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Traditionally we performed code review before commit, and I had an argument with my colleague today, who preferred code review after commit.
First, here's some background,
1. We have some experienced developers and we also have new hires with almost zero programming experience.
2. We'd like to perform fast and short iterations to release our product.
3. All team members are located at the same site.
The advantages of code review before commit I've learned:
1. Mentor new hires
2. Try to prevent errors, failures, bad designs early in the development cycle
3. Learn from others
4. Knowledge backup if someone quits
But I've also had some bad experiences:
1. Low efficiency, some changes may be reviewed over days
2. Hard to balance speed and quality, especially for newbies
3. One team member felt distrust
As to post-commit review, I know little about this, but the thing I'm most worried about is the risk of losing control due to lack of review. Any opinions?
Related: "How often should you make commits?"
Answer: What's Your Branching Strategy? (37 Votes)
Like Simon Whitehead mentions in his comment, it depends on your branching strategy.
If the developers have their own private branch for development (which I'd recommend in most situations anyway), I'd perform the code review prior to merging with the trunk or main repository. This will allow developers to have the freedom to check in as frequently as they want during their development/testing cycle, but any time code goes into the branch that contains the delivered code, it gets reviewed.
Generally, your bad experiences with code reviews sound more like a problem with the review process that have solutions. By reviewing code in smaller, individual chunks, you can make sure it doesn't take too long. A good number is that 150 lines of code can be reviewed in an hour, but the rate will be slower for people unfamiliar with the programming language, the system under development, or the criticality of the system (a safety critical requires more time)—this information might be useful to improve efficiency and decide who participates in code reviews.
Answer: Pre-Commit (15 Votes)
I've recently started doing pre-commit reviews in a project I'm in and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised about how unproblematic it is.
The biggest drawback of post-commit reviews that I see is that it's often a single-person-only afair: Someone reviews the code for correctness, but the author is not usually involved unless there's a serious mistake. Small problems, suggestions or hints don't usually reach the author at all.
This also changes the perceived result of the code reviews: it's seen as something that only produces additional work, as opposed to something where everyone (the reviewer and the author of the code) can learn new things every time.
Answer: Check in Early & Often (7 Votes)
There is a mantra that no one seems to have quoted yet: Check in early and often:
Developers who work for long periods—and by long I mean more than a day—without checking anything into source control are setting themselves up for some serious integration headaches down the line. Damon Poole concurs:
Developers often put off checking in. They put it off because they don't want to affect other people too early and they don't want to get blamed for breaking the build. But this leads to other problems such as losing work or not being able to go back to previous versions.
My rule of thumb is "check-in early and often", but with the caveat that you have access to private versioning. If a check-in is immediately visible to other users, then you run the risk of introducing immature changes and/or breaking the build.
I'd much rather have small fragments checked in periodically than to go long periods with no idea whatsoever what my coworkers are writing. As far as I'm concerned, if the code isn't checked into source control, it doesn't exist. I suppose this is yet another form of Don't Go Dark; the code is invisible until it exists in the repository in some form. ...If you learn to check in early and check in often, you'll have ample time for feedback, integration, and review along the way...
I've worked for a couple companies that had different approaches towards this. One allowed it, as long as it didn't prevent compiling. The other would freak out if you checked in any bugs at all. The former is much preferred. You ought to be developing in a kind of environment that would allow you to collaborate with other people on things that are still in progress, with the understanding that it will all be tested later.
There is also Jeff Atwood's statement: Don't be afraid to break things:
The most direct way to improve as a software developer is to be absolutely fearless when it comes to changing your code. Developers who are afraid of broken code are developers who will never mature into professionals.
I would also add that for peer reviews, if someone wants you to change something, having the history of your original version in source is a very valuable learning tool.
Related: "When is a version control commit too large?"
Answer: Two-Phase Commit (5 Votes)
Most repositories today support a two-phase commit or a shelveset (private branch, pull request, patch submission or whatever you want to call it), that will allow you to inspect/review work before pulling it into the main line. I would say that leveraging these tools would allow you to always do pre-commit reviews.
Also, you might consider pair coding (senior pairs with junior) as another way of providing a built-in code review. Consider it as a quality inspection on the assembly line instead of after the car has rolled off.
Answer: Weigh Benefits, Decide (1 Vote)
Reviews benefit from both pre- and post- commits.
Pre-review commit
- Gives reviewers confidence they are reviewing the author's latest revision.
- Helps insure everyone reviews the same code.
- Gives a reference for comparison once revisions made from review items are complete.
No Running Commits During the Review
I have used Atlassian tools and have seen running commits occur during the review. This is confusing to reviewers, so I recommend against it.
Post Review Revisions
After reviewers complete their feedback, verbally or in writing, the moderator should ensure the author makes the requested changes. Sometimes reviewers or the author may disagree as to whether to designate a review item as a fault, suggestion, or an investigation. To resolve disagreements and ensure investigation items are cleared correctly, the review team depends on moderator judgment.
My experience with around 100 code inspections is that when reviewers can reference an unambiguous coding standard, and for most kinds of logic and other programming faults, review results are generally clear cut. Occasionally there is a debate about nit-picking or a point of style can degenerate to argument. However, giving decision power to the moderator avoids stalemate.
Post-Review Commit
- Gives the moderator and other reviewers a data point to compare against the pre-review commit.
- Provides metrics for to judge both the value and success of the review at defect removal and code improvement.
Think you know when it's best to do a code review? Disagree with the opinions expressed above? Bring your expertise to the original post at Stack Exchange, a network of 80+ sites where you can trade expert knowledge on topics like web apps, cycling, scientific skepticism, and (almost) everything in between.


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Why PROTECT IP Breaks The Internet
from the collateral-damage deptLast year, after the entertainment foisted COICA on an unsuspecting public, Paul Vixie -- a guy you should listen to when he's concerned about the technical impact of something on the internet -- explained why COICA's reliance on DNS block was incredibly stupid. Not only would it not work, but it would fundamentally fracture the way the internet works, creating massive collateral damage. Last week, when the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed forward with PROTECT IP, we mentioned in passing a new report from Vixie and other internet technology gurus explaining why PROTECT IP's focus on the DNS system would cause tremendous damage. While we had mentioned it, lots of folks keep submitting it, and judging from the ridiculous claims of those in favor of PROTECT IP, the folks in DC pushing for this bill are apparently still ignorant of what the report says -- so we're posting about it again. The report, titled Security and Other Technical Concerns Raised by the DNS Filtering Requirements in the PROTECT IP Bill (pdf) is worth a read. The five authors are incredibly well respected, and the entertainment industry folks who are trying to claim this paper can be ignored are going to come out of this looking quite silly.
These are concerns that shouldn't be taken lightly. The paper's authors also make it clear that they're not in favor of infringement, and in fact support enforcement of IP laws. They just recognize that this particular solution is dumb and counterproductive:
Two likely situations ways can be identified in which DNS filtering could lead to non-targeted and perfectly innocent domains being filtered. The likelihood of such collateral damage means that mandatory DNS filtering could have far more than the desired effects, affecting the stability of large portions of the DNS.The defenders of propping up the business models of dying industries will brush these unintended consequences as no big deal or a "small issue" at the expense of "saving" the entertainment industry. This is because they don't understand the technology at play, the First Amendment or the nature of collateral damage. It's pretty ridiculous in this day and age that we still have to deal with technically illiterate "policy people" and politicians trying to regulate technology they clearly have little knowledge about. Only those who don't understand the technology think the collateral damage described above is minimal.
First, it is common for different services offered by a domain to themselves have names in some other domain, so that example.com�s DNS service might be provided by isp.net and its e-mail service might be provided by asp.info. This means that variation in the meaning or accessibility of asp.info or isp.net could indirectly but quite powerfully affect the usefulness of example.com. If a legitimate site points to a filtered domain for its authoritative DNS server, lookups from filtering nameservers for the legitimate domain will also fail. These dependencies are unpredictable and fluid, and extremely difficult to enumerate. When evaluating a targeted domain, it will not be apparent what other domains might point to it in their DNS records.
In addition, one IP address may support multiple domain names and websites; this practice is called �virtual hosting� and is very common. Under PROTECT IP, implementation choices are (properly) left up to DNS server operators, but unintended consequences will inevitably result. If an operator or filters the DNS traffic to and from one IP address or host, it will bring down all of the websites supported by that IP number or host. The bottom line is that the filtering of one domain name or hostname can pull down unrelated sites down across the globe.
Second, some domain names use �subdomains� to identify specific customers. For example, blogspot.com uses subdomains to support its thousands of users; blogspot.com may have customers named Larry and Sergey whose blog services are at larry.blogspot.com and sergey.blogspot.com. If Larry is an e-criminal and the subject of an action under PROTECT IP, it is possible that blogspot.com could be filtered, in which case Sergey would also be affected, although he may well have had no knowledge of Larry�s misdealings. This type of collateral damage was demonstrated vividly by the ICE seizure of mooo.com, in which over 84,000 subdomains were mistakenly filtered.
Filed Under: dns, internet, paul vixie, protect ip

subset: commoncrawl


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Sao Paulo GRAND SLAM | 8 - 13 octobre 2013
São Paulo, Brazil, October 12, 2013 – Digging deep to each pull out come-from-behind three-set semifinal victories Saturday, Germany's fifth-seeded Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst will now meet USA's 10th-seeded April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings Sunday morning for the women's gold medal on the final day at the $440,000 FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam double-gender tournament. The event has marked the return of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour's to Brazil for the 27th consecutive year.
With the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour resuming in South America this week after a six-week hiatus, Saturday's schedule includes gold medal matches in each gender. The ninth 2013 FIVB Grand Slam event is being held for the first time in São Paulo on the purpose-built site located on the expansive grounds of Parque Villa Lobos on the west side of the massive city.
Germany's fifth-seeded Ludwig/Walkenhorst and USA's 10th-seeded April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings are both new teams on the FIVB World Tour and both enter Sunday's gold medal match with 6-0 records in São Paulo. This is the first team the two teams will have met although with different teammates all have played each other numerous times.
Germany's Ludwig/Walkenhorst are in their ninth tournament together and this is their third final four appearance with one silver medal and one fourth place finish. Ludwig is playing in her 99th career FIVB World Tour event and her 18th FIVB final four with no gold medals and eight silver. Walkenhorst is in her 17th career FIVB World Tour event, her third FIVB final four and she has one silver medal and one fourth place finish. Together, Germany's Ludwig/Walkenhorst won the silver medal together at the last FIVB World Tour stop in Moscow six weeks ago. Ludwig is a two-time German Olympian finishing ninth in 2008 (Beijing) and fifth in 2012 (London) with the now-retired Sara Goller.
Ross/Walsh Jennings is USA's newest team. The Olympic duo is playing in just their second FIVB World Tour Grand Slam event after Olympic careers with different teammates. Walsh Jennings has three career Olympic gold medals and Ross won the silver medal last year at the 2012 London Olympics. Ross/Walsh Jennings played together for the first time on the FIVB World Tour in Gstaad, Switerzerland on July 10-14 where they finished ninth. Walsh is returning to regular action after giving birth to her third child as she has taken six months off from competition.
Individually, USA's Ross is playing in her 84th career FIVB World Tour event, her 37th FIVB final four with 10 gold and 12 silver medals. USA's Walsh Jennings is playing in her 88th career FIVB World Tour event, her 70th FIVB final four with 44 gold medals and 15 silver.
For Ross, she is setting another record for her illustrious career. Sunday will mark the first time in FIVB World Tour history where both a husband and wife will be playing in their respective gold medal matches in the same event. Her husband Casey Jennings is pinch-hitting for the injured Sean Rosenthal. Jennings is playing for the USA with Phil Dalhausser and they will be meeting Brazil's Bruno Schmidt/Pedro Salgado in the men's gold medal match.
Brazil's seventh-seeded Agatha Bednarczuk/Maria Antonelli provided their home country fans plenty to rejoice about as slugged it out Italy's 21st-seeded Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Toth and won the bronze medal, recording a three-set victory in 54 minutes, 25-23, 13-21 and 15-10.
After each team won a match against the other early this season on the FIVB World Tour, the first set was as close as they get, going to overtime before Brazil broke the 23-23 tie with Antonelli landing a kill off of Italy's Menegatti and Bendarczuk following that up with a service ace to finish the set. Following a tied score for the first four points, Italy broke open the second set, building up a nine-point lead at 20-11 while the Brazilians seemed to be looking to the third set to regroup and refocus.
In the deciding tiebreaker set, Italy scored the first two points before Brazil reacted. After exchanging points and down 3-1, Brazil started to catch fire as Bednarczuk blocked Orsi Toth for a point followed by Antonelli's service ace to take the lead for good at 4-3. After Bednarczuk scored six of her team's next seven points, four on kills, one on a looping hook shot that landed cross court, and the last on a service ace to give Brazil its largest lead of the set at 14-8. After Italy scored twice, the matched ended on a service error by Italy's Orsi Toth.
Playing in their 11th FIVB World Tour event as a team, Brazil's Bednarczuk/Antonelli earned their first bronze medal as a team and second final four finishing placement. After their bronze medal victory, they will leave São Paulo with a 6-2 record, an official third-place finish and $16,500 in prize money. This was the 62nd FIVB career event overall for Bednarczuk in seven seasons, her fifth career final four and her second bronze medal. This was the 88th career event overall for Antonelli in her nine seasons on the FIVB World Tour, her 37th final four and 12th bronze medal.
After their loss in the bronze medal match, Italy's Menegatti/Orsi Toth will leave São Paulo with a 5-3 record here, an official fourth-place finish and $12,900 in prize money. This was the third FIVB World Tour event as a team and their second fourth place finish. For Menegatti, this was her 55th career FIVB World Tour event, her 14th career final four finish and sixth fourth place finish. For Orsi Toth, this was her 15th career FIVB World Tour event, her second FIVB final four finish and second fourth place finish.
In Saturday morning's women's semifinals, Germany's Ludwig/Walkenhorst stunned the partisan home-country crowd by coming from behind to upset Brazil's Bednarczuk/Antonelli, 22-24, 21-14, 15-11 in an exciting match that lasted exactly 60 minutes.
In the second semi, USA's Ross/Walsh Jennings overcame the youth and tenacity of Italy's Menegatti/Orsi Toth in three sets, 18-21, 21-15, 15-13 in a sterling 51-minute match.
Germany's Ludwig/Walkenhorst, playing in just their ninth FIVB World Tour event together and third final four, won for the first time in three attempts this season against Brazil's Bednarczuk/Antonelli.
In the first semi, he first set was extremely close and went to overtime before the Brazilians pulled it out 24-22. The score was tied 13 times in the first set including every point from 15 to 22 and there were only two lead changes with the Brazilians taking at 6-5 and Germany never regained it.With the score tied 22-22, Brazil ended it with a pair of strong kills, the first by Bednarczuk and the set winner by Antonelli.
In the second set, Brazil scored first like it did in the first set and while there was one early tie Germany took the lead for good at 4-3 and seemed to play flawless from that point on against the aggressive Brazilian duo. After slowly building up their lead to seven points three times, Germany ended it on a service error by Brazil. The third set, like the second, was close early with three ties, Germany took the lead for good and 5-4 and completed a run of three straight points on a Ludwig service ace followed by a Walkenhorst block for a 7-4 lead and Brazil never got any closer the remainder of the set. Walkenhorst ended the set and match when her kill rolled off the top of the net and fell untouched to the sand.
In the second semi, USA's Ross/Walsh Jennings kept their composure throughout the match, overcoming the own mistakes as well as the strong effort by Italy's Menegatti/Orsi Toth to earn their spot in the gold medal match in just their second FIVB World Tour event as a team
In the first set between USA and Italy, the set was tied a total of eight times but the Americans, who scored first to start the match, took their biggest lead at 12-9 only to see the Italians rally to tie it up at 15-15 on successive blocks by Orsi Torth. From that point, the Italians continued to pressure the Americans and built up two three-point leads at 19-16 and 20-17 before and American service error ended the set.
In the second set, Italy scored first and it was tied eight times early with the USA taking the lead for good at 11-10 at the technical time out. Obviously learning things about their opponents during the first set, from that point on, USA kept the heat on, pulling out to four and then five point leads up to 20-15 and then the final margin at 21-15. After the technical time out, USA's Ross rattled off three consecutive points more on two defensive pokes sandwiched between one her patented ace serves.
USA jumped on Italy early in the tiebreaker set scoring the first two points and then jumping to a 5-1 lead then 6-2 as USA's Walsh scored on a block and two consecutive ace services. USA's Ross/Walsh Jennings kept serving and defending consistently to keep the margin at 3 to 4 points until a final rally by Italy closed the set to just one point at 14-13. Walsh finished the set and match with an artistic poke to move USA to the gold medal match.
São Paulo PURSE
The gold medal teams in each gender in the FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam will each split $33,000, the silver $22,000, the bronze $16,500 and fourth place $12,900.
The FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam marks the 35th time that Brazil has hosted a men's and 30th time Brazil has hosted a women's FIVB international beach volleyball world tour event. Brazil has staged a FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event every year since the start of the international circuit for men in 1987 and women in 1992. It is also the 295th FIVB World Tour men's tournament and 257th women's tournament.
The 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is comprised of 10 Grand Slam events and the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. Not part of the World Tour but counting towards FIVB points/earnings are five Open events (four double-gender tournaments and one women-only). The last of 10 FIVB World Tour Grand Slams will be the 2013 Grand Slam schedule will now end in China Oct. 22-27 at the double-gender $440,000 FIVB Xiamen Grand Slam.
13.10.2013 22:11:32
Salgado/Schmidt claim men's gold at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
São Paulo, Brazil, October 13, 2013 – It took three sets like it did earlier in the week in pool play, but once again Brazil's second-seeded Pedr... More...
13.10.2013 22:03:09
USA's Ross/Walsh victorious in São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil, October 13, 2013 – In another classic battle for the ages between veteran warriors, USA's 10th-seeded April Ross/Kerri Walsh J... More...
13.10.2013 02:14:19
Brazil, United States to battle for men's gold at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
São Paulo, Brazil, October 12, 2013 – With pool play and single elimination rounds all completed, Saturday's men's semifinal winners Brazil's... More...
12.10.2013 03:14:04
Brazil, Latvia, Spain, USA in men's semis at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
12.10.2013 03:08:56
Brazil, Germany, Italy, USA in women's semis at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
11.10.2013 04:20:49
Men's field reduced to 24 at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
10.10.2013 23:25:36
Eight unbeaten women's teams head to single elims at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
10.10.2013 14:15:06
Brazil's Schmidt/Salgado hope for no. 1 world ranking at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
10.10.2013 13:06:55
Walsh Jennings playing with April Ross at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
10.10.2013 03:15:29
Women's pool play opens with great play, some upsets at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
10.10.2013 03:05:15
Men's Pool Play at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam starts with four upsets
08.10.2013 21:41:47
Tuesday's qualifying sets main draw fields for FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam
07.10.2013 18:03:12
FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam information fact sheet
04.10.2013 09:49:04
FIVB World Tour resumes in Brazil for São Paulo Grand Slam
20.09.2013 18:37:37
Ross and Walsh start road to Rio in São Paulo
19.09.2013 15:31:20
Brazil lead the way at Sao Paolo Grand Slam
18.06.2013 14:28:04
2013 FIVB World Tour ends in Brazil at FIVB São Paulo Grand Slam


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Efforts to avert the "fiscal cliff" began in earnest on Friday as President Barack Obama met with top US lawmakers to work on a deal to head off year-end across-the-board tax hikes and spending cuts that could push the economy back into recession.
The hour-long session is not expected to yield much in the way of tangible results, but it could create a template for the coming weeks of negotiations.
Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said on Thursday she hopes the two sides can at least agree on the size of tax revenue and spending cuts that would be part of a bargain.
The meeting marks the first time Obama, a Democrat, will sit down with his Republican opposition since he won re-election last week.
All eyes will be on House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, who will have to balance the wishes of a newly confident president with the demands of his rank-and-file conservatives.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, his Republican counterpart, also will attend.
Both sides are pledging cooperation even as they dig in on their long-held opening positions, and are eager to reassure nervous investors that they will reach a deal.
"Going over the fiscal cliff, in my view, is a bucket of crazy," Republican Representative Peter Roskam, one of Boehner's deputies, said at a budget conference.
Obama insists that tax rates on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans must rise, while Republicans pledge that they will not agree to any rate increase.
There could be room for compromise.
Obama could agree to allow the top tax rate to rise to something less than the 39.6 percent he wants, from the current 35 percent. Policymakers, for example, could also agree to limit the tax increase to households making more than $500,000 annually, rather than the $250,000 cap Obama is demanding.
Republicans have suggested generating more revenue by limiting tax breaks for the wealthiest, rather than raising their rates. Obama has said that would not raise enough money.
The negotiators also need to confront $109 billion in domestic and military spending cuts due to kick in on January 2, the result of earlier failures to craft a more nuanced budget deal.
A senior Democratic Senate aide said it should be relatively easy to head off the cuts, known as "sequestration," if the two sides can get past the tax issue.
"The hard part is the tax cuts," the aide said. "Neither side wants sequestration to take place and that should be easy to solve in a balanced plan that has revenues."
Nonpartisan budget forecasters say failure to reach a deal could push the US economy back into recession and drive up the unemployment rate.
Business leaders say the uncertainty is already weighing on the economy as employers postpone hiring and capital expenditures until they get a better sense of the tax and spending environment.
The S&P 500 has dropped 4.3 percent over the past two weeks, in part due to concerns over the fiscal cliff. Major US stock indexes were down by about one-third of a percent on Friday.
The two sides could also agree to a temporary deal that would get them past the cliff and give them more time to work out a more lasting solution.
White House economic adviser Gene Sperling said the Obama administration is not interested in a solution that simply extends current provisions into next year.
"Compromise cannot be a dirty word if we want to move our country forward," Sperling said at a budget conference.
Lawmakers hope to revamp the US tax code and retool expensive entitlement programs like Medicare, the government health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.
Copyright @ Thomson Reuters 2012


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Mildly Sour Grapes or Why Alonso Deserved the Title
The Formula One season ended yesterday in heartbreak for me. I'd been rooting for Fernando Alonso and saw him lose by three points to Sebastien Vettel. Final score, 281 to 278.
A dominant theme was the consistency with which Alonso wrestled the Ferrari to podiums. I took this at face value during the season because these things tend to embed in your subconscious over many months. I decided to look up the numbers to confirm this hypothesis and the results are even more heartbreaking.
A few notes:
– I've limited the analysis to the top drivers only. This is to control for overtakes or positions gained by passing backmarkers versus fights with legitimate performers.
– I believe the Ferrari was inferior to Red Bull and McLaren this season. I cannot establish this completely because I lack telemetry comparisons but I'll point to some significant indicators in the post. In any case, there was the well documented Ferrari wind tunnel gaffe where erroneous tests and measurements resulted in a car performing below par on track, contrary to what their simulations predicted. This mess was rectified only halfway through the season.
– The analysis cannot account for pitstops. Mistakes happened, people spent more time in the pit lane than they should've and there's no way to say what the results could've been had those not happened.
– Similarly, I've left out retirements from this analysis, except only to record their absolute number. Some retirements were the driver's fault, some because of the car and some because the driver happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The numbers only consider races where the driver was classified with a position.
Here's a comparison of victories and pole positions. Nothing too surprising. Vettel more or less converted the advantages gained in qualifying, Alonso and Button did a little better. Lewis' stats are surprising. Most pole positions, four victories and he still ended up fourth in the championship. More on that later.
When you consider podium finishes the story changes remarkably as Alonso trumps Vettel. This is the saddest part because he couldn't make more of those podium finishes count given the skewed distribution of points. The most remarkable driver here is Kimi. Seven podiums and no retirements. As mihirfadnavis remarked, he may take his car for
a joyride outside the circuit but he will FINISH THE RACE!
Next, I looked at how much the drivers managed to improve their race positions from where they started. I did this because I wanted to normalize for the uneven distribution of points. The numbers below are the difference between final race classification and qualifying position. Note that negative numbers mean the driver improved positions during the race. Since I'm looking at a pool of the top drivers, it's reasonable to assume the positions they improved were a comparable mix of others retiring, pit-stop strategies, weather and genuine overtaking. Here's the comparison for Alonso vs Vettel.
On thirteen occasions Alonso has finished better than his starting position compared to nine for Vettel. Two of his three victories were in races where he improved seven and ten positions respectively. Vettel has a stunning Abu Dhabi performance skewing his chart with 21 places. I'll even grant him the Brazil performance because he was spun around at the start of the race and made back those positions. That said, the real warhorse in this battle is Alonso. Here's
proof of how he consistently wrestled his car to podium finishes. Mihir questioned how this stat alone can conclusively prove Alonso was the better driver in a car worse than his competitors. It doesn't, but there are few explanations for how a car that consistently underperformed in qualifying managed to make more podiums than the Red Bull. Practically, qualifying was a situation in which Alonso had 2-3 laps to put his car at the front of the grid, compared to the race where he had more laps to adjust his driving to the car's strengths and win back positions. Were there qualifying performances where the Ferrari did badly because Alonso drove badly? Sure, but this graph indicates that those cases were few (if any) because it's improbable a driver would screw up every Saturday and find his mojo only on Sundays.
Here's what the graph looks like if you add up all the positions made up and lost over the season.
Alonso has made up a stunning 52 positions this season compared to Vettel's 33 (a chunk of which is driven by his Abu Dhabi performance). Kimi's is another amazing stat. This is why out of nowhere, the iceman ended up third in the points tally. Look out for his Lotus next season, it's going to be a stunner.
But wait…what's that at the bottom? Holey moley look at the McLarens! On an average, they've given up their advantages. A clear case of not living up to expectations.
And here are Lewis' stats by race. Five retirements and only four instances in which he actually made up positions (USA being one where he pulled off a convincing overtaking maneouvre over Vettel and won the race). Will McLaren really miss him? Time will tell.
What a fucking heartbreak of a season. In the end, the difference was only three points, despite Vettel's four additional poles and two additional victories. It's remarkable I've spent this entire post defending the performance of a single driver. Since 1999, when Michael Schumacher introduced me to the concept of a real team, I've been an ardent Ferrari fan. The team has always come first, with individual performances counting for the greater good. This year, that faith has been tested, either by utterly classless and jarring displays of jingoism or through Machiavellian manoeuvrings designed to aid Alonso at the expense of his teammate. Alonso didn't need the politics off track, he needed a good car on it. I eagerly look forward to 2013 and hope Maranello makes it happen.


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I almost forgot to post these pictures... let's rewind back to my 30 week baby bump at Christmas time. My sister-in-law, Valerie, took these at a farm near her house.
It was also the first time all of the cousins on the Hart side of the family were together at once so we took the opportunity to get a group shot - easier said than done with so many young kids with different nap times! But I think she did a great job. If you happen to live in Southern Utah she is doing a special right now, go here if you want to learn more.


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Southeast Elementary School second graders could be the inaugural subjects in a language study conducted by linguist researchers, if all goes well.
Southeast Elementary School second graders could be the inaugural subjects in a language study conducted by linguist researchers, if all goes well.
Their previous research shows the discrepancy between home and school language can have a negative effect on test scores, so they want to analyze the slightest differences between the two dialects using brain wave caps.
During the experiment, 40 Southeast second graders will be studied one-by-one as they watch a 15-minute cartoon featuring characters using a mixture of home and school language.
J. Michael Terry, an associate professor at UNC, and Mako Hirotani, an associate professor of linguistics at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, performed a full demonstration for parents, teachers and school board members on Monday, answering questions about the study and mitigating concerns about the equipment�s safety.
�I know it can look a little intimidating,� Terry said about a brain cap with 32 connectors hooked up to an amplifier. �Nothing is going into the brain from our equipment.�
He said it works like a microphone as the censors � which will have no contact with the child�s head � read electrical brain activity and send its frequencies to a monitor for the researchers to later analyze.
Because the researchers are focusing on what small differences affect test scores, such as the difference between �He eats� and �He eat,� there�s no way to ask children how they felt in the microseconds it takes to recognize the third person singular �s�for example.
The machine can do it for them by revealing brainwave patterns.
Hirotani, the director of the language and brain labs at Carleton, said she�s used the equipment for 10 years, even on infants. For the past 50 years, brainwave patterns have been studied.
If the Board of Education approves this language study, it will be the first time the equipment has been used to study how dialect effects test scores and what teachers can do to close the gap.
�We particularly know (language) has some effect on how a student performs in school because (the home and school language) do not match,� said Steve Mazingo, Lenoir County Schools superintendent. �We particularly know it has some effect on test scores. We have not known exactly what is tripping up the kids.�
The researchers already have data focused on second graders because they said it�s a �linguistically transitional period� where they�ll be able to identify language discrepancies.
�We just want to tell teachers where the optimal difference is,� Terry said about the research.
Charis Walker, a second-grade teacher whose students will be directly affected if the research group returns in the spring, said research-based practices are something all educators should strive for.
�Any additional data we can gather that will help us target our instruction to help students is something I think would be helpful for us all,� she said.
The group has worked previously with Southeast, conducting a Dialect Awareness program last year.
Additionally, the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute analyzed the math word problems from standardized tests of 75 dialect-speaking second graders, finding that 15 percent of the children who performed low could have gotten nine percent more questions right if they understood that small difference with the third person singular �s.� Terry, along with a colleague, analyzed the data and added it to other pieces they already had about second-grade dialect.
He said the proposed study will eventually teach students how and what to pay attention to in language to master a home and school dialect.
�Everyone speaks a dialect,� Terry said. �We don�t think of it as correct or incorrect, there are different rule systems. We want kids to maintain their home dialect � but master academic school English.�
Terry and Hirotani, along with N.C. State�s Walt Wolfram, presented the proposal before the Board of Education on Monday night. Members were interested enough to approve Tuesday�s presentation, but raised questions about equipment safety and why they chose a predominantly black school.
�The particular difference that we�re looking at is largely a difference that is used more often in the black community,� Terry said. �The kids are worth it � These are kids who quite often, to be blunt, don�t get the best. We want them to have that.�
He said the equipment can facilitate the most advanced techniques of science and linguist theories available to them.
�I just want to make sure they did everything correctly, especially when you�re just talking about minority kids,� board member Garland Nobles Jr. said at Monday�s meeting. �That school is in my district, so I just wanted to make sure they�re well-protected.�
Southeast parents had multiple questions about the study, but seemed interested after seeing Terry and Hirotani demonstrate on Matthew Gibson, a 16-year-old junior at Riverside High School in Durham, who said the brain cap felt like �nothing.�
�I�m excited. I�m ready to jump in and do it myself,� said Dawn Whitfield, who has two children attending Southeast. �I think it�s a great idea (and) I think the information we find out will truly benefit many students on a vast scale.�
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.
Home and School Language Study, presented to the Board of Education by Dr. J. Michael Terry (UNC), Dr. Mako Hirotani (Carlton University) and Dr. Walt Wolfram (NC State).


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This preassembled recone kit, in combination with our time-tested instructions (click here), makes installation a simple task.The hardest part about reconing speakers is centering and setting the voice coil to the proper depth. We have set the depthfor you and your kit comes with centering shims to align the coil to the voice coil gap perfectly every time.We now provide vertical shim "slices" in lieu of a one piece circular shim. This prevents common stiction problems that canoccur during insertion or extraction of a single circular shim.This recone kit comes with everything you need, including spider, edge-wound* voice coil, dust cap, gaskets, lead wires,centering shims, glue, instructions, and a treated surround. It will provide the same amount of power, and is designed tomatch the original speaker performance.* Round copper wire is still used on some high-power speaker coils.
Item Code:: Yamaha-6130-8-Ohm-Recone-Kit
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Terri Brown - Loved by you
Terri said, 'I used the blocking for the inspiration with some of the colours splashed through it'
This is a layout using a photo of Eric & I in New Hampshire...us being silly in the gazebo on the first day together, him laughing & me trying not too while I kissed his cheek. I used the WRMK Nonsense range that I picked up from New Hampshire while on vacation.
Hey Terri! What a great photo of you and Eric, it really makes me smile. The papers look great too and I love how you have brought it altogether with a bow.... Feel the lurrvve!!


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The FamilySearch Indexing project yesterday had over 66,000 individuals who indexed at least one batch, and many did more than one batch of documents. Over 3 million records were indexed, and over 500,000 were arbitrated! That is a fantastic number.
And did you watch some or all of DearMYRTLE's GeneaSleepOver Hangouts On Air on Google+ and archived at YouTube?
If you didn't watch, you can view the 24-hour session (divided into segments) at https://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE
So congratulation to everyone who indexed. It is not too late to start indexing today. Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/.
There are plenty of Canadian records waiting to be indexed.


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white and green castle surrounded by green trees during daytime
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Recently, my laptop went belly up (onboard video died), so now I am preparing to buy all the parts to build my own desktop. I figure it's less convenient, but a better long-term investment. My funds are somewhat limited, and I need this to last me for 3 or 4 years. I'm basically looking for input/opinions from anyone who cares to share them. So far I've found:
AMD motherboard, video card, onboard sound bundle for $160
Board can take up to 8gb of ddr2 800 ram, sata hard drive, am2 socket type, 7600GT DDR3 256MB 128BIT PCI-E video card (copy/pasted that last part).
Athlon 64 x2 5200+ processor for $130.
I'm looking at power supplies, deals on RAM, cases, and I'm thinking about getting a 250 or 320 gb hard drive.
My greatest concern is keeping the cost down enough to be able to afford the operating system once it's all built. I can't spend more than $1k, and it'd be nice to have a decent amount for a new monitor.


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Published: 8/16/2012
Pakistan's giant aeronautical complex at Kamra has been attacked by the domestic Taliban. The base may contain components of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.
IHS Global Insight Perspective
The Pakistani Taliban has launched another attempted suicide-siege attack against an air base.
It is possible the base contains components of Pakistan's nuclear-weapons programme, although Pakistani officials deny this.
The militant attack included planning errors that limited its effectiveness, reducing fears about the safety of dangerous technologies.
In Kamra
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has attacked the Kamra aeronautical complex near Attock in an escalation of its operations within Punjab province, which is more stable than the west of the country and where the majority of Pakistanis live. In the early hours of 16 August a squad of nine TTP militants stormed the Pakistan Air Force's PAF Minhas base, which is adjacent to the complex. The private Geo News channel reported that they were disguised in military uniform. The breach began at 2am and was concluded only after a four-hour gun battle in which the base's commander, Air Commodore Mohammad Azam, received a serious bullet wound when leading the counter-attack. One soldier died, as did all the militants. The PAF said six of the TTP operatives were wearing suicide vests, but not all of these were detonated. The militants had time to emplace a number of improvised explosive devices, and a bomb disposal squad was called in to dismantle these.
The TTP assault was similar to that on the PNS Mehran air base in Karachi in May 2011 (see Pakistan: 23 May 2011: Pakistan's Taliban Stages Unprecedented Attack in Karachi). It was, however, less successful on this occasion. Whereas the assault in Karachi succeeded in destroying some of Pakistan's most prized aircraft—P-3C Orion surveillance planes acquired from the United States—on this occasion it appears that only one aircraft was damaged, by a rocket-propelled grenade. Moreover, in the Karachi attack a dozen service personnel died and the siege lasted for more than 15 hours, rather than just four at Kamra.
This failure would appear to be due to basic planning errors by the TTP. Any advantage conferred by the cover of darkness must have been reduced by the fact that, it being Ramadan, many of the base's personnel were awake for their pre-dawn breakfasts. Close to the Kamra facility is Attock Fort, a base of the Special Services Group (SSG)—the elite commando unit that eventually ended the Mehran siege and whose presence nearby posed a serious threat to the TTP militants involved. Nevertheless, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters that the group was "proud of this operation" and that its leadership had been planning the attack for a "long time". This was the third attack by the TTP's cell in Punjab in a little over a month (see Pakistan: 12 July 2012: Pakistani Taliban Claim More Killings in Punjab); Ehsanullah had warned to expect more after those in July. Geo News reported that the Pakistani interior ministry suspected the cell to be led by Adnan Rasheed, a TTP militant who was one of several hundred to escape from prison in April (see Pakistan: 16 April 2012: Militants Stage Mass Jail Break in Pakistan). A former PAF servicemen, he may have had the insider knowledge necessary to breach Kamra's perimeter.
A Sensitive Target
Security personnel guard the Pakistan air force base in
This was not the first attack on Kamra—suicide bombers targeted the facility in 2007 and 2009. There are a variety of reasons why it is a tempting target for the TTP. It lies on the border between Punjab and the Pashtun-majority Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and is therefore relatively close to the TTP's base in the semi-autonomous tribal areas of North and South Waziristan, on the border with Afghanistan. Kamra is also the nucleus of Pakistan's aeronautical industry. Alongside the air base are four factories—three for assembling aircraft and one for avionics and radar. They contain state-of-the-art equipment, including for the manufacture of the joint Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft. Several reports suggested the presence of Chinese personnel at the base during the raid.
Moreover, although PAF officials deny the base contains warheads or materials connected to the country's nuclear weapons programme, this contradicts numerous other expert assessments, including by reliable IHS Jane's sources. The security of Pakistan's nuclear sites continues to be a major concern for the United States. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference on 14 August, before the Kamra raid, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that it was particularly important for Pakistan to confront its internal terrorist threat. Panetta said: "The great danger we have always feared is that if terrorism is not controlled in their country, those nuclear weapons could fall into the wrong hands." In July, the US Congressional Research Service issued a report suggesting that Pakistan had somewhere between 19 and 110 nuclear warheads and that it is expanding its nuclear weapons capability.
Outlook and Implications
Despite such worries, the overall US military assessment is that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are secure, and that Pakistan's leadership is aware of the importance of them remaining so. There is no particular reason to alter this assessment as a result of the latest TTP raid. Although the militants were heavily armed, it appears that they did a minimal amount of physical damage to the site and were swiftly intercepted, although this was in part due to planning failures that were absent in the 2011 attack in Karachi. Although the TTP may attempt to conduct similar operations in reprisal for an impending Pakistani army operation against the group in North Waziristan, announced by Panetta on 14 August (see United States - Pakistan: 14 August 2012: US Claims Deal with Pakistan for New Anti-Militant Operation) that operation—should it materialise—is also likely to inflict significant damage to the TTP.


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This awesome lesson was written and taught by Anna, teacher candidate extraordinaire!
Start by bringing the students to the rug in their just right spots. Say, "Today students you will learn to write a chant poem. A chant poem is a poem that has repeating and changing lines.
First, I will share a chant poem I wrote with my friends. Then we will write one together. Lastly, you will generate ideas, draft and and revise your own Chant Poem. At the end of our session you will share your poem."
Post chart of mentor poem
and read it to students. Say, "Turn and compare ideas with your partner about what is going on in this kind of poem." Listen in. Repeat and add on to what you hear the students say. "I heard students say they noticed that every other line repeats and is written in one color and every other line is a different line. Also, all the lines are about the topic."
"That's right. Now turn and talk to your partner and come up with some topics we can use to write a class chant poem about." Call on a student to share three or four student ideas. List the ideas suggested. Take a vote on which topic students want to write a chant poem about.
Then with the class construct a chant poem. You will go through the writing process of generating ideas, drafting and revising.
Have class read the poem together.
The next part of the mini-lesson is to teach the revising process. Ask students to look at lines 2, 4, 6, and 8 and think of a way to revise them to make them better. Call on volunteers to make suggestions. Add revisions in a different color.
Reread chant poem with revisions.
Next, pass out A-Z Taxonomy. Have students generate topics for all or some of the letters. Next have them circle the one topic they are going to write a chant poem about. Share with partners their topic.
Show Chant Poem Framework under the document camera. Say, "Today to help you write a chant poem with repeating and changing lines you will use this framework. You will write your first line on line one. This will be your repeating line. Then on the next line you will write a different line to say more about your topic. You will continue until you have a 9 line poem.
Any questions?" Release students to go back to their desks to work independently.
Once students are seated, I will have them stick a small post-it to the top of their Chant Poem Framework and demonstrate with doc camera how to make a informal rubric. Write ideas, repeating, changing, and revisions in a list with a box to the left of each word. Tell them that after they are finished they will use this rubric to make sure they have met the requirements of the task.
As students are working circulate to see that they have selected a topic, have a repeating line and changing lines.
After about 15 minutes have passed, do a mid-work shop interruption. Say, "Students, you will need to reread your Chant Poem and make revisions to your work to make your poem better. Read the lines and listen to how they sound. Make changes with a colored pencil. Remember how we revised our Zombies Chant Poem- Write your revisions on your papers.
The share out of poems happened spontaneously during the independent writing section of the lesson. I captured students' excitement and joy while they were writing. They were eager to share their chant poems together as a table group or with their desk partners.


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Hey, my name's Malik and Killer Mike's my dad
If you don't like what he's sayin', so what
That's life
Told you last tape I'm a killer man
I'm a rapper, what the fuck do I know
Well I'm also a nigga that came off Martin Luther King, man
Son of a dope lady
And I went to fuckin' Morehouse nigga
I accomplished something, I became something nigga
That's who I am to criticize any nigga
Oprah, Bill, Clinton, Cosby, anybody
[Verse 1]
The fat bitch singing show over, end opera
Leader of the crack Rat Pack, I Sinatra
They say I dissed Oprah
I'm like so what
I never get to jump up and down on a sofa (that's life)
Now watch me as I Cruise like Tom through the slums
Where the education's poor and the children growing dumb
In the section of the city where saditty's don't come
Where Mr. Cosby and Ms. Winfrey won't come
Unless it's a hurricane then FEMA don't come
Coming live from the city where the Dreamer came from
Standing on the same corners that he stood upon
I got violence in my waistband, death in my palm
Ask 'em am I a bad guy, ya goddamn right
I done seen how ya do a nigga when he doin' right
The Dream died on a balcony, standin' at a hotel
Now niggas whippin' coke gel and a O tale
We desegregated - put black with the white
No longer marching for rights, they sparking a pipe (that's life)
Pipe dreams, crack fiends
Cars look like ice cream
Kids see the bling-bling and they want them nice things
All cause of tennis shoes our kids drop out of schools
They said be like Mike, so ball nigga (that's life)
Now help me understand something
If you a leader and you really mean something to your people
Ain't you supposed to be in the community with your people?
Ain't you supposed to be there?
Like the only people I see in the communities
Are rappers and ball players
Where the fuck all y'all doctors?
Where y'all bourgeoisie niggas at?
All the kids got is us, Grind Time rap game
[Verse 2]
Read an old magazine, check out a new dress
I be havin' conversations with Cornel West
Killer Mike don't give a damn if it's me ya ain't likin'
The last great debate I had was with Michael Eric Dyson
Call me a dumb rapper
Girl stop, pardon me
You be hard pressed to find another rapper smart as me
Maybe Jay-Z, 2Pac, C-U-B-E
But Oprah'd rather put Superhead on TV
Now whatcha white audience gon' think about we
The same white audience that watch Bill O' Reilly
I saw the smirk on they face when you came at Luda
The same nice ladies that forgave Martha Stewart
So I can be a crook
Take money off the books
Just as long as I'm liked by a rich man's wife?
OK, hold up. I can't rap about doing crime
But if I actually do crime, and do time
I can come back out
And have a TV show
With an all white audience
If I rob shareholders of millions?
But if I rap about getting some money on the block
It's a problem?
Are you fuckin' retarded?
I'm not even gonna tell you how stupid you are right now
Cause you should already know, Grind Time Rap Game (that's life)
[Verse 3]
Niecey had a man, not a mouse or a mole
When the pressure come knockin, I ain't runnin in a hole
George Bush don't like blacks
No shit, Sherlock
And his daddy CIA had flooded the hood with rock
And his momma said the women oughta feel at home
Gettin' raped in the bathroom in the Superdome
The comment Kanye made was damn near right
But Bush hate poor people
Be 'em black or white (that's life)
Hell yeah I said it, cause Oprah won't say it
And Bill won't say it, and they still won't say it
If you really bout intelligence, you really know I'm right
If you lookin' for some leadership, look for Killer Mike (that's life)
Lookin' for a movement, it's Grind Time Rap Game
Kids see us in the street and go bang bang bang
They see me on the street and on the corners they hang
Myspace Grind Time Online, join the gang
Aye man, all you adults out there, all you supposed grown people
Would you please stop lying to young people
Could we please have a moment of fuckin' honesty?
You know honesty?
The shit you ask young people to be with you when you ask are they havin' sex or doin' drugs?
Could we please stop fuckin' lying
Like you preachers out there who spread the myth
That young boys who sag their pants picked that shit up in prison to let niggas know they homosexuals
You in your faggot, twisted mind know that ain't true
You sick fuck, for even sayin' that shit
We wear our fuckin' pants big
Because our mothers were too poor to buy our size
So they had to buy two or three sizes up
Call it what it is nigga: poverty
It's fuckin' poverty
You know poverty, the opposite of the big fuckin' cars and planes you drive
To all you rich bourgeoisie niggas out there
Stop ignoring your cousins in the ghetto
Because they're there
Stop looking down on 'em
Stop using crack addicts and Mexicans
As cheap labor to build your fuckin' houses
And then shitting on poor black people and Latins
You pieces of shit
That's for you rich motherfuckas: black and white
In the mean time us rappers
Us lowly b-boys and us motherfuckin' athletes'll be here in the ghetto
Servicing the motherfuckin' children
We are the new Robin Hoods
We are the Pied Pipers
We will lead the kids into a better life than the motherfuckin' lies you doing
Kids grow up, be doctors, be lawyers
Just don't be liars and connivers like the ones we got now
Young men, grow up
Be clergymen, be a preacher
Just don't be a motherfuckin' greedy hog like most of the ones we got now
Grind Time Rap Game
Bang, bang, bang
If you don't like what I'm sayin'....that's life


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Remember {this}?
Unfortunately I did not have the same budget I had the first go around so it was time to do what I do best. Feed the kids Ramen Noodles for 2 months and stash the extra grocery money.
It did cross my mind.
Old rug- Sold on CL for $300.00.
New rug- Remember the 10x13 from IKEA I made out of two Tarnby rugs for $300.00 {here}?
I layered the jute with an authentic cow hide, a gift from my friend {Blake} after helping him and Angela with their nuptials.
My boys are still in mourning over the old rug. I know what it's like to have no closure but I still think I did the right thing.
We've had the rug for almost a year and it still looks amazing! I've had to glue down a few loose ends and it still sheds a little, but it's the nature of the fiber and I'd purchase it again in a nano second.
This make over also included a chair up date. I used the reverse side of a linen like, zebra print I found on clearance for $4.00/yd (SAS) and had it re-upholstered for $90.00
Tufted chair BEFORE
I also updated all the window treatments. I sold our old ones for more than I bought fabric and rods for the new ones. The no-sew shades were painstakingly made on my kitchen island. When you have to make the same window treatment times six, it becomes a totally worth it, chore. I found the fabric at SAS (Tempe AZ) for three dollars a yard and taped two and a quarter inch, pewter, ribbon on the outside edges.
My dear friend Cindy Bluth (who happens to own a work room) helped me sew the new vertical striped, off white woven, panels. I lined them in solid gray polyester, also purchased at SAS for three dollars a yard.
Howard, down at our local welding shop, made the custom rods and rings. We hung them just below the crown molding to give the illusion that the windows appear much taller than they really are.
So here's the reveal after I changed 5 things in our family room.
rug- traded straight across
window treatments including rods - traded straight across (actually made a few bucks)
reupholstered chair- $110.00
new mirror- $25.00
new chandelier- $15.00
Are you in the process of a room makeover? Don't forget to look at my six design tips to optimize success {here}.
And here's the 7th tip.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE neutrals but sometimes when creams, tans, and grays take over, your room can become predictable and a bit boring. If you want to add depth and character, your bff is TEXTURE. To create lots of interest in my family room I used several different materials including velvet, wood, chrome, marble, burlap, knit, glass, and jute. These elements all work together to create an original and comfortable space for my family and our friends.


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Cheetah improve efficiency and increase safety
Cheetah Couriers & Logistics have been providing a dedicated delivery and logistics service for over 30 years. Based in both Hertfordshire and now also in Leicestershire, a professional team manage a modern fleet of 30 vehicles to transport documents, parcels and goods across the UK and overseas.
They provide a professional, fast and efficient courier and transportation service tailored to meet the needs of 1000 businesses nationwide.
From their head office in Hemel Hempstead, Cheetah plan, manage and co-ordinate the distribution and supply chain management – offering a totally outsourced logistics service.
After contemplating competitive solutions, Cheetah Couriers selected TomTom Business Solutions because it more readily matched the needs of the company and provided superior value for money. The company use both the GO 9000 units, which require no installation, as well as fully installed LINK boxes. The subcontractors are supplied with the GO 9000 units for job dispatch and for the ability to provide the dispatch office with instant proof of delivery (POD) for their records.


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Friday, December 14, 2012
A New Take on Noses
I've been experimenting with how I color nose-less images and thought I would share since I'm pretty happy with the new look. I'm also throwing in a little bit of altering, just because I did it. The finished card will be on my blog tomorrow. Thanks!
Posted by Amy at 10:28 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: altering, Amy, Nose, Video Tutorial
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These are all the News & Announcements posted on Wednesday, 6 February, 2008.
Wireless Internet Access
Did you know that the Logan Library provides wireless internet access throughout the entire Library? Most users can simply bring their wireless-enabled laptop computer or other wireless device to the Library and turn it on. The computer will automatically recognize the wireless network, and you will be connected to the internet. We don't require any special encryption settings, usernames, passwords or library card numbers. For more information read our frequently asked questions about wireless internet access.
Posted By Logan Library at 2:44 PM in Category:Library Services
Link directly to this article.
The Latest News!
Oct 16, 2018
» Community Book Discussion Oct 10, 2018
» The Dead Awaken Oct 5, 2018
» Library Closed Columbus Day


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Jrpoulter's Weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblog
Intelligent reading – Comprehension in young children
Reading – we all recognise it as a core skill. By 'intelligent reading', I mean reading with a level of comprehension commensurate with the child's experience of the world they inhabit. Fortunately, reading to children is now encouraged as being supportive of reading literacy and as a sound foundation for future learning.
Not that long ago, children were seen as passive recipients of the eager parent's input via the quality time spent in 'read to me' and 'bedtime story' sessions.
I always felt sure my children were taking in much more than the professional opinion allowed.
Recently, I borrowed a copy of Dr. Virginia Lowe's very excellent book, "Stories, Pictures and Reality: Two children tell" (Routlege 2007) based on the record of her own two children's responses to books from birth to adolescence. Dr. Lowe's book vindicates what I felt all along as a parent! This book should be set reading for students of primary, early childhood and remedial teaching, child and family psychology and for anyone with an interest in literacy or children's literature!
Her children had a smorgasbord of stories proffered continuously, both Dr Lowe and her husband being librarians who were passionate advocates of children's literature. The children's reactions to and responses concerning elements of story and illustrations provide a wonderfully insightful peek into the psyche of the child. Both Lowe children clearly had a blessed and privileged childhood, but being 'read to' is within the reach of most children. Public libraries and school libraries are accessible to most families. Even if parental work commitments make a nightly 'reading' impossible, there are weekends and visits to grandparents when a 'storytelling' session can be included in the agenda.
There are other options.
Storytelling sessions are held regularly in many public libraries and are 'free'.
And online resources such as "Ripple Reader" and "A Story Before Bed" provide a way for even absent grandparents and parents to read to their children. In the USA and Israel, 'bedtime stories' are part of official early education policy. Programmes like "Reach Out and Read" and "Read to Me" do a monumental job in promoting literacy and the power of storytime to be a deeply meaningful and bonding time in families.


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What has made Morneau so good in 2010? Almost every ball that the Twins first baseman connects with is on a violent trajectory but at the same time he is making opposing pitchers labor in almost every plate appearance. Morneau told Sid Hartman that he was making a concerted effort to not press too hard in the batter's box:
"Right now I'm trying to be patient, take what they give me and not make something out of an at-bat that isn't there. With [Michael] Cuddyer, [Jim]Thome, [Delmon] Young and all of those guys in the lineup hitting behind me, I feel if I get on base they can hit a home run just as easily as me swinging at a bad pitch and blooping something in."
The numbers certainly confirm Morneau's testament. Compared to past seasons, he's shown schoolmarm-ish discipline. Now an established veteran of nearly a decade, Morneau has been selective on pitches both outside and inside the strike zone while keeping his bat on his shoulder more:
Morneau's Plate Discipline:
OOZ swing%
IZ swing%
Overall swing%
After chasing almost 30 percent of pitches out of the zone in 2008 and 2009, he's trimmed the fat down to below the league's average through almost two months of the season. Of course, pitchers have enabled this newfound discipline by pirouetting around the strike zone, attempting to avoid his heavy lumber by bending and changing speeds. In the past, a younger Morneau may have expanded the zone for the pitcher by reaching for an inferior pitch. This year's model is swinging on his own terms which have translated to more favorable counts and a higher walk rate.
Likewise, the decision to throw fewer fastballs and even fewer strikes in general is presumably an attempt to tangle with the hitters down the order from Morneau rather than challenge the league's best hitter. While the logic is sound in theory, in practice however this has been extremely advantageous for the Twins. First, this off-speed recourse has a rather nasty side-effect: Morneau is hitting it at a very good .392 clip with six of his 11 home runs coming off of non-fastball offerings. Secondly, the decision to pitch around Morneau has ultimately led to more runs. Coming into Sunday's game, Morneau has been issued 33 free passes. On five of those occasions, he eventually scored.
In addition to abstaining from the wayward pitches and embracing the higher dosage of off-speed stuff, Morneau has been increasingly particular about his in-zone pitches as well, taking more pitches for strikes. With this added quality-control, he has been able to hone in on his proverbial "pitch". This has translated into more squarely hit balls.
Morneau's batted balls:
Line Drive%
Ground Ball%
Fly Ball%
After beating the ball into the ground at a career 40 percent rate, he's elevating it more this year – shooting more fly balls and line drives around the park instead of towards the turf. While one would like to see the grounders exchanged for line drives, as fly balls are typically the most frequent of the three to be converted into an out, Morneau has been exercising a fly ball BABIP nearly a 100 points higher than the league and his career average. Also, the depressed ground ball rate has also kept him from hitting into any double-plays in '10 despite having baseball's second-highest at-bats in double-play situations (48) behind teammate Michael Cuddyer (50).
Aside from the batted ball levels which may not be sustainable throughout the season's duration and eventually regress back towards his career norms, clearly Morneau has implemented a sound approach at the plate and is capitalizing on it whenever he pulls the trigger. If the organization can refrain from wearing him out at the end of the year and keep him from his second-half swoon, Morneau could be a runaway for AL MVP.


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ESA headquarters
ESA has its headquarters in Paris. Here the Director General and the majority of the Programme Directors have their offices, and the decisions that shape ESA's present and future activities are made.
ESA Paris is also the administrative centre and contains the main offices for staffing, legal affairs, finance, budget, internal audit, strategy, international relations and communications. Each ESA Centre also has offices for personnel, finance and communications that report to ESA headquarters in Paris.
To facilitate its international relations, ESA has liaison offices in Brussels, Moscow and Washington together with an office in Houston, USA to support International Space Station activities and one in Kourou, French Guiana, for Europe's Spaceport.
The ESA Council
ESA's governing body is the Council. This is composed of high-level representatives of ESA Member States and is responsible for drawing up the European Space Plan and ensuring the long-term funding of the Agency's activities. Each ESA Member State has one vote and is represented by a Council delegate from the ministry responsible for space activities in each Member State.
In general, Council meetings are held every three months at delegate level and every two to three years at ministerial level. Meetings at delegate level usually take place at ESA's headquarters.
Council is responsible for:
- drawing up the European Space Plan
- ensuring that it is being followed
- approving both ongoing and future Programmes
- deciding on the level of resources to be made available to ESA
ESA's activities are divided into nine Directorates, each headed by a Director who reports directly to the Director General. These are:
- Earth Observation Programmes
- Technical and Quality Management
- Launcher Programmes
- Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes
- Resources Management
- External Relations
- Science Programmes
- EU and Industrial Programmes
- Operations and Infrastructure
International cooperation
To ensure that ESA remains at the forefront of space research and exploration, ESA frequently joins in cooperative ventures with other spacefaring nations such as the United States, Russia, Canada and Japan. Negotiations with countries wishing to join ESA also take place in Paris.
International collaboration also includes assisting developing countries. ESA manages a worldwide network of ground-receiving stations to collect remote sensing data and has set up a network to transmit weather and environmental data to African countries.
ESA's Office for International Relations interacts with international organisations such as the United Nations World Meteorological Office, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The ESA headquarters in Paris also hosts the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
Planning for the future
A General Studies Programme has been set up in Paris to assist the ESA Council in selecting future programmes. This Programme selects innovative ideas for future activities by drawing upon ESA's technical experts, as well as institutions and industries in Member States.
Not all proposals materialise into funded programmes. Upon closer examination activities may prove to be too expensive, less interesting than expected or unrealistic with the foreseeable technology. Early feedback of this kind prevents ESA and European industry from making costly mistakes.
Europe's citizens fund ESA, therefore, it is important to ensure that they are aware of ESA's achievements and of how public money is being spent.
ESA's Communication Office is responsible for keeping the world's media, decision makers and the public up to date with what is happening at ESA and providing news on all its latest activities. One of the main activities of ESA's Communication Office is to organise large media events and press conferences, and prepare written and audiovisual material for target groups. Communications policy is set up and coordinated by Paris but is delegated to the Agency's establishments for specific activities at regional level.
ESA takes part in all the major conferences, symposia and space-related events. These act as a forum for the exchange of ideas and help to increase public awareness of ESA. The Communication Office in Paris also organises exhibits, and maintains the main photo and video archives.
Even the most innovative space research can not be put into operation unless ESA has highly qualified staff capable of putting good ideas into effect. It is also important that ESA's activities are carried out efficiently and cost-effectively in order to ensure that the contributions of Member States are used wisely.
To carry out its programmes ESA needs to recruit experts in many different fields from all ESA's Member States. ESA's recruitment policy is decided and administered at its Paris headquarters. Each ESA Centre also has an office for human resources that reports directly to the head office in Paris.
Careful controls are in place to ensure that ESA and its Centres work within their budgets. In addition, the Office of Internal Audit ensures transparency in all ESA's dealings.
Legal affairs
ESA's Legal Office is responsible for all legal matters concerned with ESA and space. Paris also hosts the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL). This organisation aims to improve research in space law within Europe as well as its practice.
Although most of the programme activities of the ESA Directorates are handled by the ESA Centres within Europe, one Directorate - Launchers – is mainly based in Paris.
Without launchers space exploration would be impossible. ESA's Launchers Programme is responsible for researching and developing ideas for new launchers. It also oversees the launch and production facilities at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
ESA's Launchers Programme is responsible for developing the Ariane launchers that have proved so successful. Recent activities include further enhancements to the Ariane-5 launcher and the development of Vega, a new small launcher scheduled to make its first flight in 2007.
Other ideas being studied for the not too distant future include plans for a reusable launcher. This development will greatly reduce the cost of launching satellites and spacecraft.
European Space Agency
8-10 rue Mario Nikis
75738 Paris Cedex 15
tel: +33 1 5369 7654
fax: +33 1 5369 7560
email: email@example.com


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Penn State explores NHL hockey at Beaver Stadium
Campus buzzing over speculation of a possible Pens-Flyers face-off
The earliest the puck could drop on a potential outdoor hockey game at Penn State's Beaver Stadium would be 2014.
Athletic director Dave Joyner said Monday that he's informally discussed the possibility of hosting a game at the home of the Nittany Lions with Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.
Joyner characterized the preliminary talk as exploratory and high level. "A wouldn't-it-be-kind-of-cool thing to do" type-talk, Joyner described in a phone interview.
"Nothing would happen until the very earliest until the end of the football season in 2014," he said.
The idea of opening up Beaver Stadium to hockey has been thrown around at Penn State since the school announced plans to upgrade its club hockey program to Division I in 2010. The Big Ten is also starting a hockey league this fall, with the Nittany Lions one of the founding members.
Penn State hockey could also play outdoors, whether as an undercard to an NHL marquee matchup or as part of a collegiate event. Any outdoor game would likely pack the 106,000-plus capacity stadium - the second-largest in the country behind Michigan Stadium.
The possibility has picked up social media buzz of late, especially with Nittany Lions coach Bill O'Brien offering ringing endorsements in response to questions during last month's coach's caravan, and at a charity golf outing earlier a few weeks ago.
"To play a hockey game in Beaver Stadium would be great for this area," O'Brien, who grew up in the hockey-savvy Boston suburbs, said then. "I love hockey."
Joyner said Monday that school officials are discussing logistics that Penn State has never had to plan for since Beaver Stadium is usually shut down and "winterized" following the last football game of each season in November. The stadium typically isn't used again until the following April, for the Blue-White spring football scrimmage.
Penn State could wait a few weeks to winterize, Joyner said, meaning a hockey game could be held in December.
Then there are parking concerns, and preparing for last-minute alternatives should a winter storm shut down grass fields surrounding the stadium. The school does have experience with that scenario from dealing with weather-related problems for football.
"There's a lot of interest in doing this," he said. "We just have to get through these logistical hurdles."
The NHL is increasing its popular outdoor games, which in the past had been limited to on or around New Year's Day. There are likely to be six next season, including two at Yankee Stadium in New York. Other games are scheduled for Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor; Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles; and Soldier Field in Chicago.
A Flyers-Penguins game would bring a blockbuster, all-Pennsylvania matchup to Beaver Stadium. The Buffalo Sabres could be a possibility as well - it was team owner Terry Pegula's $102 million donation three years ago that enabled Penn State to upgrade its men's program and build a state-of-the-art arena opening in October.
The school has also expressed an interest since Pegula's donation in hosting an NHL or AHL training camp, or an exhibition game.
A hockey game on campus could rival the turnout for the "Big Chill" game held between Michigan and Michigan State in 2010 at Michigan Stadium. That game drew 104,173 fans, setting the world record for hockey attendance.
Joyner also said Monday that Penn State is still seriously looking into the possibility of playing a football game in Ireland in 2014.


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Earlier this year, the Roku 3 was released to nearly unanimous rave reviews (
Now the company is bringing some of the Roku 3's improved hardware and styling to the rest of its line. Roku has taken the wraps off three new budget streaming boxes: the $60
All of the new Roku boxes are available to preorder now at Roku.com and should hit retailers in October.
A hands-on look at Roku's new streaming boxes (photos)See all photos
New, sleeker hardware
Like Roku's old line, the differences between the models are slight. A quick breakdown of how the features step up in the line is as follows:
Roku LT ($50): 720p video, HDMI and analog video outputs, available only at online retailers
Roku 1 ($60): adds 1080p video
Roku 2 ($80): adds Wi-Fi Direct remote with headphone jack, dual-band Wi-Fi
Roku 3 ($100, already available): adds dual-core processor, motion control remote, Ethernet jack, USB port, SD card slot; no analog video jacks
Specs aside, the boxes also sport a refreshed, Roku 3-esque curvy look. In a way, they look even sleeker than the Roku 3, with a sloping case that gets thinner toward the front, while still maintaining enough room in the back for the analog jacks. It's a welcome face-lift for Roku's less expensive players that were beginning to look bland next to the sleek Roku 3.
The Roku LT and Roku 1 remotes are slightly different than those of the past, featuring direct-access buttons for Netflix, Amazon Instant, Blockbuster, and M-Go. Eagle-eyed Roku fanatics will also notice that the "jump back" button has been restored to the cheaper models, which previously was only available on the Roku 3.
The Roku 2 remote includes the same buttons, but adds two killer features that made the Roku 3 a hit: a headphone jack, for private listening, and Wi-Fi Direct, so you don't need line of sight to send commands to the box. It doesn't have the motion-control functionality or gaming buttons that the Roku 3 has, but given the scarcity of quality games available for Roku, it's not a big loss.
What you won't find on any of these boxes are significantly upgraded processors; lightning-fast responsiveness remains limited to the Roku 3.
M-Go integration
Along with the new hardware, Roku has a software update on the way, adding two categories in the left-hand menu: movies and TV shows.
These new content portals let you browse content for rental and purchase from M-Go, which includes some relatively new releases. (For example, you can purchase the most recent episode of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" in HD for $3 or rent "World War Z" in HD for $5) While the new menus do give you faster, top-level access to TV and movie content (similar to what the Apple TV does with iTunes), M-Go doesn't have quite the same adoption as some of the other major service available on Roku, such as Amazon Instant and Vudu. (I doubt I'm the only one who wishes it was powered by Amazon, which at first glance seems to have a very similar catalog.)
The new menus also don't have any cross-platform capabilities, so if you browse to a movie you're interested in, there's no immediate way to tell if the same content may be available for "free" on subscription services like Netflix, Amazon, or HBO Go.
The upside with M-Go is that Roku owners won't need to sign up for any new account, as it works with your Roku account and the credit card that's required during setup. (This fact still irks some Roku buyers.) M-Go will also allow you to link your UltraViolet account, giving you access to any content have stored in your digital locker.
The software update is coming in October to all "current-generation" Roku boxes, which includes the Roku LT, Roku HD, Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 XS, Roku 1, Roku 2, Roku 3 and
Strong update for Roku's streamers
In all, it's a solid update to Roku's lineup, with the Roku 2 standing out as a particularly wallet-friendly option if you want the awesome headphone jack-toting remote, but don't necessarily need the speed and geeky upgrades of the Roku 3. The Roku LT will likely also remain an excellent ultra-budget option that's particularly nice for secondary rooms that get less use.


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Needle turn - the oldest trick in the book.
Name (required)
Class is complete with a final show and tell.
Blanket stitch by machine is super fun and easy.
Machine settings for finished edge applique
Machine applique 101
Loving the hand blanket stitch
Let's take a peek at the hand applique stitch, finishing and knots.
Before we hop on our machines let's talk about hand work.
Dealing with inside curves and securing shapes to the back ground.
Spray starch prep is my personal favorite - love this approach!
If needle turn is not your bag - glue prep may be your next thing.
gotta love fusible for fast, fun and down and dirty.
There's one more cool tool and then the poor man's version - which I personally adore!
Or how about the bias bar technique?
It doesn't always come out right the first time.
Let's start with the stems.....
It's all about prep and iron safety -
Class bell has rung once again - Time to sharpen up both your machine and hand needles for applique - ALL ways!
(Click on the box next to the YouTube logo to enlarge the screen.)
Learn about
Apliquick appliqué tools!
Watch Show 1912
with Rosa Rojas (free!)
Apliquick Rods
Apliquick - 3 Holes Microserrated Scissors
Apliquick Ergonomic Tweezers


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Send an Instant Message to mrken Using...
Cursed by the Gods
Undead Abomination
This week I have had contact with two more gamers who wish to join the game. If these two actually join those who have played last time we would have five players. Five is a good number to play and I would be totally happy with this. My problem is I can't contact David except via Facebook. He is not exactly into FB so I have not had any contact with him since the last game. He was punctual and an excellent role player. After the game he even went home and posted how excited he was about the


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I met Jess last month and, still using a loaner camera, managed to get a shot of one of her three tattoos, located on her right forearm:
Aside from the fact that the picture is not ideally crisp, one can still see how beautiful and colorful this tattoo is.
The inspiration came from a book of Chinese propaganda posters.
Jess noted that she asked the artist, John Reardon at Saved Tattoo, to give the rooster a "gentler eye" which she hoped would "embrace [its] masculinity while poking fun at it". Reardon's work has appeared previously on Tattoosday here and here.
Thanks to Jess for sharing this lovely rooster with us here on Tattoosday!


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Bev Dietrich Hughes was beside herself when she heard the Beatles were coming to town on Aug. 22, 1964.
So the 16-year-old went down to Empire Stadium with her friends Margaret Forbes and Linda Butler two days before the tickets went on sale.
"We slept out for two nights so that we could be first in line to buy tickets," recounts Hughes. "I was hoping that maybe if we were first in line, maybe we would get to meet them."
Alas, that didn't happen, but the girls did get a front-row seat to one of the most legendary gigs in Vancouver history.
The Beatles show was short (27 minutes), but wild. The Vancouver concert had the largest crowd of the Beatles' first North American tour. And the 20,621 in attendance went nuts.
Teenage girls screamed from start to finish, literally drowning out the music.
"It was pandemonium, and we could barely hear anything," says Hughes. "And barely see anything.
"(But) it was fantastic. It was electric. There were so many people and so much screaming and hollering and crying."
As it happened, the Beatles hit Vancouver at the peak of Beatlemania.
The band had notched five No. 1 hits in Canada in a little more than a year — She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Saw Her Standing There, All My Loving and This Boy — and were about to score a sixth with A Hard Day's Night, which had just been released.
They opened the Empire Stadium show with Twist and Shout and ripped through 11 songs (You Can't Do That, All My Lovin', She Loves You, Things We Said Today, Roll Over Beethoven, Can't Buy Me Love, If I Fell, Boys, Hard Day's Night and Long Tall Sally).
But Hughes said she was so busy screaming, her memories of the actual concert are just a blur.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS, or tap and swipe the image on your mobile device.
"They came running on stage, there was a lot of screaming and hollering, and pretty much the next thing I remember is them running offstage," she says with a laugh.
In fact, the band cut the concert short when it looked like the fans were about to crash through a barricade and storm the stage.
John, Paul, George and Ringo bowed, dropped their instruments and ran to waiting limousines, which whisked them to the airport, where they boarded a plane for Los Angeles.
Vancouver Sun reviewer William Littler was aghast, writing that "seldom in Vancouver's entertainment history have so many (20,621) paid so much ($5.25 top price) for so little (27 minutes).
"Aside from their haircuts (or lack of them) and Merseyside accents," Littler wrote, "I perceived nothing that made them better or worse than any number of less ballyhooed groups, either as vocalists or instrumentalists. They sounded just as loud, just as monotonous, and just as unmusical."
Littler was a classical music reviewer; he hadn't heard the Beatles before he reviewed their show. The mainstream media were quite wary of the Fab Four at the time: Sun columnist Jack Wasserman broadcast live from the concert on CKNW and went into hysterics, convinced there was going to be a riot.
Craig McCaw, who was also at that concert, was a lot younger (20) and hipper than Littler or Wasserman. But he admits that he bore a bit of a grudge against the Beatles.
"They were making so much noise, the guys in my band (the Shadracks) all wanted to do Beatles songs and I wanted to do songs by the Righteous Brothers," says McCaw, who went on to be the guitarist in The Poppy Family.
"Then I went down there and saw the gig and just flipped. The energy level coming off that stage was just palpable, it was so freakin' good. I'd never seen anything like it in my life."
It wasn't just the music that was mind-blowing; it was their look.
"These guys looked like aliens," says McCaw. "They were totally cool ... the hairdo, the suits, the boots."
The boots made such an impression, McCaw and his friend disc jockey John Tanner decided they needed some, right after the show.
"We found out the Beatles' boots were made by Anello and Davide (in London)," says McCaw.
"So John Tanner and I stayed up all night and phoned over to London at 6 o'clock in the morning and ordered Beatle boots. We were that serious. We didn't want any B-S Beatle boots, we wanted Beatle boots from Anello and Davide, the guys who made the Beatle boots."
As it happened, the singer in McCaw's band bore a passing resemblance to Ringo Starr. So disc jockey Red Robinson of CFUN hatched a plan.
Three thousand teenage girls had parked themselves outside the Hotel Georgia, where the Beatles were rumoured to be staying. Robinson put a Beatles jacket on Rick Musalem and sent him by the hotel in a convertible.
"Red goes on the air and says, 'There's been a reported sighting of Ringo Starr in front of the Georgia Hotel,'" recounts Musalem.
"I was in the front seat of the CFUN car. There was a little bit of a riot. All these girls started surrounding the car and jumping up and down and tearing the aerial off.
"The policemen were telling us to get the hell out of there — put the car in neutral and they would try to shove us out of the hordes of these little screaming teeny boppers.
"I was literally (trying to hide) up under the dash when they tore this (Beatles) coat literally off my back."
The real Beatles were late arriving in town, partly because they had to fly back to Seattle to get the proper immigration stamp before being allowed into Canada.
"They made the Beatles return to Seattle to get a customs stamp," says Robinson. "Can you imagine?"
The band had a crowded press conference (John joked they had to return to the States to be "deloused"), then hopped into a limo for a tour of the city. They had burgers and milkshakes at King's Burgers in North Van, then headed to Empire Stadium.
Red Robinson was the MC of the show, filling in for an ill Fred Latremouille. He said the view from the stage was a bit scary.
"It was the wildest thing I'd ever encountered," says Robinson. "Even wilder than Presley in '57. That was wild, but this was wilder."
Things were getting so out of hand that Beatles manager Brian Epstein told Robinson to get up on stage and try to calm down the crowd.
John Lennon didn't know what was going on and told Robinson to get off the stage. But Robinson explained he had been ordered up by Epstein, and then did his best to calm the masses.
It didn't work, so a couple of songs later, Beatles publicist Derek Taylor tried to calm down the crowd. When that failed, the Beatles split.
"The only song they cut (out of the set) was I Want To Hold Your Hand," recalls Robinson. "They played 11 songs; in other towns they played 12."
There was never any plan for an encore — the Beatles didn't need to do one.
Neither did Elvis.
"Presley never did an encore in his career. Did you know that?" says Robinson, who also emceed the Elvis show in 1957. "Never ever ever. 'Elvis has left the building.'"
The show was preserved for posterity by the crafty DJ Jack Cullen, who surreptitiously recorded it with a direct feed off the public address system. Several years later, he released a bootleg album of the concert, pressing 1,000 copies before Capitol Records put a stop to it. It has become a collector's item and the bootleg has been widely bootlegged.
The CBC also filmed the show for a TV special, but a producer accidentally erased the tape, reportedly while he was trying to impress a lady friend.
Robinson says the gross for the Beatles show was $108,412. The band made $48,000, the rest went to expenses and promoter Harvey Weiner, who also did Beatles shows in Toronto and Montreal.
Robinson will mark the 50th anniversary of the concert with a free show on the PNE's Chevrolet Performance Stage on Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. The Fab Four will be portrayed by Revolver, which bills itself as "the world's best Beatles tribute show."
Craig McCaw probably won't go to the tribute show, but he admits that in 1964, the Beatles changed his life.
"I had Bobby Rydell hair at that point," he says, laughing.
"(After the Empire Stadium show) I tried to grow Beatle hair, but it turned into a white Afro."
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Click here to report a typo or visit vancouversun.com/typo.


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It's the compact, yet complete stroller that allows you to explore the world in total freedom. Modern design meets innovative features with the new Peg Perego Book stroller. Equipped with a user-friendly fold that allows the stroller to close "like a book," the newest addition to the Peg Perego family is the perfect choice for the stylish and on-the-go parent. Fully-equipped with all the features, the Book proves to be a welcome addition to any on-the-go family. Retractable anchors located on the seat create a travel system that lets the Primo Viaggio SIP 30-30 easily attach to the stroller. Multiple recline positions ensures comfort for any child. Large wheels with 12 ball bearings and a one-piece handle allow for minimal effort in pushing and maneuvering. A simple pull on the handle above the basket quickly closes the Book, making it easy to fold and take anywhere. Once folded, it can stand on its own. Not only does the Book possess an innovative fold, but it closes inward, always keeping the upholstery clean and protected. The solid handlebar used for folding also allows the stroller to be pulled like a trolley (perfect for parents on-the-go). A large, easy-loading basket adds to the practicality of the Book. Style, comfort and safety are key with the Book. All new fabrics and colors are paired with the modern design of the stroller, creating a combination that is pleasing for both parent and baby. The Soft Fabric Collection combines two soft, yet hard-wearing jersey fabrics with a delicate lining. Matched with an all-black frame, the Nero Collection provides a classic and sophisticated look, with a "Pop" of color. The hood is equipped with a UV protected transparent window, allowing you to see baby, while keeping them safe from ultraviolet rays.
Legal Statements: This and all items from Peg Perego are excluded from all promotions and discounts except where otherwise noted on product detail pages.