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge nearly doubled this past week and since October 23, the duck count there has gone from 58,000 to 200,000, the majority being mallards and, interestingly, green- wing teal.
Canada geese numbers there have been steady, though Chris Hull of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission says that "honkers are starting to show up in the city of Pierre, right on time." Hull also reports that Sandhill crane and swan numbers are increasing as well. He was heading up to Eureka, S.D, for what he calls his annual "exotics" hunt. "Not what you think," said Hull. "Swans, snows, maybe even a merganser, but ducks and honkers aplenty. Swans are the big targets though!"
In the Nebraska Sandhills, Brian Hauptman, calling geese with his yellow Lab Chip, relayed a story that illustrates the hot and cold nature of waterfowling this time of year. He hunted Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and 3, and said it was two totally different days:
"I ended up with mallards, 1 sprig, and a wigeon on Friday," he reported via text. "Sunshine and light SW wind Saturday am. Ended with 7 greenheads, 1 bull sprig, 4 honkers, and a juvey Ross! AWESOME MORNING. Birds constantly roaring in from up high. Divers showing up, couple bunches of high snows and a nice family group of 7 swans."
On the North Platte, hunter Matt Arndt reported mixed success as well, with weather hampering his efforts: "[It's been] slower than last year," said Arndt. "Plus the mornings all seem to be cloudy and calm which doesn't help if and when the birds fly. In my area Saturdays are almost a joke with banging all around me but Sundays are quiet as can be. We need a little push of birds, some sun, and some wind and then the duck harvest will steadily increase."
Arndt and the rest of the central and southern Flyway should get a boost after weekend temps from Glasgow, Montana, to Bismarck, N.D., slid into the teens. This, along with a dusting of snow, should bring flocks banking in from the north. Forever the optimist, I'm predicting this week's action will give grumbling hunters a new outlook on the season.


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Could there be a better name for a steel-frame builder? Brent Steelman is his name and he works out of his shop in Redwood City, California. His wife, Katryn, manages office details and logistics. Her beautiful photos of Steelman frames grace the office walls.
Brent has been building frames since 1980 and over the years he has built between 3,000 and 4,000. That puts him up there with the icons of frame building in Northern California – Tom Ritchey, Albert Eisentraut (Brent shared an Oakland facility with Albert and Ed Litton), Joe Breeze, and a few others.
His bikes have been ridden by some of the best racers, including Joe Murray (NORBA National Champion), Laurence Malone (Cyclocross National Champion), and numerous other national road and track champions. The mountain bikes used by Gary Fisher's racing team in the 1980s were built by Brent.
A true artisan
It's not so much the number of frames Brent has built that distinguishes his business as it is quality and attention to detail. You have to see a bare steel frame to appreciate why frame builders are craftsmen. Brent's lugged or tig-welded joints are smooth and clean. The tubing's silver gleam offsets the golden-hued brazing.
You can see right away Brent takes pride in everything he does. He built his own jig to assemble his frames. The jig is the frame builder's "third hand." It holds and positions the tubes for easier access to brazing at the precise angles needed. His shop is filled with tools of the trade – drills, saws, and lathes.
Many varieties
Over his frame-building career, Brent has made road, mountain, fixed-gear, track, and cyclocross bikes. Today he says most of his customers request road bikes.
He even built carbon-fiber bikes starting in 2002. As a steel-frame builder, Brent is unique in this regard. Few frame builders have experience working with both materials. Brent says he quit building carbon-fiber bikes after a few years and went back to steel after some soul-searching. "Carbon-fiber building is nasty work," Brent said. "The chemicals and dust are something I do not miss."
Bike fit and assembly
What's unique about Brent's business is he doesn't just build the bike. He offers a one-stop shopping experience: fit the customer, manage the painting, procure components, and assemble the bike. "It makes sense for the builder to assemble the bike," said Brent. "I've been assembling bikes for decades and I can eliminate the hassles the owner might experience by taking it elsewhere."
Brent tells his own story about frame building and his professional career on the Steelman Cycles website. It's an honest, straightforward story of his life and love of frame building.
As a steel-frame enthusiast, I can't say enough about the beauty, ride, and longevity of steel. If you're a dedicated rider looking for a new bike, be sure to check out a custom steel bike, and Steelman Cycles. Find out what owners have to say on the Steelman Cycles Facebook page.


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ESPN and Big 12 Sign New Rights Agreement through 2024-25
More Football and Men's Basketball Games on More ESPN Platforms; TCU/Texas on ESPN Thanksgiving Night
ESPN and the Big 12 Conference have reached a new, 13-year rights agreement through 2024-25 it was announced today by Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and ESPN President John Skipper. The comprehensive deal will provide more football games and basketball games across more ESPN platforms than ever before including ESPN on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Longhorn Network (LHN), ESPN 3D, ESPN International, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and WatchESPN.
Several aspects of the new deal begin with the 2012-13 season including for the first time distribution on multiple ESPN networks for football games, and more men's basketball games, with additional terms activating in 2015-16. As part of the agreement, Fox Sports will offer additional Big 12 content on its networks.
Through the 2015 season, up to 19 conference-controlled football games will be televised on ESPN networks and platforms, including ESPN on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and LHN (for Texas games only). As a result of this increased flexibility, this year's TCU at Texas matchup will take place on Thanksgiving at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Beginning in 2016, ESPN networks can distribute up to 23 conference-controlled football games, for an increase of four games per year.
For men's basketball, ESPN networks will televise up to 105 games – an increase of 10 per year – with 43 contests set for ESPN or ESPN2 including a minimum of 30 intra-conference games. Up to 40 games will be televised on ESPNU and up to six contests will originate live on ESPN3. In addition, ESPN retains exclusive rights to the entire Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship, while ESPN Regional Television will continue to syndicate the Big 12 Network via local over-the-air stations throughout the country. The Conference also retains its position in ESPN's Big Monday lineup.
Skipper said, "The Big 12 combines institutions known for excellence with passionate fan bases and rich traditions. This agreement gives us long-term stability, more games and more flexibility for when and how fans can see their favorite teams."
Bowlsby said, "The stability of the Big 12 Conference is cemented. We are positioned with one of the best media rights arrangements in collegiate sports, providing the Conference and its members unprecedented revenue growth and sports programming over two networks."
Additional rights
ESPN will retain rights to televise a select group of exclusive games from the league's 23 sports teams including women's basketball per season. In addition, ESPN Regional Television will manage and administer the exclusive rights to the Big 12 Corporate Sales and Sponsorship partner program.
About ESPN
ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of eight 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D and the regionally focused Longhorn Network) and five HD simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (48 networks, syndication, radio, websites, mobile, apps), ESPN Radio (broadcast, satellite, online and apps, a growing category led by ScoreCenter), ESPN.com (plus a variety of sport-, college-, and market-specific sites), ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPNHS and espnW. Multi-screen offerings include WatchESPN (access to several ESPN networks online and via an app) and ESPN3 (live multi-screen network available online, on the go and via Xbox LIVE). Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
The Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. During its 16-year history, the Conference has produced 531 Academic All-America selections, claimed national championship team titles in 16 of its 23 sponsored sports, its student-athletes and teams have combined for 517 individual NCAA titles and 47 team national champions. More than 4,100 student-athletes from across the United States and around the world compete annually under the Big 12 banner.
Media Contacts:
Keri Potts, ESPN PR, 860-766-4483, [email protected]
Bob Burda, Big 12 Communications, 469-524-1000, [email protected]


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Hi all,
I have an 85 k100rs that has been ok till now. Riding along and felt something knock between my legs like a slight vibration. Bike coasted to the curb and would not start. Thought it was the loose plug on the COMPUTER ECU ECM CONTROL MODULE BRAIN BOX and unplugged and re plugged it in. Have had this happen in the past. Put a zip tie on it to hold in position. Tried again but no start. All seems fine, starter cranking, battery power ok, gas in tank. Could it be the fuel pump relay or the pump? And how do I figure out which one? http://forums.bmwmoa.org/images/smilies/dunno.gif


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Do you need extra help for your distress?
Some people have a higher risk of serious distress; for instance, if they:
- Have had depression or other major mental health problems in the past
- Have made a suicide attempt in the past
- Suffer from other serious medical problems besides cancer
- Have communication problems (such as a different language, trouble reading, or hearing problems)
- Have some type of social or family problems
- Have ever been physically or sexually abused
- Are younger
- Are female
- Live alone
- Have limited access to medical care
- Have young children in the home
- Lived with very high stress levels before the cancer
- Have ever abused alcohol or drugs
- Have money problems
- Have spiritual or religious concerns
- Have uncontrolled symptoms
If any of these are true for you, it's more likely that you may need help from others – your cancer care team can refer you to the right people.
Both you and your cancer care team may also notice there are times when you're at risk for greater distress during the course of illness and treatment. Cancer is often said to be "like being on a roller coaster." These times for more distress are often at points of change in the illness and treatment, such as:
- Finding a suspicious new symptom
- During work-up and diagnosis
- Waiting to start treatment
- Changing treatment
- Going home from the hospital
- Ending treatment
- Going back to your cancer doctor for follow-up visits
- Going back to a "normal" life after treatment
- Cancer comes back
- Treatment doesn't work
- Cancer gets worse
- Nearing the end of life
- Going into hospice care
If your distress reaches moderate to severe levels at these times, you may need extra help.
Distress in People With Cancer
Last Medical Review: June 8, 2015 Last Revised: June 8, 2015
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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When President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address in 2009, unemployment was reaching a 25-year high, and the Dow was headed for a 12-year low. He said, the "state of our union is a concern that rises above all others."
Tuesday night, Obama will likely include a similar sentence: "The state of our union is..." That simple, unequivocal structure, which has been used by almost every president since Lyndon Johnson, is now a standard soundbite that everyone anticipates.
But each State of the Union is unique. Some are remembered for their words, some for their staging and some for their historical impact. And some are remembered much more than others.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Here are the five most noteworthy State of the Union addresses in the last 50 years, according to Gerhard Peters, co-director of The American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Lyndon Johnson in 1965: His 1964 speech might be the most noteworthy for policy reasons, because that's when he declared War on Poverty. But his '65 State of the Union was noteworthy for the time: It was the first delivered during prime time. This was the next step in a series of changes over a period of 42 years that helped make the State of the Union a major event: Calvin Coolidge's 1923 speech was the first to be broadcast on the radio, and Harry Truman's in in 1947 was the first televised. By moving the speech to prime time, LBJ transformed it from a political event to a conversation directly with the American people. He recognized that if he did it at prime time, television would be pre-empted, and he could just speak to the entire nation at once.
Richard Nixon in 1974: This was really his last big attempt to persuade the American people that Watergate wasn't a big deal. It didn't work. Nixon also failed the aesthetics test: He just didn't look good. He was sweaty, especially on his upper lip. He looked uncomfortable, he acted uncomfortable and the applause was tepid. It was just awkward.
Ronald Reagan in 1982: The nation met Lenny Skutnick, and presidents have been introducing us to new Lenny Skutnicks ever since. In fact, "Lenny Skutnick" has become a tradition that every president has followed in almost every State of the Union since. That's when the president acknowledges somebody sitting in the gallery. It's usually some sort of hero or inspirational figure. Clinton had Rosa Parks, Sammy Sosa, Hank Aaron. Skutnick worked for the federal government and jumped into the Potomac River after a plane crash to save lives. Reagan acknowledged him as the quintessential exemplar of American spirit.
George W. Bush in 2002 and 2003: In 2002, George W. Bush introduced us to the Axis of Evil — Iran, Iraq and North Korea. In 2003, Bush used the State of the Union to persuade the country to go to war with Iraq, pointing to the Yellow Cake uranium in Africa.
Bush was not known as a great orator. On the contrary, he was attacked relentlessly throughout his presidency for his verbal missteps. So it's somewhat ironic that when asked who he thinks made the best use of the State of the Union, Peters points to the man who led us into war in Iraq.
"Generically, if you need to start a war in a democracy, you need to get the people on your side," Peters said. "If I were president and I wanted to launch a just war, setting aside whether the Iraq war was a just war, I might follow a similar path that Bush did — I might check my facts first."
Word cloud of every State of the Union from JFK to Obama made with WordItOut


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Main navigation | Main content
I am married with four children.
I am semi-retired. My activities include gardening, fishing and birding, trying to understand string theory, following the development of the latest (and proposed) accelerators and what they will tell us about super symmetry and cosmology. After working as a post-doc at several different institutions and somehow managing a full professorship by age 35, I took a 90-degree turn (on a sabbatical, of course) to pursue my interest in music. To make a long story short, I spent the next 30 years as principal horn, French horn, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Now in my "retirement," I have been attempting to catch up, for my own amazement and amusement, on the phenomenal growth in particle physics, and the marvelous convergence between cosmology and particle physics that has ensued. It looks like it is back to the books for me! My favorite memory was watching, like the proverbial "mouse in the corner" in Norton Hintz's office, Norton and Ben Motileson working feverishly at the black board, culminating with Norton biting completely through the stem of his ever-present pipe! My favorite professors were Norton Hintz who taught "modern physics", Dr. Tennie who taught "quantum physics" and Al Nier with his marvelous irreligious attitude about the niceties of mathematical detail.


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Maine drug agents raid meth lab in Houlton, charge 3 people
HOULTON, Maine (AP) � Drug agents have arrested three people in northern Maine in connection with a methamphetamine lab allegedly being run out of an apartment in Houlton.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency says it was alerted to the operation by people who reported strong odors of chemicals coming from the apartment and possible criminal activity.
WCSH-TV (http://on.wcsh6.com/X8Mzc0 ) reported that drug agents on Tuesday night found chemicals, solvents, equipment and other materials used to make methamphetamine.
Police arrested three people on drug charges, including two who lived in the apartment. A toddler who also lived in the apartment has been taken into protective custody.
The Maine DEA says it raided 13 meth labs in 2012, with eight of those located in northern Maine's Aroostook County.
Information from: WCSH-TV, http://www.wcsh6.com