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Choose from over 200 incredible classical concerts that look to the future of what music can be and who it is for.
Explore our series below to discover some of the most exciting artists, conductors, orchestras and ensembles the world over.
download the 2018/19 Classical Season guide
Enjoy stunning river views in an exclusive Members' Cafe-Bar before or after your concert. Plus, you'll get priority booking for the Classical Season 2019/20.
Look out for series discounts in the ticketing area on selected event pages – add multiple events to your basket and get discounts of up to 30%. Discounts only apply to events within one season.
The new season of classical music events, running from September 2019 through to June 2020, goes on sale to Members on Monday 25 February at 10am and General on sale on Wednesday 27 February at 10am.
We expect our website to be busier than usual, so we would like to share with you some tips to help make your booking experience a good one.
From 9am, Wednesday 27 February, there will be a virtual waiting room active on our website. To join this room, either click 'login' on the top of the page or the ticket button on any of the event pages in Classical Season 2019/20. This is not a queue, so it doesn't matter at what time before 10am you join.
At 10am everyone in the waiting room will be allocated a random queue number and moved into the booking queue, giving everyone a fair chance of being able to secure tickets.
You don't need to refresh the page at this point, as the queue will start automatically. When it is your turn, you will be prompted to log in and then you can proceed to purchase.
Anyone joining after 10am will be allocated a number at the back of the queue. We advise that you check your login details before tickets go on sale.
Once you have added your first tickets to the basket you will have 45 minutes to finish your selection and complete your purchase.
To take advantage of our multi-buy offers look out for events displaying the yellow multi-buy label. You will be able to navigate back to the full list of events in each multi-buy by clicking the links below the titles on event pages or the multi-buy links in the 'what's on' listings.
Discounts only apply to events within one season.


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On the road to resilience: Reducing disaster and climate risk in Africa
Natural disasters—such as droughts, floods, landslides, and storms—are a regular occurrence, but climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of such weather-related hazards. Since 1970, Africa has experienced more than 2,000 natural disasters, with just under half taking place in the last decade. During this time, natural disasters have affected over 460 million people and resulted in more than 880,000 casualties. In addition, it is estimated that by 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor people (living below $1.25/day) will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat in Africa. In areas of recurrent disasters, this hampers growth and makes it harder for the poor to escape poverty.

subset: commoncrawl


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Madrid-based artist Sara Landeta juxtaposes the natural world with the chemically engineered by using medicine boxes as her canvas to creates beautiful ornithological drawings inspired by the work of 19th-century artist John James Audubon.
By using the bird as her prime subject, the artist looks to explore the idea of freedom, or lack there of, in constricted and open spaces, and the notions of a natural world that is dependent on the synthetic to survive.
The progress on Landenta's ongoing series can be seen through her Facebook page or on her personal blog. (via Steal Mag)


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Krishna Kumar and Sreelakshmi is an awesome young couple from Fort Cochin, together put in their best to create this wonderful cozy space in the heart of the town and yet away from the din of the city. Sometimes charming destinations like Fort Kochi struggle to shrug off some of the affability to maintain the exclusivity they might have acquired with great effort. With a home-stay springing up in every corner, and the city so inundated with travelers, one might look out for a peaceful haven in the touristy mayhem. That\'s when you can tuck yourself away in a quiet corner of a safe, residential area at our homestay.
A close emulation of the traditional Kerala houses, with a wide verandah and cane chicks, the house is replete with comfort of modern amenities. Immaculately clean rooms greet you after a sultry day of walking about in the town. Showers, hot-water at all times and a travel desk add to the ease of travel at our homestay.
CheersBye © 2019


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Find an MOT Test Centre
Find a local MOT Centre today. Simply enter your postcode to get started.
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Guide To The MOT Test
Authorised MOT Test Centre Logo.
What Is The Purpose Of The MOT Test?
The MOT test ensures that your vehicle meets minimum safety and environmental standards. Your car requires its first test three years after its registration, and it must subsequently be inspected annually at an authorised centre. There are over nineteen thousand in the UK each of which can be identified via a blue logo that incorporates three white triangles. These facilities have designated test bays and their equipment must meet specified standards. Mechanics also work from an inspection manual to ensure consistency - and you can watch but not interrupt your car's assessment.
At the end of the test the centre will issue either a pass or fail certificate. The former might suggest imperfections that can be fixed (or not) at your discretion. In contrast, the latter highlights the work that is legally required before your car is allowed back onto the road.
What is included in the MOT test? - Source: VOSA
What Is Checked During The MOT Test?
The test centre must - without disassembling your vehicle - check a wide variety of components. Some relate to safety, others to its environmental performance. The bodywork, for starters, must be free from excessive corrosion and damage to specific parts. Sharp edges can therefore cause problems. The exhaust must also be complete, secure, and meet emission standards.
Other checks relate to the: seatbelts, seats, lights, brakes, fuel system, doors, mirrors, tyres, wheels, registration plates, lights, bonnet, wipers, washers, windscreen, horn, steering, suspension, and electrical items such as the battery.
However, a pass is not a guarantee that your vehicle is fault free. The MOT test does not, for example, check the condition of the engine, clutch, or gearbox. So... the car might pass its test without any advisories but require expensive repairs to be usable.
Who Supervises The MOT Scheme?
The MOT Scheme is supervised by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
As such, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency - which is a Government Department - is the first port of call if you are unsatisfied with the result of a test. This might be because you believe your car has wrongly failed, or wrongly passed. In either event, complete Form VT17 that can be obtained via test centres/VOSA. A retest will then be arranged within five working days. The Government can also confirm the authenticity of certificates which is helpful for used car buyers. Visit: www.direct.gov.uk/yourmotcheck.
- Authorising MOT Test Stations & approving MOT testers.
- Setting standards for testing and requirements for authorisation for the test station and testers.
- Training Authorised Examiners and MOT testers.
- Visiting test stations and carrying out checks to ensure testing standards & facilities are maintained.
- Giving advice/taking disciplinary action where tests are not being carried out to the required standards.
- Dealing with appeals and complaints from customers.
MOT Test Fees
The cost of an MOT depends on the type of vehicle. The fees shown in the table below are the maximum a MOT test centre can charge and are not subject to VAT.
|Vehicle type
|Age first MOT needed (years)
|Motorbike with sidecar
|3-wheeled vehicles (up to 450kg unladen weight)
|3-wheeled vehicles (over 450kg unladen weight)
|Cars (up to 8 passenger seats)
|Motor caravans
|Quads (max unladen weight 400kg - for goods vehicles 550kg and max net power of 15kw)
|Dual purpose vehicles
|Private hire and public service vehicles (up to 8 seats)
|Ambulances and taxis
|Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (9 to 12 passenger seats)
|Class 4a vehicles
|Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (13 to 16 passenger seats)
|Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (more than 16 passenger seats)
|Class 5a vehicles (13 to 16 passenger seats)
|Class 5a vehicles (more than 16 passenger seats)
|Goods vehicles (over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg DGW)
*Includes seat belt installation check


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Hunting With an Airboat - Gator BitesPosted in Features on March 20, 2014
We've all seen the TV shows that follow a few guys around the swamp searching for alligators, right? Usually they're trying to catch or kill a gator due to overpopulation or when one of the critters becomes a threat and winds up in someone's pool. These giant reptiles are without a doubt the top predator in their environment, but when they get too close to humans, they quickly become the hunted.
Gators have been part of Florida for thousands, if not millions, of years. Records of commercial harvesting in Florida can date back to the late 1800s. In the mid-1970s, biologists conducted alligator population surveys that reveled a rapid growth in their population. The American Alligator can be found in many southeastern states and number in the millions for each state—in reality, with controlled harvest and management there's no chance of endangering the species. According to the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC), between 4,000 and 5,000 nuisance alligator complaints are filed annually and something drastic needed to be done. So in 1977, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the status of Florida alligators from endangered to threatened. The change in status allowed the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program to be implemented, which allows the hunting of alligators greater than 18 inches in total length. Every hunter is required to get a permit, which allows him or her to kill two gators per harvest. In 2012, the FWC recorded 6,709 captured Gators with an average size of 8 feet 3½ inches.
We're sure all these statistics and facts are extremely interesting to certain people out there, but I bet if you ask most of the guys out in the woods, they hunt not only for the thrill of it but also because gators are big tasty lizards with skin that can be used for many things. Every single alligator caught has to be recorded and processed. Hunters are not allowed to catch and release any alligator for any reason.
All of the meat from an alligator is edible, including the tail, legs, ribs, backstraps, and flanks. Once the gator is caught, killed, and packed with ice, most avid hunters will drop the carcass off with a meat processor like Big Ed's Butcher Shop in West Palm Beach, Florida. An 8-foot gator can usually render 25-40 pounds of meat, and Ed's Butcher Shop will even season the meat on request. After a few days at Ed's shop, the meat is packaged and ready to cook. The most common way to cook gator is by chopping and deep-frying the tail. Seasoned correctly and alongside a tall glass of sweet iced tea, gator tail can be an incredibly delicious meal. Nearly every vendor at most major off-road events in Florida serves gator, and we've eaten our share.
We wanted to experience a gator hunt firsthand, so we called up a good buddy, Matt Cates, at Triple M Outfitters to see if he had some available tags. These tags, or CITES, are assigned to licensed alligator trappers that are contracted by the FWC. Each tag is issued based on overpopulation, and they must be inserted into the tail before transporting the animal. Matt Cates from Triple M informed us that he has permits, so we packed up our gear and headed out to Palm Bay, Florida, for our first gator hunt and the experience of a lifetime.
Triple M Outfitters offers professionally guided hunts for all kinds of wildlife like wild boar, gator, Florida deer, Mid-Western deer, and Osceola Turkey. They have many years of experience under their belt, and they own private land for hunts in Florida, Kansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma. Once we arrived at their hunting location we knew we had picked the right crew. Their equipment is clean and well maintained, the location is easy to find, and the licensed trackers are friendly and knowledgeable. After a few safety tips and rules were addressed, we climbed onto the airboat and strapped in. Time to go hunting!
Special Tanks to:
Big Ed's Butcher Shop
561.798.9876, www.bigedsbutchershop.com
Florida Wildlife Commission
Triple M Outfitters
321.863.2985, www.triplemoutfittersunlimited.com


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Why You Should Seek Treatment for Whiplash ASAP!
Published on under Whiplash
Even though whiplash or whiplash associated disorders (WAD) is very common, it remains poorly understood. Recent studies report that up to 60% of people may still have pain six months after their injury. Why is that? Investigations have shown there are changes in the muscle and muscle function in the neck and shoulder regions in [..]


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Globant works for WPP client American Express, as well as WPP agencies JWT, Young & Rubicam, Grey, GroupM and Kantar. Its other clients include JP Morgan Chase, LinkedIn, Google and Coca-Cola.
Globant was launched in Argentina in 2003 and now employs 2,700 engineers, marketing specialists and designers in 21 offices across Latin America, the UK and the US.
WPP's move comes within six months of it paying $540m to acquire all of AKQA and of rival Publicis Groupe paying $539m to acquire LBi, both technology and creative-focused agencies.
WPP claimed Globant was "unique" in that "it provides clients with both the infrastructure and technical support that drive digital marketing campaigns, combined with the creative and design skills usually found alone in digital agencies".
In 2011, Globant generated net revenues of $90m (£55m), AKQA generated revenues of $189m (£116m), and LBi, net revenues of €196.6m (approximately $255m).
Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, said: "Partnering with Globant will allow our companies to increasingly provide our clients with insights and skills that will make their digital marketing efforts even more effective and simpler to manage, at both the front and back ends."
Follow @DanFareyJones


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Cam Newton understands now that all eyes are on him, always.
Whether he's sitting on the bench during a Panthers game with a towel on his head, or high-fiving high school players at his football camp, he knows that people are watching.
And that self-awareness has caused him to work on things this offseason, as it pertains to football and leadership.
"I think this offseason has been key in my growth, going back and looking at things that I've done on the field and off the field," Newton said, via Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. "Whether I'm watching film or just watching things that I can become a better person at, I'm trying to polish things up to make me a better person and better player."
That includes his own body language, as those around him have pointed out. Head coach Ron Rivera referred to him as "Mr. Mopeyhead" last year after a loss, and Newton understands why.
"Body language is everything," he said. "I could be having a conversation with you guys and have my face down and not make eye contact and everything's OK. But the way it looks may come off a different way. And I understand that.
"That's one thing I've tried to focus on, but at the same time it's a work in progress."
Newton also said "there's a lot of youth that has to be flushed out" of his game, but so far he's been as criticized for his demeanor as anything he's done on the field.
"It's all something I want to hone in on and become better at," Newton said. "It's something I've observed and said, 'Hey, I'm not the best at that, let me work on that.' "
Realizing that on his own, and working to change it, might be one of the best signs for the Panthers' chances this season.


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I'm not going to name names in this post. Partly because it would be mean. Partly because I'm only speculating on the reasons why, and have no real proof.
But I still wanted to talk about something that's rampant in the word of publishing. It's also rampant in other media like radio, TV, movies, and music.
It's Where Are They Now Syndrome.
The scariest thing about WATNS is how quickly it seems to occur. When my first novel, Whiskey Sour, was published in 2004, I did as much self-promotion as I could. Going to writing conventions, signing at bookstores and libraries, I met dozens of writers who also had new books out. Some were debut authors, like me. Some were veterans who seemed like they'd be around forever.
But here it is, a scant four and a half years later, and I can name more than thirty of these authors who didn't publish anything in the past year, and in some cases the past two years.
This boggles my mind.
While everyone is aware of the transitory nature of fame (it's particularly noticeable in Hollywood where A list actors fade into B list actors, and B list actors sometimes have a huge hit that makes them A list) I actually never thought it applied to writers as well.
Well, it does. With one major difference. When you're considered a B list author, you can't even give your work away. There's no straight-to-DVD or movie-of-the-week option like there is for actors who used to be Somebody. There are some smaller presses, yes. And while a lot of them are terrific, their lack of major distribution dollars means even smaller numbers for writers who once were published by the major houses, which means the major houses will be even less likely to give these writers another shot.
In thinking about this phenomenon, I was tempted to rationalize why so-and-so hasn't had a book deal in a while. Yes, numbers follow authors. But maybe there are other reasons too.
Perhaps some authors decided they just didn't want to write anymore. Perhaps some veered off into different territory and couldn't find a home for it. Perhaps some wanted to write, but were out of ideas. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances like sickness, or some personal or family tragedy. Perhaps some simply take a very long time to write a book. Perhaps work or some other aspect of real life got in the way.
And yet, knowing what a struggle it is to find an agent and get published, it seems odd that so many writers--writers I did signings with only four years ago--would let anything prevent them from writing. This profession requires dedication and sticktoitivness, and the lessons learned early on in the career when rejections are plentiful tend to make a person battle-hardened. Writers, as a species, don't tend to give up easily.
Which makes WATNS all the more troubling.
There are writers who had the brass ring, and want to have it again, but for whatever reason can't seem to grasp it.
Battle-hardened does not equal bullet-proof.
It's tempting to blame the industry, which is flawed for many reasons. A book's success is often a self-fulfilling prophecy; big promotional dollars leads to more orders leads to more sales. Do bestsellers really sell so well because of name recognition, or because when you're at an airport or drugstore and want to buy a book you only have the choice of a dozen titles? If a lessor name writer was given wider distribution, naturally they would sell more books. Yet few are given this push.
But I also personally know a few authors who did get that big push. In some cases, six and seven figure advances and corresponding marketing dollars. And here it is, a few years later, and those books are already out of print.
It's tempting to blame the writer, for producing lackluster work, or failing to self-promote, or being difficult to work with. And yet I've read many out-of-print novels that I believe are just as good or even better than books in their thirtieth printing by name authors who do very little self-promotion. I also know a few successful authors who are real jerks, and that hasn't seemed to hurt their careers.
There's a mentality that once you land a deal with a major house, you're set. But the fact is (and get ready for the kick in the groin) the majority of people who get a major deal wind up as WATHS statistics.
I can look at my extensive personal library, and 90% of those books are out of print, and 60% of those authors haven't published anything in years.
Landing a major deal, in most cases, doesn't signal the start of a longtime career. For many, it's the beginning of the end.
I can guess what many regular readers of my blog are thinking. Okay Joe, now that you've presented the problem, tell us what we can do to fix it like you always do.
Well, frightening as it is, this is one problem I can't fix.
I'd love to be able to point a finger and conclusively say, "This is why she's still being published, and this is why he isn't." But I can't. There are no traits or commonalities that can accurately predict success or failure.
After a certain level of competency is reached, who gets published and who doesn't is pretty much based on luck. This is true for newbies, and remains true for writers who have been in the biz for years.
All we can do is persevere, and keep writing and self-promoting and doing our damnedest to survive. Because, depressingly enough, this career is more about survival than success.
But, as I've been saying for years, the harder you try, the luckier you seem to get.
So if anyone with WATNS is reading this, remember that giving up isn't an option. Yes, you've gotten some bad breaks. Yes, this business is woefully unfair. Yes, it doesn't make any sense at all. But the same dedication that got you published that first time must be used to get you published again.
I know we all believe that once you "make it" there is no longer any struggle, the fears go away, and the opportunities are boundless.
But the truth is the struggle never ends, the fears are always there, and every opportunity that comes along should be appreciated as the gift it actually is.
So the rules, for newbie and pro alike, are the same.
1. Write the best book you can.
2. Try your best to get it into the hands of as many people as possible.
3. Repeat.
That's all we can do. Beyond that, it's all luck.
Just don't forget rule 3. The longer I'm in this business, the more I think it's the one that separates the haves from the have nots.
Now quit your whining and get to work.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
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Earlier today, I linked to, and critiqued, a piece complaining about the alleged assault by conservatives on the independence of the federal judiciary. Later, I remembered that Charles Kesler of the Claremont Institute had written an editorial on this subject in the Winter 2004 issue of the Claremont Review of Books. Here is some of what Kesler had to say in response to the Chief Justice Rehnquist's complaint on the same subject:
One has to ask: Are there no decisions by a federal judge however contemptuous of the Constitution or the other branches, that might warrant impeachment? Rehnquist apparently does not think so. . .By contrast, when Alexander Hamilton in The Federalist asked what are the safeguards against judicial "encroachments on the legislative authority," he cited "the important constitutional check which the power of instituting impeachments would give to [Congress] upon the members of the judicial department."
Of course, no one is suggesting that Congress subsist on a regular diet of impeachments. Rehnquist is correct that such a course would imperil judicial independence. But the courts are not supposed to be independent of the Constitution and Congress should not be cowed into thinking that there is little or nothing it can do about that. For example, there is its power to regulate and make exceptions to the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction. It's right there in Article III, section 2. And [Rehnquist] says nothing at all about constitutional amendments as a way to save the Constitution from the judges, despite the fact that several amendments, beginning with the 11th, have been adopted for that very reason.
We were all taught that our system is one of checks and balances. Thinking about the checks and balances that apply to the judicial branch, and utilizing them judiciously in some combination where necessary, does constitutes an affirmation of, not an affront to, our form of government.


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Celebrate the athletic prowess of the Cincinnati Reds in this Cutter & Buck Genre polo! Crisp embroidered details show your undying support for the Cincinnati Reds. Plus, the trademark DryTec fabric wicks moisture from the skin to keep you cool and dry as you cheer for the Cincinnati Reds.
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Join "Castle" cast member Seamus Dever as he live tweets before and during the east coast and west coast broadcasts of "Castle" on MONDAY, MARCH 25 from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT, on the ABC Television Network. You can follow Seamus @seamusdever on Twitter and join in on the conversation on the episode airing that night, as well as chat about the show's upcoming 100th episode airing April 1.
"The Wild Rover" -- When a man is found dead in an industrial cake mixer, Castle and Beckett trace the murder to an Irish gang in Staten Island and a beautiful bar owner named Siobhan O'Doul (guest star Cara Buono, "Mad Men"). Much to everyone's surprise, Detective Ryan has a complicated history with Siobhan and the Staten Island crime family from his days working undercover in narcotics. When the case hits a dead end, Ryan must go back undercover to expose the killer, complicating his relationship with his wife (played by his real wife, Juliana Dever), on "Castle," MONDAY, MARCH 25 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
"Castle" stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, Penny Johnson Jerald as NYPD Captain Victoria Gates, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, and Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan.
Guest Cast: Juliana Dever as Jenny Ryan, Cara Buono as Siobhan O'Doul, Brian Letscher as Liam Finch, Christina Cox as Maggie Finch, Michael Rodrick as Robert "Bobby S" Shannon.


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As Korean Air moves on KAI, Hyundai Heavy Industries also makes a bid
Unlike most countries of its size, when South Korea wants to build a military aircraft locally, it has two aerospace manufacturers to choose from.
In an increasingly concentrated global industry, this state of affairs has perhaps been unnatural. So it is not surprising that one of the companies, Korean Air Lines, has long wanted to buy the other, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
The quarry has evaded its hunter for nine years. But with an outgoing presidential administration keen to sell its stake in KAI before leaving office in February, the company's number may finally be up.
Or maybe it is not. Originally the only bidder, Korean Air finds that Hyundai Heavy Industries has made a surprise competing bid for KAI. Definitive bids should be lodged in November after a month of due-diligence investigations of KAI, which now seems certain to lose its independence. Its managers must be hoping for the company to become a unit of Hyundai Heavy, since KAI and Korean Air's Aerospace Div. have a reputation in the industry for loathing each other.
The defense ministry is also probably hoping that Hyundai Heavy wins, to preserve competition in a country that tries harder than most to spend its defense budget at home.
Hyundai's reason for bidding for KAI is unknown, but the government reportedly urged it and other conglomerates to do so. They were reluctant because of widespread complaints that they already own so much of the economy. It is not hard to imagine Hyundai wanting to emulate Japanese heavy-industry companies that have aerospace divisions.
Korean Air openly wants to put an end to competition. Fierce rivalry has hurt the profitability of both companies, says Choi June-chul, head of Korean Air's Aerospace Div., explaining to South Korean media why it should be allowed to take over KAI.
Certainly the combined group would have much greater pricing power when foreign customers such as Airbus and Boeing seek South Korean suppliers, says an adviser to a company involved in the deal. Another result, also common in almost any industrial takeover, would be to economize on overheads and to optimize use of costly machinery, in part by avoiding duplication.
If Korean Air wins, the government would probably forbid reorganization of the two groups for two years, says the adviser. Choi suggests the two companies would be operated indefinitely as separate subsidiaries. The advantage of doing so is not clear, except that it would help mollify KAI's managers.
A combined group, being larger, would be more competitive on the world stage; that was one reason why, four years ago, China began grouping together aeronautics plants that regarded each other as rivals.
Even a cursory look at the two South Korean companies shows they lack the scale of leading aerospace groups, even by the standards of the country's neighbors. KAI's sales last year were 1.29 trillion won ($1.15 billion). Korean Air's Aerospace Div. is much smaller, with revenues of around 550 billion won last year. By comparison, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reported aerospace sales of ¥495.9 billion ($6.38 billion) for the year to March 31.
Remarks by Yoo Seongmin, an influential member of parliament who could be defense minister within months, have hinted that the defense ministry is worried about ending up with a monopoly supplier but has been bureaucratically bypassed. The departments driving the sale are the finance ministry and the ministry of knowledge economy, as the industry ministry is known. They "recklessly want to sell KAI without asking the opinion of the defense ministry," Yoo says.
He is expected to become defense minister if Park Geunhye of the ruling Saenuri Party wins the election. That should unnerve the whole industry and the bureaucrats that seek to guide and promote it, since his public statements show that he puts their interests well behind those of national security. "Weapons are for fighting and winning wars, not for developing an export industry or for serving as a new engine for economic growth," he told parliament last year. He is also opposed to indigenously developing a stealth fighter under the KF-X program, arguing instead for cheaper imports (AW&ST Sept. 24, p. 30).
To some extent, Korean Air Aerospace and KAI have become complementary rather than competitive suppliers to the defense forces. KAI is the country's fast-jet builder and seems to have been anointed as the national rotary-wing specialist, while drone programs are now consistently assigned to Korean Air. Also, KAI has a much larger design office and therefore the greater capability for in-house development.
Both companies rely heavily on manufacturing of parts for Airbus and Boeing civil programs, but defense accounts for almost 60% of KAI's business. Hyundai Heavy, separate from but related to Hyundai Motor, has diversified activities such as shipbuilding and oil refining. The conglomerate that spawned them contributed its aerospace division to the formation of KAI.
The size of South Korea's economy highlights the anomaly of the country having two aircraft builders. Japan has three to choose from, but only by carefully nurturing them at great public expense, and its economy is more than five times as large as South Korea's. Australia, also with an economy larger than South Korea, is not much interested in such nurturing at all; no company there can fully build aircraft, apart from simple general aviation types.
KAI has willing sellers as well as a willing buyer. Four groups, led by the government's Korea Finance Corp., are offering a combined 42% stake in the company. The administration of President Lee Myung-bak has put Korea Finance under pressure to sell state assets before he leaves office, because that is what he promised before his election five years ago. The other three big shareholders, all private and including Hyundai Motor, propose to sell jointly with Korea Finance. Lacking much reason to own stakes in an aircraft builder, they have been waiting for such a chance. Under South Korean law, only local investors can buy the stake.
A person involved in the deal and familiar with Korean Air's thinking says it will never pay anything like the market price, which last week valued KAI's equity at 2.5 trillion won.
While noting that the company is highly priced compared with foreign aerospace manufacturers, such as Boeing, equities analysts at Nomura say that "KAI has a better growth outlook for the next five years, in our view." It is unclear why KAI should be expected to grow strongly, however. Its civil work will presumably expand only in line with global commercial aircraft demand. As for defense, its biggest new program—to build the 245 Surion utility helicopters—will run at a modest building rate over roughly 10 years. The prospective Korean Attack Helicopter program, not yet launched, will have a similarly drawn-out production profile. Like any national arms supplier, its prospects for revenue and profits are very much in the hands of its defense-ministry customer.
One reason for the high price of the shares could simply be patriotism among South Korean investors, combined with the small fraction of the company's stock that is freely traded.
Until the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 forced reorganization, South Korea had four aircraft manufacturers: the aerospace divisions of the Samsung, Hyundai and Daewoo conglomerates, which were merged to make KAI, plus Korean Air. Korean Air was able to resist a government push to include its aerospace business in KAI, too—presumably because Korean Air would have been only a minority shareholder.


text: On Tue, 18 Feb 2003, Roberto F. Brandão wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for all messages. They've helped a lot. > There is another question: is it possible to copy > the RedHat boot disk (floppy) into a HD ? If the > answer is yes, is it a good idea to boot every > Beowulf's node from HD and configure Linux > on each one, choosing for "Network Install" ? > What do you think about that ? If I understand you correctly, you mean "boot the kernel image in bootnet.img" from your local hard disk to facilitate a reinstall. This isn't quite the way to go about it, although you're on the right track. Here is a little script we use to set up a reinstall: #!/bin/bash cp /var/phy/xtmp/ks/initrd-everything.img /boot/initrd-everything.img cp /var/phy/xtmp/ks/vmlinuz-install /boot/vmlinuz-install grubby --add-kernel=/boot/vmlinuz-install \ --args="ks=http://install.phy.duke.edu/kscgi/kscgi lang= devfs=nomount ra mdisk_size=8192" \ --make-default --title="reinstall" --initrd=/boot/initrd-everything.img The initrd image contains drivers for "everything", especially all the network drivers. The kernel is one associated with this image (and is otherwise fairly general). The grubby program (in mkinitrd) adds a new default target to /boot/grub/grub.conf. The script thus installs a kernel and initrd image in /boot, sets grub.conf to boot it on the next reboot and run kickstart from the kickstart image given. The kickstart image causes reinstallation of the node (the kscgi figures out WHICH image to return to THIS node, but of course you could point at an explicit ks image as well). The install, of course, replaces /boot/grub/grub.conf with the correct one for the new installation and reboots into it as the last step. Total automagic. Login to a node over the network, run this script, reboot, five minutes later a spanking new node. For that matter, login to a workstation, login to a server, run this script, reboot, five minutes later done. A PXE-based install is almost identical, except that it loads the kernel via PXE and gets the ks information to the kernel via dhcp. People don't realize just how scalable this sort of thing (and some other tools, like yum) make linux management. Even the fanciest and newest features of e.g. Windows 2000 network installation pale in comparison. A kickstart file for each KIND of entity is quite simple to create and clone; the most that one typically needs to edit for a given particular machine is the disk layout and/or the video configuration and/or the network configuration for systems with multiple NICs. All of which can be automagically managed, but with a decent chance that tweaking will be required to get things just right for certain hardware. Armed with a script to run the required commands across a LAN or cluster from a single instantiation, a systems person can reinstall or upgrade a cluster of 128 nodes with a few minutes of human effort plus some wait time spent playing video games while the unattended network installs complete, in parallel, at a rate limited only by server and network capacity. {\em Nothing on the planet} can do any better than this, at least that I know of. Nothing even comes close. Again, PXE makes the original install almost as easy, except that one probably does it at the console of each machine as one brings them up in the rack (so that one can get their node names to match their labels in the rack and static IP numbers). Even a floppy based install is little more difficult -- put the ks-defaulted floppy into the drive and reboot, no console interaction necessary. Remove the floppy when it stops spinning and move on to the next node. I'm estimating that {\em after} all of this is set up once and for all for an institution (which requires real FTE time and expertise) the scaled time required to install and manage a node over its entire lifetime using methodology such as this can be as low as one hour. Literally a few minutes to rack the node and install it, a few minutes a year to reinstall it as necessary for a major upgrade -- minor updates handled completely automagically. By far the BIGGEST FTE human cost per node is likely to be screwing around with hardware failure! Fixing a single component failure per node over its lifetime could cost several times as much human time (and hence money) as installation and management, making on-site service contracts look very good indeed unless one has ample opportunity cost labor, a.k.a. graduate students or partly idle systems people handy ;-) We've found in our otherwise excruciatingly efficient and scalable linux environment (cluster and LAN both) that hardware failure rates are actually the thing that limits the number of hosts and nodes per systems administrator (to ballpark of 100's each). At that point they are dealing with hardware failures for hours of every day with hardware failure rates on the order of tenths of a percent per day. Providing human support of all sorts is also an hours-a-day limiting factor that scales with both number of machines and number of users. Providing software-level systems (installation and update) support is a negligible fraction of their time, per system -- minutes per day across hundreds of machines. rgb > > Hardware information: > - 40-node Beowulf > - Nodes: Dual Xeon 2.4, 4 GB RAM, > 40GB IDE HD, 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports > > Thanks > > Roberto > > > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


text:
No "P" for me
Some people have no X-mas spirit. A few months back I bought some lettering for the back of my Rockies Jersey. It was the letters to spell Rockpile Ranter. Yesterday I finally had some time to lay out the letters and see how it looked.
It looked cool, really cool, except one thing. I was missing the letter "P".
I remember opening up the letter when it arrived in the mail. I checked and was sure all the letters were all there. Then I put them away for safekeeping.
Somehow I lost my freggin "P"
So I'm wondering what the hell I'm going to do. Changing my blog name isn't an option, that can come back and bite you. After some thought, I decided to contact the guy on Ebay who
sold me the lettering.
The email I sent him said that I purchased the letters a while back, and when I went to apply them to the Jersey, I was missing the "P".
I mentioned that I wasn't accusing him of not sending my "P", I was just in need of a good "P" so I could complete my "Pile".
I asked this dude if I could purchase a stand alone "P" , and I was curious how much one "P" would cost me.
He responded back with "seven dollars for a "P".
Holy P-pot man, I couldn't believe it, I've never paid for a "P" before, and the fact that he wanted seven dollars for one tiny little "P", at X-mas time just floored me.
Some people, I tell you.
I hope this is the last time I'm ever in bad need of a "P".
It's bad enough just needing a "P", but paying twice for a "P" pretty pathetic. I guess that's the chance you take with online retailers. No face to face interaction.
It's harder to tell me it's going to cost seven dollars when I'm standing right in front of you 🙂
So in hindsight, always check and make sure you have your "P" because there is nothing worse than a P-less Pile.
I'm off to the "P"avilion "P"arty/ Dinner for Season ticket holders, I'll take plenty of pictures…D


text:
Recruiting now for 2018 NOVEMBER Program IGLOO 0600hrs
3 days x 4 weeks commences MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY
$165 per recruit for 4 week program (uniform Tee $25 each)
*note: public holidays will be replaced with either a Tuesday or Thursday session alternative
I more full month of outdoor military inspired training right here in Horsham.
In its basic form, Corps Training consists of three, 60 minute sessions each week, for four weeks. The program begins with a Benchmark Workout which allows your instructors to not only judge your current strengths and weaknesses, but to place you with other Recruits of an equivalent fitness level to yourself. By placing you into these sections, you are ensured that you are continually challenged, without asking more of you then you are physically able.


text:
Robert I (king of Scotland)
Robert I or Robert the Bruce, 1274–1329, king of Scotland (1306–29). He belonged to the illustrious Bruce family and was the grandson of that Robert the Bruce who in 1290 was an unsuccessful claimant to the Scottish throne. He became (1292) earl of Carrick and on his father's death (1304) assumed the lordship of Annandale and of the Bruce lands in England. In 1296, Robert swore fealty to Edward I of England, but the following year he joined the struggle for national independence. He appears to have taken part only intermittently until an obscure contest between him and John Comyn (d. 1306) for the adherence of the Scottish nationalists resulted in Comyn's murder (probably unpremeditated) by Bruce or his followers. In defiance of Edward I, Robert was then crowned king at Scone in Mar., 1306. Defeated by the English at Methven (1306), he fled to the west and apparently took refuge on the island of Rathlin, off the coast of Ireland. The Bruce estates were confiscated by Edward, and punishment was meted out to Robert's followers. From this time of discouragement stems the legend that Robert learned courage and hope from watching a spider persevere in spinning its web.
Returning in 1307, Robert won a victory at Loudon Hill, which brought him new adherents. Edward I attempted to lead a new expedition against the rebellious Scots but died on the way and was succeeded by his son, Edward II, who failed to pursue his father's vigorous course. Robert was able to consolidate his hold on Scotland and to recapture lands and castles from the English. Stirling was besieged by the Scots and so hard pressed that the English governor finally agreed to its surrender if relief from England did not arrive before June 24, 1314. On June 23 and 24, at nearby Bannockburn, Robert overwhelmingly defeated the large English relief force led by Edward II. The war went on, and in 1318 the Scots recaptured Berwick. A truce, made in 1323, lasted only until 1327, when the bellicose young Edward III led an unsuccessful expedition to the north. Finally, by the Treaty of Northampton (1328), the English recognized the independence of Scotland and the validity of Robert's title to the throne.
Robert spent the short remainder of his life in his castle at Cardross and died there, perhaps of leprosy. As he requested, his embalmed heart was given to Sir James de Douglas, lord of Douglas, to be carried to Jerusalem for burial. Douglas was killed in Spain, but (according to tradition) Robert's heart was recovered, brought back to Scotland, and buried in Melrose Abbey. By his courage and skill Robert had freed Scotland from English rule. He was succeeded by his son, David II.
See biographies by A. M. Mackenzie (1934, repr. 1957), G. W. S. Barrow (1965, rev. ed. 1988), and R. M. Scott (1989, repr. 1996); C. McNamee, The Wars of the Bruces (1997).


text:
Brain Teasers
Trance, Stain, Chime...
Fun: (2.96) Difficulty: (2.51) Puzzle ID: #577 Submitted By: Phyllis
Group These brain teasers rely on your ability to recognize groups of common attributes. For each of these puzzles you'll need to figure out why the words or letters are grouped as they are. Sometimes you will be asked to pick the odd-one-out or to place a new word into the correct group.
TRANCE, STAIN, CHIME, TUBA and PERK. These words all belong to the same logical family. Which of the following words also belongs to that family?
GERMANE, EMBARGO, BANANA and NIGHTMARE
GERMANE, EMBARGO, BANANA and NIGHTMARE
HintJust one letter makes the difference.
AnswerGERMANE. In the logical family of words, you can change one letter in each word and create a country`s name. FRANCE, SPAIN, CHILE, CUBA and PERU. Germane can be changed into GERMANY.
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text:
Randy's passion for fishing started when he was a small child when he would fish in farm ponds and small lakes alongside his fishing hero's - his Dad and Grandfather. Even with his passion and the knowledge he learned from his Dad and Grandfather, Randy knew that there was still a lot to learn about fishing - especially understanding the dynamics of larger lakes. Randy was fortunate to meet Mr. Long who became a good friend and mentor for Randy and taught him everything he knew about deep water fishing.
In 1998, Randy moved to Pickwick, Tennessee and put his newfound knowledge to the test, learning more about the lakes and fishing local tournaments. 10 years later, Randy was persuaded by his wife and parents to enter the FLW EverStart tournament which he won. Shortly after, Randy became a member of the Professional Anglers Association who entered a 4-man team in the Corporate Cup on Pickwick Lane. Randy's team, Haynes Hardwood Flooring (named after his business), won the event.Winning these two events and competing against top anglers had Randy hooked and ignited his dream of competing on the professional tours.
x2 e127
x2 e165
x2 CP100
EV-1 Sensor Core
7x FLW Tournament Winner
Top 10 Finishes: 12Largest Bass: 8 lbs, 10oz2008 PAA Corporate Cup Winner
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text:
Since Billy Mitchell's epochal achievement of 874,300 points on August 13, 1982, the Donkey Kong world record has undergone a winding and controversial journey.
Six men have reigned as champion—Billy Mitchell, Tim Sczerby, Steve Wiebe, Hank Chien, Robbie Lakeman, and Wes Copeland—with much back-and-forth between each (except for Sczerby, who is the only of the six to break the record just once).
Though Mitchell's original record held for just over 18 years, the 2000s proved to be an active decade for Donkey Kong world records, with six undisputed change-overs (along with four intervening scores submitted by Steve Wiebe that were ultimately unverified or "de-verified" due to issues that will be summarized below).
But the "King of Kong era" was just the beginning. The 2010s have moved at a far more chaotic pace, with the record inching higher an unprecedented twenty times between 2010 and 2018.
The following table shows all of the world record-setting scores, whether or not (ultimately) verified and approved by Twin Galaxies.
The Record-Setting Games
Light scores = Accepted and verified
Dark scores = Rejected or never verified
Live = Performed in a public venue, in front of witnesses
Video = Private performance submitted to Twin Galaxies
Stream = Performed live via Twitch.tv
|August 13, 1982
|Billy Mitchell
|August 17, 2000
|Tim Sczerby
|June 30, 2003
|Steve Wiebe
|May 7, 2004
|Billy Mitchell
|May 29, 2004
|Steve Wiebe
|June 29, 2004
|Steve Wiebe
|July 4, 2004
|Steve Wiebe
|June 3, 2005
|Steve Wiebe
|June 4, 2005 (verification date)
|Billy Mitchell
|August 3, 2006
|Steve Wiebe
|July 13, 2007
|Billy Mitchell
|February 26, 2010
|Hank Chien
|July 31, 2010
|Billy Mitchell
|August 30, 2010
|Steve Wiebe
|December 27, 2010
|Hank Chien
|February 27, 2011
|Hank Chien
|May 18, 2012
|Hank Chien
|July 25, 2012
|Hank Chien
|November 1, 2012
|Hank Chien
|September 5, 2014
|Robbie Lakeman
|December 1, 2014
|Robbie Lakeman
|June 24, 2015
|Robbie Lakeman
|September 17, 2015
|Wes Copeland
|September 18, 2015
|Robbie Lakeman
|October 21, 2015
|Robbie Lakeman
|January 4, 2016
|Wes Copeland
|April 11, 2016
|Robbie Lakeman
|April 19, 2016
|Wes Copeland
|May 5th, 2016
|Wes Copeland
|December 21st, 2017
|Robbie Lakeman
|February 2nd, 2018
|Robbie Lakeman
#2: Sczerby - The Omitted One
To quote Walter Day:
"[Billy Mitchell's 1982] record stood until August 17, 2000 when Tim Sczerby scored 879,200 points in Auburn, NY. When Tim scored this new record, his achievement was published on the Twin Galaxies website and the story was sent out all over the Internet. Also, Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies personally phoned Tim and congratulated him on his great accomplishment. A few days later, Billy himself phoned Tim and congratulated him."
Sczerby's score was submitted, verified, and never under institutional dispute. However, the creators of The King of Kong, who made no mention whatsoever of Sczerby or his score in the film, have been attacked within gaming circles for their official position on the subject. In the words of Seth Gordon and Ed Cunningham: "Tim Sczerby's consistently disputed record was impossible to verify and did not merit inclusion in the film."
This statement, disingenuous as it might sound, could actually be defensible based on the impression that the filmmakers may (or may not) have been given at the time the documentary was being made. In fact, there is compelling evidence to support the position that certain individuals (including Robert Mruczek, Walter Day, Brian Kuh, Steve Sanders, and others) may be culpable (though perhaps innocently) of a failure of diligence in giving Sczerby his due, and unambiguous assurance that Sczerby actually beat Mitchell. The filmmakers may not be entirely—or even primarily—to blame for Sczerby's ommission from The King of Kong.
The Sczerby-less narrative might also come down to the simple fact that Sczerby having (barely) beaten Mitchell simply was not relevant to the story being told in the film. Since Sczerby was not in active contention on Donkey Kong at the time of filming, and since he did not have any presence or bearing on the events documented by the cameras, his record-breaking game may have been deemed extraneous backstory.
Indeed, Wiebe and Mitchell were well ahead of Sczerby by the time of filming, and the 874,300 Billy Mitchell score that Sczerby beat in 2000 was only the official world record. Both Wiebe and Mitchell had undocumented high scores of over 900,000 as far back as the late 1980s.
#3: Wiebe - The First Rejected Score
Each of the four darkened scores in the above table were initially accepted by Twin Galaxies, but all were ultimately either rejected or otherwise unverified during an arduous saga that this article (and frankly, this blogger) will not and should not attempt to do full justice.
To (greatly) simpify the matter: the Donkey Kong boardsets on which Steve Wiebe performed all of these scores were determined to be problematic.
This initial submission of 947,200, actually beat Tim Sczerby, not Billy Mitchell, for the official world record. It was initially accepted and verified, but fell under dispute less than ten days after verification when Darren Harris, a Twin Galaxies forum member, noted that it had been performed on a "Double Donkey Kong" boardset (a custom-made aftermarket modification that converts a Donkey Kong Junior board to play both games, making it potentially unfit for competition due to possible gameplay differences).
Walter Day announced that if Wiebe had indeed used a Double Donkey Kong board, then his "hold on the traditional DK record would be relinquished."
Wiebe's score, however, remained in the #1 position on the Twin Galaxies website while discussion continued as to whether it should be reclassified under a new "Double Donkey Kong" category.
#4: Mitchell - Reclaiming The Title
Nearly a year after Wiebe's embattled submission, Billy Mitchell would perform live at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee with a score of 933,900.
This game is actually a key event with regard to Wiebe's competition with Mitchell, one that The King of Kong omits. Wiebe's first submission (the 947,200 score from 2003) was grazed (but not beaten) by this score, and shows that Mitchell had publicly trumped his own 1982 record, beaten Sczerby, and was actively pursuing Wiebe. The film makes it seem as though Mitchell ignored Wiebe, never competed live, and sat on his hands until submitting a videotaped performance in 2005.
This score also made Mitchell the de-facto world record holder. It did not beat Wiebe's submission, but it didn't need to, since Wiebe's had now been unofficially rejected, and successive Wiebe submissions would be unverified and/or disputed for over a year. All this score had to beat was Tim Sczerby's. It did, so Mitchell was champion.
That fact proved to be advantageous for the purposes of the film, since individuals featured in the footage from the 2005 Funspot tournament, such as Brian Kuh, would—and did—refer to Mitchell (and not Sczerby) as "the champion", even though they were actually referring to a title that had reverted to Mitchell with this Milwaukee game, and not to his original 1982 score. The references to Mitchell-as-champion end up being seamless, and the viewer never suspects anything.
The Record That Lied In Wait
Mitchell allegedly achieved a videotaped score of 1,047,200—exactly 100,000 points higher than Wiebe's initial 947,200 submission—at his home on June 7th, 2004 (one month after his 933,900 live score in Milwaukee).
The score data is long gone from the current Twin Galaxies website (replaced by Mitchell's current score), but an Internet Wayback Machine snapshot of the score info page shows 6/7/04 as the performance date. (Mark Alpiger echoes this date at Classic Arcade Gaming.com.)
Mitchell, however, did not submit the tape right away. It would be more than a year before he (quite infamously) did so.
#5, #6, #7: Wiebe - More Rejection
Meanwhile, Steve Wiebe, having replaced the hardware in his Donkey Kong machine to a proper Donkey Kong boardset, performed the latter three "darkened" scores. Like the first score, all three would run into problems, each for different reasons.
The first two 2004 submissions (record game #5 and 6 - 985,000 and 999,500) were never verified simply because the verification process was a slow undertaking. In Robert Mruczek's words, Twin Galaxies wanted to check every detail and avoid getting any "egg on [their] faces" of the sort that had occurred because of the Double Donkey Kong situation. Mruczek hadn't even finished watching the 999,500 game when Wiebe announced the first million-point game ever submitted to Twin Galaxies: record-breaking game #7, with a final score of 1,006,600.
"There it is - one small leap for Mario, one giant leap for Mariokind." - Wiebe, the moment he rolled the score to 1 million
Twin Galaxies was less than 48 hours from going public with the story of the new score when a bomb fell: upon an in-person investigation, Wiebe's hardware was found suspect as having been in the custody of Roy Shildt, persona-non-grata among Twin Galaxies, and someone viewed with great suspicion by the staff.
Some of the details as to the nature of the Shildt situation can be gleaned from The King of Kong. However, it must be stressed that the film should be taken with a grain of salt in that regard (and others), as it greatly simplifies, streamlines, and omits many details related to Steve Wiebe and his Donkey Kong scores.
Most importantly, of the four rejected performances, the film only depicts Wiebe's 1,006,600 performance and concatenates it with the others (games #3, #5, and #6), representing it as if it were Wiebe's first and only submission to Twin Galaxies, when it was actually his fourth (and was not, by the way, the "wipe my butt" game, which was Wiebe's first world record submission—the score that beat Tim Sczerby's).
As for the hardware controversy, only the Shildt situation is discussed in the film. The Double Donkey Kong issue is not described, except for Steve Wiebe mentioning in the film that Roy Shildt offered to replace Wiebe's boardset because the old one "broke." (This of course was not actually the problem with the DDK boardset, but Wiebe was most likely asked by the producers to phrase it that way for the sake of simplifying the story.)
#8: Wiebe - Triumph At Funspot
Fed up with the unverified scores, and eager to prove himself in a manner that could not be contested, Steve Wiebe traveled to the 7th Annual American Classic Arcade Museum Tournament, held at Funspot in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire from June 2nd through 5th, 2005. The King of Kong depicts the events of the tournament, highlighting Wiebe's record-breaking public performance of 985,600, which was verified immediately.
The film innacurately depicts the Funspot game as being the first uncontested score to beat Mitchell's original 1982 score, neglecting to mention Mitchell's score in Milwaukee (to say nothing of Tim Sczerby's original record-breaking game).
#9: Mitchell - The Tape Emerges
A copy of Billy Mitchell's aforementioned videotaped performance of 1,047,200 was finally submitted on June 4, 2005, the day after Wiebe's 985,600 live performance at Funspot. This event was one of the definitive moments in The King of Kong.
What the film does not show is that, while initially accepted by Twin Galaxies, Mitchell's score was actually removed from the database just three days later on June 7th by head referee Robert Mruczek, who demanded a more rigorous verification. At this time, Wiebe was reinstated as champion.
Months later, after receipt and examination of Mitchell's master tape, it was at last "formally and definitively approved" on January 6th, 2006. (Mruczek himself oversaw authentication of the score.)
During the verification process, Mruczek came to the (well-supported) conclusion that the game's final score—1,047,200—was intentionally engineered by Mitchell to best Wiebe's original 947,200 submission by exactly 100,000 points. Mitchell's behavior in the game strongly suggests that the final score is not coincidental. In Mruczek's words: "[Billy] dumped points just so he could get 100K more than Steve ... This was a 1.095-1.110M game if I ever saw one, wasted for the sake of proving a point."
The matter of the actual date of this eventually-accepted performance is also one worthy of very serious consideration.
The June 7th, 2004 performance date cited by Twin Galaxies is convincing. After all, why would Mitchell fashion his game around targeting Wiebe's 947,200 score if Wiebe had already submitted scores that beat it? It makes most sense if one assumes that the game contained on "The Tape" pre-dated those submissions.
This has major implications. If one considers the date of a performance, and not the date of submission or verification, to be the date of the world record, then none of Wiebe's 2004 submissions were ever world records, nor was his 985,600 Funspot performance! They were merely "personal bests" for Wiebe, who was actually chasing a record he didn't even know existed.
Regardless of whether or not it was actually the world record, the Funspot game still stands without dispute as the highest Donkey Kong score performed in public up to that time, as well as the first Funspot kill screen.
#10: Wiebe - Over Mitchell For the First(?) Time
If Wiebe wasn't setting new records throughout 2004 and 2005, and Mitchell's tape made him the true record holder, then Wiebe really only broke the record once—in the original 947,200 game from 2003—and the only player he beat was Sczerby.
It wasn't until 2006 and Wiebe's 1,049,100 game—shown in the epilogue of The King of Kong—that Wiebe actually, officially, and undisputably, beat Mitchell for the first time.
It should be apparent by now why I am including Wiebe's ultimately-rejected scores in the table. Whether "official" or not, they are important to Donkey Kong history. Each game affected the competition, and each shows a step in Wiebe's progression, as well as his trials with Twin Galaxies submissions (which are even more difficult than the film depicts—since he actually had to contend with four scores and multiple reasons for disqualification, not just one score/one reason). They also help to convey a more accurate account of how Wiebe's rivalry with Mitchell actually unfolded.
The simplified version of the world record chase presented by The King of Kong misses much of the texture of the overall saga.
A very important point must be made here, however: while the film has been much maligned for its inaccuracies (which some have gone as far as to call malicious lies), the ins-and-outs of the record, the disputes, and all the drama thereto are difficult to follow and understand even to someone giving it their full attention. It would be unfair to put so many (often tedious and murky) details on the shoulders of an 80-minute documentary aimed at a casual, mainstream audience.
It was wise, and totally necessary, for The King of Kong to simplify the story. As Roy Shildt stated in an interview: "It would be, like, a five-movie miniseries if you told the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It would take forever. So they condensed it down a little bit."
The film had a duty to be concise, accessible, and entertaining. The reality (as you might be feeling by this point in the article) is none of those.
#11: Mitchell - Post-King of Kong
In July of 2007, even as The King of Kong was making its way through film festivals across the country, Billy Mitchell struck back at Steve Wiebe, scoring 1,050,200 at an 80s-themed mortgage broker's convention in Florida.
There are a few things worth noting about this performance: it was displayed (with no audio) on a screen at the convention, with the video signal being fed directly from the game PCB. Mitchell was, presumably, playing from another room, but not in front of a crowd, or even a single known witness.
This score beat Wiebe's previous by exactly 1,100 points, and not by accident. When Mitchell reached his chosen score, he immediately surrendered the controls on the game, allowing his two remaining men to be killed off. After the game, Mitchell (as reported by MTV) had this to say:
"I don't need to run up the score. I just want to put one in the 'win' column. I want to make it competitive. I didn't want to make it too tough."
But there was more significance here than simply "not running up the score." As with The Tape, this game came with a coded message: 1,100 is "1.1 thousand," almost certainly a reference to 1.1 million. Mitchell may have been suggesting to Wiebe that he was ready to take the top score to that level and beyond, and that the ball was in Wiebe's court to do so.
#12: Chien - Dr. Kong
It was nearly three years later—February, 2010—when a plastic surgeon from New York entered the fray. Dr. Hank Chien, known to the community up to that time only as a MAME player, submitted a score of 1,061,700, introducing new blood into a fight that had now been raging between two lonely combatants for almost a decade.
#13: Mitchell - 1,100 Again
Less than six months passed before Mitchell welcomed Chien to the battlefield by once again reclaiming the record, again by exactly 1,100 points, and again with an intentional surrender at that precise mark. Whether or not the 1,100 was meant to evoke 1.1 million, the number was now, unmistakably, a specific choice.
After the game, Mitchell commented on the points he threw away, saying simply, "Some say I'm being cocky. Some say I'm being lazy. I say, I'm being Billy Mitchell."
He went on to declare, "there's one more thing I have to take care of," and proceeded, at that very moment, to start a game of Donkey Kong Jr. Four hours later, he would reclaim the Jr. world record from Mark Kiehl.
The performance, which was timed to coincide with Mitchell's induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame one week later, took place at a Boomers theme park in Florida, and has raised questions. Both the Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior scores from that day were recorded via direct feeds from the game PCBs, contain no audio, the tapes do not show Mitchell himself playing, and the only witnesses were personal friends (one of whom—Twin Galaxies referee Todd Rogers—verified the score).
#14: Wiebe - The Last Stand
Mitchell held the record for just three weeks before Wiebe returned with another record-setting game, almost precisely four years to the day since his last. This game was, up to that point, the fastest record turnover in Donkey Kong history. But with a fearsome new player now in the mix, it too wouldn't last long.
#15-#19: Chien - Chien, Chien, Chien, and Chien Again
Chien overtook Wiebe on December 27th, 2010 with a performance recorded from home, then beat his own score two months later in February of 2011, live at Funspot, on the very same machine where Wiebe had taken the record in 2005. Chien's 1,090,400 from that day would stand for over a year.
In May of 2012, while training for the Kong Off 2, Chien pushed the record past the 1.1 million mark for the first time with 1,110,100. He would improve the score two months later, reaching 1,127,700.
Finally, a little over two weeks prior to the Kong Off 2, Chien hammered the record further for the fifth time in a row, bringing it to rest at 1,138,600.
Chien's chief rival between 2012 and 2013 was French-Canadian bodybuilding fan Vincent Lemay. While Lemay would never ultimately take the record, he had a near miss that came just 2,700 points shy during a prolonged series of attempts from the 1up barcade in Denver. Lemay and Chien's battle was well-publicized, culminating in a documentary short that aired in December 2013 on Spike TV.
#20-#22: Lakeman - New Blood
As Lemay was stepping back, opting to wait until Chien or another player had pushed the record higher before trying for it again, an up-and-coming contender named Robbie Lakeman set his sights on Chien's score, declaring in August of 2013 that he felt that he was capable of "taking on Hank."
It would be more than a year before Lakeman made good on his boast. On September 5th, 2014, after months of grueling attempts, he finally broke Chien's four year lock on the title.
Lakeman went on in the ensuing months to top his own score twice more, the three-peat taking place in June 2015 on the very same hallowed Funspot machine where Steve Wiebe had broken the record almost exactly 10 years before in 2005, followed by Hank Chien in 2010.
#23-#28: Copeland Versus Lakeman
|Wes Copeland (left)
with Robbie Lakeman and Vincent Lemay
Even while Lakeman was fighting his way through the "Chien force field", yet another new face appeared on the scene to take aim at the record. 24-year old software engineer Wes Copeland, who had started playing Donkey Kong around the time of the Kong Off 3 near the end of 2013, made it known that he intended to be the next world champion.
Many assumed that Lakeman would soon achieve a near-maxout score of 1.2 million to effectively shut down Copeland (or anyone else's) chances at the title, but on September 6th, 2015, on the final day of a Donkey Kong Online Open tournament, Copeland had the game of his life and, to even his surprise, beat Lakeman's score live on stream, celebrating with a bottle of Dom Perignon that he'd been saving for the occasion.
Then came the unthinkable, and totally unprecedented: Lakeman immediately fired back, and just six hours after Copeland's record-breaking game, Lakeman squeaked past him by 1,700 points.
A month later, Lakeman beat his own score, adding another 4,900 points of insulation.
Copeland, who had been left "mentally scarred" from the experience of losing his world title so quickly after claiming it, was more determined than ever to crush Lakeman's top mark. He bested his rival four months later on January 4th, 2016 with an enormous 1,190,000. Now the record was only 10,000 points away from the mystical "1.2."
Three months passed before a self-described "retired" Lakeman surprised the classic arcade community during the early morning hours of April 11th, when he streamed a recording of a 1.19 game that he'd played a few hours before. It was a single, final barrel smash on the kill screen that allowed him to inch past Copeland by just 200 points.
Copeland immediately vowed to put everything in his life on hold until he had beaten Lakeman. One week later, after a combined total of over 50 hours of streamed gameplay, he pushed the world record to 1,195,100.
#29-#31: Copeland, Lakeman, Lakeman - The Limit
On May 5th, 2016, less than a month after his previous high score, Copeland brought the Donkey Kong world record chase closer to its almost mathematically-insurmountable conclusion, utterly smashing the 1.2 million-point barrier with a final score of 1,218,000. Even though the run may not have been what media outlets erroneously referred to as a "perfect game" (there can be no such thing in Donkey Kong), it was, nonetheless, a perfectly executed game, combining flawless play with extremely favorable randomness.
It took rival Lakeman more than a year and a half to beat Copeland's score, but he did so on December 21st, 2017. Six weeks later, he added another 9,000 points to the record, bringing it to 1,247,700... but the achievement was overshadowed the very same day by a bombshell revelation at Donkey Kong Forum that all of Billy Mitchell's world record submissions since 2004 had been generated in MAME, and not original Donkey Kong hardware.
The evidence brought against Mitchell was conclusive enough to prompt Donkey Kong Forum high score moderator Jeremy Young to remove all of Mitchell's scores subsequent to the 933,900 performance in Milwaukee from May of 2004, which was Mitchell's only record-breaking score that could be corroborated by independent witnesses. Twin Galaxies agreed with Young's findings, stripping Mitchell of all of his submitted scores and banning him from further competition. The story took the news by storm over the subsequent months.
As it stands, the only thing separating Lakeman's top score from the absolute humanly-achievable theoretical maximum (approximately 1,265,000 points) is a large number of attempts. Even putting skill and endurance aside, the luck needed is comparable to catching four-of-a-kind in a poker hand that takes three hours to deal. Copeland may return to competition, but Lakeman's current rival is relative newcomer John McCurdy, who appeared on the scene in 2015 and whose best score is now only 7,000 points behind Lakeman's.--
Credit for most of the original research behind the data and information in this article goes to the excellent Donkey Kong Timeline and Robert Mruczek's response at Superbunker.com.
Other information was gathered from a variety of sources, including news releases, posts on the Twin Galaxies forum, and the Classic Arcade Gaming forum. Further specifics can be provided on request, and new information and corrections are eagerly awaited.
At no point does this article mean to necessarily imply any wrongdoing, irresponsibility, or ethical misconduct on the part of Billy Mitchell, Steve Wiebe, the King of Kong film—all of which I am extremely personally fond of—or any other person or group mentioned or not mentioned in the article. This is a presentation of facts, and I leave it to the reader to decide for himself what to make of them (at least for the purposes of THIS post—I'll be happy to tell you what I think, and what you should think, in others!)
Thanks, collectively, to all who contributed to this body of information.


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Scalloped Fish Scale Navy Fabric
Scalloped Fish Scale Navy Fabric
from 2.00
Designer fabric in navy and white scalloped fish scale pattern
Printed on 100% Kona cotton fabric, made from ring-spun yarn
42" wide
4.5 oz per square yard
Thread count: 60 x 60
Appropriate for quilting, appliqué, shirting, dresses, children's clothing, and home decor.
Estimated shrinkage: 2% in length and 3% in width
Machine wash warm or cool on a gentle/delicate setting, using phosphate-free detergent
If you would like more than one yard of fabric, adjust the quantity while checking out and one continuous piece will be sent to you.
Please allow 7-10 days for printing
Add To Cart


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Hey hey! Looking to fill out our 10-12 team league with a couple more managers. League is in its 2nd year (no keepers, redraft league).
DRAFT LATER THIS WEEK - 6-7pm PST
1. 10-12 team league
2. H2H Total Points scoring
3. $100 entry fee. Fees will be processed and held through SportsVault.
4. Regular season 1st place - $300
Regular season 2nd place - $200
Regular season 3rd place - $100
Then a 6 team playoff where overall top 2 teams get a bye
Playoff winner - $250
Playoff 2nd place - $100
Playoff 3rd place - $50 (3rd place is the winner of the semi final losers)
5. I encourage trades but they will be reviewed by myself and the co-commissioner. I will bring in a 3rd party service if necessary.
Please reply with questions or if you want to join.


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Charles R. Knight's illustrations didn't just light up the imaginations of young paleontologists to be. His imagery even influenced Hollywood. Learn More >
What sets mammals apart from other classes of animals? Are there mammals other than the duck-billed platypus (on view in What on Earth?) that lay eggs? Visit our Mammalogy Department's FAQs page to find out more.
Charles Knight was an influential painter who used his brush to bring extinct animals and their environments to life for modern audiences. He worked closely with scientists in order to make his vibrant imagery of prehistoric flora and fauna adhere to scientific knowledge in the middle of the 20th century.
So how does his work hold up now that we're in the 21st century, more than 50 years later? Life Through the Ages: Revisiting the Paintings of Charles R. Knight looks at Knight's iconic paintings — 16 in all, including a woolly mammoth, brontosaurus, and pteranodon (an enormous flying reptile that lived approximately 80 million years ago) — in light of current understanding. Seven of the Museum's scientists provide commentary to accompany Knight's paintings in this exhibit, placing his work into the context of modern scholarship.
This installation, which mixes art, history and science, resides on the rotunda's second floor, which was initially designed to showcase art when the 1913 Building was constructed nearly 100 years ago.


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No larger than a tube of chapstick and filled to the brim with illuminating power, the Fenix UC02 Rechargeable LED Keylight is one of the practical and potent keylights on the market! Less than two inches in length and rigged with a convenient ring-shaped tailcap, this compact illuminator fits easily in any pocket or bag and is the perfect addition to your key ring. The UC02 runs on a 10180 rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and is equipped with a powerful CREE XP-G2 S2 LED that allows it to produce a radiant 130 Lumens of brightness that can throw further than 150 feet! The light also comes with a dimmer secondary output of 10 Lumens that can last for nearly four hours, providing long-lasting light when you need it most.
The UC02 is designed to not only endure the wear and tear of every day use, but to be as easy and convenient as possible for its owner to use. Constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy with a hard-anodized finish, the durable torch is not only impact resistant, but can be submerged under 2 meters of water for up to 30 minutes with no damage, making it perfect for use out in the elements. The light's easy-to-use twist switch interface makes it quick and simple to switch between outputs. The UC02 is even capable of being recharged internally thanks to its handy micro-USB charging port that can be accessed by unscrewing the head of the light, making even its charging process convenient for its user. Incredibly compact, remarkably bright, and fully functional, the Fenix UC02 is the perfect keylight for any user.
|Runtime (Hours):
|Output Modes:
|Dual Brightness Levels
|Compatible Batteries:
|1 x 10180
|Batteries Included:
|Included Accessories:
|Batteries, Key Ring, Spare O-ring(s)
|Flashlight Usage:
|Every Day Carry, Keychain Lights
|Throw Distance (Max):
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|Primary Material:
|Anodized Aluminum
|Product Weight:
|Product Dimensions:
|1.7" (L) x 0.55" (Diameter)
|Country of Origin:
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Destinations: We Ship anywhere in India via our reputed shipping partners.
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Fenix UC02 Keychain LED Flashlight | 130 Lumens
First of all... this light is simply amaaaaazingggg.the size is small...believe me it's smaller then it appears in pictures and it feels very comfortable to hold.the low output is bright enough .... and the high output...Man....', what a piece of machinery.....the high output pumps out a lottttttt of light.this is a CUTE little micro BEAST
And thanks lightmen...I got it super quickly....
cheers !!!!!!!
Amazing light.believe me it's even smaller then it appears in pictures.very comfortable and easy to grip.
It's very bright even in low output setting,bright enough.and high mode is FANTASTIC.very bright considering the size
Super fast deluver
Fenix UC02 Keychain LED Flashlight | 130 Lumens
First of all... this light is simply amaaaaazingggg.the size is small...believe me it's smaller then it appears in pictures and it feels very comfortable to hold.the low output is bright enough .... and the high output...Man....', what a piece of machinery.....the high output pumps out a lottttttt of light.this is a CUTE little micro BEAST
And thanks lightmen...I got it super quickly....
cheers !!!!!!!
Amazing light.believe me it's even smaller then it appears in pictures.very comfortable and easy to grip.
It's very bright even in low output setting,bright enough.and high mode is FANTASTIC.very bright considering the size
Super fast deluver


text:
Ralph Fiennes is cutting his teeth as an actor/director, with a present day re-telling of Shakespeare's "Coriolanus."
The very first stills from the set have appeared on Fiennes' creatively titled blog, Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus Blog, over at 30 Ninjas.
They show him wearing both hats on set: In front of the camera wearing full combat gear as he leads men into battle, and then behind the camera, conferring with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and cameraman Oliver Driscoll (All three worked together on "The Hurt Locker.")
Like so many of Shakespeares plays, this one is about a man who grows power hungry at the urging of his wife/mother (mother in this case), and wages war to claim what he feels is rightfully his.
The cast includes Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox.
Folks at 30 Ninjas seem puzzled/excited by how Finnes plans to convert the story to the 21st Century while retaining the richness of the Bard's language. Have they already forgotten the fantastic "Richard III" starring Sir Ian McKellen?
Fiennes should be able to crack this nut, he just needs to stay out of Shakespeare's way.