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About This GigapanToggle
- Taken by
- Alex Smith
- Explore score
- 1
- Size
- 3.95 Gigapixels
- Views
- 899
- Date added
- Nov 21, 2012
- Date taken
- Nov 21, 2012
- Categories
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- Dairy Bush GigaPans
- Competitions
- Tags
- fofs, biodiversity22, guelph, ontario, canada, timeseries, forest
- Description
Dairy Bush GigaPan - 169 – November 21 2012
Year 4 - Week 11 - 360°
A beautiful morning, very still and misty and a little bit warmer than last week (0C).
check out the same week over the past three years:
2011 - www.gigapan.com/gigapans/93447
2010 - www.gigapan.com/gigapans/65141/
2009 – www.gigapan.com/gigapans/37446/
Check out the panorama with Google Earth's browse plug-in: bit.ly/XD2jKU
Last weeks' GigaPan: www.gigapan.com/gigapans/118472
Next week's GigaPan: www.gigapan.com/gigapans/119494
A Gallery of all the Dairy Bush GigaPans going backwards in time: bit.ly/yxmdVE
I've extracted images from a year of Dairy Bush GigaPans to illustrate the rapid decomposition of the leaf litter in this forest associated with the presence of non-native worms. The forest floor is changing! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRRv09_oF5w
There is a timelapse video of the third year of the Dairy Bush GigaPan on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=G519AVNzp-w
There is a timelapse video of the second year of the Dairy Bush GigaPan on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCEdsV_kki4 . (yr 1 is below)
The low-resolution timelapse video of the first year of the Dairy Bush GigaPan to YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uImvGH1dq-o
Latitude: 43.52489 Longitude: -80.23771 Heading: 321 Elevation: 10m
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GigaPan Stitch.Efx version 2.1.0161 (Windows)
Panorama size: 3948 megapixels (111168 x 35520 pixels)
Input images: 714 (42 columns by 17 rows)
Field of view: 360.0 degrees wide by 115.0 degrees high (top=55.8, bottom=-59.3)
Vignette correction off
Original image properties:
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot G10
Image size: 4416x3312 (14.6 megapixels)
Capture time: 2012-11-21 10:12:11 - 2012-11-21 11:08:22
Aperture: f/4.5
Exposure time: 0.02 - 0.025
Focal length (35mm equiv.): 142.3 mm
Digital zoom: off
White balance: Fixed
Exposure mode: Manual
Horizontal overlap: 38.4 to 76.6 percent
Vertical overlap: 38.2 to 40.6 percent
Computer stats: 6082.78 MB RAM, 2 CPUs
Total time 2:02:38 (10 seconds per picture)
Alignment: 39:06, Projection: 13:02, Blending: 1:10:30
(Preview finished in 1:07:37)


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By Adam Ganucheau/NEMS Daily Journal
TUPELO – The Tupelo-Lee Humane Society announced this week it is in desperate need of adopters.
Currently, 18 dogs and three cats are considered at risk of being euthanized because the animals have been have been in the South Gloster Street shelter for more than one month. Since all cages at the shelter are full, these 21 animals would be the first to be euthanized.
"This is usually a busy time of the year for us," said TLHS Executive Director Debbie Hood. "These animals are spayed and neutered and they are healthy. They deserve a chance to live."
Hood said that about 20-30 new animals are being brought in each day, and they will soon have to turn animals away if people do not come adopt. Shelter officials say they do not want to turn away stray animals that are brought in, but they also do not want to euthanize healthy animals.
"Sometimes we see a personality change if the animals stay in the shelter too long," Hood said. "That's why we try to limit the animals' stay to no more than a month."
For people that cannot adopt an animal, a sponsorship program is available through the shelter for $75 an animal.
"With the sponsorship program, it allows us to help find homes for the animals quicker," Hood said. "A couple dogs have gotten heartworm treatments from sponsors."
People can see pictures and short descriptions of each adoptable animal on the shelter's website, tupeloleehumane.org. There are also detailed instructions about the adoption process on the website, as well as information regarding lost and found pets and euthanasia. Hood is also urging the community to help spread the word through social media and email.
To Help THLS
Address: 2400 S. Gloster St.
Phone: (662) 841-6500
Website: tupeloleehumane.org
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Closed-Sunday.

subset: commoncrawl


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By JB Clark/NEMS Daily Journal
Ice on Highway 72 kept Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers busy Tuesday morning.
Trooper Ray Hall said more than 20 drivers ran off the road Saturday morning after encountering unexpected patches of ice.
"They started around 6:30 this morning when people got out and didn't expect any ice," Hall said.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation helped Highway Patrol clean icy bridges and Hall said the roads are mostly clear now.
Most accidents were single vehicle accidents and Hall said two caused minor injuries. No one was fatally injured.
The ice affected Alcorn, Benton, Marshall, Tippah and Tishomingo counties.
From MDOT …
JACKSON – The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) would like to announce a wintry weather update on roadway conditions for motorists traveling through the state.
As freezing temperatures move across Mississippi, icy precipitation has begun to accumulate on bridges in Alcorn, Tippah, Tishomingo, DeSoto, Benton, Tate, and Marshall Counties. MDOT crews are spreading slag on bridges to improve traction but extreme caution should be used if you must travel due to the patchy ice.
MDOT will keep motorists posted on road conditions as information becomes available and advises emergency travel only throughout the aforementioned areas. Motorists are encouraged to buckle up for safety, drive safely, stay alert and slow down, especially when driving in wintry weather conditions.
For the most up-to-date information in your area, please visit www.MDOTtraffic.com and sign up for traffic alerts. Also, visit http://www.MDOTtraffic.com/mobile to get the latest traffic information from www.MDOTtraffic.com on your mobile device. MDOT advises the public to pull off the road to a safe location if you need to check the www.MDOTtraffic.com website while driving.
Click here for weather forecast and radar at DJournal.com weather page.


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We want to know if you would be interested in a dedicated SSG iPhone/Android App. The app would give you access to the site news and forums.
Yes, if it were free!
Yes, I would pay between $.99 and $1.99 for it if it was a good app.
No interest in it.
Not sure.
We want to know if you would be interested in a dedicated SSG iPhone/Android App. The app would give you access to the site news and forums.
I feel a great disturbance in the Force.
As an Apple iOS 5 addict, I would be down for an app. I would be willing to drop a couple bucks, especially if they made a iPad app optimized for the new iPad retina display!!!
One step at a time I suppose.
May the force be with you.
Now that I've had a year with my Android phone, I can see where an app would be useful. While the latest mobile skin for the site works much better than the last one, that's still a lot of HTML framework that has to be loaded over a flaky mobile connection. That said, I pay for nearly no apps despite knowing first-hand how much worktime goes into developing something like that, on my ipod touch I have only a few very inexpensive paid apps and my Android phone even less (my new Android tablet none), there's something about apps that makes me even cheaper than I usually am - maybe it's the tiny screen? And the only revenue-generating ads I ever click on in apps is by accident, which isn't worth anything. In any case, I can see a benefit to making an app, but since I'd only use it off wifi and 4g, it's not something I'd prioritize so I probably wouldn't pay for one - the classic developer's catch-22 dilemma.
As for ipad-friendly layouts embedded in a device, I think the Apple API now has that as a big focus, but for Android it's much more of the wild west right now - I can think of less than a handful at the most of apps that are identical files on my phone and tablet yet work differently depending on the layout (Quisr Pro is one of them, relatively simple addition of a left pane for tablets yet it works so well). The good thing is that you don't have to dump any cash into virtual devices for Android though, just download the APK and SVD system then create your own virtual devices on the fly - any display size, any RAM size, any CPU layout running any stock build of Android (some non-stock builds are available free without registration as well, but not all) and you can have a testbed in moments.
Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.
Kylo Ren - came from Space Brooklyn, although he moved to Space Williamsburg before it was trendy.
The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.


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Careme's Cafe Series Presents the Stray Birds
Thursday, December 13 2012 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Take the intimate feel of a coffee-house, add top-notch live contemporary folk/rock, mix in a light gourmet dinner, and youre enjoying an evening at Caremes Cafe. The light four-course dinner includes soup, salad, choice of entree and choice of dessert.
Location: Careme\\\', Mays Landing M Bldg.
Contact: Anna Simmons - (609) 343-4907 - email@example.com
Website: http://www.atlantic.edu/aca/cafeseries.htm
Open to: Public
Admission Info: Tickets are $35/person


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Grotto Grip - 12 Pack
In Stock • 91574
PreK & up. This ergonomic pencil grip was designed and tested by an occupational therapist. Finger guards hold figures in a mature tripod grasp and activate proper muscles to strengthen hand while writing. Results in increased endurance and precision. Latex free.


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Unfortunately, the page you requested was not found on our server. It is possible that the page has been moved or you typed the wrong address.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact Customer Service at 800.868.6733.
Learn about concrete solutions for homes, pavements, buildings, and more.
Find technical materials, reference information, and research.
Register and learn more about upcoming PCA gatherings.


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My Thoughts and Comparisons
Pros: Accurate reproduction of the recording with the ability to recreate the space, dynamics, bass, and everything else originally present like no other!
Cons: None
Remember those essays you had to write in grade school? Well I do even if you don't. In honor of that memory, I am going to write: What does the EarSonics SM3 mean to me?
Back in March I was going to order the EarSonics SM3 based off the few things I have read about them, even though it wasn't much. But then something stopped me. Could they really be that good, and the shipping cost was as expensive as my gateway IEM! I was not sure what exactly to expect, but did have some insider info from shigzeo, which was all positive. But were they going to be UM3X like and lacking they dynamics and excitement I want, especially for the price?
Well, a month went by and search reminded me of the SM3, and I realized I had to have them. So I placed my order. I got the FX700 two days before the SM3. Talk about too many toys at once. Upon opening the SM3, I was surprised that there was only one type of tip (Franck is going to start including a 2nd type of tip). And to be honest, at first, I was thinking "what the hell did I just spend $425 on?" Burn in, tips, getting used to the sound sig, who knows. But they sound so much better now, and clearer also.
What am I hearing? This excerpt pretty much sums it up quite well (thanks MayaTlab via KLS)
I don't know about the UM3x availability in the USA.
For the Earsonics, you'll have to import them from their website :
EarSonics ® / Ear Sonics in-ear monitors / custom earphones / in ears / ear monitors / earplugs / earmolds.
Don't be afraid because of the translation - yeah, it sucks. Trust me, they're very serious and the customer service is fantastic.
Also, their price is 350 WITH TAX, and probably if my mathematical skills aren't that terrible around 290 without - still very expensive in dollars (387 + possible customs taxes).
However, I'd wait if I were you, because there are only a handful of head-fi feedbacks about them. The French forums are just raving about them about pretty much everything, but it would be nice to have different points of view. However so far I've read the following comments :
- Better details and instrument separation than the UM3x (that must really be something then)
- Soundstage as wide as IE8
- Superb imaging and depth
- "Spot on" EQ - ie very flat and neutral (though I bet we're talking about the Hi-Fi side of neutrality, that is to say rather warm but not too much)
- Very tight and controlled bass (at least tighter than IE8), with thunderous and fast impact. I haven't read anything about its texture. They have less bass quantity than the IE8, but I cannot say in comparison to the UM3x. I bet given my SM2 experience that they'll slide in between the SE530 and UM3x in terms of quantity.
- Superb mids (very likely to be the best of the current universals, given Earsonics' pedigree), and super extra ultra "liquid".
- Airy and extended treble
- Effortlessly dynamic - they sound "big", "powerful"
They also have the exact same ergonomics as the UM3x, but there isn't a version with removable cables.
On the one hand, that sounds too good to be true (hence my recommendation to wait a bit), but on the other hand, Earsonics has been around for years, is producing a two-way three drivers custom that goes head to head with the JH13 (and was designed more than four years ago) and is a very serious company - so they're totally able to pull this off.
Well, OK, so I stole a post from someone else! At least I cited the source! But seriously, IMHO these are the best in-ear monitors I have heard, bar none (with the exception of possibly the UE11 universal I heard for 20 minutes at Can Jam, but these gave me the same amazed feeling). So, lets see...
- Equal to or better than IE8 soundstage width (my IE8's were lost in the mail, so I can't compare directly)
- Equal to or better space/imaging/instrument separation than the UM3X
- More detail than the dynamics I have heard, and at least as much as the other BA's I have heard (more comparisons need to be done)
- Best of the dynamic IEM like bass impact
- Enough speed for anything I have thrown at them
- Extended treble
- Liquid mids
- e-Q7/GR8 transparency
- Dynamics and excitement when the song calls for it
- Best I have heard balance across the spectrum from bass through the treble
Did I miss anything?
So, because of what I am hearing, my other high priced IEMs are becoming expendable and unused, which means I am probably going to sell many of them, if not all after I finish my comparisons. That is why the SM3 is the "most affordable high priced universal IEM!"
So, I sold: CK10, GR8, FX700, e-Q7, PR1 Pro, Mingo WM2 Gold & Silver and bought the Tesla T1...and I don't miss any of what I sold!
And a note on the sound. While I don't have the others to compare with (still have the CK90Pro, Copper, and RE252 for backup purposes, and out of being too lazy to sell them), I think the SM3 has grown on me/improved even more than when I did my comparisons. Now there are many other owners that are agreeing with my findings. Go get them, you won't be disappointed (after 2 weeks with them).
A note on the SM3 vs. the T1...the SM3 can present a wider space than the T1 with some songs, and has a more true to the recording sound than the T1, as it varies widely in presentation depending on the recording. While I have no complaints about the T1, other than really needing another amp for it, the SM3 can do things the T1 can't. But then the T1 does present things differently and places things in a way that I can hear the individual notes and noises better sometimes. This is due IMO to the T1 having a more constant soundstage size.
My results from A/Bing my headphones. I selected the best tips for each, used a few sources and my test tracks, which I am familiar with.
SM3 vs.
Bass - FX700 has more bass and more bass reverb than the SM3. But to my ears the SM3 sounds accurate and the FX700 sounds a little uncontrolled. It is easier for me to make out the details in the bass with the SM3, and the SM3 has faster bass. The SM3 is warmer than the FX700 by a bit.
Mids - The SM3 mids make the FX700 mids sound somewhat recessed. This is because the SM3 has full mids and the FX700 presentation of the mids is more laid back.
Treble - The SM3 treble never sounds too much or too little, whereas the FX700 treble sounds like it is artificially boosted and lacks tonal accuracy. The tonal accuracy of the FX700 doesn't really sound off until you compare with the SM3, as the emphasis can be skewed due to the comparatively compressed soundstage and boost, affecting the harmonics. The SM3 treble is liquid, and while the FX700 treble does have much detail and is not sharp like the FX500, it lack s the liquid quality of the SM3.
Soundstage - While the FX700 has nearly the same width as the SM3, the soundstage is comparatively flat front to back and top to bottom.
Transparency - The SM3 disappears more than the FX700, especially when there is a lot of bass and treble in songs.
Summary - The SM3 sounds more natural and balanced than the FX700 across the spectrum. The lower half of the FX700 is nice, but still not as detailed or controlled as the SM3.
Bass - The e-Q7 has nice, deep bass that doesn't sound lacking, until you hear the SM3 bass, which has much more power and much better reverb. There is a very noticeable difference in warmth also, as the SM3 is much warmer. The only place where the e-Q7 may be better than the SM3 is lower mid/upper bass clarity, and only by a bit. Bass speed of the SM3 is superior to the e-Q7.
Mids - Both have very good mids, but the differences are in how liquid the SM3 mids are as well as the warmth and fullness, with the SM3 being warmer/fuller. The mids IMO come down to preference, but the more liquid presentation of the SM3 is much preferred.
Treble - I think the treble of the SM3 sounds much better than the e-Q7, and is more extended and liquid, but not smooth. The details are all there, but not etched or rough at all, just presented in a very convincing way. The e-Q7 on the other hand does not convey the realism in the treble that the SM3 conveys.
Soundstage - The e-Q7 has a similar shape to the soundstage, so both of these IEMs portray instruments with similar accuracy from a 3D perspective. But size is where these differ, which is song dependent. The more space in the song, the better they both sound, but the SM3 has more room for the space to grow. Straight out of a DAP I think the SM3 does better, but when amped, the e-Q7 can catch up for some songs. But again, when the song has a lot of space in it, the SM3 pulls away.
Transparency - This is similar, and I actually think the SM3 is a little superior due to the additional speed.
Summary - The e-Q7 is a very capable IEM, but still not quite as good as the SM3. I do really like the sound, and without A/Bing, this would be my favorite IEM (and the FX700 a very close 2nd), but with the SM3 around, the e-Q7 is expendable, as it constricts what the SM3 does and the bass or treble really don't compete.
Bass - The CK10 extends all the way down in the bass region, but the difference in weight is huge. The SM3 has far superior weight and reverb while not giving up much in speed. Detail is about the same.
Mids - Warm vs. comparatively cold presentation. The mids do have better clarity with the CK10, but that clarity comes at a price of an analytical sound vs. a liquid presentation.
Treble - Just like in the bass region, the treble of the SM3 is vastly superior to the CK10. I used to think the CK10 treble, while not great, wasn't bad. In direct comparison, the treble of the CK10 is metallic and unrealistic sounding. And the emphasis of the CK10 is in the upper mids/treble, which makes it worse.
Soundstage - The CK10 has a very nice soundstage depth/width/height ratio, slightly better than the e-Q7 IMO. The SM3 offers that, but with a much greater absolute size.
Transparency - The SM3 is a winner here as both the bass and treble of the CK10 bring attention to themselves, reducing transparency.
Summary - The CK10 does offer one thing over the SM3...midrange clarity. However, the trade-offs for the small increase in mid clarity is not worth the comparatively poor performance in all the other categories.
MD (I had a short audition. It was short because I did not think it compared well to the SM3):
Bass - The MD is warmer than the SM3, but the bass also sounds very uncontrolled in comparison. The level of detail is very different between the two, with the SM3 have so much more. While the MDs may have more bass because they keep moving and moving, the SM3 doesn't lack power in comparison.
Mids - Both have full mids, but the MD mids are more full. The MDs have a front and center presentation that the SM3 can mimic with a few recordings that are recorded that way. The SM3 mids are more liquid and detailed, sounding more realistic.
Treble: The SM3 treble is spot on, the MD treble is a little relaxed in comparison.
Soundstage - The MDs have a smallish soundstage while the SM3 has a much larger, more 3D and realistic soundstage.
Transparency - The SM3 is oodles better than the MDs as the lack of bass control (in comparison) makes driver placement easy.
Summary - The MDs have a mid-centric presentation with a nice midrange, but IMO are outclassed in every way.
Copper: Quick hit...the Copper is a very nice IEM, no doubt. It has strengths, but compared with the SM3, I don't feel it does anything better.
Bass: Slower and more reverberant than the SM3, it isn't bad, but lacks the details and ability to have a quick attack when the song warrants it.
Mids: The SM3 mids are fuller, but at this stage with my SM3, I do not hear any veil in comparison. The throaty mids have a natural sound to them that makes a believe out of me, while the Copper sounds like I am listening to headphones.
Treble: I do like the treble of the Copper quite a bit, but the SM3 outdoes the Copper in resolution and realistic sound of the instruments as well as more precise placement.
Soundstage: the Copper has a nice 3D presence to its soundstage, although not large. The front-to-back and top-to-bottom aren't all that far off in proportion to the width when compared to the SM3, but the entire soundstage is smaller overall. It does open up quite a bit with a good source/amp, but still does not reach SM3 levels.
Transparency: The Copper isn't the most transparent among the dynamic IEMs, the SM3 is at least as transparent as the e-Q7 (an I think more transparent), so there you go.
Summary: The SM3 sounds so much less like I am listening to IEMs when compared with the Copper. The SM3 is more detailed, resolving, and has a better, wider stage.
Note (6/2/10): I put the Copper in after a long time of not listening to them and realized the above was me being nice. The SM3 just crushes the Copper to my ears as they seem flat in dynamics, compressed in soundstage, lack precision, and have uncontrolled bass in comparison. I remember when I thought the Copper was oh so good; perspective changes everything!
To make this short and to the point, while the GR8 sounds nice, when compared with the SM3, it sounded very unnatural to my ears. The SM3 sounded like how I would hear a live performance and the GR8 did not. Of course, the SM3 also outperforms the GR8 in every category from a little to a lot. Bass, mids, treble, soundstage, transparency, detail, reverb, etc. You think of it, the SM3 was superior IMO. But I really couldn't get past the unnatural sound in comparison with the SM3.


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Latest Headlines
Gillick: Phillies 116 Wins
Posted on 23 Feb 2011 by Christopher Rowe.
Pat Gillick has roamed many baseball fields, evaluated countless players and seen more than most In his half-century in professional baseball. Gillick has seen thousands of games, from undefined pastures and sandlots in Third World countries to artificially engineered billiard surface stadia to perfectly manicured lawns in billion dollar palaces across the Major League landscape. Gillick has ma...


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This is very interesting - it looks like the SW version of Marvel Legends. The packaging look is very nice and classy and the Luke looks pretty great. I don't know how much space, time, and money I can devote to collecting a whole new scale, but I'll probably pick up some of them.
Interesting that the 3 3/4" line will continue under this "The Black Series" banner as well. I'm assuming this is what is replacing TVC? The article even calls the figures vintage-style, so presumably they won't just be continuing the actual vintage look. Though I wonder if this is partly to place the great articulation, paint, and sculpts into one line and have the 3 3/4" figures scale back on some of these aspects. Toy Fair really can't get here fast enough!
I'm not going to buy the new size. Luke looks great and it is nice detail. Hopefully it will create excitement and sales for the stockholders by the very enjoyment of Star Wars by many new fans, and some of the older ones.
My concerns:
1. Quality in sculpt and detail are NOT sacraficed for the 3 3/4" line.
2. The 3 3/4" line continues with Expanded Universe characters, including more obscure or army-building ones, as well as obscure movie characters. If you cannot identify Nyrat Agira, Rogwa Woodrata, Tzzzvvzzt, Shasha Teil, Taym-dren Garen, Nomi Sunrider, Sylvar, Droma, Anakin Solo, Riff Tamsen, Wagtwo, Senator Farr, etc., you might enjoy them when you learn about them, but regardless, there ARE fans waiting to enjoy figures of these characters and more. As well as an open-Bespin Jacket Luke Skywalker (without belt) from Dagobah from just before Yoda raises Luke's X-wing that's never been made. I'm not buying the next improvement to a Sandtrooper or Darth Vader - or General Grievous and Darth Maul.
3. Regular sized (Corporate Alliance Tank Droid sized, V-wing sized) Class 2 vehicles return and offer new products like Hondo Ohnaka's flying saucer fighter (Rapier-One) and Hondo's pirate tank - as well as things like the Trandoshan hunter pods are made for Class 1 vehicles with figures. The Kamino Clone Labs patrol vessels that kind of look like Slave-One are perfect for on-screen actual MOVIE additions to this set.
But I don't want to spoil others' enthusiasm for this new size.
I can't wait. These will look awesome next to my Epic Force, Unleashed, Force Battlers, Jedi Force, and all the other excellent mid-size Star Wars figure lines that were canned after a handful of figures!
No one in Wave 1 excites me, but, if there are better figures in a Wave 2 and they actually hit retail, or if Maul or Artoo look awesome in person, I might get them when Ross marks them down to $4.99.
JJL, do you really think that, at a $20 pricepoint, this line will stick around? Whether you liked them or not, all their previous lines were well-executed and sold rather well up until the typical distribution issues and oversaturation of a few unwanted figures hit. Also, keep in mind that Unleashed, with the same target audience as these "Black" figures, wasn't canceled because it didn't sell, but because sales didn't increase as proportionally as the other lines did in 2005.
I don't think that a new scale of figure is the way to reinvigorate the collector base, particularly after most of us have collections of almost twenty years worth of figures in another size (or two).
If these come out in 2012 and aren't clogging closeout store shelves by April 2013, I will eat my Unleashed Darth Vader.
Considering fans who collect 6" Figures have been begging and pleading for a quality 6" Figure line for at least a decade now... I think it'll do pretty well. The folks on Fwoosh are already chomping at the bit for the line.
And you might as well start eating that Unleashed Vader now Chuxie.. considering they don't come out until around August of 2013... there's no way they can come out in 2012 and go on clearance by April. Do you want ketchup with that?
Well, then, since I said "if they come out in 2012," that would make that moot....
I'm not trying to be negative; the Luke actually looks quite good. I just have absolutely no faith in Hasbro's ability to deliver it as promised, at least not for more than a couple of waves.
As Beast said, I really do think the audience for these is going to be larger and stronger than it was for previous releases, so hopefully Hasbro will be able to meet the demand. Since figures are already $10, I don't think $20 for something at this level of detail is bad. This line is certainly more impressive to the average figure collector than, say, those new $13 12" figures with limited articulation and attached weapons.
We asked Hasbro about this sort of thing way back on November 3rd, 2006...ActionFigs.com: With Hasbro now producing 6" super articulated Marvel figures, could we eventually see a special line with 6" super articulated Star Wars figures?
Hasbro: We have no plans for this type of figure line. As the heart and soul of the Star Wars collecting world, we are focused on making sure our 3-3/4" line is vibrant, fresh, and exciting first and foremost, along with providing continued newness for our other play patterns (Star Wars Transformers, Unleashed 2", and Galactic Heroes).
Another outlet asked them about that idea a year later, on December 7th, 2007...JediInsider.com: There seems to be a decent amount of interest from collectors for 6" Marvel Legends style Star Wars figures. What are the chances we might see a line like that in the future?
Hasbro: We will not be producing a line like this for Star Wars. When we have tried other collector-targeted scales (like 7" Unleashed) we found that fan interest, when compared to the 3-3/4" system, is just not as strong. In addition, for kids, the 3-3/4" scale is also the best one for a wide-range of figures and vehicles that play together, which is critical to the Star Wars fantasy. Rather than spread too thin against collectors, we will be focusing our efforts against making sure the 3-3/4" is broad, as we have been for the past couple of years. We should note that the other sublines - Galactic Heroes, Star Wars Transformers, and Unelashed 2", have a very strong following among kids and we will continue these going forward as well.
Surprisingly, that's essentially all I can find in the Q&A about the idea, aside from Hasbro reiterating that stance when discussing the 3 3/4" system's superiority.
Another site is rumoring that this line will be a co-venture with Gentle Giant, which isn't entirely surprising judging from the looks of the sample figure - the types of sculpting and paint remind me more of GG than of Hasbro.
Personally, I'm of a mixed feelings on this. I do like the 3.75" line for its ability to interact with vehicles and for a compact display, but vehicles have dried up in quality and Hasbro's collector-focused figures feel like they're peaked in quality, there were a lot of "ok" figures in 2012 that failed to be wows due to little things but also couldn't be failures, and at $10 a piece an "ok" figure just doesn't satisfy. I also like the look of that Luke pilot 6" figure far beyond the 3.75" figure.
All that said, Hasbro hasn't really earned $20 from me on this yet, that's a lot of coin for not a lot of product, and Hasbro is notorious at missing the boat on fine quality products, they always end up going with mass-market quality paint and production mold crispness. Figures at this scale also tend to be brittle in their joints, and Hasbro has not had good luck in that department either. Will a line of figures this large be able to justify its higher costs? Marvel Legends uses buck parts and simplistic sculpting on the bodies to get around that issue, it wouldn't be possible here obviously. Will this line's complexity cause a quick price skyrocketing, the way TVC did? Finally, my biggest complaint is Hasbro's distribution problems over the last few years, will we get enough figures to satiate, will they clog shelves, will the line budget overwhelm it and shut it down in its infancy?
I do want Hasbro to be able to recapture the collector market, they tried to do so with TVC and it was met with mixed results, I don't want to invest in a new line of figures only to find partway through that it's coming up short and dead without major characters. That doesn't mean I'm out, but it does mean I'm cautious to my feelings on this matter.
I wonder if they'll stick with the box design. If they do, I'm sure we'll get a hang tag stuck on.
Especially since shelf space is at a premium and stores will demand they can put these on hooks.
I'm actually pretty excited about this. That Luke figure looks amazing and I'm interested to see what a Sandtrooper and R2-D2 look like in this scale.
There's only a small handful of characters that I would consider paying $20 for 6" scale figures of and, interestingly enough, Luke X-Wing, R2-D2 and a Sandtrooper would be on that list.
I'm suddenly optimistic about the future of Star Wars collecting again.
Its going to be a wait and see for me on this. I'd like to have one in hand to see if it "feels" like its worth $20.
That being said, no thanks Hasbro. I will throw my voice in with those who worry what it will mean for for the 3.75" line. I'd hate to see quality squandered on the line after all this time. I do agree with Tycho to an extent that I would like to see more EU figures, though with the next trilogy throwing the fate of post-RotJ up in the air, I don't know what, if any we'll see.
However, the Luke picture does look good, and if they hold up as well in person, maybe, maaaaaybe, I'll pick up a few select characters. and a Jawa, because really, I cannot seem to resist those...
Waiting on rolling out Vader isn't really that big of a surprise. I'd want them to wait until they could really nail the figure. Hell, he might end up being a stand-alone figure release. Like the great 12" Electronic Talking Darth Vader w/ Removable Helmet from the 12" Action Collection line from a few years ago.
It gets me very frequently.Maradona 9 Hours Ago
I'm down to drive the carpool over there from the LA area if any of our locals wants to.Maradona 9 Hours Ago
Thanks for the info. The day before mother's day... hmm, still could work tho.
Torrance WM had a Black Series 3.75" Jyn Erso for $5.84,
Weirdest part of this set: cards #66 and #67 have the same caption, with different images and card back wording.
And, some (actually several)
One checkout, one register. That really slowed it down.
Oh, and the lines to the men's room were just as long if not longer than the ladies
Finished reading Cross Current and Riptide by Paul Kemp. Read Riptide first, but the plot made more sense after a point in Cross Current. Not bad SW novels.OC47151 1 Day Ago
These odd-colored borders just drive me nuts. All I want is a complete set; the color of the border doesn't matter to me.
I started buying/trading
Stormtroopers Guide
Making Rogue One
From a Certain Point of View
Rise of a Hero
Those, as well as the Shakespeare, interest
Had it yesterday at 7:45 am and again last night at around 10pm.DarkJedi5 1 Day Ago
The ones I found most intriguing were:
The Star Wars Cookbook: BB-Ate: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch
Star Wars Stormtroopers:


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The Mac G5 which was bombadil.infradead.org has died (frequently powering down due to one CPU package overheating, eventually refusing to come back on at all).
This machine was lists.infradead.org and git.infradead.org, as well as providing mail services for a bunch of people and various other things too.
The mailing lists were migrated away to another machine in the cluster before it finally expired, but git services will take a little longer — hopefully within the next 24 hours.
All user accounts on bombadil have been migrated to canuck.infradead.org — if you could log in to bombadil, then you should be able to log in to canuck with the same password and/or SSH keys. No other files have yet been copied across; we're working on that. If your mail was going to bombadil, it's now going to canuck.
The current plan is to deploy a shiny new machine to replace bombadil, if newegg.com will stop being incompetent (failing to authorise the credit card payment, and randomly cancelling orders even after they claim to have authorised it). It'll be an x86_64 machine instead of ppc64, so we can't just put bombadil's disks into it, but it'll have a copy of all the old home directories.
I'll bring the disks from bombadil home and put them into a spare G5, which will be connected through my crappy ADSL line. I don't expect people to be doing large data transfers to/from it.
Hm, I really ought to keep a users mailing list with up-to-date alternative addresses for people. But that list only has two members, neither of whom are affected by this...
[NOTE: If anyone in the Boston area could lend me a ppc64 machine for a few weeks, the transition could be made a lot easier, because we could stick bombadil's disks in it while we set up its replacement...]


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Justin Jones is 6'8 257 pounds... If his 40 time is good he will go early just because his size!
By the way he is just about the same size as Lebron of course Lebron has more muscle though but thats still ridiculous.
Justin Jones is 6'8 257 pounds... If his 40 time is good he will go early just because his size!
By the way he is just about the same size as Lebron of course Lebron has more muscle though but thats still ridiculous.
It would be pretty difficult for me to find Swope as an underrated receiver. It has nothing to do with his talent, but everybody knows about him. He's mentioned a lot around here specifically.
I don't think Swope is an overrated player, but I think it's possible that he gets a little overrated here.
I certainly wouldn't be suprised to see him end up in a Dolphin uniform simply because of his familiarity with Sherman's offense and Tannehill inparticular. However, Swope has probably struggled the most out of the aTm receivers in adjusting to Coach Sumlin's offense. The two freshman, Mike Evans and Thomas Johnson, are ahead of where Swope is in terms of Sumlin's offense.
Sumlin's offense is based more off the 4-verticals concept that's typical of spread offenses with it's roots in the Run-and-Shoot as opposed to Sherman's west coast principles.
I don't necessarily see Jordy Nelson qualities within Swope because he's not quite as big, fast, or athletic as Nelson was. The thing that I always liked about Swope was his consistency in Sherman's offense, although he's not quite as comfortable in Sumlin's. He had good chemistry with Tannehill in Sherman's offense particularly when it came to broken plays. He would always work back towards Tannehill, or separate vertically to create big plays.
Nice to see Jordan Reed on that list, I'm at bit biased being a gators fan but this guy could solve a big need for us and with the plethora of 2nd's and 3rd's we have t his year, we could be in the ideal spot to pick him up.
His stock may rise though if the Gators win it all. Florida has some really good talent coming out this year, some nice fits for the fins too.
I love Jordan Reed. Solid athlete, but his game definitely needs a little polishing, particularly blocking. I don't see much reason for him to leave early which is fine by me.
Support NAFTA!
Slimm I was reading ESPN's early look at the 2013 draft and they mention a couple of sleepers. One is Anthony Barr from UCLA who's 6'4" 235 lbs and has 12 sacks...and the other is a LT from Central Michigan by the name of Eric Fisher who is 6'7" 305 lbs and a senior. I did some research and it seems he's climbing up boards pretty quickly, some have him as a late first round-early second round prospect...it's the first I've heard of him. Have you seen this kid play?
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/...now-2013-draftWho is the biggest sleeper on your board right now?
Kiper: For just "pure sleeper" in the sense of a guy nobody has seen, I'll go with Eric Fisher of Central Michigan, who could be starting for someone at tackle next season. I wanted to highlight him on a "SportsCenter" segment the other day and we had trouble finding enough tape. He's a guy that many haven't seen, but the MAC always has talent. Currently, he's No. 21 on my Big Board.
The other kind of sleeper for me is a player who nobody had rated high at the outset of the year but has totally exploded as a prospect. On defense, start with Anthony Barr, a pass-rusher from UCLA. This is a kid who was a fullback last year who wasn't really going anywhere. The coaches, to their credit, flipped him to the defensive side of the ball and he's been an absolute terror as a pass-rusher. After one year on defense, he could be drafted in the top 15 to play more of it come April. Right now, Barr is No. 13 on my Big Board.
On offense, go with Cordarelle Patterson of Tennessee. A wide receiver, he was highly regarded in junior college. In his first game of D-I college football, he went crazy against NC State. He has averaged 17 yards a catch and has star potential if he can develop technically. He's currently No. 10 on my Big Board and the No. 1 wide receiver prospect.
Absolutely I've seen a lot of both. I think Eric Fisher is the best Senior tackle in the class, which you'll find in the thread where I made my November rankings for Seniors. He reminds me a little bit of Joe Staley when he came out of Central Michigan, except better. I believe the Chippewas have two of the more underrated Senior prospects in this entire class. One being Fisher, the other being safety Jahleel Addae, who I'm convinced is the most athletic safety I've seen. Jake Olson at right tackle is a good player too.
Barr was playing runningback his first two years at UCLA and just switched to the defensive side of the ball this year. He's produced from the linebacker position, but it came after I made this thread, which is based off what I've seen of their sophomore tape. Obviously Barr playing linebacker hadn't happened yet.
Lastly, I do agree with Mel regarding Cordarrelle Patterson. He's going to be the #1 WR on my board if he enters the draft. It's a possibility he's not going to have the grades to return to Tennessee. Entering the draft will be the only option that makes sense. He can't go back to JUCO, it's only for freshman/sophomores.
Last edited by TedSlimmJr; 11-28-2012 at 11:56 PM.
Obviously. Of course he's not underrated anymore, but he was prior to the season. I've talked about how underrated I felt Elam was prior to the season going all the way back to July, and believed he was ready to put it on display as a Junior and become one of the elite defenders in the SEC....
Now that he's gone out and proven that by having dominant performances inside the SEC on his way to leading Florida to a top 5 defense, they're beginning to see how good he really is. He was a great player last year as a sophomore despite Florida's defense not being nearly as good. His dedication to film study was going to allow him to go from being an extremely solid, assignment sound player, to being an elite player.
All the "services" you're reading were most likely hyping up liabilities such as T.J. McDonald as premier players circa the time period I was attempting to direct attention towards where the real talent lies.
Elam isn't underrated anymore, and they're a little late in my estimation.
Last edited by TedSlimmJr; 11-28-2012 at 11:54 PM.
Behind Joeckel as the #2 tackle in the draft... right there in the neighborhood with Jake Matthews. I suspect Matthews can play left tackle. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if he stayed another year just to switch over the left side to prove it if Joeckel moves on.
As an aside, I think Jeff Nady for Nevada is a really underrated player that I may be higher on than most.


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By Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – Cam Lawrence has to admit: This week is a little different.
No. 13 Mississippi State will travel to No. 1 Alabama on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPN) in a critical SEC Western Division battle. Both teams are 7-0, with the Bulldogs holding a 3-0 league mark and the Crimson Tide coming in 4-0.
Coach Dan Mullen and quarterback Tyler Russell both said they'll be treating this week the same as any other week. Lawrence, the senior linebacker, said Alabama week is different.
"You say you want to treat it like any other week, but we're stepping our game up, and we're hyped, we're excited," Lawrence said Monday. "I know today just walking around, all the guys have got a glow in their eye. They're ready for some action."
Lawrence has noticed the buzz on campus. With the team off to its best start in 13 years – MSU started 8-0 in 1999 – fans are hoping for big things.
"Everybody's going to be buzzing about it, but you've got to take the same approach you've had in the last seven games," Russell said. "I don't think anything will change. As far as practice, I think it'll be a higher tempo, everybody's excited."
Playing the top team in the country is motivation enough, but then there's the fact that Alabama is favored by more than three touchdowns. That furthers the narrative among the players that they aren't being given enough respect for being 7-0.
MSU's schedule is ranked 119th in the country by Jeff Sagarin of USA Today, and the three SEC opponents it has played so far are a combined 0-14 in league play.
Mullen said he has no opinion on the point spread or anyone's perception about his team.
"We have to worry about what we think about each other inside," he said. "And I think our guys have a lot of respect for the leaders on our team. And they respect how everybody on the team works, and they respect each other and they respect our program."
When asked if MSU would play the respect card this week, tailback LaDarius Perkins simply said, "No."
Lawrence echoed something cornerback Johnthan Banks said two weeks ago about MSUnot getting national respect.
"I like being the underdog," Lawrence said. "It's fuel to the fire for me."


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NATO's capabilities
NATO constantly reviews and transforms its policies, capabilities and structures to ensure that it can continue to address current and future challenges to the freedom and security of its members. Presently, Allied forces are required to carry out a wide range of missions across several continents; the Alliance needs to ensure that its armed forces remain modern, deployable, and capable of sustained operations.
- NATO's modern defence posture is based on an effective combination of cutting-edge capabilities and forces trained to work together seamlessly.
- The 2010 Strategic Concept identifies collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security as the essential core tasks that NATO must continue to fulfil to assure the security of its members. In the Strategic Concept, deterrence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional and ballistic missile defence capabilities, remains a core element of NATO's overall strategy.
- Allies agreed to develop and maintain the capabilities needed to carry out all associated missions, where appropriate using multinational approaches and innovative solutions.
- At the 2012 Chicago Summit, Allied leaders confirmed that the NATO Defence Planning Process would continue to be the primary means to identify and prioritise required capabilities and to promote their development and acquisition,
- At the 2014 Wales Summit, at a time of continuing difficult global financial conditions, Allies agreed to further enhance their ability to meet these commitments and introduce a range of measures to respond to the new and emerging geo-strategic security environment.
- At the 2016 Warsaw Summit, Allied leaders confirmed their commitment to delivering heavier and more high-end forces and capabilities, as well as more forces at higher readiness.
Meeting immediate and long-term challenges
The Allies provided political guidance in 2015 to refine further the overarching aims and objectives of the 2010 Strategic Concept by establishing what they expect the Alliance to be able to do in broad quantitative and qualitative terms, especially in the prevailing geo-strategic security environment. By setting the related priorities, this guidance mandates the delivery of the required capabilities through the NATO Defence Planning Process.
The NATO Defence Planning Process
The NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) aims to harmonise national and Alliance defence planning activities; it details how the aims and objectives of the Alliance as set out in the political guidance are to be met. By setting targets for implementation by Allies, either individually or together, it guides both national and collective capability development.
In the course of planning and carrying out operations, operational commands may identify capabilities that are required immediately. These urgent operational requirements are not dealt with through the NDPP, but are 'fast-tracked' through the Military Committee and relevant budget committees, and finally submitted for consideration by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's principal political decision-making body.
Current objectives
With the adoption of the 2010 Strategic Concept, Alliance leaders committed to ensuring that NATO has the full range of capabilities necessary to deter and defend against any threat to the safety and security of Allies' populations. Therefore the Alliance will:
- maintain an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional forces;
- maintain the ability to sustain concurrent major joint operations and several smaller operations for collective defence and crisis response, including at strategic distance;
- develop and maintain robust, mobile and deployable conventional forces to carry out both its Article 5 responsibilities and expeditionary operations, including with the NATO Response Force;
- carry out the necessary training, exercises, contingency planning and information exchange for assuring its defence against the full range of conventional and emerging security challenges, and provide appropriate visible assurance and reinforcement for all Allies;
- ensure the broadest possible participation of Allies in collective defence planning on nuclear roles, in peacetime basing of nuclear forces, and in command, control and consultation arrangements;
- develop the capability to defend NATO European populations , territories and forces against ballistic missile attack as a core element of its collective defence, which contributes to the indivisible security of the Alliance;
- further develop its capacity to defend against the threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons;
- further develop further its ability to prevent, detect, defend against and recover from cyber attacks, including by using the NATO planning process to enhance and coordinate national cyber defence capabilities, bringing all NATO bodies under centralised cyber protection, and better integrating NATO cyber awareness, warning and response with member countries;
- enhance the capacity to detect and defend against international terrorism, including through enhanced analysis of the threat, more consultations with partners, and the development of appropriate military capabilities, including to help train partner forces to fight terrorism themselves;
- develop the capacity to contribute to energy security, including protection of critical energy infrastructure and transit areas and lines, cooperation with partners, and consultations among Allies on the basis of strategic assessments and contingency planning;
- ensure that it is at the front edge in assessing the security impact of emerging technologies, and that military planning takes the potential threats into account;
- continue to review its overall posture in deterring and defending against the full range of threats to the Alliance, taking into account changes to the evolving international security environment.
Prioritising capabilities
Given the evolving geo-strategic environment, Alliance leaders are continuously assessing and reviewing the capabilities needed to conduct the full range of NATO missions.
At the Chicago Summit in May 2012, Alliance leaders made a pledge to improve the NATO's planning processes and specific capabilities in pursuit of the "NATO Forces 2020" goal. The vision for NATO forces in 2020 and beyond is one of modern, tightly connected forces equipped, trained, exercised and commanded so that they can operate together and with partners in any environment. New initiatives were introduced to aid the realisation of this goal, including the delivery of required capabilities using the multinational approaches of 'Smart Defence' and the use of the Connected Forces Initiative to ensure that the Alliance remains well prepared to undertake the full range of its missions and address future challenges.
At the Wales Summit in September 2014, Alliance leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to collective defence and to ensuring security and assurance for all Allies; they agreed a coherent and comprehensive package of measures – the Readiness Action Plan (RAP) – to meet the need for assurance and to adapt the Alliance's military strategic posture to respond to changes in the geo-strategic security environment. They also pledged to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets.
At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, Alliance leaders committed to continuing to deliver on key capabilities, including Ballistic Missile Defence, Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Alliance Ground Surveillance. They also recognised cyberspace as a new operational domain, in addition to land, air and sea, to enable better protection of NATO's networks, missions and operations. Allies pledged to strengthen and enhance the cyber defences of national networks and infrastructure, and committed to boosting their resilience to improve civil preparedness.
Smart Defence
In light of growing military requirements, developing capabilities becomes more complex and therefore in many cases more expensive. As a result, multinational cooperation offers a viable solution to deliver critical capabilities in a cost-effective manner. For certain high-end key capabilities Allies may in fact only be able to obtain them if they work together to develop and acquire them. Smart Defence is NATO's approach for bringing multinational cooperation to the forefront of Allies' capability delivery efforts.
Developing greater European military capabilities through multinational cooperation will continue to strengthen the transatlantic link, enhance the security of all Allies and foster an equitable sharing of the burdens, benefits and responsibilities of Alliance membership. In this context, NATO works closely with the European Union, utilising agreed mechanisms, to ensure that Smart Defence and the EU's Pooling and Sharing initiative are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Concurrently, Smart Defence also contributes toward maintaining a strong defence industry in Europe by making the fullest possible use of defence industrial cooperation across the Alliance. Moving forward NATO will continue to support Allies in their endeavour to exploit the full potential multinational capability delivery offers.
Connected Forces Initiative
The Connected Forces Initiative (CFI) is essential to ensure that the Alliance remains well prepared to undertake the full range of its missions, as well as to address future challenges wherever they may arise. The implementation of CFI is one of the key means to deliver NATO Forces 2020 and to enable the training and exercise elements of the RAP.
Framework Nations Concept
NATO defence ministers agreed a Framework Nations Concept in June 2014, which sees groups of countries coming together for two purposes. Firstly, to maintain current capabilities and to act as a foundation for the coherent development of new capabilities in the medium to long term. This builds on the notions of multinational development of capabilities that are at the heart of Smart Defence and the ideas associated with groups of countries coming together to produce them. Secondly, as a mechanism for collective training and exercises in order to prepare groupings of forces. For example, those Allies that maintain a broad spectrum of capabilities provide a framework for other Allies to "plug" into.
Countering improvised explosive devices
As seen in Afghanistan and elsewhere, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have proven to be the weapon of choice for non-conventional adversarial forces. NATO must be prepared to counter IEDs in any land or maritime operation involving asymmetrical threats, in which force protection will remain a paramount priority. Institutionalising counter-IED lessons learned across the last two decades of operations, NATO's ambitious Counter-IED Action Plan has increased its focus on capabilities for attacking threat networks behind these destructive devices. Although developed in the counter-IED context, such capabilities can also contribute to counter-piracy, counter-proliferation and counter-terrorism operations.
Improving air- and sealift capabilities
Air- and sealift capabilities are a key enabler for operations and allow forces and equipment to be deployed quickly to wherever they are needed. While there is significant procurement nationally, many Allies have pooled resources, including with partner countries, to acquire new capacities through commercial arrangements or through purchase, to give them access to additional transport to swiftly move troops, equipment and supplies across the globe.
Collective logistics contracts
To improve effectiveness, NATO is examining procedures for the development and administration of rapidly usable contracts, including for medical support, for repayment by countries when used. More broadly, collective logistics is being implemented during redeployment from theatres of operation, such as Kosovo or Afghanistan, to optimise the use of multinational capabilities. In June 2015, Exercise Capable Logistician brought together a large number of logisticians from member and partner countries to work on improving interoperability.
Missile defence
In the context of a broader response to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, NATO has been pursuing an Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence Programme since 2005. This Programme aims to protect deployed Allied forces against ballistic missile threats with ranges up to 3,000 kilometres. In 2010, it delivered an interim capability to protect troops in a specific area against short-range and some medium-range ballistic missiles.
At the 2010 Lisbon Summit, NATO leaders decided to expand this Programme to include protection of NATO European populations and territories, and at the same time invited Russia to cooperate on missile defence and to share in its benefits. The dialogue with Russia on missile defence cooperation is currently suspended.
At the 2012 Chicago Summit, Allies declared an Interim NATO ballistic missile defence (BMD) capability as an initial step to establish NATO's missile defence system, which will protect all NATO European populations, territory and forces against the increasing threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles.
At the 2016 Warsaw Summit, Allies declared Initial Operational Capability of NATO BMD, which offers a stronger capability to defend Alliance populations, territory, and forces across southern NATO Europe against a potential ballistic missile attack.
Cyber defence
Cyber threats and attacks are becoming more common, sophisticated, and damaging. The Alliance is faced with an evolving, complex threat environment. State and non-state actors can use cyber attacks in the context of military operations. In recent events, cyber attacks have been part of hybrid warfare.
NATO and its Allies rely on strong and resilient cyber defences to fulfil the Alliance's core tasks of collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security.
NATO needs to be prepared to defend its networks and operations against the growing sophistication of the cyber threats and attacks it faces.
Allies reaffirmed at the 2016 Warsaw Summit NATO's defensive mandate and recognised cyberspace as a domain of operations in which NATO must defend itself as effectively as it does in the air, on land and at sea.
Stabilisation and reconstruction
The Alliance's experience with crisis-response operations has shown the importance of stabilisation and reconstruction – activities undertaken in fragile states or in conflict or post-conflict situations to promote security, development and good governance in key sectors. The primary responsibilities for such activities normally lie with other actors, but the Alliance has established political guidelines that will help to improve its involvement in stabilisation and reconstruction efforts. It will be important in this context for the Alliance to seek, in accordance with the Comprehensive Approach Action Plan, unity of effort with the other members of the international community, in particular its strategic partners, the United Nations and the European Union.
To this end, NATO must have the ability to plan for, employ, and coordinate civilian as well as military crisis-management capabilities that countries provide for agreed Allied missions. NATO's defence planning therefore also includes non-military capabilities and expertise to complement the military support to stabilisation operations and reconstruction efforts. These non-military capabilities are sought from existing and planned means in national inventories of those countries that are willing to make them available.
Critical long-term enabling capabilities
Information superiority is a key enabling element in the battlespace and helps commanders at every level make the best decisions, creating the circumstances for success at less risk and greater speed. NATO will therefore continue to develop and acquire a range of networked information systems (Automated Information Systems) that support the two Strategic Commands. They cover a number of domains, including land, air, maritime, intelligence, logistics and the common operating picture, with a view to enabling more informed and effective holistic oversight, decision-making and command and control.
Federated Mission Networking
The Afghanistan Mission Network is a single federated network, which improves information-sharing by easing the information flow and creating better situational awareness among countries contributing to NATO-led efforts in Afghanistan. This is seen as the model for future multinational networking.
Taking into consideration best practices and lessons learned from its implementation, a Federated Mission Networking framework is now being developed, which will underpin the Alliance's ability to connect its information systems and operate effectively together, including with partners, on training, exercises and operations.
Air Command and Control
NATO is implementing a fully interoperable Air Command and Control System (ACCS), which will provide for the first time a fully integrated set of tools to support the conduct of all air operations in both real-time and non-real-time environments. ACCS will make available the capability to plan, direct, task, coordinate, supervise, assess and report on the operation of all allocated air assets in peace, crisis and conflict.
The system is composed of both static and deployable elements with equipment that will be used both within the NATO Command Structure and in individual Allies. With the further inclusion of command and control functionality for ballistic missile defence, a fully integrated system for air and missile defence at the tactical level will be fielded.
Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
NATO needs a Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) capability to support the coordinated collection, processing, and sharing within NATO of ISR material gathered by the future Alliance Ground Surveillance system, the current NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (NAEW&C Force) and Allies' own ISR assets. In early 2016, NATO defence ministers declared an initial operational JISR capability centred on enhancing the situational awareness of NATO's highest readiness forces. An enduring JISR capability is now being developed in a phased approach; ongoing work will further improve on and build synergy in the management of Allies' diverse inputs and capabilities for NATO's 360 degree situational awareness. This capability will become operational in 2017 and will be complemented in some cases by Allies' contributions in kind.
Alliance Ground Surveillance
The Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system is a key element of transformation and an essential enabling capability for forces across the full spectrum of NATO's current and future operations and missions. AGS will be an airborne, stand-off ground surveillance system that can detect and track vehicles, such as tanks, trucks or helicopters, moving on or near the ground, in all weather conditions. The AGS airborne vehicle acquisition contract was signed during the 2012 Chicago Summit. Production of the first AGS aircraft began in December 2013. Its first flight was successfully conducted in December 2015 and a second one took place in Palmdale, California on 17 June 2016. This capability will become operational in 2017 and will be complemented in some cases by Allies' contributions in kind.
NATO Airborne Warning & Control System
As one of the most visible and tangible examples of what cooperation between Allies can achieve, the NATO Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) provides NATO-owned and operated airborne command and control, air and maritime surveillance, and battlespace management capability. AWACS has continuously proven itself a critical asset over Libya and Afghanistan, and most recently safeguarding the Alliance's eastern perimeter.
Other initiatives
NATO Response Force
The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a technologically advanced, multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces (SOF) components that the Alliance can deploy quickly to wherever it is needed. It has the overarching purpose of being able to provide a rapid military response to an emerging crisis, whether for collective defence purposes or for other crisis-response operations. In light of the changing security environment to the east and south of the Alliance's borders – and following up on initiatives taken at the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014 – defence ministers decided on 5 February 2015 to enhance the NRF by creating a spearhead force within it. Known as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), it is able to begin deployment at very short notice, particularly on the periphery of NATO's territory.
Aviation modernisation programmes
The Alliance will continue to develop its capabilities in the field of air traffic management (ATM) and engage in civil aviation modernisation plans in Europe (Single European Sky ATM Research) and North America (NextGen). The aim is threefold, namely to ensure safe access to airspace, effective delivery of services and civil-military interoperability, in order to safeguard military mission effectiveness at global level and the ability to conduct the full range of NATO operations, including the airspace integration of unmanned aircraft systems.
Energy security
Allies recognise that a stable and reliable energy supply, diversification of routes, suppliers and energy resources, and the interconnectivity of energy networks remain of critical importance. While these issues are primarily the responsibility of national governments and other international organisations concerned, NATO contributes to energy security in various ways. NATO raises strategic awareness through political discussions and intelligence-sharing, further develops its competence to contribute to the protection of critical energy infrastructure, improves the energy efficiency of military forces, enhances its training and education efforts, and engages with partner countries and other international organisations.
Reforming NATO's structures
The Alliance's military command structure is being transformed into a leaner, more effective and affordable structure. Agencies reform aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of capabilities and services, to achieve greater synergies between similar functions and to increase transparency and accountability. In line with the 2010 Strategic Concept, over the last few years the Alliance has been engaged in a process of continual reform by streamlining structures, improving working methods and maximising efficiency.
The new structure reached initial operational capability in December 2013, opening the way to an entity that is more agile, flexible and better able to deploy on operations, including Article 5 contingencies.
A major reform of NATO's agencies was conducted with a view to consolidating and rationalising various services and programmes and ensuring more effective and efficient service and capability delivery.
NATO Headquarters has also been reformed, including with regard to a smaller but more efficient International Staff, intelligence-sharing and production, and a significant reduction in the number of committees. Furthermore, the transition to the new NATO headquarters will enable further improvements to efficiency and effectiveness of the Alliance.
Resource reform in the area of programming, transparency, accountability and information management has also helped make NATO resource and financial management more efficient.
At the 2014 Wales Summit, further work was tasked in the areas of delivery of common-funded capabilities, reform governance and financial transparency and accountability.
Maritime security
Alliance maritime capabilities have an enduring value and an important cross-cutting contribution to Alliance security. In January 2011, NATO adopted the Alliance Maritime Strategy. Consistent with the 2010 Strategic Concept, the Strategy sets out ways in which NATO's unique maritime power can be used to address critical security challenges. It sets out the four areas in which maritime forces play a key role: deterrence and collective defence; crisis management; cooperative security; and maritime security. In the current security context, the Alliance's naval forces provide essential contributions to assurance measures and situational awareness.
The Alliance continues to implement its maritime strategy through capability development, an extensive programme of maritime exercises and training, and the enhancement of cooperation between NATO and its partners, as well as other international actors, including the European Union. NATO's activity in the Aegean Sea and NATO's maritime presence in the Mediterranean through Operation Sea Guardian, a broader non-Article 5 Maritime Security Operation, are examples of how NATO's naval forces contribute to helping address numerous security challenges.


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Web Stories
'An Evening of Jazz' set for June 10
Posted June 8, 2005; 03:01 p.m.
Princeton Summer Theater will present "An Evening of Jazz" at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, in Hamilton-Murray Theater.
Performing will be Mike Yang, a 2004 Princeton alumnus, and Audrey Betsy Wright, a humanities research librarian and a lecturer in the Princeton Writing Program.
Yang, a pianist, played with various jazz groups on campus while completing his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Wright is an accomplished saxophone, flute and clarinet player. They are expected to perform jazz standards and new works.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and are available through the box office at (609) 258-7062.


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Amy Scholten, MPH
The following tips may be beneficial for these common symptoms
Hot flashes are the most common symptom in women going through menopause. Here are some ways you can stay cool:
Physical problems are not limited to hot flashes. Your body undergoes lots of changes. Contrary to popular belief, you can maintain an active sex life. Try these tips:
It is not uncommon to feel
anxious, irritable, or
depressed. The following suggestions may help you:
You may gain weight during this period, but it is something you can control. Proper diet and regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight and make you feel better.
Menopause symptoms can be managed. Symptoms differ from person to person. Talk with your doctor about your options.
National Women's Health Resource Center
The North American Menopause Society
Health Canada
Women's Health Matters
Menopause. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Available at:
http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq047.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20130718T1434007150. Published February 2013. Accessed April 14, 2015.
Menopause. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated April 10, 2015. Accessed April 14, 2015.
Menopause relief and symptom treatments. US Department of Health and Human Services Women's Health website. Available at:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/menopause/symptom-relief-treatment/. Updated September 22, 2010. Accessed April 14, 2015.
Montemuro, S. Relieving the symptoms of menopause: From herbs to hormones.
Teoman N, Ozcan A, Acar B. The effect of exercise on physical fitness and quality of life in postmenopausal women.
Maturitas. 2004 Jan 20;47(1):71-77.
Urinary incontinence in women. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated April 6, 2015. Accessed April 14, 2015.
1/30/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php: Borrelli F, Ernst E. Black cohosh (
Cimicifuga racemosa): a systematic review of adverse events.
Am J Obstet Gynecol.
1/30/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php: Kaszkin-Bettag M, Ventskovskiy BM, Solskyy S, et al. Confirmation of the efficacy of ERr 731 in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms.
Altern Ther Health Med.
Last reviewed April 2015 by Michael Woods, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


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Restaurants in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico, searchable by cuisine and location, with ratings and reviews. Get educated before you eat!
Bob's Burgers
Cuisine: American
Home of the Ranchero burger and a screamin' $2 Frito pie (which usually takes top honors in our restaurant polls), these burgers are similar to their Lotaburger or Itsaburger cousins, except they have loads of green or red chile on them. And Bob's offers "taco burgers"—burgers in taco shells instead of buns. Bob is quite the creative entrepreneur; it shows on the chile-stained faces of his fanatic followers. (Alibi Staff, August 11, 2010)
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Fresh Fruit Smoothie
Every recipe tastes much better with the GOYA® products in your pantry. Share this and other recipes with family and friends and enjoy!
1 cup banana in slices
1 cup GOYA® Frozen Pineapple with chunks
1/4 cup GOYA® Pineapple Juice
1 cup strawberry ice cream
1/4 cup sugar
4 cup ice – chopped
|Mix all the ingredients in a blender until you get a smooth homogeneous creamy liquid.
|Serve immediately.
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Sazón with Coriander and Annatto
Inside this box you'll find the secret to creating the authentic flavors of Latino cuisine. Goya Sazón's special blend of seasonings makes every dish it graces taste truly exceptional.


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I love it when old Jimbo sends Tank on a retrieve...."Taaaaaannnnkkkk" with that great drawl of his.
I love it when old Jimbo sends Tank on a retrieve...."Taaaaaannnnkkkk" with that great drawl of his.
Watermark's Mack Daddy MH
That is no good.... That is one of the very few hunting shows I can stomach these days. Jimmy and Tank were a big reason why. Sorry to hear of his loss, but at least he is not in any pain.
God, Family, Country & LSU Football.
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Tank also in some of Stahl's Fowl Pursuit videos?
HR Surrey's Space Dog Nala
The best long range duck load is a well trained retriever - Nash Buckingham
Tank was a nice dog. Really was a dog I would love to hunt with. Sorry for your loss.
My Dad said to me ."Son, a man just needs three things to be happy....A good dog, a good gun and a good wife.....Thank God I have all three
Sundown's Boss of Delta Marsh JH (Louie QAA X Delta MH)
Traveling Through The Graded Timber JH (2012 NAFC Trav X Timber MH QAA)
Sundown's Ruff And Tuff (Boss JH X Lil Bit) best pup I have ever raised
Home of HRCH Sundown's Loaded To The Maxx (FC AFC Jamie X Dixie QAA) RIP
Sorry to hear about Tank. I like duck hunting shows that show good dog work and Tank always made the show a little better.
Mornin', I was made aware of this thread last week during a hunt and wanted to look it up and offer a belated thank you for the kind words y'all had about Tank. Like everyone else who has had a nice dog, he was special and will be missed by our family, I am quite sure that most of the folks on this forum know the feeling.
Thanks again,
Jim Ronquest
Sorry about your dog... You were lucky to have him. And he was lucky to have you...
Bill Davis
So sorry Jim.
Really liked the show, and tank added to the complete package of a waterfowling show.
I have to ask for i know not.
What is twisted stomach and what causes it?
Thanks for stopping by RTF. I know I gave my condolences last week offline, but I'd like to reiterate here. I remember when you first got Tank. As I recall, his first water entry had you scratching your head. He sure turned out to know how to swim with the best of them.
I look forward to hearing how your next young retriever comes along.
Thanks so much for making time to visit with me and my partners last week. That meant a whole lot to those guys - and to me.
Thanks Chris! Yep when Tank was a pup he would hit the water hard and thrash around till he picked up the bird... Once he leveled out with a duck he was fine, I reckon it trimmed him out! Or he thought he could walk on water!
It was good to see you last week, sorry we did not have enough time to hang out more, give me a call when you get a chance and thanks for the condolences!


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VIDEO: Bulldog women dismantle Santa Clara
The Gonzaga University women's basketball team put together another all-around spectacular performance Thursday night in front of a sold out crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center, rolling to an 89-37 victory over Santa Clara University.
The 22nd ranked Zags improved their record to 19-3 overall and 9-1 in the West Coast Conference, while the Broncos – coached by former Bulldog player and assistant coach Jennifer Mountain – fell to 7-14 overall and 3-7 in league.
"I thought tonight was a really good all-around effort," explained Gonzaga head coach Kelly Graves. "We played so hard and I thought we made it really difficult for them to get into any kind of rhythm offensively because of our defense. We were just running all around and did a really nice job of being aggressive."
It was the fifth time this season GU held an opponent under 40 points, the fourth time in West Coast Conference action and the second-straight contest. The 52-point victory was also the largest margin of victory for the Zags this season; with the previous best being a 50 point win over Colgate University, Nov. 30.
Gonzaga held Santa Clara to 14 total field goals – third lowest field goal total this season – including just six in the final period. The Bulldogs also forced the Broncos to turn the ball over a season-high 29 times and scored an impressive 42 points of the miscues.
"That was as good a defensive effort as we've had — we've had some good ones this year, but that was an excellent one because they are a good offensive team," stated Graves.
Santa Clara was averaging 68.3 points per game coming into the contest.
The Bulldogs, who had opened league play with seven of their first nine games on the road and were playing at home for the first time in 19 days, had all 14 players score in the win, and all but one grabbed a rebound.
Redshirt sophomore Shelby Cheslek led the way, scoring a season and game-high 14 points – two off tying her career-high. She also added seven rebounds, had one assist and blocked one shot.
"I'm really proud of her [Shelby] because she is capable offensively," said Graves of the 6-5 center. "She made a couple of really strong moves, which is nice to see. It was just great to see her being so aggressive — loved it. She is always good on the boards and great defensively, but tonight she brought it on the offensive end."
Three other starters broke double-figures; junior Keani Albanez had 13, senior Jazmine Redmon added 12 and senior Haiden Palmer scored 10. Redmon also had six assists, no turnovers and four steals.
The Broncos actually led 6-3 less than three minutes into the contest after the Bulldogs started uncharacteristically slow, hitting just one of their first six field goals.
A 3-pointer by Albanez changed the momentum though and started a massive 23-3 run that opened a 26-9 advantage with nine minute remaining in the first. Albanez added another long-ball, while redshirt sophomore Shaniqua Nilles had five points and sophomore Kiara Kudron had four in the run.
Gonzaga's lead ballooned to 28 points by halftime at 45-17.
The Zags held the Broncos without a field goal for the final 3:55 of the first half and for the first 6:17 of the second half. By the time Santa Clara hit a field goal in the final stanza, Gonzaga had rattled off a 17-1 spurt that put the score at 62-18 at 14:43.
Bulldog walk-on Laura Sullivan – a two-year manager with the program before walking on the team this year – scored her first collegiate point as time dwindled down in the second. Sullivan stole the ball from Bronco Taylor Williams, was fouled with 1:38 left in the contest and sent to the line to shoot the double-bonus. Sullivan hit the second to put the score at 87-36.
"I thought it was pretty cool," said Graves of Sullivan scoring. "She works hard and does such a good job in practice. She doesn't get a ton of time, but it was nice to see her get rewarded tonight."
A jumper by sophomore Chelsea Waters one minute later gave Gonzaga its largest lead of the contest – 53 points – at 89-36.
Gonzaga ended the game shooting 45.6 percent (31-of-68) from the field and was 76.7 percent (23-of-30) from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs outrebound the Broncos 49-24, had 27 second chance points and 22 fast break points.
Santa Clara was led by Arteivia Lilomaiava and Jo Paine who each scored eight points.
The Bulldogs return to action Saturday when they host the University of San Francisco. The game is set to tip at 2 p.m.


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text: The hydrofoil Hydroptere set two world speed records off Lorient, France yesterday, one going 41.5 knots in one nautical mile, and one going 44.5 knots in 500 meters (we think). Both are subject to official homologation by ISAF/World Sailing Speed Council Record but it is pretty damn impressive no matter how you slice it! Thanks to Arnaud Pilpre / Sea & Co for the outstanding photographic work!


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The Doors' Robby Krieger Sheds Light — Album by Album — on One of Rock's Most Mysterious Bands
Did you ever think about how strange it was not to have a bass player?
Definitely. We always thought about that. We wanted a bass player, and we auditioned a few—but we never could find one who was right. Looking back, I'm glad we didn't, because the Doors' sound was largely a result of the fact that Ray had to play really simple bass lines, which gave the music a hypnotic feel.
And not having a bass player affected my guitar playing a lot. It made me play more bass notes to fill out the bottom. Not having a rhythm player also made me play differently to fill out the sound. And then, of course, I played lead, so I always felt like three players simultaneously.
"Light My Fire," the first song you ever wrote, was a number-one hit. It's sudden success must have been mind-boggling.
It wasn't that sudden. It actually felt like forever to us. We started the band in 1965, and nothing happened for two years. We were going crazy. Finally, after being turned down by everyone in town, Elektra signed us. Our first single bombed, and it was another six months before "Light My Fire" hit. So it seemed like a long time. We felt like veterans.
Did you use your standard gear in the studio? Were you playing an SG?
Yeah, though the first red one I had was a Melody Maker. I had a few red SGs in the Doors, but they're all gone now, mostly stolen or lost. Amp-wise, I usually used a Twin Reverb in the studio.
You almost allowed "Light My Fire" to be used in a car commercial before Jim put an end to it. Did Jim do the right thing?
Oh yeah, absolutely. In fact, it's been our policy to reject any subsequent offers—and we've had quite a few. I really hate it when I see other bands selling their music to commercials. And by the time a big corporation is interested in using your music, you don't need the money. So there's really no excuse.
Released November 1967
When the second album came out it was attacked by many critics as being a retread of the first. Do you think that was valid criticism?
Only on one count. I'll admit that "When the Music's Over" was similar to "The End" in length and structure, but so what? Something works, so you do it again. It's one of my favorite songs.
I don't think that Morrison's poetry rap is quite as interesting on "When the Music's Over" as "The End."
No, it's not. How can you possibly top "The End"? What's left once you've fucked your mother and killed your father? [laughs] The reason it's my favorite song is my solo—I think it's my best.
That solo is composed of two solos being played simultaneously. Did you improvise both of them on the spot?
Pretty much. In fact, I've never been able to reproduce them. That solo was really a challenge because the harmony is static. I had to play 56 bars over the same riff, which isn't easy. It's a lot easier to play something over an interesting chord progression. But we did that a lot because we were really into [saxophonist] John Coltrane, who pioneered "modal" jazz and soloed brilliantly over static harmonies and minimal chord progressions. I was always trying to play something that sounded like him—just totally out there in terms of tonality. I think "When the Music's Over" is the closest I ever came.
You recorded Strange Days less than a year after your debut. Did Elektra put a lot of pressure on you?
No, we were ready. We had tons of material for the first two albums; the pressure came on the third album. We ran out of stuff and Jim was pretty fucked up on liquor by then, so it was hard to write with him and that's when I started writing more of my own songs. It was also difficult to write while we were touring, so we started writing a lot more in the studio.
What was life on the road with the Doors like?
Not as crazy as you would think. At first, it was mostly teenyboppers and groupies and a few local nuts hanging around. But a couple of years down the road, when people realized how weird we were, we really started drawing some creeps. We still do, I might add—Morrison wannabes show up on my doorstep all the time. And they always want to sing. [laughs]
Speaking of weirdoes, "People Are Strange" has a great chord progression. Did you write that?
Yeah. Jim came up to my house in Laurel Canyon one night, and he was in one of his suicidal, downer moods. So John said, "Come on, Jim, we'll go see the sunset. That'll get you out of this." We went up to the top of Laurel Canyon and it was incredibly beautiful—we were looking down on the sun reflecting off the top of the clouds. Jim had a total mood flip-flop, and said, "Wow! Now I know why I felt like that. It's because if you're strange, people are strange." And he wrote the lyrics right there. Then I came up with the music and we went back down the hill.
Why wasn't "Moonlight Drive," the first song you wrote and rehearsed together, on the first album?
It wasn't really the first song: "Indian Summer" was, and "Moonlight Drive" was the second. But we didn't think the version that we cut was good enough, so we decided to drop it off the first album and try again next time. Unfortunately we've never been able to find the damn master for the first version. I think we may have found it now, and I hope I'm right because I always thought it was good. It was totally different than the one on Strange Days. It was real dark and laid-back, very spooky.


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…These Blazeing Starrs! [Comets]Deborah Stratman 2011
Monday Apr 30, 2012
7:00 PM +Add to iCal +Google Calendar
Fusebox (Austin TX)
1100 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702
1100 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702
Austin TX
Austin TX
…These Blazeing Starrs! [Comets] (Deborah Stratman | Chicago, IL | 14 min.)
Official Link: http://www.orbitfilm.com/
More info on the premiere at Houston's Aurora Picture Show here!
Since comets have been recorded, they've augured catastrophe, messiahs, upheaval and end times. This will be a little film about these meteoric ice-cored fireballs and their historic ties to divination. "These Blazeing Starrs! Threaten the World with Famine, Plague, & Warrs…" Du Bartas, De cometis (1665)