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Indianapolis Colts Car Flag|
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What a great way to show your NFL team spirit.. on your car! This easy to attach car flag has vibrant colors & features the team logo on both sides! The flag itself is 11"x15", and the pole is 20" long. Made with a sturdy nylon. Made by Fremont Die.
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Theatre Arts & Dance Gives the ol' Razzle Dazzle in 'CHICAGO The Musical'
Published: February 07, 2013 | Category: Arts
There's music, murder and mayhem when SUU's Department of Theatre Arts & Dance presents CHICAGO the Musical, which will run February 7–9 and 14–16 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.
The hilarious award-winning musical comedy will be directed by Brad Carroll, who staged the Utah Shakespeare Festival's highly successful Les Misérables.
Still running on Broadway after sixteen record-breaking years, CHICAGO the Musical features a book by theatrical legends Bob Fosse (director/choreographer of Sweet Charity and Pippin) and Fred Ebb. Lyricist Ebb and composer John Kander (Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zobra) created the musical's sizzling score.
The award-winning musical is based on the 1926 play, Chicago, by Maurine Dallas Watkins, who drew upon her experiences as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. A scintillating and satirical examination of the justice system, CHICAGO the Musical follows the exploits of would-be chorine Roxie Hart, who achieves notoriety for shooting her callous lover, and vaudevillian Velma Kelly, who killed her faithless husband and sister. Competing with each other for attention and headlines, the women soon realize that their fame is temporary and their only chance of beating the murder charges rests with slick lawyer Billy Flynn.
Sharp-witted and fast-paced, CHICAGO the Musical is highlighted by a series of show-stopping song and dance routines including the rousing "All that Jazz," the glittering "Razzle Dazzle" and scorching "Cell Block Tango." The current long-running revival in New York received six Tony Awards in 1996 and the musical's 2002 film version won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture of the Year.
There is no containing director Brad Carroll's enthusiasm for CHICAGO the Musical. "The Roaring Twenties, flappers, the Charleston, Prohibition, Al Capone. And, of course, the requisite murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation and vice. Welcome to CHICAGO the Musical, where crime is a form of entertainment and Cook County Jail is the hottest ticket in town. Still running on Broadway, it is an amazing privilege for SUU to have been granted the rights to produce CHICAGO the Musical as part of our season!"
Joining Carroll in bringing CHICAGO the Musical to the SUU stage are choreographer Kirsten Sham and musical director Gerald Rheault. The design team for the production includes set designs by Jarrod Bray, costume design by Wendy A. Sanders, lighting design by Karyn Lawrence, sound design by Nicolas Berti Inegar and hair and makeup design by Natalia Castilla. Kelli Kovach is dramaturge and Miriam Gonzalez serves as the stage manager.
The cast is headed by Samantha Smith as Roxie Hart, Jennifer Smith as Velma Kelly and Alex Allred as Billy Flynn. Samantha Smith was featured as Beth March in last year's production of Little Women. Jennifer Smith appeared in the ensemble of the Utah Shakespeare Festival's production of Les Misérables and as the Fool in SUU's 2011 production of King Lear. And Allred appeared in the comedy Almost, Maine at SUU. The cast also features Alisha Fabbi (The Music Man at the Utah Shakespeare Festival) as the scheming Matron Mama Morton, Grayson Moulton (SUU's King Lear) as the woebegone Amos Hart and R. Palmer (SUU's A Christmas Carol on the Air) as the crusading reporter Mary Sunshine. The ensemble includes Camille Anthian Bahoravitch, Dalton Burr, Tony Carter, Sharon Chen, Amanda Dayton, Josh Durfey, Joshua L. Hopkins, Taylor Holbrook, Sceri Ivers, Dustin Liechty, Nate Marble, Katelin Ruzzamenti, Carly Skankey and Chris Whiteside.
Tickets are now on sale and may also be purchased at the door. Prices are: $10 General Admission, $8 SUU Faculty/Staff, $5 Youth and free for SUU students with a valid ID. For tickets, call 435-586-7872 or purchase them at the Centrum Arena box office. Tickets may also be purchased online at suu.edu/arts. Curtain call for all showings is at 7:30 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jeffrey Gettleman, East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, examines African conflicts that have continued even without clear ideology and goals.
There is a very simple reason why some of Africa's bloodiest, most brutal wars never seem to end: They are not really wars. Not in the traditional sense, at least. The combatants don't have much of an ideology; they don't have clear goals. They couldn't care less about taking over capitals or major cities -- in fact, they prefer the deep bush, where it is far easier to commit crimes. Today's rebels seem especially uninterested in winning converts, content instead to steal other people's children, stick Kalashnikovs or axes in their hands, and make them do the killing. Look closely at some of the continent's most intractable conflicts, from the rebel-laden creeks of the Niger Delta to the inferno in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and this is what you will find.
What we are seeing is the decline of the classic African liberation movement and the proliferation of something else -- something wilder, messier, more violent, and harder to wrap our heads around. If you'd like to call this war, fine. But what is spreading across Africa like a viral pandemic is actually just opportunistic, heavily armed banditry. My job as the New York Times' East Africa bureau chief is to cover news and feature stories in 12 countries. But most of my time is spent immersed in these un-wars.
I've witnessed up close -- often way too close -- how combat has morphed from soldier vs. soldier (now a rarity in Africa) to soldier vs. civilian. Most of today's African fighters are not rebels with a cause; they're predators. That's why we see stunning atrocities like eastern Congo's rape epidemic, where armed groups in recent years have sexually assaulted hundreds of thousands of women, often so sadistically that the victims are left incontinent for life. What is the military or political objective of ramming an assault rifle inside a woman and pulling the trigger? Terror has become an end, not just a means.


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Greetings!! Well, this is my first blog, and I must say that I'm happy for this opportunity to share with you from my experiences over the years as a club DJ, a manager, a consultant and as a dance club owner/operator. My focus will be centered on trends/events in music, DJs and nightclub promotion and operation. So, let's get started….
Planning 1st Half 2011 Promotions To Increase Traffic & Make The Cash Register Ring
For 2011, I'd like to suggest that, instead of looking at each promotion you present as a single, stand alone event, you view that one event as part of a larger six-months plan for your business. And, it's important to understand how each one of those promotions fits into the overall "big picture" of your marketing scheme.
Therefore, it's very useful to view each promo as a single step in a series of activities designed to build sales vertically on a specific day. Mapping a six-month strategy allows you to see how individual promos fit together to positively influence the sales on a given day of the week. What we're suggesting: that you not only look at the calendar "horizontally"- Monday through Sunday - but also "vertically"....down through each day for 26 weeks.
What to do:
• Begin with a weekday that you identify as having potential to increase sales. For this exercise, let's pick Wednesdays.
• Establish a beginning goal. Let's assume, for this exercise, that over the past three months, the sales have been averaging $1,000 every Wednesday.
• Formula: Take the Wednesday sales for the 12-week period, total them and divide by 12 weeks.
• In the budgeting process, you established a sales goal for each Wednesday beginning with Week One on January 2. Based on the information above. Let's assume that goal was $1,000.
From there, you might set two simple goals:
A. Double sales on Wed. from $1,000 to $2,000 in 11 weeks (increase sales $100 each Wednesday over the previous week).
B. Maintain that $2,000 a week level through June 29th.
The fun part of this exercise is when you compute the additional sales over the $1,000 you were averaging before January 4. Here's a quick look at how Wednesday sales results would look for the 26 week period, beginning on January 5 and running through June 29th:
Jan. 5 - $ 1,000 - week 1
Jan. 12 - $ 1,100 - week 2
Mar. 9 - $ 1,900 - week 10
Mar. 16 - $ 2,000 - week 11
Total Sales = $16,500 - 11 Consecutive Wednesdays
Between January 5 and March 16, you can produce an additional $5,500 in sales!! That's a 65% increase over trend for Wednesdays in just 11 weeks! Add another $1,000 a week for the next 15 weeks for a total of $21,500 in additional revenue just from just one day - Wednesdays - over 6 months!
This systematic approach to building sales can produce amazing results if you plan in detail and cover all the bases.
That's where we come in. Here is our sample planner for the 1st half 2011. In this and upcoming months, we'll provide assistance in helping you to develop and work your plan, and achieve your goals. You can see the sales potential if you zero in on just 1 or 2 days. Then, with the right planning and preparation, you can make it happen!
The key here is to be organized, have a game plan. Promos are like little mini-stage productions: They need to be planned, budgeted, cast, rehearsed and directed. Just like in pro sports, each member of your team needs to know what his/her role is, what's expected of them. Ultimately, it's your team - your employees - who make the promo succeed and make the cash register ring!
On our Promotions Planner, you'll find our prototype 1st half 2011 six-month marketing plan. There are over 25 promo opportunities listed. Valentine's Day is on a Monday, so how will you take advantage of the most romantic day of the year? In March there's St. Patrick's Day, which is on a Thursday, and March Madness throughout the whole month. April presents a major opportunity for us with Administrative Professionals Week, April 24-30, and the list goes on. You might choose to use any or all of these promos in your plan and arrange them to play in the days that you feel will best suit your own needs, plus, add in a few of your own.
Here it is… our sample Six-Months Promotions Planner from January - June 2011 that will help get you started. You'll find it here at one of my resource websites.
Today's quote is from Carl Sandburg: "...Nothing happens unless first a dream." ... Keep on dreamin'....
'Til next time, I'd like to wish you good health & prosperity in 2011!


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Mission Control Center
Columbia's astronauts wrapped up their third day in space early Sunday, completing another round of work with a variety of secondary experiments as their primary payload, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, successfully passed another key milestone in its early days in orbit.
Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini conducted experiments ranging from astronomical observations with an ultraviolet telescope to cell culture studies. Investigations also included testing new materials which may one day be used to fabricate sturdier solar arrays.
Hawley collected additional data for investigators from the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS), which he trained on the moon and Venus. Tognini and Coleman, meanwhile, monitored the operation of bioprocessing hardware collecting data from a number of biological and biomedical experiments. Tognini and Coleman reported that a series of hinges constructed from new lightweight materials unfurled successfully in a demonstration of technology expected to be applied to the development of solar panels for future spacecraft.
Last night, at 8:16 p.m., controllers at the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Operations Control Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reported a successful firing of the telescope's liquid-fuel thrusters, the first of five such firings which will ultimately place Chandra in its proper scientific orbit. News of the successful maneuver was relayed to the astronauts by flight controllers in Mission Control. All of Chandra's systems are functioning normally.
Midway through the astronauts' workday, Tognini and Collins took time out to talk with the three cosmonauts aboard the Russian Space Station Mir in a ham radio hookup. Travelling some 7,700 miles apart, French astronaut Tognini offered greetings to his fellow countryman, Jean-Pierre Haignere, a European Space Agency astronaut who is in the homestretch of a six-month scientific research mission aboard Mir. Haignere, Commander Viktor Afanasayev and Flight Engineer Sergei Avdeyev are scheduled to land in their Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan on August 28.
Collins reported to flight controllers late last night that a circuit breaker associated with an electrical bus on the Shuttle had popped open during a transient short seconds after launch. Although Columbia's climb to orbit was unaffected by the short circuit, the breakers will be analyzed postflight to determine the exact cause of the problem.
Collins and Ashby also continued to provide investigators with data for a pair of experiments involving the study of exhaust vapors from the engines of space vehicles by firing reaction control system and orbital maneuvering system engines several times as Columbia passed over worldwide tracking network stations.
The astronauts will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 8:31 a.m. Central time this morning and will be awakened at 4:31 this afternoon to begin their fourth day in space. Columbia is flying smoothly, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 182 statute miles.
The next STS-93 status report will be issued late this afternoon following crew wake up, or as developments warrant.


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Joe Budden Goes In On VIBE's Best Rappers Ever List! "Prodigy Is 15.. Long Silence. You Mean To Tell Me Method Man Is A Better Rapper Than Me?. Will Smith Is 16? Mc Hammer Is 17? Juvenile Is 8? No"
Joe Budden TV reports "4 debates sake... "
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It's not very difficult to find car insurance online in Canada, but locating those that offer the most reasonable auto insurance rates can be very demanding. These tips can help you figure out how to obtain the lowest car insurance online quotes, so that you don't have to spend a fortune on your car insurance.
Provide details
As a rule, insurance companies issue higher car insurance quotes in Canada if you do not provide them with specific information regarding your zip code, marital status, car's safety features, and annual commuting miles. Always remember to include as much detail as you possibly can to ensure that none of the discounts that you qualify for are overlooked.
Shop around
Conducting a little research before making any agreement with an online car insurance company is also important, because auto insurance rates can vary as much as 300% between companies for the same coverage. Compare prices and online car insurance quotes between several companies and opt for one that incorporates the most affordable auto insurance rates. If you already have a current car insurance company that you're doing business with, find out if they offer lower rates for new customers. If so, negotiate and try to obtain the same for yourself.
Raise your deductible
Higher deductibles result in lower insurance premiums. Think, for example, if you increase your deductible on online car insurance in Canada from $250 to $500, you'd be saving a few hundred dollars on your annual premium. At the same time, it's also imperative that you do not neglect additional financial resources that can help cover the deductible in case of an accident.
Cut the miles you drive
Reducing the miles on your car can also be a very decisive factor if you want to get a cheaper online car insurance quote in Canada. This is because most insurance companies provide a low mileage discount for car owners who travel on average 40 miles or less a day. Consider a few effective methods you can employ in order to cut down on the car's mileage, such as using public transit a couple of days a week, carpooling, taking a flight or a train for vacations, and avoiding long-distance drives.
Switch drivers
The online car insurance quote may also depend on aspects regarding who the main driver of the vehicle is going to be. This is particularly useful for married couples because some companies issue lower car insurance online quotes if, for example, the female is insured on a truck and the male is insured on the minivan. And if you have teenagers in your household, it's a good idea to insure them on safer, less powerful automobiles such as the family sedan.
Anti-theft devices
Another method to obtain lower online car insurance quotes in Canada is to install anti-theft devices such as a car alarm or a tracking system on your vehicle. Since these devices reduce the chances of your car being stolen, you will get a discount from most insurance companies. Also consider attending a certified defensive-driving class, which can considerably reduce your premium for about three years.


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DOVER — Marshwood High School's emotional 2012 Maine Class A state championship wrestling win is behind them. Now the Hawks set their sights on the 2013 title.
They are in very good shape for a repeat performance.
Marshwood returns four state champions, including sophomore Cody Hughes who went 51-2 last year (undefeated in Maine) and was named the most outstanding wrestler at the Class A tournament. The three other champions returning are seniors Tyler Davidson (a three-time state champ) and Nick Janes and sophomore Jackson Howarth.
Marshwood easily won the title with 167 points, well ahead of runner-up Massabesic (109.5). Three-time defending champion Noble finished a disappointing seventh.
The key for veteran coach Matt Rix is replacing his heavier wrestlers like Nick Ricker and Jake Barrisano, who graduated.
"We've got 40 kids on the team," Rix said. "We've picked up some big kids. With the guys we lost, we're trying to fill some big holes. They're decent athletes and working hard. We're hoping to get something out of them by the end of the season."
Also back are Elliot Allen and Trevor Smith who placed second at the states, as well as Lucas Howarth who was third. Also back are Brett Gerry, William Bellottie and Dan Lizotte.
Of the four defending state champions, only Janes (who picked up his 100th career win this past Saturday on his 18th birthday) will likely stay at his same weight (145 pounds). Rix said Hughes has grown and will wrestle at 160 or 170, Davidson will be at 120 or 126 and Jackson Howarth will move up to 145 or 152.
Allen and Smith will move up to 113 and 132 or 138, respectively. Others who fit into the picture are Gerry (182), Lizotte (182, 195), Bellottie (126, 132) and Lucas Howarth (170, 182).
"Everyone is going for you when you come back as defending champ," said Rix, whose team won its first Class A title last winter since moving up in 1999. Previously the Hawks had won four championships in Class B. "You've got something to live up to."
New wrestlers who could have an impact are senior Terrence O'Brien (152, 160), junior Darren LaPointe (106), sophomore Killian Murphy (126, 132), senior Eric Pratt (220, heavyweight) and senior Logan Paulin (220, HW).
"Losses early hurt you, so you have to stay consistent," Rix added.
Rix is reenergized coaching after nearly giving it up in the wake of his son Matty's death by an apparent drug overdose in 2009. In that aftermath the team committed to Rix and the program, focusing on doing the right things.
"They picked me up," he said. "It made me realize it's a big part of who I am. It got me out of the ditches. It made me feel I had a purpose to be here. It's been a good thing."
Last year's team dedicated its season to Matty (his initials M.T.R. were on the singlets). This year's senior class was incoming when Matty died, so the connection continues.
Moving ahead, coach Rix is taking classes to be a substance abuse counselor.
Marshwood hosts Westbrook Wednesday. Varsity matches start at 6:15 p.m.
Over in Noble, the Knights will try to shake off one if its worst seasons in recent memory. Only five wrestlers advanced to the Class A states last winter and though four placed, none made a final. Two return in junior Bill Gagner, who was third at 106, and Jon Badger, third at 170.
"It was a long season," said veteran Noble coach Kip DeVoll. "We were hit with discipline and grade issues, and we never recovered."
Gagner (113) and Badger (170) lead a young team, which has had early success with wins at three tournaments in Bath and Brewer, Maine, and this past weekend in St. Johnsbury, Vt.
Eight of the 14 starters are either freshmen or sophomores.
Other returning wrestlers are Jake Guimond (182), Joe Grenier (152) and Bruce Goodrich, who will wrestle anywhere from 160 to 195; Joe Langley (106), Wiley Lessard (132, 138) and Jesse McNally (138, 145).
Four freshman who are looking good are Otto Keisker (145), Devin Bourque (126), James Hogg (132) and Hunter Smith (195).
DeVoll says everyone is still chasing Marshwood.
"They're the team to beat," he said. "It's a goal for us to get to the level they're at. ... Usually we're being hunted. This is good for the freshmen. They need to know what it's like to work for something."
DeVoll said he is not going to overstate his team's goals. They need to stay healthy and eligible, but he feels if that happens they can be a top-five team come February.
"We need to try and keep improving," he said.
Noble has won 11 of the last 14 Class A state titles, including eight straight from 1999 to 2006.


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Thai chicken curry
Learn how to make an authentic-tasting Thai curry with this step-by-step recipe
Nutrition and extra info
- kcal-
- fat-
- saturates-
- carbs-
- sugars-
- fibre-
- protein-
- salt-
- 2 shallots, or 1 small onion
Related to the onion (as opposed to being a younger version of it), shallots grow in clusters at…
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3-4 tsp red Thai curry paste
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
Fish sauce
A seasoning often used in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. In Vietnam it is usually made from shrimp…
- 1 tsp sugar, brown is best
Honey and syrups made from concentrated fruit juice were the earliest known sweeteners. Today,…
- 4 freeze-dried kaffir lime leaves
The same shape, but smaller than…
- 400ml can coconut milk
A large hairy, brown nut that grows on the coconut tree, found throughout the world's…
- 20g pack fresh coriander
Peel shallots or onion and cut in half from top to root. Lay the cut sides flat on a board and thinly slice. Very finely slice the lemongrass, starting at the thinner end, stopping towards the base when it gets tough (often described as 'woody' and white in the centre).
Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan for a couple of minutes until the oil separates (it looks more liquid at this point). Add the shallots or onion. Fry for 3-5 mins, until soft and translucent. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min, stirring all the time.
Add chicken pieces and stir until they are coated. Add the lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins until the chicken is cooked. Stir the curry a few times while it cooks, to stop it sticking and to keep the chicken submerged.
While the chicken is cooking, strip the leaves from the coriander stalks, gather into a pile and chop very roughly. Taste the curry and add a little more curry paste and salt if you think it needs it. Stir half the coriander into the curry and sprinkle the rest over the top. Serve with Thai jasmine or basmati rice.
Recipe Tip
Not quite what you're looking for?Check out our other curry recipes, or browse our chicken favourites.
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Comments, questions and tips
- Step 1Prepare ingredients
Prepare the shallots (or onion) and lemongrass.
- Step 2Start cooking
Fry the onion or shallots plus curry paste.
- Step 3Add the flavourings
Add the chicken, followed by the sugar, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk.
- Step 4Finishing off
Chop the coriander leaves and serve with the curry, along with rice.


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Apple releases iTunes 10.5.3 with iBooks 2 textbook syncing
The new version of iTunes is available for download direct from Apple. It is a 102.15MB installer for Mac OS X, 66.11MB for Windows 32-bit, and 67.98MB for Windows 64-bit.
"iTunes 10.5.3 allows you to sync interactive textbooks to your iPad," Apple's description reads. "These Multi-Touch textbooks are available for purchase from the iTunes Store on your Mac or from the iBookstore included with iBooks 2 on your iPad."
The release of iTunes 10.5.3 comes as Apple on Thursday launched the new iBooks 2 for iPad. The major focus of iBooks 2 are new digital titles for education that Apple hopes will reinvent the textbook.
Apple's e-textbooks are much less expensive than their paper-based counterparts, priced at $14.99 or less from major publishers like McGraw Hill, Pearson, and DK Publishing. The digital titles are interactive and allow students and teachers new functionality like videos, slideshows and multiple-choice quizzes.
The creation of iBooks for iPad has also been greatly simplified with Apple's new iBooks Author tool for Mac OS X. The new, free software available on the Mac App Store can take a file like a Word document and turn it into text formatted for iBooks 2.


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November 07, 2013
LAWT News Service
To support the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) based academy, Walton Middle School opened the doors of its new Hewlett Packard (HP) STEM Computer Exploration Laboratory, Wednesday, October 30. Through its partnership with HP's "Adopt a School" pilot program and nonprofit SEED Foundation, the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) middle school's computer lab received 22 new HP laptop computers and large flat screen monitor for interactive instruction. Over 30 additional laptops will arrive before the year's end.
Additionally, HP and SEED Foundation will continue to upgrade the school's technology according to need, in the years to come. Grand opening festivities featured students marching around their school with banners thanking HP for their donation, a special assembly, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Special guests included CUSD Board of Trustees Vice-President Margie Garrett; Board Clerk Satra Zurita, Legislative Representative Skyy D. Fisher; Board Members Marjorie Shipp and Mae Thomas; Superintendent Darin Brawley; Walton Principal Rose Marie Hickman; SEED Foundation Representative Sharon Seymore; and HP representatives including Global Resiliency Manager and Consultant Carol Earley; George Pimentel, team lead and customer engineer; and Alex Bravo, PPS ambassador and HP field tech.
Board of Trustees Vice-President Garrett praised HP for supplying Walton with new laptops.
"Thank you so much to our partners at Hewlett Packard…This couldn't have happened without their generous donations," she said. "STEM is the main focus here. We want our students to be engaged with what they're learning. This computer lab will help them do that."
Superintendent Darin Brawley expressed the District's gratitude for their partners' support in creating the new computer lab. "I want to thank the HP family and Sharon Seymore. This is a tremendous step forward as it pertains to our vision for moving our schools forward," he said.
Brawley added that CUSD's partnership with HP and Seed Foundation also signals its efforts to revitalize all of its middle schools through STEM or STEAM academies. "At Compton Unified we've forged a vision for STEAM, which includes the arts, in our middle schools. Walton already has a great foundation for teaching environmental science, so we wanted to build on that," he said. "The way we've been doing schools is about to change drastically. By the time our students leave CUSD, we expect them to either go to college or take opportunities in career technical education."
SEED Foundation's Sharon Seymore said she was inspired to reach out to HP's Carol Earley after discussing Walton's STEM Academy plans with Superintendent Brawley. "I thought what a wonderful opportunity to really invest in lives like yours," she said to Walton's students.
Seymore added that HP and Seed Foundation's support for their school will continue beyond the creation of the new computer lab. "We will collaborate with Walton to see what other areas we can work on to enhance its STEM academy. I understand they teach environmental science, so we will reach out to organizations that can support that program," she said. "My job is to connect the school with partners that can help them achieve that."


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Hebbian theory
Hebbian theory is a neuroscientific theory claiming that an increase in synaptic efficacy arises from a presynaptic cell's repeated and persistent stimulation of a postsynaptic cell. It is an attempt to explain synaptic plasticity, the adaptation of brain neurons during the learning process. It was introduced by Donald Hebb in his 1949 book The Organization of Behavior.[1] The theory is also called Hebb's rule, Hebb's postulate, and cell assembly theory. Hebb states it as follows:
Let us assume that the persistence or repetition of a reverberatory activity (or "trace") tends to induce lasting cellular changes that add to its stability. ... When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite a cell B and repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A's efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased.[1]
The theory is often summarized as "Cells that fire together wire together."[2] However, Hebb emphasized that cell A needs to "take part in firing" cell B, and such causality can occur only if cell A fires just before, not at the same time as, cell B. This aspect of causation in Hebb's work foreshadowed what is now known about spike-timing-dependent plasticity, which requires temporal precedence.[3]
The theory attempts to explain associative or Hebbian learning, in which simultaneous activation of cells leads to pronounced increases in synaptic strength between those cells. It also provides a biological basis for errorless learning methods for education and memory rehabilitation. In the study of neural networks in cognitive function, it is often regarded as the neuronal basis of unsupervised learning.
Hebbian engrams and cell assembly theory[edit]
Hebbian theory concerns how neurons might connect themselves to become engrams. Hebb's theories on the form and function of cell assemblies can be understood from the following:[1]:70
The general idea is an old one, that any two cells or systems of cells that are repeatedly active at the same time will tend to become 'associated' so that activity in one facilitates activity in the other.
Hebb also wrote:[1]:63
When one cell repeatedly assists in firing another, the axon of the first cell develops synaptic knobs (or enlarges them if they already exist) in contact with the soma of the second cell.
Gordon Allport posits additional ideas regarding cell assembly theory and its role in forming engrams, along the lines of the concept of auto-association, described as follows:
If the inputs to a system cause the same pattern of activity to occur repeatedly, the set of active elements constituting that pattern will become increasingly strongly interassociated. That is, each element will tend to turn on every other element and (with negative weights) to turn off the elements that do not form part of the pattern. To put it another way, the pattern as a whole will become 'auto-associated'. We may call a learned (auto-associated) pattern an engram.[4]:44
Hebbian theory has been the primary basis for the conventional view that, when analyzed from a holistic level, engrams are neuronal nets or neural networks.
Work in the laboratory of Eric Kandel has provided evidence for the involvement of Hebbian learning mechanisms at synapses in the marine gastropod Aplysia californica.[citation needed]
Experiments on Hebbian synapse modification mechanisms at the central nervous system synapses of vertebrates are much more difficult to control than are experiments with the relatively simple peripheral nervous system synapses studied in marine invertebrates. Much of the work on long-lasting synaptic changes between vertebrate neurons (such as long-term potentiation) involves the use of non-physiological experimental stimulation of brain cells. However, some of the physiologically relevant synapse modification mechanisms that have been studied in vertebrate brains do seem to be examples of Hebbian processes. One such study[which?] reviews results from experiments that indicate that long-lasting changes in synaptic strengths can be induced by physiologically relevant synaptic activity working through both Hebbian and non-Hebbian mechanisms.
From the point of view of artificial neurons and artificial neural networks, Hebb's principle can be described as a method of determining how to alter the weights between model neurons. The weight between two neurons increases if the two neurons activate simultaneously, and reduces if they activate separately. Nodes that tend to be either both positive or both negative at the same time have strong positive weights, while those that tend to be opposite have strong negative weights.
The following is a formulaic description of Hebbian learning: (many other descriptions are possible)
where is the weight of the connection from neuron to neuron and the input for neuron . Note that this is pattern learning (weights updated after every training example). In a Hopfield network, connections are set to zero if (no reflexive connections allowed). With binary neurons (activations either 0 or 1), connections would be set to 1 if the connected neurons have the same activation for a pattern.
Another formulaic description is:
where is the weight of the connection from neuron to neuron , is the number of training patterns, and the th input for neuron . This is learning by epoch (weights updated after all the training examples are presented). Again, in a Hopfield network, connections are set to zero if (no reflexive connections).
A variation of Hebbian learning that takes into account phenomena such as blocking and many other neural learning phenomena is the mathematical model of Harry Klopf.[5] Klopf's model reproduces a great many biological phenomena, and is also simple to implement.
Generalization and stability[edit]
Hebb's rule is often generalized as
or the change in the th synaptic weight is equal to a learning rate times the th input times the postsynaptic response . Often cited is the case of a linear neuron,
and the previous section's simplification takes both the learning rate and the input weights to be 1. This version of the rule is unstable, as in any network with a dominant signal the synaptic weights will increase or decrease exponentially. However, it can be shown that for any neuron model, Hebb's rule is unstable.[6] Therefore, network models of neurons usually employ other learning theories such as BCM theory, Oja's rule,[7] or the generalized Hebbian algorithm.
Hebbian learning of intrinsic excitability[edit]
Neurons also exhibit plasticity in their intrinsic excitability (intrinsic plasticity).
Despite the common use of Hebbian models for long-term potentiation, there exist several exceptions to Hebb's principles and examples that demonstrate that some aspects of the theory are oversimplified. One of the most well-documented of these exceptions pertains to how synaptic modification may not simply occur only between activated neurons A and B, but to neighboring neurons as well.[8] This is due to how Hebbian modification depends on retrograde signaling in order to modify the presynaptic neuron.[9] The compound most commonly identified as fulfilling this retrograde transmitter role is nitric oxide, which, due to its high solubility and diffusibility, often exerts effects on nearby neurons.[10] This type of diffuse synaptic modification, known as volume learning, counters, or at least supplements, the traditional Hebbian model.[11]
Hebbian learning account of mirror neurons[edit]
Hebbian learning and spike-timing-dependent plasticity have been used in an influential theory of how mirror neurons emerge.[12][13] Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when the individual sees[14] or hears[15] another perform a similar action. The discovery of these neurons has been very influential in explaining how individuals make sense of the actions of others, by showing that, when a person perceives the actions of others, the person activates the motor programs which they would use to perform similar actions. The activation of these motor programs then adds information to the perception and helps predict what the person will do next based on the perceiver's own motor program. A challenge has been to explain how individuals come to have neurons that respond both while performing an action and while hearing or seeing another perform similar actions.
Christian Keysers and David Perrett suggested that as an individual performs a particular action, the individual will see, hear, and feel the performing of the action. These re-afferent sensory signals will trigger activity in neurons responding to the sight, sound, and feel of the action. Because the activity of these sensory neurons will consistently overlap in time with those of the motor neurons that caused the action, Hebbian learning predicts that the synapses connecting neurons responding to the sight, sound, and feel of an action and those of the neurons triggering the action should be potentiated. The same is true while people look at themselves in the mirror, hear themselves babble, or are imitated by others. After repeated experience of this re-afference, the synapses connecting the sensory and motor representations of an action are so strong that the motor neurons start firing to the sound or the vision of the action, and a mirror neuron is created.
Evidence for that perspective comes from many experiments that show that motor programs can be triggered by novel auditory or visual stimuli after repeated pairing of the stimulus with the execution of the motor program (for a review of the evidence, see Giudice et al., 2009[16]). For instance, people who have never played the piano do not activate brain regions involved in playing the piano when listening to piano music. Five hours of piano lessons, in which the participant is exposed to the sound of the piano each time they press a key is proven sufficient to trigger activity in motor regions of the brain upon listening to piano music when heard at a later time.[17] Consistent with the fact that spike-timing-dependent plasticity occurs only if the presynaptic neuron's firing predicts the post-synaptic neuron's firing,[18] the link between sensory stimuli and motor programs also only seem to be potentiated if the stimulus is contingent on the motor program.
See also[edit]
- Dale's principle
- Coincidence detection in neurobiology
- Leabra
- Metaplasticity
- Tetanic stimulation
- Synaptotropic hypothesis
- Neuroplasticity
- ^ a b c d Hebb, D.O. (1949). The Organization of Behavior. New York: Wiley & Sons.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ^ Siegrid Löwel, Göttingen University; The exact sentence is: "neurons wire together if they fire together" (Löwel, S. and Singer, W. (1992) Science 255 (published January 10, 1992) "Selection of Intrinsic Horizontal Connections in the Visual Cortex by Correlated Neuronal Activity". Science Magazine. United States: American Association for the Advancement of Science. pp. 209–212. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ Caporale N; Dan Y (2008). "Spike timing-dependent plasticity: a Hebbian learning rule". Annual Review of Neuroscience. 31: 25–46. doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.31.060407.125639. PMID 18275283.
- ^ Allport, D.A. (1985). "Distributed memory, modular systems and dysphasia". In Newman, S.K.; Epstein R. (eds.). Current Perspectives in Dysphasia. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-443-03039-0.
- ^ Klopf, A. H. (1972). Brain function and adaptive systems—A heterostatic theory. Technical Report AFCRL-72-0164, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, Bedford, MA.
- ^ Euliano, Neil R. (1999-12-21). "Neural and Adaptive Systems: Fundamentals Through Simulations" (PDF). Wiley. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ^ Shouval, Harel (2005-01-03). "The Physics of the Brain". The Synaptic basis for Learning and Memory: A theoretical approach. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ Horgan, John (May 1994). "Neural eavesdropping". Scientific American. 270 (5): 16. Bibcode:1994SciAm.270e..16H. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0594-16. PMID 8197441.
- ^ Fitzsimonds, Reiko; Mu-Ming Poo (January 1998). "Retrograde Signaling in the Development and Modification of Synapses". Physiological Reviews. 78 (1): 143–170. doi:10.1152/physrev.19184.108.40.206. PMID 9457171.
- ^ López, P; C.P. Araujo (2009). "A computational study of the diffuse neighbourhoods in biological and artificial neural networks" (PDF). International Joint Conference on Computational Intelligence.
- ^ Mitchison, G; N. Swindale (October 1999). "Can Hebbian Volume Learning Explain Discontinuities in Cortical Maps?". Neural Computation. 11 (7): 1519–1526. doi:10.1162/089976699300016115. PMID 10490935.
- ^ Keysers C; Perrett DI (2004). "Demystifying social cognition: a Hebbian perspective". Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 8 (11): 501–507. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2004.09.005. PMID 15491904.
- ^ Keysers, C. (2011). The Empathic Brain.
- ^ Gallese V; Fadiga L; Fogassi L; Rizzolatti G (1996). "Action recognition in the premotor cortex". Brain. 119 (Pt 2): 593–609. doi:10.1093/brain/119.2.593. PMID 8800951.
- ^ Keysers C; Kohler E; Umilta MA; Nanetti L; Fogassi L; Gallese V (2003). "Audiovisual mirror neurons and action recognition". Exp Brain Res. 153 (4): 628–636. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.387.3307. doi:10.1007/s00221-003-1603-5. PMID 12937876.
- ^ Del Giudice M; Manera V; Keysers C (2009). "Programmed to learn? The ontogeny of mirror neurons" (PDF). Dev Sci. 12 (2): 350–363. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00783.x. hdl:2318/133096. PMID 19143807.
- ^ Lahav A; Saltzman E; Schlaug G (2007). "Action representation of sound: audiomotor recognition network while listening to newly acquired actions". J Neurosci. 27 (2): 308–314. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4822-06.2007. PMC 6672064. PMID 17215391.
- ^ Bauer EP; LeDoux JE; Nader K (2001). "Fear conditioning and LTP in the lateral amygdala are sensitive to the same stimulus contingencies". Nat Neurosci. 4 (7): 687–688. doi:10.1038/89465. PMID 11426221.
Further reading[edit]
- Hebb, D.O. (1961). "Distinctive features of learning in the higher animal". In J. F. Delafresnaye (ed.). Brain Mechanisms and Learning. London: Oxford University Press.
- Hebb, D. O. (1940). "Human Behavior After Extensive Bilateral Removal from the Frontal Lobes". Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry. 44 (2): 421–438. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1940.02280080181011.
- Bishop, C.M. (1995). Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-853849-3.
- Paulsen, O.; Sejnowski, T. J. (2000). "Natural patterns of activity and long-term synaptic plasticity". Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 10 (2): 172–179. doi:10.1016/S0959-4388(00)00076-3. PMC 2900254. PMID 10753798.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links[edit]
- Overview
- Hebbian Learning tutorial (Part 1: Novelty Filtering, Part 2: PCA)


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Ray J's Half Brother "C-Dove" Responds To Brandy's Comments! "You Should Of Acknowledge That You Have A Half Brother" [Audio]
C-Dove calls up Lip Service. Shade 45
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Selected Thoughts in Memory of Allan D. Olmsted
Dr. James Frideres and Dr. Merlin Brinkerhoff, University of Calgary
Al was born and raised on a farm in Southern Saskatchewan where he attended a rural school. Upon completion of grade 12, he enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan where he received both his Bachelor and Master of Arts in Sociology. His Masters was done under the supervision of the well-known rural sociologist, Dr. Richard Duwors. While attending the University of Saskatchewan, Al met and married Noreen, a trained nurse. They had two sons.
Al was accepted for doctoral studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. While there, he served as a Teaching Assistant in several classes. He gained recognition for his work in the classroom; being honoured with the designation of Distinction. While at the University of Washington, Al also found himself involved with The Population Laboratory where he participated in several census projects at the municipal, county and state levels. Again, he was well respected for his work and he became a supervisor of the Lab.
Al studied under the mentorship of several very well-known and respected sociologists at the University of Washington. Among them were Drs. Otto Larsen, William Catton, Tom Barth and Frank Miyamoto. Al concentrated his scholarly work on areas such as Mass Communications, Collective Behaviour, Race Relations and Community. His doctoral dissertation was completed under the supervision of Professor Larsen.
In 1967, Al attended the American Sociological Association Annual Meetings in San Francisco where fortuitously he learned that the University of Calgary was interviewing applicants for open positions. He interviewed with Dr. Richard Ossenberg, Acting Head of Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at that time. Al was offered a position, and joined the Department at the University of Calgary in July 1968. By that time, Al's mentor from the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Richard Duwors, had been appointed Head of Department at the University of Calgary.
Al taught a wide offering of undergraduate courses ranging from Introductory, Social Psychology, Collective Behaviour, Mass Communications and Community among others. Over the years, Al proved to be an excellent teacher who was appreciated by many of his students. One of Al's classroom characteristics, for which he became well known, was his frequent use of examples taken from his life as a farm boy in Saskatchewan and his lectures were replete with Saskatchewan stories. Al's message to his students, passed on in a variety of guises, was that they should never doubt for a minute that they could do whatever they wanted. All they had to do was to believe in themselves.
During his career in the Department, Al became part of a team of sociologists who were among the pioneers in the investigation of environmental sociology. He and his colleagues were very much involved in "environmental and social impact analysis" based on their backgrounds in community sociology. Their work paved the way for the introduction of new legislation in Alberta focusing on the need for "environmental/social impact assessments" that are now so common. This endeavour and expertise preceded today's penchant for environmental impact studies required by many engaged in project development, i.e., Al and his colleagues were true pioneers. Their applied sociology led them to building important, lasting relationships with companies in the private sector as well as with Government agencies. One of Al's major contributions to his chosen field was that of applying his knowledge to real problems and as a result, a significant portion of his research resulted in "consulting reports" to Government and the private sector. Al was well known for his expertise in providing insights about the nature and complexity of communities while at the same time carry out excellent field work.
Among his colleagues at the University, Al served as the central figure in "the hot stove league" where people found themselves gathered in his office discussing hockey, football, hunting, fishing and politics. Al was a fountain of information. Al was constantly engaged in the reading of novels and was extremely well-read in contemporary literature. He also was an avid collector of guns and published several papers on the sociological aspects of "collectors" and the implications of those activities. Al also enjoyed hunting game birds in Alberta as well as returning to rural Saskatchewan in pursuit of whitetail deer. In the summers, one would find Al fishing streams and the occasional lake with some of his colleagues.
University of Calgary Notice: http://soci.ucalgary.ca/news/department-sociology-saddened-note-passing-dr-al-olmsted


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Roberto Osuna
Roberto Osuna is a Mexican pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He started playing professional baseball in Mexico at just 15 years of age. Roberto was signed by the Blue Jays out of Mexico as a 16-year-old, and played 3 seasons in their minor league organization. He's the youngest player to ever play for the Blue Jays and also the youngest pitcher to ever win a game for the team.
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WOODBINE, Ga. – Deputies have arrested a man they said stole multiple items totaling more than $10,000 from six Walmart stores in South Carolina.
Camden County Sheriff's Office say 36-year-old Brian O'Neal Williams of Green Cove Springs has been charged with theft by bringing stolen property into the state after he stole $10,780.52 worth of merchandise.
Williams was pulled over Tuesday after deputies say he made an improper lane change in his silver Dodge Charger on I-95 southbound. A deputy asked for permission to search Williams's vehicle.
Deputies said Williams denied the request to search his car, at which time a sergeant performed a free air search around the vehicle with his K-9. The dog alerted on the vehicle it was searched.
Inside the Charger, deputies said they found small traces of marijuana and two plastic bins filled merchandise inside of his vehicle.
The items in the bins, according to deputies, were Gillette razors, Nicorette Lozenges and gum, 5-Hour energy drink, Mucinex, Claritin, Zantac, Crest White Strips, Prevacid, Olay Skin Cream, Phillips Sonicare toothbrushes, a 16-piece china set, pet clippers, and a 31-pound bag of dog food.
When asked if Williams had receipts for the items found, Williams said he bought them from an "Arab guy" at the flea market on Lane Avenue in Jacksonville, according to deputies.
Deputies said they learned from the passenger that Williams may have stolen the items from Wal-Mart stores in South Carolina. When they checked the GPS unit in the vehicle, they were able to identify it came from a Wal-Mart in Charleston.
A stop loss specialist agreed to check the store's video security system. With no additional information and not knowing how long it would take the Wal-Mart employee to make contact, deputies said Williams was set free.
Shortly after Williams left the scene, a deputy said they received a message on their cell phone that contained photos of Williams in the Wal-Mart store, and confirmed that a large number of items were missing.
The deputy stopped Williams again and placed him under arrest.
On Wednesday, a Wal-Mart employee came to the Camden County Substation to pick up the stolen items. She ran the items through her scanner at Wal-Mart, and the total for the stolen items came out to be $10,780.52.
The Wal-Mart employee said the investigation led by deputies revealed that Williams attempted to steal items at six different Wal-Mart stores in South Carolina.
Williams allegedly began at around midnight on Tuesday at Buford, proceeded to Hardeeville, Walterboro, Summerville and then to two stores in North Charleston.
Deputies said Williams stole the items by placing them in the plastic containers and then purchasing the containers at the self-checkout registers.
Investigators said they believe that after the thefts, Williams picked up the passenger and heading south towards Florida. Deputies said the passenger is not a suspect in the thefts and was not arrested.


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Hello all
I wondered whether or not you might be able to help. The greave below is almost roughed out and is based on three different greek greaves for a customer who plans to wear them as a Roman gladiator, so the history for it is a little stretched to say the least. However, I am starting to plan for some greek kit to add to my portfolio and wondered whether anyone can help by eaiethr recommending some books or websites that specifically include or talk about the armour worn by the soldiers of the various Greek periods, importantly I am looking for the thigh, forearm and upper arm defences as I have seen some very small images of what appear to be beautifully made defences for these areas that don't appear regularly among reenactors or the sources I am reading?
Can you help at all?
As ever I welcome criticism, thoughts or comments about the kit below, but I simply didn't want to turn up empty handed and ask you to give me information
Kindest regards
Greek(ish) greave
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Many techniques exist to measure the surface energy between a liquid and a liquid or a liquid and a gas (see e.g. the wiki page).
Methods to measure the surface energy between a solid and a fluid are rare, but still there is a method developed by Zisman (see e.g. here) that allows you to at least estimate it by extrapolation for solid/gas or solid/liquid, depending on the environment that you use in your experiment
What I wonder: is there a method to measure the surface energy between two non-elastic solids?
One option I could think of is that you could melt one of the solids and then use the technique of Zisman, but this will limit your knowledge to high temperature surface energy, whereas the ones at low temperature are the thing you are typically interested in.
EDIT: just for future reference, this is a study on surface energies between 2 solids, but with 1 being highly elastic


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There's a moment you'll experience while watching Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut when Frank the giant rabbit whispers, as if into your ear, "Watch closely." Ostensibly, the disturbingly insect-masked bunny is talking to the film's reluctant hero, Donnie, but he's really speaking directly to you, yes you, the audience member, and let's get right down to it, it's not really a huge rabbit telling you to watch closely—it's the film's director, Richard Kelly, cluing you in on just one of the little bits of his sci-fi head-scratcher that will surely open up the film's meaning to you. Trouble is, I don't know of anyone—particularly Donnie Darko's fervent and vocal fans—who ever requested that the film's weirdly appealing and nutty sci-fi mysteries be so baldly spelled out.
If you've never seen Donnie Darko and the notion of a large talking rabbit is bewildering, perhaps you ought to go out right now and buy the previous DVD version of Donnie Darko, which has been available for a few years now, and let this minor cult classic squirm its way through your brain as Kelly originally intended back when the film debuted to wowed audiences at Sundance 2001. That's the inscrutable little film that immediately began building an improbable cult audience, a legion of geek-cool thinkers puzzling out Donnie Darko's funky riddles and getting all nostalgic about its curious 1980s setting and soundtrack. There's a strange comfort in the original version's refusal to give out any logical answers—or, in some aspects, any answers at all. I find Donnie Darko to be endlessly fascinating in its original form, an affecting little teen comedy that explodes into a nearly impenetrable time-travel mindfuck. I can watch it over and over again, not really to attempt to piece together its quandaries but rather to gape at the audacity of it all.
I'm still sorting out my thoughts about this new version, Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut. On the one hand, I acknowledge that the theatrical version—yes, it was in theaters for mere moments in late 2001, but its pivotal image of a jet engine falling from the sky didn't digest well at the time—can be maddeningly obtuse, steadfastly dodging your understanding for the simple reason that what's really happening in the film is only barely glimpsed. Underneath this story of engaging characters and increasingly odd nightmare moments is a blurrily complex, fragmented time-travel understory threaded with pseudo-science and Richard Kelly brainfarts. You get the feeling that Kelly grasps the out-there fantasy that's holding his story together, and a part of you wants to know those answers and understand how all the film's facets click together. On the other hand, the joy of watching the original cut of Donnie Darko comes from simply letting it crash against you and through you, all odd angles and black-humor riddles and hints at huge, ridiculous truths. And after seeing this new director's cut, and getting a more clear look into the mad psyche of its creator, I know that, no, I never really needed these answers, I never needed these extra scenes and explanations. Frankly, with its goofy comic-book explanations and its tendency to direct your attention to narrative clues, the Director's Cut diminishes Donnie Darko—but only a little.
Although I strongly recommend seeing the original theatrical version first, either DVD offers a film worthy of study. I fear I've made Donnie Darko sound like a convoluted disaster, and in fact many of the film's detractors consider it to be just that, but this is an intriguing film despite its unwillingness to follow a clear narrative path. Yes, it involves a parallel dimension and the specter of time travel, and the fate of the entire universe depends on its resolution, but hey, just think of it as a teen flick that goes spectacularly wrong. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes one morning on a mountain road, disoriented, with the sudden knowledge—thanks to the aforementioned rabbit—that the world will end in 28 days. In his absence from his quiet suburban home, a massive jet engine has fallen mysteriously from the sky onto his empty bed. Donnie and his slightly dysfunctional family—mom (a contemplative Mary McDonnell), dad (a hilarious Holmes Osborne), older sis (real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal), and younger sis (Daveigh Chase)—get on with their lives, but it's soon apparent that something's askew with the world. We won't realize it until later, perhaps even in a second or third viewing, but the remainder of Donnie Darko's central plot takes place in a tangent reality, the purpose of which is vital to Donnie's fate and the fate of the universe. Don't worry, it's all in good fun.
Central to the story is an '80s-tinged teen romance that develops between Donnie and the new girl in school, Gretchen Ross (an adorable Jena Malone), who has her own dark problems—and perhaps those are entwined with the fate of the universe as well. Also tied up in the mystery is repellent self-help guru Jim Cunningham (a perfectly cast Patrick Swayze), who isn't what he seems. A pair of Donnie's teachers, Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore, who also helped produce the film) and Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle), play larger roles in the story than you think at first. And we can't forget the ever-present Frank (James Duval), the giant rabbit who becomes the film's central motivator and the key to its sprawling mysteries. I should probably also mention Grandma Death, or rather Roberta Sparrow, the local hag who long ago penned a book called The Philosophy of Time Travel and who is now also vitally important to Donnie's task. But see, now I'm regretting having told so much about this movie, which is best experienced fresh, so that you can appreciate its dark-humor charms and its gawky sci-fi carelessness.
What I love about Donnie Darko is that it avoids all the narrative impulses to go the straightforward route. Its storytelling is unique in that it asks you to bring whatever you want to it. If you want to watch it for its quirky teen comedy and just let the nightmare moments fall to the side, it's more than happy to accommodate you. If you want to delve into its riddles, it'll take you up on the challenge quite playfully. It's a movie that's alive in a way that's pretty rare, and it's one of the few movies I can watch regularly, gleaning more from it each time. Its tone is lively and engaging, and yet it confounds you time and again. The original theatrical cut is the version I will continue to rewatch, simply because I feel that the director's cut tries to spell out too much that's better left to the imagination.
Having said that, I'm glad I experienced this new director's cut, in the spirit that its director has intended it. Kelly, in his commentary, refers to the new cut as "an extended remix," not as any sort of preferred cut. In fact, he admits that the theatrical cut is his preferred cut. This is an alternate Donnie Darko for those who require further clues about the film's mystery—and there's nothing wrong with admitting that you need those clues. As I've said, the original version is inscrutable without supplemental information. Indeed, the film's official Web site contains a lot of the information that appears in this cut, namely the excerpts from Grandma Death's absurd Philosophy of Time Travel tome that define what's going on and when. What this director's cut provides, finally, is all that information within the film, where, some may argue, it actually belongs. I don't necessarily agree, but Donnie Darko remains a fun, oddball ride in either incarnation.
The Donnie Darko: Director's Cut includes about 21 minutes of additional scenes and some alterations to the soundtrack. Pages from Grandma Death's Philosophy of Time Travel—previously available at the DonnieDarko.com Web site—have also been inserted between and over scenes, disrupting the narrative but explaining plot/character points. Many of these scenes were available as deleted scenes on the original DVD. Here are the changes:
WARNING: By necessity, spoilers follow.
Fox presents Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut in a disappointing anamorphic-widescreen transfer of the film's original 2.35:1 theatrical presentation. I say "disappointing" because although it's quite watchable, I feel it could be much improved. If you're familiar with the look of the originally released DVD—a passable if frustratingly muddy effort—you're in for more of the same. I had fully expected this new release to correct some visual wrongs of the previous release, and perhaps brighten and sharpen a wanting image, but unfortunately this appears to be the same transfer. Detail is merely okay, but with each passing frame, you'll wish that the image offered improved clarity. Fine detail is mostly lost in a smeared haze. Backgrounds are too soft and noisy. The color palette is, again, muddy and indistinct. Blacks aren't particularly profound.
As a result of these flaws, Donnie Darko looks like a neglected film, a movie that's been treated poorly. It doesn't help that digital artifacts crop up here and there. I noticed minor edge halos and digital instability. The entire look is low-rent.
The DVD offers a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that's quite involving. Leaving aside the soundtrack modifications mentioned above, the track is similar to that of the previous DVD. Dialog comes across accurately and cleanly, with no distortion. Surround activity is effective—for example, a certain disembodied voice seems ominously centered, hovering in the middle of the room—but focused surround sound can also tend toward gimmicky. The film's score is rich and punchy, and I confess to jumping a couple of times at bass-heavy sound effects, as when Donnie taps at an invisible barrier.
Fox and Richard Kelly have teamed up to provide an all-new selection of extras for this release, effectively squeezing everything possible from this modern cult classic. The good news is that none of the extras on this set are repeated from the previous DVD (except, of course, for the reinstated scenes), and at least two of these new extras, in fact, are complete home runs. The bad news is that one of these items is an utter turn-off and will make you want to hunt down a British Donnie Darko fan and punch him in the face.
The most enticing extra in the set is a brand-new Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Richard Kelly and Kevin Smith, and it proves every bit as engaging and humorous as you might expect. It's not laugh-out-loud hilarious—as most of Smith's tracks are over his own films—but Smith proves wryly well spoken, as well as an outspoken fan of the film: "Dude, you are reaching so far beyond what I'm doing." Or, "This is a movie that swings for the fences." The two directors come across as buddies, and you can easily see why Kelly wanted Smith to liven up the track. They bounce thoughts off each other freely, and even though there are a few blank spots, the discussion is fascinating. Kelly is very open about his intentions for creating this director's cut, calling it more an "extended remix" than a preferred cut. Indeed, he seems very proud of the theatrical cut, and wouldn't want this cut to overshadow that one. For the fans, he says, he decided to amplify the sci-fi/supernatural elements, as well as the comic-book elements (another reason Smith is onboard). Listen for many gut-buster Smith moments, such as when he talks about his daughter's piercings. Kelly is very generous about discussing exactly what he was going for in Donnie Darko, illuminating the under-story and talking at length about the pseudo-science at its core.
Next up is a terrific, fly-on-wall Donnie Darko Production Diary that runs about 52 minutes. Although it gets off to a horrible start—some jackass has the gall to insult the good name of In-n-Out Burger—it settles into its rhythm of following location scouting, voyeuristically watching the filming of a bunch of key scenes, and generally walking you chronologically through the shoot, showing you exactly what the mood of the set was like. I came away from this documentary mostly marveling at what a strange, wired kid Jake Gyllenhaal is. You can view this Production Diary with optional Commentary by Director of Photography Steven Poster. He's a good narrator for the behind-the-scenes action.
The 28-minute They Made Me Do It Too: The Cult of Donnie Darko is an unfortunate UK-produced piece in which British fans, critics, and publishers expound about their love for the film, talking—with noses raised haughtily—about how British audiences are far more responsive to Donnie Darko than US audiences are, for the simple reason that Brits are more "intelligent" and "adventurous" and "thoughtful." The worst thing is that all the thinking behind their inflammatory statements is flawed. I had enough of these insufferable people in just a few minutes. Interviews are composed as if subjects are speaking to a giant rabbit. The piece is also annoyingly shot and framed, with off-putting extreme close-ups and self-consciously wobbly camera. It's so amateurish and off-putting, you'd think it was made in the UK or something.
Storyboard to Screen walks you through the 8 minutes of film. In a split screen, storyboards are compared with footage from the finished film. The sequence in which Donnie follows the Abyss-like fate worms through his house to his parents' bedroom is included, as well as the end-of-film Darko party and the climactic Grandma Death sequence.
The 13-minute #1 Fan: A Darkumentary is a hoot. Apparently, in the summer of 2004, DonnieDarko.com held a documentary competition to find the most obsessive Donnie Darko fan on the planet. That fan and that documentary are right here on the DVD. This is a frightfully hilarious study of one man's mania. The freak's name is Darryl Donaldson (he acknowledges the alliterative similarity of his name and Donnie's), and we follow him on a quest to meet director Richard Kelly. Funny, stalker-scary stuff. (My colleague Josh Zyber was repelled by this piece over at DVD File, but I think he missed the fun of this one.)
The Theatrical Trailer for the director's cut of Donnie Darko is included, highlighting some of the added footage. It's mostly a whirlwind montage of imagery, adding up to more of a teaser than a real trailer.
The theatrical version of Donnie Dark is the one I'll continue to rewatch, but Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut is a fascinating watch, if only because it will finally help you solve the wacky riddles in the center of the film's plot. But do you really want to? Either way, this is a film worth savoring, and even though image and sound quality offer no real improvements, the extras on this disc are all new. Two of them are musts.


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Boom Supersonic
Aerospace • Travel
Boom Supersonic is the Denver-based startup building Mach-2.2 passenger airliners. Think Concorde but 75% more affordable to fly. Imagine a day trip from New York to London—3h15 each way. Fly to London for a business meeting and be home in time to tuck your children into bed. Boom's first prototype will roll out by summer of 2020.
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send chills down (one's) spine(redirected from send chills down spine)
send chills down (one's) spine
To cause an intense feeling of fear, nervousness, exhilaration, or excitement in one. Can we get out of here? This creepy old house is sending chills down my spine! The way that sonata swells always sends chills down my spine. It sent chills down my spine when Dorothy gave me such an amorous look.


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10 October 2013 - Farmington Hills, MI (USA) and Lucca (Italy)
Amerisure Goes Live with Tagetik's Performance Management Software
One of the Top 200 Property & Casualty Insurance Companies implements Tagetik's unified platform for budgeting, planning, and forecasting
Tagetik, a global provider of enterprise software solutions for Performance Management, Disclosure Management, Financial Governance and Business Intelligence, today announced that Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company, ranked as one of the Top 200 Property & Casualty companies in the United States, completed the implementation of Tagetik software as its unified solution for budgeting, planning, and forecasting.
The Tagetik platform has replaced Amerisure's existing SRC solution which was no longer being supported by their vendor and did not offer them a unified Performance Management solution which could provide more self-service reporting to the Finance team.
"Tagetik has greatly improved our budgeting and forecasting processes. The system is easy to use and administer, which has improved the efficiencies for the Finance team and our end users," says Barbara Cristea, VP Controller at Amerisure. "We selected Tagetik based on the software's ability to automate our budgeting and forecasting processes as well as financial reporting. Another advantage was Tagetik's partnership with Microsoft and their easy integration with Microsoft SQL Server database and Microsoft SharePoint."
"When we first met with Amerisure we knew they would benefit from the unified architecture of Tagetik because they were struggling with bringing all of their data together from Peoplesoft and the SRC application," explains Dave Kasabian –Corporate VP of Product Marketing at Tagetik. "The software allowed them to have all of their data seamlessly accessible from the Tagetik 4 application, which was not possible before."
"We are extremely pleased that Amerisure's implementation is complete and they've already begun to see immediate benefits since going live," concludes Manuel Vellutini – Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at Tagetik. "At Tagetik, we are fully committed to seeing Amerisure streamline all of their financial processes to takefull advantage of the savings Tagetik 4 has to offer."
About Amerisure
Amerisure is an insurance organization charged with creating exceptional value for its Partners for Success® agencies, employees and policyholders. As a property and casualty insurance company, Amerisure's promise to partner agencies and policyholders begins with a comprehensive line of insurance products designed to protect businesses, as well as the health and safety of every employee. The Company is an A.M. Best "A" (excellent) rated company and services mid-sized commercial enterprises focused in construction, manufacturing and healthcare. Amerisure is ranked as one of the top 200 Property & Casualty companies in the United States, and has more than $600 million in Direct Written Premiums and over $700 million in surplus. To learn more: www.amerisure.com
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Bosk, the signature restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, takes its name from the French word bosquet: a small wooded area that can lend refreshing reprieve from the elements. The restaurant design draws on a neutral palette of cream travertine, bronze screens and warm oak wood detailing to create an elegant and timeless space, complemented by tones of deep purples in the furniture, with a sea of hand-blown glass pendant lights in varying shades of green and amber, and commissioned large-scale photographs of local forest areas to bring the interior to life. Chef Damon Campbell's menu hasn't ventured far from nature either. Originally from Vancouver, Campbell sharpened his knives working at the French Laundry and Lafite before moving to Toronto and focusing on contemporary Canadian cuisine.
Fruits de mer are bountiful at Bosk, such as Nova Scotia scallops, Pan Roasted Atlantic Halibut, and a decadent Northern Divine "caviar donut" with white sturgeon caviar from BC topped with crème fraiche — a small but sumptuous three-bite experience. Perfect for a light bite before the opera, there's a lovely seasonal Pre-Theatre menu with delicacies such as artfully presented August Harvest Green Garlic Soup with side stripe prawns, burnt pesto, edamame and juniper 'Krispies", Seasonal Gathered Leaves with endive, roasted squash, pecans, dried cranberries, clothbound cheddar and tangy maple vinaigrette, Organic Roasted Chicken with parsnips, lavender, fennel, medjool dates and truffle jus, and perfectly cooked Wild Pacific Salmon with De Puy lentils, salsify, Cincinnati radish with a Hollandaise sauce. To finish the evening, a small plate of sweets arrive to send us off to the opera serenely satisfied and thoroughly impressed with the entire Bosk experience. We can't wait to return.
Executive Chef Damon Campbell
180 hand blown-glass bocci lights hang spectacularly above the bar
The Bar menus feature an impressive selection of cocktails, wines, single malts,
pure spirits and fortified wines
We began with a cocktail at the bar as we waited for our table, and what better way to launch the evening than with a classic French 75...
...or a Vodka Martini
The bar and sitting area of Bosk flow seamlessly into the lobby space of the Shangri-La
The elegant and quiet dining area with warm oak panelling and warm taupe hues,
is ideal for private parties
The impressive wine wall
The tables are well spaced with elegant stemware and pressed linen napkins
for an elegant experience
The succinct but sumptuous Pre-Theatre menu
A perfect orchid graces each table
Loimer Langenlois Grüner Veltliner available by the glass
With hints of pear, this gorgeous wine is refreshing and clean-cut
A 2015 Luigi Bosca Finca La Linda Malbec from Argentina
Carrot Butter sprinkled with Malden Salt
Lovely fresh warm crunchy bread
August's Harvest Green Garlic Soup with side stripe prawns, burnt pesto, edamame and juniper 'Krispies"
Seasonal Gathered Leaves with endive, roasted squash, pecans, dried cranberries,
clothbound cheddar and maple vinaigrette
Organic Roasted Chicken with parsnips, lavender, fennel, medjool dates and truffle jus
Wild Pacific Salmon with De Puy lentils, salsify, Cincinnati radish with a Hollandaise sauce
Little chocolates and mango marshmallows
Elegant tea service
Seared Canadian Salmon with Maple Black Pepper Butter Sauce
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Chef Damon Campbell
Maple and black pepper butter sauce:
4 tbsp Canadian maple syrup
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme herb
8 tbsp butter, chilled
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 pinches of salt
Seared Salmon Fillets:
2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
4 5-oz salmon fillets
few pinches salt and black pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
For the sauce, place the maple syrup, thyme sprig and black pepper into a small sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add butter and swirl pan around to melt butter into the syrup evenly. Once butter has melted, remove saucepan from heat and stir sauce. Add lemon juice and a couple pinches of salt. Set aside to keep warm.
Season the salmon fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat, and place it in pan and sear for 1 minute, then turn heat down to medium and continue to cook for approximately 4-5 minutes or until crisp golden brown crust forms. Turn the fish over, add butter and garlic clove and baste spooning the butter over the fish with a spoon to promote flavour and moisture. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked through. Remove the fish from pan and blot onto paper towel. Place the fish onto a warm serving plate, drizzle the maple butter sauce over fish and serve.
French Canadian Split Pea Soup with Ham Hocks
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Chef Damon Campbell
1 lb dry split peas, soaked in water overnight
1 smoked ham hock, split in 2
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme herb
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the butter to melt. Once melted add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme herb sprigs, and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes to soften. Add the peas, ham hocks, salt and stock, and turn the heat to medium high. Bring the mixture to a simmer and turn heat back down to low. Cover the pot with lid and cook for 60-90 minutes until the peas are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and remove the ham hocks, let them cool for 20 minutes and then remove the meat from the bone; discard the bone. Cut the meat into cubes or shredded it with a fork, then set aside. Purée the pea soup with an immersion blender, and reheat the soup to a simmer, then add the ham and white pepper. Stir to blend. Ladle into warm bowls and serve.


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About Face: Prenton
Today's About Face was written by Nick Cox, a front-end developer and designer from Seattle, Washington.
Spend enough time obsessed with type, and you begin to yawn halfway through the marketing blurb of new font releases. You'll often hear a sensational new type family referred to as a "workhorse family," suggesting that it can be used in myriad contexts, express a wide range of emotional tones, and perform reliably in text settings as well as headlines. You start to wonder if a font can really deliver on everything the copy seems to promise.
Prenton is one family that makes good on all these claims. Designed by British designer Roy Preston, Prenton offers four widths from normal to ultra condensed. Further, normal, condensed, and ultra condensed each contain five weights, normal with matching italics. As if that weren't enough, add to this a lovely and elegant display variant, perfect for large and expressive headlines.
Though Gill Sans is one of the most widely used and recognizable typefaces in use today, not everyone agrees that it is necessarily deserving of that honor. Under close scrutiny, the idiosyncracies of Gill's eponymous face reveal some potentially curious aspects of the letterforms you may have taken for granted. Preston offers another take on one of Britain's most celebrated faces; compared with Gill Sans, Prenton's glyphs feel much more consistent in their details, giving the font a more harmonious feel.
To round out Prenton's already impressive resume, the humanist sans recently saw a vast improvement in its rendering quality, thanks to a hefty dose of manual hinting. Now, Prenton is safe to use virtually everywhere, from subtle paragraphs to loud headlines.
Now let's take a look at some diverse text settings to demonstrate Prenton's impressive versatility. Prenton Display Light looks elegant paired with LTC Bodoni 175. Bodoni's extreme stroke contrast offers a stunning counterpoint to Prenton Display's light and consistent weight. And because it is so light, Prenton Display offers the added benefit of allowing you to set it extremely large without overpowering the reader with boldness.
But Prenton isn't exclusively about refinement and charm. Prenton Regular, for instance, boasts a weight range from light to black, allowing a surprisingly informal tone in the right context. Set with Prenton Condensed and Schoolbook Web, Prenton retains a conversational tone while communicating with ease and comfort.
While Prenton is comfortable in the limelight, this unselfish sans doesn't demand center stage. Combined with a couple of Veer's retro fonts, Hellenic Wide and Corner Store, Prenton Condensed plays an excellent supporting role, even reinforcing the vintage feel of its partners.
It's hard to decide whether Prenton is more compelling in headlines or in body. Paired with an angular slab serif like Jubilat, Prenton's understated roundness becomes more apparent, and it adds a substantial measure of personality to the mix. In this setting, the unique details of the glyph terminals like the exit strokes of the lowercase a and d really shine.
As a text face alongside Renaissance serifs like Adobe Garamond Premier Pro Display, Prenton keeps the tone from getting too stodgy. Its rhythm and generous counters, particularly in the lowercase a and the bowl of the lowercase g, keep the aesthetic fresh and dynamic without sacrificing professionalism.
Adobe's Caslon Pro is another excellent companion to Prenton. In this pairing, Prenton's solid x-height keep the text readable and fluid, while highlighting Caslon's historical and calligraphic details.
The Prenton family offers one of the broadest range of weights and styles in the Typekit library. And with its manual hinting, you can set type at virtually any size and in most any context in any member of the Prenton family without worrying about its rendering across platforms. As an alternative to Gill Sans and in its own right, Prenton shows a unique flexibility, handling any typographic challenge comfortably and reliably.
Nick Cox is a front-end developer and designer from Seattle, WA. He writes about web fonts and web typography at Everyday Type and @everydaytype. He is currently developing Archtype, a typographic reference for the iPhone.
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Giving Students Permission to Forget
In this exclusive video interview with Lee Jenkins, the author of the classic book Permission to Forget (ASQ Quality Press), you'll learn the benefits of using quality approaches and tools in schools. Jenkins also delves into some of the wasteful practices in education that his book brings to light and he shares what he believes students and teachers need to succeed.
Leveraging Lean to Improve Engagement and Culture
In this episode, we look at how lean can improve culture and engagement in organizations. The Joy of... [more]
Enact - The Value Of Quality Data
With Enact, your data is standardized and centralized, providing fast access and unparalleled... [more]
Optimize Every Process with Enact
Enact helps you drive consistent quality across your manufacturing operations. Learn more about Enact at... [more]
Data Quality: Managing, Improving, and Sustaining High...
In this webcast, Rupa Mahanti, author of the book Data Quality: Dimensions, Measurement, Strategy,... [more]
Quality 4.0: Adapting Quality Careers
Miguel Gracia Tripp, Supplier Development Director at Stanley Black & Decker, discusses Quality... [more]
Enact - SPC Quality Intelligence In The Cloud
With Enact, your data is standardized and centralized, providing fast access and unparalleled... [more]
ASQ Chair Talks About WCQI Virtual Event
Austin S. Lin, ASQ chair, discusses the free members-only event, Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Register now!
Navigating Through Change and Ambiguity
Matt Meuleners, Executive Partner at FOCUS Training, discusses change and ambiguity, and the best... [more]
Enact – The Quality Intelligence Platform
Enact enables enterprise-wide visibility into quality data, fueling insights and business... [more]
Approaches to Root Cause Analysis
In this episode, we examine five common approaches to root cause analysis approaches and when to use the... [more]
Episode 18: Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a well-known quality method. But like most quality techniques, its use changes and evolves... [more]
The How and Why of Auditing
Auditing expert and ASQ fellow Dennis Arter shares tips and advice for auditors and auditees.
ASQ TV Episode 1: The Customer Experience
Quality and the customer experience go hand-in-hand. Hear from electronics giant Siemens Industry on how... [more]
ASQ TV Episode 2: Culture of Quality
This episode of ASQ TV explores the culture of quality. Brien Palmer, author of Making Change Work,... [more]
Culture of Quality
Culture is the driving force of quality. Creating and sustaining a quality culture are much-discussed... [more]
Standards and Auditing
Learn why ISO 9001:2008, one of the world's best known standards, is being revised. Then hear about the... [more]
Risk Management and Quality
Organizations perceive risk management in three general ways. Carol Fox, Director, Strategic and... [more]
Cost of Quality: What is it?
Cost of quality sounds easy to understand but, unfortunately, many misunderstand it. Cost of quality is... [more]
ASQ TV Episode 3: Recalls and Quality
Recalls can be one of the most challenging aspects of the quality professional's job. In this episode,... [more]
Episode 17: Voice of the Customer
Voice of the customer, or V-O-C, is the ongoing collection of customer needs and expectations-both... [more]


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Where: Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles
When: Monday night
Guest list: A cavalcade of cast members including Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser and Kellan Lutz. Plus guests Heather Locklear, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ashley Tisdale and Rob Lowe.
"An experience to treasure": The fourth installment of the blockbuster film franchise, in theaters Friday, chronicles the lavish forest wedding, island honeymoon and impending parenthood of mortal teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) and her brooding vampire crush, Edward Cullen, played by Stewart's real-life squeeze, Pattinson. While shooting the nuptials, Pattinson said he was made painfully aware "just how irrelevant the groom is in a wedding. You just kind of stand there." But for Stewart, the shoot could not have been more touching. "It was just what I was hoping for," said a J-Mendel clad Stewart. "I wanted to remember it as an experience to treasure without any neurotic actory weirdness."
Deja vu moment: Reed, who wed 2010 American Idol contender Paul McDonald just last month, confessed a deja vu moment during her first screening of Dawn – Part 1: "Right before Bella walks down the aisle, she says to her father, 'Please don't let me fall, Dad,' which is exactly what I said to my father." Filmed over two days in Squamish, British Columbia, the ceremony "felt like a real wedding," recalled Facinelli, "though it did rain a lot. I remember the girls standing in mud."
In labor: During the packed premiere screening, the fans' thunderous applause for the "I do" exchange was eclipsed only by the deafening cheers for the long-awaited consummation scene. Director Bill Condon recalled Kristen being "as nervous as Bella would be, but Rob had her back the whole time. They're so protective of each other." One warning: the climactic (and truly gruesome!) birthing scene is not for the faint of heart. "It's difficult to get more surreal than chewing through a placenta," cautioned Pattinson, while Stewart is still uneasy about "looking down and seeing my head sticking out of a fake pregnant body."
Part 2 (Spoiler alert!): Be sure to stay in your seats after the closing credits begin to roll for a glimpse of the treachery ahead when Twilight's concluding chapter hits theaters in November 2012. Mackenzie Foy, 11, appears for only a glimpse at the end of Part 1 as Bella and Edward's daughter, Renesmee, but says, "I do a lot more in the next one." Such as? Taking a ride on the back of Jacob (Lautner) in werewolf form. Reaser's favorite scene finds her and movie husband Facinelli heading to Egypt "to recruit vampires in this Egyptian palace." Lutz, meanwhile, can't wait for fans to see his arm-wrestling scene with Bella, a newly christened vampire. "It's kind of ridiculous that she beats me," said Lutz, "but she does!" And according to Lautner, Bella also gets rough with his Jacob. "There's a scene in Part 2 where Bella finds out I imprinted (summoning a protective spell) on her daughter, and she throws me around the backyard. It was so funny for me to see Kristen doing that."
Famous fans: "It's a super hot ticket," said Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik, who confessed to not having seen any of the previous films. But Love Hewitt, a true Twi-hard, "asked for tickets ages ago. The books make me feel like a mushy teenager again, and this movie is when it really gets good. They get married and have S-E-X for the first time!" Also among the eager: racing champ Danica Patrick, having heard "it's one of the biggest movie weddings ever filmed."
Not so famous fans: Devotees flew in from all over the world for a chance to camp out as early as last Wednesday for the best spots along the black carpet. Many were rewarded with autographs and photos with their favorites. Megan Lambert, 14, from Colton, Calif., flashed a sign reading: "Taylor Abduct Me", and reunited with two friends she met at last year's Twilight: Eclipse premiere. And Adam Velasco, 23, one of the few guys in the crowd, flew in from Chicago and spent the last few days "brushing my teeth in the parking garage." Condon, who paid the crowd a surprise visit on Saturday, noted, "This has to be the most interactive relationship ever between a movie and its fan-dom."


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This monolithic single family house, located in the Swiss Alpine village of Lumino, north of Bellinzona, was designed by the Lugano based studio Davide Macullo Architetto. The reinforced concrete structure of the building recalls the revered strength of the local traditional stone built houses, many of which date back centuries and are marked by their use of this single construction material.
"In addition to the local scale references and material cues siphoned from the physical context, the concept and approach to the project was further influenced by the clients' expressed desire for a minimalist aesthetic, both internally and externally. As such, the quality of the spaces in the house would be defined explicitly by the architecture and not by objects placed within it. The idea of the 'minimalist monolith' was adopted as the conceptual generator of the project and became a principle applied to all elements of the both the functional and construction programme, from the foundations up to the smallest finishing details."
"The geometry of the plan is generated by two shifted parallelepipeds and follows the fall of the site. The typology created by this staggered geometry underlies both the peculiarities of the landscape while also offering each of the levels a direct relationship with the surrounding gardens. The double system of vertical connections, one internal and one external, relates all the spaces of the house in a spiral movement and is in a constant play with its new inhabitants' perception of time and scale. What is interesting about the house is the ability of the spaces to expand and extend into the landscape, allowing the external become part of the composition. While the individual spaces may be defined geometrically, each space flows into the next and continues to the external."
more information about the project @ Architonic


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A beautiful bracelet in German silver, inspired by the 4,000 years old art of Dhokra metal casting. This bracelet features paisley embellishments on a red cotton thread for an authentic Dhokra look.
Dimension: L:5 Inch
Weight:20 gm
Color:Red & Silver
Material:German Silver & Cotton Thread
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Vinyasa flow / Anupama
In Vinyasa you will learn how to flow with the breath. With Practice you learn how to be transformed by your breath and open into a new dimension of conscious movement. The interconnections between breath, body, and mind are experienced as you move towards the essence of yoga. The dynamic nature of the practice gives you something tangible to focus on. The more you focus on the movement of your breath, the more you are able to move into the present. The practice becomes a moving meditation. While balance, strength, flexibility and openness begin to arise in your physical being; you begin to feel the more subtle energetic awakenings throughout your subtle systems. The practice will help you feel both relaxed and revitalized. Vinyasa yoga challenges you to move out of habitual holding patterns within your body and mind. And rest in the dynamic nature of the present moment.