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Successful Cloud Projects Start With The Plumbing
(Note - I'll add to this post as new information is updated - latest post date is August 8th, 2013)
I've been working on cloud projects of all types for over three years now. Along the way, I've learned some basic patterns that make for a successful project - and also the things to avoid. The general steps depend a great deal on whether the project is an Infrastructure, Platform or Service deployment, and also if it is a hybrid or completely cloud architecture. In all cases, what you do before deploying the system - the "plumbing", if you will - turns out to be the key for a successful deployment.
If this is your first cloud deployment, I recommend working with your local Microsoft team or a partner you trust that has Windows Azure experience. They can help you through the process, and then you can take over from there. It's a far faster, successful route to get a good deployment quickly.
Accounts and Billing
Probably the most non-technical parts of the project that causes the most issues is setting up an account for the cloud provider and how you pay for it. But this needs to be done first. You have three progressions: No account (everything local), optionally an MSDN account for Dev and Test, and then on to the production account.
NOTE: The order here is not required. It's simply a guide I use to progress from on-premises to Windows Azure. You can start directly in Windows Azure, and that's completely OK. For a complete overview of accounts, check this resource: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/hh531793.aspx.
Step One - Local Dev and Test
There are a couple of dependencies here. If you're looking at an Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) deployment of Virtual Machines, you'll use Hyper-V to create images whether that's on-premises or through the portal on Windows Azure. For a local system, simply create the VM's using Hyper-V using the sizes and requirements shown here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/windows/common-tasks/upload-a-vhd/.
If you're deploying a Platform as a Service (PaaS) application, it's also quite simple. Download the Software Development Kit (SDK) from here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/downloads/?sdk=net and then write your code. When you run the code, a Windows Azure emulator will fire up right on your laptop.
For Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings such as Windows Azure Media Services or HDInsight (Hadoop), there is no local testing other than the code or scripts you want to run. You'll simply skip to step three.
Step Two - Dev and Test on Azure
You have two options for your development and testing environment. The first is to use your Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) account, if you have one. If you do, you have "free" Windows Azure time built right in. It's not a separate Windows Azure or any different than production Windows Azure - it's the same data centers, servers, services and so on, it's just billed differently.
There are some restrictions here - this isn't for production, you can't "bundle them up" or anything like that. It's the same as the software you use with your MSDN account. You can learn more about this here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/member-offers/msdn-benefits/. There is a step-by-step activation guide here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukmsdn/archive/2013/08/08/step-by-step-getting-setup-on-azure-with-your-msdn-benefits.aspx
If you don't have an MSDN subscription, you'll need to create a regular, billable account, for Dev and Test. This is the same process I'll describe below.
Step Three - Deploy to Production
To set up an account, you'll need to figure out how your company wants to pay for it. Remember, this is a "pay as you go" model, so the two routes you have are to pay a monthly bill (using a corporate credit card or a purchase order) or you can pay ahead of time and use the money throughout the year on an "Enterprise Agreement (EA). Get with your local Microsoft team to work out the best route and price. The general process is detailed here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/tutorials/create-a-windows-azure-account/
Figure out who will control these accounts right from the start. In general, one person should control Dev and Test, another should control production. In any case, determine this before you start - I've seen projects fail not because of technical reasons, but because no one checked on whether they could pay for the service.
Speaking of pricing, there are a couple of simple calculators you can use. If you followed the process above, you already have an idea of which resources you are using, and how much of each you have used in testing. From there you can plug in the usage numbers from Dev and Test to get a prediction of how much production will cost.
General info on pricing and billing: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/overview/?fb=en-us
"Slider" calculator: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/?scenario=full
Planning and Education
In all cases, you need to start with a good plan. It's true that you don't always know what you don't always know, so you'll need to allow for some amount of adjustment. You still need to start with a good plan, however, even before you know what Windows Azure is or how it works. Your plan should start with what the project does when it is successful. That allows you to use the right technology to accomplish the goal.
I can't overemphasize this step enough. It sounds simple - certainly you know what you want the system to do, right? So often I have seen teams start with how the system should work before they consider the hard and fast requirements of the system. And sometimes teams are unwilling to try some other technology to solve the problem, instead clinging to the technology they know or like best.
After you have a solid understanding of the success metrics, it's time to start learning. The route I recommend is an overview of the platform's capabilities, and then a focus on the components you can use in your solution.
General overview of Windows Azure:
IaaS Hybrid Deployment
The "plumbing" for an IaaS Hybrid deployment needs the most preparation. You need to think about the connectivity, security, and DevOps before you deploy the first Virtual Machine.
To begin, follow the steps here to set up a Storage Accounts, Virtual Networks and then the Availability Groups where the VM's will be deployed: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/buckwoody/archive/2013/04/17/creating-a-windows-azure-virtual-machine-the-right-way.aspx.
With Windows Azure, you can set up three types of connectivity from your on-premises to Windows Azure VM's. The first is to use a public-facing TCP/IP address. While this isn't the most secure route, it does have specific use-cases, such as a public-facing web application that you want to access from your internal systems. The Portal will show the public IP your system is assigned, and then you have control over whether any endpoints are exposed - from there you can map them to your internal endpoints on the Virtual Machine, or even load-balance them if you like. More on that here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/windows/how-to-guides/setup-endpoints/
The second method of connectivity is to set up a site-to-site VPN. In this option the Virtual Network you created in Azure (along with the VM's you put in that Virtual Network) are connected directly to your internal TCP/IP network - making a secure, transparent connection. The process for this connection is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/jj156075.aspx.
Your next option is to set up a point-to-site VPN. This allows a single computer on your network to connect securely and directly to your Virtual Network (and the VM's you put in them) using only software - no hardware needed. Here is the process to do that: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/jj156074.aspx#BKMK_VNETPT. Read that entire page for context.
If you want single-sign-on from your local Active Directory, you have two choices. One is to follow the process above to create the VPN connection, and then deploy a Virtual Machine in Windows Azure and run dcpromo on it. From there it's similar to an on-premises AD server.
Your second option is to use Windows Azure Active Directory - it's a service that acts as an ADFS provider. You can learn all the details starting here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/documentation/services/active-directory/?fb=en-us.
PaaS Deployment
For a PaaS deployment, the primary plumbing considerations are the accounts and billing decisions I described above, security, and DevOps.
Accounting and billing can be more challenging in a PaaS environment since you aren't always sure how much the service will be used and when. To gain more accurate predictions, you need to place monitoring and metrics right into your code. Your primary knobs and controls fall under Windows Azure Diagnostics - more on that here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/gg433048.aspx. Start with the main topic and follow *all* the links on the left-hand side of that page.
For security, the plumbing involves deciding on what type of authentication and access you want to use. The best place for references on that is here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/how-to-guides/access-control/.
DevOps is becoming a huge concern for cloud deployments, and you need to think about how you'll manage and monitor the PaaS application up front. Start with this reference and follow the links for more: https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/WAD-B337#fbid=5xe4PAr30H3.
General Guidelines are here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh674495.aspx
"Real World" guidance is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh127475.aspx
SaaS Deployment
For a SaaS deployment, you'll need to consider the accounts and billing, security, and DevOps links I mentioned above. In addition, you'll need to consider data movement strategies from the outset. More information here: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/net/fundamentals/cloud-storage-scenarios/


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The new version of iOS, the operating system for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and iPad, offers a fresh new look — and some great new features.
Released Wednesday, iOS 7 represents the most significant overhaul of the popular mobile software since the first iPhone. Gone are the rounded icons and buttons and virtual textures, such as the leather cover for the contacts app, that dominated previous versions of iOS. In their place are simple text commands like "Menu" and "Done" and icons that embrace their two-dimensionality.
The operating system retains enough familiar features that users should be able to adjust fairly easily. App icons are still arranged on a series of home pages and can still be placed in folders. And frequently used apps such as the phone dialer and the Safari browser are still in a task bar at the bottom of the screen.
The new look is a refreshing change and, in some ways, is easier to understand and navigate, once you get the knack for it. For example, iOS's Spotlight search, a previously easy-to-miss feature placed to the left of the main home page, can now be accessed from any home page by a simple swipe down from the middle of the screen.
But it's the new features that help to make iOS 7 a tremendous improvement.
One of the best is Control Center, which offers users an easy way to adjust common settings. Available with a simple upward swipe from the bottom of the screen, the feature allows users to turn their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios on or off or adjust the volume and brightness of their device. In past versions of iOS, users would have had to launch the settings app and dig through multiple screens; Control Center makes the process much simpler.
But it does more. Apple has built into Control Center the ability to quickly launch the camera and clock apps and to turn on the flash on the iPhone so that it can be used as a flashlight. And Apple has also moved the music player widget into the Control Center.
Quick settings areas have long been standard on devices running Google's (GOOG) Android operating system, so it's great to see Apple finally fitting in such a feature.
Another great new feature is AirDrop, which allows users to wirelessly share photos, contacts, home videos, Web pages and more with other iOS users in the room. Users access the feature from within particular apps by tapping a "share" button. The feature displays icons of nearby iOS users with whom they can share files; they simply need to tap on an icon and have that person accept the file.
Unfortunately, AirDrop only works with iOS devices and then only with those that are turned on with the screen unlocked.
Another cool feature of iOS 7 is the way it handles multitasking and app switching. Previous versions limited the number of functions that could run in the background to a small handful, such as navigation and music playing.
iOS 7, by contrast, will support full multitasking of apps, allowing any app to update in the background.
Multitasking also looks better. In prior versions of iOS, when users double pressed the home button to view recently used apps, they saw only icons of those programs. In iOS 7, they also see "cards," or shrunken versions of the actual applications.
Not everything is great about iOS 7. I had trouble installing it on one of my devices and ended up having to go through a full restore process before I could get it to work.
Meanwhile, some older devices can't upgrade to iOS 7, and many won't get some of the coolest features. AirDrop, for example, is only available for the iPhone 5 and above and the latest versions of the iPad and iPod touch.
I also didn't like some elements of the new design. The new app folders are translucent squares that make it look like someone has taken an eraser and repeatedly smudged out bits of the home page's background.
Apple also failed to update how iOS displays notifications, so they are still obtrusive. It's annoying, and I wish Apple had fixed it.
But, overall, I really like iOS 7. It's a great new look for Apple handhelds.
Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton or Twitter.com/troywolv.
First take
What: Apple iOS 7 handheld operating system
Likes: Control Center makes it easy to adjust common settings; AirDrop makes it simple to share files with nearby iOS users; multitasking looks and works better.
Dislikes: Update isn't available for some recent iOS devices; many new features are limited to only the most recent devices; new folders look ugly; notifications are still intrusive.
Price: Free download
Web: www.apple.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Manufacturers aspire to zero defects and minimal manufacturing wastage from their manufacturing lines. An effort developed the hardware and software needed for zero-defect parts with minimal scrap, helping to make sure sustainable and competitive manufacturing. Defects created during manufacturing are presently detected offline during the last production phase, causing tremendous loss of time and cash and creating unwanted scrap. To stay away from such end-of-line failures, a project set off to develop a new built-in quality control solution to increase product quality and competition. The system aims for dependable and sustainable production with a near-zero problem and scrap target. It consists of sensors and actuators and its controlling software enables real-time multi-data gathering and analysis. Efficiency monitoring of the different steps in manufacturing processes is uninterrupted. This assists to mitigate defects within or between procedures and to enhance their robustness. The project developed new hardware and software solutions that include technological, modelling and methodological innovations into built-in quality control systems for production. It also developed novel sensor and examination gear, tracking and prognosis knowledge-based models, smart fixtures and decision-making tools. The sensors and examination methods immediately take action whenever faults are detected by the advanced monitoring and diagnostic systems. To validate the technical solutions, the project carried off demonstration tasks through real-life usage cases from the automotive, customised medicine and green power industries. The industry evaluating proved the feasibility of zero-defect production for sustainable and competitive European production. The project introduced monitoring tools for the production line that can counteract and fix defects quicker and sooner. This will end up in the reduction of expenses and less downtime and wastage while creating higher quality and safer items.
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Monday, June 06, 2005
Paul Anka: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
"Eyes Without A Face"
12 comments:
If you have any more of these, could you send them my way?
Buying the album next paycheck, regardless..
- 5:49 AM, June 07, 2005
His version of "Wonderwall" is fantastic, imo. Yes, this might be worth a buy..
- 7:20 AM, June 07, 2005
- Mr Fab said...
Hey, Rev! Yeah, honestly, I could have picked any song at random - it's all good.
- 9:06 AM, June 07, 2005
- Sunny said...
Oh my.
This frickin awesome.
- 7:51 AM, June 08, 2005
At least now I really know what those frickin' lyrics were to "Smells Like Teen Spirit"! Still doesn't make any sense though.
Yeah add me to the list of those who want to get this album. Better then Pat Boone's cover of Heavy Metal tunes. Less pretentious too.
- 8:33 AM, June 08, 2005
- Mr Fab said...
Pat Boone's album seemed tounge-in-cheek, but there's no sense of that here - think it's quite sincere.
- 9:07 AM, June 08, 2005
- Sunny said...
Kept seeing this in stores and avoided it because I thought it would sound like the Pat Boone album. Doesn't have any of that feeling of it being gimmicky.
- 10:06 AM, June 08, 2005
- DDay said...
Lovely album indeed. Pat Boone was cool when I got it, but it wears out pretty quickly.
By the way, if we're on the subject of Richard Cheese-like loungified hits, anyone got Bud E. Luv or Jaymz Bee, perchance?
- 3:37 PM, June 08, 2005
You must be kidding me, I heard thi on the Eetriot Morning Show and it made me throw up my egg mcmuffin !!! Their's a fine line between chessy and screaming velvetta !!!
- 5:45 PM, June 08, 2005
- Mr Fab said...
I have a Jaymz Bee album - nice arrangements, not just a lounge singer w/a piano (which I think Bud E Luv is). Great '60s go-go style version of "Safety Dance" I could post if anyone's interested.
- 6:13 PM, June 08, 2005
I am interested!
Hey, Wouldya happen to have any Richard Cheese stuff. his rendition of NIN's Closer is profound.
I wonder if Pat Boone started this whole lounge coverings of rock songs thing? I don't remember anything like this before his album. There is Big Daddy and Dred Zeppelin but that was a little different.
I am waiting for a lounge version of GG Allin's music next. If that should happen I believe we may actually be in the End Times!
- 10:50 PM, June 08, 2005
- DDay said...
Mr Fab
Not that I really need convincing 'cause I'm totally in love with your blog already, but if you could post some Jaymz Bee, you'll truly live up to your name.
As to the loungifications, for me they've been going on since the 60s and 70s compilation albums where nameless orchestras and choirs covered the recent 'hits'. Look in vinyl bargain bins and if there's a semi-naked chick on the cover, you're good to go ;)
Some arrangers actually made a name for themselves like Paul Mauriat and James Last.
I've got all Richard Cheese and he's definitely worth checking out. Just noticed he has a new album out. I'm definitely gonna get my hands on that one as well.
- 12:49 AM, June 09, 2005


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A faulty part in as many as 1.6 million vehicles could ignite legal and financial calamity for Delphi Automotive plc if it is held responsible for the actions of its bankrupt predecessor.
The Troy-based supplier of the defective ignition switch at the center of a massive recall, investigation and public shaming of General Motors Co. could face mounting scrutiny over the hot-button issue.
However, the unanswered questions in the inquiry has left legal experts unsure of Delphi's plight.
Delphi, as well as GM, is protected under Chapter 11 bankruptcy code from certain product liability obligations that occurred before they emerged from bankruptcy, but it still may not be able to avoid penalties, experts say.
Delphi declined to comment on the issue for this article.
The issue comes down to whether the product liability discharge for bankrupt Delphi Corp. is upheld in the face of civil suits and potential fraud under a criminal investigation.
"This is relatively unprecedented and will make for a great law school class," said Mark Aiello, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. "Forget about the complexity of a component that has failed; now you have the complexity of federal investigations, bankruptcy, etc.
"A lot of facts that are going to come out; it's not as simple as it seems," Aiello said.
Delphi, along with GM, may have protection under Chapter 11 because the issues allegedly occurred before it emerged from bankruptcy on Oct. 6, 2009, but the laws are too ambiguous to predict what will occur, said Judith Elkin, partner at law firm Haynes and Boone LLP in New York City.
"This case is interesting, and the laws have always been murky in product liability," Elkin said. "There's no question that Delphi will argue that they are free of any liability that happened before or during its bankruptcy proceeding, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are protected."
Elkin was involved in the 1990s bankruptcy of drywall manufacturer National Gypsum Co. and the subsequent asbestos liability litigation that ensued. She represented the entity that emerged from bankruptcy after a successor company acquired National Gypsum's assets.
Despite no definitive link to liability, the new Gypsum ended up paying into a trust fund in 2004 to settle the case, Elkin said.
"There was never a finding of successor liability or an acknowledgement of any liability," Elkin said. "It just came time to be done with the litigation and move on."
Elkin also represented Highland Capital Management LP in its unsuccessful bid to buy Delphi during its Chapter 11 case.
GM CEO Mary Barra said she would likely testify before Congress; the hearing is set for April 1. It's unclear whether Delphi executives will testify.
The crux of the issue for regulators and Congress will be timing. Did Delphi, or GM, commit fraud by not informing regulators of the ignition defect, which caused cars to shut off during operation? If so, regulators could make them pay.
Toyota Motor Corp. last week announced it would pay $1.2 billion to avoid criminal prosecution for hiding information during its rapid acceleration recalls.
The belief among attorneys is that if GM pays out, Delphi will follow suit, either in civil cases or after GM seeks a payout for the defective part Delphi supplied.
Civil plaintiff attorneys' first line of attack against GM is to ask U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Gerber to lift the liability discharge for GM on the grounds that the automaker knowingly deceived the judge by not informing the court about the ignition defect.
A proposed class action was filed last week in a federal court in California asking a judge to permit plaintiffs to sue GM "because of the active concealment by Old GM and GM," Reuters reported.
The lawsuit alleges that pre-bankruptcy GM knew about the ignition problems as early as 2001, continued to use the defective part until 2007 and that post-bankruptcy GM continued to deceive the public, Reuters reported.
Delphi's bankruptcy could also be reopened if the company is found to have deceived its judge about the issue as well.
Elkin said that is unlikely to happen, but an appeals court could reopen the cases.
The issue could also play out in the state court system, said Richard Levin, partner at New York City law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.
"When a claimant tries to pursue a liability claim, they do it in state court, not bankruptcy court," Levin said. "State courts haven't always been as friendly to the free and clear ruling of bankruptcy court."
In the meantime, Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Auto Safety, has asked GM to set up a fund to resolve claims over the ignition defect, according to Bloomberg News.


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A middle school teacher in Santa Rosa County is facing felony charges after investigators say he exchanged sexual messages with what he thought was a former 14-year-old student.
King Middle School teacher Robert Todd Crutchfield, 41, of Pace, was arrested late Friday night after showing up to a park to engage in sexual activity with the minor, according to his Santa Rosa County Sheriff�s Office arrest report.
Crutchfield has been suspended without pay and will not be recommended for re-employment next year unless he is cleared of all charges, according to Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick.
Crutchfield was hired by the district three years ago and taught sixth grade social science, Wyrosdick said.
The events that led to Crutchfield�s arrest began June 12 after he sent a Facebook friend request to the former student. The student accepted the request and they began chatting online.
The student alerted an adult after the conversations took an "uncomfortable" turn and the adult alerted the Sheriff�s Office, the report stated.
The Sheriff�s Office took over the conversation with Crutchfield and continued to chat with him online as the student. Eventually Crutchfield asked to start communicating via text message.
Throughout the conversations, Crutchfield requested explicit photographs, but also asked the former student to delete their conversations, the report stated.
After asking about the sexual history of the student, Crutchfield asked to meet. When he showed up at the designated park in Pace, he was met by law enforcement and arrested.
Crutchfield is facing three counts of using a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child and one count of traveling to meet a child after using a computer to lure a child.


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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Throw Pre-Wedding Bash
It's no secret that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are sparing no expense for their wedding, but the extravagant details might still surprise you!
The celebrity couple threw a pre-wedding dinner at the Palace of Versailles tonight (May 23) for their close friends and family. E! News has a few details on the luxurious event that will have you drooling.
Horses adorned with yellow feathers as well as three Baroque-costumed drummers were placed along the long driveway to greet guests as they arrived. Elegant floral arrangements and lanterns were set up on the black and white marble courtyard, leading to a giant arch placed in the main garden to welcome guests.
The night may have been themed, or they simply hired Marie Antoinette-styled extras to interact with guests, as there were women in wigs and 18th Century-inspired dresses being led onto the premises.
As far as food, it's reported that guests were served wild salmon and rice, with tiered cakes decorated with macaroons for dessert.
Sisters Kendall Jenner and Khloe Kardashian were photographed leaving for the grand party dressed in gorgeous floor-length gowns. Kendall chose a stunning navy dress that hugged her body up to her hips, where the silky material then flowed out into a loose skirt. Khloe chose a low-cut beige and gold beaded dress that wowed with her honey ombré hair.
The whole Kardashian family is really going all out for this wedding!


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Send someone special a caramel apple gift that's so indulgent they won't even miss the stick. We start by plunging wedges of tart, perfectly ripe jumbo Granny Smith apples in gooey caramel—4 are then dipped in rich milk chocolate and finished with chopped almonds, 4 are dipped in rich milk chocolate and sprinkled with shaved coconut and 4 are dipped in creamy white confection and dusted with snappy cinnamon sugar.
Would you like to ship each item to a different recipient or ship all items to one recipient ?
Ship to multiple recipients > - or - Ship to one recipient >


text: I have taken some heat over my criticism of Julian Assange. I do support the principle of whistle blowing and all of those that support it. Today, Assange is not acting as a whistle blower. He is acting as his own agent, clearly trying to control the results of our elections. His timing is strategically placed to give the advantage to Trump. He absolutely hates Hillary Clinton, he has made that clear. He has never even lived in this country and he is using the cover of the …support for his original noble mission to control the results of our elections. Why didn't he release these before or after the election? Nina Khrushcheva, the granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, firmly believes that Putin wants Trump to win because he feels that if Trump becomes president, the country would fall apart on many levels. I think most of us agree that Putin is right. Mr. Assange will never live under a Trump presidency, so he doesn't fully appreciate the importance of a Trump-free country. This is not whistle blowing, the is an effort to control our elections, and it will clearly help Trump win, especially if he holds on to some of the most egregious emails for an October surprise.


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Aberdeenshire Council Registration and Burial Services, Peterhead Area, Arbuthnott House, Broad Street, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 1DA.
Aberdeenshire Council is the local authority responsible for Scotland's 4th largest region by size and 6th largest by population. Although located within the borders of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City is a separate authority with its own council. Aberdeenshire is the only Scottish council to have its offices not located within in its own administration area.
Already, over half the burial records for Aberdeen City are available exclusively on Deceased Online together with all records for Angus, another Aberdeenshire neighbour in North East Scotland. Another major council area in North East Scotland will be added later in 2014. Aberdeenshire Council manages some 200 burial grounds and cemeteries, of varying sizes, spread over 2,439 square miles, and Deceased Online has digitised all records available for each of these. There are nearly 250,000 individual names or burials representing over 600,000 records. The full list of sites is included in the Coverage page.
In most instances, the records comprise:
- Digital scans of burial, mortality or lair (grave) registers
- Lair details indicating all those buried within each lair
The following will be added in due course:
- Maps indicating the section of a cemetery or burial ground where lairs are located
- Photographs of a small number of the memorials
The earliest records date back to 1615 and the latest are for 2010. There are many interesting records in the area. There are celebrated individuals such as Queen Victoria's friend and personal servant, John Brown, and the first Scottish men's singles Wimbledon champion Herbert Fortescue Lawford. The data collection is very diverse and the North Sea and coastal areas have claimed many victims. Tragically, many of these older records have Unknown bodies and some even feature various anonymous body parts. Some of the registers feature great details such as occupations or status together with the usual range of names, addresses, dates of burial, grave references etc.
Other information: Read a selection of blogs about the area and the Deceased Online records in our blog: http://deceasedonlineblog.blogspot.co.uk/ Aberdeenshire Council: http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/bereavement/grounds.
Note: For the purposes of the UK Data Protection Act, the names and addresses of funeral applicants, where they have been recorded, for burials during the last 75 years have been withheld from publication.
Aberdeenshire Council have requested that the addresses of the deceased not be shown in the burial register scan for the last 15 years and all details of recent burials are not shown until they are 3 years old.


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This 39mm solid bronze schedule coin is minted with your teams helmet on the obverse and the 2016 schedule on the reverse. This unique coin is delivered in a protective flip pouch with a certificate however it can be removed and you can carry it in your pocket like a challenge coin and always be up to date for the next match up. Officially licensed by the NFL and proudly made in the USA by the Highland Mint.
Additional Info
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text:
Edition Two
Hello all! And Welcome to the second edition of Yankee Yapping. I hope you all enjoyed my last rant about the Hall of Fame game, but now it's time to do some Bronx Bomber blabbering. Away we go!
My thoughts on…
This Past Weekend
It was a bad weekend to be a Yankee fan, that's for sure. It was disgraceful. Coming off that sweep in Minnesota, I had a good feeling about our chances in Anaheim. The Yankees were certainly carrying momentum, and it showed in the first few innings of Friday night's game.
When the Yanks took that early 4-1 lead, I felt like they were going to win. But of course, Joba Chamberlain had to toss too many pitches and get himself taken out, not pitching past the fifth inning. Then the bullpen just couldn't get the job done.
Saturday and Sunday were just as bad. Saturday was another game like Friday–getting a lead and squirreling it away. And Sunday we just kept trying to come back from deficit after deficit and couldn't do it.
After this weekend, I truly know how it feels as a baseball fan to be burned by a former friend. It seemed every time Bobby Abreu was stepping into the box against us he was either hitting an RBI single or double. We just couldn't get our former teammate out.
Abreu went 6-for-14 this weekend with six RBIs and three runs scored. I couldn't stand it. Every time he got a hit I kept saying to myself, "we should have just re-signed him. He could be doing this for us rather than against us."
Even the guys who aren't hitting this season killed us. Robb Quinlan was batting .219 with no home runs and four RBIs, and yet he managed to start hitting in the series against the Yankees.
The Angels just seem to have the Yanks' number. They eliminated us in the first round of the playoffs in 2002 and in 2005, and no matter what we do we just can't seem to take them out.
What's done this weekend is done. But I hope the Yanks can figure out a way to beat the Halos before October, because God help us if we're facing the Angels in the first round. They have not been very kind to us in the past.
All Star Break
Despite the Yanks' recent struggles against the Angels, they have played some incredible baseball to this point. They find themselves at 51-37 this year, 14 games above .500 at the half way point.
They are three games behind the Red Sox for first place in the American League Eastern Division, and the leaders by two-and-a-half games in front of Texas for the AL Wild Card.
Last year they were 50-45, only five games above .500 and six games out in the division race. As compared to last year, they are in a much better place.
If the season ended today, we would be in the playoffs, and it has to stay that way. Historically, the Yankees have great numbers after the All Star break, and usually come out of the gate swinging, so-to-speak.
CC Sabathia and Robinson Cano are two Yankees I can think of that are "second half players," usually putting up their best work after the All Star break. I'm expecting both of these guys to continue that this year.
It's safe to say the Yankees are doing a lot better than last year around this time, still in the hunt for a division crown and the leaders in the Wild Card. They have to make the playoffs this year, because Joe Girardi might be done as manager if they don't.
Home Run Derby
Since it first began in 1985, the Home Run Derby has provided an enjoyable night for every baseball fan, and I am no exception.
In recent years I have kept score of who hits how many home runs in each round. It's a little nerdy, but I am baseball fanatic, so I guess it's normal.
The only thing I usually don't like about the derby is the lack of pinstripes. There have only been two Yankees that have won the Home Run Derby, and ironically enough they have both been first basemen.
Tino Martinez (my favorite player during the Yankee Dynasty years) blew everyone out in 1997 at Jacobs….errm…Progressive Field in Cleveland. He put on such a great display of power and beat out the likes of Ken Griffey, Jr., Jim Thome, Mark McGwire, and Chipper Jones.
Martinez even said he was more nervous about competing in the Home Run Derby than the actual All Star Game because he didn't feel he was really a home run hitter. He didn't want to compete in the derby and not hit a home run, but wound up winning the contest.
Jason Giambi became the second Yankee to win the Derby in 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee. I remember watching it, and just being happy another Yankee won the contest. I never really liked Giambi as a player, but I'll give him his due.
Giambi beat out his future teammate Alex Rodriguez, the current home run king* Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa–all of whom were amazing home run hitters at the time. And he did it wearing pinstripes.
This year Brandon Inge (Detroit Tigers), Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins), Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies), Nelson Cruz (Texas Rangers), Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres), Carlos Pena (Tampa Bay Rays), Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers), and Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) will all be taking their hacks for the Home Run Derby crown.
If you want my prediction, Pujols wins this easily.
He is leading the majors this year with 32 homers and 87 RBIs, and some people are going as far as saying he could win the Triple Crown. He is also playing in his home park in St. Louis, thus giving him a distinct advantage over the other participants.
Earlier this season, Pujols smashed a home run that went so far, it knocked out the "I" on the electrical McDonald's "Big Mac" sign at Busch Stadium. He can hit and hit comfortably at his home park.
In my view, Pujols wins it by a landslide.
All Star Game
The mid-summer classic is always a fun night. The fans get to see the best-of-the-best playing on the same field at the same time.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the game last year at Yankee Stadium, but at least the American League won it.
The AL always seems to hold down the National League in this game. The last time the NL won the All Star game was 1996 (If you don't count the 7-7 tie in 2002).
These last few years have showed the AL's dominance over the NL, and I expect the same this year.
My prediction is the AL over the NL, 5-3.
The only thing that would make this great would be to see Derek Jeter or Mark Teixeira or Mariano Rivera win the All Star Game's Most Valuable Player Award. The last Yankee to win it was Jeter in 2000, and it'd be nice to see a Bomber take it home to New York again.
I'd also love to see Rivera close out the contest and get the save. He has saved three All Star Games in his career (1997, 2005 and 2006) and is tied with Dennis Eckersley for most All Star Game saves.
There would be nothing more special than to see the greatest closer in baseball take first place for most All Star Game saves the same year he recorded his 500th career save.
Whichever way it goes, I have a feeling the AL will have home-field advantage in the World Series this year because of an All Star Game win.
Roy Halladay to the Yankees? Why?
As most baseball fans know, rumors have been swirling about Roy Halladay. Blue Jays' General Manager J.P. Ricciardi put Halladay out there saying that he would be accepting offers for the ace.
ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies are the only three teams that could possibly wind up with Halladay if he is dealt.
Olney said the Yanks and Sox have the prospects to trade for Halladay, but not the interest and the Phillies have the interest, but not the prospects.
The Yanks should generate some interest, seeing as how two of their starters could not make it out of the fifth inning this past weekend.
Joba Chamberlain is too unpredictable. He can give you seven innings with eight strikeouts, a couple walks, and maybe two runs.
Or he can give you four-and-a-third innings with no strikeouts, four walks, and five runs. He can either put us in a hole or dominate the opposition.
As good as Pettitte has been this year (8-4 is not a bad record) he often struggles at home, and in that start against the Angels this weekend, he looked bad.
Then there's Chien-Ming Wang, who was once an ace but now an injury-ridden nobody. Alfredo Aceves took his spot in the rotation, but Girardi doesn't want Aceves to be in the rotation. He said they will need to make a decision on what to do about that fifth spot.
In my view, the Yankees need to make a trade here. They are contenders and struggling a little bit with some pitching. Although certainly not as bad as the makeshift rotation last year, they could use one more solid pitcher.
If I were Brian Cashman, I would think about packaging some minor leaguers and maybe some back-end bullpen pitchers to Toronto for Halladay.
There are a few guys that I'd be willing to part with, namely Sergio Mitre, Kei Igawa, Edwar Ramirez, David Robertson, and Brian Bruney. If you gave up some of those guys, the Yanks would be a lot safer, and here's how:
If they give up Mitre, it's fine. They're not losing anyone important to the Major League team. Igawa is the same way, and so is Ramirez. Robertson has been useless, a la walking two batters with the bases loaded in Minnesota and pitching even worse against the Angels.
Bruney could go and we could 'pen Chamberlain again. If he is going to be as unpredictable as he is, he should go back to where he was lights out: the bullpen. We could then use Chamberlain as the eighth inning set-up man and put either Phil Hughes or Aceves into the fifth spot.
So let's say for hypothetical the starter goes six innings. The Yanks can put Hughes/Aceves in for the seventh, Chamberlain in for the eighth, and Rivera for the ninth.
If they received Halladay in a trade, they wouldn't have to worry about re-signing him until the end of the 2010 season when his contract expires. I think that was the reason the Yanks waited on getting Sabathia and Teixeira.
Both Sabathia and Teixeira were traded mid-season last year, and both players' contracts were up at the end of the year.
If the Yankees had traded for both guys, they could've lost them to free agency after giving up their best prospects to get them. When Sabathia and Teixeira went to the Yankees, both the Brewers and Angels lost.
Milwaukee and Los Angeles lost Sabathia and Teixeira, respectively, and the players they gave up for Sabathia and Teixeira.
The Yankees wouldn't have to worry about losing Halladay at the end of the season because he'd be locked up for at least another year before having to worry about re-signing him.
Even if you don't have an extraordinary fifth starter, you have four guys that can carry you through a playoff series with Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Pettitte, and if we were to get him, Halladay.
I hope they do make a decision and opt to negotiate for Halladay. But they have to make up their mind soon–the trade deadline is at the end of the month.
Well that's all for this week's edition of Yankee Yapping. I'll be back next week with more analysis. Enjoy the Home Run Derby and All Star Game, everyone!


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DETROIT – Subway restaurants in Detroit and Ann Arbor will participate in a statewide food drive on Thursday, March 21.
The daylong Feed a Friend food drive will benefit local food pantries, Subway said.
Customers who bring in a can of food or any other non-perishable food item and buy any regular 6-inch Subway sandwich will receive a regular 6-inch sub of equal or lesser price for free.
Feed a Friend originated in Jackson and is now in its 13th year.
Almost 400 Subway locations in the Detroit-Ann Arbor Metro area are participating.
During last year's drive, Subway Restaurants of Lansing said they collected 15,000 pounds of non-perishable food items.
"We are honored to be able to support our local communities and are excited to be expanding this program into a statewide initiative this year," said Lou Dortch, Subway Restaurants of Detroit board member.


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Crystal Fist is by far one of the most spectacular "Shapes" movies of its time. Billy Chong certainly made his name with this classic "Shapes" iconic movie with Simon Yuen aka "Samseed" as the old dirty master that teaches him a great new technique (Shadow Eagle Style) to overcome Chu Tiet Wo the "Double Phoenix Killer". This movie is quite an amazing feature with the two accomplices of Chu Tiet Wo played by Dai Sai Aan aka Addy Sung the "Blind man" and Brandy Yuen the "Deaf man". The sequential fight scenes with the "Blind Man" and "Deaf Man" are breathtaking and awesome in every sense of the words one can use to describe these scenes.
Thy not to expect an interesting story-line and just sit back and watch the superb fight scenes. For the fans that prefer original languages for this classic you are certainly in for a treat. The original languages give the movie a boost in terms of its superior quality fight scenes.
Crystal Fist aka Jade Claw
Movie Reviews from featuring movies from our catalog
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Murray wins at Queen's with Mauresmo watching
LONDON (AP) Andy Murray won his first match since adding Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach, beating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Queen's Club grass-court tournament on Wednesday.
''I was looking forward to getting back on the court,'' Murray said. ''I enjoy playing here. I love being back on the grass.
''I thought I was quite disciplined with my movement today. I moved pretty well. I wasn't sliding about too much. Yeah, it was a good start.''
Top seed and Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka also advanced into the third round when Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus retired with a right shoulder injury as the Swiss led 3-2.
There was victory too for 2011 finalist and fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who weathered a close first set before overwhelming Belgium's David Goffin 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Since his loss to Roger Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final, Murray has won 19 consecutive matches on grass and captured three titles, including the 2012 London Olympic gold at the All England Club, and Wimbledon and Queen's last year.
Murray hired former top-ranked player and two-time major winner Mauresmo as his coach on Sunday, initially for the grass-court season. He has been without a coach since he parted ways with Ivan Lendl in March.
Hiring a female coach has generated a great deal of attention, and although he previously worked with his mother, Judy, for a long period, he admits that such a move at his level of the game was unusual.
''At first when I thought about it, it was obviously a consideration, because for a few years I haven't worked with a woman,'' he said.
''Now the decision has been made, it's not something that I'm thinking about. It's more about the qualities that she can bring that will help me and my tennis and my team as well. I hope it works out long term because I like her. She's a good person. I hope it works out well.''
Murray was impressed with Mauresmo when they met, and saw the qualities she could bring.
''After I spoke to her the first time I just really liked her. She was calm. She asked a lot of questions. She listened. She listened a lot. I liked chatting to her, so then I decided to sit down and speak to her and had a good chat with her about tennis.
''This week, there's not going to be any big changes in my game. I also wouldn't expect any before Wimbledon. But we'll definitely work on some things after the tournament is finished here.''
Ernests Gulbis, who reached his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last week, fell to Kenny De Schepper of France 7-6 (3), 7-5.
''I like the grass,'' Gulbis, the sixth seed from Latvia said. ''But I never played well the first tournament. I always played decent in Wimbledon if I practiced well. So now I'm going to stay here, practice two weeks on grass. I'm going to be fully fine for Wimbledon.''
Lleyton Hewitt remains one victory short of Roger Federer's record of 122 match wins on grass after being beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Feliciano Lopez.
Hewitt, a four-time champion at Queen's, was broken once in each set and failed to earn a single break point against the Spaniard. It's the first time the Australian has lost to Lopez in five meetings.
Hewitt had been bidding to become the first player to win Queen's five times. He shares the record of four titles with Andy Roddick.
''I played a bit of a loose game the second game of the match,'' he said. ''Then, yeah, he served really well the whole match. He had a lot better rhythm today than he did yesterday in his first-round match. He hit his spots really well.''
Vasek Pospisil of Canada, Dmitry Tursunov of Russia, and Nicolas Mahut of France were beaten, but there were wins for eighth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine and Radek Stepanek.


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I recently met Aundrea Wilcox, MBA she is the Executive Director of the KOSBE- The Small Business Connection which is part of the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. I had been following her on Twitter for a couple of weeks before I decided to purchase her book, Startup Savvy: Strategies for Optimizing Small Business Survival and Success.
As person who has just completed a Master's of Business Administration degree I have been inclined to start my own business. But as a newbie to TN from FL, I wanted to get a sense of the culture before launching to the commitment of starting a business. I believe Aundrea provides a great insight about how to start a biz plan, using (free) resources through the SBA & TSBDC, real stories of locals who have launched their own business in this area. I highly recommend slowly reading her final chapter: 40-Love Then Game.


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The ACF Central Regional Conference, hosted by Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc., at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, St. Louis, March 16–19, brought hundreds of chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to St. Louis. The conference theme was "Embracing a Sustainable Future," and many of the demonstrations and seminars focused on how to incorporate green and sustainable cooking concepts into restaurant kitchens and onto menus.
Attendees enjoyed presentations from keynote speakers, US Foods' Mark Eggerding, vice president of product sales and support, and David Mulholland, product sales and culinary trainer; and demonstrations from presenters such as Steven Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC, corporate executive chef, Unilever Food Solutions, on Nordic cuisine, and University of California, Davis, chef Salvatore Gagliano on sustainable kitchen trends for restaurants. In addition, the Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. presented ACF Culinary Team USA Manager Joseph Leonardi, CEC, and team members with a $5,000 donation to support the team in their quest for gold in upcoming international competitions, and the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), ACF's honor society, gave a $1,000 grant to the ACF Central Region Student Team Regional Champion to assist the team with expenses to travel to the national competition.
The following ACF Central Region competition award winners will compete for their respective national titles at the 2014 ACF National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., July 25–29.
Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, executive chef, The Fort Worth Club, Fort Worth, Texas, Texas Chefs Association
Stephan Schubert, executive pastry chef, River City Casino & Hotel, St. Louis, Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
Todd Gold, CEC, CCA, AAC, dean, Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, Little Rock, Ark., ACF Central Arkansas Cooks Association
Frances Jean Jedneak, CEC, executive chef, Sodexo–Excelsior Crossing, Hopkins, Minn., ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago, ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
Chase Grove, student, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Neb., ACF Professional Chefs of the Heartland
Students representing Kendall College, Chicago
Students representing ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association who attend Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.
The 2014 ACF Central Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding contributions to ACF, goodwill in their communities and/or culinary excellence.
Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis


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+Car crash causes injury, closes roadway
A car crash on S. Tamiami Trail near Sarasota High School sent one person to the hospital with injuries.
+Paradise Homes files for bankruptcy, Viking Culinary Center abruptly closes
The bankruptcy court trustee has 90 days to sell off assets of the Viking Culinary School, as well as Paradise Homes' other assets, or potentially have someone purchase the business.
+Right place, right time
The Longboat Key Club and Resort's general manager Michael Welly is saying 'goodbye' after eight-and-a-half years.
+Out-of-Door Academy teens create iPhone app
Bankr helps users manage their money and has garnered attention from a Google executive.
+Crafty Genes: Patina Painting Technique
Join do-it-yourself editors Mallory and Leslie Gnaegy as they try out a Patina Painting technique.


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Saeed Khan / AFP - Getty Images
Young athletes carry the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games last month. Similar torches are selling for more than $4,000 on eBay.
For Olympic fans with long memories, bygone Games become as beloved as old flames: Berlin in 1936, Mexico City in 1968, Barcelona in 1992.
Among sports memorabilia buffs, the torches that once carried real Olympic flames – from Olympia, Greece, all the way to the host city's Olympic caldron – quickly become hot commodities.
Some of the striking, gold-colored torches used to carry the flame to the London Games already have hit the secondary market on auction sites like eBay, with several torches drawing multiple bids at prices topping 3,000 pounds ($4,650).
One Australian seller is trying to cash in by offering a London torch for more than $41,000, claiming it was "used on one of the very last legs of the tour." The seller declined to comment when contacted by NBC News.
Even at under $5,000, the brand-new London torches already are approaching or surpassing the value of far older and presumably rarer torches like one used to haul Olympic fire to Mexico City in '68, which sold for $4,176 in April at a Christie's auction in London. At the same auction a 1936 Berlin torch sold for $9,944, while a Barcelona torch went for $5,569.
The frenzy for some of the London Olympic torches offered has drawn scoffs from expert collectors, especially because 8,000 torches were stamped out for this year's Games, an unusually high number.
"I've already seen a bunch of the London Olympic torches on eBay, and some of the prices are absolutely bonzo," Olympics memorabilia collector Craig R. Perlow told Collectors Weekly. "They are selling for $7,000 to $9,000. There are torches 30 to 40 years old that don't go for that much money."
Courtesy Christie's
This torch from the '48 London games goes on auction next month.
How inflated is the current torch market? Simply compare the eBay prices with the assessed value of a classic, aluminum-topped torch from the 1948 London Games, the first of the postwar era. On Sept. 3 in London, Christie's will auction off that torch and expects to draw somewhere between $3,136 and $4,704.
"A variety of factors contribute to the value," Christie's spokesperson Leonie Pitts said via email from London. "They include rarity, importance, provenance, and the specialist knowledge of the market and current demand whilst also taking into account recent prices achieved for similar items."
But she adds: "There is no exact science."
The '48 torch, for example, is thought to be one of just 1,600 manufactured.
"There was the option for torchbearers to purchase their torch after running with it," Pitts said. "It was only the second time the torch relay had been run. The design brief for the torch required for it to be light, simple and able to burn for over 15 minutes at a time."
According to Christie's, it is impossible to ascertain how many individual torches from past Games still exist, and that can muddy the value estimates. How can you calculate demand if you don't know the supply?
"(In) bringing the flame from Olympia to the host city for each Games, each relay has been different," Pitts said. "There are varying accounts of exactly how many torches were made for each Games."
If an owner has documentation to show that a certain torch was carried inside an Olympic stadium – or even used to ignite the caldron – those factors could bump the "saleability/desirability of an item," Pitts said.
It can be hard to document exactly where a torch was carried, except in a few years such as the 1968 games in Mexico, which had three different designs that changed during the route.
Still, some collectible dealers are fully aware that big buzz now can mean bigger profits before the electric moment dies down - even if the items being peddled are hardly rare or vintage.
"That's probably one of the best collectibles you're going to get unless you can get your hands on an actual medal," said Michael Gallucci, vice president of operations at SportsMemorabilia.com in Miami. His company has no torches available currently.
Click to see images as the Olympic torch takes a 70-day, 8,000-mile trip to London for the 2012 summer games.
"Collectors want to feel engaged with an event or athlete. That torch is definitely a symbol of the Olympics, and there aren't many other (Olympic) items I can think of that you can actually take home."
Until this year, a torch from the 1952 Helsinki Games held the record price paid for any piece of Olympic memorabilia – it sold in Paris in April 2011 for 290,000 euros or about $350,000.
But in April, Bréal's Silver Cup – the marathon winner's trophy from the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896 – grabbed a final bid of $861,129 at Christie's.
Too rich for your patriotic-Olympic blood?
Just head back to eBay. For $700, you can own a torch made for the 2004 Athens Games.
But be sure to read the fine print: This was a reserve torch – and so, "never used."
The Olympic torch is set to makes its grand entrance at tonight's opening ceremony celebration after a 70-day journey and racking up about 8,000 miles throughout its tour. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
More money and business news:
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Environmental Surveillance and Monitoring Report
Please note that all of the files below are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You must view these files using Adobe Acrobat Reader or a comparable program. If you do not have Adobe Reader go to the Adobe Website to download the correct version of the reader for your computer.
AQES: Home
Department: NJDEP Home | About DEP | Index by Topic | Programs/Units | DEP Online
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
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Last Updated:
July 13, 2018


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This was a great year for the Library Media Tech Talk Blog! I created this blog in March 2014. I sincerely hope that my posts have been both interesting and helpful to all educators! As 2016 comes to a close, I want to share our most-read articles of the year.
Top 5 most read blog posts of 2016
3265 pageviews: The Flexible School Library: Creating a 21st Century Space For Our Learners
2698 pageviews : How 6 Picture Frames Made A Difference In The School Library
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1805 pageviews : Four Ways To Lead From The School Library
1757 pageviews : Library Orientation Breakout EDU
Thank you for reading this blog! Happy New Year, friends!
How we held the 2016 Skype-a-Thon in the library!
My table of contents for the blog is here!
I have a monthly email newsletter for the subscribers of the Library Media Tech Talk blog. If you are interested in exclusive content not appearing on the blog, be sure to subscribe by submitting your email address! Subscribe here!
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Interested in that pond liner idea for the shelf. Moulting 2 chamber gyrkins. I'm thinking this will greatly reduce feather wear. Any thoughts?
Hey Dan, can you send me more info on your rope condition method? In the past I have used rope and just tied it to the jesses. I am looking for a better way to hook the rope up to the bird and the best diameter of the rope. I have a launcher leash that I made that has a clip built into to it to attach to the jesses.. Thanks for all your help and advise. Merry Christmas.


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Actionscript Code Snippets in Flash Professional CS5
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[♪Music♪] [ADOBE TV Presents..] [Paul Trani in..] [♪Music♪] [Adobe Flash Professional CS5 - Training with Trani] Hello, and welcome to Training with Trani. My name is Paul Trani, and I'm about to show you, honestly, my favorite CS5 feature in Flash. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's all about adding interactivity to your files, so hey, what's not to love about this? I have an FLA file open. This came directly from enDesign; and in fact, if I just do a "Test Movie," you'll see that it will just start to flash through all of the spreads. So unless you're a really fast reader, this really isn't going to help out very much. And quite frankly, what we need to do is we need to go ahead and stop the time line, and then we need to introduce some interactivity on these buttons. So I've got multiple buttons here, all right; and where I'm going to start is, of course, with the obvious issue of that cycling through. So I'm going to go to "Window," and I'm going to go halfway down to "Code Snippets." Now, what this is is just a lot of pre-built code, that's really at my fingertips, that I can go ahead and use. In fact, let's just twirl this up, and you can see all of the various categories. Really cool being able to, say for instance, open up the Timeline Navigation; and again, if I wanted to say, "Stop the timeline," I'd, of course, select this and make sure wherever my playhead is, that's where it's going to insert this Stop action; and all I need to do is double-click, there it is. Again, code I didn't have to write; very nice. In fact, I will just minimize that side panel so you can see it, because not only does it add the code I need which is really just this one word, it tells me what it does, and the general sort of thoughts, and what I need to modify, if anything. This is just known as a comment; but again, this does all the work right here--this Stop action. All right, so that Stop action actually is in place, I want to add a couple more things. In fact, I'll just select this button. This is just a button, it tells me it's a button in the Properties panel. In fact, it's already given a name of "move_btn." I can call it whatever I want, just make sure there are no spaces in there, no special characters; keep it simple, keep it somewhat descriptive. All right, so what do I want to do with this Move button? I want it to jump to, say for instance, this point in the timeline, because this is the Move section. So about frame ten; that's where I want it to go. So again, with my button selected, I'm going to go over to my various Timeline Navigation, and instead of stopping, I want to click to go to a frame and stop. So that's what I want to do, select that. In fact, I'll just double-click on it and it will go ahead and add that code to that same spot because that's where I want to add this code. But in general, I love it; it gives me instructions. So not only am I building my project, but I get to learn sort of how this works. because it does say 'replace the number five in the code below with the frame number you want to go to.' That's easy enough; I'll come down here, replace 5 with 10 because that's where I want to go, and it's that easy. So again, I can do more with it if I want. In fact, once we're in the Move section, I might need to add another button, and, again, I'll add a new layer and I'll just drop in this Home button because once you're in the Move section, you have to be able to get back. So let's put that Home button down there. And again, it's the same process for everything. You need to give it an instance name which is going to be a unique name. So 'Home_btn', just like that. In fact, I'll move this layer down, and I'll just call this the 'Home Button,' like that. Again, it doesn't matter what it is. I'll go ahead and select that button to go to a frame and stop. It adds that code, and I can go ahead and make sure it goes to that first frame just like that. Okay, so, so far so good. Here's plenty that's added, and it's really a matter of going on down the line and doing the same thing. For the Live button, again, clicking and adding that. I want this to go to frame 20. Again, I'm picking up the pace a little bit because this is pretty straightforward. This third section goes to the 30th frame, and this Enjoy. Watch what happens if I add this, and keep in mind it doesn't have an instance name. I'll double-click on it. It says, hey, you know what? The selected symbol requires an instance name, so it says, hey, you know what? It's going to put a generic one in there for you. Sure enough, it did, and it just calls it Button One, but if I minimize this panel, you can see it calls it 'Enjoy.' I'm going to call it 'Enjoy_btn.' And again, this 'Enjoy_btn,' needs to match up with the instance name right here. So whether you name it yourself or Flash names it, is entirely up to you. But again, I built out all of this navigation in probably, say, less than 5 minutes, easy. In fact, I'll just go ahead and do a 'Control Test Movie,' and let's see if the seizure animation is gone; it is. Here is what I get, my nice clouds, Move, Live, Eat. So there's my 'Move' section, Home button; everything works exactly as expected. I love how easy this is. And then 'Enjoy.' So there's one thing the Enjoy button did not do. Let's take a look. That first frame, I can see that only goes to frame 5 when it's supposed to go to frame 40. All right, let's look at some things that are more complex, because in the Enjoy section, I have more going on. In fact, right in here there's actually a video. So I'm going to double-click. And notice that there's this SWF file. There's this Flash Video file. And what I want to do is when you click on this button, I want to play this video. So again, it's a matter of selecting the button, giving it a name-- call it 'play_btn,' just like that--give it a unique name, and then I need to give this FLV Playback Component a specific name, as well. And this is just going to be called 'Bike Video,' because that's what it is. Notice how Autoplay is not selected. I am given properties for that, by the way. All right, next up, selecting that button. And again, it's a matter of going to the Code Snippets and going beyond Timeline Navigation, clear down to Audio and Video. So I encourage you to kind of peruse all of these on your own. But what I want to select is 'Click to Play Video.' So I'll double-click that, it adds that code, tells me how to modify it; I love it. Again, it recognizes the Play button, but it doesn't recognize my 'Bike Video,' like that. Again, change that instance name. Well, I think we're good to go. Let's go ahead and give it a whirl, test this out. Again, the Enjoy section, there's my button; if I click, it plays. [♪Music♪] So my next step is to, of course, make this button go away when you click on it. I'm going to go to the Load and Unload section, and I'm going to select 'Remove Instance From the Stage.' So again, with that button selected, double-click 'Remove Instance From the Stage,' and it's going to remove the Play button. Now you can go ahead and read about it here, but what I want to do is I want to actually move this right up in here within this function, because at this point in time, when that button is clicked, I want to play the video and then remove that Play button. So we should be good there. In fact, I can go ahead and test this movie out once more. And again, pretty simple. The video plays, that button goes away; exactly what I expect. And I really appreciate how this works and how easy it is. But the great thing is, is once you create some code and maybe you've done some customizing, what you might want to do is actually save this work that you've done. Well, I can go ahead and select this code right here. And in my Code Snippets panel, I can go to Create a New Code Snippet from that flyout menu. So I'm going to select that, and I'll give it a name, "Play Video Hide Button.' And, of course, Tool Tip 'Plays the Video and Hides the Button that Plays the Video.' Kind of long for Tool Tip, but you get the idea. And I can either type in here what I want, or since this is selected, I can click Autofill. So it's that easy; it puts that code right in there. Select 'Okay,' and, sure enough, right down here in my Code Snippets panel, under Custom, there's my code. So again, this is going to be available for me next time I open up good old Flash, and I can use it in my next project. But again, you can see how easy it is to add interactivity to a project. It's pretty straightforward. That's all I have for this episode, so join me next time. [♪Music♪] [Executive Producer, Bob Donlon; Producer, Karl Miller] [Director/VFX, Kush Amerasinghe; DP/Post Production, Erik Espera] [ADOBE TV Productions, tv.adobe.com]
Video Details
Duration: 11 minutes and 1 second
Language: English
License: All rights reserved
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Views: 117
Posted by: adobetv on Oct 7, 2010
In this episode, trainer Paul Trani shows off one of his favorite features in Flash Professional CS5: Actionscript Code Snippets. He'll show you how to use and modify existing snippets to quickly add functionality to your project, as well as creating and saving your own snippets for later use.
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No. 2 women's lacrosse returns home for 10th straight win
Sarah Bray '11 tied a career high with five goals and added an assist to lead nationally ranked No. 2 Hamilton College to a 15-6 win against William Smith College in a Liberty League women's lacrosse game at Hamilton's Steuben Field on April 22.
The Continentals (12-1 overall, 5-0 Liberty) won their 10th straight game. Hamilton has won 44 of its last 45 home games. The Continentals host the University of Rochester for another league game on Saturday, April 23.
The other time Bray scored five goals at Hamilton was on May 18, 2008, when the Continentals defeated Franklin & Marshall College 13-6 to capture the NCAA championship. She leads the team with 31 assists and 62 points. She also scooped up six ground balls and won four draw controls. Bray is one of just two players in team history with more than 100 career assists (103), and ranks second in career points with 230.
Anne Graveley '11 scored three goals and had an assist for Hamilton. Libby Schultz '12 and Rachel Friedman '13 chipped in two goals apiece. Friedman leads the team with 48 goals. She recorded four ground balls, three caused turnovers and three draw controls. Ashley Allen '12 and Mariah Monks '13 added one goal and one assist apiece. Katie D'Antonio '14 was credited with three assists, and Amy Marchesi '13 tallied her second goal this year.
Dewi Caswell '14 made five saves in her first start for the Continentals. Meg Pengue '12 led the defense with three caused turnovers, and Lauren Sokol '12 picked up five ground balls and caused two turnovers.
Six different players scored one goal for William Smith. Rosie Scheibel '12 had one goal, one assist and two caused turnovers. Scheibel is tied for the team lead with 27 goals. Callie Frelinghuysen '12 registered one goal, five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Katie Dexter '13 came off the bench to win three draws and cause two turnovers. Jesse Wilson '13 stopped seven shots.
The Herons (5-8, 3-3) led 3-2 with 17:20 left in the first half when Katherine Vesce '12 scored her 23rd goal. Hamilton countered with five straight goals to take the lead for good. Bray tied the score with 6:09 remaining, and Graveley put the Continentals in front 4-3 with 4:30 left. Bray passed to Graveley for another goal with 21 seconds remaining, and Bray made the score 6-3 on a pass from D'Antonio with 0.6 seconds showing on the clock.
Allen notched her 10th goal this year on a free-position shot for a 7-3 lead with 22:32 left in the second half. Scheibel found Emily Leahy '13 for Leahy's seventh goal to pull William Smith within three 25 seconds later. Hamilton responded with a three-goal run to take control midway through the half. Graveley scored her 20th of the year with 17:38 remaining, Schultz tallied her 19th with 16:19 left and Friedman made the score 10-4 on a free-position goal 48 seconds later.
The Continentals held a 29-16 shot advantage, and picked up 30 ground balls to 19 for the Herons. Hamilton was successful on 16 of 22 clear attempts, and William Smith was 9-for-15. The Continentals have won seven straight games between the two teams.
The Herons host Rensselaer in league action on Friday, April 29.


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Paws N Claus
November 13, 2015 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm$35.00
The Holidays are upon us and so is Paws N Claus. What a wonderful way to capture special times with your family or pets. A spectacular new set will give you a beautiful backdrop to create those family memories. This year's set will be a winter wonderland featuring a snowflake background. Gather everyone up and come on out for your holiday photo shoot. Bring the pets or leave them home and get a great people only photo!
Paws N Claus will be held on two consecutive weekends this year, Friday, November 13th through Sunday the 15th and then again Friday, November 2oth through Sunday the 22nd. That way you have twice the opportunities to get your holiday photographs and have two times the fun as well!
We invite you to bring your family, your pets, or whoever you want included in these one of a kind photographs. Professional photographers will take pictures against a beautiful new backdrop perfect for Christmas cards, holiday giving or a lifetime of memories for your enjoyment. Gift certificates for Paws n Claus sittings are also available for early holiday gift giving.
The price is still a great deal at only $35.00! What more poses? Book 2 sittings at a discounted price of $60.00! With each sitting you will receive three printed photographs and a digital CD copy of the photos for you to use however you like. To book appointments call the Shelter at 252-2614, ext. 7. Call early to get the best times available!
To schedule a sitting call 252-2614, ext. 7 from 10am to 5pm Tuesday thru Saturday or noon to 5pm Sunday.
New location site- 3301 Singing Hills Blvd, Sioux City, Iowa 51106. Former Knoepfler Auto Outlet building. Building is between Toyota and Pizza Hut on Singing Hills.


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Friday, May 26, 2006
Schools Out For Summer
Last night I was simply exhausted. I posted, I read a little, but yesterday was the first day in a long time that I didn't leave the school building with a bag of stuff to work on. It wasn't that I didn't have things to do I just felt like revolting yesterday. I guess it was the anticipation.
Last night hubby and I finally had napped long enough in our respective chairs to get up and go to bed. It dawned on me as I slid between the sheets that I would wake up to the last day of school. So I began chanting, "Last day of school. Last day of school." Hubby finally told me to go to sleep. Sometime later I felt his hand on my stomach. I woke long enough to realize I must have been snoring. So I said, "Was I snoring?"
He said, "Yeah, you were."
"What time is it?" I asked.
He said, "Twelve fifteen."
"You mean it's only been 20 minutes since we came to bed?" I felt a little silly so I started chanting again. This time I said, "Eight weeks off. Eight weeks off."
This isn't usually hubby's best time of the year. He gets a little grumpy as my summer begins because he would like to be home too. However, he knows I'm not sitting around eating bon bons all the time. I work on plans for most of the time I'm off and in July I usually go to school a couple of hours each morning to get my classroom ready.
In response to my second round of chanting hubby said, "Shut up." I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Around 1 a.m. my son came home and we woke for a bit. I did my chanting again. At least hubby laughed this time, but encouraged me to go back to sleep. Soon I heard his even breathing telling me he had drifted off. I lay there, and lay there, and lay there. Finally I started thinking about all the things I need to do to organize my classroom differently. In my mind I started in one corner and worked my way around the room. The next thing I knew it was 6 a.m. and it was the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
All in all it was a good day. I told my students about my sleepless night and how I kept bothering my husband. I told them I was so happy I felt like Snoopy doing the happy dance. I reminded them what Snoopy looks like and then we all did the happy dance together. They loved it. Luckily I'm at the end of the hall so I don't get many walk-bys. They would have thought we had lost our minds.
We gave out awards in our classrooms (fifth grade gets the big hoo-rah with a formal ceremony, as well they should), a parent brought my team and I lunch from the local Mexican restaurant, there were no fights on the playground, and they all made it to their buses and cars to go home with no major incidents.
I go back next week for post planning but the stress level will be so different. Before I left my classroom today I went ahead and moved all of my desks together and stacked my chairs in groups of four. I picked up all the broken crayons and pencils from the floor and removed all evidence of our snack and soda we had during our afternoon movie just to go ahead and give my "office" that summertime feel.
Summer projects here I come!
12 comments:
- Amerloc said...
Ahh, the Happy Dance. 'Tis indeed the season.
Non-teachers definitely do not like the fact that we have three months off, and it doesn't matter how many hours we spend working on curriculum, or even if we take part-time jobs or graduate classes. At least your husband has some sense of humor about it; my wife definitely does not. Nevertheless she manages to take advantage of it. Beginning in about April, anytime she thinks of a project that can be done around the house, she closes by saying, "After all, you have three months off." In fact, the refrain, "You have three months off!" is heard more often in our house during the spring and summer than "Remember the Alamo!" was heard during the Texas War for Independence. If I am foolish enough to let my wife find me sitting on our deck, basking in the sun and reading a book when she gets home from work, I'm reminded of a couple of lines from that old 80s song by Heart: "If looks could kill; you'd be lying on the floor!"
- EHT said...
Dennis, I guess that is the pitfall of being a male teacher. You bring up a good point about nonteachers though. Many people complain about teachers getting paid for their summer vacation. What they don't realize is our 9 months of pay is spread out over 12 months. I'm not paid for doing nothing. I'm paid in June and July for something I've already done. Not many people are willing to do that.
- NYC Educator said...
That's one exhilirating post.
I get excited just looking at the picture. This is going to be the first summer in years I haven't worked.
I can't wait.
- kontan said...
happy day! happy day! happy day! SUMMER IS HERE! last day for teachers is tomorrow. woohoo!
- Janet said...
I'm still a month behind you. Remember me, toiling away in June in Jersey.:(
- the anonymous teacher said...
my summer break started today...i will be working for the next three months; however, i get paid to play with small children at a day camp. can't complain about that one. i'll be getting paychecks to hang out and play kickball...
my boyfriend is jealous. as i've reminded him many times though, i work enough during the nine months i'm in school to more than make up for it.
- Onyx said...
Congratulations! My school year has ended and I am already preparing for the next. I spent my day at a workshop learning a new program to build a better webpage. Three months off my foot! I'll be preparing half the summer for a new class that I'll be teaching this fall.
- Mike in Texas said...
My spouse is not amused by the fact I have 3 months off.
Of course, I do become a Domestic God during that time, which satisfies her a little.
My friends don't like it either. They especially don't like it when I call and rub it in.
- EHT said...
Poor Janet! We will have to tone our enthusiasm down just a bit as we do still have colleagues out there toiling away. Sorry!
Mike, I like the Domestic God title. I'll have to try it with hubby the next time I need something done.
Yay! Congrats on completing the year!
- Deb Sistrunk Nelson said...
I love this post! May you dance all summer.


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Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon Summary
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon Review
Is the PC version of the budget priced bug blasting shooter worth a look?
Latest Updates
This week's North American PSN releases includes Remember Me
This week's North American PlayStation Network store releases includes Remember Me, while Deus Ex: Human Revolution is free for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Major Nelson reveals Marketplace content for next two weeks
Major Nelson has revealed the upcoming downloadable content from the 10th April through to the 22nd April. The biggest highlight includes the second major expansion for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Uprising.
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon on PC this holiday, new DLC packs
D3Publisher announces that Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon will be squishing whopping great bugs on PC this holiday season, and includes all previously released DLC.
There's also some new downloadable content on the way though, offering four different weapon packs with each containing ten new implements of bug slaying. 3-player co-op you say?
Driver: San Francisco demo added to US PlayStation Store
The weekly US PlayStation Store update is here and Ubisoft want the spotlight for their Driver: San Francisco demo, plus Far Cry 2 is now downloadable.
Madden NFL 12 also gets a demo. Freddy Kreuger joins the Mortal Kombat line-up as DLC, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon gets two weapon packs.
EDF: Insect Armageddon DLC now available
D3 has announced that two weapons packs are now available for Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon at Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. The two new downloadable content packs include "Pounds of Pain! The EDF Battle Armor Weapons Pack" and "Death From Above! The EDF Jet Armor Weapons Pack". Each DLC is available for 240 Microsoft Points on Marketplace, and $2.99 on PSN.


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Everything is a Remix Part 4 (2012, Kirby Ferguson, 15:26; watch it on vimeo or on YouTube)
This is the final part of this wonderful series by Kirby Ferguson, a good summary of the key points.
This one also features some well known patent trolls…
From the V.O.:
Our system of law doesn't acknowledge the derivative nature of creativity. Instead, ideas are regarded as property, as unique and original lots with distinct boundaries. But ideas aren't so tidy. They're layered, they're interwoven, they're tangled. And when the system conflicts with the reality… the system starts to fail.


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$lave wrote:Does anyone else feel like starting a petition to lock this thread?
Sure, To be honest I don't see the point of a thread which has the sole purpose of singling out and putting down another member.
$lave wrote:Does anyone else feel like starting a petition to lock this thread?
Pfhortipfhy wrote:If anyone can think of a way to "prove" that I'm not him, within reason, then I will be able to do that. I know that with photoshop and other things much proof I give can be contrived of falsification, so I'm asking you guys to come up with ways.
Shadowbreaker wrote:To be honest, when I read this post I felt an urge to put that ridiculous picture of you infront of 50 cent, but then I decided that creating such a picture for what now seems like such a worthless thread wouldnt be worth my time or anyone's bandwidth.
obbieGL wrote:Nope, I think it should be clear that we are different since I bash macs.
EDX wrote:If you hate macs, I don't think you'll like this community.
I don't own a mac, but I don't hate them. It's not like a mac cube ran into my house one day and killed my entire family...
obbieGL wrote:A giant mac cube did ram into my house and take my mom
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


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The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 12, 1919
Description: Weekly newspaper from Canadian, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: June 12, 1919
Creator: Loomis, L. P.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: Hemphill County Library


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Consistently Inconsistent: The highs and lows of Nicolas Cage
Depending on the movie in question, Nicolas Cage is either one of the best actors of his generation or a no-talent nutjob who was lucky enough to have a famous director for an uncle. While most actors experience their share of highs and lows throughout the course of their careers, Cage's filmography is like a game of Russian roulette – you never know what to expect. Granted, he's never been known for his subtlety, but even at his most outrageous, there's always a chance that he can make a movie better.
More often than not, however, it just winds up as part of some hilarious video montage for our enjoyment. Even stranger is the way that it seems to happen in cycles. These last two years have seen the actor at the top of his game with memorable roles in "Kick-Ass" and "Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans," while 2011 promises to deliver some surefire duds with "Season of the Witch" and "Drive Angry." It seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Bullz-Eye staff to put together a list of his best and worst performances, but with so many to choose from, it was a lot harder than we thought.
"Adaptation" (2002)
Charlie Kaufman has written some of the most original movies of the last decade, but "Adaptation" is probably his best thanks to an incredible (and surprisingly reserved) performance from Nicolas Cage, who plays a fictionalized version of the screenwriter as he struggles to finish the script for the very film that the audience is watching. It's all very meta like Kaufman's other movies, but what separates it from the rest is seeing Cage tackle a character that's so far off from anything he's done before. Donning a balding wig and carrying a few extra pounds, Cage is just oozing desperation as the sweaty, neurotic loner. What makes the performance even more impressive is that he does it twice – also playing Charlie's fabricated twin brother, Donald, who represents the real-life Kaufman's problems with the Hollywood system. Though they're physically identical, Donald is the complete opposite of his brother – a happy-go-lucky ladies man who's able to knock out a million-dollar script on his first try. It's a remarkable feat for an actor who tends to get a little out of control at times, and whether or not director Spike Jonze had anything to do with keeping him on a short leash, it's what ultimately makes the role one of his absolute best. – Jason Zingale
"Leaving Las Vegas" (1995)
Preparing to make the film version of the late John O'Brien's novel of boozy suicide, Nicolas Cage told Roger Ebert that he watched all the great Hollywood portrayals of alcoholics. The actor made sure that Ben Sanderson was different from all of them because he is different. To Ben, death is not an inconvenient outcome of gargantuan liquor consumption, it's a key ingredient in the cocktail. As he calmly tells Sera, his slightly less damaged prostitute love (Elisabeth Shue), his plan is to drink himself to death in a city where last call never arrives. Neither Ben, nor Mike Figgis's movie, has any interest in 12 Steps, rehab, or anything else that might extend his life. The film is an unapologetically romantic love story but not a redemption story in the usual sense, nor does Cage sell alcoholism short. From Ben romping through a supermarket liquor section in the brilliant first shot to his hyper-dramatic, gross overtures to random women, assorted humiliations, and the brutal, bluntly sexual and heartbreaking final scene with Shue, Cage shows us both the temporary fun of drunkenness and that his grief-destroyed ex-family man is suffering from a gruesome illness. We are also aware of the enormous sweetness and pain that would attract Sera, despite the obvious drawbacks of loving a suicidal drunk, and that Ben, like Cage, is a born manic entertainer. – Bob Westal
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.


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METRO VANCOUVER -- Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's quiet personal trip to Metro Vancouver for a funeral set the Canadian Twitterverse on fire late Friday night after he was written up for jaywalking near a busy Coquitlam thoroughfare.
Ford refused to comment Saturday on claims that he was drunk in a nearby pub the previous night, when he stepped out briefly from the Best Western Hotel where he's staying in Coquitlam.
He laughed when asked about the jaywalking ticket. "What jaywalking ticket?" he said, chuckling, before ducking back in the hotel. It wasn't the usual media frenzy that Ford has no doubt become accustomed to in Toronto and there was no crowd surrounding him outside the hotel.
He then came back out a few minutes later and jumped in a cab. Two men seeking an autograph from Toronto's now world-famous crack-smoking mayor asked him to roll down the window to sign something, but he refused. He also declined to answer any of The Vancouver Sun's questions regarding claims he was cited for inebriation and jaywalking.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS HERE, or if you're using a mobile app, tap the story image and swipe.
Ford spokesman Amin Massoudi confirmed Rob Ford received a jaywalking ticket on Friday night. He did not receive any other ticket or citation.
Reports emerged on social media around 10 p.m. Friday that the mayor had been sighted getting the ticket near the Foggy Dew pub, a popular student hangout at Lougheed Highway and North Road.
Several young men in the area tweeted and uploaded photos to Instagram of the mayor looking dishevelled, with several users claiming the mayor was inebriated.
North Burnaby resident Michael Spencer was driving to a nearby White Spot when he saw police lights flashing and decided to pull over and investigate.
He said Ford was "basically self aware" and was "really nice" to numerous bystanders.
"He basically let everybody take pictures with him," Spencer said. "He was kinda saying 'I might get in trouble with this...'" noting that nearby officers weren't happy with the commotion.
Famous for admitting to smoking crack while in "a drunken stupor," Ford denied reports that he was drunk.
Soon after Global BC quoted witnesses that said the mayor was drunk, he told the Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington that he was "speechless" and "in shock" at the $109 ticket for crossing the street during a red light. But the witness retracted the statement about Ford being drunk on Saturday morning.
"All I have had here is a diet coke," Ford told Warmington. He added that the whole incident was a "waste of taxpayers' money" and quipped that his love for the Denver Broncos may have got him ticketed in Seattle Seahawks country.
RCMP from both Burnaby and Coquitlam detachments have refused to comment on the incident.
A Foggy Dew employee denied reports that Ford had been partying at the establishment.
"We're at coat check and we haven't seen him," said a woman who refused to give her name.
It's been a busy week for Ford, with his sister's ex-boyfriend slapping him with a lawsuit alleging the mayor conspired to have him attacked in jail to prevent his illicit behaviours from becoming publicly known.
Scott MacIntyre alleges in the statement of claim filed Wednesday that the mayor arranged for jail staff to facilitate the beating. Video surveillance in the area had been "inexplicably disabled" before the attack and the guards stationed to watch the area didn't come to his aid, MacIntyre alleges.
As someone who formerly attended Ford family social events and gatherings, MacIntyre says he has known about Ford's "habits and lifestyle" for some time.
He was sent to jail in early 2012 after being charged with threatening the mayor, for saying he would expose his "unsavoury activities," MacIntyre says in his statement of claim.
It was there in March 2012 that he was brutally beaten, more than a year before the Toronto Star and U.S. website Gawker reported on the existence of a video appearing to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine.
"Ford's drug and alcohol abuse, and his association with criminals to facilitate his drug abuse...are long-standing," MacIntyre writes in his statement of claim.
"Ford was anxious that these matters should remain undiscovered."
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
"They're without fact or foundation," Ford's lawyer Dennis Morris said.
When questioned further if the mayor had conspired in any way to harm MacIntyre, Morris bluntly said "the answer is no."
Ford offered no comment when reporters asked him about the suit on Wednesday.
Follow me: @MikePHager


text: The AD548 is a low power, precision monolithic operational amplifier. It offers both low bias current (10 pA max, warmed up) and low quiescent current (200 µA max) and is fabricated with ion-implanted FET and laser wafer trimming technologies. Input bias current is guaranteed over the AD548's entire common-mode voltage range.


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"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests." (From Pinterest.com)
They left off that it is an awesome way to find ideas for your classroom, as well as new blogs to read. I love reading blogs by Elementary School teachers, but I follow so many that sometimes it's overwhelming. The great thing about Pinterest is that it is in picture form and if you want more information, it just links you to a website!
I could honestly stay on it for hours, but I have gotten so many awesome ideas! You should check it out if you haven't already!


text: Seahawks fans deserve something bigger and better than traditional posters, wall stickers or cheap decor. This collection of Seahawks wall art features vibrant, licensed artwork that's quick and easy to put up. If the coin flip gets your undivided attention then Seattle Seahawks Fathead wall decals and other graphics provide the ultimate expression of fan pride.


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I've been wanting to start a new feature here at Handbags + Handguns. I racked my brain to come up with the perfect mix of fabulous for you: celebs and fashion. So, today, that's exactly what you get. I introduce to you...
Hit - David & Harper Beckham
The Beckhams recently lunched together in NYC. David wore a striking grey suit. Harper wore a sweater dress in a lighter shade of grey with a white beanie and white tights. Seriously, how precious are these two?
Miss - Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain is gorgeous and usually looks great. This week, when she attended the Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture "Vanities" anniversary party, she did not get it right. The style. The print. The shoes. I don't know what girlfriend was thinking, but this is not cute. Seriously, why would you wear those shoes with that dress?
Or is it a suit? Either way, it's just wrong.
Hot Mess - Ashanti
Ashanti wore this thing to a fashion show this past week. I don't know what you'd call it other than a hot mess. It almost looks like something Cinna would have made Katniss wear in The Hunger Games to distract her competition. Ashanti, if you're listening, that's not a compliment.
Wasn't this fun?


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Robert Redford is getting back into the Washington scene with a film about a woman executed as an accessory in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Redford plans to direct "The Conspirator," the story of Mary Surratt, a boardinghouse owner hanged after she was convicted of aiding Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth.
The project follows Redford's 2007 film "Lions for Lambs," a war-on-terror drama that he directed and co-starred in with Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep.
Redford's spokesman says "The Conspirator" could begin production late this year.
The film joins another high-profile Lincoln-related saga. Steven Spielberg has the film biography "Lincoln" in development, though no production date has been set.
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