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This reference architecture paper shows how to deploy Oracle 12c with extreme performance and high availability, using Fusion ioMemory™-based Hewlett Packard Enterprise PCIe Workload Accelerators from SanDisk, HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 Servers, and Oracle Data Guard physical standby database. Performance and system details are provided.
Each of the two low-profile HPE DL380 Gen9 servers in this reference architecture was powered by six internal 6.4 TB Fusion ioMemory flash memory storage devices (HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators), for a total usable capacity of 38.4 TB per server. System performance, as measured by the Oracle CALIBRATE_IO utility, exceeded 1 million database IOPS with sub-millisecond latency in support of On-Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) workloads. Performance also hit 16 GB/s of streaming bandwidth critical to Decision Support Systems (DSS), Data Warehouses, and On-Line Analytic Processing (OLAP) systems. These metrics are per-server, and the reference model has two identically configured servers. By using Active Data Guard we were able to run the DSS workload on both servers, thus doubling the number of active users, and the total throughput hit 32 GB/s. This scalable model supports up to 31 servers per Data Guard cluster.
Oracle Data Guard 12c provides database high availability by creating one or more physical standby copies of the database, and maintaining all copies through the user's choice of synchronous or asynchronous redo apply. Data Guard supports graceful "switchovers" for planned events such as server maintenance, in which case the primary and a standby database simply switch roles. Data Guard also supports "failovers" for unplanned events such as a power outage or catastrophe, in which case the primary is presumed lost and one of the standbys is promoted to the role of primary. Failovers can be automated using Oracle Data Guard's Fast-Start Failover feature, which relies on an observer process to detect the unplanned outage of the primary database and signal the broker to transfer the primary role to one of the available physical standby databases.
Switchovers are planned events with graceful shutdowns and startups, so no recovery is required and the total transition period is quite brief. Failovers are unplanned and often require database recovery. Database recovery on legacy disk storage can take a very long time, but is significantly shortened by storing the database and recovery files on SanDisk flash storage. For example, at Oracle OpenWorld we conducted a live failover demonstration of a multi-terabyte database on Fusion ioMemory storage that was under a heavy workload. The entire process – including Data Guard Fast-Start Failover, database recovery, and transaction restarts – took less than 45 seconds. During that time, no users were disconnected, and no data was lost. After this brief "pause" all transactions were restarted automatically by Oracle Database.
Our reference architecture also leverages the Active Data Guard option to allow read-only transactions such as queries and backups to be offloaded from the primary database to a standby database. (See About Oracle Data Guard and Active Data Guard later in this paper for a discussion on the differences between the two types of Data Guard.) Standby databases are usually run in a constant state of recovery and are not usable by applications. Active Data Guard allows real-time redo apply, so each standby can be opened for read-only operations while continuing to apply redo and maintain synchronization with the primary.
To highlight the benefits of Active Data Guard, we used HammerDB to simultaneously run a Decision Support System workload against the primary and standby databases. During this test each database delivered up to 16 GB/s of data from the in-server storage layer to the database engine, with an average combined data throughput of 30 GB/s. These results show linear scaling of queries: enabling Active Data Guard on the standby database doubled the number of users and queries (including full table scans) completed per unit of time.
It is important to note that an Active Data Guard cluster is not limited to read-only operations; the primary database is fully operational. To illustrate this point we ran HammerDB's OLTP workload against the primary while simultaneously running its DSS workload against the standby. Results were outstanding: the primary maintained a very high transactional throughput, while the standby ran full table scans at speeds up to 16 GB/s.
Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c Release 5 was used to create the Data Guard standby database, and to monitor and maintain the entire Data Guard environment thereafter. Cloud Control provides a graphical user interface, and translates clicks into instructions that are passed to the Data Guard Broker. The same instructions could be entered directly into the Broker's command line interface when Cloud Control is not available.
We implemented a typical Oracle 12c Data Guard environment consisting of a primary database server, a standby database server, and an administrative server as shown in Figure 1. Performance and reliability were significantly enhanced by replacing legacy hard disk storage with SanDisk flash storage. SanDisk offers a wide range of flash storage products, including in-server and attached. In this reference architecture we used HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators from SanDisk (Fusion ioMemory PCIe Application Accelerator model SX350-6400).
Figure 1: Simplified Reference Architecture
Each database server in our reference architecture is an HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 dual-socket server with the following characteristics:
The administrative server shown at the top of Figure 1 runs the following additional software components:
The administrative server may be implemented as a new/dedicated server, or you may use an existing data center resource. It can even be implemented as a virtual machine. In our case, we leveraged an administrative server previously deployed in our data center that provides OEM Cloud Control and RMAN services to all of our Oracle databases. The only modification was to enable the Observer software, which is included with the Oracle 12c Enterprise Edition software and was therefore already installed on the server.
Data Guard offers three protection modes; we selected Maximum Availability. Please note that Data Guard standby databases are created in Maximum Performance mode by default.
The three protection modes are briefly described here:
The network link between the primary and standby database should be wide enough for the amount of redo being generated on the primary database. A high-performing Oracle database on SanDisk flash storage might generate between 200 and 300 MB per second of redo (not counting multiplexed files) to be transported across the public interface to the standby. This is in addition to routine network traffic. Therefore, it is recommended to use a network link of at least 10 gigabits per second. Redundant links are recommended for high availability.
When Data Guard is implemented "all at once" the three servers (primary, standby, and administrative) can be deployed and configured in parallel. Alternatively, existing Oracle 12c database environments can be upgraded to Data Guard by enabling the minimum requirements within an existing database and using OEM Cloud Control to create a physical standby copy of that database on another server.
Not shown in Figure 1 is a tape library system (or other media manager) for long-term storage of RMAN backups. It is recommended that RMAN backups be made to a local cache, and the local cache be backed up to a central location that is accessible to all standby databases. In the event of a catastrophic failure where the entire primary server is lost, including the RMAN cache, the standby that is promoted to the role of primary might require recovery using RMAN files in a central library.
Performance was measured using four workload generators: the Flexible IO Tester, Oracle CALIBRATE_IO, HammerDB On-Line Transaction Processing, and HammerDB Decision Support System.
Prior to installing the Oracle software we measured the performance of each storage device using the Flexible IO Tester ("fio") by Jens Axboe. This test simply validates that the storage is operating within vendor specifications, but it makes no prediction as to database performance.
After installing the Oracle software and creating our primary database we re-evaluated the performance of our storage layer using Oracle CALIBRATE_IO. This Oracle-supplied procedure runs inside the database. CALIBRATE_IO was run nine times and the results averaged. Our primary server generated in excess of 1 million database IOPS using a typical 8 KB block size with sub-millisecond latency to support On-Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) workloads, and sustained 14 GB/s of streaming bandwidth critical to Decision Support Systems (DSS), Data Warehouses, and On-Line Analytic Processing (OLAP) systems.
The CALIBRATE_IO tests were repeated after creating the Data Guard standby database. Running Oracle CALIBRATE_IO on both the primary and standby databases simultaneously yielded double the results compared to a single server: we exceeded 2 million 8K IOPS with sub-millisecond latency, and 28 GB/s of large I/O bandwidth. Each server performed equally well and results scaled linearly. The reference architecture has two identically configured servers. Oracle Data Guard 12c supports up to 31 servers per Data Guard configuration, with one as the primary and 30 as standby. Ten can use synchronous replication, and the remainder use asynchronous replication. In a reader farm configuration, the maximum theoretical performance would be 31 million IOPS and 434 GB/s bandwidth.
Real-world SQL performance was estimated using the HammerDB benchmark suite, which features data and workload generators for OLTP and DSS. We did not perform a true system benchmark: we simply used HammerDB to place the system under a heavy load and compare the performance of various configurations. The results are summarized in Figure 2. The unit of measure is New Order Transactions Per Minute (NOPM).
Figure 2 illustrates the relative performance of our Oracle database in various configurations. Phases 1, 2, and 3 are pre-Data Guard. Phases 4 & 5 are Data Guard configurations. The five phases are described below the chart. The Data Guard configuration with synchronous redo (Phase 5) was used to set the baseline at 1.000, because it is the most demanding of all configurations. The other configurations were compared to it, with their relative performance shown in the chart. Phase 3 perhaps best represents Oracle customers with standalone databases. Phase 4 shows that Data Guard offers higher availability in exchange for a nominal performance hit. Phase 5 implements synchronous redo transport, which as described earlier provides complete fault tolerance.
Figure 2: HammerDB Average Score Per Configuration
Notice in Figure 2 that the New Orders Per Minute score did not increase when using Data Guard, despite the fact we doubled the number of servers. This is because write workloads cannot run on a physical standby database. We therefore instrumented HammerDB's Decision Support System (DSS) benchmark on the standby. The DSS test can execute purely read-only operations. While the OLTP benchmark was running on the primary, the DSS benchmark was running in parallel on the standby. We observed no degradation in the primary's performance while the standby was under heavy load. This shows the standby may be used to offload read-only operations, scale the number of users, and improve total system throughput without impacting users on the primary database.
DSS workload performance was also assessed in all five of the configurations noted above. The ability to perform long sequential reads was unaffected by each configuration. In all cases, each database was able to run DSS queries at speeds up to 16 GB/s. By running the DSS workload on both the primary and standby in parallel we observed sustained aggregate throughput of 28 GB/s.
Data Guard allows up to 31 databases per cluster. If results were to continue scaling linearly, we could expect aggregate throughput in the range of 434 to 496 GB/s.
Each of our Oracle Data Guard servers has a raw, usable 100% flash capacity of 38.4 TB, uncompressed. The effective storage space could be tripled by leveraging the Oracle Advanced Compression Option, which features row compression and LOB de-duplication. The Oracle Advanced Compression Option was not used in this paper.
Although the reference architecture has two identical servers, the usable capacity remains 38.4 TB, as a physical standby's storage is essentially a mirror of the primary's storage.
Oracle ASM with Normal Redundancy (RAID 0) was configured on each server to maximize performance and usable capacity. Oracle Data Guard synchronous replication effectively maintained RAID 0+1 protection of all data across the two servers.
The server used in this reference architecture has a small footprint, just 2 rack units high, and has a total of six PCIe slots for HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators (Fusion ioMemory PCIe Application Accelerators). Fusion ioMemory storage devices are available from HPE as PCIe Workload Accelerators in a range of sizes from 1.25 TB to 6.4 TB per device and compatible with all HPE Gen8 and Gen9 ProLiant servers. There are also HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators available in 1.2 TB and 1.6 TB capacities as mezzanine cards for use with HPE BladeSystem Gen8 and Gen9 server blades.
Core-based licensing is very common with Oracle Database 12c. Oracle customers are very sensitive to the number of server cores, their utilization, and their impact on the total system cost. Our reference architecture uses a relatively small number of processor cores, using them wisely to control costs. Rather than implementing a larger server with more cores (and correspondingly higher licensing costs) that mostly spin while waiting for data to be delivered from slow legacy storage, our reference architecture uses a different, more modern approach. It takes advantage of SanDisk flash storage connected directly to the system board, which provides data to the processors at memory speeds. This changes processor cycles from spin waits to data processing events, allowing Oracle to fully utilize all resources. By fully leveraging the existing server processors, additional processors and additional servers were unnecessary, so cost was contained without sacrificing performance.
When using Data Guard, Oracle requires Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition be licensed on both the primary and standby servers. If you implement the optional Real-Time Apply component of the reference architecture, which allows off-loading read-only operations to the standby server, then Active Data Guard must also be licensed on both servers. ASM and Data Guard are both included with Enterprise Edition and require no additional licenses. There are no additional licensing fees associated with the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) Cloud Control, Oracle Management Server (OMS) repository, Recovery Manager (RMAN) software, the RMAN repository, the Data Guard Broker, or the Fast-Start Failover Observer.
To summarize, this reference architecture requires 56 core licenses of Oracle Database Server 12c Enterprise Edition (28 per server), and 56 core licenses of Oracle Active Guard (again, 28 per server). Our Intel processors have an Oracle licensing core factor of 0.5, thus reducing all core licenses by 50%. The total cost of our Data Guard environment represents a significant savings compared to an Oracle RAC deployment with identical hardware, and RAC does not include database redundancy. Savings have two primary reasons: Active Data Guard costs less than half of Oracle RAC, and a flash-based system requires fewer processor cores to achieve equal or better performance compared to a typical Oracle RAC database stored on legacy disk arrays.
Several Oracle software add-ons are available to enhance the reference architecture including the Oracle Partitioning Option, Advanced Security Option (i.e., encryption), and the Advanced Compression Option (ACO). ACO has many benefits in a Data Guard environment, including compression of RMAN backups, Data Pump Exports, and redo transport.
Our reference architecture also leveraged the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c R5 to monitor and maintain the overall environment, including the creation of standby databases. The basic deployment and use of OEM Cloud Control does not incur Oracle license fees, as noted in Chapter 10 of the Enterprise Manager Licensing Information guide. Cloud Control is most effective when the optional Diagnostic and Tuning packs are licensed separately.
This flash-enabled, shared-nothing architecture is highly scalable and benefits users with a very efficient platform delivering dramatically higher levels of work and performance per server while also reducing total core-based license costs.
Licensing information for Enterprise Edition including databases and ASM can be found here:
Enterprise Manager licensing information can be found here:
HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators are based on the Fusion ioMemory platform from SanDisk. It combines Fusion ioMemory VSL™ (Virtual Storage Layer) software with enterprise-grade Fusion ioMemory hardware to take enterprise applications and databases to the next level. The Fusion ioMemory platform provides consistent microsecond data access latency for mixed workloads, multiple gigabytes per second access, and hundreds of thousands of IOPS from a single product. With industry leading reliability (e.g., unrecoverable bit error ratio of 10-20), the sophisticated Fusion ioMemory architecture allows for nearly symmetrical read and write performance with best-in-class low queue depth performance, making the Fusion ioMemory platform ideal across a wide variety of real world, high-performance enterprise environments.
Figure 3: HPE 6.4 TB PCIe Workload Accelerator (Fusion ioMemory SX350-6400)
This paper features the HPE 6.4 TB PCIe Workload Accelerator (Fusion ioMemory SX350-6400) storage device, with 6.4 TB raw usable capacity of SanDisk NAND flash memory. The Fusion ioMemory SX350 line is available in a standard PCIe form factor for HPE Gen8 and Gen9 ProLiant rack-mount servers, such as the DL380, with per-device capacities ranging from 1.25 TB to 6.4 TB. The Fusion ioMemory SX350-6400's endurance rating is 22 petabytes written. These are also available in a mezzanine form factor for use with HPE BladeSystem Gen8 and Gen9 blade servers in 1.2 TB and 1.6TB capacities.)
The Fusion ioMemory SX350-6400 storage device uses a PCIe 2.0 x8 slot, making it compatible with nearly all enterprise-class servers. Most servers support multiple devices, somewhere between two and twelve depending on the server. All Fusion ioMemory storage devices keep data center costs to a minimum by consuming than 25 watts of power or less.
Fusion ioMemory PCIe Application Accelerators are unique in their ability to sustain writes as well as or better than reads. Most Oracle databases perform more read operations than write operations, but writes can still be a bottleneck for Oracle databases. Consider that many OLTP and Operational Data Stores have a workload consisting of 40% writes. These writes include inserts, updates, and deletes to row data and indexes, and corresponding Undo, Redo, and Archive Log writes generated by these operations. Even Decision Support Systems (DSS) and databases used for On-Line Analytic Processing (OLAP) may experience slowness on checkpoints and logging. When selecting a storage product it is imperative to consider the database's dependency on write operations, not just read acceleration.
To learn more about HPE PCIe Workload Accelerators, please refer to the HPE website:
You can also visit the SanDisk website to learn more about the Fusion ioMemory SX350 line of PCIe Application Accelerators featured in this paper by referring to the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=50&v=qweog75HTL8 and the data sheet at:
The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 Server delivers the latest performance and expandability in HPE's 2-Processor portfolio of rack mount servers. It is purpose-built for flexibility, efficiency, and manageability and designed to adapt to the needs of any environment, from large enterprise to remote office/branch office. The DL380 Gen9 Server offers enhanced reliability, serviceability, and continuous availability, backed by comprehensive warranty.
Figure 4: HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 Server
Designed to reduce costs and complexity, the DL380 Gen9 Server leverages Intel's latest E5-2600 v3 processors with up to 70%1 performance gain, plus the latest HPE DDR4 SmartMemory supporting 1.5 TB and up to 14%2 performance increase.
Manage the DL380 Gen9 Server in any IT environment by automating the most essential server lifecycle management tasks: deploy, update, monitor, and maintain with ease.
The HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 Server can run every application from the most basic to mission critical, and can be deployed with confidence. With the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 Server, you can deploy a single platform to handle a wide variety of enterprise workloads:
To support your heterogeneous IT environment, the DL380 Gen9 Server supports Microsoft Windows® and Linux® operating systems, as well as VMware® and Citrix® virtualization environments.
This section briefly describes Data Guard as it pertains to our reference architecture. For a complete understanding of all Data Guard capabilities and configuration options, refer to Oracle's on-line documentation located at http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/nav/portal_booklist.htm
Data Guard is a free, high availability feature of the Oracle Database Server 12c Enterprise Edition that enables customers to instantiate multiple copies of a database. One copy of the database supports live interaction with users and is called the "primary database". All other copies of the same database are called "standby databases" because they are standing by to assume the role of primary should the need arise. Changes made in the primary database are forwarded from the primary database to the standby databases.
The method by which changes are sent differs for physical and logical standby databases. In this reference architecture we used a physical standby database, which means all changes made to the primary database were sent to the standby in the form of redo entries. This will be illustrated later.
The illustration below provides a high-level overview of an Oracle Data Guard environment.
Figure 5: Oracle 12c Data Guard Big Picture
This illustration shows users interacting with the primary database, and changes being forwarded to one or more standby databases. Each copy of the database has its own storage, which can be in-server or centrally managed. An administrative server (at the left) runs three optional components: the Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control software to monitor and manage the entire environment; the Oracle Recovery Manager repository; and the Oracle Observer client software used by the Data Guard Fast-Start Failover capability.
Notice in the illustration that each database has a Broker. The internal interface to the Broker is an Oracle background process named DMON (Data Guard Monitor). DMON is included with all Oracle databases based on the Enterprise Edition. Once the Broker has been enabled, DMON coordinates instructions between the primary and all standby databases across a standard Oracle Net connection. The Broker is required by the DGMGRL command line utility, the Observer, and by OEM Cloud Control when used to manage the Data Guard environment. Commands from OEM Cloud Control, DGMGRL, and the Observer are automatically passed through the Broker for dissemination throughout the cluster across the standard Oracle Net topology.
Data Guard supports high availability through graceful "switchovers" for planned outages and "failovers" for unplanned outages. In both cases, the role of primary is transferred to the first available standby database.
Data Guard offers three protection modes (discussed earlier in this paper):
The flow of data from primary to standby is shown in the figure below. Data entered by users into the primary database is always recorded in the redo buffer. If Data Guard is configure to use synchronous transport, then the primary database's Log Writer process will duplex the redo data to both the redo log file and the LNS process. In asynchronous transport mode the Log Writer is only used by the local database and is not used to ship redo. The LNS process will try to read the data from the redo buffer, but if it misses the data then LNS will retry to read it from the online redo log file. Furthermore, in asynchronous mode, if the redo log is archived before LNS reads the data, then the Archiver process will perform "gap resolution" by reading from the archived log file and sending data to the remote server's RFS process.
Figure 6: Oracle Data Guard Redo Flow
Active Data Guard is a separately licensed product that can be used to enhance Data Guard. Active Data Guard allows standby databases to be used actively for read-only operations while still applying redo: changes made to the primary will continue to be applied to the standby while open for read-only operations. This allows the standby to be used for queries, reports, and backups. Without Active Data Guard, redo cannot be applied while the standby is being used: the backlog of redo can quickly fill the system and shutdown Oracle, so standby databases without Active Data Guard should only be opened read-only for very short periods of time. With Active Data Guard, the standby can be opened as read-only indefinitely while still applying changes.
Today, there is a cost-effective solution to optimize your Oracle Database 12c Data Guard infrastructure with HPE ProLiant Gen9 servers powered by HPE Workload Accelerators from SanDisk - providing the perfect balance of performance, capacity, and high availability. Eliminating I/O wait times by storing and running the database on high-performance flash allows a smaller number of system processors to be used much more efficiently, while also driving down software licensing fees and operating expenses, as well as minimizing the data center footprint.
For more information about the products described in this reference architecture, contact your SanDisk or HPE sales representatives or visit us online at http://hpe.sandisk.com.
1. Source as of 3 April 2014: Intel internal measurements on platform with two E5-2697 v2 (12C, 2.7GHz), 8x8GB DDR3-1866, RHEL6.3. Platform with two E5-2697 v3 (14C, 2.6GHz, 145W), 8x8GB DDR4-2133, RHEL6.3.
2. Based on similar capacity DIMM comparing HPE server vs. non HPE server with DDR4, July 2014.


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OAKLAND — A Tuolumne County man whose 2010 plan to kill leaders of liberal San Francisco organizations was thwarted by a traffic stop was sentenced Thursday to more than 400 years in prison for shooting at CHP officers on an Oakland highway.
Byron Williams, 48, continued to contend at his sentencing that it was the California Highway Patrol, and not him, who fired first in the midnight July 17, 2010, gunbattle in which more than 200 rounds were fired on Interstate 580 near Oakland's Lake Merritt area.
He said "political powers" controlling the government, false statements by the officers involved, and an inattentive jury led him to be convicted last month of four counts of attempted murder on CHP officers and gun charges.
"He continues to blame the officers. He characterizes this as a setup, and he refuses to take responsibility," said Alameda County Judge C. Don Clay, who sentenced the two-time convicted bank robber as a Three Strikes defendant to 401 years and fours months to life in state prison.
"He was on a mission to kill," Clay said in his sentencing of Williams. "When he got stopped — and he knew the officers were there, and he knew what he had in the car — he knew he was done."
According to trial testimony, Williams became angry over the state of America while watching Fox News and hatched a plan to "spark a revolution" by killing executives at the Tides Foundation, or, alternatively, staff at the American Civil Liberties Union or California legislators.
Armed with a list of 11 names, a bulletproof vest, three firearms and ammunition, he drove his mother's truck to the Bay Area.
After being stopped near the Harrison Street ramp by CHP Officers Vincent Herrick and Marcus Holden for speeding and weaving, he pulled a gun on Herrick and sparked the 20-minute gunbattle that ended with him surrendering after being shot four times. Of the more than 10 officers in the shootout, Officer Todd Owen was injured in the leg by shrapnel and Officer Ty Franklin was hit in the eye by shattered glass.
Members of the CHP declined to speak at the sentencing, but prosecutor Autrey James said that they continue to struggle with the incident.
Contact Malaika Fraley at 925-234-1684.

subset: commoncrawl


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Charlie Sheen has no bad blood with Ted Cruz after the Texas Senator took a jab at him and his dad ... in fact, Charlie even has a few nice things to say about the guy.
Charlie was heading into Catch Monday night in L.A. for Crackle's "Mad Families" premiere party and told our photog he was kidding when he tweeted he and Cruz should dethrone Trump on the 2020 presidential ticket.
Ted shot down the suggestion immediately using a pic from Martin Sheen's "West Wing" days, but Charlie was clearly impressed by Cruz's wit and humor.
Can't say the same for his feelings on Trump though.


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There are over 2 million Internationally Trained Workers (ITWs) in Canada – including skilled immigrants and Canadians with international training or education. For many ITWs, a lack of foreign credential recognition is a significant barrier to achieving employment and effective labour market integration. Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying that the education and job experience obtained in another country is equal to the standards established in Canada.
The Access Centre for Regulated Employment provides information and application assistance to internationally trained individuals seeking licensure or related employment in Ontario's regulated professions. The Access Centre also supports internationally trained tradespersons to apply for a Trade Equivalency Assessment (TEA).
Serving all of Southwestern Ontario, the Access Centre assists clients in understanding and navigating the often complex processes of Ontario's regulatory bodies. As each regulated profession has its own process for obtaining licensure, our staff helps clients navigate the regulator's process to avoid costly and time-consuming errors.
Whether you are interested in having your educational credentials assessed, learning more about the licensure process for a specific profession, or exploring related employment opportunities in your field, the Access Centre can help.
Please contact us today to schedule an appointment. English and French services are available.
Staff at the Access Centre also respond to requests for information from prospective newcomers and assist employers in meeting their Human Resource needs.


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South Dakota Loses at Western Illinois, 24-10
The ninth-ever Missouri Valley Conference football game for the University of South Dakota ended exactly the same way as the previous eight, with a loss.
USD fell at Western Illinois Saturday, 24-10.
The Coyotes had a chance to score the first points of the game on their first possession, but Miles Bergner missed on a 50-yard field.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Leathernecks broke the drought when Nathan Knuffman connected on a 28-yard field goal to make it 3-0 Western Illinois.
Al season, USD has been plagued by snapping problems in the punting game, and a bad snap in the second quarter led to the game's first touchdown, as Western's Kevin Kintzel scooped up the ball at the 11 and took it into the end zone. 10-0 Leathernecks.
The Coyote offense found its rhythm on the next drive, as a key 4th-and-8 conversion from quarterback Josh Vander Maten kept the drive alive and Bergner put USD on the board with a 27-yard field goal to cut the Leathernecks' lead to 10-3.
Wet, windy weather kept the Coyotes grounded in the first 30 minutes. USD attempted just 5 passes, completing just 1, for 3 yards.
10-3 Western Illinois at halftime.
The South Dakota defense a turnover on Western Illinois' first possession of the second half as Tyler Starr picked off Trenton Norvell at the WIU 47. But the USD offense went three-and-out, punting the ball back.
Near the end of the third quarter, Western Illinois put together a 95-yard drive, aided by two USD penalties, Nikko Watson covering the final yard and making it a 17-3 game.
The Coyotes offense showed signs of life in the fourth quarter, when the USD coaches decided to bring in backup quarterback Kevin Earl, and he responded, driving the Yotes 8 plays in 66 yards, going 3-for-5 thru the air, and handing it off to Jordan Roberts for a 6-yard score and a 17-10 game.
The Leathernecks answered right back though, as J.C Baker broke off a 54-yard run and WIU scored two plays later on a Norvell to Joey Borsellino 4-yard pass, and the Leathernecks were back up by 14.
Paced by Baker and Watson, who each reached triple digits in rushing, WIU outgained USD 221-99 on the ground. South Dakota was just 1-of-16 on third down.
The loss was the 18th straight on the road for USD.
The Coyotes host Missouri State next Saturday at 2:00pm


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40. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographPECourtejoie Mar 13, 2012 1:45 PM (in response to Noel Carboni)
Sorry if it sounded like I was chewing you. It was not my intention at all, but I wanted to direct you to the correct procedure, that you already followed. From your explanation it sounded like you moved, and not the original photo, and the fact that the bubbles are illuminated in the same spot seemed to corellate it. Noel might be on something with the fact that the edges might be worn on the same side...
Good work, Noel!
41. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographDarlie B Mar 13, 2012 2:38 PM (in response to PECourtejoie)
Thank you PECourtejoie! I was feeling intimidated... I am guessing a lot of people do not try as they should and when someone sees something to indicate directions weren't followed properly it's assumed to be the case. I have learned Adobe by following directions via youtube. When I first got the program, I was like huh? I was very intimidated by it and didn't touch it for about a month as I considered whether to let it go for it being so alien to me or to see what I could gain from it... You tube and then Adobe TV Russell Brown and some others but mostly Russell Brown... Got me over my intimidation and then I saw it was actually fun... As I have learned, some of the first procedures I learned are rather boring now, ha! I am looking at getting the entire program for photography but I will wait and see... This is my second version of Adobe PSP... I have broadened my learning area with the CS5 version... The first version I used mostly for black and white photo restoration. I had that one for 7 or so years. I don't think I will ever see a photo like this one that has kicked my hiney... I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't so important to our friend. The way he described it I thought it would be an easy thing to fix... Had he said it looked like it was printed on bubble wrap I would have said that's too big for me! He is proud of the photo and displays it and I don't blame him.... I am sure it gives him comfort as he heals from his loss. He wanted a larger image of it... I am hoping I can get a 16x20 out of it.... I just want everyone to know and believe that I am trying and following directions to the best of my ability... I am not here to waste your time as that isn't something I think highly of. I could misunderstand and I could do something wrong but it's due to effort no skepticism... I did not understand Noel's request but I understood that he understood it and I came here for help and trusting those helping me... I could not clear the image with the 4 and 8 shots I took on the porch... I have 2 extras as well as they are from the first set where 2 shots blurred leaving me with 2 workable images so I got 10 shots according to Noel's directions. If he wanted me to stand outside and block the sun with my body... I think if I was going to walk around the image I would have done it on the kitchen table and walked around it not worrying with the wind and sun, ha! I understood the lighting was the key although I did not understand how or why. Especially when I didn;t get good results from it. I am amazed that ADOBE does not have a "fix" for this... Russell Brown needs another fix it video using an image printed on bubble wrap, ha! I do appreciate the help you all are giving me... It means a lot! Especially Noel with his patience and understanding as well as his confidence in himself and the confidence you all show towards him! Just don't doubt me and my ability to follow instructions as it makes me doubt too and I am confident I don't have a clue with this photo... THANK YOU!
42. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographNoel Carboni Mar 13, 2012 4:20 PM (in response to Darlie B)
43. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographDarlie B Mar 13, 2012 4:48 PM (in response to Noel Carboni)
I am in awe!!! I don't know what else to say!!!! Incredible, magnificent, splendid...They all fit! This is genius and magical! You rock!!!! WOW!!!! I didn't know what to expect but this exceeds anything I could have imagined!!! Thank you!!!!! I need to go and compose myself as I am sitting here beside myself! hehehehe
44. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographNoel Carboni Mar 13, 2012 5:01 PM (in response to Darlie B)
You're welcome.
I started with the 4 raw files you sent, and combined them - which was a bit more of a challenge than I had thought it would be because you shot them at some pretty different angles.
The basic technique once I got the composite image, to get rid of the pattern was to duplicate the image, do a Filter - Other - High Pass, invert the result, then mix it with the original using Overlay blending. But that doesn't fix it all in one shot. I went into significantly more steps, and actually combined 3 adjacent "bubble cells" to make the High Pass output more clean and consistent from "bubble" to "bubble". Also, I adjusted the result with Levels, and actually iterated the entire process 3 times, as each successive "Low Pass" operation left some high frequency artifacts.
The overall result was less "bubbly", but had quite a bit of banding remaining, owing to the tops of the "bubbles" being lighter overall than the bottoms, so I employed my Horizontal Banding Noise Reduction filter that's part of one of my commercial actions sets, and that really tidied up the remaining banding.
To color the burned-out spots on her face I just sampled some nearby skin color, then set up a fuzzy-edged brush to do Color blending at partial opacity and painted over them.
I did a lot of spot removal with the Spot Healing Brush set to Content Aware.
Lastly, I'm happy to report I edited for hours and hours straight, using a lot of gee whiz Photoshop features on a multilayer 20+ megapixel image without a single Photoshop glitch or failure, which really proved out the quality of the ATI Catalyst 12.3 display drivers I recently downloaded.
45. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographDarlie B Mar 13, 2012 5:41 PM (in response to Noel Carboni)
To be honest.. I did not want to reveal what I had shot as the photography was sloppy! The wind was a problem for me and where I live it's always windy until the sun goes down and the wind stops for a few hours. It allows the mosquitos to come out and feed and prevents most from enjoying summer evenings on the porch.. I was more worried the photo would blow away, get messed up somehow etc... I knew I could line them up later.. I am sorry for my sloppiness. I did consider waiting until the sun was up and the porch would be shaded but I also wanted to do as you directed. I have spent a lot of hours "popping bubbles" and still have a ways to go to get it done. In between I would play and look for some other way! I sent you an email inquiring about your add ons and my desire to try and duplicate what you have done as the learning potential is great for me.... The ones for this image and my options for the astroimagery being applied for distant landscape photography and atmosphere haze... As for the catalyst thing... I don't know what that is but I can relate to photoshop situations that are less desirable. Congratulations on the success of your other projects! I can't say THANK YOU enough!!!
46. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographNoel Carboni Mar 13, 2012 6:07 PM (in response to Darlie B)
Don't worry about it being "sloppy"; what you shot made fine input for what I needed - it was nice and sharp. Photoshop did most of the alignment work. I just had to tweak it a bit. It turns out the little "bubbles" made it easier to achieve near perfect pixel alignment between the four exposures.
47. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographDarlie B Apr 14, 2012 6:26 PM (in response to Darlie B)
I wanted to stop by and say thank you again. My friend wanted the photo to a beach like background and I finally got it as good as I am going to get it for him. He is happy with it and that's what matters. I thought you would be interested in seeing the final product of this photo conundrum! The sand dunes is a photo I took on Ocracoke Island. The clarity in it is much better than I could reach with my friend's mom. He likes it anyways. He has a 16x20 print of this and a cd copy of it as well as the one with the background changed from the original which is the 2nd image. Thank you all again for your help and advice. Noel my hat is off to you!!!!
48. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographNoel Carboni Apr 14, 2012 7:31 PM (in response to Darlie B)
Very slick to see how you were able to use the result. You're welcome and thanks for following up. Glad it all worked out and your friend is happy!
49. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographLightByter Dec 22, 2012 3:18 PM (in response to Darlie B)
I realize that I'm rather late to this discussion, but found it researching 64-bit FFT filters.
First of all, outstanding job, and suggestions by everyone! About 20 years ago, I had a commercial film photography studio and darkroom, and used to shoot lots of 4"x5" transparencies for oil painters on canvas, to be used for reproduction. I used two studio strobes with vertical polarizing filters on them, and then had a horizontally positioned filter on the camera. This would eliminate ALL reflections from the lighting on the shiny paint and canvas. Understand, this was done pre-digital, and circular polarizers are preferred to linear polarizers now, due to metering and autofocus issues, but apparently would still probably work on a DSLR with a little experimentation.
There was another trick I learned to illuminate the inside of a cylinder evenly, which is to place a sheet of glass at a 45 degree angle right over the (object/artwork,) illuminate it from the side, and shoot it from the top. This puts (a percentage) of your lighting on the same exact axis with the camera.
On a third note, it's entirely possible that the paper was textured before the emulsion was applied, depositing more emulsion in the low areas, causing them to be darker. At any rate, I doubt there's anthing you could do that would look better than what you have now. Hopefully, my tips may help someone with a project in the future.
50. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographNoel Carboni Dec 22, 2012 5:09 PM (in response to LightByter)
Thanks for your contribution, Jamie. I like the idea of using the 45 degree glass to directly illuminate the subject. A friend of mine has a circular flash that fits around lenses to do direct lighting (especially useful for macros)..
51. Re: Turning a textured portrait into a non textured photographChris Cox Dec 22, 2012 6:23 PM (in response to Noel Carboni)
A ring flash would actually make these texture reflections worse...


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We're knocking out a Belgian Tripel today and it needs to be lagered. However, we've never lagered a beer before. The recipe, from BCS, reads that you ferment, transfer and carbonate then lager for a month. We intend to bottle this batch and naturally carbonate so heres the question: Should we bulk lager or fill the bottles, let them carbonate and then lager? Seems like if we bulk lager for a month, we may not have enough residual yeast in there to bottle condition correctly. I'd rather not hit the bottles with yeast if we dont have to. Any advice?
I have a lager in the primary that will soon be four weeks old. I usually leave it for four weeks and then rack to a keg and lager. This beer I want to dry hop. Has anyone just tossed in a couple of ounces of pellets in the primary for a additional week? Then rack to keg and lager?


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GotGame: The publisher reported a $381 million net loss, while bringing in $711 million in revenue for the quarter ending Sept. 30.
All they need to do is release Sims 4 and profits will soar again.
ouch, i can't believe im saying this after dealing with the 06 to 08 crappy game lineup, this sorta makes me sad. :(
Good. Releasing games like MoH and sending them off to die won't help. No, releasing a month before Call of Duty isn't a good strategy.
Just hurry up and make Battlefield an annual franchise.(If you don't believe me look at EAs newest press release where they admitted it)


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posted by David Adams on Wed 4th Jan 2012 16:19 UTC, submitted by fran
Microsoft is preparing to launch a new persistent virtual machine feature on its Azure cloud platform, enabling customers to host Linux, SharePoint and SQL Server there . . . To date, Microsoft has been balking at customer requests to add persistent VMs to Azure, hoping to get customers to develop Azure apps from scratch instead. But the lack of the ability to host apps like SharePoint and other third-party business applications with persistence was a deal breaker for a number of business users who were unwilling to consider Azure until Microsoft added this support, one of my contacts said.


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The Saint Paul Public Library belongs to the people of Saint Paul: the residents of the City who support it, and the customers who visit SPPL in person or virtually. We connect people in Saint Paul with the imperative and the joy of learning through a lifetime. Our customers' experience of the service they receive determines the success of our interaction.
We promise our customers in the Library, in the community, and online:
- Welcoming, respectful, and equitable service
- A customer-centered public environment
- Attentive, skilled staff
- Personalized service
Welcoming, Respectful, and Equitable Service
- We will make eye contact, smile, and greet each customer as he or she enters the building.
- We will learn and use customers' names appropriately.
- We will create a welcoming environment, using the principles of Wakanheza.
- We will offer materials, programming, and displays reflecting different cultures, races, ages and backgrounds.
- We will provide inviting, clean, uncluttered, accessible, and safe buildings.
A Customer-Centered Public Environment
- We will deliver excellent service to each customer.
- Wherever possible we will have one highly visible service point.
- We will be identifiable.
- We will be mobile, pro-active and attentive.
- Wherever possible, we will answer telephones in a non-public area.
- Whenever possible, we will do off-desk work in non-public areas.
Attentive, Skilled Staff
- Customers can expect to have their basic questions answered by whomever they approach; sometimes that answer will be a graceful referral to another team member.
- We are all empowered to answer questions brought to us by our customers.
- We will have many opportunities for training and will be expected to take advantage of them.
Personalized Service
- We will know how best to clarify the customers' needs.
- We will strive to meet each customer's unique need.
- We will rely on the collective knowledge and expertise of our co-workers to help with challenging requests or situations.
- We will enlist the assistance of an interpreter or translator as needed.
- We will offer options, make connections, and find creative solutions.
- We will offer a collection that is continually monitored to meet the needs of the community.


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Philadelphia Union today announced that the club has traded forward Chandler Hoffman to the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Per MLS and club policies, the terms of the trade will not be disclosed.
"Chandler and I had an honest conversation about where he stood and we decided that this trade gives him an opportunity that he would not have had within our team this season," said Philadelphia Union team manager John Hackworth. "Our organization thinks very highly of Chandler, both on and off the field, and we wish him the best of luck as he continues to develop in his career."
The Union selected Hoffman as a Generation adidas signee with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft on January 12, 2012. He appeared in seven games last season, starting in two, and scored the game winning goal against the Bundesliga's Schalke 04. He also netted four goals in a Reserve League match against D.C. United, setting a Union record for most individual goals scored in a Reserve League game.


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The Annoyed Librarian has been around about three years now, and in that short time has moved from cranky countercultural library blog to slightly less cranky countercultural blog that somehow managed to get itself hosted by a mainstream library publication. On the way it won all sorts of contests and generally proved it's the absolutely best library blog in the entire world. Not that the competition is very stiff, but still it's been an honor.
And now it's time to expose the AL and end on a high note. After all, when the AL looks upon the breadth of her domain, she weeps, for there are no more worlds to conquer. That, and I'm trying to fulfill the responsibilities of my intervention.
Before my demise, I just want to offer a quick apology to some of my foils over the years.
First, the Regressive Librarians. You guys have been such easy targets and awful sports over the years that I'd almost lost my will to poke fun at your insubstantial rants and your irritating shenanigans until recently, when you showed me yet again why every thinking librarian should oppose you. To all of you, I want to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're so humorless and illogical. It must be difficult for you getting through the day.
Then there are the Twopointopians, oh ye of Library Five-O and Library Spa 2.0 fame. You're probably all at Computers in Libraries this week indulging in a collective twopointopian circle stimulation, else I'd gather you all together round the fetching bosom of the AL and give you a great big old Annoyed Librarian hug. You deserve it for maintaining your cheery, positive, dissimulating demeanor over the years. The way you keep up the pretense that it's all about libraries and their users, when really you just want to get paid to play around with computers and social software is amazing. I'll have to try that sometimes. To you, I just want to say I'm sorry for exposing your real motives to everyone. Before I came along, your secret was completely safe. No one had a clue. Really.
And speaking of librarians who just want to get paid to sit around and play with themselves, we mustn't forget the Gamey Librarians. I should feel bad about making fun of them. They're such innocent, childlike creatures. They remind me of the Eloi to the Regressive Librarians' Morlocks, gamboling throughout the library dancing and singing. I should feel bad, but I don't. Still, I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable over the years with my criticisms of your useless and distracting forays into videogaming in libraries. Hopefully, you can forgive me one day, maybe when you grow up and look at the young librarians around you insisting that what librarians really need to do all day is sit around with earphones on listening to their iPods and ignoring the rest of the world, because that's what the users do!
Then there are the frustrated trendsetters, or frustys. All twopointopians are frustys, but not all frusties are twopointopians. Frustys are all the people who want to make radical changes and names for themselves, all at the same time and all on the backs of the rest of us. I'm terribly sorry if I've frustrated your attempts to destroy my professional life by exposing your folly.
Who else is there? There are so many I've lost count. Oh yes, all you out there who have posted Library Jobs that Suck, especially those of you who have advertised to create pools of part-time librarians who need an MLS and lots of experience but who may or may not ever get a chance to work in your crappy, exploitative libraries. I'm sorry that you're probably going to burn in hell for all eternity, but I should tell you, it's not to late to reform.
What about all the people who wooed students into MLS programs with the promise that there would be plenty of jobs, you know, because the current librarians will all be retired within the next forty years? I'm sorry for those of you who might have been deluded enough to believe those tales.
Since I can't be bothered to remember all my nemeses over the years, I'll just offer a general apology to everyone. I'm sorry you can't be the Annoyed Librarian.
Speaking of the Annoyed Librarian, I think now that it's all over it's finally time I came clean about my true identity. After all, some of you are just dying to know, so I'll tell you. I'm who you always thought I was. Really, I am. I'm that woman who writes that well known blog. And I'm that guy that wrote that thing about the AL. And that angry librarian on the ALA Council. And that techie guy who you think might just be putting you on. And that person who works for that big organization and seems to have some inside knowledge. And the librarian who writes that snarky blog who's kind of funny sometimes. And the librarian who was president of that big association. And that one you heard give that talk that dismissed your pretensions as gibberish. And the guy who wrote those scathing articles about librarianship a few years ago. And all the other candidates for the AL that I've heard. I'm all of them, and many more. That's the problem with the AL. You think you see the Annoyed Librarian, but when you try to grasp her she disappears in a puff of smoke. You smash her down in one place, and she reappears in another. The Annoyed Librarian is legion.
And now, goodbye, cruel world.


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The Ferguson Center for the Arts Friday unveiled a set of shows stretching from August into May of next year. Big names include Lyle Lovett, Bela Fleck, Taj Mahal, Steve Miller Band, Blues Traveler, Kenny Loggins and Joan Jett.
There are other surprises on the list, too. Single ticket sales go on sale July 18 from fergusoncenter.org.
Here's a quick look at some of the most eye-catching dates:
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band Aug. 28
Kenny Loggins Sept. 13
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sept. 27
Blues Traveler Oct. 3
Capitol Steps Nov. 2
Steve Miller Band Nov. 10
Taj Mahal Nov....


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After posting their fifth consecutive monthly positive return, stocks exhibiting attractive Valuation factors finished as the top performing investment style of 2012.
The Valuation category – one of the six Alpha Factors by which Hermes Quantitative Equities' measures the attractiveness of an investment – aims to identify cheap stocks using earnings, cash generation and the asset value of a company.
Valuation was the only factor to offer positive returns during December, with the cheapest stocks outperforming the least attractive by 2.19% during the month. Stocks with low return on assets (residing in the Capital Structure category) underperformed by the greatest amount.
Across the entire year, Valuation offered the highest returns on a quintile spread basis. Three other investment styles also delivered positive performance – Sentiment, Corporate Behaviour and Profitability.
At a geographic level, each of the six investing styles added value in Europe in 2012, but each factor offered only delivered neutral performance in Japan. In North America, cheap stocks and companies with positive price momentum offered positive performance.
The strong performance for attractively valued stocks came as investor optimism spiked over the course of the month. Hermes Quantitative Equities' global Investor Risk Aversion indicator breached the 'Optimistic' barrier for only third time this year in December.
The indicator for December moved into Optimistic territory for 11 days during the month, half of the 22 days registered across the entire year. There were only 15 days of risk averse behaviour in the 'Nervous zone'.
At the end of the December, the indicator sat at the 31st percentile – still very close to the 25% Neutral/Optimistic boundary.
Investor optimism at three-year high
Press contacts
Jeannie Dumas
Head of Corporate Communications & Shareholder Relations firstname.lastname@example.com +44 (0)20 7680 2152 +44 (0)7841 324061
Melanie Bradley
Head of Investment & Stewardship Communications firstname.lastname@example.com +44 (0)20 7680 2218 + 44 (0)7767 162 317
Rachael Dowers
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications email@example.com + 44 (0)20 7680 4698


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Starling4 Bed2 Bath1292 SQFT
$575,000 | Sold
Home Type: Bungalow
Specifications: Arrive
Garage Type: RV Garage
Den: No
Address: 8 - 103 Allard Link SW
The Starling duplex bungalow is an open concept home featuring a large eat in kitchen with a corner pantry, island with eating bar and a dining room with a door to the deck. The kitchen opens into the cozy great room. The master suite has an optional 4 piece ensuite and large walk in closet. The second bedroom can also be used as a den. The optional basement development features an additional two bedrooms, full bath, games room with wet bar and living room. The Arrive at Allard duplexes are unique in that they feature large attached RV garages with an additional double attached garage so you have the convenience of having your RV at home. No maintenance living means the exterior of your home and all landscaping is taken care of for you!
103 Allard Link SW
Edmonton, Alberta
Project Manager
Doug Jensen:


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Paperless effort underway to ease headache of registering motor vehicles in Colorado
An archaic way of registering motor vehicles in Colorado could soon be revamped under a bipartisan measure set to be heard in a House committee Wednesday.
House Bill 1289 provides authority to the state's department of revenue to establish a system that allows for the electronic registration and titling of motor vehicles and electronic transmission of motor vehicle lien information.
"It's an all paper process right now when you buy a car," said Rep. Dominick Moreno, a Commerce City Democrat, who is sponsoring the effort. "This would allow the department of revenue to modernize the system."
Moreno, for example, said when a person buys a car and loans are processed through banks the registration information is all sent by paper.
"This really speeds up the process and still include all the steps in which you have to identify yourself, that you have to provide proof of insurance, that would still be included … it would just move to an online process."
The bill would allow the department of revenue to accept gifts, grants or donations into the electronic motor vehicle registration cash fund. Currently, the department of revenue allows Coloradans to renew driver's licenses electronically.
The House Transportation and Energy Committee will hear the bill on Wednesday.
Follow Kurtis on Twitter: @kurtisalee


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Ethan Long
What sports do you participate in? Basketball, baseball, football and wrestling.
Parents/guardians name? Bryon and Suzanne Long
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Batman.
Favorite food? Elk steak.
Favorite color? Red.
Favorite athlete or sports team? Chicago Bulls and Derek Rose
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Italy.
What is your goal for this athletic season? To be the best team player I can be.
Ethan Long was nominated by Coach Frank Lopez for being the top scorer in the last game played by the middle school basketball team. Lopez said he has a good attitude as well. Long goes to school at the Lighthouse Christian Academy and plays for Dolores.


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The Stone Roses to Reunite?
Former Stone Roses bassist Gary "Mani" Mounfield has gone on record saying the only thing holding the original line-up of the band from getting back together is singer Ian Brown.
2008 has been an year rife with classic bands' reunion rumours, from Led Zeppelin to The Smiths to The Faces...and it seems even as the year approaches its end, there's still space for one more!
"Next year is the 20th anniversary of the first album," Mounfield said. "It's the ideal time to do it. It's something I would love to do before we are all fat and bald. Start the campaign."
Mani, guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan "Reni" Wren are all ready, however, Brown has had little contact with his former bandmates since The Stone Roses fell apart in animosity in 1996.
It may be quite a challenge convincing Brown to join in. When asked about the possibility of a reunion in August, the singer who has been touring as a successful solo artist in the U.K. for the past decade, said there is "no chance ... not in the next three lifetimes."
The Stone Roses' John Squire Gear Guide
John Squire and his impressive collection of pedals
Stone Roses' John Squire was one of the most inspiring British guitar players to come out of the 80's, with his mix of Jimi Hendrix, Byrds and psychedelia. He was highly influential and possibly the greatest British guitar hero of the 80's, alongside The Smith's Johnny Marr. By 1994, his style changed radically and the 'Roses second album, "The Second Coming" seemed to show that Squire was now heavily influenced by Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.
However, in recent years, after the short-lived Britpop band The Seahorses and two solo albums which were not exactly well-received, Squire seems less interested in playing guitar and has dedicated his time to his other passion - painting.
If the Stone Roses reunite next year, it'll be a great opportunity to see this great guitarist live in action again! So here's a look at the gear John Squire
John Squire guitars:
John Squire and his Strat-Jaguar Custom made guitar.
Revealing his debt to 60's music, one of John Squire main guitars was the Gretsch Country Gentleman. What can one say about it? It's simply one of the best and most beautiful guitars ever made! This guitar was used live on many of the 'Roses classic tracks, such as "Made Of Stone" and "I Wanna Be Adored". The Gretsch replaced and old Hofner semi-acoustic guitar (painted in Jackson Pollock-style) which Squire had been playing for many years before the 'Roses exploded. It can be seen on the "I Wanna Be Adored" video.
The other essential guitar at this point was also a pink Fender Stratocaster, which Squire took a liking to during the recordings of the Stone Roses debut album. It was used on songs such as set-closer "I Am The Resurrection". It was a rosewood neck Strat, so get one if you want to nail the resurrection tone.
After the Stone Roses made it really big, Squire got a custom-made guitar: a mix of Fender Jaguar with Fender Strat, with humbuckers. Created by master Doncaster luthier Stuart Palmer, John Squire had two models made for him - a white one, and a sunburst one. He can be seen playing the white one on the "One Love" video, and he also used the sunburst hybrid guitar at the Stone Roses' classic Spike Island gig.
Squire's custom model - click to enlarge
As related in an old Guitar Magazine interview, it is the tail of a Jaguar fused to the upper body of a Stratocaster, with Gibson Flying-V pickups and a synchronized Strat tremolo replacing the floating Jaguar (though the Jaguar faceplate remains top-side). In an auction a few year ago, Squire's original sunburst model was sold for over £15,000!
When the Stone Roses returned in 1994, John Squire was into his classic rock and his main guitar was a vintage Gibson Les Paul.
FX Pedals:
John Squire relied on several FX pedals to create his sound. He used a Fuzz Face for solos and extra distortion, and a Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer for a slight overdrive. Another essential John Squire FX is the Ibanez CS-9 chorus pedal. Used on tracks such as "I Wanna Be Adored" - the quintessential Stone Roses tune...and tone!
John Squire also used a 60s Cry Baby Wah. A Vox Wah or a Dunlop Cry Baby will be perfect for any Stone Roses fans. However, if you want vintage Wah authenticity, the best options are the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah or the Dunlop Classic Wah-Wah with Fasel, which are even more faithful to the sixties sound.
The other essential effect John Squire used was the Boss BF-2 flanger...the flanger sound can be heard on tracks such as "Made Of Stone" and "I Am The Resurrection". It has now been replaced by the Boss BF-3 model. Get it!
The most unusual aspect of John Squire's setup was his Alesis Midiverb II fx unit, used for reverb. Why? He used a mate, Cressa, to change the settings and activate it, live onstage! Cressa is the person that can be seem dancing behind John Squire's amps on several live footage, and who would control this fx unit when needed. The MidiVerb 2 is now obsolete and has been replaced by the Alesis Midiverb 4.
His main amp was a 60s Fender Twin Reverb silverface. He also used a few Mesa / Boogie amps: the Mark II-C and Mark III. Any guitarist who wishes to get a 'Roses-type of sound should get the new Fender Twin Reverb, which is excellent, or, if you're on a budget, a Blues Junior will always do...
[John Squire gear info taken from the excellent THE SQUIRE FILES website. Check it out for more detailed infoon his gear!]


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Knowing (UK - BD)
Chris takes a look at the Blu-ray release of the recent Nicolas Cage sci-fi feature
In the year 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures of their visions of the future to be stored in a time capsule. While most of the children draw rocket ships and the like, one young girl, Lucinda, fills her sheet of paper with row upon row of seemingly random numbers before running away. She is eventually found hiding in a cupboard, upon which she begs for the 'voices' to stop as her horrified teacher notices her bloody fingers and yet more numbers scratched into the door.
Fifty years later a new generation of students unearth the capsule and the girl's cryptic writings find their way into the hands of Caleb Koestler, son of astrophysicist John Koestler (Nicolas Cage). After examining the numbers, John discovers a hidden code that predicts with chilling accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster over the past fifty years. As John further unravels the document's mysteries he realises that it predicts three more events, the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale.
When John's attempts to alert the authorities fail, he takes it upon himself to try and prevent more destruction with the aid of Diana (Rose Byrne) and Abby Weyland, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased Lucinda. John's desperate efforts to avert the catastrophe find him in a race against time to discover the true meaning of the prophesied apocalypse, while Caleb and Abby are plagued by visions of mysterious strangers and begin hearing the same voices as Lucinda.
Oh Nicolas Cage, where did it all go wrong? How can the man who starred in Leaving Las Vegas turn in such a wooden and uncharismatic performance? Knowing sees him experience the entire spectrum of human emotions with the same unchanging expression on his face, almost as if he's channelling a deceased Keanu Reeves. As tough as it is to accept him as an M.I.T. astrophysics professor, his 'acting' in the closing scenes of the movie is so bad that it pretty much torpedoes what should be a highly emotional moment. I remember reading some time ago that Cage planned to retire from acting. I can only suggest that he does so before he utterly destroys any goodwill that the audience has left towards him (and if I had his wife I'd certainly want to spend more time at home).
As for the rest of the film, well it starts out with an interesting premise, but cliché after cliché prevent it from distinguishing itself from countless other films and it all becomes rather messy. It has all of the sci-fi stereotypes: faceless, spooky strangers that communicate telepathically (but only with the children), disturbing prophetic dreams, pseudoscience, tenuous links between characters, natural disasters, and plenty of overt religious symbolism. I really wanted to like Knowing, but it just didn't work for me. I found it slow and ponderous, with an ending that is more 'WTF' than 'WOW'. It's not a terrible film, just an incredibly pedestrian one. Plus, you know, Radio 1's James King called it 'awesome', so it can't be any good, right?
E1 Entertainment treat us to a rather impressive 2.35:1 (1080/24p AVC) transfer that ranks as one of the best presentations I've seen so far this year. Knowing was apparently shot on high definition cameras, which has created a very clean, grain-free image that could very easily be used as demo material. The film's warm colour palette is accurately reproduced, with the brightly lit exterior shots looking especially wonderful. The darker scenes are also well catered for, with solid blacks and a fair amount of detail in the shadows. Talking of detail, the transfer has it in spades, in everything from facial close-ups and fabric, to sprawling cities and alien worlds (oops, spoiler). I've been spoiled by the image quality of some of the Blu-rays I've recently reviewed, but Knowing is right up there with them in the quality stakes.
Knowing has a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that pulls you into the action right from the opening moments. Surround utilisation is extremely effective, with the opening scenes placing mysterious, whispering voices all around the soundstage. The atmospherics remain strong throughout, with plenty of ambient effects such as rainfall, crickets chirping in the darkness, and creepy noises. There aren't that many 'action' scenes as such, but some of the set-pieces provide a good workout with smooth panning between channels, excellent use of discrete effects, and ferocious bass. The plane crash sequence is a simply brilliant example of this, with every element combining to produce a genuinely chilling event. Thankfully dialogue remains intelligible no matter how wild things get, and the dark, foreboding soundtrack offers a solid aural foundation. I think it's definitely fair to say that Knowing's Master Audio soundtrack is an incredibly strong accompaniment to the outstanding visuals.
Director's Commentary: Alex Proyas and an unidentified co-commentator discuss the film in this informative and interesting track. Proyas tells us what he hoped to accomplish when making the film, touching on the thematic elements, the filming process, and more. It's interesting to note that he consciously tried to move away from the sci-fi films where mankind is saved at the eleventh hour, pointing out that this rather optimistic scenario is somewhat out of whack with today's modern views. Given my opinion of the film, I enjoyed this track a lot more than I thought I would.
Knowing All: The Making of a Futuristic Thriller (12:36 HD): This is your run-of-the-mill EPK bumph about the film's origins, the creation of the CGI plane crash, and substituting Australia for the United States (specifically Boston), complete with the usual sycophantic praise for star Nicolas Cage. With the exception of Cage, the entire principal cast is interviewed, along with director Alex Proyas, the producer, and some of the effects wizards.
Visions of the Apocalypse (17:07 HD): This is a short featurette that examines the apocalypse as viewed by different cultures and religions, but mostly it concentrates on the death of the Sun. Apparently we only have about a billion years left before things start to get uncomfortable, so we'd better start building that intergalactic cruiser with the argon-crystal laser now. Admittedly our solar annihilation is (hopefully) some way off, but I can't help but get a little spooked by talk of the end of days—stupid survival instinct.
Theatrical Trailer (HD): The film's theatrical trailer is presented in high definition with accompanying audio.
TV Spots (HD): A number of TV spots are included, also in high definition.
It's also worth mentioning that E1 has included three trailers before the disc's main menu. Unfortunately they've also chosen to disable the 'top menu' command, forcing you to use the chapter skip button. I absolutely loathe forced trailers, especially on retails discs. I've paid my money for your product; I do not expect to have to sit through advertising before I can get to the film itself. If you want to add trailers, make them accessible from the extras menu.
I wish I had 'known' how average Knowing was before I went into the cinema back in March. I had hoped that this second viewing would prove more entertaining, but unfortunately it only served to reinforce my opinion. Knowing isn't a awful film, but I just cannot fathom the reason for the overwhelmingly positive reviews on other websites. Perhaps they are more forgiving of the clichés and Nicolas Cage's penchant for delivering lines of perceived importance slightly louder than the rest of his dialogue.
Okay, so I'm not exactly in love with Knowing, but if you actually enjoyed the film this Blu-ray is a bit of a treat, especially in the audio-visual department. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it is up there with the best discs of the year in this respect. The extras aren't quite as convincing, but at least the commentary track is half decent. I can't really bring myself to recommend the disc as anything other than a rental on account of the film itself, but fans should be extremely pleased with what's on offer
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Chris Gould
Marcus1138 Contributor Join Date: June 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 910
I'm with you Chris, I really don't get the love that this one seemed to get across the net. The premise is sound but it just plays out so badly.
Also the amount of times Cage & Co left those kids on their own in a car or in a room or wherever else was ridiculous.
Also the amount of times Cage & Co left those kids on their own in a car or in a room or wherever else was ridiculous.
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
I was actually a lot harder on it in my initial draft based on the theatrical viewing, but after I watched it a second time I realised that it does have some redeeming qualities. I was just very indifferent to it really. It's a demo disc AV wise though.
Disciple Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 775
Have to agree, I too, really wanted to like this film, cause i'm a huge Proyas fan, but it only makes me feel disappointed. Cliché after Cliché is a perfect way to describe this.
If you start a petition to try and make Cage quit acting, i'd sign it.
My advice to the people who are still thinking about buying this is don't! Rent it if you have to, but if you feel like you want to buy an Alex Proyas film, buy Dark City: director's cut! One of the best sci-fi films ever made!
If you start a petition to try and make Cage quit acting, i'd sign it.
My advice to the people who are still thinking about buying this is don't! Rent it if you have to, but if you feel like you want to buy an Alex Proyas film, buy Dark City: director's cut! One of the best sci-fi films ever made!
legalbeagle Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 118
Nice review, Chris. Couldn't agree wiht you more about the AV & PQ on the Blu Ray. Actually rented the SD DVD a couple of weeks ago on a wet Sunday afternoon. I really didn't know what to expect and I was actually surprised by the fact that it was pretty good. Really liked the "set piece" stuff like the plane crash, subway crash and the end of days scenario at the end. Bought it on Blu cheaply and was blown away by the improvement over the SD DVD in terms of audio/video quality. Demo disc indeed...
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 3rd August 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Extras: Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Trailer, TV Spots
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 121 minutes
6Review Guide
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Sakamichi no Apollon
(Click for Anime Info) | (Watch on Crunchyroll)
The beginning of summer, 1966.
Because of his father's job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious bad boy Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns the attractions of jazz and finds the first person he can call a "friend". He also discovers how much fun it is to play music with a pal.
Other characters include Sentaro's kind childhood chum, Ritsuko, who is the daughter of a record shop owner; the mysterious upperclassman, Yurika; and Brother Jun, the much-admired leader among their peers. Set against the backdrop of a seaside town with a scent of American culture, this series is a drama about young people coming into their own, crossing each other's paths, and finding friendship, love, and music!
Main Characters
Sentarou Kawabuchi
(Voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya)
Sentaro is a wild 1st-year high school student who meets incoming student Kaoru at Higashi High School. Sentaro is mistakenly thought of as a thug by his peers, who fear him. Though tall and gifted with prodigious physical strength, Sentaro is also straightforward and bighearted. He's the exact opposite of Kaoru, yet somehow they hit it off when Sentaro starts to share his boundless love for jazz. The drums are Sentaro's instrument of choice.
Ritsuko Mukae
(Voiced by Yuuka Nanri)
Ritsuko is a classmate of Kaoru and Sentaro and an old friend of the latter. This kind, always cheerful and charmingly-freckled high school freshman is also the poster girl for Welcome Records, her family's record shop. The basement of the shop has a practice studio that serves as a hang-out for Sentaro, Kaoru, her father, and assorted jazz cronies.
Kaoru Nishimi
(Voiced by Ryohei Kimura)
Kaoru is a brainy young main who moved during the summer of his first year in high school, from Yokosuka to his uncle's house in Kyushu. In fact, Kaoru has been moving from place to place ever since he was a little kid, a lifestyle that has made him introverted. But after Kaoru encounters Sentaro, he started to change, all while learning the joys of jazz. Kaoru has been familiar with classical music for many years and is quite the pianist, so naturally he's on piano.
Other Information
Number of Episodes: Unknown
Genres: Drama, Historical, Romance, School, Slice of Life, Josei
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Animation Production: Mappa, Tezuka Productions
Premiere: Friday, April 13, 2012 @ 12:45 AM
Primary network: Fuji TV
Official Website: アニメ「坂道のアポロン」公式サイト | Kids on the Slope Official English Website
Who else is excited? I honestly can't wait.
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
I might marathon this when it's finished airing :>
Looks interesting though and so glad CR got it today.
Animanga hunter extraordinaire
I am actually stoked for this one...it looks great so far.
Living life one day at a time
I've been following this one for a while. I'm very glad that Crunchyroll picked this one up. Can't wait to watch it!
nah not for me
His Holiness Optimus Maximus Decimus Meridius Colossus Nemesis Nexus Genesis
I need to read the news more often; I didn't even see CR picked this up. I can die in peace now!
Episode 1.
Loved every second of it.
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
This is interesting, wasn't part of my spring watch list but its definitely a great addition! It reminds me of Nodame Cantabile minus the comedy and Beck.
I haven't fallen this hard for a show since Madoka last year. It reminds me heavily of Beck and Nodame Cantabile, as well, and the fact that I am a musician helps this show be more relatable. It's so beautiful and well-put-together that I'm now counting down the days until the next episode comes out.
Thank you, Watanabe and Kanno, thank you.
This is a status.
This was great. I love the art style and the characters are really interesting.
They did an excellent job animating Sentarou's jazz drumming. That's something you don't see very often, so I'm glad they wanted to make the animation really match the music. And the music is great.
I'm looking forward to the next episode. Too bad there are only 12.
I'm curious why the title is translated to "Kids on the Slope". It's not a bad title. Maybe it is more appealing than "Hill Road's Apollo"? Still I think the English title misses out on the jazz & god pun, which seems appropriate for this show.
Watched the first episode and loved it which has been a while, only problem i have with it is that i would have liked the opening or the ending to have a jazz sound track i just didn't think they fit, kinda like Bebop did.
I felt the same way about the opening credits when I started watching it, but while jazz is clearly the main subject of the series, I felt like the intro music captured the flavor of the series, the relationships and what not.
I was also very impressed by the music animation. It appears Watanabe is bringing the same sensibilities he brought to his action scenes in Bebop and Samurai Champloo to the music scenes, rendering them with as much kinetic accuracy as a fight scene in his other works. The only thing that surprises me about it is that I was surprised. I always look for it, and am always disappointed. (I don't recall remarking on the accuracy in K-On, for example.) This time, I was not disappointed.
I think I'm seeing why this is classified as Jousei. Is it just me, or is there a bit of what the folks at TVTropes might call "Ho-yay" or perhaps even "Foe-yay" (that's stretching more than a bit) between Sentaro and Kaoru?
Clearing out a massive list one episode at a time.
I just watched the first episode and I'm totally hooked! I love the animation but I like the characters the most...they are so refreshing and different from most animes. Definitely the best 2012 anime for me.
I just watched the first two eps, and I love it already. I wasnt going to watch it at first because it didnt really sound that interesting. But then I looked at the picture and clicked on the link to the show and saw the old-style art and started watching. The more I watched, the more I liked it.
Now Im sad that I have to wait a week to see more. :P
I really wish life was still as slow as it was back then... as much as I love technology Id rather have a peaceful slow life in a city like this one.
Poi is the new Desu!
First two episodes have me hooked. Great characters and designs, the music goes without saying, and the story has a nice easy pace to it. It feels like it was written with adults in mind. There's no dumbing down, or titillating with cheap gimmicks, or lazy writing. Can't wait until the next episode.
Hot dog bun, not too young!


text:
Politicians To Push For More Sandy Aid
Northeastern lawmakers are preparing to push Congress to approve extra spending to pay for repairing the damage wrought by Sandy, setting up a potential sideshow fight over resources as legislators return to Washington next week to consider spending cuts and tax increases to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.
If approved, the extra federal funding would likely pay for work such as repairs to the electric grid, transportation network and housing. Congressional action isn't urgent, since the Federal Emergency Management Agency has enough money to pay for immediate repairs.
But Washington has traditionally approved extra spending after major disasters such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina to help state and local governments recover. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that the storm would add to a $1 billion hole in the state's budget and estimated the economic cost to the region at $50 billion.
"The likelihood is that at some point, we will need some more help," said Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat.
Mr. Cuomo said he expects Washington to help cover New York's expenses. "We pay a lot of taxes to Washington," he said. "This is a very important state nationally. And I want the respect for our taxpayers."
A structure is beginning to form to lobby for more aid. Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican, and Rep. Nita Lowey, a Westchester County Democrat, two of New York's most senior members of Congress, are starting a working group of lawmakers to oversee the effort.
The plans are in the early stages. Officials are still tallying the damages and don't know yet how much they'll ask for and where the money should go.
There are varying opinions within New York's congressional delegation about how quickly it must move to secure more money. Congress starts a lame-duck session on Tuesday, and much of the focus will be on the looming package of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will kick in Jan. 1 if Congress doesn't act on reducing the national debt—the fiscal cliff. If the lame-duck session ends up being short, extra money for disaster relief might have to wait until next year.
"I think this is something that we have to do, we have to take very seriously and we have to do as quickly as we possibly can," said Rep. Timothy Bishop, a Long Island Democrat.
The prospects for extra storm relief funds are unclear. Aides to northeastern lawmakers worry that conservatives could insist that spending cuts be found elsewhere to pay for the spending, as was suggested in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, when FEMA was short on money. The fight over the fiscal cliff also could complicate passage of a disaster-funding bill.
"There is a concern in this budget climate that we certainly don't want to get caught up in a fight about having disaster aid being offset," said an aide to a northeastern Democratic lawmaker. "We're cutting left and right, so I don't even know how you would offset it."
A spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, said people affected by Sandy "should feel confident that the federal government is going to do what it needs to do."
—Ted Mann contributed to this article.
Write to Andrew Grossman at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Attention Amateur Photographers - Select Sires Announces Dairy and Beef Photo Contest
PLAIN CITY, Ohio, Feb. 16, 2011 - Customer success is the passion of every employee within the Select Sires federation. Select Sires would like to celebrate this success by offering for the first time a Select Sires photo contest. Select Sires is looking for new, exciting photos of Select-sired offspring and customers to use in promotions such as calendars, posters, brochures, on the website and much more. The contest is open to all amateur photographers including Select Sires customers, employees and employee family members. Contestants can enter as many photos as they wish. The first place dairy and beef photos will be featured on the covers of the 2012 Select Sires Dairy and Beef Calendars.
Entries are due June 1, 2011, and photos can be mailed or submitted digitally. Please include the photographer's name, address, phone number, location where the photo was taken, a brief description of the photo and identification of specific animals or subjects within the photo. Preference will be given to photographs that include cattle, and entries will be judged on composition, quality and character of the image, suitability and/or creativity and overall impression of the photo. To get your creative juices flowing, this year's categories are as follows:
- People and their Select-sired offspring
- Landscapes with Select-sired cattle
If submitting photos by mail:
- Photo must be an actual photo print - not from a computer printer
- 8" x 10" or larger with a glossy finish
- Please do not write on the back of the print
Mail entries to: Select Sires Inc., Attn: Terri Smith, 11740 U.S. 42 N., Plain City, OH 43064.
If submitting photos digitally:
- The photo must be high resolution - at least 3200 x 2400 pixels or 300 dpi 5" x 7". Low resolution photos will not be included in the contest.
E-mail entries with the subject line "Select Sires Photo Contest" to firstname.lastname@example.com. Digital images may also be sent on a CD by mail to the address above.
Photographers will receive photo credit for any photo used. By submitting contest photos you are granting Select Sires the rights to use said photos in promotional or educational materials. All entries submitted will become the property of Select Sires Inc. and could be used in future publications or projects. Photos will not be returned. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Terri Smith at (614) 873-4683 or by e-mail at email@example.com.
Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc. is North America's largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America's best genetics at a reasonable price.


text:
Ted Thompson is not necessarily buying into the all buzz surrounding the Eagles' high-profile signings.
Thompson, the Packers' general manager, can do that, given that his team is the defending Super Bowl champions.
During a session with reporters today, Thompson was asked about the Eagles' moves.
"There's always a hectic time during the start of free agency," he said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This year's free agency was accelerated because of the circumstances surrounding it. But that happens. It just depends on where you are as a team, as an organization and what you feel like you need.
"As far as looking at another team and saying, 'this is a good thing and this is a bad thing,' it's not my place to do. Certainly they have some good people there in Philadelphia. Andy (Reid) is a good friend of mine and a good football guy so we're certainly wary of them."
That does not mean Thompson lacks confidence in his team, but wants the Packers to continue to strive to get better.
"We certainly feel confident with our guys," he said. "I don't know if you ever get satisfied. I don't want our team to think we're satisfied with where we are. We're always going to try to get better."
For reference, when Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie addressed the media, he used a question about whether the Eagles are a "dream team" to laud the Packers because, after all, they are the defending champions.
"The only dream team I know is the Green Bay Packers," Lurie said. "We dream to become as good as the Green Bay Packers and hold that trophy ... We're consciously trying to play catch up in an aggressive way. I personally thought that, we won our division last year, and I thought we played the Packers very evenly in the playoff game and played them very well. But you have to understand the way I looked at it [and] I think most of us looked at it is Green Bay won in a year in which a lot of their best players were injured. So this is not an accurate assessment of Green Bay last year and they were holding the Lombardi Trophy. So when you add the Jermichael Finley's and Ryan Grant's and just a slew of great players all over, I think they're the team we're all trying to catch, I think they're the team you dream about trying to surpass and so does the rest of the NFL."
UPDATED: Since the conversation below has turned into a debate about the merits of each team's schedule, the Eagles are tied for 15th in strength of schedule based on the composite last season records of this season's opponents at 129-127, for a .504 winning percentage. The Packers are tied for 13th at 130-126, a winning percentage of .508.


text:
Telefax: No fax number available
Website: No web address available
Biz owner? Moderate reviews or edit listing.
Search entire category for Art Supplies
'Art Supplies' in Tukwila refer to the art items, materials and stationery that are required by an artist to start with a piece of art work. They are usually available in art stores in Tukwila, and even online where one is not needed to step outside while he can place orders sitting at home.


text:
Date: about 1980
Address: 28 West Center Street
This building became the Lyric Theater in 1913. Vitagraph movies were shown at the theater as well as live performances. Although during the 1940's and 1950's it was exclusively used as a movie theater, the building was restored to its full stage glory by Utah State University in 1960-1961. It became the Caine Lyric Theatre at that time. It was again refurbished in 2001.
Picture ID: 42
Source: Logan Library Photo Collection-Buildings
If you have any additional information about this photo, send us an email.


text:
[Book 1 of My Baker Boy Series] Diana Garcia has a...
Mocha the Bear
- by mochabear511
- Rating:
- Published: 9 Dec 2014
- Updated: 25 Jul 2018
- Status: In Progress
The origin of my username, plus other shit. Warning! Yellow–may contain some mature content. Cursing is not censored. © Copyright 2014-2017. All rights reserved. I created the cover myself.
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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text:
The day is finally here. After years of rumors and speculation, months of teasers and trailers, The Dark Knight Rises finally hits theaters today. As the huge Batman fan that I am, I've been getting my bat-fix by watching the excellent animated series from the 90′s and playing loads of video games starring the caped crusader. To help get you in the mood for the epic finale of Christopher Nolan's series, as if you weren't already, here is a list of the five best Batman games."
i would trade out the NES batman for the Genesis Batman. Sunsoft made the genesis version not only graphically better but the level where you fly the batwing is fun as hell.
I have to go back and play Arkham City again. Just saw TDKR and I have Batman fever! Great movie.
Me too bro . I went at midnight. By the way is was an amazing movie and prolly one of the best I've ever seen!!! Everybody needs to see The Dark Knight Rises because u won't be disappointed!!!!
Back to what I was about to say is that I went to GameStop to today and bought of the GOTY editions of asylum and city for ps3. I had them for 360 but I wanted to experience the awesomeness of both back to back again since Ive got a rush of Adrenaline in my blood because of The Dark Knight Rises lmao
Don't forget "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" for Wii as well, it's a gorgeous looking and fun to play game.