text:
PSG join Pastore chase
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has now claimed PSG are in contention to buy Javier Pastore along with Chelsea.
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey
Last Updated: 24/07/11 4:06pm
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has now claimed that Paris Saint Germain are in contention to buy Javier Pastore along with Chelsea, whilst he also says Real Madrid could make an offer.
Zamparini, who seems to comment every 24 hours on the situation of his star man, said on Saturday that the race was likely to be between Chelsea, Manchester City and Roma.
His vice-president, Guglielmo Micciche, stated on Sunday that Pastore was 'very probably' joining Chelsea.
Zamparini now claims that there are other offers and one is from PSG.
"There are three or four important proposals," said Zamparini.
"We'll exchange opinions, then go to France and England for negotiations. The interested clubs are Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and also something in Spain, but that depends on who Real Madrid manage to sell.
"The newspapers make it look as if everyone is in the running, but I hope he won't stay in Serie A. That way he won't have to face us as an opponent.
"The club that comes to us with a serious offer will take him."
Palermo have also been linked with Pastore's young brother, Juan Manuel, as a possible replacement.


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WH Smith has just sold the bulk of what remained of its overseas adventures to focus on trying to revive its trading at home. The credibility of Boots' brief Christmas revival has been dented by management's bleating about contributions to its pension fund when in reality these are nothing out of the usual, and today Marks & Spencer unveiled a flat trading update against a weekend barrage of leaks about the need for far-reaching strategic change because its recovery has stalled.
Each business is in the hands of relatively new management, noted for executive competence rather than merchanting flair.
Each is under pressure from institutional investors to deliver a prompt return to growth, and each in its way is probably destined to disappoint, not because as managers they are feeble but because the problems defy the quick and easy answers the City craves.
In part this is because so much of shopping has now moved away from the High Street to retail parks where these traditional stores are relatively under-represented so they no longer get the automatic footfall. In part it is because all three in their golden age were suppliers of commodity products for which they could charge premium prices because of the strength of their brand, convenient location and skilled space management, being the correct sizing of their outlets to the kind of business they were.
When those advantages are taken away - when location, fashion, pricing policy and brand image all turn negative - the business will languish because customers no longer know instinctively what it stands for. And there will be no quick and easy recovery because, to judge from the tenor of their public pronouncements, their managements don't know either.
Tunnel light
IT is perhaps a bit early to offer a postscript on the Eurotunnel coup, given that the saga will no doubt run for months yet, but a couple of observations might be made.
For all our talk of having a more vigorous share-owning economy than the French, the kind of coup that saw small investors oust the entire board could not happen in Britain for two reasons. The first is that the shareholder register of a listed British company of any size is dominated by the investing institutions-They would never agree to such radical action, given the uncertainties that come with it, and would block it if it were suggested by someone else.
Second, when British shareholders try to exercise their power they find it extremely difficult because they have effectively been disenfranchised by the structure of the market. Electronic settlement and stockbrokers' nominees have been useful tools to help the London securities markets cope with the explosive growth of the past decade, but the price has been to make it almost impossible for small investors to exercise most of their ownership rights.
It is similarly difficult for anyone seeking to ginger up a company to contact the shareholders, who cluster under the anonymity of stockbrokers' nominee names. Although Baltimore Technologies is tiny compared with Eurotunnel, those seeking to engineer change there are grappling with this problem.
Eurotunnel has, therefore, served to highlight a flaw in British governance that has been left untreated for too long. The fact most small shareholders do not appear on the shareholder register, do not get annual reports and have almost no
direct communication with the company in which they invest is a great inhibitor to effective and legitimate corporate governance in this country. Small shareholders have doughty champions in Gavin Oldham and others like him, but however loudly they shout they are too easily overshadowed by the big battalions in the wholesale markets and ignored.
Ironically, it has become obvious in recent months in speeches by Sir Iain Vallance and others that most company boards feel they should be more accountable to small shareholders than to City professionals in investing institutions. This is because small shareholders are genuine owners, investing their own money, while institutional shareholders are professionals investing someone else's money and therefore are like management itself - agents not principals.
The long-term health of governance in Britain requires that the link from companies direct to shareholders should be restored and nurtured. It would be a fitting outcome of the Eurotunnel saga, which in so many other respects seems destined to end in tears, if it could become the catalyst for the structural changes needed to restore genuine shareholder democracy in the UK.
- More about:
- Christmas
- Management
- Wh Smith

subset: commoncrawl


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The daily report is a snapshot of each day of the Walk, combining stats, weather and terrain information with quotes and images from the team. Check back each day to see the latest updates!
Today was a very nice day, one because there were great walking conditions – it was overcast, so not too hot, and two because we were joined by the co-owners of YESSS Electrical, Ashley and Adam. We thoroughly enjoyed having them with us and we were very keen to learn more about them and their work.
Before the finish we stopped in a town called Bedale, where there was a great reception. A group from the local high school came to greet us and handed out water and mars bars, the Mayor of Bedale was there as well and she was lovely and there were also some guys from RAF Leeming.
After the warm welcome at Bedale we carried on to the YESSS Electical branch in Ripon, we were escorted through the town by 7 or 8 Royal Engineers who took us into the industrial estate. Adam and Ashley were kind enough to show us around their facilities there, which were very impressive, and once again we were met by the local Mayor, who was a wonderful lady.
Overall it was a brilliant day and I am looking forward to getting on with the rest of the week!
Donate to the Walk of Britain and support veterans with physical, mental or social injuries to develop new careers outside the military, re-integrate into society and provide long-term security for themselves and their families.


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Sita Swayamvar from Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan MP3
King Janaka was the ruler of the kingdom of Videha. Its capital city was Mithila. Janaka was not only a brave king, but was also very well-versed in the Shastras ...
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan Episode 07(With English Sub).flv MP3
Sita Swayamvar MP3
this is a nice video song of Sita Swayamva from Ramayana added by Umakant.
Ramayan - Watch Full Episode 7 of 23rd September 2012 MP3
In the September 23 Episode of Ramayan, Parvati tells Shiv about Vedavati's penance and longing for Lord Vishnu. Sita feels sad as she does not know why ...
Ram Vivah in Ramayan Sita Swayamvar MP3
Sita Swayamvar.
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan Episode 08(With English Sub).flv MP3
Sita Swayamvar - SitaRam Vivah MP3
Shri Rama breaking Shiva's divine bow in assemblage of kings invited by Janaka for Sita-Swayamvara.
Parashurama is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and a Kshatriya mother Renuka.
Ramayan - Watch Full Episode 8 of 30th September 2012 MP3
In the September 30 Episode of Ramayan, King Janak gets disappointed when none of the kings present, at the swayamvar, were able to lift the Shiv Dhanush.
Sita Swayamvar MP3
King Janak holds a competition to select a worthy groom for his daughter Sita. The suitor among the princes and kings of India who can lift and string Lord ...
Ram & Sita meet in the pushp vatika of Mithila: Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan MP3
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan Credit for video goes to UTV Devotional. I do not own the copyright for it!
Sita Swayamvar ( Ramayan ) | सीता स्वयम्वर (रामायण ) | Kissa MP3
For more videos click | http://goo.gl/fFsbL2 Singer - sangeeta Album - sita swayamvar Artist - Lyrics - khetpal singh yadav Music - ramvir tufani | lallan Label ...
Ramayan "Prince Of Ayodhya" | HD 1080p | With English Subtitles MP3
Ramayan, the epic Indian saga, of the fight between good and evil, is brought to life in a simple, entertaining and colourful version, certain to appeal to kids and ...
Sita Swayamvar - Ramayan - Marathi MP3
The Ramayana is one of the great Hindu epics. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu literature (smṛti), considered to ...
Luv Kush Singing Ramayan - Hum katha sunate ram sakal gun dhaam ki MP3
http://ramayaninhindi.blogspot.com Like us on facebook http://facebook.com/Ramayaninhindi luv kush in Ayodhya Lyrics : - Hum katha sunate ram sakal ...
Ramayan 2008 Episodes 218-240 (Sita Viyog) MP3
Sita Swayamvar In Ramayan (Hindi) | Ramayana Story for Kids | Hindi Story For Children With Moral MP3
Presenting Hindi Story For Children With Moral "Sita Swayamvar - Ramayana Story for Kids", Animated Cartoon Hindi Stories For Kids. Enjoy watching the ...
Ram Makes Shiva Proud - Siya ke Ram MP3
Ram enters the palace where Sita's Swayamvar is in progress. Anxiety sets in as Sita, her family and Lakshman eagerly wait. Lord Shiva watches Ram's act of ...
Parashurama is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and a Kshatriya mother Renuka.


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"We did very well when India visited Pakistan (last year). They are now coming to India and this time we will have the crowd behind us. There's no reason why we should not do well," the Delhi swashbuckler said here.
"Obviously it cannot get bigger than this," he said about the forthcoming series against Pakistan in March-April.
The Pakistan team is set to land in India around February 25 to play a series of three Tests and five one-day internationals against the hosts. It will be their first visit since 1999.
Sehwag did not sound too concerned about his indifferent form in the limited over format of the game even as he scaled a new individual high for the country by becoming the first Indian to score a triple ton. The flamboyant opener achieved the feat in Pakistan last season.
"It's just a passing phase (his poor form in ODIs)," he said.
Asked about his expected confrontation with Pakistan pace ace Shoaib Akhtar, Sehwag said he had faced all the top bowlers in the world and had got a triple hundred against Pakistan and two big hundreds later against the all-conquering Australia and South Africa at home.
"There are other bowlers too in the Pakistan team. It's not only about Shoaib," he pointed out.
Sehwag, however, was not interested in being drawn about what he felt should be the Indian team's composition.
"I am not in a position to say about team's composition. It's for the team management. As far as I am concerned I am happy to bat at any position", he said.
Sehwag, who could not inspire India B from the front in the N K P Salve Challenger series (they lost both matches in the league phase), today took time off to indulge in promotional activities for his sponsors.


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Eye on Education posted this great infographic from Todd Whitaker's book, What Great Principals Do Differently (2nd Edition): Eighteen Things That Matter Most.
The ideas here really apply to all leaders, be they classroom teachers, principals, coaches, managers or administrators.
How many of these leadership traits do you embody?
2 comments:
- Kelli said...
Thanks for sharing, Mark. "What would my best teachers think of this?" struck a chord with me as a coach and tech integration leader.
- May 13, 2013 at 5:20 AM
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- September 12, 2016 at 2:13 AM
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text:
For World Cup, the beautiful game plays out on museum walls
By Mary Milliken
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Petra Cortright played soccer for 14 years so she was very adept at making a video of herself wearing a pink glowing bathing suit and juggling a ball, or rather an IKEA soccer pillow, which was what she had on hand when inspiration struck.
Now the 27-year-old Los Angeles artist finds herself and that webcam video in the company of Andy Warhol and his 1978 portrait of Pele and 50 other works of art by 30 artists celebrating the so-called "beautiful game" in this year of the World Cup in Brazil.
"Futbol: The Beautiful Game", takes place a mere 10,000 kilometers (6,300 miles) from Rio de Janeiro, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or LACMA, where a curator bitten by soccer has assembled a show about the mythic, the heroic, the poetic and the violent manifestations of the game.
"Timed with the World Cup, it seems like an opportunity to think about some of the things I love about the game, perhaps in a more artistic and intellectual way," said Franklin Sirmans, the 44-year-old curator and head of contemporary art at LACMA, who was inspired early on by Pele and the Cosmos in his native New York.
The exhibition reflects the global nature of the game, from paintings by an artist obsessed by English club Manchester United to a Colombian artist who shoots a video of a pick-up game in a small courtyard to a photograph of North African slippers bearing a Nike-like swoosh.
Although the United States might not match the passion of other countries for the sport, Los Angeles is arguably its most soccer-mad city with two Major League Soccer teams and a large Hispanic population. "Futbol," the Spanish word for soccer, was chosen for the show's title to denote the international character of the city.
When Sirmans went looking for soccer art, one of the first pieces in mind was the object he chose to greet visitors to the exhibition - a mini rendering of Rio's Maracana Stadium, where the World Cup final will be played in July, by Brazilian artist Nelson Leirner. It is full of different figurines like Buddhas and Japanese beckoning cats, all surrounded by Jesus figures. Continued...


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Does any body own this on the UK O2 network?? As O2 released this two whole months after the other networks. I want to know if the O2 version of the phone has the Sony Ericsson timescape. I'd rather it doesn't.
for those who had this already: is there an xperia PLAY version of naruto ultimate nija heroes series psp ¿? thanks people
Very laggy, slow response. Waiting to see if software update helps.
wanna buy this
Hi all play owners,
Please provide your inputs on the sound quality of this device over HEADPHONES, for the purpose of listening music.
if you planning to buy this phone only for its gaming experience, i think you make a big mistake..this is a real phone..sony new psp ngp is coming soon..so i think its better for you to stick with your current phone and buy the new psp..i heard rumours that the new psp ngp will support android games..but if you love this phone so much..go for it..
nower, 07 Jun 2011xperia play the best gamers phone ever
if u all have any problem,just ask me to solve ur pr... morepls help me
give me your email id iwant to ask something about .......xperia play
nower, 07 Jun 2011xperia play the best gamers phone ever
if u all have any problem,just ask me to solve ur pr... moregive me your email id pls ...
Iwant to know something about
xperia play
want to know if naruto ultimate nija heroes is compatible with this psp phone; have a good one;
This phone perform quite good, but i don't like the design, it's quite similar with other SE phones
If you guys want to save battery, just disable data recieve..go to settings and network..
battery lost usage is mostly due to online advert of apps and games..just simply switch off your data packet internet when not in use and u will save battery power..btw u can still play games even without internet is on.
hope this help :)
i have this phone 1 week now. im from philippines. and i bought this phone for 26k white color is cool. and all i can say is the gaming experience is great. and my phone is upgraded to 2.3.3 start up is much faster and battery seems to be ok now compare to 2.3.2 video call is responding well both ym and skype dont expect too much on the main camera. but overall it is a great phone, i recommend it for all the gamers out there.
hallo every body,
is very good phone but the only problem that i can t zoom when i want to take pecture or recording a vedio
i'm using this phone before 2 week it is lack in HD video recording bcuz it record video in WVGA .


text:
Edible Tour of the Tropical Pavilion - Section C
Class: Edible Tour of the Tropical Pavilion. Photo by Rebecca Bullene.
Enjoy the warmth of BBG's Tropical Pavilion on this edible greenhouse tour! Explore the flavors used in holiday cooking and baking—like vanilla, black pepper, and chocolate—as well as coffee and kola. We'll use sight, smell, and taste to experience these ingredients in their natural form and learn all about their history and usage.
|December 5, 2015 Check for other dates
|Sa from 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM
|Sarah Lohman
|Member Fee:
|$ 15.00
|Nonmember Fee:
|$ 18.00
|Please check in with Security at 1000 Washinton Ave. before going to the conservatory to meet your class.
Sorry, we are no longer accepting registrations for this course. Please contact our office to find out if it will be rescheduled, or if alternative classes are available.


text:
Altima 95 for sale on US's largest classifieds sites (17 results)
95 Altima 2.4 engine motor & transmission / whole car
Nissan Altima 95
95 Nissan Altima... clean title
95 Nissan AltmanHas some wear and tear but it's reliable. Outside has some dents and dings but what do you expect with a 22 yr old car. At least I'm honest! Lol the interior is extremely clean. Power everything. But most of all it runs good and has been very reliable. Asking 1000 or obo***
232,000 Miles
Make: Nissan, Model: Altima
95 altima mechanics special
NOT RUNNING it will turn over and try to start but dies immediately .it has started spitting oil into the exhaust so it will need the head pulled and we dont want to invest anymore into it it has many new parts just done with it so please take it off our hands trades for something reliable please ema...
95 altima
95 nissan altima gxe 123xxx - $2000 (south lansing)
All the maintenance has been done. All new timing chain set done by good shop. Power windows & locks. Working cruise control. Interior is decent. Previous owner was older and drove mostly highway. Minor cosmetic damage(cratches and stuff) Ready to get in and drive.CALL OR TEXT ONLY PLEASE! 517-528...
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95 Nissan Altima - $2000 (Ocala)
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95 Nissan Altima - $1900 (Laurel, Ms)
hi im selling a 1995 Nissan Altima... this is a great gas saver and will drive anywhere, it is a 4 cyl., 5 spd., heat and cold air work great, and it has a sunroof and all electric inside so if you need more info just call or txt me at 6014333193 Location: Laurel, Ms it`s NOT ok to contact this p...
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2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S Silver Auto 95,800 miles
95 Nissan Altima
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text: 14 photos $549,000 4 acres 4 Beds | 4 Baths | 1 ½ Bath | 4180 sqft 6308 Hurricane Rd., Wise, VA 24293 - Wise County 4 acres Wise, VA Breathtaking best describes this beautiful premier home in Southwest Virginia. With 4 bedrooms & 3-1/2 baths, approx. 4200 sq.ft., Master bedroomm has walk-in closet with clothes carousel and heated floors for you comfort, Thermostatic control shower with ceiling unit rain head shower and heated floors,central vacuum, Stereo intercom system, laundry room, mud room, Home office, Sun room, Great room consisting of living room, dining &kitchen with 22 foot ceilings accented by fireplace with gas logs. Home has 3 zoned heat pumps with gas furnace for your comfort. Anderson windows throughout the home. Outside, you have 1800 sq. ft. deck with lighting & built in seating all the way around. Great for entertaining. All this & more on approxim


text:
National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria
PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to determine the differences in the clinical and chest x-ray features of HIV-positive and HIV-negative pulmonary tuberculosis patients on DOTS at the National Hospital Abuja.
METHODS: The clinical features of all smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients were recorded at diagnosis, completion of intensive phase, at fifth, seventh month and at completion of DOTS. Only samples seropositive with both stat-pak and determine were considered HIV positive. Genie was used as tie-breaker. Chest x-rays were done at diagnosis, on completion intensive phase and at the end of DOTS treatment. The results were analysed using SPSS version 13.0.
RESULTS: All the 390 patients studied had cough of greater than 3 weeks. Hemoptysis was found in 68(36.9%) of the HIV-positive patients as against 144(75%) in the HIV-negative patients. This difference is statistically significant. p=0.001. There was an observed significant difference in the sputum AAFB density between the HIV positive and the HIV- negative patients. 17(7.2%) of HIV positive and 12(5.7%) of the HIV negative patients) had + sputum density (P=0.03. The chest x-rays features at diagnosis of the HIV positive patients showed fibrosis 59(29.9%), cavitory 41(22.3%),pleural effusion 10(5.4%) and infiltrates 8(4.3%) as against fibrosis 84(40.7%), cavitary 65(31.2%, pleural effusion 5(2.4%)and infiltrates 8(3.9%) in the HIV negative patients. The difference is not statistically significant (p=0.143).
CONCLUSION: The observed significant difference in hemoptysis and sputum AAFB density cannot be generalized because of the relatively small sample size studied.The less fibrosis, cavitory lesions and more infiltrates seen on chest x-rays of HIV positive patients though not statistically significant highlights the challenge of using chest x-ray in the diagnosis and management of PTB in the HIV-positive patients.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The low sputum AAFB density in HIV-positive patients found in this study highlights the challenges of diagnosiing TB in the HIV positive with paucibacillary or negative sputum smear.The use of additional diagnostic tools (culture,serology and PCR) will result in increased tuberculosis detection rate in developing countries like Nigeria.
DISCLOSURE: Kingsley Osagie, No Financial Disclosure Information; No Product/Research Disclosure Information
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text:
Improving Wireless Ordering at Restaurants
Last night, we got to order dinner on a wireless touchscreen, actually an iPad in Aluminum body armour. Pretty cool. This was not our first time, but it was a surprise because we were not at some fancy restaurant but instead at a modest place in Chinatown. It just goes to show how widely this technology has diffused. The use of a touchscreen menu was useful in this context for overcoming language barriers as the waiters weren't the most fluent English speakers and although some of us spoke Chinese it was not the same dialect.
Unfortunately, like at many other places, we found that the restaurant was using a smart tablet in the same old "non-smart" way. i.e., just as an electronic version of their printed menu but with ordering capability built-in. I suspect that we'll be seeing smarter devices soon. For instance, the computer should make customised recommendations based on your dining preferences, group composition and the chef's knowledge of which dishes and beverages go well together. It should be more interactive, adapting the menu recommendations as you progress through a meal based on whether you liked a particular dish. This could change the dining experience from being a static one, where you order at the start and cannot make changes, to one that is more interesting and dynamic.
At a basic level, many restaurants are using the wrong device: instead of investing in their own tablets they should be offering a software application that downloads directly to your own smartphone/tablet as soon as you sit down at a table. This would allow you to make more personalised selections, for example using your own (private) dining history and food restrictions to help find suitable matches in the menu as well as making recommendations based on reviews posted by others online, or maybe even via a transitory peer-to-peer network of other diners.
ps: now that I've put these ideas out, they become "prior art" so hopefully this prevents companies from patenting them and filing frivolous lawsuits, thus ruining my future dining experiences.
3 Responses to "Improving Wireless Ordering at Restaurants"
😉 As to frivolous lawsuits, maybe it really is time to get rid of them.
Here is the case for abolishing patents, drawing on a recent working paper by Boldrin and Levine: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/the-case-for-abolishing-patents-yes-all-of-them/262913/
When Google became incorporated in September 1998, Page and Brin had already explained to the world how the Google pagerank algorithm would work (Seventh World Wide Web Conference, Brisbane, April 1998, http://www7.scu.edu.au/1921/com1921.htm). They had not tried to patent it, and it was several years afterwards before Google took out any patents at all.
The basic algorithm has evolved out of all recognition and, like Coca-Cola long before, Google has protected its competitive edge as trade secrets, not by the use of patents. Yet in discussions of patent law and competitiveness, use of trade secrets never seems to rate a mention.
There are some things that trade secrets cannot protect, such as the rounded edges of an iPhone casing. But it seems to me to be abuse of the system to claim patent protection over something as obvious as that. Production of objects with rounded edges must pre-date civilisation itself.


text:
On Wed, 3 Jun 2009, Jesse Keating wrote:
On Wed, 2009-06-03 at 13:49 -0400, Seth Vidal wrote:And the optimization there is fairly well known. We need to read in and not change the prestodelta file. It's on my short-ish createrepo list.Hrm, bill thought it was something on the mash side, where he validates the signature of all the existing deltas to catch if a gpg sig changed without a n-v-r bump.
Ah - well I hadn't heard the mash part - I know that we could speed up the prestodelta xml creation part - I wasn't convinced it was a 6 hour process, though :)


text:
The rampant growth of virtualization and cloud computing has also grown complexity and administration, including monitoring, says Zyrion CEO Vikas Aggarwal. One customer soared from having 1,000 physical servers before a virtualization project began to having to manage more than 7,000 virtual servers after the first phase of the initiative. "What resulted from this, and people adding virtual machines, was a requirement from a lot of our customers for the ability to automate a large part of the provisioning on the monitoring side."
The Automation module includes Dynamic Linked Templates that allow administrators to create a master definition for monitoring a particular type of cloud component, which includes alarm thresholds, event-driven actions, notifications, schedules and more. The company says any number of child components can then be linked to the master, and have their full definition based on whatever has been specified for the master. Whenever changes are made to the master, these changes are seamlessly propagated to all linked child components.
With Centralized Configuration Management, administrators can perform all monitoring configuration operations and changes for a heterogeneous IT environment--physical, virtual, cloud--from within a single UI, requiring no separate access to any remote applications, devices or locations. And the Workload Management Integration includes API and plug-in framework extensions to enable automated resource provisioning or resource deletion based on performance metrics crossing defined thresholds. Zyrion says Service Container rules, Composite metrics and the escalation framework can be used to initiate complex resource change actions.
The latest addition to Zyrion's lineup is really pragmatically relevant and needed, says analyst Dennis Drogseth, VP, Enterprise Management Associates. "This is automation, but very focused on the administrative burden in operations." He says he's always loved the company's container approach and the ability to create policies around a service model. "It is very mature, very flexible and very easy to maintain."


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Issue #40
The question I am most often asked at conventions, signings, and the like is: "What does the J. stand for?" A close second to this is something along the lines of: "What is so-and-so up to these days?" or "What ever happened to this or that artist you used to work with?" Sometimes I can tell you exactly what a former collaborator is up to, while other times I haven't a clue. The latter will usually prompt me to e-mail or call an artist to play catch up, find out what they're working on these days, and see what mischief they're up to in general.
With convention season right around the corner, I thought it might be a good idea to start doing my research and make sure I have some answers for curious fans wanting to know who's up to what. Then it hit me that it might make a fun column, something focusing on what some of the artists I've worked with in the past are working on lately. Fun and not to mention killing a few birds with one stone.
"What ever happened to Tim Levins?"
"What's Francis up to these days?"
"Are you and Takeshi ever gonna do more 'Sidekicks'?"
"Why does Mike Norton talk funny?"
All these questions and more answered in this week's OYM featuring conversations with some of my all-time favorite artists, sneak peeks at some of their upcoming projects, an exclusive look inside some of their sketchbooks, a little bit of shameless self-promotion, and a few friends just catching up with each other…
Nearly ten years ago, Tim Levins and I jumped into the deep end hand in hand with a minicomic called "Copybook Tales." From photocopied, hand stapled, and self-published pamphlets, our little semiautobiographical slice-of-life ditty found its way to full-sized honest-to-gosh comic book status thanks to Dan Vado at SLG Publishing, and a few years later was collected by the suckers at Oni Press. "Copybook Tales" opened more than a few doors for both of us.
One of those doors was held open by Jim Valentino who invited us to publish "Siren" at Image Comics. That led to other doors opening. "After we finished Siren, I was lucky enough to get a call from 'Batman: Gotham Adventures' editor, Darren Vincenzo, who asked me if was interested in penciling a fill-in issue," recounts Tim. "Eight months earlier, I had sent him a copy of Siren #1 in the hopes of getting some work with him, but his office had sent me a form rejection letter." But the day came when the regular "Gotham Adventures" creative team on fell behind schedule, and lo and behold, Vincenzo did look upon a pile of comics on his desk and saw that aforementioned issue of "Siren." Tim got his shot. That led to a second issue, then a third, and eventually… a four-year-run on the book (from 1999 to 2003). "Definitely a case of being at the right place at the right time," says Tim.
Since "Gotham Adventures" ended its run last year, Tim has worked on a variety of projects, including a handful of issues of "Justice League Adventures", an eight-page story for Jay Faerber's "Noble Causes: Extended Family", and contributions to John Lowe's upcoming book about the art of comic book storytelling. "John, an instructor at the Savannah Institute of Art, approached fifteen comic book artists [including the likes of Brian Stelfreeze, Mark Schultz, Scott Hampton, and Jim Mahfood] to work on five short stories, with three artists each interpreting his or her assigned story separately," explains Tim. "In the book, John will examine and compare each artist's approach to storytelling, and he'll use the book as a teaching tool in his classes. I can't wait to see the final product!"
Tim moved out of Toronto in 2002, sadly ending our tradition of meeting at a coffee shop or Mickey D's to talk comics or plot taking over the world. The nightmares where I wake up screaming, "Come back to Ike, baby! Come back to Ike!" have stopped, and Tim and I have some stuff cooking on the stove. None of it is soup yet, but "Copybook Tales" fans take note: November is the 10th anniversary of the book, so we'll at least do a little something to mark the occasion.
In the meantime, Tim's enjoying his new role as a dad. "Last November, my wife gave birth to our first child, James, who is simply adorable," he says proudly. And in between diaper changes Tim still manages to draw some comics, so readers should be on the lookout for his issues of "Justice League Adventures", including one story which features Kamandi!
Here's a look at some eye-popping panels from Tim's upcoming JLAdv work…
So, that "Siren" book Tim and I did for Image led to another series over there called "Monster Fighters." That was illustrated by a kid named Francis Manapul, fresh out of high school at the time. We had a lot of names for Francis back then: "the kid", "junior," "baby beyotch," "errand boy"… But these days our circle of friends simply refers to him as "The Top Calf."
"Since our last collaboration I've been working for Top Cow Productions," moos Francis. "I started off with a couple of one shots including 'Fear Effect: Retro Helix' and the 'Witchblade/Lady Death' crossover, which came out a few of years ago." Francis then went on to do fill-ins on various issues of "Tomb Raider" and "Witchblade" before taking over as regular penciler on the latter, an assignment he's still on today as the title come to its series finale with issue #75.
Working for Top Cow has allowed Francis to venture beyond local pastures and see the world. "I recently got to go to France, which was awesome!" he exclaims. The artist may be small in stature but he's big in Europe and was brought over there for a convention and signing tour taking him through seven different French cities with names he can't pronounce. "Got to check out the Eiffel tower, walked up half way and took the lift the rest of the way up… the view of Paris was amazing!" You try climbing all those stairs in hooves.
Francis is currently wrapping things up on "Witchblade" and then plans to move on to udder projects for The Cow. He's also helping me out with a "Monster Fighters" related project for Ed Dukeshire over at Digital Webbing. More on that in a future column.
In the meantime, here's a look at Francis' pencils for the wrap-around cover to the historic "Witchblade" #75…
"Copybook Tales" just happened to have a fan in C.B. Cebulski, currently an editor at Marvel Comics, but previously head of Fanboy Entertainment and an editor at CPM Manga before that. When he found out Takeshi Miyazwa and I were looking for someone to publish "Sidekicks" he offered to do it. That was close to four years ago. Tak and I met at a local comic convention about a year earlier (in case anyone's keeping score).
"Sidekicks" is now at Oni Press. In the last couple of years whenever anyone asked when we were going to do more "Sidekicks", I'd say something like, "When Tak gets back from Japan." Well, he's back.
"Since returning from Japan last summer I've been working for Marvel mostly and doing other stuff for DC/Wildstorm," reports Takeshi. "I've also moved [from Ajax, Ontario] out to Vancouver and trying to start afresh with a new place and new and warmer surroundings." The books Takeshi has illustrated since his return from his parents' birthplace include a fill-in on "Uncanny X-men" #434, a short story for "Spider-Man Unlimited" #1, fill-ins on "Runaways" #11 and #12, and "Robotech: Invasion," a five-issue miniseries up to its third issue this month. Also, due out this month is a short story featuring Jubliee, which he drew for "X-Men Unlimited" #2.
"It's been sort of a whirlwind for me since getting back from Japan," muses Miyazawa. "But I'm glad I've sorta gotten a footing in this comic book thing." His next project is a "Mary Jane" series for the Marvel Age line written by Sean McKeever ("Sentinel", "Mystique").
And after that, yes, the plan is for more "Sidekicks." Can't say when exactly, and another Marvel gig might get in the way, but it's coming. Please stay tuned!
Speaking of future plans, Mike Norton and I have more Argobots comics planned. But not before he wraps up some other projects. And not before we announce another Argobots project.
"I am just now finishing a 140-page OGN with Antony Johnston called 'Closer' for Oni Press," says Mikey N. "It's a good ol' fashioned horror/thriller. I'm really happy with the way it's turning out. After that, I'll be starting a three-issue arc on 'Queen & Country'." You may have just heard that last part here first.
Of course, everyone knows Mike is also the art director for Devil's Due Publishing, providing graphic design and a cover or two occasionally for all them licensed 80s books like "G.I. Joe" and "Voltron." And when he's not at work drawing robots, he's at home drawing robots.
"'Jason & the Argobots' ain't over, ya know," Mike reminds readers. "There are several more stories to tell." Did I mention something about an exciting announcement? Really, folks, stay tuned!
Meanwhile, enjoy some design art from "Closer"…
I've come to learn that people named Scott tend to be busy, creative, productive fellas. That includes Scott Chantler who collaborated with me on "Days Like This." Published last spring by Oni Press, the graphic novel recently made it on one of the American Library Association's recommended reading lists. So, what has Scott been up to these days?
"Since August, I've been busy animating 'Shoebox Zoo', a new TV series that blends live action and CG animation," says Scott. "It's a joint production of BBC Scotland and Blueprint Entertainment." He's also been busy with illustration work this past year, contributing art to magazines like the New York Daily News, Maclean's, Atlanta Magazine, Cottage Life, Masthead, and Computer Source Magazine.
"Comics-wise, I've slowly but surely been producing artwork for 'Scandalous,' a new graphic novel by myself and some hack who writes Teen Titans comics," he notes with nothing but respect and admiration in his voice.
If all goes according to plan, "Scandalous" should be out by the fall from Oni Press. "People are going to thrill to the idea of huggable, loveable J. Torres writing a comic about people stabbing each other in the back," Scott continues respectfully and admiringly. "And the art's not bad, either."
When he's done that, Scott plans to go to work on his first solo effort for Oni on a project he describes as "a historical adventure set in the Canadian west, which follows a band of fur traders who get caught up in a war between the English and the French." Chic alors!
But spunky little Scotty also been busy away from the drawing table: "Last May 22nd, my wife Shari and I welcomed our first child, a son named Miles [named after Miles Davis]." Miles is ten months old now, and it's his father's completely fair and unbiased opinion that "he's the cutest and most intelligent baby in the history of the childbirth."
Here's a sneak peek at "Scandalous"…
Steve Rolston and I first jammed together on a short story for the "9-11: Artists Respond" benefit book. Then he did one of the stories in the "Sidekicks Super Fun Summer Special" last year. I returned that favor by taking reference photos of Toronto for his graphic novel "One Bad Day."
"Since finishing 'One Bad Day', I've mostly been busy working on some pitches and proposals," says Steve. He's also been working on a 16-page webcomic that he wants to keep tight-lipped about until it's closer to completion. "I've had to put it on the backburner while I illustrate 'Queen & Country' #25, a special double-sized stand-alone issue," he explains. His return to the Eisner Award winning series he helped launch will be out this summer and around the same time as the "Queen & Country Scriptbook." "The scriptbook will be filled with Greg Rucka's scripts for the first four issues of the series, as well as some of my old sketches and thumbnails," continues Steve. "It also sports a new cover which I drew and colored."
I'll soon be visiting Vancouver where Steve lives and he promises to take me to the aquarium.
Here's an OYM exclusive, some of Steve's design work for Warren Ellis' "Mek"…
As reported in a previous column, 2003 was a pretty big year for Scott Morse (who also drew, among other things, a short story in the "Sidekicks Super Fun Summer Special"). But he ain't showing signs of slowing down at all this year. He just finished up art direction chores on "Catscratch", a pilot for Nickelodeon based on Doug Tennapel's "Gear" comic, as well as a couple of fill-in issues for "Plastic Man" for DC (you can pre-order issue #7 now). He's also working on a couple of "Escapist" shorts for Dark Horse, as well as the graphic novels "Lyrical Whales" for Top Shelf, plus "Spaghetti Western" and "Everest: Facing the Goddess" (with Greg Rucka) for Oni.
What was I saying earlier about fellas named Scott?
All this and he has time to paint covers…
Mike Hawthorne and I haven't actually collaborated on anything that's seen print yet, but I wanted to include him here. The first thing we worked on was a short story that was supposed to appear in a benefit book for victims of child abuse, but the project never happened. And then Mike and I were supposed to do a miniseries about female gladiators for NBM called "Sparta", but that got delayed. Not that he hasn't had other things to keep him artistically occupied.
"I've been really busy lately," says my man Mike H. who I also interviewed a couple of months ago about his new graphic novel "Hysteria." As I write this, Mike is currently on his first-ever vacation with his ever-growing family (big sister Sophia has a nine-month-old sister named Maria now). A well-deserved break too as he just finished working on the miniseries "Ruule" for Beckett Comics as well as his run on the latest "Queen & Country" arc.
When he gets back from holiday, he'll start work on "The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty" for Beckett. "As you may have guessed [this] is a fantasy western," explains Mike. "I've started designs and such, and so far it's looking really cool."
And maybe when he's done that, we can finally get to work on "Sparta." Oh, wait. I have to script it first.
In the meantime, here's a look at his work on "Queen & Country"…
Lastly, there were a few people I couldn't get in touch with or didn't hear back from in time for this column, including Mike Wieringo (who did a cover and short story for "Sidekicks"), J. Bone (co-creator of "Alison Dare"), and Makoto Nakatsuka (artist on the "X-Men: Ronin" miniseries I wrote). There were also a few people that I didn't think to contact until it was too late (Sorry, Arthur! Sorry, Dario! Sorry, Keron!). Plus, I wondered if I should include some of the artists I'm currently working with. Perhaps what I should do is consider a sequel to this column someday…
In any case, I hope you enjoyed catching up with the Tim, Francis, Takeshi, Mike, Scott, Steve, Scott, and Mike as much as I did and look forward to all their new projects!
(Including the ones involving me.)
Related Links:
Michael Joyce of Toronto, Ontario writes:
Dear Mr. Torres,
My name is Michael Joyce. I am currently studying screenwriting at Ryerson and have been trying to break into comic book writing for some time. I've submitted to most companies who accept unsolicited submissions with little luck. Those who write back (Antarctic Press, Tokyopop) usually say my ideas are good, but that it's very hard for them to accept submissions unaccompanied by art.
I recently visited the Marvel webpage and was surprised to see that they accept query letters from writers. It suggests that writers should write a letter "detailing your writing experience and why you would like to write for Marvel" as opposed to sending writing samples. Yet it still insists that an idea submission form be included. I find this a little confusing. If I write a letter stating that I am an unpublished writer with no real experience and can tell them nothing about my ideas for their characters, why would they ever write back requesting a sample? I thought that as a writer/industry insider you might have some info regarding this policy or some suggestions about what to put in the query letter.
Any input you might have would be most appreciated. As I indicated above, I recognize that you may not have time to reply to e-mails such as this. I will continue to enjoy your writing, nonetheless.
If you ask me, forget about the letter of query to Marvel. They hire experienced writers for the most part (both within and from outside comics), so you need to cut your teeth elsewhere. And/or try to establish contact with a Marvel editor who works with new talent. But that's a lot easier said than done. Better yet, establish a relationship with an artist and start putting together some comic books to show what you can do. Read this week's column and see if you can learn something from my experiences. That's really the best advice I can give you. Good luck!
Devin Dion of Glenn Ellyn, Illinois writes:
Dear CBR,
While I was surfing Marvel.com, I recently viewed a page that quite intrigued me, the internships. It had never entered my mind that such a thing could exist, but that lead to two fears, location and age. I was afraid that Marvel HQ was in New York and I would thus already have no chance there. But what restricts me from traveling there is my age. I'm 16 going 17 soon and I would love to be an intern, but would they accept me? I was hoping you could answer that question and if you knew of any other comic publishing corporations near Chicago, I believe DC is, that I may perhaps be able to apply to.
I interviewed some former comic book company interns in a column last October. Make sure to check it out as I'm sure you can learn a lot from it. The folks I talked to explain what is expected of interns by comic book publishers, how they got their internships, and what potential interns should expect from the whole experience.
Btw, DC Comics is based in New York City. The only comic company I can think of in Chicago is Devil's Due. As for the age issue, it really depends on the company as some places want college students while others may take on high school students depending on what they're looking for (experience, skills, etc.). Good luck!
Next week: I'm off to British Columbia to attend the Vancouver Comicon as well as take in a little R&R, but writer B. Clay Moore will be filling in for me with a column about the thriving comic scene in and around Kansas City.
Meanwhile, drop by the OYM forum and let me know what you thought of this week's column.
Thank you for your attention.


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I've updated the site and I've decided to start a new Blog page. Exciting times.
Now I've got your attention, listen to this –
This is a long but thorough update, so you've been warned. It's been a long time since my last update, but don't take my tardiness for laziness. I've been the busiest I've been in quite some time.
Since Applewood closed its doors in September 2014, I settled into Yanto's mixing room; the Valley Underground (unless we change the name). There I mixed a Gin Club album and tracks for Babaganouj and The Stress of Leisure, among others. The family settled into a new house (the 4th in 3 years) and I went off to Rathdowney to track the new Jungle Giants record in a farmhouse on a cattle property. I won't be doing the mobile studio thing like that in a hurry, but I must say the results are fantastic. The band loved it there and it reinforced my belief the ownership of the space is one of the most important concepts in the recording studio.
That took us to the Christmas break.
I hurriedly tracked an EP for Tjupurru and the Bulldawadda at the Shed to kick the year off. From there I set up a new mixing room named Joe's Garage. It was the old control room that was previously Wavelength recording studios. It was good to be back with my gear and settled into my own space. Tjupurru was mixed first and then onto mixing the Jungle Giants record, which as last time was an epic journey.
I also managed to squeeze in a session for Kjartan of Sigur Ros fame. He was doing a soundtrack for an Icelandic film about Castrati. He needed an extra vocal take from the singer who was singing the parts for the lead character. Of course it was Harpa, one of the singers in Bjork's choir. Yes, Bjork has her own choir and Harpa is a woman who was here on holidays. It was a short two hour session reduced to my laptop and an Mbox, as my Neanderthal like protools system couldn't handle video and recording at the same time (it's not something I do often). Never the less, it was not your average day.
I also did a week at Airlock getting all arty with Silver Sircus, for album number two. Again we mixed at Joe's garage. I'm getting used to travelling again, but I miss Applewood very much. Having all the stuff I like lying around can make things easier, but it's also good to be out of my comfort zone. Really, I think I just like a good whinge.
I also did a session at 301 Byron with Tasmanian band Chase City. Great to have a go on the old Neve again, and it's great to have an assistant. Even working in a great studio doesn't mean I don't need a car full of stuff. There I go whining again.
Apart from all this, I mixed an EP for Morning Harvey, an album for Moski Jo, Moses Gunn Collective and finished off an album with The Stress of Leisure, before I working a six month stint at Joe's Garage. I sold my Protools system and my beloved console to Empire studios in Moorooka and I moved my favourite bits of outboard gear into Yanto's Valley Underground Studio, where it all began at the beginning of this post. I'll be able to spend more time on my PhD and less time worrying about how I'm going to pay the studio rent.
So in short, I'm reducing my production work considerably, unless it's part of my research. I will be mixing one week out of every month. You can still try to contact me, maybe you'd like to be part of my research, or maybe you'll find that right moment, where I can make time to work on your project. If you've read this far, thank you and hopefully we can still work together some day.
As we hand over the keys to Applewood's new owners, we are closing the door on what has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Not too many music Producers would knock back the chance to record a band in a church. I was lucky enough to do this for eight years AND have my family along for the ride. For better or for worse, is how it goes, right?
Thank you to all the bands that trusted me with the great honour of capturing their recordings at Applewood. I hope we made the experience a memorable one, as it was a truly special space.
Thank you to Applewood for being such a great sounding room. You will be missed. There is no plugin like you. I will also miss you too, Drumbrella. Look after it Darek, it's a wonderful toy.
Thank you to my children for being resilient enough to let strangers into their home and make lots of noise in their living room. To let them bounce on your trampoline, swim in your pool and play in your sand pit, when the mood arose.
And most of all thank you to my wife for supporting me, encouraging me, and running the studio side of things for the last 18 months. Thank you for your passion for song writing and creating the 'Songs of Applewood' retreats. You too let strangers…, and friends, into your home, to play your piano, instruments and use your dishwasher. I only wish we got to spend more time recording together.
In the last few weeks, we have been busy packing up the studio preparing for the next stage of music making. I will soon be bunkered down in Yanto's mixing room catching up on some work.
My next plan is to set up a new mixing room, concentrating my time on mixing and my Phd, researching the recording studio in the modern era.
I will also still be making records. It's what I do!


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Women You Should Know®
An Editorial Site For & About Dynamic Women
Ida Pieracci is a San Jose Country Club legend. At 102 years of age, she holds the course record with eleven holes-in-one and is still regularly playing golf today. What's the key to a long, happy life? "Just being a good kid!"
Film by Dustin Cohen, a NYC base portrait photographer and director.
Women You Should Know


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Join the discussion on Dawgman.com's message boards
How has the transition to center been? - "It's been good. It's been going well. I'm getting my snaps dialed in, stuff like that. Spring was a good buffer for me and then now it's time to get dialed in for the season. So it's been good."
Besides snapping, what has been the biggest thing you needed to adjust to at center? - "It starts with the communication with the whole offensive line and making sure everyone is dialed in and knows where they are going. And then everything's a little different in the middle because you're the center of everything. You don't have a certain side you're setting to or stuff like that. Technique was a little different. That was a transition, but it went smoothly so that was all good."
What is maybe an unfocused aspect of the offensive line we need to know about heading into the season? - "Our young guys are all playing great. It's fun to see them just going out there and having fun. Nick Harris, Luke Wattenberg, they are all just having fun. They are playing really hard, so that's always good to see those guys doing well. Trey and Kaleb both had really good camps, we're excited to see how they do at tackle. And the whole offensive line coming together as a whole."
Does the OL have a chip on your shoulders to make sure people know you can be just as good as the defense? - "We feel like we've got to go down there and score. That's just the most important thing to us, getting points. We know our defense is going to do well but we've also got to do well, so we can put the team on our back at some point too."
Does it feel like going up against this defense is the best scout you can have for the upcoming season? - "It only makes us better. We have a great defense and it just makes us better going against those guys every day. That's the biggest thing going up against them. They push us, we try to push them as much as we can."
How do you push out the noise from the outside in terms of rankings and such? - "Personally I don't pay attention to it. I don't look at it too much. Coach Pete's thing is, stay within the team. So I'm not really focusing on any outside noise at all. I'm focusing on getting better each day in practice."


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They say one of the hikers got separated from the group and was found at about 3:30 a.m. and brought out safely. The other four were stuck on a ledge about 30 feet above the bottom of the gorge. Because of hazardous conditions, rescue personnel had to wait until daylight to attempt to get them out. At around 8:15 a.m. the four were brought out safely.
No one was hurt. Two of the hikers are from Israel; one from Houston; one from St. Louis; and one from Woodmere, New York. Three are 17 years old; two are 18.


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Hi everybody! So in honor of MyIGN's 3rd anniversary, not only do I have my old avatar, but I've also decided to bring back an old viral blog we did in early 2011. What it was was someone would list their favorite games on each system and then tag 3 people at the end to give their lists, then those 3 would tag 3 more people, and so on and so forth until it infects the whole of MyIGN. Basically a MyIGN STD, only with less inching.
Here are the rules:
- Just list what your favorite game is for each system that you've played on. If you want to include a system you haven't played, just list the game you want most for it.
- No details necessary, but feel free to add them if you want.
- At the end, just tag 3 MyIGNers. (make sure to notify them on their wall)
NES - Mega Man 2
2nd: Tetris, 3rd: Super Mario Bros 3
SNES - Street Fighter II Turbo
2nd: Super Mario Kart, Mario Paint
Gameboy - Tetris
2: Pokemon Yellow, 3rd: Warioland
N64 - Conker's Bad Fur Day
2nd: Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, 3rd: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
GBA - The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Gamecube - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
2nd: Twilight Princess, 3rd: Star Wars: Jedi Knight II
DS - Cooking Mama
2nd: Pokemon Heart Gold, 3rd: Okamiden
Wii - Cooking Mama: Cook Off
3DS - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Also interested in: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Xbox - Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Xbox 360 - Beautiful Katamari
Also interested in: Kinect Disneyland Adventure
PC - Curse of Monkey Island
2nd: Oregon Trail, 3rd: Minecraft
iPhone - Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
2nd: Oregon Trail, 3rd: Minecraft Pocket Edition
PlayStation - Tomba!
2nd: Metal Gear Solid, 3rd: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
PlayStation 2 - Shadow of the Colossus
2nd: Jak & Daxter, 3rd: Katamari Damacy
PSP - Daxter
PlayStation 3 - Ni No Kuni
2nd: Uncharted 3, 3rd: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Well there's my list. With only 6 remaining the same from the list I did 2 years ago. I look forward to seeing a lot more favorite games lists pop up during the week!
gameguy523, SAM31007, wa5t3land


text: The most significant environmental impacts are: Greenhouse gas emissions are returned to the atmosphere from using fossil fuels for business transportation. By returning carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere from using fossil fuel based energies and the consumption of electricity usage in the office. Share on Facebook Share Share on TwitterTweet Share on Google Plus […]Continue Reading


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Kids say mean things to each other. Some do it to cause harm,
and some do it out of unawareness or immaturity.
Regardless of why things are said, it can be a challenge
to effectively guide our children when they hear or say something
mean. We feel like we should give a standard, cover-all-the-bases
response (sticks and stones; they are just words!), but there is
more to discuss and consider if we really want our children to
understand the power of words.
Words are alive. They are the first step toward creating
and connecting, and they are the guidelines of how we see and
experience the world. What a child hears on a day-to-day basis will
become what they believe. Not because the words always are true,
but because they hear the words repeatedly.
So to tell a child that words don't mean anything is not
realistic or sincere. They do mean something. When mean words are
said, they can hurt. When words are used lovingly, they can
Our choice of words can define who we are and who we want
to be in the world. Do we want to break people down with our words
or do we want to lift them up? Do we fight with our words or do we
seek peace?
At the same time, words don't have to mean a thing. If
someone calls you a name, you may feel the initial sting of it, but
then you always are left with a choice.
When words are meant to silence or disable you, they are
poison, and they shouldn't be ingested.
When words carry negative intentions, you can choose to
let them go, knowing that hate-filled words are a reflection of
someone else's pain, someone else's inability to feel love,
possibly because of the words they heard throughout their
Instead, we can make a decision to believe helpful and
empowering words, the words that make us feel good and allow us to
be kind and useful human beings.
So we have to live in the paradox - words are powerful and
words mean nothing. And instead of looking for a simple
cut-and-dried response to give to our kids, we need to know that
words and communication skills are an ongoing
Then our children can take responsibility for the words
they choose to use, and the words they choose to
Cathy Adams is a certified parenting coach, yoga instructor and mother to three girls.
See more of Cathy's stories here.
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Sydney, Jan 21: Even after being cleared by the Australian Federal Court and the country"s Government, Indian doctor Dr Mohamed Haneef, who was falsely linked to terrorists in July last year, has said that he had not yet finally decided whether he would return to Australia.
He said he looked forward to a judicial inquiry into his detention. Only last week, the Australian Government had decided not to appeal against the Federal Court"s decision clearing the way for his return to his place of work, the Gold Coast Hospital. He said that he was targeted by the Australian authorities because of his race and religion. "It might be just because I am an Asian Muslim. The Government needs to look into the matter of why I was arrested in the first place and whether there was any real, legitimate threat," an AAP report quoted the Indian doctor as saying in an interview with the ABC Radio.
He said he had never experienced any racism from colleagues or patients while working at the Hospital and his idea of Australia as a fair country had not been changed. But he replied in the affirmative when asked if he had experienced a "little bit" of racism from the police.
Describing the case against him as "circumstantial", Dr Haneef said that he would very happily return to work at the Gold Coast Hospital, but had not yet made up his mind. He added that his wife, mother and his wife's mother were deciding whether they wanted him to return to work in Australia.


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News About I'm All The Talk
Chautauqua Too Good in 2015 McEwen Stakes – Results
The Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained returning Group 1 sprinter Chautauqua was far too good for his rivals first-up at Moonee Valley on Saturday scoring an impressive late win in the McEwen Stakes 2015.
Winner of the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) in Sydney during April's The Championships, the now five-year-old Encosta De Lago grey was last ...
2015 Maurice McCarten Stakes Betting Tips
A bumper nine-race program lights up Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse on Saturday including the Maurice McCarten Stakes 2015, a betting update and tips for the handicap clash early on the program found below.
Due to jump at ...
Deep Field Tops 2015 Maurice McCarten Stakes Field
The Team Hawkes-trained TJ Smith Stakes hopeful Deep Field heads a small but class field in Saturday's Maurcie McCarten Stakes 2015 at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.
A four-year-old Northern Meteor entire, Deep Field leads an eight-horse field in ...
2015 Maurice McCarten Stakes Nominations Feature Chautauqua
The Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained star sprinter Chautauqua features in the Maurice McCarten Stakes 2015 nominations in Sydney as a Plan B this Saturday.
There are just 10 sprinters making up the early entries for this year's $150,000 Group 3 S...
2015 Oakleigh Plate Favourite Earthquake Has "Never Looked Better"
Three-year-old filly Earthquake has been kept fresh for the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m), and will resume in the $400,000 sprint race at Caulfield this Saturday.
Earthquake returns to the same meeting that she won the Group 1 Blue Diamond ...
2015 Oakleigh Plate Field & Barriers: Earthquake & Vain Queen Draw Wide
The two classy female gallopers likely to lead the betting for Saturday's Oakleigh Plate 2015 at Caulfield, Earthquake and Vain Queen have two wide draws to overcome in the sprint showdown.
One of ...
Oakleigh Plate for First-up I'm All The Talk
I'm All The Talk secured several typically positive results for Gary Portelli over the 2014 Spring Carnival, and will return to racing in exceptional condition in Saturday week's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Securing two wins and a further four minor ...
Portelli All Talk Ahead of 2015 Oakleigh Plate
Gary Portelli is doing some tough talking ahead of the Oakleigh Plate 2015 on Saturday week as he prepares to give his untapped galloper I'm All The Talk a tough first-up test in the Caulfield feature.
Talking ...
Top Trial From 2015 Sydney Cup Fancy Who Shot Thebarman
Autumn preparations for the Chris Waller-trained Sydney Cup 2015 hope Who Shot Thebarman are heating up following a solid trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday morning.
The Yamanin ...
Shamal Wind Leads Caulfield Sprint 2014 Odds
Robert Smerdon's in-form mare Shamal Wind has opened narrow favourite to score her first win of the spring when she takes on a smart field of sprinters in Saturday's 2014 Caulfield Sprint in Melbourne.


text: hi everyone... just installed adobe creative suite 4 and just before that i had installed adobe CS3... and after installing CS4, my SWF files just won't open anymore... it give's me: 'Error executing program!' i'm using Vista 64bit Ultimate btw... how can i set this manually? cause i know Flash Player doesn't have an EXE which should i associate the SWF files to... and i've tried installing uninstalling over and over Flash Player with no result... can someone help out on this one? thanks in advanced!


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A British woman has died as she tried to swim across the English Channel to raise money for sick children.
Susan Taylor, 34, was just a mile from the coast of France when she became ill yesterday afternoon. A navy helicopter rushed her to hospital in Boulogne but she was declared dead at about 7pm.
Ms Taylor, an accountant from Barwell in Leicestershire, had set off from the UK in the early hours of Sunday morning to raise money for Diabetes UK and the Rainbow Children's Hospice.
She had temporarily given up her office job to train for the gruelling 21-mile swim across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
But as she entered Wissant Bay, near Cap Gris-Nez, swimming alongside a support boat, French police said she got into "serious difficulty" soon after 5pm. Her support crew requested a defibrillator by radio, and a French navy helicopter flew her to hospital in Boulogne.
It was an extremely hot day with the water temperature at 15c (59f). Ms Taylor had set off at night — at about 1am on Sunday — and was covered in goose fat in preparation for a swim of about 15 hours.
Before the swim, she said: "I used to be with the St John Ambulance and I met a woman who said to me, 'you'll swim the Channel one day'."
British officials had authorised several charity swimmers to cross the Channel on Sunday.
France does not allow such swims to start from its own side of the Channel because of the dangers posed by shipping, as well as dangerous currents and changing weather conditions.
Until yesterday, seven people had died swimming the Channel since Captain Matthew Webb made the first unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover in 1875. The last before Ms Taylor was Paraic Casey, 45, a member of a swimming club in Cork, Ireland, almost a year ago on 21 July, 2012.
Like her, he became ill less than a mile from the French coast, and all attempts to resuscitate him failed. A friend of Ms Taylor who asked not to be named said today: "We are devastated by Susan's death. She was a wonderful person who was determined to swim the Channel to help others."
- More about:
- Atlantic Ocean
- English Channel
- France
- Geese
- Nice
- North Sea
- Swimming


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China's Chery to make cars in Vietnam
May 25, 2012 by W.E. Ning
China's biggest car exporter Chery Automobile Co will soon start assembling vehicles in Vietnam, its latest move to tap overseas markets as growth in the low-priced car segment stalls in China.
The Anhui-based company said last week in an emailed statement that it has agreed with local partners to establish an assembly plant in northern Vietnam to produce and sell its cars in the southeastern Asian country.


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ESCflashmalta Team
ESC 2017: Completely Different Options for Claudia
It is no secret that following the first rehearsal, countries make amends to their respective stage performances in order to improve in time for the live broadcast, either during the first semi-final or the second semi-final unless the host country or part of the big five, cause in that case, the grand final.
Malta's very own Claudia Faniello will be treating the audiences at the rehearsals a completely different look on Friday 5th May. It has been promised that the second outfit will be less demure, and thus showing some skin. It is following this particular rehearsal that #TeamMalta will be deciding which look to go for, and then unveil it during the jury dress rehearsal which take place on Wednesday 10th May.
I think it is important to mention Claudia's styling team which comprises of Justin Brincat, who's responsible for the make-up; Ritianne Borg who's responsible for her hair, and Gaetano Busuttil who's responsible for the custom dresses that she is wearing. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news from Claudia Faniello and #TeamMalta.
Source: Thomas Hanses (EBU)
ESC 2017: Claudia is Flawless on Stage Debut
There are no words to describe the excellent rehearsal that Claudia Faniello gave yesterday morning as she left everyone gasping for air, breathless really. She wore a rather demure white gown, designed by Gaetano, very reminiscent of the one worn earlier this year during the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, giving a flawless vocal interpretation which silenced doubters, raising the bar for the acts that had to follow.
The stage, bathed in white and blue lighting oozes class and simplicity. This is rather appropriate with "Breathlessly", a ballad penned by Gerard James Borg with a complimentary melody by Philip Vella and Sean Vella. On the screens behind her, Claudia's face and body is projected several times, giving the performance a new lease of life, and letting the emotions flow.
Malta will be performing in slot number #4 during the second semi-final on Thursday 11th May at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine between FYR Macedonia's Jana Burceska and Romania's Ilinca featuring Alex. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news from Claudia Faniello and #TeamMalta.
Source: Andres Putting (EBU)
Malta: An Entertaining Saturday Night Line Up
Through our social media platforms on Facebook, and Twitter, we have proudly supported Spiteri Lucas Entertainment and their weekly production of "The Entertainers", hosted by Janvil on NET Television by virtue of presenting a collage of photo featuring the artists that would be performing during that weeks' episode. This week, we are presenting an article to help support the programme, and encourage you all to tune into NET Television on Saturday at 8:30 pm.
The line-up will feature two singers who have just taken part in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest; Raquela who finished in 8th place with "Ray of Light", and Janice Debattista who as part of the band Crosswalk finished in 12th place with "So Simple". They will be joined by classical soprano La Barokka, multiple 'Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza' and 'Għanja tal-Poplu' finalist Marie Claire, and relative newcomer Christian Aquilina. Weekly resident performances from Michela Galea and Ivan Spiteri Lucas might be expected.
As always, there will be a dance troupe to shift away slightly from the music, and this week it will be none other than the Dancel Dance Company, not too mention the weekly one-to-one interview which will be featuring popular chef Neil Darmanin. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the local music scene.
Source: Press Release, Luciano Bianco Photography
Malta: Christina Magrin Publishes Second Single
13-year-old, Christina Magrin is quickly becoming a household name to many after representing Malta at the 14th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, held in Valletta, with the song "Parachute" which she co-wrote with Matt 'Muxu' Mercieca and Florent Boshnjaku.
In the aftermath of that spectacular showcase, Christina has returned to her everyday life focusing on her school work, and keeping her grades in check. That said, she has also been busy in the studio working on new material with some of the world's leading songwriters, in preparation for the release of her debut album in a couple of months' time.
The 2nd single off the young singer/songwriter's debut album, "Snow Globe" is co-written with Matt 'Muxu' Mercieca, and Cyprian Cassar, the latter of which is also responsible for both the melody and the production of the song. People had an opportunity to listen to the song on the 18th February, during the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2017, where Christina was a guest star.
The 1st performance of the new single was absolutely extraordinary and involved students from 'The Voice Lab' as well as an intense choreography by the Southville Dancers. You may view the performance below. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the local music scene.
Source: Press Release, PBS (David Mallia), Christina Magrin (Facebook, Twitter)
Malta: Janice Mangion Lifts Lid on Debut Single
Janice Mangion, one of Malta's leading vocalists, a solo singer in her own right, and also a member of the Animae Gospel Choir has recently launched her debut single, an r'n'b soul ballad with a pulsing beat entitled "Burnin", composed by Elton Zarb and penned by Emil Calleja Bayliss.
In the initial stages of the creative process, Janice sought a meaningful message, one which helps those who find themselves in moments of despair, thinking that their faith has abandoned them completely. This, accompanied by her soulful voice creates an exceptionally beautiful song. Aiding in the recorded was the talented Angela Spiteri who provided a strong backing vocal.
"Burnin", which is available from streaming and purchase on all major digital platforms has been released through CAP Sounds, a record label based in Germany with full distribution handled by Universal Music Germany. Manfred Holz of the aforementioned company stated 'Janice has an incredible vocal range which we are proud to represent, and we believe that "Burnin" showcases her talent in the best possible way'.
In support of the single, which was officially released on Friday 23rd September, Janice Mangion and her team, led by Marc Calleja Bayliss of Ironic PR & Artist Management thought it best to work on a lyric video, commissioning visionaries Angie and Duane Laus, with the result officially made public on Thursday 29th September.
You can steam or purchase the song, or else view the lyric video through either Janice Mangion's Official Facebook or Twitter pages or else on: http://janicemangion.believeband.com.
Janice Mangion would like to thank everyone who has supported the release of this song from day one, and would like to thank her team of sponsors, and also the media outlets who have been in touch to help in any way. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the local music scene.
Source: Press Release
"Burnin" - Lyric Video
Whoa! :O HERE it is ♡ Months of hard #work and labour is now #online ♫ "Burnin", composed by Elton Zarb and penned by Emil Calleja Bayliss
Eurovision 2016: ESCflashmalta Live Special Coverage
Ira Losco, chosen by a panel of professional judges, as well as the general public as Malta's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, has been the main recipient of the coverage encompass the international spectacle in the past couple of days and weeks. As the event nears closer, we are proud to continue a distinguished time honoured tradition in inviting a number of artists from the local music industry to share their views and opinions about the competing entries on each of the 3 evenings.
During the 1st semi-final, we are proud to welcome: Karen DeBattista, a finalist in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with "12, Baker Street", written by Jan Van Dijck and Emil Calleja Bayliss and also winner of L-Għanja tal-Poplu 2014 with "Jien Ma Naħdimx", written by Mark Scicluna and Rita Pace and Claudia Faniello, a two-time 1st runner-up in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, the first time being in 2008 with "Caravaggio", a Ray Agius and Godwin Sant composition and the second time being in 2012 with "Pure", written by Philip Vella and Gerard James Borg.
During the 2nd semi-final, we have enlisted the services of: Janice DeBattista, a finalist in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with "Perfect Day", co-written by Boris Cezek and Dean Muscat as well as a lead vocalist in the Christian Rock Band, Salt and Brooke Borg, a female singer/songwriter whose return to Malta in the past couple of months saw her finish 2nd in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with "Golden", a song co-written by Aidan O'Connor, Christian Schneider and Sara Biglert.
For the grand finale, we have enlisted two individuals who are larger than life. Julie Pomorski, a female singer/songwriter who reached the Malta Eurovision Song Contest stage back in 2007, apart from emerging triumphant in L-Għanja tal-Poplu 2005, and the Summer Hit Song Contest 2015 and Franklin Calleja, a 4-time Malta Eurovision Song Contest finalist who reached 3rd place earlier this year with the song "Little Love", written by Cyprian Cassar and Matt 'Muxu' Mercieca.
Please note that the guest commentary will be taking place on the Official Facebook and Twitter Pages of escflashmalta.com on the 10th, 12th and 14th May 2016. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Ira Losco all the very best of luck in Stockholm whilst thank the special team of guest commentators for accepting their role.
Source: escflashmalta.com
GħTP – FKM 2016: Record Number of Submissions
In a Press Release issued by the organising committee of L-Għanja tal-Poplu – Festival tal-Kanzunetta Maltija, it has been made public that 144 submissions were received on Tuesday 19th April at the Youth Travel Circle (YTC) in Merchant Street, Valletta. This is a record number of original songs for the ever-growing festival which is being organised under the auspices of Spazzju Kreattiv, the Public Broadcasting Services, Pjazza Teatru Rjal and Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018.
As of Friday 22nd April, the first phase of the judging will commence, with a panel of expert judges whittling down to the songs by the end of the weekend, and leaving a shortlist of potential candidates, from which a second panel of expert judges will then select the 18 qualifiers. It is expected that the names of the songs through to the final phase of the competition will be made public by the end of April, hence in a weeks' time.
L-Għanja tal-Poplu – Festival tal-Kanzunetta Maltija will be a coordinated effort, with the support of the PBS Orchestra, led by Mro Paul Abela and Mro Joe Brown. The last winner of L-Għanja tal-Poplu was "Ġismi", written by Mark & Matthew Pellicano, with vocals provided by Ecca whilst the last winner of the Festival tal-Kanzunetta Maltija was "Hawn Mill-Ġdid", written by Paul Abela & Joe Julian Farrugia with vocals provided by Olivia Lewis. We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news.
Source: Press Release
Malta: 4th Singer Stage International Festival Results
Between Friday 8th and Sunday 10th January 2016, at the St Vincent de Paul Theatre, the 4th edition of the Singer Stage International Festival, organised by Kaya (Priscilla Giordano Psaila) took place. This year's edition was divided into no less than five (5) different categories, with a total of thirty five (35) participants from Malta, and another ten (10) participants from Estonia, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Poland.
All the participants had the opportunity to sing two (2) songs, one during the 1st two nights, and the other during the 2nd night, with a panel of international judges passing their verdict. Making up this aforementioned panel of international judges were; Tolga Gurdil, Irina Stamenovski, Stanislaw Zielinski, Sandi Vovk and Guillermo Albelo.
Category A: 5 to 8 years
1st Place - Rihana Azzopardi - 266.90 points
2nd Place - Amy Pace - 265.60 points
3rd Place - Valery Savchuk (Estonia) - 255.70 points
Best Future Singer - Krista Sujak
Category B: 9 to 10 years
1st Place - Martina Cutajar - 244.91 points
2nd Place - Martina Abela - 236.82 points
3rd Place - Elisa Muscat - 207.72 points
Best Simpathy - Luana Schembri
Category C: 11 to 12 years
1st Place - Kayley Cuschieri - 269.70 points
2nd Place - Christina Magrin - 269 points
3rd Place - Polina Davydova (Russia) - 265.70 points
Best Promising Singer - Shania Borg Lebrun
Category D: 13 to 15 years
1st Place - Titti Girardi (Italy) - 259.40 points
2nd Place - Aleksandra Vovk (Slovenia) - 258.20 points
3rd Place - Bradley Debono - 248 points
Best Interpretation - Stamenovski Radica (Turkey)
Category E: 16 years over
1st Place - Laura Gonzalez (Spain) - 243.20 points
2nd Place - Wiktoria Sikorska (Poland) - 227.30 points
3rd Place - Bradley Gomez - 225.50 points
Best Technique - Luana Ciantar
Grand Prix Winner of Singer Stage 2015
Magdalena Chołuj (Poland) - 277.20 points
All the winners of each respective category were given a free recording session by Dominic Cini at D Studios, whilst the winner of the Grand Prix was given a free set of song lyrics by Emil Calleja Bayliss. Previous Grand Prix Winners of the Singer Stage International Festival have included; Shieradye Micallef (2012), Destiny Chukunyere (2013) and Aidan Jay Drakard (2014). We urge you to stay tuned to escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the local music scene, and aspiring young artists
Source: Press Release
2015: Reviewing a Successful Year in Music
Every year brings with it a number of events, festivals and lots of new material that many appreciate and play over and over throughout the year. The editorial board of escflashmalta.com decided to have a look back at the main highlights of 2015, the year in which no Malta Eurovision festival was held because it was held back in late 2014 but other annual competitions keeping the singers busy such as; l-Għanja Tal-Poplu, Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza, the Summer Hit Song Contest and for the very first time a singers competition for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. There were quite a number of events that kept our site busy and also our readers on the lookout for the next event.
The year surely started in full swing for Amber who after winning the right to represent Malta in November of 2014, a lot of work was done to ensure that the song is given the right boost and everything would be ready for the big night in Vienna. Sadly, Malta finished in 11th place in the semi-final and missed out on a chance to compete in the grand final in Vienna but this whole experience was surely one to treasure for the Maltese 'Warrior' and as we head into 2016, Amber is ready to release her first singe 'What They Say' by the same team behind 'Warrior', Elton Zarb and Matthew Mercieca.
The first local festival of the year, happened to be one in Maltese in 2015 in the name of 'L-Għanja Tal-Poplu', a festival that has been going for a number of years and has a good following thanks to the importance it gives to the themes of the songs. The winner of the festival was the song 'Ġismi' interpreted by newcomer Ecca Muscat. Mark and Matthew Pellicano's composition attracted a lot of attention from the beginning, thanks to its graphic theme which deals with sexual abuse in fact, Mark Pellicano, the author behind this number won the prestigious award for the best social theme in the festival. Raquel Galdes finished as the first runner up with the song 'Ċans Ieħor' which was penned by Daniel Paul Farrugia and Norbert Borg, whilst Rita Pace ended in third place with 'Battibekk' she wrote along side Emil Calleja Bayliss and Paul Attard.
Following this event, the finalists of other competition were announced but the attention turned to towards the Junior Malta Eurovision Song Contest, where for the very first time 20 singers competed for the right to represent Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria. The three favourites from the get go where, Christina Magrin, Veronica Rotin and Destiny Chukunyere, and these three super talented girls surely did not disappoint as they belted out their number and managed to finish in the top three positions. Destiny Chukunyere was the one who ended up on top. After consultation with her team, PBS selected the song that Destiny was going to sing in Bulgaria which was composed by Elton Zarb and penned by Matthew Mercieca, the team behind Malta's last two Junior Eurovision entries and Malta's 2015 Eurovision entry.
Destiny gave her input in the song to both in the composition and also with the lyrics, these prooved to be vital in coming up with a number that suits Destiny's voice and personality. The creation of a memorable, catchy number in terms of 'Not My Soul' was surely a successful formula – Destiny arrived in Bulgaria as one of the top favourites to win the Junior Eurovision for the second time for Malta and she did not let anyone down. She delivered the performance of a lifetime and won the competition with the biggest score to date – managing the rare feat of winning both the public vote and the jury vote. The win was well merited, throughout that week in Bulgaria, Destiny was nicknamed mini Aretha Franklin and we're sure we will be hearing more of her in the years to come.
The annual Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza saw a number of new names in the competition, mixed with others who were no strangers to this festival. The result was slightly unexpected as Analise Mifsud's self penned 'Kuraġġ' won the judges hearts with her simple yet very well sung number, a song that speaks about finding the inner strength to fight when you hit an all time low. This was Annalise's second participation in this event and one can say she went by unnoticed until the final night where she emerged victorious over Dorcas Debono's 'Ma Ninsa Qatt' written by Dominic Cini and Rita Pace which finished in second place and Dario Bezzina's 'Dment Li Malti Ħaj' written by Ray Agius, which was seen as one of the top contenders from the beginning.
Two other winners who emerged in the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza were Mikaela Bajada who won the New Talent Section and Paolo Micallef who triumphed in the second edition of Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza Junior. Mikaela Bajada reached the finals of the prestigious event and went on to win this section with the song 'Għandi Ħolma', a composition of Mark Spiteri Lucas & Francesco Pio Attard.
On the other hand, Paolo Micallef won the judges with his quirky number 'Maġija B'Tekonloġija' a composition of Augusto Cardinali and Etienne Micallef – he gave a very intriguing performance as through it he gave the song life. This was Paolo's second participation in the event and surely celebrated his lucky birthday on the day of the festival. In second place was Nicole Falzon with the beautiful ballad 'Ngħix Ħolma', a composition of Mark Spiteri Lucas and Emil Calleja Bayliss, and in third place, another ballad, this time with a social theme in the form of "Inħobbkom It-Tnejn", a composition of Dominic Cini and Chris Azzopardi, with vocals provided by Rutger Scicluna Galea.
The Summer Hit Song Contest returned for the second consecutive after having a break of nearly three years. The winner of this edition was the song 'Tabula Rasa' sung by the bubbly Julie Pomorksi who won her second festival, ten years after triumphing in L-Għanja Tal-Poplu as a young teenager. Her number was composed by Augusto Cardinali and Giovann Attard, she also had her input in both the composition and the lyrics. It was the first time for Julie, giving a go at songwriting and with the help of Augusto and Giovann, she wrote the beautiful and intriguing 'Tabula Rasa'. The runner up of the competition was Michela Galea, who also managed to win two awards which are unique to local competitions, she won the best duet with 'Bounce Back' singing alongside Janvil and also the best Maltese Cover with 'Għanja', an original of Nadine Axisa. This composition was by Renato Briffa and Emil Calleja Bayliss. The second runner up of the competition was Danica Muscat with 'Amour', a song composed and penned by Philip Vella.
2015 year finished off with the announcement of the 20 finalists of the Malta Eurovision, all fighting for a chance to represent Malta in Stockholm, Sweden among the competitors there's the return of former Eurovision runner-up Ira Losco, who made her return to the local competition with two numbers after months of speculation of whether she will participate or not. Yet, the race is surely still wide open, with 20 strong numbers and varies styles which appeal to different people – in fact both locals and foreigners discussed how this could be one of the best Maltese national selections in a while. The competition will in fact open the festival season in the fourth weekend of January, with the semi-finals on the 22nd of January and the finals the next day.
One rumour which went round during 2015 was the possible return of the 'Festival Internazzjonali Tal-Kanzunetta Maltija' but unfortunately it was not the case, seems that it was put aside for 2015 for some reason or another. A real pity because it gave light to a number of new Maltese songs in the last edition and gave the enthusiasts another festival to look forward to on a national scale. Yet, so far it was not meant to be. Let's hope that 2015 would be a year were one gets to celebrate through more competitions and more songs to feast the keen Maltese music lover.
On behalf of the editorial team of escflashmalta.com, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year filled with joy, health and success in whatever your heart desires. We urge you to keep following escflashmalta.com even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the local music scene in 2016. All the best!
- 2015
- Summer Hit Song Contest
- Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza
- Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza Junior
- Malta Eurovision Song Contest
- GħTP
- Ecca Muscat
- Michela Galea
- Rita Pace
- Raquel Galdes
- Danica Muscat
- Julie Pomorski
- Amber
- Elton Zarb
- Matthew Mercieca
- Destiny Chukunyere
- Veronica Rotin
- Christina Magrin
- Mikaela Bajada
- Analise Mifsud
- Dorcas Debono
- Dario Mifsud Bonnici
- Paolo Micallef
JESC 2015: Destiny Chukunyere Triumphs for Malta
Garnering a total of 185 points, Destiny Chukunyere from Malta has been crowned the winner of the 13th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, following an exceptional performance of "Not My Soul", an original song composed by Elton Zarb to the lyrics of Matthew "Muxu" Mercieca.
This is Malta's second victory in three years, having previously finished in 1st place with "The Start", also composed by Elton Zarb to the lyrics of Matthew "Muxu" Mercieca with vocals provided by Gaia Cauchi. What makes this victory even more special though is that Destiny has managed to set the record for the most accumulated points, as had been set by Maria Isabel at the 2004 Junior Eurovision Song Contest!
In second place was Mika from Armenia whose "Love" garnered 176 points, whilst Lina from Slovenia finished in third place with 112 points following a beautiful performance of "Prva ljubezen". Below you could have a look at the full ranking;
1. 185 points - Malta
2. 176 points - Armenia
3. 112 points - Slovenia
4. 105 points - Belarus
5. 93 points - Albania
6. 80 points - Russia
7. 79 points - Serbia
8. 64 points - Australia
9. 62 points - Bulgaria
10. 51 points - Georgia
11. 38 points - Ukraine
12. 36 points - Ireland
13. 36 points - Montenegro
14. 36 points - San Marino
15. 35 points - The Netherlands
16. 34 points - Italy
17. 26 points - Macedonia
Malta's result saw the top points go to Italy, followed by Australia, and host country Bulgaria in third place. Half of the result was decided courtesy of an expert jury made up of singers; Amber (ESC 2015), Georgina Abela (ESC 1991), Deborah C (MESC 2012-2015), Christabelle (MESC 2014-2015) and disc jockey Dorian Cassar of 89.7 Bay. On behalf of the editorial team at escflashmalta.com, we would like to congratulate Destiny on this astonishing result, and urge you to stay tuned to this portal even through Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news about the 2016 Junior Eurovision Song Contest which may or may not take place in Malta. Fingers Crossed!
Source: junioreurovision.tv


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Birthday Wishes from Mom & Dad
What a gorgeous day to celebrate the beauty of you, Sarah Kate. Happy Birthday sweet girl. You have blessed our lives so very richly with your joyful, quirky personality. What a privileged it has been to share the past 22 years of wonderful memories. I hope that you enjoy the walk down memory lane ... I know I sure did as I pulled these pictures together. Love you forever and always!!
Birthday Wishes from Krista
Happy birthday to my sweet sister, Sarah! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful sister! Every day, your beautiful personality and optimism inspire me, and I thank God for giving me you. I'm praying that 22 brings a year of answers and continued hope for a healthy future. I love you so much!
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Tag Archives: infection central line
Hi friends! Not too much is happening around here this evening. And weekends at the hospital are notoriously slow, but that's okay, because I really need some rest! I was finally moved up to a room on the floor around … Continue reading
Posted in HLH, Pain, Prayers, please! Tagged Alice Eloise, HLH, infection central line, Inpatient, pain, prayers, Spice Girls 8 Comments