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champion blood line potty trained
Basset Hound Puppy For Sale in CHICAGO, IL, USA
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verified Owner Information
|Basset Hound
|$1,000 *Negotiable
|Male Male
Champion BL .
|5 Months Old
|tan white
|Size at Maturity:
|Show Potential:
|Yes Yes
|Champion Bloodlines:
|Yes Yes
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Basset Hound Puppy For Sale in CHICAGO, IL, USA
Parent info: Are stud sir Gus is five years or age tan and white, AKC registered champion blood line. The Dam Maggie is also five years of age she has European bloodline. Both parents are pure breed basset hounds, and their pedigree can be traced on AKC's database. Litter info: Are Dam whelped eight beautiful puppies august 23, 2018. She had two females and six males! Rosko, he's four months of age, beautiful tan and white. Currently in potty training boot camp UTD shots vet checked and spoiled on a daily basis So if you are looking for a wonderful addition to your family get in contact with us, Thanks again be well and god bless
Items Included: Shot records, vet checked
|The Basset Hound is a much loved dog with a great personality and gentle spirit. The Basset is especially great with kids and has a very laid-back style and is very devoted to his family.
|Breed Group:
|Weight (lbs):
|Height (in):
|Any recognized hound color.
|Hair is short, dense, and smooth.
|Basset Hounds are very independent, yet can be quite sociable, calm, and playful.
|This breed makes an excellent playmate for children and they get along fine with dogs and other animals. Bassets do not like to be left unattended, however.
|The Basset Hound requires removal of dead hair during time of shedding and its large ears should be kept clean,its face may need regular cleaning around the mouth and wrinkles.
|This breed requires patience and persistence in training.
|Basset hounds do not need a lot of exercise. They can get by with three short walks a day, with occasional romps in the yard.
|Country of Origin:
|Health Issue:
|This breed may put on extra weight, when overfed, and this can put too much load on its legs and spine, resulting in possible lameness and paralysis. They are also prone to bloat.
|Life Expectancy:
More About Basset Hound Breed
Here are some recommendations:
- If possible meet in-person, or at least arrange a video conferencing session.
- Get recommendations and reviews.
- Search the internet for business name or email (see if there is any information you can dig up).
- Use services like Paypal Verified or Google Wallet or any other verified digital payment method, where you might have any kind of recourse or purchase guarantee.
Before getting a new puppy, make sure you are prepared to share your life with a new family member for the next 15 or more years! Owning a dog is a big responsibility!
Questions You Should Ask the Breeder
1. Are the puppies' parents "certified"? This means that certain breeds are often at risk for genetic conditions such as hip problems, heart problems and eye problems. Most of these diseases are inherited, meaning the disease is passed from parent to puppy. Many breeders will have their dogs evaluated and tested for that disease and ultimately "certified" by a veterinary specialist to be disease-free.
2. What are the sizes of the puppy's parents? Know how big the parents are, to get a good idea of how big your puppy will be. Is that the size dog you want?
3. Ask to meet the dogs parents. If possible, meet the puppy's parents. Notice if they appear to be in good health and evaluate their overall temperament. Are they shy, aggressive, or well adjusted?
4. How have they socialized the pups? Have the pups been around other dogs? Other people? Socialization is critical in puppies 6 – 16 weeks old. Proper socialization consisting of good experiences of a puppy with other puppies and lots of different ages, sizes and types of people will give you the best chance at having a well-adjusted dog.
5. What vaccines has the puppy had? How many shots has he received and when will the puppy be due for his next puppy shot?
6. Have the puppies been dewormed? All puppies are born with worms and routine deworming is recommended.
7. Have any of the puppies in the litter been sick? If so, what were the signs, the diagnosis and treatment?
8. What visits has the puppies had with the veterinarian? Have they been examined and declared "healthy"? If not, what problems have they had? Have they been on any medications?
9. What is their guarantee? What guarantee does the breeder give with their puppies? If the puppy is found to have a severe illness, what will they do? This is a difficult topic but one that is a lot easier to cover up front rather than later.
10. Recommendations? Ask the breeder for a couple references of puppy owners that they have sold within the past year. CALL them. Find out if the breeder was fair, if they were happy with their pups, and how any problems were handled.
11. Breeders contract? Does your breeder require a breeder's contract? If so, what is in it? Is the breeder willing to take back the puppy at any time, if you can't keep it?
12. Limited registration. Some breeders require that you spay or neuter your dog by a certain age. If that is the case, that may not be a problem but it is best to know before you get your puppy.
13. What is the family history? Ask if the breeder has information about the breed line. For example, ask how long the dogs have lived and what they have died from. Write it down. This may be important for monitoring your pet as he gets older.
14. What is the breeder currently feeding the puppy? Regardless of what they are feeding, it is ideal to continue feeding the same food for the first few days at home to minimize the risk of gastrointestinal disturbances. If you choose to change the diet, do it gradually.
15. Health certificate and certificate of sale. Ask the breeder if he will supply a health certificate for the puppy issued by his veterinarian. Some states require also a certificate of sale.
16. Does the breeder belong to a breed club? Ask for references.
Get your questions answered and feel very comfortable with your new puppy.
PuppyFinder.com - The Puppy Search Engine!
Puppyfinder.com is secure, simple and efficient way to find a puppy, sell a puppy or addopt dogs via internet. Our tools such as Breed Selector future puppy owners with the weath of needed information to make the right choice when buying a puppy.
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Citigroup Inc., the third-biggest U.S. bank by assets, reported a profit increase that was less than analysts estimated as litigation costs rose and benefits from releasing loan-loss reserves declined.
Net income climbed 25% to $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter, or 38 cents a share, from $956 million, or 31 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based lender said today in a statement. Earnings adjusted for one-time items including restructuring costs and a mortgage settlement were about 76 cents a share. Twenty-one analysts surveyed by Bloomberg estimated 96 cents on average.
Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat, 52, took over in October and last month announced plans to eliminate about 11,000 employees and pull back from some emerging markets, undoing part of the expansion strategy of his predecessor, Vikram Pandit. Litigation costs included $305 million from a settlement between U.S. banks and federal regulators, who were probing claims that lenders improperly seized homes.
"New management won't mind sacrificing a little earnings in the fourth quarter to help make 2013 earnings goals easier to hit," said Marty Mosby, an analyst in Memphis, Tennessee, with Guggenheim Securities LLC. "They really aren't going to be held accountable for what happens in the fourth quarter."
Citigroup dropped 2.7%, the biggest intraday decline since Dec. 21, to $41.30 at 10:49 a.m. in New York. The drop was the second-largest on the 24-company KBW Bank Index, behind Bank of America Corp.
Legal Costs
Legal costs at the Citicorp division, which contains the consumer-banking and trading units, more than tripled to $735 million, the bank said. While some of the increase was related to the federal foreclosure settlement, Chief Financial Officer John Gerspach told journalists that most was related to "a variety of issues" at the U.S. consumer bank.
"It's tied to the U.S. consumer business and beyond that I don't think there's much more to say at this point," Gerspach said. "There is a series of items. I don't think they're unique to us."
Corbat oversaw a $142 million release from the reserve for loan losses, compared with $1.47 billion a year earlier. Richard Staite, an analyst in London with Atlantic Equities LLP, had predicted a release that was about three times bigger.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Character Animated | Games Website | Rent-A-Video | ID-Changer-Card | Dana Rayne Club Promo | Adobe Photoshop IMake
Games Website
This ad was made for a "fictional" Games Website. See the ad!
News submitted: 08/26/2016
I've illustrated a deck of poker cards for magicians, poker players and art lovers alike. I'm using kickstarter as my crowdsourcing platform to help get them printed. If you're interested in helping support my project, here's a link. The theme is elements and the title is Line's Deck Of Elements.
I'm Making A Game
News submitted: 08/20/2016
Here's a character from it:
Pixel Art!
News submitted: 07/25/2016
I've been helping make games this year. I decided to post some of my pixel art for you to see. Here's a link, please let me know what you think of it.
Dwarf King Art!
I recently made some art for an unreleased game titled "Dwarf King". Here's one piece from it:
News submitted: 06/25/2016
My art is now on shirts and they're available for purchase!
News submitted: 03/10/2016
Click here to check out the shirts! DOTA2 Lich Fan Art Video Reposted.
News submitted: 12/29/2015
I made the video shorter/faster and cut out all of my chatter. Here's the YouTube Link New Illustration: "Theeke"
News submitted: 12/28/2015
Have a look at it's creation on YouTube here.
Line Reaches 200 Subscribers on YouTube!
News submitted: 11/15/2015
I'm on a mission to become one of the most subscribed-to artists on YouTube and i just hit 200 subscribers. Only 999,800 to go! If you would like to see my art work production in time lapse videos and animations I have made, check out my channel and please subscribe :) Click Here. Be a fan of The LineDetail Drawing Co. on Facebook, click here. For More News & Event Updates click here.
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Copshoppe > Masons > Friend to Friend > Friend to Friend 2.25" Button (100 pack)
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Zane BurnettVice President of Digital Innovation & Technology
Zane Burnett is Vice President of Digital Innovation and Technology at Alain Pinel Realtors, where he is responsible for translating business needs into technical vision and solutions. As a key member of the management team, Zane oversees the strategic vision for innovation and technology as well as the day-to-day technical operations including network health, security, customer service, hardware, software and online innovation projects for the entire company and all branch office locations.
Zane is a North Florida native with over 10 years of experience in the Real Estate Technology and Digital Marketing field. Prior to this career, Zane served in the United States Air Force as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. In 2007, Zane left Tallahassee, Florida to head the technology department for Brooklyn, New York's largest privately owned real estate brokerage. Over time, the Marketing and Technology departments merged, with Zane serving as the CIO.
In 2013, he started a consulting firm focused on empowering real estate brokerages with cost-effective tools and digital strategy roadmaps. Zane has worked with dozens of brokerages throughout the country implementing custom software solutions, offsite help desks, digital marketing roadmap execution, vendor integration, and brokerage websites.


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The dry conditions that continue to persist over much of Illinois and the Midwest are causing nutrient deficiency problems. Unfortunately, only rainfall will fix some of these problems.
University of Illinois crop scientist Fabián Fernández said he does not recommend foliar or soil application of nutrients. Many corn fields show potassium deficiency even though adequate fertility is present in the soil. One question being asked is: Why is potassium deficiency showing up in corn more often than any other nutrient deficiency?
"I believe the most likely reason is that, early in development, corn takes up larger amounts of potassium than of nitrogen and phosphorous," Fernández explained. "Soon after the V12 development stage, corn has already taken up half of all the potassium it will need." By the R1-R2 development stages, the plant has taken up all of the potassium it will need (around 170 lbs./acre).
In contrast, nitrogen and phosphorus are taken up until sometime after the dent stage (R5). Unlike nitrogen, which moves freely over large distances in the soil solution, phosphorous and potassium can move only a few millimeters at most; thus, when the soil dries out, their position makes them unavailable to the crop.
The reason this happens is that pore space in the soil contains water and air. Plant-available potassium ions are dissolved in the soil water or attached to soil particles ready to come into solution as the plant needs them. When there is sufficient water in the soil, the potassium ions dissolved in water have to travel (by diffusion) only a short distance to be taken up by the crop.
As the soil dries out, the pore space fills with air. The potassium ion has to travel across a larger distance to reach the root because it cannot diffuse through air. Increased diffusion time can cause important reductions in potassium availability to corn during vegetative stages when potassium demands are large.
"Under dry conditions, the soil is unable to keep up with the crop demand even though there might be sufficient potassium in the soil," Fernández said.
Phosphorus availability can be limited in a similar way. However, the plant does not have high demands for it over a relatively short period of time as it does for potassium, and the crop needs less phosphorus than potassium (about 80 pounds of P2O5 per acre). Thus, the plant is probably still able to obtain enough phosphorus and the crop is less likely to show phosphorus deficiency symptoms.
In the worst case, as the soil dries out, the distance that the potassium ion has to travel becomes so large that it is not available to the plant. "This is what we are seeing in many fields," Fernández said. "Even though these fields have adequate K levels, as far as the plant is concerned the nutrient is out of reach."
While there is nothing that can be done to solve the current drought problems, this year has taught producers a number of important lessons.
"For the future, I recommend that we minimize the effect of drought by ensuring that any water in the soil is protected to be used by the crop," Fernández said. "This year some farmers have seen firsthand how much water weeds can take up when not treated early in the season."
Similarly, too much tillage in some situations has caused unnecessary water evaporation from the soil and those fields are running out of water sooner than those that were managed more carefully.


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nerd is a valid word in this word list. For a definition, see the external dictionary links below.
The word "nerd" uses 4 letters: D E N R.
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Register Now
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Give OUT Day 2019:
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Raised: $0Remaining: $515
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is fundraising for Freedom, Inc.
Choose a suggested amount below, or give whatever you want.
$15 - Provide art supplies for arts and activism workshops
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$ Other :
Make this donation:
Give Out Day is organized byHorizons Foundation
Horizons Foundations, founded as a community foundation of, by, and for LGBTQ people, has been supporting LGBTQ nonprofit organizations, leaders, and donors for more than 39 years.
You can learn more about us at www.horizonsfoundation.org.
About Give Out Day
Give OUT Day is the national day of giving for the LGBTQ community – a 24-hour online fundraising event that unites the LGBTQ community nationally to raise critically needed funds to support hundreds of nonprofits serving and advocating for the LGBTQ community.
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For all questions about the status of your TransFirst and/or Click & Pledge registration, submit a help ticket here and include "Give Out Day" in the subject line.
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Summertime. The word alone conjures up visions of ice cream, fishing, swimming, picnics ... and county fairs.
Kentucky is famous for its county fairs. And now that it's back in full swing, the Taylor County Fair continues to get bigger and better.
This past Saturday marked the first events for this year's fair - the annual Taylor County Youth Horse Show and Tommie Johns Memorial Championship Horse Show. Tomorrow, fairgoers will start with dairy and goat shows, and Saturday features a beef show and - new this year - a corn hole tournament.
Back to the Future. That's not just a movie title anymore. Now, apparently, it's going to be our voting system.
As a story on last Thursday's front page explains, the County has approved the use of paper ballots for the November General Election. Federal money pays for voting machines, and counties can choose the system that works best for them.
Taylor Fiscal Court has approved the purchase of machines that will scan paper ballots - ballots a lot like those we used years ago.
What has turned out to be a really good day for kids has also turned out to be a really good marketing tool for Taylor County and Green River Lake.
Hundreds of kids (and with kids come parents) descended on Green River Lake on Saturday as the local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation sponsored its 2008 Kids Outdoor Day.
It's almost an accomplishment of monumental proportions - coordinating activities on the waterfront, in the pavilion area at Green River Lake State Park and at Camp Kentahten. It was hot, but the kids didn't seem to mind.
This year's Relay for Life not only topped last year's fundraising total, organizers says it beat the group's goal by more than $6,000.
Combined with more than $50,000 from the St. Baldrick's cancer fundraiser in March, the total Campbellsville and Taylor County has raised for cancer research is awesome.
Cancer affects all of us in one way or another, whether it's through ourselves or a family member. It's up to all of us to support the effort to find a cure.
Cancer touches all of us, plain and simple. If only it was as simple to cure it.
As the second leading cause of death in the U.S., cancer will affect all too many of us. We each have a risk - experts say half of all men and a third of all women will be diagnosed with some form of the disease.
As scary as those numbers are, each year it seems as if cancer researchers have some good news for us.
Has anybody been thinking what we've been thinking, that they'd like to have the Mayor and the City Council's help balancing our budgets?
In a time when making ends meet seems like the struggle of a lifetime, the City approved a budget that, among other things, includes a 5 percent pay increase for all full-time employees.
Before someone accuses us of eating "sour grapes" let it be known that the CKNJ Editorial Board holds no animosity for our fine City workers. We believe a financially strong municipality sends a good message to its constituents.
At Monday's ceremony honoring Taylor County war dead and those who have served and are still serving, the Junior ROTC from North Hardin High School performed a "Prisoner of War/Missing in Action/Missing Man" ceremony.
No other editorial comment is necessary but to allow you to read the script as read that day:
I think we could all agree that economic development is important to our community.
Since Fruit of the Loom packed up its underwear and Batesville Casket Co. its caskets nearly a decade ago, developing the local economy has been one of our few salvations.
One would think that hasn't changed. Economic development should be job No. 1 on everyone's mind.
However, local governments can't seem to agree.
This week and next mark the official end of childhood for area high school seniors. They'll be considered "grownups" now.
Sure, they have the summer to look forward to ... sunny days at the lake, sleeping late, last flings with their friends, but, for many, the dog days of summer are the last of the carefree times.
Adulthood is now staring them in the face.
If one particular issue would split the opinion of voters in Campbellsville, we suspect alcohol might be it.
The lead-up to this year's primary was about as tame as it could possibly get. Even though we witnessed way more letters opposing alcohol than approving of it, we suspect that there were a number of people who never really let their feelings be known until they stepped behind the curtain on Tuesday and punched "yes" or "no" on the referendum question about the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants.
Tomorrow is Kentucky's Primary Election. And it's up to us to see that those who we believe will do the best job get the most votes.
Of course, without many local races, officials don't expect a large turnout. However, County Clerk Mark Carney said he believes we'll have a better turnout locally than the state as a whole.
Apathy certainly won't get us where we need to be.
Parents, brace yourselves. State budget cuts are already slicing deep, and it's going to take a lot more than a few stitches to repair the wounds.
This fall, your children will be affected.
Schools across Kentucky are being required to slash their budgets. And that means fewer teachers and educational programs for our students.
It takes a special kind of person to care for those who are sick or hurt. In addition to all the "learned knowledge," such as education and training, it also takes patience, kindness and genuine caring.
A majority of the health care professionals in our community are exactly that, and none of them more so than nurses and nurses' aides.
For all their expertise, doctors are often rushed to the point of checking on a patient, signing some orders and hurrying on to the next patient before heading to their offices.
Nurses and aides, however, remain with their patients.
Last year, the News-Journal published a story about the results of the latest Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey of local students.
The survey results showed that prescription drug abuse is on the rise with teenagers. As a matter of fact, according to Karen Hayes with the Campbellsville/Taylor County Anti-Drug Coalition, one in every four teens uses prescription drugs to get high.
No wonder Kentucky leads the nation in prescription drug abuse.
We all knew it. But now others are learning as well. Taylor County is a wonderful place in which to live and raise a family.
A story on today's front page tells about a family - a large, extended family - who moved to Taylor County from Las Vegas, Nev. last year. They did so because they visited the area and liked it. A family, passing through, gets the feeling that this is the place for them to live. Sounds like a made-for-TV movie script.
They thought it would be a better place in which to raise their growing family than in the frantic, big-city atmosphere of Las Vegas.
"But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a] - see that you also excel in this grace of giving."
-2 Corinthians 8:7
There are many worthy causes in the community, but it would seem logical that the issue of children not having enough to eat should rank near the top of the list.
If the Taylor County Food Pantry is just four weeks away from halting service due to a lack of funding, then it's obvious families in the community are going hungry - and it's going to do nothing but get worse.
Clad in several layers of mismatched clothing and a hat hiding her face, the woman pushed a shopping cart along North Columbia Avenue. She collected items that might be of use at some point and asked people for money.
Many people avoided her, and most did not make eye contact.
She continued to push her cart along the street toward the large grouping of cardboard boxes, where various people were covering themselves with threadbare blankets and plastic to keep the rain out.
They were homeless, and the boxes were their beds for the night.
So, are you registered to vote? If not, you'd better be hustling down to the courthouse. You've got until 4:30 today to register or you won't be able to vote on May 20.
And, believe us, there are plenty of reasons to vote.
Whether it's the Presidential race you're interested in, the U.S. Representative or Senator's races, the State Representative's race, or the alcohol-by-the-drink issue, it's time to make your opinion known.
The Democratic Presidential Primary is a hot-button topic no matter who you talk to. Even Republicans have an opinion on that race.
The race between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to become the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party may not be settled until the Democratic National Convention in August.
"Is there anybody out there?" Just as Pink Floyd wanted to know in its 1979 album, "The Wall," so do we.
One of our most popular Web site features is back and we need your help to get it up and running again.
Whether it's a front-page story, a sports story, an editorial piece or a wedding, readers once again have an opportunity to post comments about a story. Tell us if you liked it - or if you didn't. By doing that, a dialog can be opened between residents about issues and events of importance to our community.
Copyright © 2019
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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Monday, January 21, 2013
Black Empire Dresser
21 comments:
- Cassie @ Primitive & Proper said...
so chic! love the look and LOVE those knobs!
- Mon Jan 21, 11:03:00 AM 2013
- Art and Sand said...
Your redo is wonderful. I wouldn't know where to go out hunting in my area. I think I need to find out.
- Mon Jan 21, 11:22:00 AM 2013
- Our Pinteresting Family said...
That is so beautiful, Kristen.
- Mon Jan 21, 11:26:00 AM 2013
- Two Vintage Sisters - Robin and Pam said...
I wish you were local. I've been looking for a piece like this for my master bedroom. Looks beautiful! Robin
- Mon Jan 21, 11:28:00 AM 2013
- YONKS said...
I love it Kristen. Beautiful job!
Thanks for the idea :-)
- Mon Jan 21, 12:47:00 PM 2013
- ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...
Very pretty!!
- Mon Jan 21, 12:53:00 PM 2013
- Blondie's Journal said...
This is just beautiful, Kristen! You did a wonderful transformation. I didn't know you had a booth at SuzAnna's. A good blogger friend of mine, Mary Sullivan, had a booth there with her friend Vanessa, I think it was called Two Old Birds. She's from Raleigh, too, and I had the fun of meeting her last year in Asheville. I'd love to get out that way again and visit, maybe stopping in at SuzAnna's!
- Mon Jan 21, 01:42:00 PM 2013
- Stacey said...
Pretty pretty! Love the knobs.
- Mon Jan 21, 02:15:00 PM 2013
- Ellie VanCaster said...
What a wonderful piece-but my oh my I love those knobs!
Such perfect condition.
- Mon Jan 21, 04:41:00 PM 2013
- Peggy Hale said...
Love the way you left the wood-grain on the drawers and the knobs. Lovely job. You should share at Transformed Tuesday this week. http://pjhdesignsoneofakind.blogspot.com. Hugs Peggy
- Mon Jan 21, 04:44:00 PM 2013
- Debbie said...
I love it! What an amazing piece!
- Mon Jan 21, 06:56:00 PM 2013
- Pamela said...
Kristin it turned out great! So beautiful.
- Mon Jan 21, 08:29:00 PM 2013
- Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...
Love the way it turned out and great that you kept some of that fabulous original wood grain....Can't wait to see your expanded new space...I know this piece won't be there long!!...Beautiful job as always Kristen!
- Mon Jan 21, 09:36:00 PM 2013
- Nutbird said...
This is great! I have an original Empire dresser that I bought years ago for my husband. The veneer is flaking off the frame, but the drawers are still good. It also has its original mirrored knobs. This is a good solution to the problem. The veneer repair would cost many hundreds of dollars, so I might as well paint it like you did here. Ann
- Mon Jan 21, 11:51:00 PM 2013
- Audrey @ Neverending Decorating said...
I'm your newest reader and follower, would love for you to do the same. Have a nice day.
- Wed Jan 23, 04:18:00 PM 2013
- chateau chic said...
Your dresser turned out great. I love the beautiful old glass knobs.
Mary Alice
- Thu Jan 24, 08:38:00 PM 2013
- Heather@http://southernabbey.com said...
This is absolutely beautiful. You were so lucky to get all the glass knobs in such good condition! Keeping the drawers wood was a great decision. Nice work.
- Thu Jan 24, 10:15:00 PM 2013
- Deb Hrabik said...
The Color is striking. Really caught my eye at Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Feature Friday,
- Thu Jan 24, 10:22:00 PM 2013
- HouseTalkN Rossow said...
Holy awesomesauce! As I was at Miss Mustard Seed's place to link up my empire dresser makeover, I saw yours! It is gorgeous! Aren't those finds the best?
- Fri Jan 25, 05:06:00 PM 2013
- Dina said...
This is really beautiful and I love the knobs too. They're just perfect for this style. Great job!
- Fri Jan 25, 06:18:00 PM 2013
- House Crazy in Michigan! said...
I popped on over from MMM. There is just something about an Empire dresser that makes it stand out. And, what you did with this dresser makes it stand out even more. Love the black, with the natural wood and the shiny bling pulls. A MEGA success!
Small House / Big Sky Donna / White Oak Studio Designs / SW Michigan
Hand-Painted Vintage Furniture Transformations
Blog: http://smallhouseunderabigsky.wordpress.com
Facebook: firstname.lastname@example.com (for portfolio of chalk painted work)
- Sat Jan 26, 08:33:00 AM 2013


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Count Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch among the group of players exercising their right to not attend voluntary offseason workouts across the league.
Lynch was the only healthy member of the Seahawks not to be in attendance for the team's first OTA practice on Monday. Defensive end Chris Clemons and defensive tackle Greg Scruggs were also not on hand but both are recovering from ACL surgeries.
Lynch is instead electing to adhere to his own workout program. He made an appearance by the team's facility within the past two weeks and head coach Pete Carroll said he's in great shape.
"He's working in a very intense program in his area and he's benefiting from it," Carroll said.
That being said, Carroll still wishes his Pro Bowl running back would choose to be in the building working out with the rest of the team.
"We miss him and we'd like him to be here. This is a lot of fun and there is a lot of good stuff happening here," Carroll said. "…We'd love to see everyone here."
Being fresh for the start of the season ultimately will be the biggest desire for Lynch and Carroll. Lynch has carried the ball 600 times over the last two seasons and takes a beating due to his physical running style. He's dealt with back issues the last two years as well. If sticking to his own workout plan keeps him on the field in the fall, don't expect Carroll to be complaining too much about Lynch missing some offseason work with the team.


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We started as the first commercial effort to bring Android to the PC. We're still at it, now on GitHub rebuilding - combining the best of the open-source world, with cutting-edge commercial drivers, licensed from Intel. (Console.com.co)
5,695 backers pledged $78,497 to help bring this project to life.
Use this space to cheer the creator along, and talk to your fellow backers.
Have a question?


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{adventures in art, fashion, food & feeling fulfilled}
You will be INCREDIBLY happy with the pasta maker and immersion blender. The blenders are more handy than you think and the pasta maker is perfect for our series of upcoming snowy Vermont days when you feel like an "inside" project! Maybe we'll have to make pasta and soup together!


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Jerry Seib: Hillary's Biggest Obstacle Is Her Name
As Hillary Clinton weighs a presidential campaign, she currently enjoys generally favorable views from the American public. However, one of her biggest obstacles lies with the image of a political family dynasty that will haunt her and potential competitor, Jeb Bush.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
the ... for somebody who doesn't hold public office and he's not running for public office ... Tory Clinton surely gets a lot of attention and so of course we asked about her in her latest Wall Street Journal NBC News poll ... the reason Ascot is the isthe most people around this town Washington think Wicklund will run for president twenty sixteen ... so what Americans think of her as the process gets under way is important ... and most in the news really what matters poll was pretty good ... not entirely though which I'll explain the second ... one we ask people whether had positive or negative feelings toward Hillary Clinton the numbers are pretty good forty eight percent to thirty two percent positive feelings versus negative feelings ... that's a better positive negative or a share the present Obama got ... more than Republicans such as Rand Paul and Jeb Bush got ... those are very good numbers in interesting Lee the numbers of cheaply high amongst young voters ... so that's good news for Hillary Clinton secondly we asked ... most admired first lady last twenty five years to reclaim ties ... with Barbara Bush for that honor ... but here's a troubling number for Hillary Clinton hwy also asked a question about whether people are troubled by the fact that so much of politics that dominated ... over the last two decades by families and Clinton and Bush and about half the people we surveyed ... said they were troubled by that untroubled little bit about that aspect of Hillary Clinton's background ... so there may be some baggage associated with the clan name for her where she goes for it ... just isn't going to be some baggage session with the Bush name for Jeb Bush if he decides to run against Hillary Clinton in twenty sixteen ...


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O.M.G. It's JUNE already?! That's just crazy. The year is nearly half-over! BUT what isn't half-over is the awesomeness going on in the forums! (Ok, that was a reach, but it's certainly true!) Everyone loves freebies, right? (I know my favorite price is FREE!) So, let's start off this month's challenge spotlights with one that includes a fabulous freebie, the month's first template challenge hosted by Connie Prince!
Connie has definitely always been one of my favorite designers and I absolutely adore her templates. Let's take a look at what she's created for us to work with this month!
CUUUUUUTE! I've got this one downloaded and I can't wait to use it! I love scallops and paper stacks and this template certainly fits the bill! Need some inspiration before you start this challenge? You know I've got some for you: let's see what the lovely ladies of the forums have created with this template so far!
By skcosti
By altimasport
By Neverland Scraps
Stunning work as always from our talented ladies! I love when I see a template changed in subtle ways that makes it unique to every scrapper's LO. A round of applause for the highlighted LOs!
So let's recap: new month, new challenges, new chance at a discount coupon/store gift certificate and a fantastic freebie! What are you waiting for?! Get yourself to scrapping and upload your work to the gallery so we can leave you some love!
As always, if you have any questions on this or any other challenges, be sure to head over to the Cookie Jar and ask away. We have a wealth of knowledge on GingerScraps and we would love to assist in any way possible!
Until next time, my lovely readers! <3


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There's one thing you have to keep in mind when doing this: The result list containing the object will be an array of objects!
"The SELECT clause queries more than one column or entity, the results are aggregated in an object array (Object[]) in the java.util.List returned by getResultList( )"
Working example:
Query query = manager.createQuery("SELECT v1.bitbit, v1.numnum, v1.someTime, t1.username, t1.anotherNum FROM MasatosanTest t1 JOIN MasatoView v1 ON v1.username = t1.username;");
List results = query.getResultList( ); // Fetches list containing arrays of object
Iterator it = results.iterator( );
while (it.hasNext( )) {
Object[] result = (Object[])it.next(); // Iterating through array object
Boolean first = (Boolean) result[0]; // Fetching the field from array
/* Likewise for all the fields, casting accordingly to the sequence in SELECT query*/
There's is even the possibility to avoid casting completely by using a constructor expression with the appropriate arguments in the SELECT section:
SELECT new org.somepackage.XEntity(x.a, x.b) FROM XEntity x
Remember to declare the appropriate constructor.
The code fragments and the solution in this blog post was taken from this question on stackoverflow.


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by ANDY DURSIN
Twitter - @theaisleseatcom
Message Board - Come and Discuss The Latest Videos, Movies & Anything Else!
The Oscar-nominated film KON-TIKI Blu-Ray/DVD (**½, 96/119 mins., PG-13, 2012; Anchor Bay) follows Norway's Thor Heyerdahl and his 1947 expedition, crossing the Pacific on a raft, from Peru to the Polynesian Islands, in order to prove that South Americans first settled there.
The much-documented voyage of the "Kon-Tiki" ought to have been the stuff ripe for a great big-screen movie, but this good-looking Norwegian film from directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg opts to go the "Hollywood" route by over-dramatizing Heyderdahl's journey, the bickering between members of his crew, and becoming something of a "Perfect Storm Lite" in the process. Difficult ocean storms, hungry sharks and Heyerdahl's obsession plague the Kon-Tiki, claiming the life of a pet parrot and transforming the seemingly mild-mannered Heyderdahl into something of a mad man. Peter Skavlan's pedestrian script is the main culprit here in this regard, and in overdosing on the bombastic elements, greatly diminishes the story's credibility. (It also makes bringing up Heyerdahl's dissolving marriage into something of a wet blanket, especially at the picture's end, since so much of the film is a one-dimensional formula piece).
"Kon-Tiki" was actually shot in two different versions – first in a mix of native languages (primarily Norwegian but with a healthy dose of English), and then an all-English version that Heyerdahl himself, reportedly, insisted on years ago if "Kon-Tiki" ever made it to the screen. The big difference between the two, however, is their respective running times: the original cut runs nearly two hours, while the English version runs a scant 96 minutes. I'm not sure if this editing was executed on the part of the directors or (more likely) the result of the Weinsteins trimming some of the fat from the film – either way, although the English version manages to clean up some of the movie's bloated elements (specifically the material involving Heyerdahl's wife), it also excises significant material involving Heyderdahl forming the expedition in the film's first third.
Both versions are contained in Anchor Bay's attractive Blu-Ray release, which sports a beautifully detailed 1080p AVC encoded transfer (just on the basis of the visuals alone, it's no wonder that Jerry Bruckheimer tapped Ronning and Sanberg to direct the fifth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film). The DTS MA 5.1 soundtrack offers a Zimmer-esque score by Johan Soderqvist while a pair of featurettes rounds out the release. DVD owners should note that only the 96-min. English version is contained on the standard-def side.
THE GREAT GATSBY Blu-Ray/DVD (**½, 142 mins., 2013, PG-13; Warner): Director Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's book is a great looking, slick but empty vehicle that's all surface gloss and aesthetic bombast. With the director's trademark visceral approach coloring the material, this visually enthralling "Gatsby" misses the dramatic nuances of even the stilted Jack Clayton version.
The cast, at least, is fine: Leonardo DiCaprio provides his expected rendering of the mysterious Gatsby, whose burning love for Long Island socialite Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) proves to be his downfall. Tobey Maguire likewise contributes a solid portrayal of Nick Carraway, with Joel Edgerton as Daisy's husband Tom; Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, the woman Tom is fooling around with; and Jason Clarke as George, Myrtle's clueless mechanic husband.
Everyone manages to look the part, but there's little chance for the actors to flesh out their roles, as Luhrmann is more interested in the flashy texture of Gatsby's parties, their throbbing soundtrack and rapid-fire editorial techniques. It's the kind of approach we've come to expect from the director, but it ultimately doesn't gibe with the material. It's hard to imagine anyone who hasn't read "The Great Gatsby" extracting the true meaning of the material from the picture, with key elements from the book working their way into Luhrmann's adaptation but without the needed context to explain their significance, while the addition of a framing story – involving Nick in a sanitarium – is especially worthless.
Granted, there is ample visual invention here to keep cinephiles interested, and Craig Armsrong's original score is quite good, but stripped of the needed dramatic engagement (as well as its 3-D visuals in this Blu-Ray combo pack), the 2013 "Great Gatsby" ends up as something of a misfire.
Warner's Blu-Ray combo pack includes a satisfying 1080p AVC encoded transfer as well as a DVD and Ultraviolet streaming copy. Extras include The Greatness of Gatsby, a general Making Of featurette; "Within and Without with Tobey Maguire"; "The Swinging Sounds of Gatsby"; deleted scenes with an alternate ending; several additional featurettes (The Jazz Age, Razzle Dazzle: the Fashion of the '20s; Fitzgerald's Visual Poety; Gatsby Revealed); and a trailer for the 1926 version.
MUD Blu-Ray (***, 130 mins., 2013, PG-13; Lionsgate): Superb performances and a knowing sense of time and place mark writer-director Jeff Nichols' somewhat overpraised character drama.
A pair of young teenage boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland), living along the Mississippi River, come across a boat stuck on an island where an outlaw named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) has taken up residence. Their efforts to help the charismatic Mud gather the needed requirements to salvage the vessel and get away from a host of bounty hunters who want him dead – as well as repair his relationship with the troubled woman (Reese Witherspoon) he's in love with – are contrasted by scenes of young Sheridan's coming-of-age, his parents' dissolving marriage and his first relationship with the opposite sex.
McConaughey is perfectly nuanced here, and Sam Shephard is also terrific as Mud's father-figure/ex-government op, who lives across the pond from Sheridan's houseboat. Nichols' film feels natural but is leisurely paced almost to a fault: there are times when you wish he'd pick up the slack pacing, which heightens the lack of surprises and relentlessly downbeat mood of his original screenplay. That said, "Mud" is still rewarding viewing and the teenage actors both give fine performances in a film that eventually reaches a satisfying conclusion – even if it takes a long time getting there.
Lionsgate's Blu-Ray includes a number of extras taking viewers behind the scenes to the picture's Arkansas shooting locales, while Nichols also provides an audio commentary on the production. The 1080p transfer and DTS MA 5.1 soundtrack are both top-notch, and an Ultraviolet copy rounds out the release.
THE WALKING DEAD Complete Season 3 Blu-Ray (688 mins., 2012-13; Anchor Bay): In season three of the top-rated cable drama, former police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) leads a tired group of survivors to a prison where they try to establish a permanent settlement in the land of the dead. Unfortunately, they also run into a series of living villains (namely David Morrissey's "Governor") who are as nasty as the zombies lurking in the wasteland, while Danai Gurira joins the cast as the feisty warrior Michonne.
Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray set of the Walking Dead's third season includes all 16 episodes from the AMC series: Seed, Sick, Walk With Me, Killer Within, Say the Word, Hounded, When the Dead Come Knocking, Made to Suffer, The Suicide King, Home, I Ain't a Judas, Clear, Arrow on the Doorpost, Prey, This Sorrowful Life and Welcome to the Tombs. As with previous seasons of the series, the show is brutal on its lead characters but fans still swear by its unpredictable, suspenseful nature, and certainly the devoted will appreciate this Blu-Ray release, which includes over a handful of behind-the-scenes featurettes; commentaries on episodes 4,5,8,9 and 15; and deleted scenes on a number of episodes. The 1080p transfers and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtracks are all top notch across the board.
THE ICEMAN Blu-Ray (**½, 105 mins., 2012, R; Millennium): Michael Shannon gives a suitably brooding performance as real-life hitman Richard Kuklinski, who murdered over 100 men after graduating from working in the porn industry to offing targets of a New Jersey mobster (Ray Liotta). Kuklinski's detached exterior is a facade for a cold, clinical killer that Shannon hits on-target in an effective performance – the surrounding movie, unfortunately, isn't on the same level, with director Ariel Vromen, who co-wrote the film with Morgan Land, failing to match superior entries in the gangster genre in terms of its uneven script and lack of atmosphere. This comes in spite of quality supporting work from the cast, with Winona Ryder giving one of her strongest portrayals in some time as Kuklinski's clueless wife; Ray Liotta chipping in one of his perennial mobster roles; Chris Evans nearly unrecognizable as one of Kuklinski's partners in crime; and James Franco showing up for a five-minute cameo.
"The Iceman" is ultimately an interesting, not entirely satisfying film worth seeing for curious viewers and for Shannon's fine performance. Millennium's Blu-Ray includes a Making Of featurette, behind-the-scenes segment, 1080p transfer and DTS MA soundtrack.
ROADIE Blu-Ray (**½, 106 mins., 1980, PG; Shout! Factory): Wacky cult film ought to provide some fond memories of the mellow '70s for rock aficionados. In one of Alan Rudolph's few "studio" offerings, Meat Loaf plays a truck driver who becomes a roadie for a traveling rock show; Art Carney, Khaki Hunter and "Soul Train" host Don Cornelius co-star with a number of diverse musical acts including Alice Cooper, Blondie, Roy Orbison, and Hank Williams Jr. Rudolph's movie is likeable and extremely silly, making its appeal perhaps limited to devotees of the era, who ought to love Shout Factory's Blu-Ray, which includes commentary from writers Big Boy Medlin and Michael Ventura, a 1080p transfer and DTS MA mono soundtrack.
PETER PAN: RETURN TO NEVERLAND Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy (**½, 2002, 73 mins., G; Disney): Decent 2002 follow-up to "Peter Pan" started out as one of Disney's countless made-for-video sequels before the studio opted to send it into a theatrical release. Above-average animation and several special features (deleted scenes, interactive games for kids) make this first Blu-Ray go-round for "Return to Neverland" a good choice for family viewing, with Disney's combo pack including a lovely 1080p AVC encoded transfer, DTS MA soundtrack, digital copy and DVD.
New From Twilight Time
Director Brian DePalma is in top form in BODY DOUBLE (114 mins., 1984, R), one of Twilight Time's latest Blu-Ray titles that quickly became one of the fastest sell-outs in the label's history. This suspenseful, playful, energetic thriller stars "Ghost Story"'s Craig Wasson as a would-be actor who takes a gig housesitting…and then promptly gets wrapped up with femme fatales Deborah Shelton, Melanie Griffith and a stolen purse.
DePalma produced, directed and co-wrote (with Robert J. Avrech) this compelling mystery that's a feast for the director's devotees. The story is a bit seedy in places but between Stephen H. Burum's cinematography and DePalma's visual eye, "Body Double" captivates the viewer and keeps them engaged through its filmmaking finesse alone.
Twilight Time's Blu-Ray carries over the extras from Sony's DVD edition, offering an excellent Making Of (split into four segments) recounting the production's history via interviews with DePalma, Griffith, co-stars Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton and Dennis Franz (oddly, Wasson is nowhere to be found). The 1080p AVC encoded transfer and DTS MA soundtrack are both excellent, and an isolated score track of Pino Donaggio's musical offering rounds out the now tough-to-find (at least for a reasonable price) Blu-Ray.
THE DISAPPEARANCE (91/101 mins., 1977, R): When my parents went out with a friend to Block Island a couple of weeks ago, they were seated at a table near Donald Sutherland in the Surf Hotel during lunch hour. I mention this personal anecdote not only because it's cool that celebrities lurk right around the Aisle Seat offices (my wife met Christopher Walken a couple of years ago at Champlin's seafood market, another local establishment), but because there's not a whole lot to say about Sutherland's 1977 starring effort "The Disappearance."
This troubled production, shot in Montreal, was directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Stuart Cooper and stars Sutherland as a hit man whose wife (Francina Racette) disappears. His recollection of their relationship and his associations with a handful of unsavory types (John Hurt, Christopher Plummer, David Warner and producer David Hemmings among them) is told in a non-linear fashion by Cooper and writer Paul Mayersberg, adapting a novel by Derek Marlowe. The elegant John Alcott cinematography of icy Canadian locales is effective in rendering the detached tone of "The Disappearance," but emotionally the film is stagnant and slow…so sluggish, in fact, that this 90-minute Canuck production feels twice as long in duration than it actually is, with unappealing characters and a narrative that comes off as much more complicated than it needs to be.
More interesting than the film – to me at least – is "The Disappearance"'s rocky post-production history, which is fascinatingly dissected in Twilight Time's Blu-Ray release. The movie's American distributor made things worse with a laughable recut that I remember seeing way back when on an old Vestron Video release. Robert Farnon's elegant underscoring was thrown away in favor of a hysterically bad "'70s score" by Craig Hundley (better known as the "blaster beam guy" from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture") while the picture was re-cut in an effort to make it more palatable for viewers (some 15 minutes of this terrible edit are included here).
While Cooper's original 101-minute version is presented in 4:3 standard-definition as a bonus, the proper HD print is comprised of a 91-minute edit that's something of a mystery to all involved – including the director! This edit retains Farnon's score and streamlines the running time while remaining more faithful to Cooper's intentions than the U.S. release. Regardless of its origins, this recently discovered edit (which Julie Kirgo surmises may have been the product of producer Hemmings) has the blessing of the director, who also participates in an engaging 10-minute interview, shot expressly by Twilight Time for this world premiere package. An isolated score track, an attractive 1080p transfer and a thin 1.0 DTS MA mono mix round out a fine disc for a '70s curiosity item that ought to particularly satisfy movie buffs with a fascination for pictures that exist in multiple cuts.
SEXY BEAST (89 mins., 2000, R; Fox): Ben Kingsley's scenery-chewing performance as a British thug who attempts to coerce now-retired safecracker Ray Winstone (a comparatively more subdued, yet equally effective performance) back into action might sound formulaic on the surface. Nevertheless, between its performances (besides Winstone and Kingsley, Ian McShane is terrific as a crime lord) and incisive script by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast" remains a favorite of the genre faithful. Twilight Time's Blu-Ray includes a fine 1080p AVC encoded transfer, DTS MA soundtrack (with an isolated score track), commentary from Kingsley and producer Jeremy Thomas, the trailer, and a Making Of featurette.
New From Criterion
Satyajit Ray's CHARULATA (119 mins., 1964) is one of the Indian filmmaker's defining works: a tense and fascinating study of a lonely wife (Madhabi Mukherjee) of a newspaperman who finds herself being inspired, and drawn to, his charismatic poet cousin (Soumitra Chatterjee). The crisp B&W images of pre-independence India underline the stifling emotional nature of Ray's drama, which focuses on Mukherjee's mounting courage in a marriage hanging on by a thread.
Like Ray's other pictures, "Charulata" is certainly slow-going but viewers interested in the subject matter are urged to check out Criterion's Blu-Ray. The restored 2K digital transfer (1.33) offers deep blacks and ideal contrasts, with extras including new interviews with the actors; "Adapting Tagore," featuring interviews with Indian and Bengali historians; an archival interview with Ray; a new English subtitle translation; and an essay from Philip Kemp in a booklet also offering a 1980s interview with the director by biographer Andrew Robinson.
Ernst Lubitsch earned mixed reviews when his TO BE OR NOT TO BE opened in 1942 – seen today, this uproarious satire on Nazism and ego-centric actors is regarded as one of the all-time comedy classics. Jack Benny and Carole Lombard play married actors in Poland just prior to the Nazi occupation of Warsaw in a movie that's ripe with witty lines and pungent black humor, all of it precipitating the U.S.' engagement in the conflict (at least while production was on-going). Lombard's final role adds a further significance to this Lubitsch classic, which Criterion has included here in a beautiful 2K restoration with fine grain evident throughout. A new commentary with David Kalat is one of the Blu-Ray's extras, along with a 1916 German silent, "Pinkus's Shoe Palace," featuring a new piano score by David Sosin; a 2010 French documentary on Lubitsch; two episodes from the radio series "The Screen Guild Theater," "Variety" (1940) with Benny, Claudette Colbert and Lubitsch, and a 1942 adaptation of the film with William Powell and Diana Lewis. Highly recommended!
New From Fox
EPIC Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack (**½, 102 mins., 2013, PG; Fox): Blue Sky Studios tried to break out of the "Ice Age" mold with this fantasy adventure concerning a scientist and his teen daughter who discover a magical, microscopic kingdom in their backyard under attack from the evil "Boggans". Eventually, precocious teenager M.K. (voiced by Amanda Seyfried) is shrunk down and joins the fight with a number of courageous soldiers and colorfully drawn creatures integrated into the mix.
Chris Wedge directed "Epic," which – much like similar, prior attempts at creating a more "action" oriented cartoon ("Titan AE," "Atlantis," "Sinbad") – failed to muster the same business as the studio's previous efforts. It's still a colorful, and beautifully designed, movie that looks breathtaking on Blu-Ray, but the story isn't that engaging and the picture's messages are obvious. Kids, at least, are likely to enjoy it, with Fox's Blu-Ray including a number of featurettes (Birds, Bugs and Slugs – Forest Explorer; Rot Rocks; Bugs of Camouflage; The Epic Life at 2 Inches; Mysteries of Moonhaven Revealed; enhanced coloring book app features), a digital copy, DVD, and a reference-quality 1080p transfer with DTS MA audio.
CAVALCADE Fox Blu-Ray/DVD (110 mins., 1933; Fox): One of those Best Picture Oscar winners you may have never heard of, much less seen, "Cavalcade" is an interesting if dated and clunky portrait of two British families who live through assorted, tumultuous events of the early 20th century. Noel Coward's play was reworked by writer Reginald Berkeley and director Frank Lloyd for this expensive "Picture of the Generation," which hits upon WWI, the sinking of the Titanic and other tragedies its participants were involved with. Resurrected by Fox in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, vintage movie buffs should find the film suitably interesting for its historical relevance if nothing else, with extras including commentary from Richard Schickel, a Fox Movietone news reel, and a 4:3 B&W transfer/1.0 DTS MA audio (BD) and 4:3 full-screen/Dolby Digital mono audio (DVD) on the technical end.
HEART OF THE COUNTRY DVD (89 mins., 2012, PG; Fox): Country music singer Jana Kramer plays a singer who leaves the big city after her husband is arrested. Back down south, Kramer's Faith Carraday tries to put her life back together in a feel-good drama co-starring Randy Wayne and executive producer Gerald McRaney. One of Kramer's songs, "The First and Last Time," is included as a bonus feature on Fox's DVD, which also houses a 16:9 transfer, 2.0 Dolby Digital soundtrack and, for the moment, is a Walmart exclusive.
New From HBO
PARADE'S END Blu-Ray (300 mins., 2012; HBO): Well-shot, superbly acted five-part BBC/HBO adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's novels by writer Tom Stoppard and director Susanna White makes for a scintillating, compelling mini-series. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a British nobleman – married to a cold socialite (Rebecca Hall) – whose participation in WWI and blossoming relationship with a suffragette (Adelaide Clemens) signals the end of Edwardian England and a passage into a more uncertain future for all involved.
Lushly produced and acted, "Parade's End" was rightfully lauded as an elegant, fascinating adaptation of Ford's books, distilled here into a classy production with pitch-perfect work from Cumberbatch, Hall and Clemens. HBO's Blu-Ray boasts a terrific 1080p AVC encoded transfer and 5.1 DTS MA audio; extras include a digital copy and an interview with Stoppard from "The Treatment" with Elvis Mitchell.
Also forthcoming from HBO is Steven Soderbergh's BEHIND THE CANDELABRA (118 mins., 2013), the much-discussed Liberace movie starring Michael Douglas as the flamboyant celebrity pianist and Matt Damon as his young lover, Scott Thorson, in an entertaining film that's nevertheless a bit restrained and superficial. The performances, though, remain compelling throughout Richard LaGravenese's dramatic treatment, which offers a dynamic (and creepy) turn from Rob Lowe as the surgeon who works over Thorson, plus Dan Arykoyd, Scott Bakula and Debbie Reynolds in supporting roles. The late Marvin Hamlisch supervised the music for "Behind the Candelabra," which arrives on Blu-Ray September 10th featuring a Making Of featurette, 1080p transfer, digital copy, and 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack.
Also New on Blu-Ray
SHAFT Blu-Ray (***, 100 mins., 2000, R; Warner): The return of Shaft to the big-screen generated solid returns back in the summer of 2000 – though, regrettably, not enough to spawn any sequels.
Samuel L. Jackson is firmly entrenched in cool as the nephew of the great private dick, but co-star Jeffrey Wright steals the show as a drug dealing bad guy. David Arnold's score, meanwhile, was one of its year's best – a fun homage to '70s orchestral/funk soundtracks. It's a glossy production all the way, well-paced by director John Singleton, with a top flight supporting cast (a younger Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Den Hedaya and Richard Roundtree among them) adding to the script by Richard Price, John Singleton and Shane Salerno.
Warner's Blu-Ray of the 2000 "Shaft" offers an excellent 1080p transfer and DTS MA soundtrack. No commentary or deleted scenes are on-hand, but a few goodies can be found here. Two good featurettes – one focusing on the film's production, the other on interviews with the cast and crew – are included, along with the theatrical trailer. Worth revisiting.
THE PRESIDIO Blu-Ray (**, 96 mins., 1988, R; Warner): Sean Connery's first starring role after winning his "Untouchables" Oscar came in this disappointing Summer '88 Paramount vehicle from director Peter Hyams and screenwriter Larry Ferguson. Connery plays a veteran San Francisco career military man who has to reluctantly team up with cop Mark Harmon in order to catch a killer who claimed the lives of both a police officer and a female MP ("Aliens"'s Jennette Goldstein); sparks fly, meanwhile, when Harmon begins courting Meg Ryan, who's also Connery's daughter.
Aside from a couple of vivid chase sequences that briefly bring the picture to life, "The Presidio" is tedious and forgettable. Harmon, obviously not the first choice to topline the film opposite Connery, came in after Jeff Bridges departed, while Connery himself was apparently a replacement for an ailing Lee Marvin. There's not a lot of chemistry between the duo, though Ryan – with her frizzy '80s mop – injects some much-needed life into the picture (even if she's less than believable as Sir Sean's offspring). Ultimately this is a minor film for all involved, and sputtered its way to a $20 million gross while its star flied off to join Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Warner's Blu-Ray, at least, does a nice job enhancing Hyams' trademark dank cinematography on Blu-Ray with a well-framed 1080p AVC encoded transfer. The DTS MA soundtrack offers a solid score by Bruce Broughton.
Warner Archive New Releases
Severely compromised by pre-release cuts, Barbra Streisand fans will still be happy to see ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER (**½, 129 mins., G, 1970) returning to DVD courtesy of the Warner Archives.
The Alan Jay Lerner-Burton Lane musical was brought to the screen with the great Vincente Minnelli attached as director, and a superb supporting cast (Bob Newhart, Jack Nicholson, Larry Blyden among others) brought in to back up Ms. Streisand's role as Daisy Gamble, a 22-year-old who crashes college professor Yves Montand's hypnosis lecture to see if she can't shake her nicotine addiction. Montand, in turn, sees in Daisy the potential of proving that ESP exists, particularly when Daisy shows evidence of having lived another life as the mysterious "Melinda," an English woman in the 1800s.
As any musical fan knows, the late '60s and early '70s were not a pleasant time for the genre. Several films flopped at the box-office and "On a Clear Day…" was only one of them. Of course, the movie's substantial editing prior to its opening didn't help: numerous songs were excised (including Nicholson's musical number) and plot elements were eliminated (consider that Roy Kinnear boasts a prominent credit but doesn't actually appear in the final cut!). The resulting film is a curious mixture of light musical comedy, gorgeous widescreen cinematography (courtesy of Minnelli and Harry Stradling), superb arrangements of the Lerner-Lane score by Nelson Riddle, and long, tedious stretches of dialogue without any songs at all. The lack of chemistry between Streisand and Montand is another turn-off, and the introduction of "mod" elements like Nicholson's hippie ex-stepbrother don't quite mesh with the old-fashioned central plot.
Perhaps one day the movie will be restored back to its original, intended form, but in the meantime, die-hard Streisand fans should find plenty to savor in Warner's Archive release, which is a virtual reprise of Paramount's old OOP DVD. Boasting a 16:9 widescreen transfer, "On A Clear Day…" looks excellent. Minnelli's use of primary colors and lighting is on full display and the print looks gorgeous from start to finish, enhancing the production's most positive attributes. The 5.1 soundtrack is likewise superb, and the original mono track has been retained for purists.
For more information on the film's ample cut sequences, visit Matt Howe's excellent summation of the discarded numbers and sequences at http://barbra-archives.com/
Also new this month from the Warner Archive are two other Paramount re-issues: FIRE IN THE SKY (**½, 109 mins., 1993, PG-13) recounted the Travis Walton U.F.O abduction case with D.B. Sweeney as Travis. Robert Lieberman's serviceable film co-stars Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas and James Garner, and is worth a look for genre buffs, mainly due to its effective final half-hour. The 16:9 transfer and 5.1 soundtrack are both solid…Shirley MacLaine, Yves Montand and Edward G. Robinson top-lined the 1961 Paramount romp MY GEISHA (**½, 119 mins.), a Technirama-shot comedy directed by master cinematographer Jack Cardiff. Another Paramount DVD re-issue, the Warner Archives disc includes a 16:9 (2.35) transfer and 5.1 stereo soundtrack.
Making its DVD debut this month is the Complete Fourth Season of EIGHT IS ENOUGH (1342 mins., 1979-80), the penultimate season for the Bradford clan, which is housed in a seven-disc box-set available through the Warner Archive online shop as well as Amazon and other online retailers. Eric Stoltz, Markie Post and Jonathan Frakes are among the familiar faces who pop up during the '79-'80 campaign of Nicholas and the gang…Dana Andrews and Anna Palk star in THE FROZEN DEAD (95 mins., 1966), a wild and woolly Seven Arts programmer about an effort to revive 1500 cryogenically frozen Nazis. Warner's DVD includes a 16:9 (1.66) transfer and mono soundtrack. More subdued genre shenanigans are on-hand in Bert I. Gordon's 1960 chiller TORMENTED (70 mins.), another Allied Artists release with Richard Carlson that makes its DVD debut in a crisp 16:9 presentation.
Anchor Bay Fox Catalog Titles
Back in 1993 Twentieth Century Fox released Alex Winter and Tom Stern's manic comedy "Freaked" in a grand total of two theaters — where it did little business and quickly went straight to video and laserdisc. I recall renting the laserdisc (even though it was full-screen) and immediately loving every moment of "Freaked," something that says a good deal about its appeal since I was just starting college at the time and that "campus demographic" had to have been what the movie was aiming for — provided Fox had given it half a chance to succeed.
Years after releasing a features-packed DVD edition of the movie, Anchor Bay has gone back to the well and released FREAKED (**, 80 mins., PG-13) in all its crazed glory on Blu-Ray – regrettably minus any of its supplements. Unfortunately, while I wasn't under the influence back in college when I first saw the film, my tastes have changed over the last decade or so because I found "Freaked" to be noticeably less amusing this time around.
Chances are that most viewers have never heard of this relatively obscure effort from Alex Winter, the former "Bill & Ted" star, who somehow managed to attract the attention of 20th Century Fox, who bankrolled the movie despite subsequently burying it. Winter stars as a former child star who becomes transformed into a mutant after agreeing to become a spokesman for a banned chemical company (good idea, of course!). Soon Winter and his fellow freaks — including Mr. T as a bearded lady — attempt to rise up and regain their humanity from sideshow promoter Randy Quaid.
Filled with sight gags, hit-or-miss jokes and a cameo from Keanu Reeves, "Freaked" is every bit a frenetic comedy. The film reportedly cost upwards of $10-$15 million, something that can be seen in the picture's elaborate make-up and visual effects, despite the fact that the final cut clocks in at barely 80 minutes.
Back in college, I thought the movie was hilarious, and I plead guilty to calling it an "undiscovered gem that now stands a strong chance of finding the audience it deserves on video" years ago. Now, however, I can honestly say I didn't find the movie nearly as amusing — in fact, I found "Freaked" strident and obnoxious, with an insufferably smug performance by Winter at its core. "Freaked" fans may still enjoy the film — but I confess I'm no longer one of them, and its caustic soundtrack and overall tone come off as dated relics of their time.
Despite losing all of its DVD special features (commentary, deleted scenes, rehearsal footage, etc.), Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray is respectable with a satisfying 1080p transfer and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack.
SILVER STREAK Blu-Ray (***, 1976, 113 mins., PG; Anchor Bay): Satisfying, entertaining – if leisurely told – comic caper with Gene Wilder as a regular guy who finds romance with secretary Jill Clayburgh at the same time he becomes embroiled in a mystery plot nearly worthy of the Master of Suspense himself. Colin Higgins' script mixes comedic and suspense elements better than his follow-up effort ("Foul Play"), thanks in part to Arthur Hiller's direction and performances from Wilder, Clayburgh, Richard Pryor (the first of several outings with Wilder), Ned Beatty, Clifton James and Patrick McGoohan. Henry Mancini's superb score is certainly another plus. Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray boasts a passable, if soft, 1080p transfer with mildly stereophonic 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio.
Also new on the Anchor Bay/Fox Blu-Ray catalog front this month are LUCAS (***, 99 mins., 1986, PG-13), writer-director David "Omen" Seltzer's tender tale of a precocious teen (Corey Haim) who tries to woo a cheerleader ("Goonies"' Kerri Green) by trying out for the school football team. Plenty of familiar faces abound in "Lucas," from Charlie Sheen to Courtney Thorne-Smith, Winona Ryder and Jeremy Piven – outside of Dave Grusin's unfortunately dated synth score, this is a satisfying little movie that's received a similarly no-frills but adequate HD transfer from what I'm guessing is an older master… /Robert Downey, Jr. and Molly Ringwald try to strike up a romantic relationship in James Toback's troubled THE PICK UP ARTIST (**½, 82 mins., 1987, PG-13), a box-office misfire that wastes a great supporting cast (Dennis Hopper, Danny Aiello, Harvey Keitel), a Georges Delerue score (most of which was thrown out of the movie), and Gordon Willis cinematography in a watchable but minor character drama that's far from the goody-goody romantic comedy it's billed as. At barely 80 minutes and with producer Warren Beatty having removed his name from the credits (though several of his collaborators including Willis and production designer Paul Sylbert were involved), something clearly went amiss here – though the finished film is still worth a look if you're a fan of any of the stars. Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray transfer from the Fox vaults is decent, and the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack functional – be on the lookout for copious four-letter words that had to be dubbed over in order to secure a PG-13 rating.
Also New & Upcoming
TO THE WONDER Blu-Ray (**, 113 mins., 2012, R; Magnolia): Terrence Malick's latest poetic meditation on the nature of human relationships once again looks awfully pretty but doesn't do much to engage the viewer – that is, unless you've found Malick's recent, formless affairs to be stimulating. The "story" involves Ben Affleck's relationship with divorced mom Olga Kurylenko, later girlfriend Rachel McAdams and a Catholic priest (Javier Bardem) – but it's mostly just a framework for Emmanuel Lubiezki's sumptuous cinematography and an elegant score mostly comprised of classical works. Sunlight filters through trees, "magic hour" lighting accentuates the moodiness of the material, and narration ruminates on the mystery of life, God and love – but we've seen it all before from the filmmaker, making you wonder (no pun intended) if this is all the second career half of Malick's filmography is going to be. Magnolia's Blu-Ray looks beautiful in 1080p and includes a fine 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack – a few extras include a Making Of and several additional, short featurettes.
PAWN SHOP CHRONICLES Blu-Ray/DVD (*½, 112 mins., 2013, R; Anchor Bay): Tepid anthology film from director Wayne Kramer puts an eclectic and compelling cast in a trio of stories connected to a small-town pawn shop presided over by Vincent D'Onofrio and Chi McBride. One story involves three white supremacists (Paul Walker among them) who fail at robbing a meth lab; the second is a sadistic tale of a husband (Matt Dillon) encountering more than he bargained for when his search for his missing ex takes him down to the farm of psycho Elijah Wood; and the concluding segment involves an Elvis impersonator played by Brendan Fraser. Broad stereotypes (as you might imagine) rule the day in Kramer's overblown, self-aware grindhouse exercise, which is well-made but fatally done in by weak material. Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray includes a commentary with Kramer and writer Adam Minarovich, a 1080p transfer and Dolby TrueHD soundtrack.
NO ONE LIVES Blu-Ray/DVD (86 mins., 2012, R; Anchor Bay): Luke Evans and Laura Ramsey play a couple who run afoul of a tough gang out in the middle of nowhere – after Ramsey is killed, Evans turns the tables in a story also involving a missing heiress (Adelaide Clemens) and plenty of gore. Ryuhei Kitamura, who helmed the misfired Clive Barker-Bradley Cooper pic "The Midnight Meat Train," brings his grimy sensibility to this dark grindhouse tale that's equal parts action and horror, and stylishly helmed for what it is. Anchor Bay's Blu-Ray includes a "From The Script to the Crypt" featurette, a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack and 1080p transfer. Not for the squeamish, obviously.
A COMPANY MAN Blu-ray (96 mins., 2012, Not Rated; Well Go): A seemingly mundane trading company turns into a haven for assassins at night – So Ji-Sub plays one of them, a lethal version of Michael Scott who finds himself in a jam when his new protégé is killed on the job and he feels responsible for caring for his family. Lim Sang-Yun directed this well-paced Korean import brought to Blu-Ray this month by Well Go USA. The 1080p transfer is vivid, and 5.1 DTS MA audio, a Making Of, and the trailer round out the release.
Upcoming from Well Go is SLIGHTLY SINGLE IN L.A. (88 mins., 2010; Not Rated), a likeable romantic comedy from writer-director Christie Will that stars the ever-likeable Lacey Chabert as a single girl in L.A. who swears off finding Mr. Right despite the fact that she's continuously thrust back into the relationship game. Jenna Dewan, Kip Pardue and Chris Kattan co-star in this good-natured 2010 indie just making its way to Blu-Ray from Well Go. A director featurette, the trailer, a 1080p transfer and 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack are all included on Well Go's Blu-Ray release, available September 3rd.
Synapse New Releases
THE HOUSE OF SEVEN CORPSES Blu-Ray/DVD (91 mins., 1974; Severin): John Ireland, John Carradine and Faith Domergue starred in this 1974 independent horror outing from director Paul Harrison, focusing on the misadventures of a film crew – shooting a supernatural thriller – who run into more than they bargained for when genuine spooks begin to terrorize them. Shot in Salt Lake City, the oddball "House of Seven Corpses" has been restored by Severin in this uncensored Blu-Ray/DVD double pack, including an archival interview with John Carradine, a commentary with associate producer Gary Kent moderated by Alamo Drafthouse's Lars Nilsen, the trailer, and a spruced up 1080p transfer with mono audio.
THE ODD ANGRY SHOT Blu-Ray/DVD (92 mins., 1979; Synapse Films): Tom Jeffrey's Aussie Vietnam picture stars Graham Kennedy as a tough Air Service Corporal who heads a ragtag group of (of course) tough misfits with a sense of humor, including Bryan Brown, in "The Odd Angry Shot." A film that presaged America's decade of films depicting the Vietnam war, this is a fairly predictable yet well-produced picture here mastered from original vault materials in Synapse's Blu-Ray (1.78 1080p). Extras include a commentary from Jeffrey along with producer Sue Milliken and actor Graeme Blundell; a "Stunts Down Under' featurette" with Buddy Joe Hooker; the trailer; and a reversible cover.
CBS New Releases
NCIS Season 10 DVD (17 hrs., 2012-13; CBS): Mark Harmon and crew return for 24 episodes of the long-running, and still high rated, CBS prime-time series. This time out, more terrorists and serial killers are on the docket for the NCIS crew to investigate – as well as a certain murder trial that hits too close to home. Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, Rocky Carroll, Brian Dietzen and David McCallum co-star with CBS' DVD box offering a number of featurettes, including an interview with director Mark D. Clookie; A Death in the Family; DiNozzo's Digs; You Wear It Well; 10 Items or Less: 10 Random Looks at NCIS; X Marks the Spot: A Look at Season X; 10 Years Aft; commentaries on select episodes; deleted scenes; and 16:9 transfers and 5.1 soundtracks.
Also new from CBS is Season 4 of NCIS: LOS ANGELES (aprx. 17 hours, 2012-13; CBS), the popular spin-off series with Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Linda Hunt holding down the fort on the west coast. Here, O'Donnell's Callen finds himself accused of murder as Season 4 picks up where its cliffhanger third-season finale concluded, while subsequent shows detail Hunt's Hetty Lange combating threats from her past and Sam Hanna (Cool J) tackling a nemesis threatening his family. Extras include Sound Off (The Sound Team) of NCIS:LA; a featurette on O'Donnell directing an episode; Un4gettable: Season 4 retrospective featurette; Some Assembly Required (A Look at the Mobile Unit Headquarters); selected cast commentaries; 16:9 transfers and 5.1 soundtracks.
THE GOOD WIFE Season 4 DVD (aprx. 16 hrs., 2012-13; CBS): Although Alicia Florrick (Julianna Marguiles) continues her on-again/off-again tango with Josh Charles' Will, she falls back in with estranged hubby Peter (Chris Noth) in this fourth season of the hit CBS Sunday night series. "The Good Wife" mixes prime-time soap elements with cutting dialogue and a great supporting cast, led by Emmy winner Archie Panjabi, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, and Alan Cumming. CBS' Season 4 DVD package is a six-disc set offering all 22 episodes in 16:9 transfers and 5.1 soundtracks. Extras include Seat of Power: Directing The Good Wife; Standards and Practices: Sex and The Good Wife; The Ties That Bind; Style Evolution: The Fashion of The Good Wife; and deleted scenes.
STAR TREK ENTERPRISE Season 2 Blu-Ray (aprx. 19 hours, 2002-03; CBS): The second season of the most recent "Star Trek" series kicks off with the resolution to the first season cliffhanger, "Shockwave," and continues on through some 25 episodes that run the gamut from the routine to the effective, with the majority of the superior shows having been penned by Rick Berman and Brandon Braga. While there's still a general feeling of been-there-done-that to "Enterprise," regardless of its solid cast, Trekkies should nevertheless appreciate CBS' Blu-Ray box-set, which includes a brand-new, three-part documentary, "Uncharted Territory," that boasts fresh cast/crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; a retrospective reunion interview with the cast and Braga; newly recorded commentaries; archival DVD featurettes, commentaries; and terrific 1080p transfers and DTS MA soundtracks.
FAMILY TIES: The Final Season [Season 7] DVD (aprx. 11 hours, 1988-89; CBS): Another classic sitcom's DVD run is at last completed with the seventh and final year of "Family Ties." Some heavy plotlines, as usual, are mixed into the genial atmosphere in this last hurrah, especially after Steven Keaton (the brilliant Michael Gross) has a heart attack. Other plot lines involve Alex and girlfriend Lauren (Courteney Cox)'s relationship, Mallory (Justine Bateman) and her work in the fashion industry, and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) yearning to drive. Oh, and there's Andy (Brian Bonsall) as well – not quite the Cousin Oliver of this series but still one of those unnecessary additions that was used to prolong the program's run. All 24 episodes are included in CBS' four disc set in 4:3 transfers minted from the original videotape masters.
PERRY MASON: The Final Season [Season 9], Volume 2 DVD (1966): The final 15 episodes from "Perry Mason"'s concluding season are in session in this final box-set from CBS. Included here is Perry's final case (at least until his 1980′s TV-movie resurgence) as well as the one and only episode from the series, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist," that was shot in color. Barbara Hale also provides an introduction to this episode, which puts a cap – at last – on Mr. Mason's adventures on DVD.
On DVD
MEDDLING MOM/THE SWEETER SIDE OF LIFE Hallmark DVD Double Feature (Gaiam): Gaiam's DVD double feature offers a pair of recent Hallmark Channel original movies. Sonia Braga plays a "Meddling Mom" who plays matchmaker for her eldest daughter in a breezy offering, while Kathryn Morris loses her husband – and her fortune – in "The Sweeter Side of Life," which sends her back to work at a neighborhood bakery. Both movies are included in 16:9 (1.78) transfers with 5.1 audio.
E One New Releases: SCATTER MY ASHES AT BERGDORF'S (93 mins., 2012, PG-13) plunges viewers straight into the history of Bergdorf Goodman's fashion emporium, with a veritable who's-who of fashion (Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Mizrahi, etc.) appearing in Matthew Miele's 2012 documentary. E One's DVD includes a 16:9 transfer, 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack and additional bonus interviews...WWII TOP SECRET: DIEPPE UNCOVERED (68 mins., 2012) profiles Ian Fleming's role in the August 19th, 1942 Allied attack on the French port of Dieppe. Recreations and interviews are included in this docu-drama produced by Wayne Abbott, presented on DVD in a 16:9 transfer with 2.0 Dolby Digital sound…The Polish import 1939 BATTLE OF WESTERPLATTE (118 mins., 2013, Not Rated) chronicles the courageous Polish stand against the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein and several hundred Nazis who descended upon the garrison at Westerplatte. E One's DVD includes a 16:9 transfer and 5.1 soundtrack (in Polish with English subtitles) along with a 2.0 English dubbed track…The Complete Third Season of CALL ME FITZ (328 mins., 2012) brings back Jason Priestley's Fritz for another season of wild antics. E One's two-disc set includes all 12 episodes in 16:9 transfers with extras including "Inside Call Me Fitz"; "Meet Melody Gray"; a Sizzle Reel; Featurette and "The World of Fitz" extra.
New From IFC: Filmmaker Mira Nair's latest, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST (130 mins., 2012, R), adapts Mohsin Hamid's bestselling book. This dense political thriller finds Kate Hudson, Liev Schrieber and Kiefer Sutherland co-starring opposite Riz Ahmed as a Pakisani professor whom the CIA believes is involved in the kidnapping of an American over in Pakistan. IFC's Blu-Ray boasts a 1080p transfer and both 5.1 DTS MA and 2.0 PCM lossless soundtracks. A Making Of featurette is included on the supplemental side.
REGULAR SHOW: FRIGHT PACK DVD (176 mins., Warner): Just in time for Halloween comes this compilation of episodes from the popular Cartoon Network series. Included in the single-disc Warner DVD are the two-part Halloween special "Terror Tales of the Park II" along with 12 other episodes from the first four seasons of J.G. Quintel's show (Dead at Eight; Jinx; Grave Sights; Ello Gov'nor; Death Bear; Skunked; See You There; Meat Your Maker; Best VHS in the World; Dizzy; Last Meal; and Skips' Stress).
From Lionsgate: Weta Digital's MEET THE WOTWOTS (110 mins., 2009) is a colorful children's program for kids starring a pair of aliens who learn about animals in 10 different episodes. Lionsgate's DVD, available August 20th, includes 1.78 widescreen transfers and stereo soundtracks.
NEXT TIME: More of the latest releases! Until then, don't forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!


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Harmony XL-fit condoms - Arabic Prince
Previous / Next
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HARMONY XL-FIT Advertising Agency: Draftfcb Portugal Type of ad: Press campaign. Advertiser: Beiersdorf Portugal Product: Harmony XL-fit condoms. Creative Director: Duarte Pinheiro de Melo & Luis Silva Dias Copywriter: Viton Araujo & Samir Mesquita Art Director: Ricardo Silveira & Rodrigo Burdman Account Supervisor: Carlos Baptista & Sonia Gonçalves Title 1: Envious Guys / Professional Football Player Title 2: Envious Guys / Arabian Prince Title 3: Envious Guys / Famous Rockstar


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Cotton breeding is like steering a battleship, according to David Guthrie, technical services manager for Emergent Genetics, which produces cotton varieties under the Stoneville brand. Indeed, instant maneuverability is not a luxury for cotton breeders, and success hinges on an ability to quickly identify often blurry specks on the horizon.
And tricky currents can suddenly throw a wrench in the rudder. For example, there has been a shift in U.S. raw cotton use — going from a predominately domestic market to one where two-thirds of raw cotton is exported. A big reason — a free trade agreement that opened doors for U.S. raw cotton to China's textile mills in exchange for Chinese access to U.S. apparel markets.
This new market has higher demands for fiber quality, even though the goods produced are essentially the same goods that were produced by our domestic textile mills and sold to the same consumers. We could spend months trying to figure out why quality standards changed when the end product stayed the same, but we might as well skip to the bottom line — we face a new dynamic for the marketing of cotton.
Basically, the world needs all qualities of cotton, but most years, high-quality cotton will move, often at a premium, while lower-quality cotton has a tendency to sit, since the market usually expects an ample supply. An analyst at a cotton meeting said it succinctly: "High quality cotton moves on demand. Lower quality cotton moves on price."
To make sure your cotton moves on demand is not simply a matter of raising high-quality cotton. It's knowing your end users' market and doing a better job of targeting that market, whether it's high quality, medium quality or low quality. Whatever the quality standard, growers must do a good job of preserving the quality they have. And, of course, yield is always a big consideration to the producer.
The challenge for U.S. cotton seed companies is to provide cotton producers with the qualities they need to compete in the market and couple that with high yield. Breeders have accomplished this with cottons now on the market and are now releasing the first wave of high-quality cottons with outstanding yield.
Once a set of varietal traits is selected, it takes about five years for breeders to place a variety with those traits in the marketplace.
So what are the new standards of yield and quality?
"Emergent Genetics has invested a significant amount of time in finding out what our mill customers are interested in," Guthrie says. "In addition to our internal investigations, we've asked a lot of outside experts what they believe are the fiber quality parameters that we as a cotton seed company need to have."
According to Guthrie, in the near term, Emergent Genetics is looking for the following qualities for its Stoneville brand: 35 staple or better; mike, below 4.8; strength, better than 29 with a minimum of 26; uniformity 82-83 percent; and color, leaf, 41-3.
Longer-range breeding targets are 36 staple or better, although Emergent Genetics may advance a variety with 35 staple or higher. "Micronaire is more environmentally dependent than staple or strength, but we would like to have a variety that averages 4.2 or below," Guthrie said. "We want to see a strength of 33, with a minimum of 30. Uniformity is still 82-84 percent."
According to David Albers, Delta and Pine Land's technical service director for the southwest and west United States, the minimum quality for the high-quality markets is: 35-36 staple; 30-plus strength; micronaire of 4.6 or less; and a uniformity of 81-83 percent.
While quality is the new buzzword, seed companies are still very aware of what drives grower decisions. "Growers need to plant the varieties that give them the best overall return," Albers said. "We shouldn't lose perspective that there is a use for every type quality out there. A grower might plant a high-quality variety because it's the vogue thing to do, without really looking at the tradeoff with a higher-yielding moderate- to good-quality cotton, at base or higher."
Fiber quality is somewhat of a moving target, too. At an Engineered Fiber Selection Conference a few years ago, a mill representative told his audience that his mill preferred PM 1218 BG/RR because it has less short fiber content. The mill was not concerned about the variety's tendency toward high micronaire or short (average) staple.
Albers points out that preserving quality is just as important as selecting varieties for fiber quality. "It's more than just planting long staple, high strength cotton. It's ginning it so that you don't hurt the fiber. In the West, it's encouraging the entire farming community to do the pest management to insure that you don't have sticky cotton. It's timely defoliation."
Albers added that many foreign mills buy cotton "based on the reputation of an area or of a gin. It can take a long time to establish that kind of reputation, but not so long to lose it."
When asked about fiber quality, Arkansas cotton producer Joe Whittenton says he is aware of the quality issue, but is more concerned with not getting discounts, rather than selecting varieties with premium level quality.
"At this point, it's important to not get any deducts, because you're not getting paid much for the premiums. But to answer the question, yes, I'd love to have a 36 staple with a 30 strength and a 4.2 mike. Then (the mills) come to you wanting your cotton."
"Yield generates profit," added Arkansas Extension cotton specialist Bill Robertson. "There's a lot of talk about fiber quality and fiber quality is important, but yield is the deciding factor."
While the challenge for Stoneville and Delta and Pine Land is to make high-yielding cottons with better quality, FiberMax varieties from Bayer CropScience have set a standard for fiber quality in seven years of existence.
The company takes a fiber-quality-first approach that's won some marketshare. "If we have a blockbuster variety and it doesn't meet specific quality measurements, we would debate very aggressively whether we would release it," said Lee Rivenbark, FiberMax sales manager. "So we have a little different strategy. But the big advantage for us is fiber, not just length, strength and mike, but length uniformity, which is related to short fiber content."
Rivenbark says that FiberMax "is a leader in yield and quality in Texas" and is closing the gap on yield in the Mid-South. "I think when you look at the official variety trials at the end of the year (you'll see) FM 960 BR is yielding with anything out there.
"In the Southeast, some hurricanes came up through Georgia. We have some good stormproof varieties and right now, indications are that our Liberty Link variety FM 966 LL looks as good as anything out there."
e-mail: email@example.com


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No obliging daughters at home to help poor, struggling mom. One has gone to a yoga class, the other is at her old Principal's funeral. Well, the legendary Miss Darasha, was a very special lady, and one of the best teachers in Mumbai. Tough, brusque, no-nonsense, she ran J.B.Petit Girls' High School with an iron fist, a steel glove... but a heart of gold. She was feared, revered and respected by three generations of students. My daughters were lucky to have been in the school while she was still the Principal.
But this post was going to be about Manohar Parrikar, the IIT boy who is now the chief minister of Goa. Perhaps tomorrow?? There are several more columns waiting to be shared... and the pictures, of course.
But for now, I am getting into my finery to join the British Deputy High Commissioner, Peter Beckingham, and his royal guest, Prince Andrew, as we sing 'God Save the Queen' and 'Jana Gana Mana', to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee. After the grand reception, there will be an even grander dinner hosted by Parmeshwar Godrej, Mumbai's.... no, India's Hostess with the Mostest, at her oomphy seaside villa in Juhu. It's going to be a long, fun night folks..... sigh! What a tough life some of us lead....!


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Gifts of the Sun
The Sun is a marvelous star. It gives us heat and light. It causes our weather and seasons. The Sun gives us all the energy we need to live and grow on Earth.
The Sun evaporates water in streams and lakes and oceans to form clouds and bring rain.
When sunlight shines through raindrops, we see a beautiful rainbow.
In spring, the Sun warms our Earth and melts the snow and ice of winter.
The Sun's light makes plants grow. Green plants soak up energy from the Sun and turn it into food we can eat and flowers we can enjoy. When we eat fruits and vegetables, we soak up energy from the Sun, too!
Energy from the Sun can be used to warm our houses, heat our water, and produce electricity.
From millions of miles away, the Sun shines through the darkness to light up our world!
- electricity:
- Electricity is a kind of energy. It makes lamps light up. Electricity also makes refrigerators, computers, and many other things work.
- evaporate:
- To change from a liquid to a gas.
- star:
- A space object that makes its own light.
- Describe what it is like to watch a sunrise or a sunset. How does the sky change? How does the temperature change? Do you like sunrises or sunsets more? Why? Write a few sentences about a sunrise or a sunset.
[anno: Answers will vary but could include that during a sunrise the sky slowly gets brighter. The air gets warmer. Students may like the colors of a sunset more than the colors of a sunrise. Students may like a sunrise more because it means a new day is beginning.]


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Messi sends Argentina to World Cup with last warmup goal
LA PLATA, Argentina: Substitute Lionel Messi scored his 38th goal for Argentina as they breezed past Slovenia 2-0 in their final World Cup warmup on Saturday.
Messi, his country's second highest scorer after Gabriel Batistuta, had not found the net in an international since a 5-2 qualifying win over Paraguay in Asuncion in September.
Argentina's captain began the match on the bench along with other key players like Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria, with coach Alejandro Sabella fearful of his squad being caught up in the spate of injuries affecting other World Cup finalists.
Sabella used the friendly at the Estadio Unico to test an alternative tactical plan with three at the back and five across the middle before changing things in the second half.
Winger Ricky Alvarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a low left-foot shot from the edge of the box but two minutes later midfielder Lucas Biglia came off after receiving a knock and was replaced by Hugo Campagnaro.
In the 76th minute Di Maria lobbed the ball from the edge of the box to the left where Aguero headed it down to Messi, who had come on for Alvarez in the 57th, and he dinked it between two defenders and the goalkeeper.
"Now the hour of truth has come, the friendlies are over and we're going to Brazil full of desire," Messi told reporters after winning his 86th cap.
"We've managed to be a united and very strong squad and we did that as Alejandro wanted. We're more together than ever because of the dream we all have."
Biglia joined Rodrigo Palacio, who twisted his ankle in the 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, and Martin Demichelis in nursing minor injuries as the squad headed for their tournament base in Belo Horizonte.
Argentina open their Group F programme against Bosnia at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on June 15 before meeting Iran in Belo Horizonte on June 21 and Nigeria in Porto Alegre four days later.
Source: Reuters