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Way back in the year 2006 A.D., a midst the Hyphy movement and Tower Records liquidation, I wrote a little somethin' somethin' about my all time favorite Christmas films. I had forgotten about this until a few weeks back when I saw National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for the first time. Yes, I know, I had no business making a list of favorite Christmas movies with such a blank spot in my catalog. Well, here's the thing, I *thought* I had seen it. The deal is, my Dad's been a Timberwolves season ticket holder since before the team existed, so during my grade school years while my parents were getting divorced, if the night I was with him fell on the night of a game we spent quality time by cheering them on together. As Christmas approached, they would play clips from Christmas Vacation in-between plays to get us all in a festive mood between Christian Laettner moodswings. After a decade of Clark Griswald repetition, I could have sworn I saw the film. This was not the case. Now that I've seen it, I have to agree that it's a good movie, even if now I think it suffers from not enough scenes of Wally Szczerbiak dunking.
Regardless, I stand by my four-year-old feelings feelings toward the following films. All holiday classics, all warm the 36 chambers of my heart. So let's look back together on the Christmas movies I could make it through before I was legally old enough to drink Egg Nog!
Killa Season's Greetings!
Your loyal Facebook friend Chaz here. Tis the season, between Christmas and New Year's, where the B and C list of Christmas films get shown. Most of these atrocities suck in the worst way, as any combination of the words "christmas," "deck," "holiday," "snow," "winter," "Santa," "present" or "Toyland" usually results in something truly vile to get that Christmas Ca$h.
But some of these are truly wonderful little gems who only see the light of day this time of the year. OK, perhaps that is stretching it, BUT, I can promise you that each of these are worth at least one viewing. So, let's begin this sleigh ride through the septic tank! Jingle balls!
Christmas Evil (1980, Lewis Jackson)
I've never really been a huge fan of holiday themed horror films. While there are some certain gems that require annual viewing, but for every Charles Kaufman's Mother's Day or William Lustig's Uncle Sam, there's a dozen Valentines or April Fool's Days. Christmas horror films are often the worst of these, with colossal wastes of time like Bill Goldberg in Santa's Slay and the 1990's VHS shot Santa Claws.
However, the first two starting off this list are legitimate "entries" in this genre. Christmas Evil, originally titled You Better Watch Out is far and away the best film on this list. A legitimate dark comedy about a toy-maker who has been obsessed with Santa ever since seeing a man in a Santa suit go down on his Mom as a child, he takes his double life as Kris Kringle a tad too seriously, bringing toys to the good unfortunate kids and slaughtering those who are naughty! F*** your miracle, this Massacre on 34th Street brings me FAR more cheer! Mostly because I love seeing a**holes get their come-uppens.
It's also worth noting that the Santa figure here is played by FIONA APPLE's father Brandon Maggart! Plus, "Home Improvement" guilty sexual fantasy Patricia Heaton has a cameo as an abusive single mother who SMACKS THE F***ING S*** out of her son! Those fun facts aside, this is a legit great film. Why aren't you ordering this on Amazon right now? Probably because you are too busy watching…
Jack Frost (1996, Michael Cooney)
Everyone has that one moment in their life they wish they could revisit. For some, it's their wedding night. For others, the birth of their first child. For me, it's the cold December night my Freshman year of High School when I first watched Jack Frost.
NOT to be confused with the equally absurd Michael Keaton career killer about a boy whose father is reincarnated in the body of a snowman to help him get r-r-revenge on some bullies, this classic tells the tale of a serial killer who, on the truck ride to his execution, is part of a huge chemical accident where his DNA molecules are fused with snow. This leaves his standard physical form as manipulable as a snowman.
I vividly recall that wonderful night. The blizzard of 2000. Stars in my eyes as this waddling clunky snowman took his revenge on the family and friends of the cop who sent him to the chair in the first place. While Christmas Evil hones most of the truly clever inventiveness in terms of plot and character development, Jack Frost opts to keep concept simple with diverse execution. Christmas lights, Christmas trees, sleds, and just about every icon of the season is utilized in the barrage of over-the-top Mortal Kombat style Christmas fatalities. Did I mention Shannon "American Pie" Elizabeth is in this?
Yessa, she plays the Police chief's daughter who meets her hilarious end in one of Cinema's all time greatest love scenes:
Long story short, see this film! Even if you can only get the VHS with the fabulous hologram cover. But if Snowman-Rape is a little too intense for you this holiday season, than may I recommend:
Santa With Muscles (1996, John Murlowski)
Cabin Fever, the fine people who brought you Hulk Hogan as a toy store owner/assassin in Secret Agent Club, comes the immortal Santa With Muscles. Here, Terry "Hulk" Hogan stars as an evil billionaire who suffers memory loss, believes he's Santa Claus, and befriends an orphanage that stands on the verge of being shut down by another evil entrepreneur and his evil team that even includes (their words, not mine) an "evil geologist."
SNL alum Garrett Morris appears, as does Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake in YELLOW FACE as a kung-fu sumo. But the celebrities don't stop there! Inexplicably, half of the future cast of "That 70's Show" appear, including a cutie sexy 11-year-old Mila Kunis. Not-to-mention megastar Clint "Ice Cream Man" Howard. There's some resolution at the end involving exploding crystals beneath the orphanage, but this flick is pretty brutal and I honestly doubt you will last that long. You're more than welcome to prove me wrong, but please remember the tagline was "He went from Naughty to Nice, and now he's putting Bad Guys on Ice!"
But perhaps you survive Christmas with the Hulkster and need some more steroid guzzling holiday entertainment, well then let me remind you of probably the most known film on this list:
Jingle All the Way (1996, Brian Levant)
Like everyone else who grew up in the Twin Cities, I claim to be in this film. Here, the unfortunate governor of California stars as a work-obsessed terrible father whose wife wants him to get the latest hottest toy, "Turbo-Man," for his son as the most important Christmas gift of his young life. Putting off the shopping until Christmas Eve, Arnold becomes competitive with a rival father, a mailman (Sinbad, who won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for his performance) and hi-jinks ensue!
As an added bonus, Phil Hartman plays Arnold's neighbor who covets his wife HARD. You've never seen such Christmas coveting! Martin Mull also appears as the racist bigot host of KQRS-92 FM, Tom Bernard. If you're from Minnesota (and if so, please bring me some Davanni's) you'll see this film as the perfect snapshot of what downtown Minneapolis looked like in the mid-90s.
Just remember as you watch Arnold stumble and bumble around, that this man gets to decide who lives and who dies in California. Yep, that guy punching out a reindeer had the final say in whether Tookie Williams was executed or not. That in mind, this film could someday be used as the greatest anti-voting propaganda ever created. That is, except for:
The Clipse's Christmas in McDonaldland (2003, Craig Witte)
OK, this film doesn't exist. I just really wanted to post this picture. But until you NYU film cadets choose to create this masterpiece, our only hope for some crack-centric Holiday fun is:
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964, Nicolas Webster)
Every Christmas film on this list owes a debt of gratitude to this, the grandpappy of all questionable Christmas flicks. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, involves the martians kidnapping Santa so he can bring Christmas to the children on Mars, until Santa (with the help of two small children) finally conquer them.
Originally introduced to me via the homies as Mystery Science Theater 3000, this film is astronomically bad. If any station you watch chooses to air this, you're better off cutting your cable provider and committing suicide as you were born into a world no child deserves to live in. The aliens are annoying, the polar bears are CLEARLY people, and I think the select few who think Christmas should be about that Jesus guy may have the right idea.
The score is the only saving grace/final blow. "He's fat and round and jumpin' jimminy / he can fit down any chimminey!" goes "Hooray for (sic) Santy Claus." Future star Pia Zadora also appears as a martian child, so if Pia Zadora's your thing, I'd give this film my full recommendation. The MST3K version mentions my fallen mecca the Apache Plaza as well.
At any rate, I hope this exercise in season favorites has proven enjoyable for you. Please savor these season treasures while you're still on Earth, because in Heaven they just play the first three Jaws movies all the damn time.


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Rob Kim / Getty Images
Workers assemble the 2014 New Year's Eve Waterford Crystal ball during its installation at One Times Square on Dec. 27, in New York City.
Who says only tourists go to see the ball drop in Manhattan's Times Square on New Year's Eve?
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, will be in charge of pressing the button that activates the 60-second descent of the sparkling ball to celebrate the introduction of 2014 in Times Square, organizers announced Sunday.
The justice will usher in the New Year in front of more than 1 million people who will gather in the center of New York City and the 1 billion people who will be watching the event on TV screens around the world, according to the Times Square Alliance, which organizes the yearly show with the help of Countdown Entertainment.
"Justice Sotomayor is an inspiration to many, and it is a privilege to welcome her to our celebration to ring in 2014," said Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins in a statement. "Who better to join us in the Crossroads of the World than one of New York's own," he added.
Mike Theiler / Reuters file
U. S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will take center stage among about 1 million revelers in New York's Times Square to usher in 2014 by pressing the button to lower the countdown ball, organizers said on Dec. 29.
Jeffrey Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment, said Sotomayor "is an inspiration to everyone determined to achieve their dreams in 2014."
Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009. She was the first Hispanic and third woman ever to earn a position as a Supreme Court justice among the 110 justices who came before her.
Sotomayor will add another groundbreaking milestone to her list, as she is now the first Supreme Court justice chosen to push the crystal-covered button in the 106-year history of the event.
She will join the company of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Lady Gaga and Muhammad Ali, who have all held the honor in the current millennium.
Performances by Blondie, Miley Cyrus and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will precede the grand moment. Melissa Etheridge will carry out the tradition of singing John Lennon's "Imagine" as 2013 comes to a close.

subset: commoncrawl


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Shirley and Janet are on their way to Toronto today to take part in the Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2012!!
It'll be close to four days of workshops, speakers, browsing at the Expo, special events and probably lots of fun in between. It's a wonderful place for librarians from all over Ontario to gather, compare and learn about other libraries, find out what's new in software and library programs and even make some new friends. You can't imagine what thousands of librarians in one place looks like until you attend one of these conferences. (And let me say, it's far from a sea of buns, glasses and quiet corners!! Picture wacky outfits, lots of crazy antics and much, much more. These librarians know how to let loose!)
This year, there are some wonderful speakers and I know each presentation will be well attended. There's the ultimate librarian's heroine herself, Nancy Pearl,
….a presentation by George Strombolopolous (we went to a taping of his show last year and he was fabulous!)…..
…..and even a presentation by Neil Pasricha, the author of The Book of Awesome…which is, of course, awesome!
I don't know which workshops Janet and Shirley will be attending, but I know they'll come away with lots of fresh and exciting information to help make your library experience even better in the future. Stop by the Super Conference 2012 website to learn more about this event. They'll even have some live updates so those of us at home can see all the excitement. Have fun, ladies!


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Evaluation of long-term NDVI time series derived from Landsat data through blending with MODIS data
The aim of this study is to capitalize on the spatial detail of Landsat and the temporal regularity of MODIS acquisitions using a fusion approach (Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model, STARFM). Specifically, the 30 m Landsat-7 ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus) surface reflectance was predicted for a period of eight years (2002-2009) as the product of observed ETM+ and MODIS surface reflectance (MOD09Q1) on the predicted and observed ETM+ dates. A pixel based analysis for observed ETM+ dates covering winter and summer crop seasons showed that the prediction method was more accurate for NIR (mean r2 = 0.87, p ≤ 0.01) compared to red band (mean r2 = 0.65; p ≤ 0.01). The NDVI was computed from observed Landsat and predicted surface reflectance. The difference between NDVI from predicted and observed ETM+ data (prediction residual) was compared with the temporal residuals of NDVI from observed Landsat and MODIS data at two different dates. The prediction residuals for NDVI (spatial mean value of 0.0085) were found to be significantly lower than the temporal residuals (spatial mean value of 0.056 for MODIS and 0.051 for observed ETM+) implying that the prediction method was better than temporal pixel substitution. Investigating the trend in synthetic ETM+ NDVI values over a growing season revealed that phenological patterns were well captured. A direct comparison between the NDVI values obtained from MODIS and synthetic ETM+ images has shown a good consistency of the temporal dynamics but a systematic error that can be read as bias (MODIS NDVI over estimation). The relationship between synthetic ETM+ NDVI with observed precipitation and evaporation data was also studied and it was observed that monthly total precipitation and monthly evaporation of the preceding month have higher correlation coefficients (r2 = 0.56 and r2 = 0.59) with mean monthly synthetic ETM+ NDVI.
Landsat; modis, blending; NDVI; precipitation; evaporation.


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Oftentimes I'm not quite in the mood to enter a whole battle sequence, and my army significantly outnumbers that of the enemy, so I'll just use auto-resolve to get it over with (it's that button in the middle of the interface right before a battle). However, I'm always uncertain if I should use it for the less one-sided battles (that I still sometimes don't feel like doing), so I was wondering: how does auto-resolve work?
I realize that there's some element of randomness involved, but what factors does the game consider when auto-resolving? Is it possible (this is one of my main concerns) that an auto-resolved battle, even if won, will result in me losing my general? Basically, what should I consider when thinking about the risk of using auto-resolve? I'm pretty sure it's more complicated than that little green/red bar in the middle.


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Schuff Perini Climber
Developer: Children's Museum of Phoenix
Contractor: Perini Building Company
Architect: Ganymede Design Group
Size: 37-foot tall interactive exhibit constructed of 50 tons of steel
Location: Children's Museum of Phoenix, 215 N. 7th St., Phoenix
Completed: April 2010
The Schuff Perini Climber, a 50-ton wild maze of steel, is the newest and perhaps most unique interactive exhibit at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. It is the largest and most creative climber in the U.S. With 981 pieces of steel all placed at an angle and no design repetition, the structure was comparable to erecting a complicated building. Adventuresome climbers (it is intended for youths 10 and under) have four options to ascend the structure. Children can crawl, walk and climb on tube steel columns and beams, a water-park slide lined for traction, a ladder, plywood ramps and see-through fiberglass grating. As part of the design/build team, Schuff Steel spent more than 400 hours inputting each piece (all 981) into AutoCAD. Perini Building Company and its subcontractors built and attached all of the super-sized appendages, laid plywood, painted, and enclosed the structure with wire netting. Approximately 75% of the climber was donated, with Schuff and Perini the major contributors.


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Rob Deering: 12 Inch
Note: This review is from 2005
There is not really a lot one can say about the unfailingly effective Rob Deering that hasn't been said before.
He is clearly one of Britain's finest musical comedians but, at the same time, he never seems able to push himself into producing a truly great full-length show. The same applies to this year's offering in which he superficially offers a guide through the decades of rock.
From the Guns 'n' Roses introduction to the V-shaped guitar to having his own name projected behind him in lights, it seems that all Deering has wanted to do in life is be a rock star. This is reinforced by the fact that the beginning is more like a concert rather than a comedy show.
His comedy songs are regularly of the highest order, exemplified by an early spoof of guitar-based boy bands with lyrics so well written that the subject is concealed until the very last moment.
This opening musical montage is a very promising start to the show, which unfortunately trails off into the distance as he embarks upon a slightly jumbled – and superfluous - structure. Each decade is an excuse for Deering to play a selection of comedy cover versions and gather some nostalgic laughter by discussing different elements of occasionally ridiculous popular culture.
You cannot help but wonder whether he would be better off dropping the obtrusive concept altogether and simply making a compendium of his best new material.
When he wants to get laughs, he can get them effortlessly by playing a comedy cover – at times, his extensive knowledge of music and quick wit suggests that he could easily improvise songs better than most musical comedians – but he just does not seem able to adapt this talent into a full-length show. It is enjoyable, but slight, stuff.
Review date: 1 Jan 2005
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett


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Presidential vehicle sports new license plates
Photo: AP
Eds: APNewsNow. With AP Photos.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's ride has a new license plate.
The White House said earlier this week that the president had agreed to replace the plates on his limousine so that they display the "Taxation Without Representation" design the District of Columbia uses. On Saturday, the lead vehicle of the president's motorcade was sporting the plate with the number 800 002. That's the number city officials said they would issue to the president.
The district plate design, created in 2000, calls attention to the fact the city has no voting member In Congress. President Bill Clinton also put the tags on his limousine, but his successors had declined to do so.


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HOUSTON ― Women at increased risk for breast cancer because of the genetic BRCA mutations are more likely to think a prophylactic mastectomy is the best way to reduce their risk for the disease, compared to other women who are at high risk, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
The study, published in the most recent issue of Cancer, also finds that the emotional worry was a strong factor leading women - both BRCA mutation carriers and others at high risk for the disease - to opt for the surgery.
It's estimated that .1 to .2 percent of the general population carry either the BRCA 1 or 2 mutation, both of which are associated with an increased risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer. For those with the BRCA1 mutation, their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 47-66 percent, with some estimates even higher; those with BRCA2 have a lifetime risk of 40-57 percent.
Women are referred to genetic counseling because of a personal diagnosis of breast cancer at a very young age, or a strong family history of the breast and/or ovarian, explained Jennifer Litton, M.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Breast Medical Oncology.
"Women who are even suspected to have a BRCA mutation are highly motivated and need to make important decisions regarding their treatment options, even if they don't have cancer," said Litton the study's senior author. "With the study, we wanted to determine the reasons why women make different choices in either screening - including breast-self exams, mammograms, or MRIs - or prophylactic measures, such as medications like Tamoxifen or surgeries."
In conducting the study, the researchers sent surveys to 540 women who received genetic counseling and were screened for the BRCA mutations at M. D. Anderson between 1997 and 2005. Of those surveys, 312 (58 percent) were returned: 217 (70 percent) had breast cancer and 86 (28 percent) tested positive for the BRCA1 or 2 mutation.
In the surveys, patients were asked questions regarding their fear of developing the disease, as well as their feelings on: the screening techniques mammograms and breast-self exams; the drug Tamoxifen and its known side effects, and prophylactic surgeries.
Regarding mammograms and self breast exams, the study found little difference between the BRCA positive and negative cohorts. Neither group felt that mammograms were too difficult to get because of discomfort, nor did either report being too embarrassed to perform breast-self exams. In addition, there was no statistical difference in the two groups' feelings toward Tamoxifen: 37.9 percent of the BRCA positive patients and 46.5 percent of the BRCA negative patients felt that the concerns associated with the drug outweighed its benefits for reducing risk of developing breast cancer.
In evaluating the response to questions regarding prophylactic mastectomies, the researchers began to see significant differences between the two groups, and "worry" as a recurring concern.
When comparing BRCA positive to BRCA negative cohorts: 70 percent versus 40 percent respectively felt that prophylactic mastectomies were the most effective way to reduce their risk of developing the disease; 36.1 percent versus 40.5 percent respectively felt it was too drastic of a measure to prevent breast cancer; 23.9 percent versus 12.5 percent respectively had difficulty in deciding between surgery and screening.
Regarding their degree of worry, 64.7 percent of BRCA positive patients thought a prophylactic mastectomy was the only way to reduce their fear of the disease, compared to 34.4 percent of BRCA negative patients.
When combining both groups, after excluding women with bilateral breast cancer, 81 percent who thought surgery was their best way to reduce their risk, and 84 percent of those who felt that it was their best way to reduce their worry ultimately underwent the procedure. In contrast, 19.1 percent of those who did not feel that the surgery was the best way to reduce their risk and 15.8 percent of women who did not think it was their only way to decrease their worry opted to have a prophylactic mastectomy.
In her clinical experience, Litton has seen many high-risk women, particularly those who test positive for the BRCA 1 or 2 mutation, that initially opt for intensive screening, but after several mammograms, MRIs and biopsies, eventually decide to have a prophylactic mastectomy.
"For clinicians, this study shows that when we're counseling women about prophylactic mastectomies, we need to not just talk about the surgery, but understand their lifestyles," said Litton. "When the worry of developing cancer is interfering with a patient's day-to-day activities, then their quality of life is impacted. These women with a high risk of developing breast cancer may find that despite the surgery and subsequent recuperation, a prophylactic mastectomy improves their quality of life."
Women at highest risk need to ask themselves some very important, personal questions that only they have the answers to, said Litton.
"When making such a personal decision, these women at highest risk need to ask themselves about how they feel about their breast as far as their body image, sexuality, relationship with and support of their partner, as well as their concern for breast cancer. If that worry comes in the way of their day-to-day activities, it should be taken into consideration as part of the patient's decision-making process."
Litton cautioned that the results should not be generalized for the majority of the breast cancer population. Additionally, high risk women, of course, should also be counseled on the risk associated with surgery.
As a follow up to this study, Litton plans to conduct a study with high-risk women of child-bearing age pre- and post-genetic counseling to determine their degree worry, their guilt of possibly passing on the gene to their offspring and thoughts on pre-gestational diagnosis.
The study was funded in part by the Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Research Fund and a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
In addition to Litton, other authors on the all-M. D. Anderson study include: Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., Banu Arun, M.D., Ana Gonzalez-Angulo, M.D., Kaylene Ready, all of the Department of Breast Medical Oncology; Karen Lu, M.D., Diane Bodurka, M.D., Charlotte Sun, DRPH, Shannon Westin, M.D., all of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology; Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., Department of Surgery; and Susan Peterson, Ph.D., Department of Behavioral Science.
About M. D. Anderson
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. M. D. Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For four of the past six years, including 2008, M. D. Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.


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Monday, January 15, 2007
Well, I remain undecided about roadbed, not so much as to what to use, but where or if to use it. Looking at dozens of prototype pictures as well as many very high Q layouts, I have come to these conclusions:
1 - NO roadbed inside of downtowns or in yards. Period.
2 - The only place to put a roadbed is on a mainline, outside of downtown of a city.
3 - Cork roadbed is TOO HIGH when or if I should choose to use it, most of the time. Excellent models blend and feather the edges of the roadbed into the scenery. It seems to me that Cork roadbed would suit my needs better if it was about 1/2 its current height, i.e. 1/8 instead of 1/4 high.
4 - When the track is multi tracked, the roadbed should be flat between the tracks, by that I mean the roadbed should be wide enough to have both sets of tracks side by side on the same level.
5 - Staging yards should have no roadbed, however, something like homosote or some other sound deadening is acceptable.
Still more learning to do on this and if you look at my layout, you will see that I have violated these rules myself, especially #4!
As to what to use as roadbed, Cork is the favorite of most modelers by a 4 to one majority. Follow this LINK to see and participate in a poll I started on Trainboard about this subject.
Sub-roadbed (work in progress)
- I prefer a solid and sturdy roadbed.
- I like the flexibility of a ribbon type roadbed, meaning one that is only a little wider than the roadbed (cork) with open space between the roadbed.
- Probably because of not wanting my layout to look like a simple plywood table, I don't like flat table tops very much. Although, after spending some time with friends who have large, table top layouts, their are some great advantages to that method as well.
- All of my track work is supported by a 3/4 5 ply plywood subroadbed.
- Almost none of my track is 'flat', except for areas where I have crossovers, the track is rising or falling.
- When I make the roadbed ribbons too small, I use 3/4 masonite strips and glue them to the side of the plywood to make the roadbed wider. I use the same technique as spline roadbed builders. It has saved my bacon several times when my calculations and measurements were off.


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Work begins for new Aquatic Center at the Lincoln
Park District
on photos below to enlarge.]
[June 12, 2014]
Send a link to a friend
It's been three summers since
there has been swimming at the Lincoln Park District. But this week
there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Demolition
began on the old swimming pool with plans to start construction of
the state-of-the-art Aquatic Center in the very near future.
Park district director Marsha Greenslate recently said she has her
sights set on a grand-reopening of the pool for Memorial Day
weekend, 2015.
Pictures by Curt Fox
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TO WIN THIS FIREARMLearn More
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Flik Flak£39.00
Order within 5 hours and 14 minutes to get it Tuesday 14th July
Flik Flak Soccer Star FPSP010 is a great Childrens watch. Material of the case is Plastic/Resin while the dial colour is Black. This watch is market as water resistant. It means it can withstand slight splashes and rain, but is NOT to be immersed in water. We ship it with an original box and a guarantee from the manufacturer.
There are no reviews for this product yet. Be the first to add a review for it.
Flik Flak children's watches have been designed since 1987 to be more than just a portable clock for kids. The Flik Flak brand describes itself using the single word 'passion' and that passion can be seen in each and every item of the collections. Flik Flak watches aim not only to enable children to tell the time but also to be part of that learning process, with fun characters, stories and concepts behind every design. Each durable Flik Flak watch has a unique creativity to appeal to all children no matter what their favourite colours, hobbies, likes or tastes. Blending fashion with timeless quality, there is sure to be a Flik Flak watch that your child will adore. Styles range from ultra-bright to pastel, cute characters to simple patterns, but each with the characteristic Flik Flak flair for making telling the time fun. Flik Flak is part of the world-renowned Swatch group which also includes the Certina watch brand.
Watch Shop is an authorised Flik Flak stockist.
Sign up to receive email updates when new styles of Flik Flak are added to Watch Shop!


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Of all the scenes in all the 'Pride and Prejudice' adaptations, 'The Look' at Pemberley is, hands down, the one I love best.
But the piano scene at Rosings is a close second, followed by the gentlemen's first visit at the Parsonage.
It was the last two scenes that inspired 'The Unthinkable Triangle'. I've been drawn to write love triangle scenarios before – what better way, after all, to torture Darcy for being a self-centred sanctimonious prig and not proposing to Elizabeth while he had the chance? But this time the Rosings and Hunsford scenes simply goaded me into writing the worst triangle of all. What if his rival was not some secondary new character that nobody really cared about – that Darcy didn't care about? What if his rival was his dearest, closest friend?
Around this time last summer, while my family was climbing up Langdale Pike in the Lake District, my idea of fun was very different. There I was, in the garden of a gorgeous old coaching inn, with a glass of lime-and-soda, pen and plenty of paper – and the story started to take shape.
Then I went home, and set it aside. It's always tempting to punish Mr. Darcy in some pretty harsh ways for his excessive pride and his misjudgements, but I thought that making him learn that the love of his life is engaged to his dearest cousin is probably a step to far! And what of the dear Colonel? We love him very nearly as much as we love Darcy, so how can we bear to see him lose the girl in the end – as surely he must? How to ensure that the close connection between the cousins doesn't get irretrievably damaged in the process? How to bring about a happily ever after' for everyone?
So I started writing another story instead and got a few chapters down, that owed a lot to Deborah Fortin's knowledge of horses and side-saddle riding. Thanks ever so much for the info, Debbie, that story will be written one day. But not yet. It just didn't want to be written. But 'The Unthinkable Triangle' really did.
The main reason is that, fraught as it might be in the first half, 'The Unthinkable Triangle', with its premise of Elizabeth's engagement to Colonel Fitzwilliam, presented terribly appealing opportunities for her and Mr. Darcy to spend more time together than they ever did. Because, in everybody's eyes, they were almost related – they were as good as cousins. So, along with Jane, Elizabeth can accept Georgiana's invitation to spend time at the Darcys' townhouse. She can get to know Darcy, if not at his most intimate, then certainly at his least formal. She can learn to see him for what he truly is: a good man, an affectionate brother, a considerate master. Someone who would be a tower of strength in times of dire trouble. Someone for whom reserve is but a mask he wears to strangers. Someone who would preserve the woman he loves from every evil. And thus she can discover at long last there is nothing she wants more than to be that woman.
An excerpt from the first chapter is now up at the Writers' Block and if you'd like to have a peek, you can find it here. More excerpts will be available on various stops on the blog tour, but for now what do you think of these two short quotes?
"What have you against my engagement?" Fitzwilliam queried. "You may not approve of Elizabeth, but I pray matters would mend between the two of you. Will you not try, for my sake, to accept her?"
From his deepest hell, Darcy wished he could beg for mercy – for an end to the cruel torture. Yet he could not, for it would only bring a different hell, where all the sores would be laid into the open.
"Elizabeth, you must leave me room to hope! Or, as God is my witness, by this time tomorrow I will have carried you off to Gretna Green and damn the consequences!"
So, are you intrigued or plain terrified? Are you willing to take this roller-coaster ride with me?
'The Unthinkable Triangle' will be released soon after the Jane Austen Festival, on the 23rd of September. In the meantime, please leave a comment for the chance to read it for free as soon as it's released. The international Giveaway is open until midnight (BST) on Wednesday 23 Sept 2015 and includes a paperback and two e-copies. Good luck and see you soon!


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United Nations Foundation via Crowdrise
January 06, 2011
BENEFITING: United Nations Foundation
One of the easiest ways to refugee families in South Sudan is to send nets and save lives with the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign. We're acting quickly with the UN Refugee Agency to send 100,000 life-saving nets to protect families from malaria, a leading cause of death among refugees. And we need YOUR help.
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the UN Foundation in 2006. Campaign partners include the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, The people of The United Methodist Church, and Major League Soccer's MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Just $10 provides an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. To learn more, visit NothingButNets.net.
Malaria kills. Nets save lives. Send a net. Save a life!
Together we can cover a continent.
The Team: $8,857 TOTAL RAISED SO FAR
Donor Comments
Joe Carrano
In memory of my dad, Joe Carrano. His birthday was on the 24th of May. http://carranoinsurance.com 7 years ago


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The "Stay" singer isn't just celebrating turning 25 Wednesday with cake, cake, cake--she's also inked a deal with MAC Cosmetics.
Chris Brown's on-off girlfriend told WWD that working with the famed makeup company was a "no-brainer."
Rihanna debuts River Island collection at London Fashion Week
U.S. & World
"When you think of makeup, the brand that pops into your mind--for something legit--is MAC," she said. "Whatever color you want, it's like, 'Let's go to MAC.' I've been using MAC on tour for such a long time, it was a natural fit for me. I have always loved makeup, and I always said that if I do it, I want to do it with a credible brand."
The first product to launch will be RiRi Woo, a lipstick inspired by the singer's favorite MAC red. Its release will coincide with Rihanna's Diamonds Tour concerts on May 4 and 5 in Brooklyn. In all, four collections, called RiRi Hearts MAC, will be released throughout 2013.
Rihanna and Chris party at the same club, refuse to speak
But is MAC, known for its social activism, concerned about Rihanna's seemingly never-ending drama with Chris Brown?
Not at all. "She's a grown woman, and whatever makes her happy makes us happy," John Demsey, president of MAC's parent company, Este Lauder, said. "Life's complicated. Far be it for us to judge."
Guess Rihanna's personal life really is "Nobody's Business."


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Researchers keep warning about the need for an early warning system while the project remains under-funded.
Just after 3 a.m. on Aug. 24, thousands of sleeping Californians wearing their Jawbone fitness monitors suddenly woke up.
That morning, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Napa Valley, causing electric and gas outages, damaging buildings, injuring more than 200 people, and leading Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency.
For researchers at UC Berkeley, however, the quake wasn't a complete surprise -- they detected the event 10 seconds before it happened through ShakeAlert, an early detection and warning system that's giving officials a preview of capabilities that might someday be available to emergency services throughout the state, should adequate funding be located.
Last fall, Brown signed a bill ordering the system's creation so that officials would have a chance to notify the public and shut down critical infrastructure prior to the earthquake's arrival. Though the bill received unanimous bipartisan support, the project has struggled to find funding, so far receiving about $10 million of the $83 million needed to finance the project for five years. But the earthquake in Napa could prove to be the relatively gentle warning that California needs to get the project funded.
Because ShakeAlert isn't yet tied to a public notification system, the advance notice was of no practical value in this particular earthquake, but those 10 seconds represent how California could become safer when the next big earthquake hits, said Douglas Given, national earthquake early warning coordinator with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
"It performed as expected, but not as well as it could have [if] we had better instrumentation in the area," Given said, adding that California still relies on an old network of sensors that need replacing and augmentation -- and to do those upgrades, its program needs funding.
"What we've seen in other countries that have early warning systems is that they built them after large killer earthquakes," Given said. "In Mexico, after the 1985 earthquake killed 10,000, and in Japan after the 1995 earthquake killed 6,400 people. In China, they're now seriously building systems based on when the China earthquake killed over 80,000 people, so it's our hope that we can build our system here before, and not after, the big killer earthquake."
And even just a few seconds' notice is enough time to make a big difference, Given said, and 10 seconds is enough to take a number of important actions. "The most obvious for the public is to drop, cover and hold on, which only takes two or three seconds to do," he said. "If you're in surgery, it wouldn't take very long to secure the patient and maybe stop whatever you're doing, turn off a machine, or stop an elevator. Every small earthquake like this that brings earthquakes to mind and gets people remembering the hazard that we have here makes it more likely we'll get the support we need to complete the system."
State Sen. Alex Padilla, who introduced the earthquake early warning legislation, said everyone saw the value of an early warning system when it was proposed.
"What I'm hoping is yesterday's event reminds us of the urgency with which we need the system deployed, sooner rather than later," Padilla said, adding that while he recognizes people were hurt during this earthquake, it could have been much worse. "I shudder to think what the consequences would have been if the earthquake was at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on a Wednesday as opposed to 3 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday, and if the epicenter was in San Francisco versus Napa. Fortunately it was a minor impact for an earthquake of this magnitude, but we know the next big one, whether it's in San Francisco or Los Angeles or anywhere else, it's only a matter of time."
An early detection system would do little to protect gas and power infrastructure, but could give people a chance to get to a safer location or brace themselves. In April, Mexican agencies and citizens were notified of an impending 7.2 earthquake via the Seismic Alert System of Mexico (SASMEX), giving some cities as much as 74 seconds advance notice.
The earthquake disrupted electricity service to 70,000 Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers in Napa and Sonoma counties, but the utility restored power to almost everyone the same day. PG&E also received hundreds of calls reporting the smell of natural gas, but reported that there was no major damage to its natural gas transmission and distribution lines -- and only 20 customers had lost gas service. Identifying leaks is made much easier today by leak detectors introduced in 2012 that are 1,000 times more sensitive than traditional detectors.
PG&E spokesperson Donald Cutler said that since rolling out the program, the sensors have been useful in detecting leaks quickly and more efficiently. In one field test, a large crew equipped with the new sensors was able to check 35,000 locations in 17 days and fix more than 2,200 leaks, a project that would have taken four months using traditional technologies and methods, according to PG&E.
And the Napa earthquake gave PG&E an opportunity to test the technology in an emergency setting. "It's definitely been helpful," Cutler said. "It's more sensitive and works well. Everything that keeps our customers and communities safe is always something that's useful to us."


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David Chang
Theodore Dwight 125th Anniversary Professor of Law
At first glance, David Chang's reserved exterior belies the deep feelings he has for righting society's wrongs, especially with regard to racial discrimination. But his passion and commitment to addressing these issues quickly become clear not only through his conversation and writings, but also through his actions.
Former cochair of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Professor Chang worked hard to combat some of the City's most heinous incidents of brutality and to push for legislative remedies through the passage of anti-hate crimes statutes.
"Hate-motivated violence is perhaps the most fundamental denial of community and human rights," he says with conviction. He has written extensively on hate crimes legislation and the constitutionality of affirmative action policies, finding himself "almost obsessed with the problems of achieving racial justice in a fundamentally racist society." He has also worked with the Los Angeles-based Center for Law in the Public Interest. He is now chairman of the Board of Directors of Pratt Area Community Council, an organization that serves a wide range of housing-related needs for low- and moderate-income residents of Brooklyn.
His scholarship has been recognized as outstanding. In 1992, New York Law School presented the Walter M. Jeffords Distinguished Writing Award to Professor Chang for his article, "Discriminatory Impact, Affirmative Action, and Innocent Victims: Judicial Conservatism or Conservative Justices?" (Columbia Law Review, 1991) and in 2001, the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Award for his article, "Selling the Market-Driven Message: Commercial Television, Consumer Sovereignty, and the First Amendment" (Minnesota Law Review, 2000).
While at Yale Law School, where he received a J.D. in 1982, Professor Chang became interested in First Amendment issues and constitutional litigation, due in part to a summer internship with the in-house counsel at The Washington Post. He also realized during his first year at law school that he wanted to teach, finding his Yale professors inspiring. "I found that I enjoyed the academic approach to exploring questions; to coming up with better ways of thinking about problems," he explains.
Professor Chang, who has been on the New York Law School faculty since 1983, brings this appreciation for intellectual development into his classroom.
"I am very impressed with New York Law School students, and find them serious and committed. Their accomplishments, especially among the Evening Division students, are often amazing," he says.
Outside of academics, Professor Chang also has many passions, including restoration of his Victorian-style brownstone in Brooklyn, pool, golf, photography, and his dog Kenya.
"Colin Powell's Reflection: Status, Behavior, and Discrimination." Chapter 32 in A Queer World: The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader, at 431–437, edited by M. Duberman. New York University Press, 1997.
"Structuring Constitutional Doctrine: Principles, Proof and the Functions of Judicial Review," 58Rutgers Law Review 779-937 (2006).
"Selling the Market-Driven Message: Commercial Television, Consumer Sovereignty, and the First Amendment." 85 Minnesota Law Review 451–585 (2000).
"Beyond Uncompromising Positions: Hate Crimes Legislation and the Common Ground Between Conservative Republicans and Gay Rights Advocates." 21 Fordham Urban Law Journal 1097–1106 (1994).
"Lynching and Terrorism, Speech and R.A.V.: The Constitutionality of Wisconsin's Hate Crimes Statute." 10 New York Law School Journal of Human Rights 455–512 (1993).
"A Critique of Judicial Supremacy." 36 Villanova Law Review 281–399 (1991).
"Discriminatory Impact, Affirmative Action, and Innocent Victims: Judicial Conservatism or Conservative Justices?" 91 Columbia Law Review 790–844 (1991).
"Conflict, Coherence, and Constitutional Intent." 72 Iowa Law Review 753–890 (1987).
"The Bus Stops Here: Defining the Constitutional Right of Equal Educational Opportunity and an Appropriate Remedial Process." 63 Boston University Law Review 1–58 (1983).
"Slavery's Consequences." The SALT Equalizer 6 (Special Edition) (Summer 1995).


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Cottage Collection Two Drawer Nightstand (Snow White Finish) - [BB24-226]
- FREE Shipping!
- No Sales Tax
- Usually Ships Next Day
- Width: 26"
- Depth: 16"
- Height: 24.50"
- Weight: 50 lbs.
One of our best-sellers, the classic, clean lines of this bedroom collection give it a timeless versatility. Evoking the feel of heartland America with its solid craftsmanship, sturdy construction and attention to detail.
This nightstand has the following characteristics:
- Two drawer
All items in this collection have the following features:
- Made from selected Appalachian hardwoods and wood solids
- Mortise and tenon joinery
- Drawer backs mortise and tenon
- Russian birch drawer sides and backs
- Drawer bottoms made of white Meranti wood
- Kenlin Rite-trak guide system (metal on metal)
- Made in the USA
Coordinating items shown below can be added to you cart individually.
FREE Shipping! Ships anywhere in the continental USA. This item will ship via a furniture delivery carrier directly to your door. The carrier will contact you once your shipment is local to you and arrange a delivery date and time with you over the phone.
Usually ships the next business day. Please allow 5-7 business days for delivery.
Stock Status: In stock.
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Credit unions come in many flavors
Credit unions come in all stripes and colors.
Currently, there are 7,200 credit unions in the U.S., according to the Credit Union National Association. And not all of them are just community-related. Your church, university or even your military branch may offer its own credit union with sweet deals and special perks, such as a no-minimum checking account that also pays interest.
And that's on top of the better loan rates and fewer bank fees offered by credit unions nationwide, says Bill Cheney, CEO of CUNA. On average, a family saved about $130 last year by using credit unions rather than banks, he says.
"There's a credit union for everyone," Cheney says. "You just have to find it." To see if your university, church or other affiliate has a credit union, visit aSmarterChoice.org.
Before plunking down your money, make sure the credit union's deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
As you research credit unions as a banking alternative, check out these five types of credit unions worth considering.
Tap your alma mater
Are you a university alumnus? Then chances are good that your university offers a credit union open to its alumni, faculty, students and even nearby residents.
At the University of Southern California Credit Union in Los Angeles, students, alumni and staff can use the credit union's three on-campus branches. "Students come here to establish credit," says Gary Perez, CEO of USC Credit Union. "We offer free unlimited checking and premium points on deposits."
Other USC student services include: financial workshops, student loans and account packages. Los Angeles residents are also welcome.
And the USC credit union serves University of Maine students, faculty, employees and some local residents. It even offers a "Tunes+" checking account, with which you can earn credits for free iTunes downloads.
Credit unions in the community
Community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, are aimed at low- to moderate-income people.
Many of these credit unions are interested in economic justice, says Pamela Owens, vice president of programs for the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions. Their designation allows them to apply for special government grants to open multiple branches in hard-hit communities, she says. They can offer affordable mortgages or special, matching savings accounts.
For example, at Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca, N.Y., a member can get free tax preparation and a seven-week financial education course. The credit union has offered savings accounts that members can open with a $5 minimum deposit. The individual development accounts also match your savings deposits when you're working toward a long-term goal, such as owning a home or opening a business.
The Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union in New York also offers free tax preparation, financial counseling and has offered a savings account that could be opened with just $30.
"These credit unions are more apt to work with people, such as helping you with credit repair so you can raise your score," Owens says.
Going green at your credit union
Why not be rewarded for going green? More credit unions are carrying the message and rewarding consumers.
Take Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, Calif. The credit union hosts green workshops, offers members paperless alternatives such as e-statements and provides loan discounts for hybrid cars.
"We know sustainable practices are important to our community," Redwood Credit Union spokeswoman Traci Thylin Bocci says.
Other credit unions are joining the green ranks. Founded in 2000, the Permaculture Credit Union in Santa Fe, N.M., focuses on funding green initiates. As of February 2013, it has handed out 685 loans totaling $15.2 million to support sustainable living projects such as loans for energy-saving cars, give microloans to farmers and educate the public on permaculture, which is a design principle that promotes self-sustaining ecosystems.
Saying 'amen' to credit unions
Church-linked credit unions want to save your soul and your money. Run independently from their affiliated churches, these credit unions have great deals for their members.
And some have expanded to serve their communities. For example, St. Mary's Credit Union in Marlborough, Mass., founded in 1913, has offered members in Middlesex and Worcester counties no-fee checking accounts and "Statement Savings" accounts that could be opened with a $10 minimum deposit, and both paid interest.
Others continue serving a very specific membership group. The Alliance Catholic Credit Union in Ann Arbor, Mich., serves dozens of Catholic parishes and has offered 48-month auto loans at less than 2 percent, along with debit and credit cards.
"Many of these credit unions were opened over 40 years ago. They were the only institutions willing to lend to the community," says Owens. "Now, you get the same great perks as other credit unions."
The only drawback is that some church credit unions are very small. "They may not have ATMs or offer cash transactions," she says.
Marching with the military
Military credit unions pull out the stops for their members.
Take the Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, Va. Its 4 million members are or have been active members of all branches of the military. And 75 of the credit unions' 229 offices are located on bases worldwide.
"We know military people's unique needs," says Jeanette Mack, a spokeswoman for the Navy Federal Credit Union. "This is where military people belong."
For example, the credit union's Active Duty Checking has offered military members deals such as getting their pay a day early and receiving up to $20 in fee rebates every month, she says. There's also 100 percent mortgage financing for first-time homebuyers and up to $2,500 in closing cost reimbursements. "You can practically come to the table with nothing," Mack says.
Conversely, Service Credit Union in Portsmouth, N.H., has offered free checking accounts with no minimum deposit and other banking perks such as 24-hour banking, free bill pay and rewards debit cards to its members.


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I have to get this done:
Anyone know who can do it or where to go?
There are a few joints in Brisbane that do that
Ontrack Data Recovery @ West End (won't be cheap)
Another new place in the CBD that started up about 12 months ago, can't recall their name sorry
Finally, if you're game (out of other options), speak to Dave M @ CA (Comp Alliance).
He does this sort of of thing as a hobby (not endorsed by CA). You would need to speak with him directly and come to some sort of arrangement... You can tell him Hermi said to ask.
He showed me how to replace diodes on HDD and I've seen him replace the odd component to get a monitor working. Actually have an old 19" BenQ that the backlight died on about a month out of warranty (as that model was notorius for), again, he replaced a cap or a diode, got it working again and it still works about 5 years later.. It's one of my test monitors now.
christ, that's gotta be one of the dodgiest 'repair' vids I've seen in a loooong time.
SURELY this is a temporary fix (literally with the hopes of recoving whatever precious data there is on that disk).
Aren't board swaps easier for just a temporary recovery?
My understanding is that was a board swap job, but the ROM chip is unique to the drive (and its individual characteristics), hence swapping that onto the new board.
I don't really see what was wrong with that vid mike. Using alfoil to shield other components is usually a good idea with hot air and I would have used flux, cleaned the pads and resoldered the chip with an iron and fresh solder, but there's nothing wrong with that technique. The result probably meets IPC standards too.
I can recommend crystalaid manufacture at newstead. I used to work there a few years ago. I got a dodgy gpu bga on my laptop reflowed last year with great success. Probably not going to be one of the cheaper ways of replacing a soic-8 IC though. Maybe they might do it for cash/beer because it's a simple job.
What hard drive brand and model is it?
I'll happily take your money to do it shrapse, then give it to DaveM @ CA to do and pocket the difference... and half your legendary pr0n collection
Thanks for the help guys, I'll try and contact Dave M and see if he can help me out. Sorry koopz, pron collection no longer exists!
What are you trying to do or fix?
If it is a PCB for a HDD you can usually get new ones and flashed firmware to the revision that suits the HDD. Usually costs around $200
You could try and hit up the Tech staff at QUT Electrical Engineering department. Give a carton or something I rekon.
I have all the tools required to do that if you want to give it a bash yourself :)
Just swap the board.
I don't think the bios is that locked...
Usually what happens is people can't find the exact same HDD so they can't just swap perfectly.
I've broken diodes on a board before, gone and got a spare hdd, swapped the boards over and it worked flawlessly. The idea being only purely data recovery nothing more.
I've got a new board for the drive however it requires the bios rom to be transferred, wasn't lucky enough to get away with a direct board swap :(
Your local TV/Phone repair shop may help.
Note:Some older drives have the same basic information on two PCB boards of the same model, provided that both drives were made at about the same time, before more unique adaptives were programmed into the next line of drives. If one of the PCBs fails, there is some chance of making a recovery by simply swapping the boards of the two drives. However, hard drives have contained "customized" firmware on at least an occasional basis since they've become a consumer product, so the chances of a straight "board swap" working are low. So in most cases you also need to move the old PCB's BIOS to the replacement one.
Ended up driving past a local place called Seq Electronics and they did it for 20bux, drive now works! I have one very happy friend who had every photo of his 4 kids stored on the drive with no backup whatsoever.


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News from the world of Maths
The brilliant mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani has died, aged just 40.
Fill those gaps between matches, and the tennis vacuum that will ensue after Wimbledon, with some tennis maths!
Why do most of us stick to social rules? Game theory offers an explanation.
The newly observed ripple in spacetime will help us unlock some of the secrets of the Universe.
Are pretty lizard patterns the result of a living cellular automaton?
This year's Abel Prize has been awarded to Yves Meyer for the development of an incredibly powerful mathematical tool.
The maths behind music has inspired software that can merge faces.
To celebrate international women's day we bring you some favourite articles from the last year that have been written by (or with major input from) women.


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When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, the bill included language insisting that fairness and objectivity should be observed in "all programming of a controversial nature." These words were routinely ignored on PBS television broadcasts and NPR news programming. In 1992, Congress toughened that language, and public broadcasters still ignored it. How have PBS and NPR displayed a liberal tilt over the years? How have they dealt with challenges to their taxpayer funding? Take a look at MRC's archive of articles for examples:
June 9, 2005 Media Reality Check: PBS on Tom DeLay: Favors "Virtual Slavery"?
Exhibit A of a liberal bias at PBS is still the program Now, first hosted by Bill Moyers, and now by David Brancaccio. On Friday night, the blatantly partisan ghost of Moyers was still hanging over the broadcast in an attack on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
May 4, 2005 Brent Bozell Column: Alleged Tilt at PBS
From the sound of the New York Times front page on May 2, they must have been waving smelling salts in the face of liberal reporters. CPB's chairman was getting serious about assessing accuracy and fairness on PBS.
February 22, 2005 Brent Bozell Column: PBS Is "Slightly" Liberal?
Liberal lobbyists inside and outside PBS, including the New York Times editorial page, are once again trying to convince the Congress to allow them to create a massive $5 billion endowment so they may achieve "financial independence."
December 28, 2004 Brent Bozell Column: Bill Moyers, Hypocrite
Bill Moyers ended his tenure at the show Now by raging against harsh attacks on conservative talk radio. But no one has heaped more invective, waved more bloody shirts, and uncorked more pure propaganda than Moyers in the last three years on his weekly PBS drone-fest.
December 14, 2004 Media Reality Check: Moyers Ends With A Silly Whimper (With Real Video)
PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers told the AP that he would end his show by uncovering the major story of our time, the media's conservative bias: "We have an ideological press that's interested in the election of Republicans, and a mainstream press that's interested in the bottom line."
October 4, 2004 Media Reality Check: Gwen Ifill, No Moderate Moderator
Selected to moderate the vice-presidential candidate debate, PBS Washington Week host Gwen Ifill has boldly declared that Republicans conduct "procedural assassinations," that campaign "reform" opponents are like terrorists, and the Starr Report is like a "truck bomb."
September 29, 2004 Media Reality Check: Lehrer Favored Liberal Questions in 2000
PBS anchorman Jim Lehrer did not have a promising record as a moderator. In the 2000 debates, Lehrer asked about the need to end racial profiling and for greater control of gun sales, but he found no time to challenge the two candidates from a conservative direction on the divisive effects of racial quotas or the failures of gun control, for example.
Best of Notable Quotables: Bill Moyers Sanctimony Award (With Real Video)
In the most biased winning quote, Moyers compares people who wear American flag pins on their lapels to the Chinese communists who hallowed Mao Zedong's Little Red Book.
November 11, 2003 Brent Bozell Column NPR's Kroc-Pot Bubbles Over
NPR received a $200 million contribution from the estate of liberal McDonald's heiress Joan Kroc. She must have felt that putting her money on All Things Considered and Morning Edition and Talk of the Nation was in line with the rest of her political giving.
October 21, 2003 Brent Bozell Column: NPR Admits a Liberal Bias
June 3, 2003 Media Reality Check: Can Moyers Be An Anchor And a Funder?
Stephen F. Hayes reported that Moyers is doing something no commercial network would allow. He's both the taxpayer-supported network's most prominent prime-time journalist, and he moonlights as the President of the Florence and John Schumann Foundation.
Best of Notable Quotables: Bill Moyers (Subsidized) Sanctimony Award
In the winning, most biased quote, Moyers attacked the Heritage Foundation for being soft on terrorism.
June 21, 2001 Brent Bozell Column: Another Pro-Gay PBS Summer
Scouts' Honor didn't need to have words beeped out, and it didn't get graphic about gay sex. But it was a remarkable salute to Steven Cozza, a 16-year-old kid whose idea of fun is demeaning the Boy Scouts of America at gay pride rallies.
March 27, 2001 Media Reality Check: The One-Sided "Badge of Honor"
PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers produced a documentary slamming the chemical industry entitled Trade Secrets. They said his complete omission of industry supporters from the documentary was "journalistic malpractice." Moyers said their complaints were "a badge of honor."
October 19, 2000 Brent Bozell Column: The Debates Tilted Left
If the 15 questions that Lehrer chose are in any way indicative of mainstream political opinion, the "uncommitted" voters are stuck between voting for Gore...or Ralph Nader. Eight of them may as well have been Gore campaign press releases.
May 25, 2000 Brent Bozell Column: Incivility Reigns at PBS (With Real Video)
On the PBS female-pundit show To The Contrary, host Bonnie Erbe insulted conservative Linda Chavez on her need for a gun to defend herself: "you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning, Linda, than living where you live, and at your age, being raped. Sorry.
October 18 Media Reality Check: Lehrer Picks Pile of Liberal Questioners
PBS anchor and moderator Jim Lehrer reported the questioners were "voters who were identified as being uncommitted by the Gallup organization." Lehrer chose which of the more than 100 people would ask questions. Only one asked a conservative question.
October 12 Media Reality Check: Lehrer Repeated Shaw's Liberal Questions
Presidential debate moderator and PBS anchor Jim Lehrer asked more liberal questions, mostly by repeating the most liberal questions CNN's Bernard Shaw asked at the vice presidential debate.
October 3 Media Reality Check: Stop the Church of St. James Lehrer
The media touted the fairness of PBS anchor Jim Lehrer. He does have a "quiet, self-effacing style," as NBC reported. He is not Bryant Gumbel. But his journalism has historically followed the liberal pack.
October 14 Brent Bozell Column: Bill Moyers, Scaife of the Left
Reporter Frank Greve discovered that PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers is the Scaife counterpart of the vast left-wing "campaign finance reform" conspiracy, earning $200,000 a year as president of the Florence and John Schumann Foundation, a major funder of campaign "reform" groups.
September 10 Media Reality Check: PBS Misleads Congress
A magazine reported "the Corporation for Public Broadcasting acknowledged late Wednesday that CPB and PBS executives provided inaccurate testimony to a congressional panel," claiming that they swapped direct-mail lists with Republicans. But the swaps were only with Democrats.
July 20, 1999 Press Release: Partial Transcript of Testimony of MRC's Tim Graham
MRC Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection on the direct-mail list swaps between PBS stations and the Democratic National Committee.
July 15 Brent Bozell Column: The PBS-Democrat Complex Is Exposed
For five years, PBS stations were direct-mail list-swapping with the Democratic National Committee. Not only do Republicans surrender their tax dollars to get defamed by liberal programs, stations like WGBH take their tax dollars and helps the Democrats with their direct-mail fundraising.
October 19, 1998 MediaWatch Review: Democrats Greedy, But GOP Worse
Bill Moyers returned to PBS after a long absence for the latest liberal installment on October 6, titled "Washington's Other Scandal." Frontline apparently couldn't stand the thought of devoting an hour to a President lying to Congress, a grand jury, and the entire public, since it was "just about sex." It was another sermon for campaign finance "reform."
October 16 Media Reality Check: Public Broadcasting, Still A Partisan Tool
Once again, NPR's Nina Totenberg, who broke Anita Hill's unproven sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas in 1991 and compared her Hill leaks to Watergate, covered the Paula Jones case as a politically injurious "Clinton-bashing" enterprise.
February 26 Brent Bozell Column: PBS Remembers Reagan – For A Reason
PBS's The American Experience remembered Ronald Reagan for winning the Cold War, but without noting the war PBS waged on the Reagan foreign policy, including live coverage of the Iran-Contra hearings. Its domestic-policy minutes contained the same old liberal slurs.
January 6 Brent Bozell Column: Garrison's Friendly Fire at NPR
Garrison Keillor, the star of public radio's Prairie Home Companion, was mad that PBS failed to be leftist enough. He would just as soon pull the plug on public TV altogether: "I don't think there's any reason for public television to exist anymore, I honestly don't.
November 1997 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Washington Week in Revisionism
Instead of live coverage of congressional hearings into illegal fundraising, the PBS show Washington Week in Review devoted parts of four shows to an analysis of campaign funding. But instead of focusing on law-breaking, host Ken Bode promoted campaign finance "reform."
November 13, 1997 Brent Bozell Column: The Profiteering Barney Scam
The makers of the PBS show Barney & Friends sued the "San Diego Chicken" for copyright infringement. Barney the dinosaur was the third richest entertainer on the Forbes list in 1994. What's gone utterly forgotten in this story is that taxpayers paid millions to start Barney off.
July 24 Brent Bozell Column: Where's PBS's Gavel-to-Gavel Coverage?
PBS cleared the decks for live coverage of the Watergate hearings, the Iran-Contra hearings, and the NPR-prodded kangaroo court known as the Hill-Thomas hearings. But in the Clinton years, only four to six percent of PBS stations covered Whitewater or Waco hearings, and PBS passed on the Senate hearings into illegal Democratic fundraising from foreign donors.
June 12, 1997 Brent Bozell Column: Two New Developments of PBS
A former PBS president explores the idea of running commercials on public TV, and Frontline does its first Clinton-scandal hour on Asian fundraising and Oklahoma power politics.
February 6, 1997 Brent Bozell Column: NPR, Voice of Hypocrisy
National Public Radio hasn't shrunk from presenting itself as the scourge of corporate bigotry, but this champion of the onerous anti-discrimination regimes was pecked by the chickens coming home to roost. NPR has been sued for race discrimination and sexual harassment.
January 1996 MediaNomics Article: Donations Rise As Funding Threatened
In 1995, Newt Gingrich's talk of zeroing out of federal funding, which even haughty public broadcasters took seriously, led to station donation increases of 15 to 40 percent.
December 5, 1996 Brent Bozell Column: Before You Pledge to PBS...
Read Laurence Jarvik's book PBS: Behind the Screen.
November 1996 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: James Fallows on Press-Hating
James Fallows' book Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine Democracy led a new, liberal attack on the media: too wealthy, too distant from the common people, too conservative. So Frontline aired a Fallows-boosting documentary titled "Why Americans Hate the Press."
October 10, 1996 Brent Bozell Column: PBS Puts Its Power (And Your Dollars) Behind Clinton
Frontline's documentary on the presidential choice showed Bob Dole as the dark figure from the harsh plains of Kansas whose mentor was...Richard Nixon. Clinton, by contrast, was the seductive charmer from the gentle terrain of Arkansas, who was like a Baptist minister.
October 1996 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: PBS Argues Media Out of Touch
PBS funded -- without any rebuttal -- Hedrick Smith's four-hour documentary on how Washington works, The People and the Power Game, which devoted the first hour to his claim that Bill Clinton has been abused by the media, while Newt Gingrich employed "extremist polemics."
June 1995 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: All Things Ill-Considered
CBS's 60 Minutes aired a one-sided NPR-boosting segment with accordion-playing grandmas in Sitka, Alaska, suggesting there is no effete liberalism on NPR.
February 1995 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Clinton Fails Liberal Litmus Test
Three months after a dramatic conservative electoral wave, PBS's Frontline focused on how President Clinton had failed to be liberal enough in three areas: gays in the military, campaign finance reform, and government "investments" in job training.
February 1994 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Moyers Confirms Bias
Bill Moyers' Journal featured a unanimous panel of nine experts who believe wealth is ruining democracy. The Clinton administration always let corporations win. Democratic bills on campaign-finance "reform" were always too weak.
August 1993 MediaWatch Study: Stacking the Deck at Frontline
MRC analysts reviewed every new Frontline broadcast during the last three seasons (72 programs) and found conservative arguments and experts were completely ignored in eight programs on race relations and seven shows on the environment.
September 1992 MediaWatch Article: Mrs. Bush Fights Back
As PBS anchor Judy Woodruff pounded Barbara Bush about uncivil comments made about Bill Clinton just before the GOP convention, the First Lady took Woodruff to task: "Look, you're saying nothing nice ... where were you during the Democrat convention defending us?
May 1992 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Oops on the October Surprise
Frontline attempts a documentary digging out of its collapsed reporting on the supposed Reagan-campaign conspiracy, but digs a deeper hole. (Scroll down for more on this and on Bill Moyers.)
February 1992 MediaWatch Article: Bill "I Have No Agenda" Moyers
At a PBS press tour, Moyers claimed conservatives have offered "no substantive analysis of my work that would confirm their desire to label me, as I think he [David Horowitz] said yesterday, 'a left-wing Democrat.'"
November 1991 MediaWatch Article: October Surprise Unravels
Newsweek and The New Republic debunked the Frontline claims of a 1980 Reagan-campaign conspiracy to delay the release of American hostages in Iran for political gain. (Scroll down for PBS/NPR coverage of the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings.)
August 1991 MediaWatch Article: Critics Love "Tongues Untied"
The PBS series P.O.V. (Point of View) aired the Marlon Riggs film Tongues Untied, parading his gay lifestyle. With its profanity, frontal nudity, large caricatures of penises, and gay lovers in bed, Tongues Untied displayed graphic sexual language and images, but liberal TV critics rained praise on courageous PBS.
April 1991 MediaWatch Article: Moyers Roots for Democrats
Speaking at a Democratic Issues Conference, PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers declared his heart still pounds for the Donkey Party: "Down there in Texas I was raised on mother's milk and Roosevelt speeches and over the years I still cherish the party's defining stands."
December 1990 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: PBS Planet Panic
The ten-part PBS series Race to Save the Planet urged viewers to support an "environmental revolution" of drastic government measures or face "enormous calamities in a very short time." When asked why an opposing view was not included, a producer declared, "There are ways of confusing the public in putting ping-pong matches onto television which we did not particularly think was useful."
December 1990 MediaWatch Article: Not Exactly Seoul Brothers
The six-hour series Korea: The Unknown War hailed North Korea's Stalinist leaders for rebuilding "the North's powerful industries. They improved the position of education and women."
September 1990 MediaWatch Article: Prisoners vs. Propagandists
After two years of dismissal, PBS aired the anti-communist documentary Nobody Listened, when it could be balanced by Saul Landau's film The Uncompromising Revolution. Landau lauded Castro: "Fidel touched this young machine adjuster and the man enjoyed a mild ecstasy. I know the feeling."
December 1989 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: "America's Century"
Harper's Editor Lewis Lapham was awarded a six-part series loaded with liberals (five times as many liberals as conservatives), and sulfurous in its attacks on American imperialism. In supporting the Contras, President Reagan "sold out his oath of office and subverted the Constitution."
October 1989 MediaWatch Article: One-Party PBS
In a PBS series titled The Struggle for Democracy, Canadian journalist Patrick Watson claimed that "compared with some African horror stories, Zimbabwe has to be a democratic success, despite the one-party state."
July 1989 MediaWatch Article: PBS: Only Liberals Allowed
While PBS aired plenty of liberal fare, films with a different point a view were spurned. The Other Europe by Jacques Rupnik and Soviets at the Crossroads were apparently insufficiently optimistic about the Soviet Union. But old Moyers specials were recycled.
June 1988 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Joining the Christic Cause
The PBS documentary series Frontline laid out the lawsuit of the leftist Christic Institute charging a "Secret Team" of CIA operatives tried to assassinate a leader of the Nicaragua Contra freedom fighters, with special attention to the conspiracy theories of a liberal Senator named John Kerry.
January 1988 MediaWatch Janet Cooke Award Article: Moyers on "God and Politics"
PBS omnipresence Bill Moyers complained about the growing conservatism of the Southern Baptist Convention, but praised the communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua as "a movement that is fueled with Christian passion and Christian commitment."


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When seniors or others need long or short-term assistance with their daily living needs, home is the most comfortable and convenient place to receive care. Located in Charlotte, Covenant In-Home Care is a locally owned and operated business servicing the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
Call today for a free, confidential, in-home assessment.


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Brockley Christmas Market biggest yet
We were only able to get to make it to the Brockley Christmas Market yesterday, so can't report back on the Deptford Fair and Ladywell Market. But the scene at Coulgate Street was impressive.
Having grown from a small collection of stalls three years ago, the event no longer feels like it's just an excuse for the community to get together, it's now a place you can go to do some Christmas shopping.
With a new layout that stretched the length of the road, it's commercially sustainable, with all 40 stalls occupied and a big public turnout throughout the day. The organisers, the Brockley Cross Action Group, tell us that they now operate a waiting list for stalls.
The newly-lit Christmas tree on Brockley Common looks great too.
If you made it along to any of the three events, please post your reviews here.


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I need to develop a couple of qgis-plugins. I made some promising first steps and completed a few easy plugins. Now its time to move to more complex plugins which need to import several tool-classes I developed.
As this is quite a lot of stuff and most of my plugins need to use these libraries I wonder wether it is possible to copy them somewhere where all plugins could import them from. This needs to be a folder which is accessable for the current user. I thought about using something like "/home/username/.qgis/python/plugins/includes" but I couldn't get this working.
Can anybody give me a tip?
Thanks and regards
Ok - hello again,
on writing it occured to me - I can use "/home/username/.qgis/python" to put my classes in - I guess that's why its called like that!
Thanks again


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Six clips from director/star Ben Affleck's thriller Argo have been released. The film, based on a true story, centers on a CIA agent (Affleck) who attempts to rescue six Americans trapped in the home of the Canadian ambassador during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The rescue mission was to go in under the auspices of filming a science fiction movie entitled "Argo". The pic screened to a wildly positive response at the Toronto Film Festival (read Matt's review right here), and earned a spot on our "Most Anticipated" list for the fourth quarter of 2012.
Hit the jump to check out the clips. The film also stars John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Kyle Chandler, Kerry Bishe, Tate Donovan, Victor Garber, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver, Zeljko Ivanek, and Taylor Schilling. Argo opens on October 12th.
Here's the synopsis for Argo:
Based on true events, "Argo" chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.


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I have always been fascinated by the leadership qualities of Nehemiah. In fact, I pray that God would raise up men and women to lead our country who had similar qualities and convictions as Nehemiah showed in the Old Testament.
I have observed the following qualities of leadership.
- He never moved quickly
- He planned very careful all that he wanted to do.
- He waited on the perfect timing for each move
- He was very observant and paid close attention to details
- He was quiet about his plans till he fully understood what needed to be done.
- He never forced anyone to follow his plans
- He was a man who understood politics and human nature.
- He took time to acquire knowledge, so that he could respond correctly.
- When it came time to speak, he spoke with courage and truth.
- He blamed no one for the problems of the day.
- He identified himself with the people and they believed him.
- He asked people to join him in rebuilding the wall – he forced no one to join his plan.
- He gave detailed explanation to all that he was going to do (no surprises in his plan).
- He was never shaken by his enemies.
- He was wise enough to recognize those who cause trouble and never give help.
- The mocking of others never affected his work.
- He was a man with a simple faith in the Lord.
When a man is truly humble and seeks the Lord Jesus Christ, he will find that he is walking correctly. His walk through life will allow him to be an effective leader because his true motivation will be for others and not himself.
I pray every day that God will raise up men and women like Nehemiah again in our day.


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"Superb…. A treat for mystery lovers, and a gift to all readers." —USA Today
"Splendidly suspenseful." —The Washington Post Book World
"A first-rate detective novel, but it goes beyond that fine achievement to another realm…. An intricate, compassionate novel." —The Boston Globe
"Her best and most ambitious tale to date…. The reigning mistress of murder…. A craftsman with a poet's vision, she not only detects evil but attempts to uncover the more elusive–and enduring–enigmas of the human psyche that lead to it." —Time
"Rich, multifaceted…. Involving and genuinely moving…. So ambitious and thematically challenging that it has few peers in its genre. A Taste for Death provides all the entertaining elements of a more conventional murder mystery, but James continually delivers that something extra…. James at her best, at the zenith of her writing career." —Houston Chronicle
"Literary grace of a high order and the ability to give full dimensions to both character, relationships and environment…. She writes with precision and elegance." —Los Angeles Times
"Ms. James is simply a wonderful writer." —The New York Times Book Review
"Rings of authenticity … compelling…. The ability to haunt has earned P. D. James the title of 'queen of crime.' Long may she reign." —Chicago Sun-Times
"James still delivers the pace and tensions of a mystery yarn better than any living writer." —People
"A pleasure to read…. One avidly turns the pages." —Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The best of James' ten novels…. She has blended a whodunit and a fully realized modern novel." —The New York Times Magazine
"Marvelous." —Newsweek
"One reads a P. D. James novel in something like the same spirit that one reads a novel by Zola, Balzac, Thackeray, or Dickens." —The Christian Science Monitor


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A site called The Next Level had a chat with Bethesda's Emil Pagliarulo, lead designer of Fallout 3. Here's an excerpt:
- Emil: Yeah, the whole "Oblivion with Guns" criticism was hurled our way so long ago. But it's funny, because in order for that to resonate with you, you have to sort of feel that Oblivion isn't a good game, and "Oblivion with Guns" would be a bad thing. Well… we think Oblivion is a damn good game. And so did millions of people who bought it. And scores of reviewers. So, you know, we started to realize, "Hey, that's more a compliment than an insult, isn't it?" So for us, Fallout 3 is "Oblivion with guns" in all the right ways. Meaning, you wander around a huge world, and talk to lots of interesting characters, and get lots of quests. But instead of killing them with a magic sword, you kill them with a gun that shoots teddy bears.
You can read more here.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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This course underscores the importance of affective commitment and emotional salary to a virtual work team. Certainly, the economic compensation for work is important, besides providing the basic necessities in life it also helps each person pursue the kind of lifestyle that matches their interests. Yet, money is not the only relevant factor to why people work. There are a number of motivations other than necessarily material ones, and attending to these can produce amazing results.
This emotional salary figures among other types of benefits that are occasionally even more important than money. Take finding a place where one can freely develop their individual talents, benefit from flexibility of time and space, etc. Emotional benefits like these form the basis upon which a person goes about building affective commitment, a factor of great importance understood as the capacity for commitment, responsibility and trust, that is built around the company, remaining strong and withstanding even the times of crisis it encounters.
Thus, it is this affective commitment that helps keep teams sustainable with a high level of commitment and sense of belonging.
The golden rule in the working world is to "be happy in your work," after a good income it is the next best thing. This will bring you:
- Better results
- Greater trust in yourself and in your work relations
- The ability to develop human potential
- Sustainable teams on projects
- A greater identity and sense of belonging of the team with the company
- Excellent working environment
- Physical and emotional health
- Decreased levels of stress