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Florida Georgia Line have driven their breakthrough hit "Cruise" to platinum-selling status at the top of Billboard's country airplay chart, but don't expect this exciting duo to coast on the momentum of their remarkable debut.
Bandmates Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard — from Ormond Beach, Fla., and Monroe, Ga., respectively — are still crossing state lines with Jake Owen and Love and Theft on CMT on Tour . They're also gearing up to join Luke Bryan on his Dirt Road Diaries tour in January and just released their first full-length album,Here's to the Good Times.
That new album features "Cruise" and the five other tracks on their It'z Just What We Do EP, as well as six brand-new songs to get your motor running.
When the guys stopped by CMT recently, they were riding high on their successful single and cracking jokes like the college buddies they are. In this interview, they show off their playful personalities, explain how they hid their rap music collections from their parents and let fans know what to expect if they pick up a copy of Here's to the Good Times.
CMT: How did you guys meet?
Brian Kelley: I transferred to Belmont University [in Nashville] and was in a third-year writing class with [Tyler's] roommate, and he was like "Hey, my buddy does music, too, and you guys would get along." So we met and hit it off and started writing together. Next thing you know, we're playing out as much as we could.
Tyler Hubbard: It kind of worked out.
Were you in separate bands before that?
Hubbard: Just the general youth church band.
Kelley: We both started playing music in church. I definitely learned a lot from helping out in church. It definitely correlates to how to run a show and keep the crowd involved.
What do you guys like to do when you're not playing music?
Kelley: Write more music, I guess. (laughs)
Hubbard: Honestly anything outside. We like any kind of sports, hunting, fishing or camping. My kind of getaway is riding motorcycles. That's my thing, I love doing that. We are really outdoorsy. We like to be active. BK likes to work out, but I would rather eat a cheeseburger. (laughs)
If you were not musicians, what would you be doing to make a living?
Hubbard: I would like to say that I could race motorcycles and make a living.
Kelley: I would probably be a baseball coach — try and be a pitching coach.
Those are very interesting since you could still rise to the top of your field. Maybe you guys just have a certain drive to excel.
Hubbard: Maybe we just don't want real jobs. (laughs) Maybe that's the case. I never liked real jobs.
"Cruise" is blowing up. What were you trying to draw on when you guys wrote that?
Kelley: I think we both still love to go drive around back roads. That's my favorite thing to do when we are listening to songs we just wrote — go out in Franklin [Tenn.] and roll the windows down and enjoy it. I don't think when we were writing we were necessarily trying to craft anything. I think it was one of those things where lines are flying around. It wasn't like "Let's try to write a hit song."
Where does that hip-hop influence come from?
Hubbard: Growing up, we always listened to country music and rap music, and I thought that was completely normal. We just grew up around it. I'm a big hip-hop fan, and I grew up in the middle of the country, so I can relate to both. Put them together and our influences are very diverse, but I think that's what makes our music different, cool and fresh.
Kelley: Both of us were the kids in the backseat with our headphones on sneaking in …
Hubbard: Sneaking in some Juvenile! (laughs)
Kelley: Eminem, Juvenile, some Big Tymers. I would go to Walmart and get a Casting Crowns CD or something like that, and then I would go to the mall and get another CD. My parents would think I was listening to something else, but I would really be listening to rap.
Does the new record have a bunch of fun songs just like "Cruise"?
Hubbard: They all have a similar sound but are all different in a sense, too. I think for the next six [songs], we are trying to round off the party mix, round off a good record. We have so many influences and so much diversity in our life, we want to kind of bring some other areas in to the record, too, not just "Tip It Back." There is some different stuff on there that's fresh and really cool.
You've already toured with Dierks Bentley and Brantley Gilbert. What goes through your mind when you look out at those big crowds?
Hubbard: It kind of takes me back to when we first started. Like when we would get excited about 30 people coming to watch us play. That was not that long ago. It's really happening fast, and it's crazy to look out and see 8,000 or 10,000 people.
You joined CMT on Tour with Jake Owen. A lot of artists have gone out to do great things after that. How does that make you feel?
Kelley: It is definitely an honor to be a part of this tour. It's unbelievable to go from where we were a year ago to now on the CMT tour with Jake Owen and Love and Theft, who are good buddies.
Hubbard: Jake did the CMT tour a few years back [as an opening act], and it's cool to see where he's at now, headlining. Hopefully we can do that, too … keeping my fingers crossed!


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The movement certificate. For goods from Europe.
The EUR 1 movement certificate is a preference document for goods which are produced in the EU. This entitlement to preference can be important for the calculation of the import duties which the consignee of the goods has to pay. The certificates are created by the consignor on the relevant standard form and submitted to the customs department for export purposes. The forms are available from the chamber of commerce.
The EUR 1 certificate is valid for the shipment of goods within the European Economic Area (EEA) and to the following countries: Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Ex- Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia), Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, South Africa, Chile, Mexico, Albania, Andorra, states of the African, Caribbean and Pacific area and overseas territories.
Our online guide will show you how to make all the required entries correctly.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Special $5 Passes to BKB on 1/29. Anyone? Anyone?
Jan 28, 2015
Spring semester may just have started, but it's still pretty darn cold outside.
Come play hooky at BKB to keep warm, climb and hang out all day on Thursday, 1/29 for just $5 with a current & valid Student or Teacher ID.
DJ Madison Stewart will also be spinning some tunes at 7pm. Anyone? Anyone?
Jul 08, 2020


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Hasta la Victoria!
Stefano Casini was born in Livorno, Italy in 1958. He studied at the Istituto Tecnico Industriale and the Accademia di Arti Libere in Rosignano Solvay, and later at the Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche in Florence, where he graduated in Industrial Arts in 1984. While studying, Casini worked for television as a graphic designer and copywriter. After his studies he moved to Milan, where he worked in a fashion design studio. He subsequently focused on advertising and attended the Center of Experiences and Studies of Management.
Il Demone nell'Anima
As a comic artist, he worked with Marcello Toninelli on two episodes of 'I Ragazzi di Stoner' in the magazine Adamo of Editrice Dardo in the early 1980s. Later, Casini, Toninelli and Paolo Di Pietrantonio founded Edizioni 50 and launched the mail-order magazine P.d'A. (Prova d'Autore), that later became Foxtrot. For Foxtrot, Casini created several independent stories as well as two series with Toninelli, 'La Mummia Rossa' and 'I Guanti Neri'.
Through Foxtrot, he got the opportunity to work for the Milanese publisher Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1991. Casini became one of the artists of the science fiction series 'Nathan Never', working with the scriptwriters Michele Medda, Antonio Serra and Bepi Vigna.
He also wrote and drew some one shot comic albums for the French market, including 'Démon Interieur' (1999), 'Caleb' (2001) and 'Moonlight Blues' (2005). He additionally did on 'Dampyr', another Bonelli serial, and launched his own comic series 'Hasta la Victoria!' with the French publishing house Victoria in 2007.


text:
Suggested citation for this report:
U.S. Renal Data System, USRDS 2006 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2006.
Publications based upon USRDS data reported here or supplied upon request must include this citation and the following notice:
The data reported here have been supplied by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). The interpretation and reporting of these data are the responsibility of the author(s) and in no way should be seen as an official policy or interpretation of the U.S. government.
Citations should separate chapter, number, and volume by periods — i.e., 3.1.ii refers to Chapter Three, Figure 1, Volume Two.


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|SignUpGenius has revolutionized my communication with my troop parents. We can all see at a glance where the "holes" are, and who is doing more than their fair share. It even lets me "target" my reminders to people who have, or have not signed up, so I don't spend everyone's time and patience repeating myself. It takes a lot of the nagging and begging right out of my job, I love that! It really helps all of us (kids and parents) work together more smoothly as a team. And isn't that what Scouting is about?
Carlyn Pfeuffer -
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas Troop
See what others say


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BANFF — The natural hot springs that led to the creation of Canada's national parks reopened to the public Friday after a $13.8-million facelift.
Several years ago, the federal government announced a major renovation for the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, including an update to the historic stone building and its interactive displays and exhibits.
It has been closed since July 2010 for renovations and reopened on Friday, just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend.
"Who could have imagined that the designation of a hot springs reserve on Sulphur Mountain in 1885 would be the catalyst that would spark the beginning of one of Canada's most important legacies and enduring ideals?" Environment Minister Peter Kent said in a statement. "With the reopening of the Cave and Basin — the birthplace of our national parks system — we have every reason to celebrate more than 125 years of foresight and leadership in conservation."
The discovery of the hot springs set off a squabble over ownership that led to the creation of Canada's first national park in 1885.
Three railway workers lay claim to bringing the springs to public attention, but they had been used for thousands of years by the First Nations people who told the story of the healing power of the bubbling warm water that flows from the base of Sulphur Mountain. They still regard the Cave and Basin as a sacred place of wellness, spirituality and celebration.
Susan Kennard, manager of heritage programs with Banff National Park, said the renovation is meant to reinvigorate the birthplace of Canada's national parks.
"For a while there, the Cave and Basin was perhaps featuring the concept that it's an ex-pool," she said. "That never was the significance; that's not why it's a national historic site."
The old outdoor pool that closed in 1992 had its existing shallow water feature redeveloped as part of an open plaza to host community events and citizenship ceremonies.
It will operate year round as a national historic site, an interpretive centre and hub for the Sundance Trail system and Marsh Loop boardwalks.
"We connected ourselves into a full-day's experience around the site," said Kennard. "Cave and Basin is not the world's biggest national historic site, but it has beautiful boardwalks and flowers and birds and it's got your history, your culture and your nature all in one spot."
The renovations will also help protect an endangered species of snail that is found only at the hot springs and in four other warm mineral pools in Banff.


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Lower Ninth Ward
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Lower Ninth Ward
Aerial view of part of the Lower 9th, c. 1990s. Holy Cross School at lower right.
|Coordinates: 29°58′13″N 90°00′46″W / 29.97028°N 90.01278°WCoordinates: 29°58′13″N 90°00′46″W / 29.97028°N 90.01278°W
|United States
|New Orleans
|Time zone
|• Summer (DST)
|Area code(s)
Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood of the U.S. city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Industrial Canal; however, the City Planning Commission divides this area into the Lower Ninth Ward and Holy Cross neighborhoods.
The term "Lower" refers to its location farther towards the mouth of the Mississippi River, downriver, "down" or "below" the rest of the city. The 9th Ward, like all wards of New Orleans, is a voting district. The 9th Ward was added as a voting district in 1852.[1] The Lower 9th Ward is composed of Ward 9 Districts 1, 2, 4, and 7 which make up the Holy Cross Area and Ward 9 Districts 3, 5, 6, and 8. Higher voting district numbers in the 9th Ward (8–27) are on the upriver side of the Industrial Canal.[2] The area came to international attention for its devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Excluding the industrial and swamp areas north of the Florida Canal, the neighborhood of the Lower 9th Ward is about 1.25 mi (2.01 km) from east to west and 2 mi (3.2 km) from north to south. Three major avenues cross the developed portion of the neighborhood, each with bridges over the Industrial Canal. Closest to the River is St. Claude Avenue; about midway through the neighborhood is Claiborne Avenue; Florida Avenue crosses at the northern edge of the historically populated portion of the Lower 9th. Most major businesses serving the neighborhood are located on St. Claude or Claiborne, although a smattering of additional neighborhood business is located throughout the area. While the first two of these three avenues continue into St. Bernard Parish; a continuation of Florida Avenue through and beyond the parish line has been repeatedly proposed but at present does not exist.
Adjacent neighborhoods[edit]
- Viavant/Venetian Isles (north)
- St. Bernard Parish (east)
- Holy Cross (south)
- Bywater (west)
The City Planning Commission defines the boundaries of Lower Ninth Ward as these streets: Florida Avenue, St. Bernard Parish, St. Claude Avenue and the Industrial Canal.[3]
The Lower Ninth Ward is also commonly used to describe a slightly larger area. This area borders the Mississippi River to the South and St. Bernard Parish to the east. To the west is the Industrial Canal, across which is the Bywater section of New Orleans. The northern or inland boundary is often given as the Florida Canal with Florida Avenue, a levee, and railroad tracks running beside it. Alternatively, the industrial area north of Florida Avenue is sometimes included as part of the Lower 9th Ward, extending the boundary to the southern edge of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
In Louisiana's colonial era, this area was developed as sugar cane plantations, with narrow tracts extending back from river frontage that provided the transportation and shipping routes. At the start of the 19th century, the portion closer to the river was developed for residential use, at the same time as the Bywater area.
In 1834 the United States Army established the Jackson Barracks here. As late as the 1870s, the area behind Saint Claude Avenue was still mostly small farms with scattered residences. The area on the "woods" (away from the river) side of Claiborne was mostly undeveloped cypress swamp.
What became the Lower 9th Ward did not become distinct from the upriver parts of the 9th Ward until the start of the 1920s, when the Industrial Canal was dredged. This development bisected the 9th Ward. At this time, people started referring to the area "above" (upriver) from the Canal as the "Upper" 9th Ward, and this area as the "Lower."
The section on the River side of St. Claude Aveune, which developed as an urban area first, is sometimes called the "Holy Cross Neighborhood" for Holy Cross High School, the large Catholic school. For many years, it attracted students from throughout the city.
Construction of the Industrial Canal led to development of the land farther back along the Canal; it provided steady work for area laborers. As shipping became containerized in the later 20th century, however, demand for labor declined, with negative economic consequences for the neighborhood. Some people left to find work in other areas; others struggled with lower-paying jobs.
Hurricane Betsy[edit]
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy struck New Orleans. A levee on the Industrial Canal collapsed, and much of the Lower 9th Ward was flooded. President Lyndon B. Johnson visited the devastated flooded area shortly after the storm, and ordered aid for the storm victims.
Hurricane Katrina[edit]
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall just east of New Orleans, the fifth deadliest hurricane and the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Multiple breaches in the levees of at least four canals resulted in catastrophic flooding in a majority of the city; see Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Nowhere in the city was the devastation greater than in the Lower 9th Ward, especially the portion from Claiborne Avenue back. This was largely due to the storm surge generated in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a deep-draft shipping channel built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1950s. The construction destroyed tens of thousands of acres of protective coastal wetlands that once acted as a storm surge buffer for the community.
Storm surge flood waters appear to have poured into the Lower Ninth Ward from at least three sources. To the east, water flowed in from Saint Bernard Parish, while to the west the Industrial Canal suffered two major breaches: one a block in from Florida Avenue, the second back from Claiborne Avenue. The force of the water did not only flood homes, but smashed or knocked many off their foundations. A large barge, the ING 4727 (owned by the Ingram Barge Company), was swept by flood waters into the neighborhood through the breach near Claiborne Avenue, leveling homes beneath it. The storm surge was so great that even the highest portions of the Lower 9th were flooded; Holy Cross School, which had served as a dry refuge after Hurricane Betsy, was inundated. The foot of the Mississippi River levee, the area's highest point, took on some 2 to 3 feet (0.91 m) of water.
The Lower 9th Ward was flooded again by Hurricane Rita a month later in September.
In December 2005, Common Ground Collective volunteers gutted the first house in the area. Volunteers and residents began gutting other houses in the community. Soon after, the Common Ground Collective opened the first distribution center in the area, in order to provide returning residents with water, food and other necessities. No stores had yet re-opened in the area.
Due to the great devastation and lack of population and services, the Lower Ninth Ward was the last area of the city still under a curfew half a year after the disaster. Officially, residents were allowed in during daylight hours to look, salvage possessions, and leave, although some few had already done extensive work gutting and repairing their damaged homes in preparation to move back. By January 2006, the widespread damages and difficulties in restoring basic utilities and city services still prevented the official reopening of the Lower 9th Ward to residents who wished to return to live.
The most severely damaged section of the Ward is the lower elevation section, north of Claiborne Avenue. A Bring Back New Orleans Commission preliminary report suggested making this area in whole or part into park space because of the high risk of future flooding. Most Lower 9th Ward residents have strongly objected to this proposal, but outsiders worry about the high risk of future flooding in the area.
In March 2006 a group of residents and Common Ground Collective volunteers broke into Martin Luther King Elementary School to begin cleanup efforts. Not long after, the state school officials agreed to repair the school. The school has subsequently become a Recovery School District charter school and is running at full capacity. It is a rarity in that it has no management company. The school is operated by the faculty and administration. When asked about it, Dr. Hicks, the school's long-time principal said, "We didn't have a management company before and we don't need one now."[citation needed]
As of late 2006, a small number of local businesses in the area reopened, and residents began to return (many are living in FEMA trailers as they try to rebuild). But, much of the area was still little-populated and in ruined condition. Work crews continued to remove debris and demolish unrepairable houses daily, but hundreds if not thousands were vacant and gutted. Many more buildings have hardly been touched since the waters were drained, and ruined possessions are inside severely damaged buildings.
In 2006, Mayor Ray Nagin threatened to use his powers of eminent domain to seize vacant, severely damaged properties in all of New Orleans that had not been gutted or scheduled to be gutted before early 2007. Such blighted properties had been creating serious problems for returned New Orleanians, including infestations of rats and other vermin. Similar actions to seize abandoned blighted property are in effect in other Louisiana parishes, as well as in Mississippi counties affected by the storm. However, as hundreds of thousands of locals were still waiting for promised insurance or Road Home money, many of the poor lacked resources to work on their houses. The neighborhood had few stores and only a handful of schools reopened.
Recovery efforts[edit]
On December 3, 2007, Make It Right Foundation, founded by the actor Brad Pitt, committed to rebuild 150 houses in the Lower Ninth Ward. The houses are sustainable, energy-efficient and safe.[4] Make It Right homes were designed by award-winning architects from New Orleans and around the world, including Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban, Hitoshi Abe and Thom Mayne. Said Pitt: "I walked into it blind, just thinking, 'People need homes; I know people who make great homes.'"[5]
In the spring of 2008, Build Now,[6] a local, non-profit homebuilder, began working to bring New Orleans families back home. It constructed site-built, stilt houses on hurricane-damaged lots. The homes reflect the style and quality of traditional New Orleans architecture but are built above potential flood waters. Build Now is in the process of bringing more than a dozen New Orleans families back home; nine houses are currently under construction in the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward areas, Lakeview and Gentilly. The organization has moved three New Orleans families back home.
As of March 2009, hundreds of houses have been rebuilt, and dozens of new homes have been constructed. Residents are returning home. Volunteers continue to come to the area en masse, working for dozens of organizations including Common Ground Relief, formerly Common Ground Collective; and lowernine.org, a grassroots organization that coordinates volunteers' and residents' efforts in rebuilding homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. As of October 2017, lowernine.org has fully rebuilt 85 Lower Ninth Ward homes, and completed repair and renovation projects on over 250 more properties.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hurricane Katrina aftermath in the Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans.
Residents and volunteers are striving to make the Lower Ninth Ward a sustainable community. They are working to restore the local wetlands. It is widely believed that were it not for the extensive canal dredging to support commercial development, resulting in subsequent wetlands subsidence, the Lower Ninth Ward would not have suffered such extensive flooding during Katrina.
In March 2012, the New York Times reported that
"[t]he neighborhood has become a dumping ground for many kinds of unwanted things," and "it no longer resembled an urban, or even suburban environment. Where once there stood orderly rows of single-family homes with driveways and front yards, there was jungle."[7]
As of December 2015, the Lower Ninth Ward still has many empty lots and vacant heavily damaged houses.
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,008 people, 4,820 households, and 3,467 families residing in the neighborhood.[8] The population density was 9,731 /mi² (3,730 /km²).
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,842 people, 1,061 households, and 683 families residing in the neighborhood.[8]
Notable buildings[edit]
The Lower Ninth Ward is home to the Jackson Barracks. The barracks now serve as headquarters for the Louisiana National Guard. The complex had an extensive military museum in the old powder magazine and in a new annex, with a large collection of military items from every American war. The 2000 NRA Shooting Sports Camp and Coaches School was held at Jackson Barracks from June 28 – July 2, 2000.
The Doullut steamboat houses are located on either side of Egania Street at numbers 400 and 503. The first house, closer to the river, was built in 1905 by Captain Milton P. Doullut, a riverboat pilot, as his home. The second was built in 1913 for his son Paul Doullut. In 1977 both houses were designated historic landmarks. The houses have two notable design influences, the first being the steamboats of the period, the second being the Japanese exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis (Louisiana Purchase Exposition). Notably, Mary Doullut (wife of Milton) was also a river boat captain, who worked on the river for over 30 years; she is believed to be the first woman to have held a Mississippi riverboat pilot's license.
Notable people[edit]
- Pat Barry, kickboxer and mixed martial artist
- Fats Domino, musician-singer-songwriter
- Marshall Faulk, NFL star
- Kalamu ya Salaam, poet and author
- Magic, rapper and musician
- Fred Luter, Baptist minister, elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2012
- Robert Pack, New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach, former NBA guard, former University of Southern Cal star.
- Eldridge Recasner, former NBA player.
- Dawn Richard, singer-songwriter, actress and animator
New Orleans Public Schools operates district public schools, while Recovery School District oversees charter schools.
Dr. King Charter School (K-12) is located in the Lower 9th.[9]
Alfred Lawless High School was the only public high school that operated in the Lower 9th until Hurricane Katrina affected New Orleans on August 29, 2005. The previous Holy Cross High School campus was located in the Lower Ninth Ward. In August 2007 students from Carver High School and Marshall Middle School began studying at temporary trailers on the site of Holy Cross. In September of that year the students were to move to another set of trailers in the original Carver/Marshall campus in the Desire Area.[10]
In popular culture[edit]
- The 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, was filmed along sections of the Mississippi River embankment and inside the Jackson Barracks.
- When the Levees Broke (2006), a documentary about the Katrina disaster directed by Spike Lee, was produced and shown on HBO. The film covered damage in the Lower Ninth Ward and other areas of the city.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans.
- Lower 9th Ward travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Lower 9th Ward neighborhood snapshot dealing with the area in back of St. Claude Avenue
- Holy Cross neighborhood snapshot dealing with the area from St. Claude to the River
- Photographs of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath in the Lower Ninth Ward
- Holy Cross School closes at the Wayback Machine (archived September 26, 2007)
- Rebuilding the 9th Ward at the Wayback Machine (archived October 9, 2013) A Slideshow of photographic portraits and interview recordings of residents of the 9th Ward, focusing on the post-Katrina rebuilding process
- ^ "New Orleans Districts and Wards". Mardi Gras Digest. Archived from the original on 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
- ^ "New Orleans City Council District E" (PDF). New Orleans City Council. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
- ^ Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. "Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood". Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "Make It Right 9". Archived from the original on 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
- ^ Thompson, Richard. "Brad Pitt sees his Lower 9th Ward homebuilding efforts as a model for other areas". The New Orleans Advocate. Published online August 16, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ http://buildnownola.com
- ^ Rich, Nathaniel. "Jungleland: The Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans Gives New Meaning to "Urban Growth"". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood". Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ Stokes, Stephanie. "MLK school reopens in Lower 9th Archived 2014-03-20 at the Wayback Machine." Times Picayune. Sunday June 10, 2007. Retrieved on August 4, 2012.
- ^ Maxwell, Lesli A. "Up From the Ruins." Education Week. Published online on September 27, 2007. Published in print on October 3, 2007 as "Up From the Ruins." Retrieved on April 1, 2013.


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Being rather pushed for time, I've recycled a post from January of last year. It features water and boats. Apologies for the blatant cheatery, but I don't think my Saturday Sepian friends will have seen this one before as it was written for a Geneabloggers meme.
I hope you are all having a good weekend – it has snowed here and is icy, but the stove is going well, so I am cosy. Hopefully you are keeping warm too 🙂
Visit my Sepia Saturday pals with your hot water bottle and check out what they came up with from the inspirational photo for this week. Remember to leave a comment if you are entertained/amused/appalled!


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Housed in a colorfully painted former water tower, WorldBeat Center opened in Balboa Park in 1996. The Center is dedicated to promoting and preserving African, African-American, and other indigenous cultures of the world through art, music, dance, education, and technology. Classes in international dance and drumming are offered year round, along with concerts and lectures.
Images Description
Healing the world through music, art, dance & culture


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"RODS" was formed in 1949 and our aim is to promote the performance of live theatre in the Rayleigh Area.
Our productions have ranged from Wilde and Ibsen to Rogers & Hammerstein through to Pantomime. We have a wide age range and a try where possible to promote the involvement of all ages.
We are a friendly and diverse group who are always pleased to welcome new members who wish to participate onstage, backstage, directing or in any administrative role.
We usually present two productions a year at The Mill Arts and Events Centre in Rayleigh. We do on occasions also perform at other local venues.
We also have an active social calendar.
We meet Monday evenings 8-10pm


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We are India based IT Company provides services to protect your Computers,laptops from viruses. We provide computers/laptops/other hardware components on Sale/Purchase/Rent. For details about our services please visit our website www.repairlaptops.net and Send Enquiry as per your requirement at firstname.lastname@example.com. Posted id-sepb815
Annual Maintenance Services on Computer/Laptops
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BUENOS AIRES - Tokyo was awarded the 2020 summer Olympic Games on Saturday, beating Istanbul in a head-to-head vote after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a charismatic plea to the International Olympic Committee and promised Japan's crippled nuclear plant was "under control."
The Japanese capital won what one insider had called a"least-ugly" contest by most effectively covering its blemishes. Rival Madrid has been laid low by the economy and Istanbul has been beset by anti-government protests.
Tokyo won by a landslide, 60 votes to Istanbul's 36, after Madrid was eliminated in a first round of voting.
Abe, who left early from a Group of 20 summit in Russia to make his pitch at the meeting in Buenos Aires, promised the roughly 100 members of the International Olympic Committee that concerns about the leaking Fukushima nuclear plant 140 miles (230 km) from Tokyo were unfounded.
Fixing IOC members with a level gaze, he said: "It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo. There are no health-related problems until now, and nor will there be in the future - I make the statement to you in the most emphatic and unequivocal way."
The plant's operator has said hundreds of tonnes of radioactive water are pouring into the Pacific Ocean each day, and radiation levels have spiked.
Abe's government said this week it would spend almost half a billion dollars to try to fix the water crisis. He told the IOC on Saturday, "Let me assure you the situation is under control."
Japan ecstatic at Olympic win
Tokyo won the right to stage the sporting extravaganza for the second time, having hosted in 1964 when the Games first went to Asia. On that occasion, Abe's grandfather, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, led the bid to bring the Games to Japan.
Tokyo in its pitch highlighted its solid finances and strong track record of delivering on promises. Olympic President Jacques Rogge described its as "a safe pair of hands."
The next summer Olympics will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and the preparations for that Games have been plagued by delays and complications.
Moreover, the Tokyo bid capitalizes on the potential of the Asian continent, with its increasingly consumer-focused economies.
Winning the Games was an enormous prize after two years of intense lobbying and tens of millions of dollars spent, and Abe was thrilled.
"I would like to thank everyone in the Olympic movement and we will host wonderful Olympic Games," a beaming Abe told Reuters seconds after the result.
Bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda was in tears as he said, "It is a great honor that Tokyo has been chosen. For Istanbul, it was its fifth unsuccessful bid in the last six votes to host a summer Olympics.
The city had pitched itself as a new region for the Games, the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and as a vehicle to help foster peace in the Middle East. But the conflict in neighboring Syria and recent anti-government demonstrations in Turkey overshadowed the bid.
Japan ecstatic at Olympic win
Istanbul bid sports director Alp Berker was searching for a reason for rejection as he told Reuters, "I don't know. ... there are too many variables, maybe it's the timing, maybe it's something else."
When asked if the Syrian crisis had damaged their chances, he said: "We tried to tell them it was not the case, because it's a global issue. Really, I don't know what the members are thinking when they're pushing the button."
IOC vice-president and presidential candidate Thomas Bach described the decision as new versus old. "I think it is an election between a traditional candidature and new grounds, and on Saturday it was the traditional candidature that won," he told Reuters.
Madrid, which had pitched a safe, affordable, "sensible"bid, was eliminated in a secret vote pitting it against Istanbul after the two cities tied behind Tokyo. Madrid's attempt to host 2020 was its third consecutive try.
Tokyo is planning to incorporate existing venues and has estimated a non-Games budget of about $4.4 billion (S$5.6 billion) , compared with $3.4 billion for the actual event.
It already has a war-chest of some $4.5 billion in the bank. The victory is expected to boost Abe's popularity, and could potentially spur his signature pro-growth policies for the world's third-biggest economy. A successful Tokyo bid should boost confidence as well as spur construction and tourism.


text:
also, please notice my cheesey smile as we open. for sure my best moment.
Thanks Brooke and Darrin and everyone at Studio 5 for having me back. It is always a pleasure!
JUST ADDED: a couple of you have asked about the necklace I wore on the show- you can get one just like it or a variety of other amazing creations from my friend CAROLINE. She makes the most GORGEOUS jewelry! She will also be at the BEEHIVE BAZAAR next week. We'll be there for sure and hope you come too!


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Enfuse is a command-line program used to merge different exposures of the same scene to produce an image that looks very much like a tonemapped image (without the halos) but requires no creation of an HDR image. Therefore it is much simpler to use and allows the creation of very large multiple exposure panoramas.
Enfuse is based on a paper by Tom Mertens, Jan Kautz and Frank Van Reeth: [1] The implementation was done by Andrew Mihal (developer of Enblend) and the hugin team around Pablo d'Angelo
State of development
Enfuse is currently in beta and available with the development version of Enblend (windows): [2] or build it yourself for OS X
Known bugs
- Windows version only: if used on too many and/or too large files enfuse terminates with an error message:
an exception occured [...] unable to create image swap file
- - will be fixed in final version
- If used on images with unaligned alpha mask (result of aligning handheld shots) there might be colored or dark spots.
- Workaround: crop the aligned images.
- - will probably be fixed in final version
- If contrasty structures are near zenith or nadir in an equirectangular image, there might be an artifact (vortex) in the resulting pano.
- Workaround: use on zenith and nadir images separately and stitch them in the resulting pano afterwards.
- - unknown, whether could be fixed easily
- actually not a bug: Default compression for JPEG output is relatively low.
- Workaround: Specify
--compression=100on the command line if you need JPEG output.
- - default will be a reasonably high value in the final version
- LZW compression for TIFF files is not supported if an older version of libtiff has been used. For various reasons most/all existing Windows binaries have this problem (Jan 2008).
- Workaround: use DEFLATE (ZIP) compression instead.
Enfuse merges overlapping images using the Mertens-Kautz-Van Reeth exposure fusion algorithm. This is a quick way to produce blend differently exposed images into a nice output image, without producing intermediate HDR images that are then tonemapped to a viewable image. This simplified process often works much better than the currently known tonemapping algorithms.
Enfuse can also be used to build extended DOF images, by blending a focus stack.
The basic idea is that pixels in the input images are weighted according to qualities such as proper exposure, good contrast, and high saturation. These weights determine how much a given pixel will contribute to the final image. A Burt & Adelson multiresolution spline blender is used to combine the images according to the weights. The multiresolution blending ensures that transitions between regions where different images contribute more heavily are difficult to see.
Enfuse uses three different criteria to judge the quality of a pixel: Exposure, saturation, and contrast. The exposure criteria favors pixels with luminance close to the middle of the range. These pixels are considered better-exposed than those with high or low luminance levels. The saturation criteria favors highly-saturated pixels. The contrast criteria favors high-contrast pixels. The local gray or color value standard deviation is used as a contrast measure. The Mertens-Kautz-Van Reeth paper suggest using a laplacian filter, but the standard deviation produces much better results for differently focussed images.
You can adjust how much importance is given to each criteria by setting the weight parameters on the command line. For example, if you set --wExposure=1.0 and --wSaturation=0.5, Enfuse will favor well-exposed pixels over highly-saturated pixels when blending the source images. The impact of these parameters on the final result will not always be clear. The quality of the result is subject to your artistic interpretation. Playing with the weights may or may not give you a more pleasing result. I encourage you to experiment (perhaps using downsized images for speed).
Enfuse expects each input image to have an alpha channel. By setting the alpha values of pixels to zero, users can manually remove those pixels from consideration when blending. If an input image lacks an alpha channel, Enfuse will print a warning and continue assuming all pixels should contribute to the final output. Any alpha value other than zero is interpreted as "this pixel should contribute to the final image".
The usage below refers to the CVS version of the 21 Dec 2007. Use enfuse as follows:
enfuse <options> <input files>.
Input files can be a list of files or a wildcard (on windows f.e.
IMG*.jpg for all jpg images that begin with IMG.
Common options
Print information on the available options.
-l num
Use exactly this many levels for pyramid blending. A low number trades off quality of results for faster execution time and lower memory usage. The default is to use as many levels as possible given the source image size. If you specify a high number Enfuse may still use a smaller number of levels if the geometry of the images demands it.
-o output-file
Required. Specify the name of the output file.
Verbose output.
Blend around the -180/+180 boundary. Useful for full-360 panoramas. Enfuse currently does not blend the zenith or the nadir, so you may still see some seams in these areas.
Write a compressed output file. Valid values are LZW and DEFLATE for TIFF files, and numbers from 0-100 for JPEG files.
Extended options
-b kilobytes
Set the block size for Enfuse's image cache. This is the amount of data that Enfuse will move to and from the disk in one go. The default is 2 MiB which should be good for most systems.
Use the CIECAM02 color appearance model for blending colors. Your input TIFF files should have embedded ICC profiles. If no ICC profile is present, Enfuse will assume that image uses the sRGB color space. The difference between using this option and Enfuse's default color blending algorithm is very slight, and will be most noticeable when you need to blend areas of different primary colors together.
Gimp (ver. < 2) and Cinepaint exhibit unusual behaviors when loading images with unassociated alpha channels. Use the -g flag to work around this. With this flag Enfuse will create the output image with the associated alpha tag set, even though the image is really unassociated alpha.
-f WIDTHxHEIGHT+x0+y0
Set the size and position of the output image manually. This is useful when the input images are cropped TIFF files, such as those produced by Nona.
-m megabytes
Set the size of Enfuse's image cache. This is the amount of memory Enfuse will use for storing image data before swapping to disk. The default is 1 GiB.
Fusion options
W is a number between 0 (no weight) and 1 (full weight)
Sets the relative weight of the well-exposedness criteria. Increasing this weight relative to the others will make well-exposed pixels contribute more to the final output.
Sets the relative weight of high-saturation pixels. Increasing this weight makes pixels with high saturation contribute more to the final output.
Sets the relative weight of high-contrast pixels.
Expert options
Window size for local contrast analysis. Values larger than 5 might result in a blurry composite and increased computation times. Values in the range of 3 to 5 have given good results on focus stacks.
Force hard blend masks on the finest scale. This avoids averaging of fine details (only), at the expense of increasing the noise. This improves the sharpness of focus stacks considerably.
Output intermediate images for debugging.


text:
I'm trying to setup an external monitor to extend my desktop for my Acer Aspire One Netbook running Ubuntu 10.10. It is running an Atom N2600 with an Intel Integrated Graphics Controller.
lspci | grep VGA output is:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Device 0be1 (rev 09)
xrandr output is:
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default Screen 0: minimum 1024 x 600, current 1024 x 600, maximum 1024 x 600 default connected 1024x600+0+0 0mm x 0mm 1024x600 0.0*
My external monitor only appears to get a signal when it is connected and I reboot the Netbook, at that time I get a mirrored display.
The resolutions of Netbook's display and external LCD are 1024x600 and 1920x1280 respectively. Xrandr never shows 2 displays.
How can i get Xrandr to see two different displays so that I can configure them?


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Online Mapping Systems and GPS
You can find directions to DA using Google or Bing Maps. In GPS systems, you can use any of the following: "7 Old Main Street," "1 Albany Road," or "1 Academy Lane." You may also input our location using GPS coordinates 42º 32′ 43.8″ N, 72º 36′ 17.88″ W.
Driving Directions
Deerfield Academy is located in western Massachusetts 30 miles north of Springfield and 5 miles south of Greenfield in "Historic Deerfield."
From the South
Driving to the Academy from the south, take I-91 North to Massachusetts exit 24 and turn right at the end of the exit ramp. Head north on Routes 5 and 10 for five miles, turning left at the "Historic Deerfield" sign onto Main Street. Half a mile on the left is the Academy.
From the North
Driving from the north, take I-91 South to exit 25, and turn left at the end of the ramp. At the stop light, turn left onto Routes 5 and 10 and proceed north for approximately four miles. Turn left at the "Historic Deerfield" sign onto Main Street and proceed about a half mile to the Academy.
From the East
Driving from the east, take I-90 West (the Massachusetts Turnpike) to exit 4. Head north on I-91 and follow "from the south" directions above. Or take Route 2 west to I-91 South and follow "From the North" directions above.
From the West
Driving from the west, take I-90 East (the Massachusetts Turnpike) to exit 4. Head north on I-91 and follow "From the South" directions above. Or take Route 2 east to I-91 South and follow "From the North" directions above.
Parking at Deerfield
There are visitor parking signs located in front of the Main School building and in front of Ephraim Williams House. Parking is also allowed on Albany Road. During large events (or weekends), Security will direct you to designated parking areas.
By Air
Airline service to the area is through Bradley International Airport, which is outside Hartford, Connecticut, 55 miles south of Deerfield on I-91.
The Academy's post office address is Deerfield, Massachusetts 01342. The school telephone number is 413-772-0241. The direct line to the Admission Office is 413-774-1400.


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A = 3 Points
B = 2 Points
C = 1 Point
Total your points together to determine how fit you are.
Your Fitness Level
20 to 24 Points: You've Got Work to Do.
14 to 19 Points: You're on the Right Track—Take It Up a Notch.
13 to 8 Points: Way to Work It—You're a Fitness Rock Star!
You've Got Work to Do. So you may not be able to hold a plank for very long. But if you set goals, make a training plan, and get active a few more days a week, you'll be on your way to losing fat, gaining strength, and holding that plank longer. Just keep trekking.
Get motivated in a fitness class.
You're on the Right Track—Take It Up a Notch. You are determined to PR at your next 5K, but you just need that extra motivation to reach your goal. Grab a friend, try a new training plan, or switch up your exercise routine to help you reach your goals. Don't get lazy; you are so close. Keep up the good work.
Push yourself more; sign up for a training plan.
Way to Work It—You're a Fitness Rock Star! Which race are you doing next week? You are self-motivated and live and breathe fitness. You deserve a medal. Push yourself even more; switch up your fitness routine and try to shed a few seconds off your race time. Can you handle the challenge?
Challenge yourself; set a new PR at your next race.
- 2
- of
- 2


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John, these are the guidelines I use. These are core/rectal temperatures
Normal resting temperature of most dogs 100-102 1/2.
Temperature where hyperthermia (heat stoke) begins to take place 106-106 1/2
Temperature where most organ failure begins to occur 109.
I am far from an expert, these are guidelines that I have experience with or learned of. I am sure someone else will have a scientific answer.
Last edited by Jim Harvey; 07-07-2010 at 04:57 AM.
Jim Harvey
thanks for sharing. it clarifies many "untruths" i believed in.
good to read this time of year
Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. ~ Ronald Reagan
This thread makes me scared to train. Its mid and high 90's everyday here and the pup works in it daily, sometimes in the very heat of the day. No marking in the heat of the day though, and no running, drillwork in the yard only and a 15 min max. I've noted a bit of him laying down lately waiting on me to set up bumpers and what not, which is not normal for him. Makes me feel irresponsible for training in this heat when I hear about other peoples dogs having problems and ending up in trouble.
One thing I do is keep multiple 2 liter bottles and milk jugs frozed every night and when I actually load the dogs to go train, marks or whatever, they each get a frozen jug in the box. As it melts, they have cold water. I also keep a 2 gal gas tank full of ice water at all times when I'm on the truck. Seems to be a good idea to me anyway.
Yesterday it was 94 degrees here in Iowa. When I got home from work at 5:00, first thing was to check on my 15yr old blk lab male. He was hot( panting hard), but he came out of his kennel normal and milled around the yard as I got fresh water and petted him. He seemed o.k., but one hour later I noticed him laying outside his kennel, which isn't normal for him. I got out there to find him down, breathing hard and not responsive. I started to run cool water over him, while wife called the vet. Got him there and his temp was 107! We were able to get it back down slowly , he was responsive an hour later, and he stayed the night. I will find out this morning if he made it out of the woods. I'm really kicking myself for not bringing him in the house when I got home. He has never had a problem with heat like that.
After I thought about it, it is probably just like the elderly. He is going to be 16 this fall! I forget he's not my little young lab anymore. I pray he's o.k.
I can't imagine leaving an old dog outside in that kind of heat.
Jeff Telander
Durham, NC
FC AFC CT Broad Reach Devil Made Me Doit CD "Sinner"
Broad Reach Smarty Pants
Forever in my heart
OTCh Broad Reach Diesel TD MH UDX2***
CH Broad Reach Gripper UD MH
OTCh R Labs Darth Wader TD JH
OTCh Teracroft Topaz TD JH
I have a soaker hose over my kennel and if it's over 92/93 it gets turned on during the day. If I don't turn it on they will drink half of their bucket of water in a day. On days it gets turned on they will drink about 2 inches out of it. I have sat and watched them get up out of the shade and walk around in circles under it then go lay back down several times a day.
On a similar note, there was a news story about a police dogOverton County Police Dog Dies From Heat
Gotta be careful.
Stray labs make great pets.
Proud member of the FF society.


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In a Twist, Udacity Will Offer Cheap, Remedial Public School Algebra Courses
Over the past year, Udacity has established itself as a provider of free classes, mostly in computer science, offered online to large audiences across the world.
Now it's going to do something quite different. In partnership with the state of California, Udacity will teach remedial and introductory courses on algebra and other topics to public university and community college students, for a vastly reduced fee.
Udacity co-founder Sebastian Thrun (the former Stanford professor and ongoing Google X autonomous car leader) and California Governor Jerry Brown are to announce the program at a press conference at San Jose State on Tuesday morning. A pilot program to adapt MOOCs — massive open online courses — for this purpose will open this month.
The New York Times describes the partnership as a way for the state to help address the fact that many of its students lack academic preparation for college. San Jose State has already been experimenting with MOOCs — it offered an electrical engineering class with edX this past fall. However, professors remain wary of being replaced by online education's combinator of videos and "mentors."
But the deal also benefits Udacity, which has massive dropout rates — the estimate for all MOOCs is that 90 percent of students who register drop out.
So, rather than its normal syllabus of aspirational personal enrichment classes, Udacity will be inserting itself into a more core part of education.
Thrun told the Times that he saw the program as an opportunity to figure out how to retain motivated students.


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Meet the app store that time forgot
Many thousands of apps found on Apple's iTunes store or Google Play marketplace are obviously absent from Symbian's arena of third-party software. That didn't bother me so much. It's just that by and large you will find a very mixed bag in terms of programs available. (See the box-out titled "Surviving Symbian" below.)
There are some real gems in the Symbian online app store – a superb Evernote client called Notekeeper was more than adequate, for example. And there's a thoroughly slick and modern-looking Twitter client, the Qt-based Tweetian. But much else is woefully inadequate – or simply isn't there at all.
The BBC's iPlayer arrived on Symbian first, but hasn't been kept up to date. Forget about Instagram. Most disappointing of all is the social networking widget. Again, Nokia predicted the web social boom very early, in 2002, but could never turn this foresight into products. Its engineers consistently produced the worse social software in the world. Here the gap is filled with a "Nokia Social" widget that does the basics of Twitter and Facebook – but very, very slowly.
The downsides include a display that is 640 x 380 pixels, which feels not quite right. And Symbian never could quite get the keyboard right, either. Oh, for a Swiftkey on-screen keyboard for the 808 – I'm not the only owner who'd pay a premium.
Surviving Symbian Belle
So, you're tempted by the 808 and can leave the fancy tech wizardry stuff to a Nexus or Kindle Fire or an iPad Mini. You know you're getting an amazing camera, first-class Maps app, and almost certainly the best mobile telephone anyone is carrying on your bus. But if the 808 PureView is to be your main phone how are you going to fill the gaps? Can it do so at all? Here's a survival guide.
For all the loving care and attention to it, Nokia's Webkit-based browser remains a sore point – rotten to the very end, and slow and poor at rendering pages. The built-in messaging client only handles one Exchange ActiveSync account at a time. This is going to hit users harder than it used to, as many people have multiple email accounts. There's still no unified inbox, let alone basic features such as flagging messages. So much for the support that Microsoft's Elop promised here in 2009.
I found the default mail app to be horribly temperamental – often refusing to sync on demand at all. Which is odd, because if you give it a schedule, it faithfully fetches the mail on time. Looking around the forums, this wasn't a widespread complaint. And the OS no longer supports CalDev calendars, which combined with the one-ActiveSync limit proved to be my biggest productivity hit: I simply rely on more than one calendar. You have to use the in-built calendar and sync and backup to a local desktop.
For web browsing Opera Mobile will do, but it can't match the rendering quality of its rivals, and the phone can't match the blistering pace of modern mobile hardware. For IMAP and POP email, the venerable ProfiMail is probably manadatory. ProfiMail was the best-of-breed IMAP client just four years ago and the best mobile email client outside the BlackBerry world. Today, it still has many features absent in other smartphones – custom rules and alerts, fine control over fetching IMAP, and scheduling; but what it doesn't have is a unified inbox.
Social networking software poses a problem too, as you really don't want to use Nokia Social. I ended up usng Tweetian for tweets and being pretty happy with it. A portmanteau client called Gravity is available that does Twitter, Facebook and RSS, but it needs scaling down for the 808 PureView – the fonts it uses looked gigantic. It's hard to see anyone else matching the functionality of this well-regarded app. fMobi seems to be the preferred Facebook client of choice. For other online services, you'll need to use their mobile-friendly websites: eBay probably being the biggest service-without-an-app.
Extra Buttons is a third-party utility that probably made the most difference. It adds, as the name implies, extra buttons to system icons creating a Swiss Army Knife of useful functions: popup folders (reminiscent of the old Mac OS's popup folders), and all kinds of system function shortcuts and app shortcuts. You can even now swipe the bar to invoke a function, such as the multitasker.
There's also a brilliant context-aware app called Situations, originally developed in house by Nokia but now spun out. Based on rules encompassing a range of criteria - such as where you are, or the time of day, or your battery level - it can perform certain actions. These include changing network settings, the screen brightness, launching and closing apps, or sending an SMS. So, leave the house and it will turn off the Wi-Fi. Drop it in your car holder to turn on "drive mode", and tell people via SMS you're in the car. Motorola has a similar app for Android, called Smart Actions, but the Nokia version was first.
I found myself using the 808 at weekends and in downtime when I didn't need to check email or social media feeds, and was positively surprised by the ease of use.
So what's the value proposition for the 808? Good, dedicated cameras can be found for under £200, and good, modern phones for under £99. You'll pay a little more for a new 808 or less if you take a risk on eBay. But if you opt for using two separate devices, you've got to remember to keep them both charged and in your pockets.
As the cliché goes, the best camera in the world is the one at your fingertips – and I've taken terrific pictures that I wouldn't have snapped otherwise taken – because I simply wouldn't have had a dedicated camera with me, merely an ordinary smartphone. And the 808 is no ordinary smartphone.
If this whets your appetite for the PureView's tech, then luckily we won't have to wait long for it to arrive in other Nokia handsets. This discussion of camera shortcomings in Windows Phone 8 shows how far ahead the 808 is today.
Alas, I found the 808 couldn't hack it for me as the sole "work phone", largely because of the slow browsing and lack of calendar sync. But then I have a work BlackBerry and can call on a tablet for the fancy stuff.
The market looks very different now to 2007 when the iPhone was launched, and affordable small tablets do this "fancy stuff" (email, browsing, social media) better than a phone – that could be a justification alone for choosing a device that specialises in one or two things. ®
Many thanks to Symbian guru Steve Litchfield for tips and steers.
To get up-to-date features and user interface changes, start with the Belle Feature Pack 2 review. Also see how to get the most from the 808 PureView camera, how to double your battery life, and how to use scene modes.
The PureView Club has regular updates on accessories, interesting usage cases and showcases some of the most striking 808 photos.


text:
Provide courteous and professional teller service to clients. Complete transactions according to established guidelines; complexity of transactions performed varies by Teller level. Identifies referral opportunities and makes appropriate referrals.
Ensure compliance with internal controls, operational procedures and risk management policies. Responsible for ensuring that all business transactions and practices in the individual's span of control comply with all regulations and the Code of Conduct. Pursue on-going education of products, services, and other lines of business.
Demonstrates mastery of basic teller transaction and balancing duties. Consistently follows defined procedures for bank operations and client service, including consistent practice of behaviors that contribute to the Exceptional Branch and Exceptional Client Experiences. Possesses a broader knowledge of banking policies and procedures. Develops expertise in all types of branch transactions including, but not limited to foreign exchange, night deposits, ATM balancing and more in-depth system knowledge. Incumbents in this position are trained and rewarded for identifying client needs and making appropriate referrals.
Basic Requirements:
- Mastery of the Teller I duties or six months of Teller Service at a comparable financial institution or retail service and sales experience.
- Must have cash handling or payment transactions and client facing experience.
- Basic math and numeric sequencing aptitude.
- Willing and able to follow instructions and work under established guidelines.
- One year of experience as a Teller and/or completion of Core and Intermediate Curriculum Training as well as any corresponding Teller coursework.
- Demonstrated ability to uncover referral opportunities.
- Knowledge of advanced or complex branch transactions.
Equal Opportunity Employer: SunTrust supports a diverse workforce and is a Drug Testing and Equal Opportunity Employer. SunTrust does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable laws.
To review the EEO Poster, copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf


text:
About a third of adults won't even break up in person, but will use Facebook or other electronic means, according to a recent poll.
Lab42, known for its infographics, polled 500 adult social network users in "The Relationship Status Update" and found that 33 percent had broken up with a significant other over Facebook, by email or by text. Furthermore, 40 percent of respondents said they would do so in the future. While the vast majority said they did not and would not, it made us think that people have found a way to avoid almost all the confrontation and messiness involved with a break-up.
"Breaking up on Facebook is easier and quicker," Jessica Glinski, 18, of Ridgewood, Queens, told the New York Daily News. "It's like taking off a Band-Aid — fast and painless."
U.S. & World
The news wasn't surprising for Wilson Sanchez, 22, a lifeguard from Spanish Harlem. "So much of our lives are online, why wouldn't break-ups be too?" he said.
The poll also stated that 52 percent of respondents changed their relationship status on Facebook immediately after a break-up.
However, 42 percent would still ask someone out in person -- with only 24 percent asking for a date on Facebook. So we think there may still be hope for the future of mankind.
The infographic went on to say that if users met someone interesting the majority of them (57 percent) would friend him or her on Facebook. Another 26 percent would Google the person, 29 percent would research the new love interest on social networks, 11 percent would follow the person on Twitter. Seventeen percent said they would do none of these things, while 1 percent responded "Other." Perhaps that means cruising by the person's house at night? Calling and then hanging up?
The poll and infographic tells us that Facebook has become a part of dating, which shows us how integrated the social network is in many of our lives.


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For the past 2 months, I've been training for the annual IPPT that's just round the corner (Bedok corner- which also serves yummy kacang phool). And what better way to reward a nice morning run than a good plate of char kway teow! Moohahaha.
This stall at Zion Road Food Centre is legendary. Having won many bowls and chopsticks, and being crowned as a "Master" by Makansutra, it is apparently even voted as the choice of many CEOs! I like the Char Kway Teow ($5- large plate) here for it's well-balanced flavours of chilli, sweet sauce, garlic, hum juice, lup chiong and lard. It's moist and utterly delicious with crispy bits of pork lard and crunchy beansprouts.
No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow
Stall 17
Zion Road Riverside Food Centre
Opens: 12pm-3pm; 6pm-11pm Daily
Chew On This: And then go for a walk/run lah! :p
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Char Kway Teow is Especially Shiok after a Run
7 comments:
- KopiKosongGirl said...
Wow! That's a HUGE plate! And after a run?? Hmmm.....moist is good :-)
- 9:57 pm
- Miss Tam Chiak said...
wahseh! my favourite!!!
but hor... eat this after a run...? err.....
- 8:21 am
- Sophia said...
So pleasing to the eyes and definitely pleasing to taste. Love it!
- 12:16 pm
- The Hungry Cow said...
Momo: I shared the (oily) love. :D
Miss Tam Chiak: Char kway teow is fuel. Moohahaha.
- 1:04 am
My favourite char kway teow!!
- 7:59 am
- Maameemoomoo said...
Just discovered this stall recently!
The next time I order this for my supper, (after my 5km run that is) I'll ask for no sweet sauce CKT! :p
- 1:00 pm
- The Hungry Cow said...
dirtystall: Very yums right?! :D
Maameemoomoo: After 5km run, better make it a bigger plate! Moohahah. Haven tried w/o sweet sauce before.
- 4:20 pm
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text:
For many girls, the magazines they read are their lifestyle bibles. How should they look, dress, act and relate? What's important in life? Who should they look up to? My analysis of the November issues of Girlfriend, Dolly, Girlpower, Disney Girl, Little Angel and the October and November issues of TotalGirl shows that girls are being delivered a mostly one-dimensional, generic and limited view of girl/young womanhood.
The emphasis is on looks, fashion, beauty practices, consumerism, gossip, and celebrity culture. The little girls' magazines provide early socialisation into the popularised teen world of clothing, make-up, sex and celebrities. I'm especially disturbed by the encouragement given to very young girls, through the advice sections, to have boyfriends.
GF's 'Self Respect REALITY CHECKS' are just getting weird. They seem to be dropped in at random, even when not all that relevant. In this issue there's one on the front for Emma Watson. Emma's image, we are told, was purchased before Emma cut her hair. So what? How does that address body image dissatisfaction and provide a 'Self Respect REALITY CHECK'?
An inside feature, "I believe…" about girls with a variety of religious beliefs, also has a 'reality check'. The magazine declares that 'we did an online call-out for readers of different religions to participate in this story and these are the girls who stepped forward.' Perhaps that's worth stating. But is it about self-respect?
There's three other 'reality checks': 'Readers, not models, were used in this shoot' (x2) and a 'check' showing the time that models spent in hair and make-up. So that's five checks, only two of which have any relevance to GF's originally stated intention of getting real about body image.
And why is the advertising exempt from 'reality checks'? This is where we see the bulk of skinny, air-brushed, flawless women.
The Billabong ads are a paean to summer body perfection. The advertised bikinis may as well be marked size T – for tiny. There's virtually no body diversity in GF's advertising. Advertising should not be treated as somehow exempt from the magazine's stated intention that it is 'getting real' about body image.
We meet the winners of the 'Face of Fing'rs 2010' competition. Kharla is 14, Jessica 15. For some reason the stylists have plastered them in fire-engine red lipstick, the intensity of which would make a clown's mouth look pale. It makes them look much more adult than they are.
Speaking of models, we also meet past winners of 'Girlfriend of the Year'. I'm not a fan of modelling competitions, but at least new applicants are asked to write about their dreams are and how they want to achieve them. This year's winner was fashion designer Imam Krayem, who is wearing a head covering (and, somewhat in contrast, holding what appears to be lingerie). Perhaps GF wants to show it does want to represent a range of women. Having said that, most of the women in the magazine are standard-bodied white anglo females.
Advertisers must be aware that very young girls are reading Girlfriend. There's an ad (here and in the other mags reviewed) for 'Fashion Paradise', inviting girls to 'become the ultimate fashion expert' and organise fashion shows and open glamorous boutiques. There are figurines available for this product, which look to me like they would appeal to girls around 8-11.
Other advertising, for example for Garnier, was presented as a four-page feature when it was really an advertorial.
The Good Bits
I was very pleased to see the piece 'Dying to Drink' which discusses the rise of Vodka as the drink of choice for teenage girls. The article confronts young women with the risks and harms of Vodka consumption and shatters the myth that it is less risky than other alcoholic drinks.
Paul Dillon, Director of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia – and one of Generation Next's speaking team – makes a sobering statement: "The last five deaths that I've been involved with were all female school students aged 16 and 17 and all fatalities were vodka related." Now that's a reality check. If GF ran more articles like this, I would commend it publicly and loudly.
Other positive and helpful articles: one on how to save money (a welcome inclusion would have been 'reduce spending on hair, cosmetics and other grooming products which you mostly don't need'!); a recommendation to volunteer your time, how to manage family stress caused by financial pressures and how you can help ease the load at home (assist around the house, look after your belongings, earn your own money). I like that girls are situated within their families, and are encouraged to contribute positively, especially when times are tough.
A piece on safe driving features a short video created by 14-year-old Maddy Frahm.
The 'Get Real' section contains true stories which will hopefully inspire girls towards empathy ('I was bullied by thousands', 'I've had 101 operations') and making a difference in developing countries ('We volunteered overseas').
Then it's back to hot boys and crushes and how girls and boys aren't from different planets, 'just different hemispheres'.
Jessica Mauboy is here too – she was featured as a fresh-faced teenager on Australian Idol and has now been rebranded as the new 'It girl', having returned from a trip to the United States where she was made-over by some of the most misogynist male rap artists in the industry (that fact isn't mentioned). GF describes Mauboy's new single as 'a flirty tribute to every girl's number one love – shoes!'. Oh please, every girl?
Not so good: Why is mental health in the sealed section?
This issue includes a very important subject: 'The truth about mental illness'. The article covers anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, bipolar, borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, along with treatment, recovery and helplines. This is great. But why is it in the sealed section? What does that suggest about being mentally ill? That it is something that should be hidden? I'm at a loss to understand this placement decision.
Dolly has a 're-touch free zone'. The problem is, the logo indicating a 're-touch free zone' appears very minimally, despite the 'amazing response' Dolly has received about this feature. It is too tokenistic a gesture in my view. The fact that the logo is used so rarely shows just how little re-touching actually does take place. And when it is used, it's hard to tell if it just applies to the one page it appears on, or to a feature as a whole (e.g swimsuit photo section from p.74). Use of the word 'zone' suggests more than an individual page but I'm not sure that's how Dolly intends it to be interpreted.
A feature on teen pregnancy, clearly designed to portray the reality of having a baby at a young age, is unrelentingly bleak – so much so I wondered if the case study was real. 'I'm 16…and a mum' describes what happened when 'Jessie' told her parents she was pregnant to her boyfriend: 'My dad was furious and kicked me out.' Nice one, dad.
In 'A day in the life of Jessie' she says that from'8.30pm-5am: 'I get up during the night over 20 times to burp, change, feed and sing to Emily.' Twenty times a night? If this is true I hope Dolly put her in touch with a service that could help. No girl – or woman – should have to manage that without support. Dolly: if she is a real girl, please tell put her in touch with a relevant agency.
And if 'Jessie' is not real? It's one thing to discourage teen pregnancy, it's quite another to catastrophise it to the point where the litany of horrors become hard to believe.
The Dolly fashion pages feature these shoes. Perfect for crippling the feet of Dolly's tween and barely teen girl readers.
Some tiny bikinis in Dolly though they've also included some larger sized swimwear, unlike GF.
The Good Bits
…Are a page on how not to get caught up in gossip, how to handle criticism, unreliable friends and why they are bad for your health, 10 ways to lift your mood, handling period pain, and dealing with death. The 'Real Reads' section features a 17-year-old girl whose health was harmed smoking pot, a 14-year-old who had a hip replacement, a 14-year-old who helps to look after her 13-year-old disabled brother, and a 14-year-old survivor of domestic violence who suffered abuse at the hands of her step father.
A section on 'What's your ideal career?' could have been useful, but the series of multiple choice questions results in the limited choice of a mere four ' ideal careers': hospitality, creative arts, IT and fashion. Is that it? (it is bizarre that 'news reporter' is included in the fashion section. Perhaps in Dolly's world, fashion is the only thing worth reporting on?).
The NOT So Good Bits
'How to rule the (online) universe' introduces readers to Tumblr, Flickr and Formspring 'to put you at the top of the social media stratosphere'. According to cyber safety expert Susan McLean – also a Gen Next speaker – Formspring is the number one medium for on-line bullying. This isn't mentioned in the article.
Dolly gives advice to girls which could be seen as promoting stalking-type behaviours. For example 'Get insider info on your crush': 'Ask your crush a question anonymously…you can get loads of helpful hints about how to snag him – and he'll never guess it's you.' You can even find out what he's doing on the weekend 'so you can randomly turn up at the same spot!' I found this advice creepy.
Also creepy is a six page feature titled 'Planet Hot' featuring 13-year-old Australian boy singer, Cody Simpson and 14-year-old US boy actor Kodi Smith (who looks younger) featured in a section called "PLANET HOT". Would we want to see 13 and 14-year-old old girls featured in the 'Planet Hot' section of a boys' mag?
Boys are asked about their 'ultimate dream date'. What message does it send to the average girl reader that teen boys pick women like Angelina Jolie -'She's hot and has big lips' (Max, 15) and 'Miranda Kerr is hot! I'd love to take her on a private jet to Canada' (Lachlan, 16). Seems irrelevant that Kerr is married and pregnant and Jolie lives with Brad Pitt and their large brood.
Then there's 'The guy field guide' with lots of tips to help you know if 'he is watching you', 'top four tips to keep him keen and what to watch out for', and how to tell if he's flirting or not. The tips come from The Little Book of Flirting. There's also places to find boys that readers may not have thought of, and some suggested pick-up lines: Try an electronics store, for example, approach target boy and say: 'Hi, sorry to bother you but what console would you recommend'. Or a hardware store: 'Hi. I'm a little lost – can you please tell me where the hammers are?'
Also concerning is that many of the featured men are in their 20's – one is 27, two are 28. Should Dolly be encouraging crushes on men this age in its (increasingly younger) readership? Is teaching girls to objectify men's bodies a good thing?
This issue doesn't seem to have the same body diversity as last month's issue. There's an 8-page fashion spread featuring a willowy blond girl.
Dolly Doctor's advice about obtaining the pill and the 'morning-after pill' for under-age girls may be of concern to some parents. The advice says (in part): 'The chemist won't require ID and you don't have to be a certain age. You can also see a doctor confidentially to talk about contraception and to be prescribed the pill – if you're under age'. If a girl is under-age, and the male is more than two years older, it is possible a crime is being committed. The girl may have been coerced into unwanted sex. It would have been helpful if something along these lines had been flagged to assist girls in this situation.
This issue comes with a 'Beauty Book': 'All the advice you'll ever need!' While some of the advice may be helpful to girls, it should not be overlooked that the Beauty Book is, very much also a product promotion.
Most of the girls featured have impossibly flawless newborn baby skin. That should get girls buying up the products! On the last page (p.146) are some nice words about 'Beauty wisdom': the importance of personality, being beautiful on the inside, how we're all imperfect, you know the kind of thing. Which is good, of course. But it's the last page page after flogging all the products so 'essential' for girls.
Total Girl (Oct, Nov)
I could just cut and paste everything I said last time. Not much has changed. Total Girl reads like an advertising catalogue for the 'cutest products' girls must have. It's a seemingly endless barrage of pink fairies, clothes, toys, styling aids.
TotalGirl October is the'100th issue collector's edition' (the first issue was launched in 2002).
TG is celebrating with a major party theme, featuring highlights of past issues and most popular cover girls. In 2009, Lady Gaga was the big ticket item for TG: 'Lady Gaga has got the world hooked on her out-there antics, and we just can't get enough!' This once again reinforces Lady Gaga and her porn persona as an appropriate celebrity for little girls.
A feature asks 'What were the most important issues to TG at the time?' The response gives us a great insight into what the editors consider 'issues'. The original editor Sarah Oakes replies: 'Lip-gloss, ponies, cute things, friends, glitter, music, movies, clothes'.
Total Girl, covering the big issues in girls lives….
The party pages are also used as product placement 'for all your party needs…' 'for beautiful balloons…', 'for yummy cupcakes…'. No opportunity is lost to sell something to little girls. 'For party saving tunes', TG's number 1 suggestion is California Gurls by Katy Perry (that's the one where she shoots cream from her breasts, in case you haven't seen it).
There is one page of craft (which also promotes the store where the craft gear came from) and a page of cupcake baking.
These headings reinforce the fashion imperative: 'The uber chic lost girls by minkpink are here to make your wardrobe dreams come true with the ultimate new fashion collection for spring' ('lost girls' is little angsty for 7-8 year-olds, isn't it?), 'Make your wardrobe dreams come true', 'Get lost in fashion heaven'.
The November issue promotes this $20 notebook for little girls: 'I'm going to be gorgeous and this is my plan…' I couldn't find one that said 'I'm gonna be smart and this is my plan'.
My hopes rose when I got to the 'Totally SMART' section. But science for girls was just an opportunity to promote another product: 'Secrets of cosmetic science: just like the professionals' with a free 'Secrets of cosmetic kit: Be inspired!' Buried in the wall-to-wall products was a page on Aussie athletes in the Commonwealth games, two pages of reader's artwork, a page of Halloween craft, a one page recipe, and two pages of quizzes. Then it's back to 'Barbie fashionistas: express your fashion personality'.
TotalGirl isn't a girl's magazine. It's an advertising catalogue full of stuff girls don't need, reinforcing the idea that they have to be cute and gorgeous consumers.
On the front: 'Brilliant Beauty Tips'. Again cementing the notion that this is what being a girl is all about.
As in the last issue, the Red Carpet Ratings disturb me. 'Watch out celebrities! The Girl Power fashion police are on duty…and some of you are about to be arrested…' Celebs are judged on the basis of 'Best dressed' and 'Worst dressed'. Girls can be on the 'GP fashion panel' if they 'know a 'hot' look from a 'not' look…' This encourages girls to engage in judgemental behaviour at early ages (one of the judges is aged 10). "EW!" is a commonly used expression.
The 'friends forever' pages were sweet in their declaration of love for friends, but the featured pairs – the youngest 11 and 12-years-old – were heavily made up. The 11-year-old with high bun and make-up looked quite adultified.
GirlPower also promotes misogynistic rap artist Snoop Dogg to girls. Jessica Mauboy gushes, 'I have never met such a beautiful man.' This may contribute to girls setting the bar very low and assuming that violence against women is normal and acceptable. As noted above, Mauboy's new release is about the pleasure of wearing stiletto heels, being on display, and how she couldn't live without them. One of the lyrics says: 'I'm the shit, you can ask the whole world about me'.
Lady Gaga is here again, this time wearing a dead animal. The editors seem to think it's OK for little girl readers who love animals to see Lady Gaga in a meat dress. This also normalises the violent themes Lady Gaga employs in her performances.
Cody is here too (see Dolly above) with a love heart and 'Boy Power'.
Jessica Mauboy features here also. Her new release, 'Get 'em girls', is described as 'an edgy hip hop track that makes you want to shake your booty.' Shake your booty nine- year- olds! Get out your stilettos and tell the world 'I'm the shit!'
The Bad Bits
Here's some advice for little girls from Brandon Smith (who is, apparently, a 'celeb'). You want to get together with a boy you like? 'Just shoot him a little wink, just catch his eye and if he throws you a smile back, you got him.'
In 'Survival trips for crushes', Johnny, host of 'Escape from Scorpion Island', advises a girl who likes an older boy and asks 'How do I get him to notice me?': 'Ask them out'.
Justin Beiber tells how he once got into trouble after sneaking out of the house at 3am to meet some girls who had texted him. Isn't that cute? Girls maybe you can arrange to hook up with boys at 3am too!
Girls featured in this issue are aged from 9-13. Because no age is given, primary school age readers might think Brandon and Johnny's advice applies to them. This is what girls are supposed to be doing – having boyfriends, approaching boys at parties, arranging hook-ups with boys in the middle of the night.
I am angry that Girlpower thinks conditioning little girls to pro-actively seek boyfriends is acceptable – and potentially making those who don't secure one feel insecure – as well as making risky behaviour seem amusing.
While there are more alternatives to products and fashion than TotalGirl, with greater space given to food, animals, recycling, quizzes and pets (28 out of 83 pages), this does not make up for the damaging messages the magazine sends.
Disney Girl
'What song are you loving right now?' DG's designer responds that she loves 'California Gurls' by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg (see above re cream shooting from breasts). GF's production controller prefers 'Teenage Dream' also by Katy Perry. It features the lines: 'Let's go all the way tonight', 'the way you turn me on', 'got drunk on the beach', 'Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans'. The film clip depicts some bedroom action suggesting Katy's bf agreed on going all the way tonight.
Disney Girl helps girls know what's in and what's not. 'What's hot right now: For an 'A+ in cool'. For example, who's the cool boy of the month for our little Disney Girl readers? Jason Desrouleaux – who is 20.
Lady Gaga's new perfume range is promoted. 'Wonder what it will smell like'? DG asks (eau de dead animal perhaps?) Gaga is also mentioned in a 'fun quiz' to find your 'inner pop princess'. The options are Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
And what would a little girl's mag be without more 'cute crush' advice? This time from Matthew 'MDOT' Finley: 'If you like a boy at a party, make sure you give him lots of eye contact'. One of the readers is a 10-year-old girl who has submitted art work. Is this advice designed for her?
More Jess Mauboy promotion: 'We are loving this track in the DG office…make sure you check out the 'Get 'Em Girls' video clip…' Yeah, check it out and see young Jess writhing up against Snoop Dogg.
Making invitations, wordsearch, six pages of DIY clothes and accessories, two pages of art work, and two pages of healthy eating are the only break from the celeb parade (13 out of 83 pages).
Cyber safety experts would be disturbed by this comment in 'What does your bedroom say about you?' In question 7, one of the multiple choice options is: 'Your computer – you're always emailing friends and blogging'. No computers in bedrooms! Come on DG eds, this is cyber safety 101. You are undermining the efforts of those concerned about on-line child safety to get computers out of bedrooms.
Little Angels
Celebs, gossip, products, entertainment, the usual line-up.
One page costume making, one page craft, an interview with 16-year-old Matilda's defender, interview with a ballet teacher, facts about the human body, 10 pages of quizzes and an activity book – which opens with facts about Katy Perry and a poster of her taken from California Gurls (in which she's naked in clouds). There's no escaping…
Writer Melinda Tankard-Reist. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.


text:
|System: Wii
|Dev: Square Enix
|Pub: Nintendo
|Release: February 7, 2011
|Players: 1-4
|Screen Resolution: 480p
by Josh Wirtanen
Mixing Mario with sports is definitely not a new thing. He's had a flirtation with all sorts of non-Goomba-stomping activities in the past, including baseball, tennis, soccer, kart racing, and golf. But there is a sort of charm that Mario brings to everything he gets involved in. He's like that friend who is always recommending new things you think you won't like, and ends up being right an obnoxiously high percentage of the time.
The newest Mario title, Mario Sports Mix, attempts to spread Mario's charm to four sports at once. While they all share the common Mario elements, like familiar characters and over-the-top powerups, each game is its own unique beast.
Basketball is a very satisfying and well-paced game that is simple to get into yet has some complex nuances. You'll have a blast right out of the gate, but the game continues to get more interesting as you get more into the strategic aspect. For instance, on slam dunks, timing is extremely important. You'll also have to choose carefully when to go for a layup, when to attempt a combo move, when to fake out your opponent, or when to go for the shot. There is an almost rock-paper-scissors element to close-range shooting, as every type of shot has a countermove to block it.
Hockey is fast-paced and slightly heavier on the button-mashing than basketball. And it's insanely fun. You'll have Shy Guys for goalies, but I don't think they can see out of those adorable masks of theirs. Don't put too much faith in the abilities of these Shy Guys; they won't keep the puck out of the net very often. Of course, this means you'll have to think both offensively and defensively as you set up your second-by-second strategies.
Dodgeball is less entertaining. While it's an interesting concept, it feels like it draws too heavily on luck. Every time a ball is tossed at you, you have the ability to catch it, often turning the match into an endurance test between two players who can both catch the ball just as easily. Tosses can be charged and every character gets a special move, but you won't have much difficulty dodging anything that is thrown at you.
Volleyball feels like it was added last minute. My biggest complaint is that the control scheme doesn't work very well, and all too often, I found myself surprised at what my on-screen character did in response to the action I performed with the Wiimote. Trying to make these guys do what you intend will make you feel like someone just broke all ten of your fingers. Besides running and setting up your spikes, both of which are controlled by the joystick on the nunchuk, every action you perform involves shaking the Wiimote. Sometimes, the slightest movement of the controller will cause your character to go diving after an impossibly far away ball, while other times you'll shake the thing with all your might and watch your character stand there while the ball lands on the floor at his or her feet. And to top it off, the matches seem to drag on far longer than they need to. There is no timer, and a match doesn't end until one player reaches fifteen points. This would be the perfect amount of time for a match – once you hit fifteen points you are very ready to move on to the next one – but you don't actually win until you best your opponent in a two-out-of-three tournament. Sigh.
My advice: stick mainly to basketball and hockey. The other two sports are just there to fill up disc space.


text:
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Threads for June 2003
June 2003
[1] RAITH Daily report and announcement of extended downtime June 16 - 28, 2003
[1] Raith free
[1] reservation removed tomorrow (saturday)
[1] Sunday reservation removed
[1] sunday morning reservation removed
[1] All reservations today cancelled
[2] Re: note
[1] REMINDER: RAITH planned downtime for Laser Stage repairs June 17 - 27, 2003
[1] New RAITH User Logins, Please check your magnification display setting on LEO.
[1] Raith finish early
[1] Please enter your EBL write information in the NEW RAITH 150 Operations Logbook.
[2] Re: Problems with single-pixel lines
[1] unused reservations anyone?
[1] reservation cancelled this sunday !!
[1] RAITH UPDATE...Friday 6-13-2003
[1] may finish early tonight
[1] James Conway cell phone number and times to call...
[1] raith free from 3am to 10am tonight
[1] RAITH problem
[1] Unqualified access through training login -- passwd has been changed. RAITH IS BACK UP!
[1] reservation removed tomorrow night (monday 7-12pm)
[2] Raith res partly cancelled
[1] Raith finished early
[1] RAITH 150 UPDATE Monday June 23, 2003
[1] RAITH 150 TESTING UPdate... Application Specific testing / Q&A sessions annoucement.
[1] All users take note: Change to FE-GUN alignment procedure...ver.2.0
[1] SPECIAL EDITION: RAITH UPDATE and more: RAITH IS IN SPEC AND AVAILABLE TO USERS!
[1] need help on ebeam liftoff
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