text:
Deathly Hallows Update: Rumors on Possible Seven Potters Filming, Scrimgeour, Plus New OotP High Res Photos
Aug 06, 2009
DH Film
We have several pieces of news and new photos to update you on tonight. First in a series of interesting emails, TLC has received word that possible exterior shots and filming for the Seven Potters scene for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is due to take place next week at the Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire, England. Oclumencia has also received this same report and now has some curious photos of filming lights lining the airstrip as seen via this link. We should point out this source is very much unconfirmed, and to further that, additional reports say that rehearsals with crowds of extras as guests for the Bill and Fleur wedding are taking place in old air hangers down the road from Leavesden studios, possibly at this same airfield. We are working to update more on all of this and will update with more when we can, but for the time being please consider this very much in the rumor category for now.
Second, TLC has more on scenes involving Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour in Deathy Hallows. We have heard independently on a what is being reported on HP4U regarding two scenes for Scrimgeour where he makes a speech regarding "dark times ahead." TLC can add our sources say this will take place at the Ministry with 15 photographers and up to a crowd of 50 plus worried and anxious employees. The HPU4 article also say that "He [is] also thrown straight in at the deep end and tasked with the job of
reading out the will of Albus Dumbledore and distributing out his
belongings; a scene filmed in the sitting room at the Burrows – so yes,
to all of you who've written in to ask, it is re-built! We also understand Bill worked on one of the blue screen stages for photographs to be included in the Daily Prophet."
A reminder too, that filming on the wedding scene from Deathly Hallows is reported to begin next week in earnest.
Finally, thanks too to Oclumencia, and especially to Thiego for some lovely new high res photos from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This editor was quite pleased to see this fabulous high res still of Jason Isaacs as Lucius, as well as this fantastic shot of Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) at her desk, individual photos of the Trio and more, as well as many on set photos with director David Yates (including this very eeriy one of Lucius and Harry with the prophecy globe)


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley will moderate the second presidential debate, to be held Tuesday at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
Crowley, host of CNN's "State of the Union," was asked about the town hall format, her role, her expectations for how she'll manage the face-off between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, and her feelings about being selected for the honor.
You can ask Crowley about her experience through iReport.
CNN: Does a town hall debate present unique challenges and opportunities for the candidates because it's not your normal debate behind a podium?
Candy Crowley: It does, because they are going to have roughly 80 people, as I understand it, looking at them in addition to me. You know and I know it is very easy for politicians to run over a reporter -- they don't care. There is no price to be paid for being rude to a reporter, not answering the question. But 80 undecided voters looking at you, and some of them getting up and going, "Well, what about this?" It's just harder to dodge.
There's also the whole -- you know, if you want to get into the optics of it, there's the whole wandering around the stage, and feeling their pain, and there's this whole kind of other set of expectations that we've come to want, or at least talk about afterwards, that now goes with modern television debates.
CNN: How is a town hall debate different than other debates in terms of challenges and opportunities that presents itself?
Crowley: The challenge is that they've got to connect not just with the people looking into the television and watching them, but the people who are on the stage with them.
Some 80 or so undecided voters are chosen by Gallup, so they have to keep those folks in mind. It's a much more intimate and up-close adventure with voters than talking through a reporter.
CNN: Now, we heard a lot with all these debates about style versus substance. Does it become even more about style because it's a town hall?
Crowley: No, I think it's both about substance and style no matter what the debate is, and you don't know which it's going to be most about until it's over.
If a voter gets up and says, "I am unemployed and I haven't had a job in X amount of months and this happened and that to my health care," there has to be substance to that answer. You can't just be about, "Oh my gosh, that's terrible, I'm so sorry to hear your story." It's got to be, you know, give them something.
So I think it's both, and I think there is a lot in common with the debates, in that we're not going to know until after the debates are over -- where this is something where the message came through with style, or in substance, or maybe a little of both, which is generally the case.
CNN: I guess with or without the podium and with the audience interaction it seems like you would kind of, everything would carry more weight.
Crowley: Well, I think it does in a sense of these are real people that -- the audience doesn't necessarily relate to either presidential candidates or media. They just don't. But they do relate to 80 people sitting on a stage that look like them, and maybe have stories similar to theirs. And so they can kind of see themselves through the town hall meeting participants.
And I think that's where a candidate has to make a connection, because the candidate that makes a connection with the person asking the question is also making a better connection with the person back at home.
CNN: There is some sense, one of the people I interviewed talked about how a town hall setting is viewed maybe as a little bit more freewheeling, free-flowing, less predictable because of the audience interaction. Do you buy that? Or do candidates always go back to their script and their talking points?
Crowley: Whenever candidates get a chance, they will return to their talking points. And I think that's where we come in, like why I said, "We know this. But the question was not oranges, it was apples, so could you please address apples, that would be good."
So yes, I think the instinct of any politician anywhere is to go back to their comfort zone, which is the talking point. But I think it is more difficult to stay in that zone when you have a person with a story asking you a question that relates to their life.
CNN: What past debate moments are the most memorable?
Crowley: What's interesting to me is when I look back at the debates, there are things that are kind of monumental. Now, one of them is more history to me than having actually having seen it, and that is when Gerry Ford talked about Poland as being free, and of course it was behind the Iron Curtain. And this was seen as a monumental mistake.
But you go from that sort of thing, all the way to George H. W. Bush, the father, looking at his watch. Or Al Gore sighing. It's just, there's something about these debates that magnifies things that perhaps you don't see as the person in the room with them.
But remember, George Bush looking at his watch was taken as some sign that he didn't care. Fair? Not fair? It matters, it's television. And so it's not just what you say, but it's how they present themselves.
You never know when that moment is. You never know until it happens. You can't set up these moments. But the purpose of the debate is to get beyond what people have already heard, down to what one hopes the viewers and the voters are waiting to hear about.
CNN: What is it like to be the first female moderator in 20 years?
Crowley: People say, "Do you think you're going to ask a different question because you're female?" and I think, "I'm going to ask different questions because of all the things that I am." Bob Schieffer and I are different, Jim Lehrer and I are different, we come from different backgrounds, we've had different experiences, and certainly, one of the differences between them and me is that I'm female and they're male, so that's a part of it. And so, I guess I didn't embrace the history of it until women started coming -- and by the way, men as well -- I mean, I have just sons, and they were thrilled and said, "Mom, did you know you're the first woman, you know, in 20 years?" So they were excited by it. So I embraced that, kind of, after the fact. I first just embraced it as an amazing chance for a journalist.
CNN: How did you get the news?
Crowley: I was actually sitting at work. We were booking the show ("State of the Union") and I was in my office and I got a phone call from the executive director of the presidential debate commission, who said, "We were wondering if you'd be willing to moderate a debate." And I said, "Let me just think -- yes!" It was a very quick phone call, actually.
CNN: What was your reaction?
Crowley: Well, understand that they told me not to tell anyone, so that was in some ways the hardest part. I cheated -- I told my children -- but beyond that, I didn't tell anybody.
And so it was just this weird sort of "Cheshire Cat" thing going on, because I knew something that other people didn't know. But I mean inside, I was thinking, 'Whoa, this is amazing."
I mean, for a journalist, does it get better than that? Not much better that I can think of.
™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(redirected from PrantedMutter.Sketches)
On this page... (hide)
- 1. the skinny
- 2. the sketchy
- 3. Notes
- 4. ideas
- 5. Online Repo
- 6. See Also
- 7. Tags
- 8. Comments
- 8.1 Im glad I now signed up
- 8.2 latina porn hd
- 8.3 porno chilango
- 8.4 TAdAlaFIL 20 mg
- 8.5 '
- 8.6 '
- 9. Add Comment
1. the skinny
I've been making some [visual|web|epoetry] sketches.
Sketch because they are not necessarily complete, finished works.
Instead, they are tests, experiments, trials.
I'm making them and tweaking them, so they aren't necessarily firmly fixed.
But once I get to where I think I'm going, I should move on to another sketch.
These are experiments in both text+image, text-vs-image, text, web, javascript, html, or G-d-knows-what.
These are not designed to show a mastery of html, javascript, jQuery, css, or any other technology. Rather, they are designed to present texts, and a familiarity with the above technologies. I hope to get some sort of good coding practices inside of them, but please be aware that these are sketches -- experimental quick takes, and code-reuse and perfection is not the end-goal.
The libraries I use are generally served up from my own server, instead of a CDN. This is mostly for personal reasons, as I tend to have caching turned off in my development browsers for development reasons. And I don't expect a large server-load anyway.
2. the sketchy
when in doubt, click-n-drag, or hit the spacebar
Sketch:001 - my original idea was that most sketches would look like this.
Sketch:002 - iteration 1 wouldn't work in Fire Fox; this is essentially iteration 2. I'd like some more control over stacking.
Sketch:006 - A little visual play, and obscuring some text.
Sketch:007 - each character of the center text can be re-arranged using gridster.js. Not perfect. Interesting tool.
?speed=n to redefine the speed).
engine={markov|cento|overlap} to specify the engine (defaults to markov),
ngram={1..n} for length, and
content={raw|material|test} for three different text sources (defaults to raw).
NOTE: the HTML file contains two entire gutenberg e-texts shoved into it, so it takes a while to load; regenerate with
r instead of F5.
If those two files were includes, they would be cached better. (they should be anyway, no? Maybe I've turned off caching in my browser again. argh.)
clearstorage=true which... clears local storage. NOTE: since the param is not removed, refreshing this URL after editing will ONCE AGAIN clear all changes you've made.
<space> to load a new SFX + image. If nothing appears, image might be taking a long-time to reload. It would be nice if there was a method to go back to previous images.... a local history.
Mouse click and drag to paint (previous paints will fade slightly).
Color and size are based on mouse position.
SPACE to paint without fading previous actions.
RIGHT/LEFT to increase/decrease rotation of letters.
R to reset rotation to 0.
UP/DOWN to change paint mode.
M to switch between grids and circles
Delete or Backspace to clear the screen.
S to Save. [not currently working]
Sketch 27 has not yet launched.
3. Notes
- Files are named with numbers, to avoid the the implications of a title both during and after development.
- sketches are usually given an internal title. This usually appears during development.
- The code should be reasonably good code. But not astronaut-architected.
- The simplest thing that can possibly work
- If I codify some practices (display, js, etc) I may go back and integrate them into earlier pieces. Currently, there is not much shared js or css.
- When I look at some of this code, I cringe. I wrote it a couple of weeks ago. UGH. But they are sketches, not finished artworks.
- Some ideas are coalescing into a library.
4. ideas
in-page info, that can be hidden easily, and recalled easily. hrm.
(Perl?) based landing page, that auto-indexed available documents
Some sort of hover-area popup that contains popup-box-links for notes, citations, inspiration, etc. And/or links to related or prev/next works.
Something with scrapings from the dictionary of reduplicated words? - http://www.allusional.info/dictRedup/wiki/DictionaryEntries
Have to munge the scrape into a parseable, usable format.
And then.... what????
Use Content Editable combined with Local Storage to allow for in-browser editing by the viewer, with storage of edits that are restorable
NOTE: this required further finessing with scenarios such as that in Sketch:011, as the rendered text is not a static element, but embedded by JS from an array of texts. The changes would have to be pushed back to the array
The storage example uses a blur-event to trigger storage, but mor finessing will be needed, as any bound keys affect the animation would have to fire storage; or perhaps be disabled in some manner. The space-key, is the most obvious issue, since that resumes animation.....
OtherMichael February 15, 2013, at 03:39 PM
inspired by (not-working-in-Firefox) code in bgrin's comment @ https://coderwall.com/p/lhsrcq
It _does_ work in Chrome, though, so you can test it out.
As one types, the background (slowly) changes.
But.... why would the user be typing in such an implementation?
There needs to be some sort of invitation, and a payoff.
And some other effect has to happen.
the text changes as one types.
Which reminds me, there was a net.art word "processor" that did this at some point, I think....
OtherMichael March 11, 2013, at 02:49 PM
http://jukkapekkakervinen.blogspot.com/2010/08/diitdiit.html - three columns, the first and third scrolling themselves (a text gyre). The central column static, or on-click change.
Partially realized in 007
http://ricostacruz.com/jquery.transit/ SCALE -- text expands (and grows transparent) on-hover
Just one or two (or three or something short) large words on-screen at a time.
Transitions via Airport
Modified airport. I don't like how the length keeps changing due to the proportional spacing of the intermediate forms. A "real" airport display is fixed-width tiles.
I like the idea of interactivity. Reading as a game.
But not so far down the rabbit hole as InteractiveFiction
A Markov chainer. No need for an intake engine -- nobody will be dynamically/interactively providing source-texts. I (ahem) will decide that ahead of time. Some application (probably TextMunger) will digest text and excrete in some format.
The web-page code (js, presumably) will loop through that.
this way, each page can theoretically have new text, but w/o the overhead of all of that pre-processing. Output takes some time, but nowhere near the time of first munching.
OtherMichael February 15, 2013, at 03:49 PM Partially realized in Sketch17 The engine-work is ongoing.
Every few seconds, an individual (at random) character in the text runs through a randomization-sequence, blurring through the chars. And back to the original char.
Alternatively, all chars will be randomized at this rate until ALL are; the process then reverses.
Another block of text remains unchanged.
Tiles of text (words) fly away from the cursor, thus re-organizing the text, without allowing direct click-n-drag control. By avoiding the reader, the text is re-aligned.
The text is readable, but in opposition to the reader?
Reactive to, anyway.
Not the reader's gaze, unfortunately.
http://ianli.com/infinitedrag/ tiles are markov-generated from a pre-existing map. new tiles are manufactured as scrolled.
BONUS: extra algorithm to have some sort of matching between the tile edges.
Or is that the usual "exercise for the reader" where they make up patterns where none were "intended" ?
OtherMichael February 15, 2013, at 03:49 PM
Bonus 2: once tiles are generated, they are dumped into Local Storage?.
So subsequent visits maintain a map of pre-explored space, allowing the viewer-author to continue to write new areas of the map.
If there was more feedback between what has already been generated and what is generated next, that gives a greater reason to return.
Not just increased complexity (because that would have some sort of diminishing return). Some other increasing/complication metric
Bonus 3: tiles are editable
More color play (as in 002)
OtherMichael February 15, 2013, at 03:49 PM other color comes in with 005 010 016 017
texts start out same color as background (which is... black)
as you approach a text, it becomes visible, but fades as you move away - using the "opacity of multiple elements" option from this jQuery Approach plugin
(non-linkable, non-default demo; select from dropdown under demos)
I tried this, and the plugin was unworkable for my large dataset (200-300 text pieces).
text shuffles itself as you watch
the sense/nonsense re-orgs @ jhave-about using jquery-easing is a nice effect
5. Online Repo
See the code online @ https://github.com/MichaelPaulukonis/WebText
Processing.js sketches have original versions @ https://github.com/MichaelPaulukonis/processing
6. See Also
7. Tags
8. Comments
9. Add Comment


text:
Attention WoW priests
I know I still get a lot of you coming by, so please heed this public service announcement. Go here. Read it, ponder it. What is it? The Dwarf Priest has done an outstanding report of the changes priests face in spells, talents, and a few other things come WotLK. Some of those changes are DRASTIC. (LOLWell, for example, of which I used to be one of the few who used, stands a good chance of being a common spell for priests. Look it up.)


text:
Home | Advisory
Committee | Application | Governing Body | Registry
| Contact Us | Links
Consumer Handbook
Provider Handbook
What is In Home Supportive
Services (IHSS)?
What is the Public Authority?
What is the Public Authoritys
role within IHSS?
Does the consumer
have any control in choosing a provider?
How is IHSS funded and
Who Pays for IHSS consumer
How can I find out if I qualify
for IHSS?
How long will it take before
I know if I qualify for IHSS?
What happens once I am
qualified to receive IHSS?
Who determines how many
hours the provider can work?
What happens
if I am not satisfied with the provider I hired?
What will I do if my
income is too high to qualify for IHSS, but I need a health care
To comply with the State of California Stay at Home order and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are offering the IHSS Provider orientation to be viewed on line.
IHSS Orientation Video
You may also read the script to the IHSS Provider Orientation.
IHSS Orientation Script
If you wish to be enrolled as an IHSS provider, please call the Public Authority at 538-5262 or 1-888-337-4477 and request information about being enrolled.
Information about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for In-Home Supportive Services Recipients and Providers:
Notice to Recipients
Notice to Providers
IHSS Care Providers earn sick leave hours and can participate in direct deposit of their wages. Click here to learn more: http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/IHSS-Providers/Resources/Timesheet-Information
Click here for more information. You Can Now Choose To Use The In-Home Supportive (IHSS) Online Electronic Timesheet Service (ETS)
Electronic Timesheet Online Training for Providers & Recipients Click here for Link
Click here for more information on the IHSS Program Implementation of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program is, and will continue
to be, Californias largest and most important in-home care
program. The IHSS program provides personal and domestic services
to aged, blind or disabled individuals in their own homes. Individuals
who perform these services are called providers. Individuals who
receive these benefits are called consumers. The purpose of this
program is to allow the consumers to live safely at home, rather
than in costly and less desirable out-of-home placement facilities.
IHSS pays providers (also called home care workers or personal
care assistants) to provide personal care, such as feeding and
bathing; transportation; protective supervision; and certain paramedical
services ordered by a physician. Providers may also perform household
tasks for consumers such as laundry, shopping, meal preparation
and light housecleaning.
return to top
The Public Authority is the employer of record for IHSS providers.
The Public Authority is mandated by the State of California. It
is separate from the county and has all the ability to carry out
the delivery of in-home supportive services. The Public Authority
was created specifically as a program improvement for consumers
and providers.
Public Authority services are provided at no cost to consumers
and providers who meet specific qualifications.
return to top
The significant role the Public Authority fulfills for IHSS is
to offer services that assist consumers with greater access to
providers. This has been accomplished by creating a provider registry.
A provider registry is a computerized data base listing qualified
and screened IHSS providers. These services offered by the Public
Authority provide consumers with a greater level of confidence
when hiring providers. Aside from establishing a registry, the
Public Authority is also responsible for: 1) investigating the
qualifications and background of potential providers, 2) establishing
a referral system to connect providers with consumers, 3) providing
for training for consumers and providers, 4) performing any other
function related to the delivery of IHSS.
return to top
Yes, while IHSS regulations determine the range of services,
it is the consumer who drives the program. The consumer decides
how the authorized services will be provided. The consumer is
entirely responsible for hiring, supervising, and if necessary,
terminating individual providers. The Public Authoritys
role is to improve the quality of service without interfering
with consumer control.
return to top
IHSS is financially supported through a complex combination of
federal, state, and county funding sources. IHSS social workers
determine consumers program eligibility, including the number
of hours and type of services each consumer requires to remain
safe in their home.
return to top
To qualify for IHSS, individuals must meet specific income and
disability requirements. Services are provided without cost to
Supplemental Security Income and/or State Supplemental Payment
return to top
If you are a resident of Butte County, you can contact IHSS intake
by calling 530-538-7538. IHSS social workers meet directly with
the consumer and evaluate what the consumer can and cannot do
safely for him/herself. It is important to stress that the IHSS
program is based on a social model one that relies on social
worker assessment. The social model focuses on activities of daily
living and the ability of IHSS consumers to function safely in
their own homes.
return to top
The application process can take between 30-45 days, depending
on each individual case. In many cases, the consumer must also
apply for Medi-Cal. Emergency situations are priority and are
processed immediately.
return to top
The consumer will hire the provider of his/her choice. If the
consumer does not have a provider, the Public Authority will assist
in this process. Upon request, a Public Authority Services Specialist
will supply the consumer with a list of screened providers. The
list of providers will be appropriately matched to each consumers
particular needs. The consumer can then interview prospective
providers from this list and hire the one they prefer.
return to top
An IHSS social worker will determine exactly how many hours of
service per month each consumer is eligible to receive. The hours
allotted will depend on what activities the consumer can no longer
do safely on their own.
return to top
The consumer should be fully comfortable and satisfied with his/her
provider of choice. If for whatever reason a provider needs to
be replaced, the consumer, as the employer, has the ability to
terminate that provider and hire a different one.
return to top
Consumers with higher income may be eligible for the program
by paying a share of the cost of services.
Consumers who do not qualify for IHSS will be referred to an agency
which can assist them in finding a private provider.
return to top
Copyright © 2006 Butte County
In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Truth is, we don't often get to travel like ROCK STARS but our friends and owners of Gaia, David and Boris, said they'd be delighted for us to use the room for a few days while we were doing some video shooting in Manuel Antonio. So for us, that's a TOTAL SCORE!
So we decided to go ahead and shoot another video for Gaia since we did the original about 3 years ago but also as BIG Thank-You to David and Boris for letting us hang-out for a few days.
If you're ever in the Manuel Antonio area and want to be treated like Rock Stars or impress that special someone with a romantic get away... Check out GAIA Hotel and Reserve. And here's their website for more INFO- Gaia Hotel and Reserve
Here's the original Gaia Hotel and Reserve video we did back in 2009.
TONS of Costa Rica Travel Info and VIDEOS on our website: Travel Costa Rica NOW and if you want to visit our YouTube Channel: iCostaRica24 ENjoY!


text:
Rickenbacker 100 Consolette steel guitar is one of a species that could be described as a "missing link". Console guitars - essentially lap steels with legs - evolved from the more usual kind of lap steels that you actually play with the guitar on your lap, and would later evolve further with the addition of pitch bending levers and pedals into the pedal steel guitar.
G L Wilson
Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!
This Rickenbacker's got legs!
3:46 AM | Labels: console guitar, lap steel, Rickenbacker, vintage guitars
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text:
Big Lou - Sacred Ground (Calling Out Rappers For Going On Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex Show & Freestyling Off Their Blackberrys) [Label Submitted]
"Off the Mixtape "Goya Product With A Twist of Soul Food"
Click here For Mixtape!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
We like to think we control the conversation and message that happens about our brand everyday. But the fact is, consumers control conversations more than ever before.
Your online reputation is made up of what you say about your HVAC business (your digital footprint) on your website, social media, local directory listings, industry listings, etc., and what customers say about your business (digital shadow) on social media, review sites, and in person.


text:
Performance Contract and Performance Evaluation of State-Owned Enterprises: Insights from the Goal Setting Theory
Performance contract (PC) is one of the initiatives under the impulse of reforming State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to among other things, ensure improved SOE performance. Studies however show mixed results in relation to improved SOE performance, and the general perception is that targets in PCs are not challenging enough. Drawing on the goal setting theory, this article provides further theoretical explanations for the application and impact of PCs using evidence from Ghana, the first Anglophone nation in Africa to adopt and implement the PC reform programmes. Relying primarily on data from PCs, SOE evaluation reports, and interviews, findings suggest that the quality of targets in PCs has been improving over the years. Moreover, the goal setting theory element, commitment, is crucial to achieving desirable outcome from PC as a performance evaluation tool.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v3i2.3744
Journal of Public Administration and Governance ISSN 2161-7104
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'Macrothink Institute' is a trademark of Macrothink Institute, Inc.
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text:
When we introduced our street/strip Nova project in the February '11 issue, it received a new Total Cost Involved tubular front clip (tubular subframe, control arms, coilover shocks, rack-and-pinion steering, etc.) The theory was that the TCI front clip would shave 140 pounds off the nose, so dropping in an aluminum-headed Dart 509 big-block would be about the same weight as if we had a stock '68-74 Nova with an iron-headed small-block. But with the TCI front clip (2-inch dropped spindles, wider track, superior suspension, brakes and steering), our X-body would become a more roadworthy and enjoyable driver off the strip, too. In this episode we learned there are a few modifications needed to install a rat motor with tall valve covers using Hooker Super Competition 2 1/8-inch equal-length headers and a 3-inch exhaust into a '68-74 Nova.
Believe us, all the extra work was well worth it once we drove the Nova down the road. Unfortunately, the TH350 trans was slipping so we couldn't feel the 509 putting the power to the pavement. Next up we'll install the Performance Automatic Turbo 400, Currie 9-inch rear, and measure for a new beefy driveshaft. Then we'll be able to feel the power being put to the pavement. We're looking forward to enjoying the Nova's much improved street-driving manners with the TCI front clip and finding out how it'll work on the strip once the serious drivetrain is in the car.


text:
Bush Rollback Will Hide Data on 600,000 Pounds of Toxic Chemicals in California
Stolen Inventory: About the TRI
In December 1984, thousands of people died following the release of methyl isocyanate, a chemical used to make pesticides, at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India. This tragedy was followed by the disclosure one month later that the same chemical had leaked at least 28 times from a similar Union Carbide facility in Institute, W.V. Eight months later, 3,800 pounds of leaked chemicals from the same Institute plant sent dozens of injured people to local hospitals [NYT 1985a, NAP 1989a].
Following the tragedy in India and the realization that a similar disaster was possible in the United States, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) in 1986 as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). This legislation requires manufacturing facilities handling toxic chemicals to have emergency plans and coordinators in place in case accidents occur. Additionally, it requires facilities to inform communities and local authorities about the hazardous chemicals handled. Finally, the Act requires facilities to publicly report their chemical waste and emissions, a provision under Section 313 of the Act known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) [EPA 2004a, EPRCA].
The TRI has become the nation's premiere right-to-know law. It is one of the most widely praised and successful environmental programs for industry, environmentalists, and the public. Each year, companies across a wide range of industries (including chemical, mining, paper, oil and gas industries) that produce more than 25,000 pounds or handle more than 10,000 pounds of a listed toxic chemical must report it to the TRI. When the TRI first when into effect, the threshold was 75,000 pounds annually. Until the recent rollback by the EPA, if the company treated, recycled, disposed, or released more than 500 pounds of that chemical into the environment (as opposed to just handling it), they had to provide a detailed record of its use and environmental fate.
In 1990 the TRI was expanded with passage of the Pollution Prevention Act to include data on chemical quantities and practices involved in source reduction and recycling. In 1993 President Clinton issued an Executive Order in response to an evaluation of TRI by the General Accounting Office, which further expanded the program to require reporting from federal facilities [EPA 2002c]. EPA then reduced certain reporting requirements in 1994 when it established a system of different forms to be submitted for different levels of chemical releases [EPA 1994a]. Larger releases now require more detailed reporting, while smaller releases require more basic reporting.
In 1997 TRI was again expanded when EPA mandated more complete data on emissions from incinerators, and required TRI emissions reporting from additional industries not previously included: metal and coal mining, commercial electric utilities that use coal or oil, commercial hazardous waste treatment facilities, petroleum bulk terminals and plants, chemical and allied product wholesalers, and solvent recovery services [EPA 1997a].
The TRI imposes no pollution controls on industry, but instead requires facilities to report estimated levels of pollution and disposal for a list of 650 chemical compounds - less than one percent of chemicals registered for use in the U.S. This simple act of public disclosure has been undeniably beneficial for industry, the public, and the environment by:
- Producing broad reductions in emissions for scores of major air and water pollutants;
- Generating more efficient use of chemicals by industry;
- Helping to identify and prioritize chemicals of potential concern;
- Measuring progress toward chemical management goals;
- Delivering important information on pollution to communities near industrial facilities.
With annual emissions reporting from over 23,000 industrial and federal facilities, the TRI is credited with dropping the total releases of chemicals from all sources by 65 percent since 1989 [Hogue 2005]. It has also provided a foundation of solid facts to inform and drive policy advances, planning and citizen action at the national, state, and local levels.
In a 2003 report, the EPA listed two dozen state governments that rely on the TRI program for emergency planning, environmental targeting, risk assessments, standards, legislation, and quality assurance and control [EPA 2003a]. The state attorneys' general report said the TRI is also essential information for firefighters and local governments, for scientists, labor unions, investment advisors, even the Internal Revenue Service.
But nowhere has the TRI been more important than in the fight for environmental justice by grassroots communities - especially "fenceline" neighborhoods adjacent to chemical facilities. In the words of the attorneys general: "TRI data is the tool that proves the need for environmental justice at the national and local level." [Spitzer 2006]. Throughout California, TRI data has been a key tool that has empowered diverse communities to take action against toxic chemical hazards:
- In Los Angeles, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) used TRI data to show that more than 80 percent of facilities that release toxic chemicals in L.A. County were located in areas where a large majority of residents were people of color. Among the results: Three industrial recycling facilities relocated to more appropriately zoned areas, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted environmental justice guidelines to ensure that diverse community voices are included in planning and regulatory decisions. [NIEHS 2005]
- In Richmond, the West County Toxics Coalition and CBE used the TRI to investigate refineries and other industrial polluters. The group published a report identifying the area's 20 largest polluters, naming a Chevron refinery as the worst. The report brought the oil company to the table for discussions that led to Chevron's agreement to close down older portions of the plant and install equipment to achieve zero emissions from an expansion. [EPA 1998]
- In the Ventura County community of Frasier Park, Concerned Residents of Lockwood Valley fought to get Pacific Custom Materials, a clay mine and cement kiln, report its emissions from burning diesel fuel to the TRI. They then used the data to force state and county regulators to crack down on the plant's nitrogen and sulfur pollution, to institute real-time online emissions reporting, and bring a health damages lawsuit against the company, recently settled for an undisclosed amount. [Swan 2006]
- In West Oakland, the Chester Street Block Club Association, Citizens for West Oakland Revitalization and Greenaction used TRI data in a campaign against Red Star Yeast, whose plant was emitting tens of thousands of pounds of acetaldehyde, a carcinogen, and other toxic chemicals into the neighborhood's air. The community pressured authorities to investigate and fine Red Star for pollution violations and fought against renewal of the plant's operating permit, prompting the company to shut down the facility. [DeFao 2003]
Not surprisingly, the TRI is popular with the public, as demonstrated by public responses to government proposals to roll back the program in the past. The TRI's popularity is consistent with findings from public opinion polls showing that the public considers access to pollution information to be a basic right [Mellman 1999a].


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Marilyn: Forever Blonde Gallery
MARILYN: Forever Blonde, The Marilyn Monroe Story in Her Own Words and Music receives its West End premiere at Leicester Square Theatre, where it runs from Tuesday, October 20 to Wednesday, November 18, 2009.
The acclaimed, award-winning, one-woman play stars award-winning actress and singer Sunny Thompson, whose portrayal of Monroe convincingly recreates the voice, singing style, bodily movement and the vulnerability of the legendary blonde.
Roll your mouse over the left and right-hand sides of the image and then click to view more pictures.
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A recent British study found that blond women earn more than their brunette or redhead counterparts. Of course, the study was sponsored by Superdrug, a store chain that sells hair products and makes money from hair insecurity. Which shows that when it comes to blond mythology, don't believe the hype. But you can trust these 10 things:
1 People have gone to great lengths to achieve blondness. In ancient Rome, people used pigeon poop; in Renaissance Venice, horse urine. Throughout history, nonblonds have also tried white wine, olive oil, ivy bark, soap and saffron.
2 Alfred Hitchcock cast so many blondes in his movies that film critics now write of "Hitchcock blondes:" beautiful, aloof, smart leading ladies. Think Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak. Hitchcock offered myriad reasons for his preference for light-haired actresses, including that they film better in black and white, but one quote seems to sum it up: "Blondes make the best victims," Hitchcock said. "They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints."
3 According to Victoria Sherrow's "Encyclopedia of Hair," there was an original "dumb blonde." An 18th century French actress and prostitute named Rosalie Duthe was known for being very beautiful but incapable of intelligent conversation. She was satirized in a play called "Les Curiosites de la Foire" in 1775. But dumb is relative: Duthe was extremely wealthy as a mistress of royalty.
4 If the director yells "Kill the blonde!" on a movie set, he's probably ordering the crew to shut off an open-face, 2,000-watt spotlight.
5 Actress Marilyn Monroe colored her hair using a shade of blond called dirty pillow slip.
6 In junior high, Kurt Cobain was profiled in his school newspaper, the Puppy Press: "Kurt is a seventh-grader at our school. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He thinks school is alright. … His favorite saying is 'Excuse you.' "
7 Actress Veronica Lake's peekaboo hairdo, with long blond hair over one eye, was a 1940s sensation. According to Life magazine, she had about 150,000 hairs on her head, with her tresses 17 inches long in front and 24 inches long in back. The downsides: "Her hair catches fire fairly often when she is smoking" and "it has a bad habit of snagging on men's buttons." About the buttons, Life wrote: "If Miss Lake were in fact the kind of girl she portrays on the screen, this might lead to all kinds of fascinating complications. …"
8 Only one in 20 white American adults is naturally blond.
9 In the early '80s, Brad Pitt dropped out of the University of Missouri two credits short of graduating and went to Hollywood. But before his light-haired good looks became famous, Pitt worked a variety of odd jobs in California — delivering refrigerators, serving as a chauffeur for strippers and dressing as a chicken to promote El Pollo Loco "flame-grilled" chicken.
10 Former members of the '70s rock group Stilettos were searching for a name for their new group and settled on Blondie. Lead singer Debbie Harry said the name came from truck drivers who would pass her and shout, "Hey, Blondie!" In 1997, the band performed on an Iggy Pop tribute album using the pseudonym Adolph's Dog. It's probably not a coincidence that Adolf Hitler had a pet dog named Blondi.
Mark Jacob is a deputy metro editor at the Tribune; Stephan Benzkofer is the Tribune's weekend editor. Neither of them is blond, unless the light hits them just right.
Sources: "Strike the Baby and Kill the Blonde: An Insider's Guide to Film Slang," by Dave Knox; "Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History," by Victoria Sherrow; "Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Vol. 1," by Melissa Hope Ditmore; "On Blondes," by Joanna Pitman; "Peekaboo: The Story of Veronica Lake," by Jeff Lenburg; "Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light," by Patrick McGilligan; "Punk: The Definitive Record of a Revolution," by Stephen Colegrave and Chris Sullivan; "Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain," by Charles R. Cross; "The Rolling Stone Film Reader," article by Chris Mundy; Life magazine; and Boston Herald.


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NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The NHL Tuesday unveiled a realignment plan that would take effect for the 2013-14 season if the players' association approves.
Under the alignment outlined in a memo circulated amongst the 30 teams, the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets would move from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference.
The new setup includes two divisions of eight teams each in the East (Atlantic and Central), while two divisions of seven teams each (Midwest and Pacific) would comprise the West.
The new alignments would be:
-- Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, the Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington in the Atlantic.
-- Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay in the Central.
-- Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg in the Midwest.
-- Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim for the Pacific.
"We have been in discussions with the Players' Association for the past several weeks on the issue of realignment and we are trying to get to a solution that everybody can live with," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com.


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Of the 37 species of mammal known worldwide as foxes only 12 actually belong to the true fox family of vulpes which includes wolves, jackals and some wild dogs.
And by far the most widespread and common species is the red fox, which inhabits large areas of Europe, including the UK, and is a cunning and controversial creature.
Unlike its cousins the wolves and jackals, the red fox is not a pack animal, preferring to live in small family groups. The fox is an opportunistic feeder hunting live prey like rodents such as rats, mice and rabbits, and also varying its diet with fruit, berries, reptiles, birds eggs, young birds, beetles and other insects like grasshoppers. The red fox normally avoids humans, but is not averse to attacking hen houses at night and, not satisfied with taking one hen, usually kills the whole flock. Romanticised in books, films and on television, the fox has become an iconic creature, Beatrix Potter having characterised him as Mr Tod and other authors, and entertainers too, having turned him into a popular children's favourite like Basil Brush. Male foxes are often known as tods, reynards or simply dogs, while the females are vixens and the young cubs. Watching the cubs romping and wrestling near their home earth is an enchanting experience, but reynard has assumed a rather different character as he has moved into town or city to take advantage of the easy lifestyle offered by man, who throws away good food and often feeds foxes deliberately.
The urban fox has penetrated the very centres of the biggest cities and it is a common occurrence for people in the London suburbs, and built-up areas in other towns and cities far from the countryside, to find foxes in their gardens and inside their houses and outbuildings. They frequently make their homes in city centre parks and playing fields, and the double barks of the dogs and eerie mating screams of the vixens are becoming familiar sounds in unexpected places.
Little wonder the fox appears in folklore as a cunning creature, often with magical powers, and many stories are told of his ability to outwit packs of hounds by intelligent ploys to throw his pursuers off the scent. Fox hunting with packs of foxhounds originated in the 16th century as a sport and also as a way of keeping numbers down to protect farm stock. Banned in Scotland in 2002 and in England and Wales in 2005, its opponents regard it as cruel and unnecessary but proponents argue there is no other efficient or effective method of pest control.


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You'll love our award-winning riverfront lifestyle.
Saluda River Club residents make the best neighbors.
Our dog park is a favorite amenity – especially for the happy four–legged residents of Saluda River Club.
With so many amenities, there's something fun for everyone.
John & Sarah share their experience at Saluda River Club


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New article from The Institute for Southern Studies speaks frankly about dioxin emission in the South.
Please note the highlighted words, as they pertain to the Charlotte area. Based on information contained in this report, Gerdau Ameristeel is the 2nd largest emitter of air borne dioxins, the active agent in Agent Orange for which there is no known safe level. See the map below for schools, parks, and other facilies surrounding this piont source for this deadly toxin.
As environmental health advocates call on Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to release a long-awaited report on the health impact of dioxins, an analysis by Facing South finds that Southern communities bear a disproportionate burden of industrial dioxin pollution.
A class of toxic chemicals that persist in the environment and build up in the food chain, dioxins have been linked to a host of health problems including immune-system damage, hormone disruption and cancer — and at very low levels of exposure. Environmental dioxin pollution has been declining since the 1970s, but the EPA says current exposure levels "remain a concern."
That's why the agency has undertaken a reassessment of the chemicals' effects on human health. The EPA has said it would release the non-cancer portion of the reassessment this month, with the cancer portion to follow "as expeditiously as possible." The reassessment has been delayed for decades amid political pressure from industry.
EPA is expected to recommend an intake limit of 0.7 picograms of dioxin per kilogram of body weight per day, The Atlantic reports. (A picogram is one-trillionth of a gram.) The anticipated limit is lower than the 1 to 4 picogram limit set by the European Union for various foods.
Americans get most of their dioxin exposure from eating dairy products, meat, fish, poultry and eggs, which shows why blood dioxin levels are much lower in vegans, who do not eat animal products.
So how does dioxin get into the environment in the first place? Some is produced by natural events such as volcanoes and forest fires. Another source is open trash burning. But most dioxin pollution is a byproduct of industry, with plants producing chemicals, steel, cement and paper topping the list of the heaviest dioxin polluters in the United States. Wood preservation plants are another major dioxin source as some use chemicals similar to dioxins in the preserving process.
The chart below — click on image for a larger version — lists the 30 U.S. industrial facilities that released the highest levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds to the air and surface water in 2010, using self-reported data from EPA's Toxics Release Inventory.
Some observations:
* The South bears a disproportionate burden of dioxin pollution, with 25 of the 30 worst dioxin polluters located in Southern states. There are six major dioxin-emitting facilities in Alabama, five in Louisiana, four in Texas and three in North Carolina.
* The worst dioxin polluter in 2010 was Westlake Vinyls in Calvert City, Ky., which reported releasing over 14,000 grams — more than 31 pounds — of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds to surface waters in 2010 alone. Calvert City, located on a heavily industrialized section of the Tennessee River, has been called a "national sacrifice area" by environmental justice advocates because of its unusually heavy concentration of polluting industry.
* Michigan-based Dow Chemical owns the second and third-biggest dioxin emitters, in Texas and Louisiana respectively. And the Kansas-based conglomerate Koch Industries through its Georgia-Pacific subsidiary owns three of these top dioxin-emitting facilities — two in Alabama and another in Arkansas.
* Several other major industrial emitters of dioxins are owned by foreign corporations, including companies based in Brazil, Germany, Taiwan and Canada.


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TOP STORY: From the bowels of Orlando, it's Hasbro! Since the debut of their booth was packed with previously unveiled items, the level of excitement for the big slideshow was even higher than usual. Armed with a laptop and my pals Mike and Shannon, we aim to bring you not-very-timely information on this grand event.
I wasn't able to get free wifi running this time, so let's get started in a timely fashion. (Hey, at least the delay wasn't as bad as the Olympics right?) The panel preshow kicked off with a round of trivia asking if anyone had a vintage carded Hasbro figure... which is kind of an impossibility. But anyway, let's get to the reason we're all here: merchandising!
Derryl DePriest, Mark Boudreaux, Brian Burton, Dave Vennemeyer, and Eric Seibenaler (formerly of Transformers) were all on tap to talk about Fighter Pods and... well, let's see. I'm writing this live as it happens. "We're probably not going to blow you away," DePriest said, regarding how new reveals are about to go. "We did bring a few surprises. While today may be a little lighter than you're used to seeing... we're going to have a phenomenal lineup for you at Toy Fair."
A Vintage large-size new X-Wing in a Vintage box is coming and is not in the presentation. Brian Burton would not specify whose X-Wing it was. Vintage is on hiatus, as you've heard, "in the vault" for an unspecified period of time-- but, as you've seen with the X-Wing, exclusives may be exempt from this hiatus. So, much like now, you will not be seeing any main-line vintage packaging in stores.
Droid Factory will be back in February, 2013 with 30 or so figures over the course of the year. Each wave will have 1 or 2 droids and, as always, it will include a unique piece of robot with every figure. Wave 2 is shown here for the first. The astromech-style cardback will hold new figures like Clone Wars Mace Windu, a taller (they specified height) Super-Articulated Pilot Biggs Darklighter, and a refresh of 2007's 30th Anniversary Collection Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony) with a new blaster and head. "We want to get to 100 Lukes in 5 years," Derryl joked. Other figures in wave 2 include Mara Jade Skywalker, Episode II Clone Pilot, and another A-Wing Fighter Pilot. The Clone Pilot is a revised 2011 Vintage Clone Trooper body, the A-Wing Pilot is based on the 2007 body, and Mara Jade, as the fan's choice, is totally new with a new blaster, 2 lightsabers (lit and unlit), and a new blaster. They said Mara's hair is a separate molded piece, which should be evident by the photography. "It keeps the spirit of vintage going," DePriest said," just in a different card format." The wave is rounded out by a new Darth Vader (Bespin) with the banquet accessories like Han's blaster, a blast effect, a lightsaber, and swappable hands based on the 2005 Evolutions sculpt. Captain Rex is a realistic take on the 2008 Clone Wars cartoon armor, and seems to use a mix of existing parts and many many new ones. I like what I see and I think you will too.
"Captain Rex is symbolic of something we hope to do," DePriest said, referring to capturing a Clone Wars figure in realistic style in pretty much every wave. The droids for wave 2? R8-B7 (formerly of the Clone Wars Boba Fett Slave I Battle Pack), and R5-X2, previously only made as a remote control figure.
Movie Heroes Wave 1 has Episode II exploding Battle Droid (button in the small of his back) and a really awesome new Episode IV Sandtrooper with a giant, ridiculously awesome gun with a light-up grenade launcher. Why should Jedi have all the fun? "These figures will come out with several carry-forward figures on our new Yoda card," which should have a 6- or 7-month run in Spring.
Clone Wars Wave 1 has brand-new versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and a Battle Droid which I think may be a repaint. Captain Rex is refreshed with new deco and a non-firing weapon that will spin, R2-D2 is cleaned up and is based on the newer Astromech mold Hasbro has started using, and a 501st Jet Pack Trooper is blue and looks spectacular. He's also the wave's debut, due in Spring 2013.
Fighter Pods Serise 4 hits Spring 201 and 125 figures are on deck including Ki-Adi-Mundi, Flamethrower Clone Trooper, Fordo, Carnor Jax, melting Han Solo in Carbonite, poncho Jango Fett, Greedo, Asajj Ventress, a Galactic Marine, Greedo, Han Solo Stormtrooper, and many more. Some of these may be series 3 but they're on the series 4 slide, so if I'm wrong, well, I'll refund the money you paid to read this. A rumor going around the floor was Jaxxon could find a home here. The PC game was shown and described as "glamorized bowling" by Eric Siebenaler.
Rapid-fire and rapid reload launchers were shown at Comic-Con and are here again, with nifty slam-loading Hailfire Droid and Republic Gunship launchers. "It's visceral."
Class I Vehicles each include 2 figures instead of 1 this time around. The wave will include a mini awesome Episode II- Yoda's Jedi Cruiser with Yoda and a Super Battle Droid. The MTT Droid Fighter will connect to this year's MTT with a Battle Droid pilot and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Episode II Republic Clone Dropship is a redeco of this year's red one, but in blue with a Clone Pilot and Battle Droid. Mini-Rigs are back, people! Good times. Yoda's Jedi Cruiser is probably my favorite, and is a removable build-a-droid piece you can swap out at your leisure. The best part of all of these is that they're wave 1 2013 releases, which means a new SKU, which means that "wave 1 syndrome" of things being widely available hopefully will apply here.
Class II vehicles include the return of the red Republic Fighter Tank along with Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter, completely retooled along with Jango Fett's Slave I in a smaller version that will not make you sorry you got the giant one in 2010. In an effort to keep prices down, even the Fighter Tank is a new, smaller sculpt. As such, they should be better toys than the current releases, and let's be honest: price is important here, and this should hopefully actually get kids to buy these. Think big Mini-Rigs... simplified, toy vehicles should actually be fun. As a long-term collector I'm not crazy about yet another version of toys I have many versions of, but hey, they got firing rockets and should be fun.
Update from the future: I just got to play around with all 3 of these and they push the same buttons as the 5-joint Battle Pack figures. Small, simple, durable in feel and nicely designed. The Slave I has rotating cannons, pivoting wings, a firing rocket, and seating for one. The Fighter Tank has no rolling wheels, an excellent sculpt. Seats two figures. The Jedi Starfighter is thin in spots but has retractable landing gear, a single firing rocket, seating for one, and a rotating R4 dome. The R4 dome is scaled down relative to the action figures to maintain the scale of the ship. These look neat but probably aren't your cup of tea if you've bought every ship since 1995. Since they seem to be quality toys-- things for kids to play with-- I'm unreasonably interested in them as it seems parts won't fall off and they won't take up too much room. If you don't like it, blame people making better wages overseas. I'll make do. Anyway, back to the real-time article.
A Star Wars Toy Exhibition in Paris, France will show the history of 35 years of Star Wars stuff. The slide showed numerous prototypes including a window-box package for the Star Wars Micro Collection Bespin Control Room, and man, it's really cool. I've never seen it before. Other items include rocket Fetts, 12-inch Kenner Lando, and other goodies. This runs October 4, 2012 to March 17, 2013.
2012 exclusives include the previously announced Darth Maul Returns Battle Pack, now supposedly in December. (I would suspect the real date to be November or maybe even October.) It's a Target exclusive. The Special Action Figure sets (Droid Pack and Villain Pack) are on sale now, as readers of this set are well aware (and hopefully got theirs on the cheap. "He's a block, but he's an awesome block," said Vennemeyer of the Gonk droid. Target's Darth Maul Fighter Pods Tin will be out in September, with Ziro which they say they were not able to get into the 3 3/4-inch line. The Maul in the tin is metallic, making it different from the regular release.
Kmart's AT-ST, out now, is next. The crew 2-packs are listed as "on shelf now" but it's not like I can find them. We hear $14.99 each, but, obviously, I ain't seen 'em. The Ewok Scouts are pretty fantastic, Wunka and Widdle are here to take over the set.
Toys R Us' Ewok Pack and Yavin Pack were next, with October on-shelf dates. Well, we have ours now, so yeah. Whatevs. You know theyre awesome, so buy them. Also "October" is the Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper, which has a tripod cannon that can attach to the bottom of the bike to "add value" to it. You can see the jet engine when you pop the hood open, there's a clear display stand so it can "fly," and the Hasbro artisans added some detail to make sure this classic vehicle was as realistic as possible. The Scout Trooper has added articulation, including the neck, so he can look up and see where he's going. A small kickstand was added so the item can stay on the ground without drooping on your shelf.
On the bigger end of things is the Toys R Us vintage boxed Millennium Falcon, a return of 2008's biggest and best take on Han's ship. The ship is unchanged so you won't necessarily feel the need to repurchase it, so good for you, Hasbro. We appreciate this. Joining it is the Endor AT-AT, which I find surprising as the Toys R Us stores near me are still nicely loaded with the Hoth one. The AT-AT Driver has been changed and this is the first-ever one with black gloves, so screw you variant collectors. Jocasta Nu is rounding out the expensive exclusives at Brian's Toys and the Dooku bust has a hidden Holocron inside it. Jocasta does not have a ball jointed neck as it may have distorted the sculpt in production.
Boba Fett's Slave I is coming in 2013. Apparently in Vintage packaging. It was presented as a shadowy silhouette, but let's be honest, we know what this. "We should have more details at Toy Fair."
That's it! Thank you! Goodbye! Won't you? Questions!
The first kid asked if Galactic Heroes was dead. Yes. Replaced by Jedi Heroes.
Another guy asked about the Class II vehicles. The new Class II vehicles are completely new, from-scratch vehicles as they are smaller.
Are we going to see a smaller scale X-Wing at some point? Maybe!
Will Mara Jade be on a vintage card or in a comic 2-pack? No Vintage, because Droid Factory. "She would be a phenomenal candidate to put on a vintage card eventually." Comic packs - "We're hopeful we can bring out comic packs at some point, when it makes sense. The Union one, maybe." Derryl's smile makes me think maybe Toy Fair.
Count Dooku with 12-inch Speeder? Darth Maul Ultimate FX Lightsaber? Yes, Ultimate FX Maul lightsaber is out-- Derryl says it's TRU exclsuive, but I think it's on Entertainment Earth right now. I think there's some confusion, maybe mine, I don't have internet while I'm writing this. Derryl was coy about the 12-inch offerings , but you know they were announced at SDCC as limited articulation figures.
KOTOR comic characters - or game? TOR? More TOR are coming, Derryl says, in Droid Factory Collection. KOTOR at the top of the list if comic packs come back, but apparently not elsewhere. I don't get the distinction of why TOR is OK for retail and KOTOR isn't, but that's why I just report on this stuff.
Ewoks and Droids cartoon figures? Kneesaa is out, but there is no systematic effort to bring those figures out, says Derryl.
Why no CVI exclusive? Argh. Brian's Toys got Jocasta, Jocasta would have been the CVI exclusive. "We didn't feel we were kind of getting the return here at the show," Derryl said, which is why they didn't bring a HasbroToyShop booth. (At CV, you could walk right up-- no waiting. At least when I looked.)
Star Wars 1313 wave of figures? No. Why? It's a different kind of game, Derryl says, whatever that means. The way they're doing waves means no dedicated wave devoted to a game, they'll split it up over time if/when they get to those characters.
Angry about Jocasta being late? Well, maybe 2012, who knows. Should be 2013. Part 2: Distribution? "Episode I didn't meet our expectations," Derryl said. "We did anticipate we would have interest..." and also said they made more, but they didn't get more collectors, so it's backing up.
Time's up! Kicking us out.
Can't say I'm not excited for that Boba Fett's Slave I. If it comes in Vintage packaging, all the better, but really I just want to make sure that it's the larger Slave I model and not one of these newer scaled down ones. And I hope I don't have to buy it with a whole other ship.


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This article is part of our fantasy football advice & strategy series.
1. Understand the Value of Quarterbacks in your League.
Quarterbacks typically dominate the total points leaderboard in most formats, but their values depend on several things including your scoring system, the number of teams in your league, the number of starting quarterbacks (including quarterback-eligible flex positions) and the required number of starting position players (RB, WR).
Scoring System
Whether quarterbacks get 3, 4 or 6 points per passing touchdown, whether and how much they get docked for interceptions and how many points they get per passing yard all matter.
Your league's scoring for passing yards and TDs also affects the value of quarterbacks who run – the less credit given for passing stats, the more the running quarterbacks stand out relative to their peers. Point-per-reception (PPR) leagues add more relative value to position players and remove value from all quarterbacks.
League Size
There are 32 teams in the NFL, and typically 15-20 of them have quarterbacks you'd be willing to use, though probably fewer on any given week when you take into account bye weeks, weather conditions and matchups.
In a 12-team league that starts just one-QB, you can almost always find quality quarterbacking late in your draft, or on the waiver wire. Accordingly, in most formats of that sort, you should wait until the middle to late rounds to draft one unless an elite one falls significantly below ADP.
In a 14-team league (or deeper), the position typically becomes far more scarce, as the waiver wire is usually fairly barren during the year, and owners are therefore inclined to draft backup QBs earlier. That means you wait on QBs at your peril, though the other positions in deeper leagues are scarce also – so you'll have tougher choices to make.
Number of Quarterbacks Started
In two-quarterback leagues, or leagues where you can start a second QB as a flex (essentially 2-QB leagues), the value of the position skyrockets, and getting two competent starting ones is almost essential and something on which it's worth spending early picks.
Number of Position Players Started
The number of starting position players (RB, WR) is crucially important to determining the value of quarterbacks.
If you start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, and one FLEX (RB/WR), the ratio of position players to QB is 6:1. That's high, and it diminishes the value of QBs relative to position players. If you start 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, then the ratio is just 4:1 which is low, and it's more permissible to draft QBs early.
In a 14-team league, this ratio is often the tiebreaker for me when it comes to deciding whether to wait on quarterbacks.
Once you've figured out the value of quarterbacks, the rest of your job is typically easier. If their value is relatively low, you punt the position and load up on WR/RB unless a star QB falls so far below ADP that you have to take him.
2. Take What the Draft Gives You
People often ask whether they should go RB/RB at Pick 9 in a 12-team standard league, or if it would be better to go RB/WR. The answer is it depends.
Typically in a standard format, you should go with the best RB or WR available in the first two rounds, and any combination thereof is permissible. Even so, different choices here will have consequences which you must address later in your draft.
Running backs typically score more points than receivers. That's because they usually have more opportunities for touchdowns and they rack up both passing and rushing yards. Also, given their higher volume of touches, their scoring is less volatile than that of receivers, i.e., you can count on more consistent week-to-week production from them than you can from receivers.
But by losing out on elite receivers, you're rolling the dice on mediocre ones who are almost impossible to predict on a weekly basis. Moreover, running backs are more injury prone, so your most precious investments are more likely to lose their value if you go RB/RB.
Receivers are typically more durable than running backs, but they're limited (with rare exceptions) to receiving yards and scores, they see fewer than half the touches that comparable backs do and their production is more volatile, i.e., it's less consistent on a weekly basis.
But top receivers are reliable over the long haul, and by drafting them, you avoid the nearly impossible task of choosing which mediocre ones to start week to week. Moreover, should one or two of your middle or late-round backs win a starting job, it's far easier to count on their production than it would be for a comparable receiver.
Finally, because the league has evolved toward more running back committees, there are typically more useful backs than there used to be, and more who emerge over the course of the season.
WR/RB or RB/WR
This is obviously fine, too, and gives you some added flexibility.
3. Where to Draft a Tight End?
Getting an elite tight end in the middle rounds is worthwhile, but keep in mind a few caveats:
Tight ends are injury prone.
It's a grueling position due to the dual requirements of blocking and receiving.
Tight ends typically lack upside.
The No. 1 overall tight end often fails to outscore even the No. 10 overall receiver, who often fails to outscore the No. 20 overall running back.
You typically are required to start only one of them.
They're usually not too scarce, and more talented pass-catching tight ends have come into the league over the last five years, making good ones available late.
That said, once the RB/WR plateau a few rounds into your draft, you should consider a TE or QB.
4. Kickers and Team Defenses
In most scoring systems, these positions are afterthoughts because:
- They contribute only a small amount of total scoring.
- You need only start one of them, so plenty of choices are available on the waiver wire.
- Most importantly, both are so difficult to predict that it's only worth investing a very late-round pick on them.
5. PPR Leagues
In leagues that award a point-per reception, possession receivers and pass-catching running backs get a significant boost. All good receivers get a modest boost. Backs who don't catch passes and quarterbacks merit downgrades.
6. Auction vs. Draft
More leagues have begun to use auctions to acquire players, the strategy for which requires a separate and more lengthy discussion. The same principles regarding the value of various positions apply, however, with dollars substituting for rounds in your calculus. But bidding and nominating strategy, i.e., how to maximize your budget in the auction, requires a different skill set than that of a draft.
7. IDP Leagues
Individual Defensive Player leagues are more common these days, with so many varied starting requirements it's nearly impossible to say what's standard. As a rule, defensive players get one point per tackle, several points for sacks and interceptions and six points for TDs. As such, players who make a lot of tackles - typically middle and inside linebackers - are the most valuable commodities, followed by outside linebackers, safeties, cornerbacks and defensive ends.
IDPs rarely score enough to merit anything better than a middle-to-late round pick, but there are some exceptions for particular scoring systems.
8. Backups
Typically, once you hit the middle rounds of your draft, you should largely be looking for upside - potential game changers who are an injury or depth chart change away from being top players at their positions. Only rarely should you concern yourself about getting your stars' real life backups as insurance - for that, two requirements must be met: (1) The backup is almost certain to inherit the starter's entire role; and (2) The backup is likely capable of producing at least 80 percent or so of what the starter produced. If the starter is also injury prone, that makes the case more compelling and should cause you to reach a round early for the backup.
Otherwise, draft the players with most upside regardless if they're on the same team as your star players.
When to draft a backup quarterback depends on two thing: (1) Quarterback value in your league (See above), and (2) The quality, job security and health/injury proneness of your starter.
9. Distance Scoring Leagues
Some leagues award extra points for longer touchdowns, and in those, you obviously must upgrade big-play players and downgrade slower, possession receivers or plodding, bruising backs, accordingly.
10. Miscellaneous
Players on the Same Team
Some people avoid drafting players on the same team because if the team gets shut out, both will necessarily do poorly. Others target players on the same good team because both will likely benefit when the team does well. In my opinion, neither scenario changes your decision: simply take the best player regardless of whether you've drafted his teammate previously.
Bye Weeks
There's no reason to worry about them. Everyone has to deal with them, and it's an open question whether it's better to get it over with all at once with multiple players missing from your lineup in one week, or to be slightly compromised over several weeks. The one exception might be taking a backup QB with a different bye than your starter, but otherwise, bye weeks should not affect your draft-day decision making.
Strength of Schedule
I tend to ignore this to an extent, but of the three "miscellaneous" factors, it's the most important, especially early in the year when teams are more likely to resemble their preseason configurations. If you know a player is playing against two tough defenses in the first four weeks, you might want to downgrade him a draft slot or two, and upgrade one who has cushy matchups early. But because so much changes year to year, it's foolish to put too much stake in this, especially for games scheduled in November and December.
This article on the basics of fantasy football draft strategy was originally published in 2011 and the one below was published several years ago, but the concepts discussed on this page are useful for any season.
If this is your first year doing fantasy football, or half of your league is new to the game, you should probably ignore much of the advice I'm going to give below.
In leagues like that, just take two running backs out of the gate, wait on quarterbacks, and stock up on back up running backs and wideouts in rounds three through six. Just as when you're playing poker against beginners, there's not much point in doing anything fancy.
But fantasy football has been popular for a while now, so I'd imagine most of you have lots of experience in leagues, and also that your league-mates aren't fools, either. For that reason, the "automatically draft two-RB strategy" won't work for everyone, especially in deeper 14- and 16-team leagues.
Consider that if everyone employed that strategy, then there would necessarily be one owner who had the worst combo of backs (depending on where he drafted). And so in most experienced leagues where everyone is using their early picks on backs, it's going to make sense for some of you to grab a wideout or quarterback early on occasion.Late in the first round, you might want to draft a superstar wide receiver over an aging running back. Or maybe snag a top-tier quarterback over a risky running back with a late first round ADP.
In that case, you'll grab a solid starting back early in Round 2, and then fill in with multiple upside plays at running back in the middle and later rounds.
If one of those guys hits, and there's a good chance one will, you'll have your two backs and a superstar at QB or WR, to boot. The key point is that a top-3 wide receiver is more reliable than any but a handful of backs. There might be slightly more week to week variance among receiver stats, but year to year, the top wideouts are far more reliable than a late first-round running back.
If you pick early in the first round, you pretty much have to take a premium running back because you're not likely to get one you want on the way back. But late in Round 2 and early in Round 3, it's a great time to lock down two excellent receivers. Again, you can draft multiple upside backs in the middle rounds, and you'll most likely be better off than someone who gambled on an aging or unsettled second back early.
Some proponents of the must-draft-backs-in-the-first-two-rounds theory will point out that running backs are more reliable because they touch the ball 20 times per game at a minimum, whereas wideouts only get the ball four or five times. But as my colleague Mike Salfino pointed out, backs touch the ball with 20 people between them and the goal line. Receivers sometimes get it with none.
Consider also that receivers average 14, 15 and sometimes close to 20 yards per touch. A top running back averages close to five, and workhorse backs often produce less than that.
We might also consider a failed run – one of less than two yards when there's more than seven yards to go for a first down – the equivalent of an incomplete pass. There's really no difference fantasy-wise, so running backs don't get as many more touches as it seems.
And even a successful short-yardage conversion isn't worth anything if it's not around the goal line.
Moreover, running backs are more likely to get hurt due to their large number of touches. In fact, running backs get drilled on all 20 touches even when they get nothing for it, whereas receivers don't get hit all that often on incomplete passes (going over the middle, maybe, but otherwise, they usually get off scot free).
Finally, because running backs get the ball so reliably, it's easier to expect production out of a fill-in starter, than a fill-in receiver who might see just two passes thrown his way. If you don't have reliable receivers, you're much more likely to get a zero from a roster spot with a guy you just picked up off the waiver wire.
In a league with experienced owners, then, you're much better off taking what the draft gives you and going for value than blindly adhering to the strategy that everyone else is following.


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Accounting/Finance Opportunities at Hearst
Front Desk Associate Applicants should possess the following qualifications: Strong computer and analytical skills ; Proficient in Microsoft...
1902150 Requisition #Learn More
Front Desk Associate Applicants should possess the following qualifications: Strong computer and analytical skills ; Proficient in Microsoft...
1902150 Requisition #Learn More
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Hearst Newspapers is leveraging technology to transform the way journalism delivers news to local communities. Award-winning journalists that get to the heart of the story collaborating with editors, designers, marketers, developers and engineers to deliver relevant content that educates, informs and entertains – all with a local perspective.
Our mission is to tell the story of San Francisco. We will inform, provoke and energize the people who change the world. We are the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. With name-brand voices and a keen editorial eye, the Chronicle is an authority that still surprises.
The Houston Chronicle Media Group is the largest media company in Texas reaching over 2.7 million Houstonians every week. Our diversified portfolio of products and services includes The Houston Chronicle, the largest newspaper in Texas. The Chronicles' online presence includes Chron.com and the premium site HoustonChronicle.com. Houston Chronicle's social presence includes being the number one publisher with the most visited monthly local media website which includes over 451 thousand followers.
DMS, powered by LocalEdge, delivers a full suite of premier online marketing services to over 17,000 local businesses across Hearst Newspaper properties and partners around the world.
Times Union is the leading newspaper in New York's Capital Region and timesunion.com is upstate New York's most innovative news website. Hearst properties in the area also include the Hearst Media Center, a premier event space, and Capital Region Weekly Newspapers, a group of tabloids offering values from area businesses.
Hearst Connecticut's combination of daily newspapers, weekly publications, breaking news websites and specialty magazines makes it the dominant and most respected media organization in the state. In a state positioned between Boston and New York City, our offices are located in thriving metro areas, amidst upscale suburbs – offering the advantages of both worlds.
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Archive for the 'business world' Category
Tips for Small Business Success
Originally posted in Strategies, Austin Business-Journal, January 11, 2008
Has your experience as a professional athlete been a blessing or a curse in the business world?
My experience as a professional athlete has been a blessing. Anyone who reaches the top of their profession, be it in sports or in business, understands what it takes to win. Proper preparation, dedication, sacrifice, hard work, accountability to your team, striving for a unified goal – all the things you learn in sports transcend athletics and become applicable in the business world.
Jeff Novak
CEO, IF Development
Former offensive lineman, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars
About Jeff Novak
Jeff is the chief architect of business direction at IF Development . He is responsible for translating a client's financial objectives into a master sales and marketing plan, complete with sales forecast, financial outlook, sales compensation plan, and identification of key marketing milestones. With the master sales and marketing plan in hand, IF Development clients have clear visibility to execution and measurement of the overall strategic game plan. Jeff Novak, who played out a career of eight full seasons in the National Football League as a hard hitting offensive lineman and is a possible future Hall of Famer, is known for his natural leadership and high moral standards. Along with Will and Tony, Jeff is also an active public speaker who is passionate about motivating young people, being a positive influence in his community, and being a person who delivers results with integrity.


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The Fencing Team at William & Mary is a competitive club fencing team which fields male and female competitors in all three weapons. Fencing has a long history at the college of William and Mary, and has at times been a varsity sport, most recently in the 1990's.
Early History of Fencing at the College
William and Mary had a fencing team already established in 1924 [1]. Tucker Jones, the man who established it, arrived at the college in 1921 [2], and there is no mention of any fencing-related activities prior to that date in the Flat Hat or Colonial Echo, nor does the Special Records Collection have records from the Athletics Department that predate his arrival, so it seems likely that he was responsible for the genesis of the team.
Fencing in the 1940's
In 1942, William and Mary's fencing team had lost only seven meets in 10 years [3], was among the first five teams in the nation, and were reigning South Atlantic Fencing champions [4].
For a time in the 1940's, the William and Mary fencing team was comprised entirely of women. The new varsity team, comprised entirely of women, was formed in 1947. As a Flat Hat article of the time states: "Several years ago, there were men's fencing teams, under the directorship of Tucker Jones, instructor in physical education. The present organization, composed entirely of the female sex, was formed four years ago [in 1944] as a result of his interest and enthusiasm in the sport.William and Mary is the only college in this section of the country which sponsors fencing as an organized sport for women." [5] There was enough interest that competitive teams were chosen through the use of a tournament, the winners of which traveled to New York to compete against other schools.
Fencing in the 1950's
Fencing continued to be a sport at the college. In 1958 there was both a women's varsity fencing team and an intramural fencing team [6].
Fencing in the 1960's
In 1960 there was no men's varsity fencing team at the college, but John H. Willis founded one. In his words: "So when I came to William and Mary, after a couple of years I decided I wanted to continue that so I created for the first time the men's fencing club at William and Mary. Back in the 1930s William and Mary had an intercollegiate fencing team of some renown, but it had lapsed for all the war years. So when I came to William in 1959, or in the 60s actually, I picked up and started the William and Mary men's fencing club and eventually turned it into a varsity sport and was coaching it as a varsity sport for a couple of years until it got (laughing) too much for me to do. [7]"
Fencing in the 1990's
According the SCRC files, the fencing team were reigning National Champions in 1992. However, the fencing team lost varsity status in 1996: "Because of the Strategic Plan, the team will be relegated to club status next year [1996- 1997] and 'we could have been complacent, but we rose to the occasion.' said White, proving the fencing team's pride in their successful history" [8]. Coach Pete Conomikes continued to coach the now-club team on a volunteer basis.
2007 Accident
On Saturday, November 10, 2007, on the way to a fencing tournament, the car which Coach Peter S. Conomikes was driving swerved off the road and hit a tree. He was killed, and the three students riding in his car were all hospitalized for their injuries. While Spencer Butts and Matthew Peppe both recovered, freshmen Benjamin Gutenberg died of his injuries in the hospital. Peter Conomikes had been coaching fencing at William and Mary since 1972.
- SCRC Files
- "Fencing Coach Killed in Accident: Two students listed in critical but stable condition after crash on way to fencing tournament" The Flat Hat, Tuesday November 13, 2007
- "W&M Retains Fencing Team through Interest of Women" The Flat Hat, Tuesday November 30, 1948
- "Jan Campbell Wins Fencing" The Flat Hat, Tuesday March 25, 1947
- "Fencing Team Opens Season With 15-2 Win Over Long Island U." The Flat Hat, Wednesday February 18, 1942
- "Varsity Fencers to Enter Tourney" February 11, 1947
- "Grover and Glassman Star as Tribe Wings S.A. Championship" April 22, 1942
- Oral History with John H. Willis, SCRC
- 1958 Colonial Echo
- Oral History, J. Wilfred Lambert
- 1995 Colonial Echo, discussing the team's loss of varsity status.
Material in the Special Collections Research Center
- Review the Student Organizations Collection, University Archives Subject File Collection, and many other collections found in the SCRC Collections Database.
- The Colonial Echo yearbook as well as The Flat Hat and other student newspapers and publications are also important sources.
Need help?
To search for further material, visit the Special Collections Research Center's Search Tool List for an overview of the Special Collections Database, W&M Digital Archive, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, card catalogs, and other tools available to help you find material of interest in William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Questions? Contact the Special Collections Research Center at firstname.lastname@example.com or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at William & Mary.
|A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki
|The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.


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Samsung Galaxy S3 full review
The Galaxy S III was unveiled and launched only just over a year ago. That fact feels odd these days, when the Galaxy S4 is in the market and the S3 is firmly established as a hugely succesful Android smartphone. It was the first smartphone to truly take the fight to the iPhone, and as a consequence we live in a world in which the Galaxy S4 can compete on an even level with the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z, HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 925 and the rest of the high-end phone lineup. (See also: Moto G vs Galaxy S3 smartphone comparison review.)
But the Galaxy S III remains a top-level phone in its own right. If you bought one a year ago you are unlikely to be in the market for a new one. And there are good deals to be had on the Galaxy S III - you can pick it up on our own mobile phones deals site for around £20 a month.
Here we've updated our Galaxy S3 review to put it in context with the current market. Should you buy a Galaxy S III? Read on to find out. See also: Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 vs Galaxy SIII vs Galaxy Note II comparison review.
Samsung Galaxy S3: Design
The design of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is similar to its predecessor but different at the same time. For starters the phone is much more rounded with smooth flowing lines and rounded corners and edges, somewhat like the Galaxy Nexus. It looks much sleeker than the Galaxy S2, and the Galaxy S4 looks extremely similar to the Galaxy S3 in design. Put simply, it's just a bigger version.
Go to Samsung Galaxy S3 specs and pictures.
We're disappointed that Samsung has kept the physical home button which is saddled by two touch sensitive counterparts for Back and Menu. The Home button is a too thin and narrow and we'd much rather a full set of touch buttons but you can't have everything.
One design flaw is the lack of a Recent Apps button to access the multi-tasking feature of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Instead you have to hold the home button down, not something we found intuitive at all.
The buttons and ports are spread out around the handset with Power on the right, Volume on left, microUSB on the bottom and the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top. The buttons are easy enough to reach and have a nice action, although we would prefer the Volume rocker to be a little larger.
Samsung said the shape is 'inspired by nature' but we don't really care - what matters more is the size, weight and feel. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is very thin and light for such a large phone at just 8.6mm and 133g. It is comfortable to hold, partly because Samsung has reduced the bezel size keeping the dimensions down as much as possible.
The smartphone is almost exactly the same size as the HTC One X at 71 x 137 mm. It's a really big phone and though it's comfortable to hold it is sometimes difficult to use, having to stretch across the large screen with one hand simply due to its size. This is coming from a user with quite large hands so we fear that for a lot of users the device will be just too big for day-to-day usage. Visit: Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X comparison review.
The Galaxy S3 handset is available in pebble blue and marble white. The former has a nice brushed finish while the latter a glossy sheen. Both look nice but we prefer the blue option.
Galaxy S3: video review
Samsung Galaxy S3: Build quality
We can't help but feel the Galaxy S3 has too much of a plasticky feel, mainly brought about by its flimsy removable rear cover which effectively peels away from the back. This is a let-down and not something we want to see from such a 'premium' smartphone with such a high price tag.
Despite the overwhelming use of plastic, the Galaxy S3 feels well made. The thin metal rim running around the edge gives the phone good strength, offering only a small amount of flex when put under strain. The one-piece glass front feels especially nice so ignoring the rear cover it's a good effort.
The Galaxy S4 has maintained this design and build feel. It is also made mostly of plastic, but over time we have come to realise that being made of shiny plastic makes a phone more robust and impervious to scratches and bumps, which may be no bad thing.
Samsung Galaxy S3: Hardware
As expected the Galaxy S3 is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 4 Quad processor, something we actually knew before the launch event. It is a 32nm chip based on the ARM Cortex A9 quad-core architecture and has a clock speed of 1.4GHz.
Strangely Samsung hasn't specified the amount of RAM but our benchmarking app tells us that it has 780MB which the specification sheet would probably tout as 1GB.
In the GeekBench 2 test the Galaxy S3 managed a score of 1659. The Galaxy S4 outdoes this with a 1.9GHz quad-core processor. It breezed its way to being a new record holder in both Geekbench 2 and GLBenchmark with results of 3227 and 41fps. The former is significantly more than the HTC One's 2721 previous record and almost twice that of the Galaxy S3.
The Galaxy S4 couldn't quite manage a treble win but still gave us an impressive time of 1092ms in the SunSpider test. The iPhone 5 remains the best phone in this area at 903ms.
But this is to forget the S3 remains a great performer. When it made the Galaxy S3 Samsung managed to achieve the kind of smooth performance previously only reached by Apple's iPhone. It's the kind of situation where we struggled to make the Galaxy S3, er, struggle.
For example, the phone can play video content in a pop-out window while you do other tasks. If you want proof of performance then there you have it. Other demanding tasks such as scrolling and zooming on a desktop version of website just happen with no lag; the processor puts up no fuss whatsoever.
The biggest lag we found was the short delay between pressing the power button to wake the handset up and the screen coming to life. But even then the delay was minor.
In terms of internal storage, the Galaxy S3 matches the iPhone 4S and has 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacity options. Much to our delight it also has a microSD card slot for expansion of up to a further 64GB. This choice is a big win in our opinion.
As we mentioned earlier the Galaxy S3 is a pretty big smartphone. This is mainly down to its 4.8-inch Super AMOLED screen which has an HD resolution of 720 x 1280.
The Galaxy S3 screen is stunning and comparable in quality to the one found on the HTC One X. It has a high pixel density of 306ppi where individual pixels are not distinguishable offering astonishing levels of detail. Viewing angles are very good; we found reflections in the screen more of a problem. The Galaxy S4 by contrast has a 5in screen, meaning it will be slightly larger than the Galaxy S3's 4.8-inch display. Its resolution has also increased - from 720x1280 up to a Full HD 1080x1920. This ups the pixel density significantly from 306ppi to 441ppi.
In both cases Super AMOLED technology means colours a bright and punchy while blacks are very, well, black. It's partly what makes the screen have such an impact on the eyes but users wanting a more natural look will probably find the screen a bit garish.
Wireless charging is a stand out feature which is not only super cool but very practical too.
Other connectivity in the Galaxy S3 includes the standard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB as well as near-field communications (NFC) technology and support for the digital living network alliance (DLNA) standard.
Follow Chris Martin and @PCAdvisor on Twitter.
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Welcome to AntithesisMC.com, home of Antithesis – The Zionist Rapper.
Since recording Ima Mechaka Babayit in 2001, which former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks described as a "very novel prayer", Antithesis's fame for thought-provoking Zionist and Israel related rap and hip hop music has spread far and wide.
Varsity newspaper named him one of the Top 100 Most Talented Cambridge Students, and the Jewish Chronicle has included him in its 'Power 100' list of those with the most influence over the British Jewish community.
His first EP, 'The Israel Question', was released in December 2003, and sales exceeded all expectations with orders coming in from all over the world and the CD being received with great acclaim by old and young alike.
In 2007 Antithesis released his second EP, 'United Kingdom of Racism', which has been met with similar acclaim. Thousands of pounds in profits from sales of the CDs have been donated to charity.
In 2010 he released his first music video, Proud to be a Zionist, which instantly proved to be a hit. Antithesis has been featured on the compilation CD Celebrate Jewish Hip Hop and runs a weekly radio show called Kol Cambridge. He has peformed on five continents and is currently working on an exciting third EP. Stay tuned for updates!