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Much has been written over the years on the infamous decline of Imagine Software - early fame followed by fast cars and equally fast lifestyles. This in turn led to the infamous never-released mega games, and let's be frank, they never had much chance of surfacing either.
With my first Spectrum I got a whole bunch of Imagine games. These weren't from the new Ocean label of the same name, which was already churning out sports simulations and arcade conversions; no, these were all original Imagine classics and I sampled them all that Christmas holiday as I had nothing else to play - well other than Psion Chess, Computer Scrabble, Survival and Make-a-bloody-chip.
Imagine were early pioneers: in the days of primitive covers and adverts, their promotional strategy and colourful, professional cassette inlays set them apart from their peers. The quality of the games themselves was more variable, but still good enough to propel them into the big leagues.
So in the order of the alphabet, here they are with my memories and thoughts from replaying them now:-
Ah, Diddums!
The Game: You play teddy bear who must escape from the toy box by collecting various coloured blocks that are strewn about. Out to stop you are several rival toys that sap your energy when they touch teddy.
What I thought then: I didn't like it. The graphics flickered badly and the game generally felt crude and unfinished. It was difficult to control and a generally unsatisfying experience.
What I think now: Unsurprisingly it hasn't got any better and I still don't like it. On the basis of this game, it's hard to see how, beyond the nice cover art and original concept, Imagine got their early reputation.
The Game: playing the Alchemist of the title, the player must solve several puzzles and escape the castle. You can perform the 'famous' Alchemistic trick of turning into an eagle.
What I thought then: I liked it - but it was too short. I remember spending some time working out what to do and how to manage the awkward flight of the eagle, but once I did, the game's small map (it only has a dozen or so screens) meant I completed it very quickly. Still, for the time it had excellent graphics and came in a gold cassette box! Wow!
What I think now: clunky and unplayable, time has not been kind to Alchemist, one of Imagine's early flagship titles.
The Game: there is no plot - it's just shoot, shoot, shoot.
What I thought then: Arcadia was Imagine's first release and I loved it. I can't remember how far I got into the game, but I enjoyed unbridled glee at seeing each new wave of attacking aliens (they varied from level to level). Only some more of the trademark flickery graphics let it down.
What I think now: It's still ok - basic, but playable, if only for a short blast.
BC Bill
The Game: Bash women over the head and drag them back to your cave. Much like Romford town centre on a Saturday night. The problem is, B.C. Bill has to feed them too...
What I thought then: Whilst BC Bill offered superficial entertainment with its method of seduction, there wasn't a lot more to it.
What I think now: It's still fun bashing heads, but only for a very VERY short time.
Cosmic Cruiser
The Game: When the evil Rallom Empire takes over a far-flung space station, it's upto you, the cosmic cruiser, to reclaim it in the name of Earth.
What I thought then: I quite liked this game back in 1985 despite it not having the best of reputations. I think I was just eager for any space-based shooting adventures, and despite the obscure, frustrating nature of the gameplay, I spent quite a lot of one school holiday playing it.
What I think now: I wished I hadn't played it again because now it's just an unplayable mess.
Jumping Jack
The Game: Written by Albert and Stuart Ball, Jumping Jack's task was to reveal the lines of a poem by - yes! - jumping up the screen to the top. Several floors lay in his way with rapidly moving holes appearing for him to jump through.
What I thought then: I played a lot of Jumping Jack as its simple concept appealed to me - and the game has that elusive one-more-go factor. It could be a tad frustrating; it was possible to fall all the way down from the top floor - but it was great fun.
What I think now: Being avery simple game means Jumping Jack is pretty much the same now as it was then. The benefit of a sped up emulator helps as well.
Molar Maul
The Game: In another original Imagine concept, the player controls a toothbrush and is tasked with keeping a whole mouth full of teeth free from plaque and decay. Bacteria frequently attack the teeth, accelerated by the appearance of a boiled sweet on the tongue.
What I thought then: I know this game has some fans, but personally I couldn't stand it. Whilst original, the idea sounded boring to me, and I admit I never really gave the game a chance.
What I think now: Molar Maul is boring and monotonous. A bit like brushing your teeth in real life, then.
The Game: Help the stereotypically Hispanic gardener fend off insects and other pests in order to keep his flowers and vegetables growing nicely.
What I thought then: this gardening simulator, for some strange reason, didn't interest me particularly back then...
What I think now: ...and it still doesn't now. Maybe in thirty years time...
The Game: Stonkers was a strategy game, but a graphically advanced and instantly playable one, an oddity at a time well before Command and Conquer. There are 2 ways to win: destroy all the enemy units or occupy the two enemy bases.
What I thought then: I had some tremendous battles against the computer and my father - it was an underrated strategy game albeit a simplistic one.
What I think now: Keeping all your units supplied and happy seems to occupy most of my time which is not much fun. I struggle to see what I liked about the game to be honest, but as an influence on many a modern strategy title, Stonkers' place in gaming history cannot be overestimated.
The Game: John Gibson's Zzoom had the player in control of a "ground skimmer" and charged with protecting a mass of endangered refugees. There were three distinct levels: air, tanks and sea.
What I thought then: I played Zzoom for ages back in the day and had great fun blasting tanks, planes, submarines and (very occasionally) refugees.
What I think now: Another one of those games where rose-tinted glasses provide an unrealistic expectation: Zzoom is now ever so boring given the amount of searching for enemy craft required and their seems little point to the game - especially as saving the refugees is not actually required to progress.
So ten games...what's the conclusion?
Good then, I'd still play them today: 2 (Jumping Jack, Arcadia)
Not as good as I remember: 5 (Alchemist, BC Bill, Cosmic Cruiser, Stonkers, Zzoom)
Didn't like it then/don't like it now: 3 (Ah Diddums, Molar Maul, Pedro)
Ironically, the two simplest games are the two I enjoyed playing the most again today. There's a message there, surely?


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Foodie-Inspired Stocking Stuffers
Looking for stocking stuffers/hostess gifts for that foodie friend in your life? Check out this short list of ideas. All of these have been tested, approved and highly recommended.
Admittedly, I originally bought this because it looks cool. BUT THEN I discovered it's by far the easiest to use, easiest to clean, garlic press around. I get them for everyone I know these days. They have fun colors in hard plastic, but I used mine so much that the plastic broke. I recommend going straight to the metal version. $10.00 – $18.00, depending on plastic vs metal.
Say goodbye to gross, water-logged sponges. Not only does everyone need one of these, but the cool factor is that you can shop for one at your local farmer's market and get one to match anyone's style and décor. If your farmer's market doesn't have a local artist, check out Etsy. They typically run $10.00- $20.00
It's one of those tools that you use enough that it's worth the spurge. This one in particular changed my life. The clutch: it has a little magnetic clamp to pull the lid off, so you don't even have to touch it. I discovered mine at Sur La Table a few years back. $20.00
Eggs, pancakes, cookies… all flip easier with a thin, silicone spatula. And it never hurts to have a few of these. There are many on the market, and fun colors, too! Check your local cooking store, or Amazon has a decent selection as well. $6.00-12.00.
The gourmet olive oil sprayer. Fine mist, easy pump, eco-friendly. Fun colors. Do people even use Pam anymore? Available pretty much everywhere.
Old Fashioned Ice Cream Scooper
Shopping for a foodie that "has everything"? Go with an old fashioned ice cream scooper. For two reasons: it's unique and fun to pick out (there are a ton on Etsy, all different and vintage-y). And, in my opinion, this is one kitchen tool that they just don't make like they used to. Typically $10.00 -$25.00
Yes, great for cheese (people rave about it as the best cutter for soft and hard cheeses). However, it made my list this year for my budding foodie daughter (alright, that's pushing it; I should say typical 4-year-old that likes to help mess up my kitchen while I cook). It cuts cheese, plus a lot of other things with its patented blade that is somehow super sharp yet made of some sort of silicone (or nylon?) so it does not cut little fingers. It's amazing. Plus, a kid chef would feel very "grown up" getting something like this in their stocking 😉 $15.00-$20.00
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Fix a javascript client for online game
Budget $10-50 USD
I have a javascript app for my online game that I need fixed to connect to the server again. The attached app is the latest version. In the last few lines of the [url removed, login to view] file there are three banner ads which should be randomly chosen, but for some reason all are displaying all the time...
16 freelancers are bidding on average $43 for this job
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Hi Dear Client, I have reviewed your job requirements for Expert expert App Developer. I would like to offer you my services for this job. My expertise include Java, Android and iPhone Development(Cordova/Pho More


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Night turned into day: Dazzling 'meteor' blazes across sky in Russian Urals (VIDEOS)
The glowing object was clearly visible from the city of Ekaterinburg in the Sverdlovsk region, as well as near-by towns and communities on Tuesday night, local media reported.
Several videos now being shared online show a bright flash, followed by a brief moment of daylight. "I thought it was a star, but it wasn't! As it fell it glowed red and yellow, and behind it there was a small trail that glittered from lilac to red, yellow and orange," eyewitness Aleksandr Bortstev said in describing the dazzling phenomenon to local news website E1. He said the flash lasted for about 6 or 7 seconds. Some witnesses claimed that they heard what sounded like explosions.
The people of the area are no strangers to such phenomena – this is the second spectacular meteor residents have witnessed in a week. On Saturday, a bright blue-and-white meteor traveled through the night sky of Sverdlovsk and the neighboring Chelyabinsk region. One of the witnesses described the speed of the meteor as "monstrous."
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!


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- Hardwood furniture is beautiful.The dramatic grain patterns give each piece a character of its own – a one-of-a-kind handmade work of art for your home. What's more, the use of hardwood creates opportunities for detail work and graceful forms that just aren't possible with pressed-wood furniture. A custom-built piece from Natural Living Furniture makes a statement about your sense of style, beauty and quality.
- You can believe in the materials.Wood doesn't lie. Sheesham is Sheesham. Cherry is Cherry. Particle board is a composite material made by compressing a mixture of ground-up scrap wood and resin glue, covered by wood-grained vinyl. Hard wood furniture is strong, honest, durable. Particle board furniture is cheap, susceptible to moisture and tends to fall apart if you move it more than once. Your purchase from Natural Living Furniture is built to last – not just for years, but for generations.
- You can believe in the construction.Many of our craftsmen are third and fourth generation wood workers from Rajasthan. Their use of time-honored joinery techniques such as dovetails, mortise & tenon and lock mitres give drawers, legs, shelves and doors strength and stability. What's even more important is their understanding of the movement of wood. The artisans who make Natural Living furniture build our furniture to accommodate changes as the wood expands and contracts through the seasonal changes. Our furniture is built to be strong, stable and last a long time.
- You can believe in the finish.Some finishes are used to hide the wood, or cover up particle board. We use finish to enhance the natural grain and give you a piece that is in harmony with your home décor. Our stains are applied to each component of your furniture before it's assembled. That's so you won't suddenly have an unfinished stripe appear in the winter, when the wood contracts. Our finish of choice is a conversion varnish. It will resist water marks and alcohol and look great with dry, or ever-so-slightly damp, dusting. (For our dressing tables, please note: nail polish remover is deadly to all finishes. You have been warned!)
- Hardwood furniture can be repaired, restored, even refinished.Life is full of unexpected bumps. If your hardwood furniture is scratched it can be repaired and the finish touched-up. If a door or drawer is broken we can make one that's identical to replace it. If your decorating palette changes, your furniture can be refinished to match your new style.
5a. What's more, if in five years you want another piece of furniture to match, we'll be able to make it for you. We don't have furniture "lines" that are discontinued after a few years. We make hand-crafted furniture one piece at a time. So if you decide to add a sofa table and want it to match the media cabinet you originally bought from us, we can do it.
- Making hardwood furniture is a Green process.The hardwood lumber that we use to manufacture our furniture grows in sustainably managed forests. Our wood is selectively harvested in small groups or as single trees to minimize the impact of the environment. Our manufacturing process is virtually waste-free. Bark becomes mulch; trimmings are processed into paper; slab wood from our sawmills is used to heat shops and homes; sawdust and moulder mill is used to bed livestock and horses; waste edgings and chips are reground for use in landscaping. In addition, all materials used in the handcrafting of Natural Living Furniture are formaldehyde-free, and all stains and finishes are low VOC.
- You can meet the person who made your furniture.Natural Living Furniture is not made by robots on assembly lines. Our furniture is made by a relatively small number of millworkers, builders and finishers. From time to time we have events and bring them to our store to meet our customers and talk about their techniques and craft. So it's not at all unusual for you to be able to meet the person who made your furniture… or who will be making it soon.
- You are part of the design process.The designs offered by Natural Living Furniture cover a wide range of styles and contemporary for dining, entertainment centers, beds, dressers, chests, cabinets and more. But for us, our standard designs are just the starting point. After the design has been selected, the customer chooses the size and other specifications. Most of the standard designs can be tailored to the customer's specifications – our pieces can be scaled up or down to fit a particular space in your home. Additionally, new design proposals can be discussed and drafted.
- Hardwood furniture is easy to care for.We believe hardwood furniture grows even more beautiful with age. But dust, dirt and grime can accumulate on any surface and can harm the wood's finish. Regular dusting with a clean, lint-free cloth will maintain a clean surface and protect the finish from dirt build-up. Occasional dusting with a cloth lightly dampened with a non-wax polish will help clean and restore the appearance of your furniture. You should avoid the use of ammonia-based products or silicone oils. Excessive or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, high temperatures or high humidity can cause damage to both the finish and the wood itself.
- You can believe in our warranty.We'll be happy to provide details about our warranty against defects and our policy for cancellation of custom orders at our store. Briefly, all Natural Living Furniture comes with a lifetime warranty on materials. We expect our furniture to last a lifetime. Go to any antique show and you'll see hardwood furniture that has not only survived for generations, but still looks beautiful. Hardwood lasts. Your custom-built, hand-crafted furniture from Ohio Hardwood Furniture will last a lifetime, and then some.


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Smallhythe Place
National Trust
Kent TN30 7NG
Smallhythe Place near Tenterden in south-east England is a picturesque early 16th century half-timbered house. For thirty years it was the home of the famous Victorian actress, Ellen Terry and is now a museum.
Dame Ellen Terry's own Theatrical Collection
On display is Dame Ellen's own wonderful theatrical collection as well as some of her fabulous costumes. Visitors can see such ephemera as the monocle worn by Sir Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert & Sullivan fame; a letter from Oscar Wilde begging Dame Ellen to accept a copy of his first play; a message from Sarah Bernhardt and a visiting card from Alexander Dumas. There are two walls devoted to mementoes of David Garrick and Sarah Siddons.
Dame Ellen's acting career lasted nearly seventy years. In 1878 she joined Sir Henry Irving's company at the Lyceum Theatre as his leading lady, and for more than twenty years she was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain.
It was in the late 1890s, on a visit with Henry Irving, that Ellen Terry first saw and fell in love with Smallhythe Place but she had to wait until 1899 before it came up for sale and she could acquire it. She lived in the house until her death in 1928.
In the 15th and 16th centuries Smallythe was a busy local shipyard. The house was built shortly after 1514 as an office for the local Harbour Master. It is a timber framed house of a continuous jetty style built with two-storey accommodation using green oak cut from the local forest. There are carved spandrels in the fine doorways but the interior shows none of the ostentatious moulding and crown-posts that were a sign of a well-to-do owner. The roof is of crown post construction and tiled.
Smallhythe's shipbuilding heritage is the subject of a fascinating exhibition.
Delightful Rose Garden and Barn Theatre
The grounds surrounding Smallhythe Place include Dame Ellen's delightful rose garden, orchard, nuttery and the working Barn Theatre. Visitors are welcome to walk to the top garden, sit in the gazebo and see the old well and rose arch.
Nearby Attractions
Whilst in Smallhythe, why not also visit Tenterden Vineyard Park, South of England Rare Breeds Centre, Woodchurch Village Life Museum and Woodchurch Windmill.
A number of varied events are held at Smallhythe Place including children's theatre, Web: Events at Smallhythe Place External Link
The popular Smallhythe Music and Beer Festival is held in September.
Plan Your Visit
Accommodation - Search & Book through Booking.com here: External Link
Opening Times
End of February to end of October.
For up to date details visit the Smallhythe Place National Trust website, link below.
Admission Price
National Trust members free
For up to date prices visit the Smallhythe Place National Trust website, link below.
Disabled Access
- Building Access:
2 steps to entrance, ramp available. Ground floor has steps, uneven floors. Stairs to other floors. There is a photo album showing the upstairs rooms for those unable to ascend the stairs.
- Grounds Access:
Partly accessible, slopes, uneven and grass paths, undulating terrain. There is a Map of an accessible route.
Braille Guide is available.
Unique open-air theatre, indoor plays and music in the Barn Theatre. Family fun days, including children's theatre.
Local ale and cider are sold at the Barn Theatre Café but other refreshments are not available. These can be obtained from the Grapevine Café at Tenterden Vineyard Park just a 3 minute walk from Smallhythe Place.
Picturesque spot in the garden, away from the house, available for picknickers.
Accommodation - Search & Book through Agoda here: External Link
Contact & Further Information
+44 (0)1580 762 334
National Trust/ Smallhythe Place External Link
Getting There
- By Road
- Parking
Free (not National Trust), 50 yards (45 metres).
Coaches park at Chapel Down Winery, 500 yards (457 metres)
- Public Transport
By Mainline Rail Web: National Rail
Rye 8 miles (13 km)
Appledore 8 miles (13 km)
Headcorn 10 miles (16 km)
Bus service
Google Maps - Smallhythe Place


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I have spent the last three months photographing Hurricane Sandy aftermath as much as I can. Below I posted one photo from each day I went out to cover it: Click here to find out how you can help with Hurricane Sandy relief.Read More
Idle No More – Border Blockade
Today I marched with about 1,000 other people across the Seaway International Bridge from the U.S. to Canada as a part of the Idle No More movement in order to block traffic between the two countries. Click here to find out more about Idle No More. Below are some of my photos: I do also…Read More


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Creek + WordPress
Three years ago, we set out to help small radio stations by creating an easy and flexible radio platform. Now, to bring Creek to more stations, we're building tools to integrate Creek with any website platform.
So today, we're announcing Creek's WordPress plugin, along with a closed beta for this project. We need stations to test it!
This plugin adds all of the benefits of Creek to any new or existing WordPress website:
- Presenting your radio content in a clean, modern way.
- Eliminating hundreds of hours of difficult set-up work.
- Building listenership — on all devices, even iPhone and Android.
- ...and just making radio more fun!
Plus, maybe the best part: Starting with this project, we're building a radio website community — people helping each other build better radio websites. We want the websites of small radio stations to be competitive with bigger media outlets, so that their voices are heard. Join us to get notified when we open the doors on this community.
Anyway! Here's what we managed to squeeze into this plugin:
Audio player
- Creek's persistent audio player is integrated nicely with your website. No pop-up player!
- Plays continuously while listeners browse your website. No interruptions!
- Stream on any device: laptop, tablet, or mobile. Directly inside your web browser!
Shows and schedules
- Complete with individual show pages, DJ profile pages, and air times.
- Don't let great content get hidden! Make discovering shows easy for your listeners.
- Nicely formatted calendar and printable too!
Show archiver
- Automatically record your shows and upload them to your website.
- Your listeners will never miss a show again.
- Bonus: audio plays through our persistent player.
- We're rolling this out later in the beta period.
Closed Beta
We are testing this WordPress platform in a closed beta with limited slots. Head over to our sign-up page to get on the access list!
If we select your station to participate, you will be able to use Creek for free during our beta period. All we ask is for feedback, and that you let us know of any glitches that you find.
The Creek project + WordPress
We are committed to building the best tools to help radio stations, podcasters, and DJ communities create better listener experiences. We want stations to spend more time creating amazingly creative shows, rather than poking around for hours in obscure software settings.
Our team has been building radio tools since 2010, working with 24+ stations, gathering feedback and building Creek into a stronger, more versatile platform. However, this WordPress plugin been our most exciting project yet, since it lets anybody start using Creek and building a great radio website in minutes.
If you already have a WordPress website — great! You'll be able to install this plugin and get started right away.
Help is on the way
We've also created dozens of tutorials, walk-through videos, and how-to resources.
We show you how to:
- Set up a streaming server (Icecast)
- Add your own file storage (Amazon S3)
- Connect Creek with automation software like RadioDJ, StationPlaylist, Simian, MegaSeg.
- …the list goes on for a while — just hop over to our help articles to see everything.
Get on the list
Testing for the closed beta is available at no cost. Pricing and announcements on the way. Sign up now for access to the closed beta!
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Engel Schmidl listened to four hours of the 100 Greatest Australian Singles of the 1960s in one sitting and nearly lost his groovy mind!
There's that scene in Boogie Nights where Dirk, Reed and Todd go to the house of the drug dealer played by Alfred Molina, and they're trying to score coke, all the while the drug dealer's teenage boyfriend is letting off firecrackers, in the house, but Todd has other grand ideas, and before long there's a shootout and Todd gets shot in the gut, while Dirk and Reed make off and live to score another day.
The scene starts off with Rick Springfield's monster, US chart-topping 1981 hit Jessie's Girl as the soundtrack. It's the Rick Springfield song pretty much anyone who listened to radio in the 1980s knows. The song launched a showbiz career for Springfield in the US that continues to this day, with the Sydney-born musician/actor even appearing in True Detective as recurring character Dr Irving Pitlor.
Springfield was a member of Australian band Zoot between 1969 and 1971, in the band's third lineup, along with Darryl Cotton, Beeb Birtles, and Rick Brewer. Cotton was a fine singer who a lot of people of a certain age probably remember better as a children's TV show host, mucking about with Marty Monster on Saturday mornings. Beeb Birtles went on to bigger musical fame in perhaps Australia's greatest yacht rock band, Little River Band (Air Supply fans might debate this contention). And Rick Brewer went on to play drums in various bands throughout the 1970s.
Which is a sort of roundabout way of telling you that Zoot is the band that leads off the new 4CD set, complete with companion book, titled 100 Greatest Australian Singles of the '60s, and that there are plenty of these pop culture nooks and crannies sprinkled throughout this 100-song collection.
Again, many people of a certain age probably remember Johnny Young as host of the long-running TV kids' talent show Young Talent Time. People of a slightly older certain age probably have fond memories of Johnny Young as an actual pop star. My experience of Young as YTT host never led me to ever think I would be cranking the volume up on one of his songs, the infectiously groovy Mersey beat tune Step Back, written by the Easybeats team of Stevie Wright and George Young. It's just one of the gems handpicked by music industry veterans David Pepperell and Colin Talbot.
Pepperell tells Daily Review the idea for the book and 4CD box set has been germinating for a while, but the pair had to slowly whittle down an initial selection of about 350 songs to the final hundred.
"The original idea was to do the best 100 Australian singles ever but that was quite obviously impossible, so then I thought maybe we could do the period 1955-80 but again we found that impossible to do so we narrowed it down to the '60s for a number of reasons," Pepperell says.
"We started with 350… we listened to everything and sometimes things were on the list and we'd go back and listen to it and think it's not as good as we had remembered, so it would be off the list."
Pepperell says the choice of songs for the project was a matter of subjective taste and debate between him and Talbot, with songs that had an indefinable quality about them getting the nod over pure chart position.
"The main criteria for a record to be in the book [and CD box set] was it had to be kind of special and unique. It had to have something that was memorable about it, whether it was a big hit or not. Lots of them were hits, but it didn't really matter (if they weren't big hits). We really wanted records that you would remember after you heard it."
Pepperell and Talbot have selected a decent number of big names –The Seekers, Masters Apprentices, Easybeats, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, and even Johnny O'Keefe — but they've also plucked out a fair share of tunes that might be less familiar to anyone who wasn't listening to Australian pop radio in the '60s, as well as some even more obscure material.
A joyous piece of time capsule silliness is the Rob E.G. single 55 Days at Peking, the theme song to a film of the same name from 1963, which showcases the excellent twangy guitar playing of Robbie Porter (Rob E.G.) that brings to mind popular guitar slingers of the time like Hank Marvin and Duane Eddy, all set to a Dimitri Tiomkin tune.
A lot of the material is also reflective of the Australian pop music scene as a sort of refractive and reflective regional outpost of both the UK and US pop scenes. The Anglophile bent of bands like the Easybeats is countered by the California dreaming of Axiom's groovy anti-war song Arkansas Grass. The Easybeats would attempt to replicate their success Down Under with several stints in the UK, while Axiom, considered a "supergroup" of the Australian scene at the time, would eventually see both Brian Cadd and Glenn Shorrock spin-off into successful careers in the US — Shorrock hooking up with Zoot's Beeb Birtles in Little River Band.
Pepperell says the hundred songs featured is a sampling of most of the pop music genres of the time, from the baroque pop of Procession's acapella Anthem, which has a touch of the Zombies and some Harper's Bizarre weirdness about it, to the bouzouki-inspired surfarama of The Atlantics' Bombora.
"How they get that sound on Bombora is because the lead guitarist learnt to play a stringed instrument on a bouzouki. So he's really playing bouzouki-style on a Fender Telecaster. Bouzouki players learnt to pick really fast and you hear that in his playing," Pepperell explains.
"There was a huge diversity of music in the '60s. There's instrumental tracks in the songs we picked, soppy ballads to real garage rockers moving into psychedelic once you get to Elevator Driver and stuff by the Masters (Apprentices), so there was a real gamut of music. The early '60s, the short back and sides grease-back boys were still going. Lonnie Lee and Lucky Starr, Johnny O'Keefe are all in the book because they were still having hits in the early '60s."
For anyone who didn't grow up with the music of the 1960s, some of the styles might seem a little antiquated. Not all the songs included have necessarily aged that well. But you can still hear the craft and energy that made these songs great tunes 50 or so years ago.
I've never been especially fond of the Anglican church fete wholesomeness of The Seekers, but must say that their stuff holds up incredibly well — there's a purity of sound and intention that just still rings true. The inclusion of other well-known acts, such as the Bee Gees, represented by Spicks and Specks, and Russell Morris's trippy opus The Real Thing serve to remind just how good '60s pop can still sound.
Pepperell says while songs like The Real Thing, Friday on My Mind, and Spicks and Specks pretty much picked themselves, he did have to go into bat for some lesser known songs.
"The record I really fought for the most was The News doing SOS. It's a very interesting record written by Edwin Starr, so it's a Motown cover. The News didn't last for very long, the record should've been a hit but I think it came up against something that was a lot bigger at EMI at the time, so it got lost in the wash. It's probably the best Motown cover I've ever heard. If you listen to that record, it just jumps out of the transistor at you, it's a killer."
Sixties pop music may have been curated, documented and valorised to death by the Baby Boomer desire to return to the magic bus carpet ride days of peace, love and understanding, but 100 Greatest Australian Singles of the '60s gives us a fresh take on the contribution of Australian artists to the pop music of the decade.
David Pepperell and Colin Talbot's book 100 Greatest Australian Singles of the '60s is published by Melbourne Books and the 4CD box set is a Warner/Festival Records release.


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text: Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82, college: Washington St.) of Turow gave recently an interview to www.ulebcup.com :"I know I have a lot of support behind me. A few of my college games were broadcast in Eritrea," Kelati told ULEBCup.com. "I just hope I inspire some of the younger generations and hopefully maybe in a few years you will see more Eritrean players involved in the sport of basketball." Check the whole interview at:


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- Short Report
- Open Access
Evaluation of the Acute Flacid Paralysis (AFP) Surveillance System in Bikita District Masvingo Province 2010
- Kufakwanguzvarova W Pomerai1Email author,
- Robert F Mudyiradima2,
- Mfuta Tshimanga1 and
- Mary Muchekeza1
© Pomerai et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Received: 9 January 2013
- Accepted: 3 April 2014
- Published: 18 April 2014
AFP is a rare syndrome and serves as a proxy for poliomyelitis. The main objective of AFP surveillance is to detect circulating wild polio virus and provide data for developing effective prevention and control strategies as well planning and decision making. Bikita district failed to detect a case for the past two years.
A total of 31 health workers from 14 health centres were interviewed. Health worker knowledge on AFP was low in Bikita. The system was acceptable, flexible, and representative but not stable and not sensitive since it missed1 AFP case. The system was not useful to the district since data collected was not locally used in anyway. The cost of running the system was high. The district had no adequate resources to run the system. Reasons for not reporting cases was that the mothers were not bringing children with AFP and ignorance of health workers on syndromes captured under AFP.
Health worker's knowledge on AFP was low and all interviewed workers needed training surveillance. The system was found to be flexible but unacceptable. Reasons for failure to detect AFP cases could be, no cases reporting to the centres, lack of knowledge on health workers hence failure to recognise symptoms, high staff turnover.
- Acute flacid paralysis
- Surveillance
- Bikita
Surveillance is defined as ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and the distribution to those who need to know [1]. This means the dissemination of information that results from properly executed surveillance to those who plan public health programmes, to those who develop local, regional, national and international policies, to those who implement intervention and carry out public health action, to the public who need to have information in order to evaluate public health practice, and to those who need the information for personal action for their health and well being [1]. Surveillance whether active or passive is a dynamic process. It is fundamental to public health decision making and subsequent action. Many factors can change and as a dynamic process surveillance often needs adjustments. Evaluation of surveillance is advisable on a cyclic basis and should be done objectively. No single surveillance is perfect but a combination of approaches work best [1].
- a)
Timeliness and completeness of reporting, at least 80% of expected routine weekly AFP surveillance reports should be received on time, this has to include zero reporting where no AFP cases are experienced. Representativeness has to be considered on the distribution of reporting centers in terms of geographical and demographical characteristics of the country or district.
- b)
Completeness of case investigation, all AFP cases should have a complete clinical and virological investigation and at least 80% AFP cases having two adequate stool specimens (24–48 hours apart) these are collected for enterovirus studies within fourteen days of onset of symptoms.
- c)
Laboratory performance, all virological studies on AFP cases must be done in a laboratory certified by the Global Poliomyelitis Laboratory Network(GPLN).
- d)
Sensitivity of surveillance, at least one case of non polio AFP should be detected annually per 100 000 population under the age of fifteen years.
- e)
Completeness of follow up, at least 80% of AFP cases should have a follow up examination for residual paralysis at 60 days after the onset of paralysis [3].
AFP surveillance in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe and other African countries adopted the polio eradication initiative of the WHO at the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation Meeting Held in Windhoek, Namibia 2004. They adopted the following targets in their AFP surveillance as a way towards attaining polio free certification.
An AFP detection rate of at least two cases for every 100 000 children below the age of fifteen tears. This was done so as to increase the index of suspicion and hence increase chance of detecting AFP towards eradication.
There should be at least 90% stool adequacy for all samples of suspected AFP cases. These should be sent to the National Virology laboratory. The requirements are two specimens per case. The specimens should be 24 hours apart, and should be collected within 14 days of onset of paralysis. The specimen should be kept at temperatures of between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius and arrive at the laboratory within 72 hours of collection [4].
There was a AFP surveillance improvement in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2003 with a consistent detection rate of 80% and above. There was also a stool adequacy improvement from 78 to 83% by end of 2003. There was a decline of the indicators from 2004 onwards [5]. In 2011 the Ministry of Health EPI report reported that the country was failing to meet their target since 2004 [5].
Objectives of the surveillance system
- 1.
To provide information to guide the development of appropriate strategies towards eradication of polio.
- 2.
To identify areas of transmission of Poliovirus.
- 3.
To investigate all cases of AFP and prove absence of wild polio virus in the country.
- 4.
To measure the impact of intervention such as routine immunization and supplementary immunization activities against polio.
- 1.
Polio virus found in stool specimen of the case or contact.
- 2.
Death, especially 10 days after onset of symptoms and if difficulty in breathing was reported by the deceased.
- 3.
Presence of residual paralysis after 60 days of symptoms and
- 4.
Patient lost to follow up.
There is great need for 60 day follow up because, if it is not done it may result in misdiagnosis of a false positive case to be a positive case. All cases of AFP cases must be notified, correct case investigation forms filled accurately and properly for surveillance purposes and also adequate stool specimen taken for virological tests.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) "Acute flaccid Paralysis (AFP) detection rate of two per 100 000 children under 15 years and stool adequacy rate of at least 80% and above" is required for a good surveillance system. The country is looking forward to be certified polio free by WHO, and failure by Bikita district (<15 yr population 102000) to detect at least 2 cases per year since 2007 is very disturbing, may lead to the country's failure to be certified polio free and lead to so many undetected cases of polio in the community. It is against this background i intent to evaluate the surveillance system of Bikita
Materials and methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Bikita district (worst performing district) of Masvingo province. Fourteen of the twenty two clinics randomly selected using the lottery method where each centre was assigned a number and the numbers put in a box, the numbers where then pick after shuffling until 14 clinics were picked and four of the five hospitals were purposively selected. Health workers involved in the system were conveniently sampled (those on duty at the selected centres) and interviewed. A total of 31 health workers who were found on duty were recruited into the study. The District Nursing Officer (DNO), Health Information Clerk (HIC), District Environmental Health Officer(DEHO) and the District Medical Officer (DMO) were interviewed as key informants.
A pre tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from health workers to determine their knowledge on the operations and usefulness of the surveillance system. Cost of running the surveillance system was done by listing all the resources required to run the surveillance system and then these resources were costed as per the prevailing price(in US Dollars) as reported by purchasing department in Bikita district. A checklist was used to assess the system's stability resources available for use in the surveillance system. Records of patients 0–14 years who were admitted at the hospital were reviewed to check on how many AFP cases were seen how many were captured by the surveillance system and how many were missed. Epi info was used to calculate proportions and measures medians.
Permission to carry out the study was obtained from the, Medical research Council of Zimbabwe, Health Studies Office, PMD Masvingo and DMO Bikita. Written consent was obtained from all study participants. Confidentiality was assured and maintained throughout the study.
Demographic characteristics of health workers in Bikita district 2010
Years in service
Median years in service = 16 (Q1 = 14,Q3 = 20)
Age in years
Median age in years 36 (Q1 = 28,Q3 = 46)
Sister in Charge
General Nurse
Primary Care Nurse
Lab tech/Scientist
Health Inspector
Knowledge of AFP surveillance by health workers; Bikita district 2010
AFP acronym
Number of forms to be filled
Target population
Where to sent forms
Specimen collected
Number of specimen taken
Times specimen collected
Temperature at which specimen transported
Time within specimen should reach National laboratory
Time required to completely notify and investigate AFP case
When to follow up a case
Despite the fact that the system did not detect cases in the past two years (2008 & 2009), the DMO, DNO, DEHO and 96% of the health workers reported the system to be useful. Only two participants mentioned that they did not know whether the system was useful or not. Meetings were not held in the district with only three health workers reporting having held meeting though the minutes were not seen, in addition there was no local use of AFP surveillance data. However only 1 centre reported that they use the data to do awareness campaigns.
Of the 31 health workers we interviewed only two (6.7%) had filled in a AFP case notification form. For those two who filled the AFP notification forms both reported taking less than 20 minutes to fill the forms and that the forms are not difficulty to fill. However 31(100%) felt they need to be trained in filling the AFP surveillance forms.
Out the 31 health worker we interviewed 30(96.8%) felt that it was their duty to filling AFP notification forms, and 30(96,8%) also felt they are still willing to continue with the duty of filling AFP surveillance forms.
Out of the 31 participant in the study only two (6.5%) reported having AFP notification forms at their health centres, none of the participants were trained in AFP/EPI surveillance, 31(100%) reported using personal cell phone to contact the district office. On transportation of specimen 14(45.2%) reported using hospital vehicle the rest use public transport. Only two centres had a functional telephone.
All the 31(100%) respondents reported that the AFP notifying forms were flexible since they have space for other conditions.
Majority of the centres were rural health centres with the exception of the two mission hospital. There are no private clinic or hospital in the district.
Data quality
Since there were no forms that were filled, data quality assessment was not done.
In 2008 and 2009 the system failed to detect any case so timeliness was not measured.
Reviewed records of inpatients for the under 15 years 1 case was found at a mission hospital. Therefore the system was not sensitive.
Anticipated cost of operating the AFP surveillance system in Bikita district Masvingo Province 2010
Calculation unit cost in USD
Total cost US dollars
Printing and stationery
15 for 22 health facilities per month × 12
Repairs and maintenance
1000 telephones and two way radio communication
Sending forms to the next level
6 per RHC/per month × 12
Training and workshop
50×60 ×1 workshop per year
Vehicle maintenance
200×3 times per years
Support and supervision
Total cost
All the health workers reported that no AFP cases occurred during the period under review that's why they never reported the cases. On the other hand 10(32.2%) reported that mothers in the community were not bringing their children with AFP to the clinic, furthermore 19(61%) reported that they were not aware of syndromes under AFP.
The study revealed that knowledge of AFP surveillance system operations were low in Bikita district except on four areas,the AFP acronym (93.5%), type of specimen to be collected (90.3%) and where to sent notification forms (83.9%) and temperature at which specimen is transported (87.1%). Such low knowledge of a vital surveillance system like AFP surveillance is detrimental to public health and this might be attributed to the poor performance of the surveillance system in Bikita.
Reasons for not detecting AFP cases in Bikita district 2010
Frequency n = 31
Mothers not bringing their children with AFP
No AFP cases occurred in the catchment area
Not aware of syndromes classified under AFP
Thirty (96.8%) of the health workers we interviewed in Bikita reported that they felt that both filling notification was their duty and they wanted to continue filling the forms. They however reported need for training and all the 31(100%) mentioned that they need training for them to accurately fill the forms. Willingness of health worker to participate in surveillance is crucial/key in AFP surveillance. This finding is consistent with findings by results of a hospital based study in Shadong, China in which they indicated that improved surveillance requires cooperation of the hospital workers since it is the first port of call for all patients [9].
Only two (6.7%) of the health workers had filled an AFP notification form before and they both felt it was simple and would take less than 20 minutes filling the forms. This contradicts findings by Chimamise et al. 2009 in their AFP surveillance study in Mberengwa district Midlands province where they report that eight health workers who had ever filled an AFP notification form reported filling the forms as time consuming [10]. This might be due to difference in attitudes of health workers. However all health workers felt they needed training and this may affect the running of the system because the health workers feel it is not easy similar findings were also reported by Chimamise et al. 2009 [10].
The participants reported that AFP forms are flexible since they have a space to capture other health problems the AFP case patient may have that are not related to AFP.
None of the study participants were trained in AFP surveillance or even EPI surveillance in Bikita district, The DNO attributes this to the high staff turnover that took place from 2007 to 2009 and some members who were trained left for greener pastures. Another problem that threatened stability of the system was lack of transport and telephones for communication with district office. Majority of health worker use public transport for surveillance purposes 17(54%) of the participants use public transport to sent forms to next level, while 31(100%) reported using telephones but they are using personal cell phones this may prevent them from calling since they do not het airtime. Those who once used public transport to submit T5 forms (forms that summarise all conditions reported at a health facility every month) reported that they were not reimbursed their bus fares and are no longer willing to continue this practice, this will affect the stability of the system even though they are willing to continue with surveillance.
On representativeness we found out that the system was representative since missions, councils and government health centres were participating or involved in surveillance. There are no private clinics or hospital in Bikita
According to the WHO a sensitive AFP surveillance system is one that is able to detect at least 1 case of AFP per 100 000 children under 15 years per year [5, 11–13]. Zimbabwe however set a higher standard of two cases per year in the same age group. The system in Bikita is therefore not sensitive similar findings were reported by Chimamise et al. 2009 in AFP surveillance study in Mberengwa were they found out that the system was not sensitive [10].
All study participants reported that the system was useful to the district although they are not holding meetings and use data locally for public health action or continuous improvement (Total Quality Management), they are just gathering data and storing in files and no use is made of the data, this will lead to poor planning of public health activities and actions. No feedback is given to the reporting centres from the district or province. Feedback helps reporting centres know their performance and even other centre' performances and brings about competition and motivation. The non use of surveillance data for public health action leads to actions that are not evidence based and waste of resources and time.
The cost of running the system is very high given the country's economy and there is need for partnership in AFP surveillance. The CDC states that in 2003 98 million dollars was provided and 47 million was used for surveillance purposes [12] this shows how crucial surveillance is for polio eradication.
- i)
The District Health Executive (DHE) to train all health workers on AFP surveillance and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR).
- ii)
DMO/PMD to source resources needed for EPI.
- iii)
DHE to ensure motorized Environmental Health Technician (EHT) assist in reaching hard to reach population.
- iv)
All should clinics to hold surveillance meetings and use data for public health action at local level.
- v)
Involve community in AFP surveillance.
Authors' Affiliations
- Losos JZ: Routine and sentinel surveillance methodes. East Mediterr Health J. 1996, 2 (1): 46-50.Google Scholar
- WHO: Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance: the surveillance strategy for poliomyelitis eradication. Weekly epidemiological record No. 16. 1998, Geneva: WHO, 113-120.Google Scholar
- De Quadros CA: Strategies for disease control/eradication in the Americas. Vaccination and World Health. Edited by: Cutts FT, Smith PG. 1994, West Sussex: Wiley and Sons, 17-34.Google Scholar
- The National Polio Expert Committee: NPEC report. 2005, Zimbabwe, (Unpublished)Google Scholar
- Government of Zimbabwe: Ministry of health and child welfare. Expanded program on immunisation report 2011. 2011Google Scholar
- Durrheim ND, Harris BN, Ogunbanjo GA: Polio eradication-the validity of surveillance indicators. Eur J: Trop Med Int Health. 2003, 8 (5): 386-391. 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2003.01048.x.Google Scholar
- Ndiaye SM: The value of community participation in disease surveillance. 2003, Niger,http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12746380,Google Scholar
- Varughese P: Acute flaccid paralysis. Canadian paediatric society. 1999–2005, Canada,http://www.docstoc.com/docs/48034774/Acute-Flaccid-Paralysis,Google Scholar
- Chiba Y, Xu A, Li LI: Poliomyelitis surveillance in Shadong Province, China, 1990–1992. 1994, Bulletin of the World Health Organization number 72, 915-920.Google Scholar
- Chimamise A, Chadambuka A, Chimusoro A: Analysis of the acute flacid paralysis surveillance system in Mberengwa District, Midlands Province. 2009, (unpublished)Google Scholar
- WHO: Recommended standards for surveillance of selected vaccine-preventable diseases. 1998, GenevaGoogle Scholar
- CDC MMWR: International notes on emerging polio-free zone- Southern Africa. 1994, http://www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm accessed on 09/10/2010Google Scholar
- World Health Organization: Global polio eradication initiative strategic plan. WHO: CDC and UNICEFGoogle Scholar
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.


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Sunderland are expected to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon in the coming days, according to The Journal.
Sunderland are reportedly set to hold talks with the Romanian international this week and believe they can convince him to join the Black Cats.
They have already been active this summer after bringing in Jordi Gomez and fullback Billy Jones, and manager Gus Poyet wants to bolster his squad with players who have Premier League experience while staying within a budget.
WANT MORE? >> Sunderland transfer news | Man City transfer news
Sunderland fans can expect to see a very different side next season, with attackers Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson two of the bigger names that could move on.
But any overhaul that Poyet hopes to accomplish will have to be done at a relatively small price, as club owner Ellis Short wants to keep the wage level remain near its current level.
Two of Sunderland's most desirable targets are Fabio Borini and Ashley Williams, although deals for both players are expected to be a long way from becoming a reality.
Pantilimon, 27, is expected to be announced as a Sunderland player sometime later this week and will battle with Vito Mannone for the number one jersey.


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Ahead of the Berlin IFA Conference starting on September 5th, Samsung has announced their next smartwatch. The Samsung Gear S smartwatch features a curved Super AMOLED display, and has built-in Wi-Fi and cellular 3G radio for optional data connectivity without needing a paired smartphone providing internet access.
The Gear S brings together a number of features from Samsung's previous generation of smartwatches. The styling and wristband matches the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo look, while the curved display echoes that of the Gear Fit.
Also echoing the Gear 2 is the operating system. The Gear S runs on Tizen, just as the Gear 2 range did. Samsung is still working with Google and Android Wear (as witnessed by the Gear Live released at Gogole I/O, and presumably a new Android Wear device will be announced at IFA) but by using Tizen, the company is looking to be as independent as possible.
It will be interesting to see how much slack Google continue to offer Samsung if the South Korean company does not show an ongoing commitment to Android Wear alongside the Tizen powered wearables.
The Gear S is an iteration on Samsung's smartwatch styling with echoes right back to Samsung's first smartwatch. At first glance, with the traditional hour/minute hands on display, it's the most watch-like smartwatch that Samsung has put on sale.
Of course we have to remember that these are press images, and would have been chosen to give the best context to the watch. How it looks in the real world remains to be seen. The wrist strap looks similar to that of the Gear 2 watches, and while the curved Super AMOLED screen will create a more watch-like feel, how the interface works with the bulk of a two-inch screen (running 360x480 pixels) will need to wait until the press get some hands-on time with the smartwatch.
We'll also have to wait to see how the untethered 3G and Wifi connectivity will work alongside the familiar bluetooth connectivity used by previous Samsung smartwatches. The company's press release talks about 3G connectivity, but does not mention how this is achieved. Presumably you're going to need another SIM card to give the handset data access via a cellular network. That might be fine in markets with a strong (and cheap) pay as you go ethos, but it would incur a regular payment for the Gear S to remain connected when it is out of range of your smartphone.
The Gear S is expected to go on sale globally in October 2014, and Samsung offered no indication on pricing.


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Subscribe To Why Key and Peele Might Not Appear In Their Own Police Academy Reboot Updates
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Comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have been winning critical praise and fan devotion with their satirical sketch comedy show Key & Peele. Now they've set their sites on Hollywood with a slate of film projects, including a Police Academy reboot. But with their skills of seamlessly taking on a wide array of roles, why are these two insanely funny men saying they may not appear in the reboot of the crime comedy? They fear they may pull focus.
Speaking to EW while serving as guest editors, Key and Peele were up front about their aims for Police Academy. Jordan Peele explained:
"When we start working with the script and seeing it, we'll make the decision (of whether or not to join the cast). Is Key and Peele a distraction from Police Academy? We'll figure it out. Either way, we'll make the best call for the movie."
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were first tied to the project in April, when New Line Cinema asked the droll duo to produce Police Academy's reboot. At the time the script was being penned by The Break-Up's Jeremy Garelick. However, Key and Peele told EW that they've since put Ike Barinholtz and Dave Stassen--who Peele describes as "brilliant, funny men"--on revisions. It's suggested that roles that would suit Key & Peele's stars are in the script, but for now we'll have to wait to see if they'll take them.
We already know Key could play a solid update/parody of Michael Winslow's sound effect spewing Larvell Jones. All thanks to the "Kings of Mouth Noise" sketch!
But Police Academy isn't the only iron Key and Peele have in the fire. Last November, Judd Apatow saw the potential of this pair and offered to produce a vehicle for them with Universal Pictures. No details were released on the pitch of that project, but apparently that one is already dead. "We're starting at step one again with that," Keegan-Michael Key admits. "There was an idea with Judd, [but] we're not doing that idea anymore. Now we're going to start from ground zero and start all over again."
With the wild cast of characters they've unleashed on Key & Peele, it's anyone's guess what the movie might be about. But since then a breakout character on the series has earned his own development deal. Key told EW that two writers have been tasked with drafting a script for his substitute teacher character, Mr. Garvey, who chronically mispronounces students' names and distrusts every last one of them. (I'm looking at you A-Aron!)
But that's not the least of their ambitions. Peele also admitted he's hoping to direct a straight-up horror movie for Darko Entertainment, pulling inspiration from such domestic thrillers as Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives. Of course, Key & Peele have tackled horror too…
Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows
There's just no end to their talents.


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First thing's first. We must learn not to take ourselves too seriously. You know… pull the shade some on the ego.
Generally, and this varies from personality to personality, having to publicly remove your foot (or feet) out of your mouth can be humiliating. However, realizing that everyone makes mistakes is what makes it easier to not flush as badly. And yes, I'm purposely skewing up the grammar. The point is, you could even wend up becoming a pro at this sort of thing too.
Just imagine, for humor's sake, like who in the jell knows everything? Do you want to be that person? Who knows e-v-e-r-y-f-r-e-a-k-i-n-g-b-l-a-s-t-e-d-t-h-i-n-g? Do you really aspire to be known as a know-it-all?
Resist the inclination to make excuses, get angry, or argue, trying to soften how wrong you were. [INSERT: This in no way is to be construed with loving a good debate. Debating has nothing to do with proving oneself right or wrong. Good healthy debates comes with the writer/writing territory. More on that in another post.]
Back on topic. Instead of extending the embarrassment by making excuses, getting angry or arguing a point where you clearly know you are wrong, simply smile, or chuckle, and wipe the sweat off your forehead realizing how close you came to be viewed as a know-it-all.
Short True Story…
One day my son came home telling me he needed a scientific calculator. Back then the calculator cost over $100, more than I wanted to afford, particularly when I believed it was ridiculous that a child in high school would need an apparatus that expensive for class. In my day our parents didn't have to buy equipment that expensive. We learned to do complicated math using our head, hands and a pencil with an eraser on a piece of paper. What in the devil was the world coming to?
So I told my son he didn't need a calculator, and to my chagrin proceeded to show him how adept I was at solving basic math problems, the root of all math…I added… without a scientific calculator.
"Now, check that with your regular calculator," I told him, showing him my swift hand and pencil math computations once I was done.
He did check his regular calculator…and guess what? Yep, I forgot to carry a one and had to pull, not only my foot out of my mouth, but my wallet out of my purse to buy that darn scientific calculator. Man! Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!


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Haslam's Tennessee Plan would expand health coverage
The Tennessean, December 15, 2014
In a major policy move, Gov. Bill Haslam has announced the new Insure Tennessee plan, a two-year pilot program that would provide health care coverage to tens of thousands of Tennesseans who currently don't have access to health insurance or have limited options.
The plan would be leveraged with federal dollars, said Haslam, who has been working for more than a year on a Medicaid expansion plan that could gain approval from both federal officials and the Republican-dominated state legislature.
"We made the decision in Tennessee nearly two years ago not to expand traditional Medicaid," Haslam said. "This is an alternative approach that forges a different path and is a unique Tennessee solution. Our approach is responsible and reasonable, and I truly believe that it can be a catalyst to fundamentally changing health care in Tennessee," Haslam said.
Haslam said he plans to call a special session in January focused on the new Medicaid expansion plan.
Five key areas of the governor's plan include:
A fiscally sound and sustainable program;
Providing two new private market choices for Tennesseans;
Shifting the delivery model and payment of health care in Tennessee from fee-for-service to outcome-based;
Incentivizing Tennesseans to be more engaged and to take more personal responsibility in their health;
Preparing participants for eventual transition to commercial health coverage.
Halsam said the program will not create any new taxes for Tennesseans and will not add any additional cost to the state budget. The Tennessee Hospital Association has committed that the industry will cover any additional expenses created by the plan, he said.


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Ranges are available for men, women, children, babies and toddlers. We have a great range of swimmers, goggles, caps and all swimming accessories.
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All Oasis members, Swim and Survive customers and aqua aerobic voucher holders receive a 10% discount off the entire range.
For further information please feel free to contact Oasis Reception on (02) 6926 9390.


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HealthWorks 2000
HealthWorks 2000 provides an all natural, fast, weight loss program. The innovative "3 step up" affiliate program offers affiliates 15% of each sale on sign-up, 20% of sales once 10 sales have been made and 25% of sales after 20 sales have been reached. Earn referral income from over 300 products. Payments made through PayPal? at the end of every month. Submitted by Jon Patel, HealthWorks 2000…
Two Tier?
Recurring Commissions
Commission Type
Pay Per Lead
Payment Method
Data Feed?
diet plan, weight management, lose weight, weight control, weight loss, exercise equipment, nutritional supplements, diet pills,hhhhh,paypal


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Managing Financial Constraints On Schools
Parents and carers may be aware that funding for schools, especially those with 6th Forms, has been significantly reducing over recent years. At a very 'crude' financial level, this means that for a school like IGS, the average funding from central government's Educational Funding Agency (EFA) per student has reduced by approximately Ł500 since 2011 (approximately Ł750k in total per annum).
This has been coupled with increased costs, such as national pay awards, employer pension and national insurance contributions, and for a school the size of IGS this equates to additional costs per annum of approximately Ł300k.
The net impact therefore for a school such as IGS, is a reduction of approximately Ł1 million per annum compared to 5 years ago. Schools nationally therefore are finding it increasingly difficult to find ways in which they can balance their budgets, without having to make significant changes to how they are run.
The governors at IGS are aware of these extremely challenging constraints and continue to work with the school, as well as directly with the EFA, to try to find cost saving and income generation solutions to minimise any potential negative impact to the educational experiences we currently offer to our students.
Alison Kaye – Business & Finance Director


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SUPERMAN Pinewood Derby Car Kit
SUPERMAN is one of the most popular super-heroes of all time and with this super cool looking kit, you can cross the finish line in a car designed for the true SUPERMAN fan! With the big red "S" on your car, you can show everyone that the MAN OF STEEL is your hero, too.
This car kit, manufactured by Revell, is Officially Licensed by the Boy Scouts of America so its legal for any BSA Pinewood Derby race.
The SUPERMAN Kit Features:
- Officially Licensed by the Boy Scouts of America - Official BSA Pinewood Derby Wheels and Axles - Super Easy and Quick to Build - Very fast and great looking - Pre-Cut Pine Body Ready to Sand and Paint - SUPERMAN Decal Set as Shown - Bodywork Sandpaper
The SUPERMAN Kit Includes:
- Shaped wood block - Peel & stick decal sheet - 1 sheet each of 120- and 220-grit sandpaper - Instruction sheet - 4 each of official BSA wheels and axles - Stick-on chassis weight
lt20 olbsa stdwb sbsas


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My Body Type
Curvy girls deserve fit and fashion.
And we're going to give it to them.
The curvy body deserves every bit of special attention we give it.
To get started on your journey to the perfect fit we first need to explore the various body shapes.
There are five basic body shapes and we will guide you into discovering which type you are so you can pick from the i.b.b.i collection the dresses that will be the most flattering to your body type.
Review each of the following, get naked and take a look at your body shape in the mirror to help you make your decision on which one most suits your figure.
The Five Basic Body Types
The Wedge (sometimes referred to as the Apple shape) gathers her remarkable resources into her upper torso; is generally slimmer in the hips and thighs. Her bra cup size is generous in the D and up range which makes her appear short waisted when not properly dressed. She is rounder in the midriff, waist and tummy, her arms are fuller in the bicep.
The Triangle (sometimes referred to as the Pear shape) gathers her irresistible resources into her lower torso and is generally slimmer in her upper body. Her curves are in her hips, tummy, thighs and bountiful booty. She generally has waist definition which we will show off to her advantage.
The Oval is fuller in the center of the torso than on top or bottom. She can show off her beautiful shoulders and upper body with distinction and she can certainly display her beautiful legs to her advantage. Because she doesn't have much waist definition it is important for her to wear dresses that best show off her prime assets (shoulders, legs and delicate ankles) and balance the outlook of her body shape.
The Rectangle is what some refer to as an androgynous shape as it does not have exaggerated curves from top to bottom. It is usually a more athletic shape; the shoulder width and hip width generally being equal without much waist definition.
The Hourglass has a proportioned curvy body with a near equal distribution of her resources. She is balanced from top to bottom and her generous curves flow without interruption into a curvy, beautiful whole.
Body Type Symbols
Our mission (some might call it a challenge) is to dress each of these bountiful body types, addressing their specific needs and guiding them to a perfect, flattering, comfortable fit, fashion forward, on trend and in the color and pattern she wants.
Now that you have determined your body shape, we have created a reference point to guide you in making your selection body smart by using symbols for each dress to make your choices surefooted.
How To Measure
Some of our dresses can be worn successfully by all types; some can be shared; and, some will best suit a particular body type. But not to worry. We will keep a balance in our collections aiming to provide you all with a varied selection.
And because we want you to pick the correct size we are going to help you measure your body (you might ask a friend to help you). This exercise is going to tell you two things: it will confirm your understanding of which body type you are and which dress size you will best wear.
We believe, when putting yourself together, it is best to build your look from the inside out. Just like you apply moisturizer before you apply your make up, we recommend pulling on a body shaper before putting on your dress. The intention here is not to make you appear smaller but to make your luscious curves smoother and better defined.


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Here are some links to community resources for Deaf people. This list is provided only for your information. Hawaii Interpreting Services does not promote or sponsor any of these organizations. Information current as of January 2014.
Aloha State Association of the Deaf
ASAD Hawaii, an affiliate of the National Association of Deaf, is a nonprofit organization that aims to strive and meet its objectives in serving the deaf/hard of hearing people in the State of Hawai`i.
Disability and Communications Access Board
DCAB serves as a public advocate of persons with disabilities by providing advice and recommendation on legislation, rules, policies, procedures, and plans relating to persons with disabilities and their civil rights or service needs. Recommended Videos: ADA Videos in ASL
Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind
HSDB is the only ASL immersion program for deaf and deaf-blind K-12 students in the State of Hawaii. They also offer Family ASL classes to families of Deaf children.
Island Skills Gathering
ISG offers a complete array of assistive listening and alerting devices like Silent Call alerting system for a deaf person, a Comtek FM listening system for a hard of hearing person, or an augmentative communication device for a person with a speech disability.
Kapiolani Deaf Center at Kapiolani Community College
The Kapiolani Deaf Center provides programs and services for deaf students and faculty on the KCC campus, preparation of Deaf Education Paraprofessionals, programs for deaf children, their families, and teachers, and the Deaf Communities in Hawai'i and the Pacific
Relay Hawaii
Relay Hawaii provides options for communication technology to Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents of Hawaii.
Signs of Self
Signs of Self is a nonprofit 501(c)3 serving the needs of people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and/or deaf-blind through independent life skills training, advocacy, and community education.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is a state-federal program for individuals with disabilities who require assistance to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment.


text: Beside the Waters is a transcription, by the composer, of an original solo vocal work. The text for this piece describes water flowing in a stream, clouds floating past, time standing still, and human relationships. Impressionist in style, the sounds of flowing water and floating clouds can be heard in the piano accompaniment. The piece reaches a triumphant conclusion in the major key evoking the beauty and joy of human love.


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Mahala's Day Spa
We had so much fun Saturday night at the spa party!!! Thank you so much for making it a special night for all of us. You took such good care of us, let us invade your space, and worked on your night off - you are the BEST!! I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday then with my friends at Mahala's!
November 19, 2012
Mahala's Day Spa, located on Western Avenue in Manchester, has quickly become the go to place for facials, massages, and nail services in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.
A team of caring and warm professionals, each highly skilled, bring a variety of treatments to Mahala's Day Spa. Including unique hard to find services like Eyelash Extensions, Reflexology and Brazillian waxing, to name only a few. And, featuring products from FarmAesthetics, Skin Script, CND, OPI, NovaLash, and Jane Iredale to help you look and feel your best.
Your invited to visit Mahala's Day Spa and find out what all the buzz is about.


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Michelle Obama Hilariously Breaks Down Why Melania Trump's Inauguration Gift Exchange Appeared So Awkward
The former FLOTUS also explained to Ellen Degeneres how Barack stepped in and saved the day.
Chicago's Lil Bibby has become one of hip hop's most notable up-and-comers after his critically acclaimed debut mixtape Free Crack. Having been lauded already by juggernauts like Drake, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J, everyone's been itching to see what the rising rap star does with a follow up.
Well, the wait is over. Bibby did not disappoint.
The highly anticipated Free Crack 2 is the culmination of Bibby's growth as an artist, a well-balanced mix of street tales, dealing with fame and a hip hop takeover.
Even without rapping, Bibby makes a statement on the intro. Well, technically Cash Money's tatted up tycoon Birdman makes a statement first, endorsing the young rhymer before Bibby sets his own expectations, proclaiming that calling him a kingpin would be an understatement.
Production-wise, Free Crack 2 starts out notably mellow compared to some of Bibby's Drill-heavy earlier works. The Bangladesh-produced "Can I Have Your Attention" started with pronounced guitar strings and a subtle tambourine, allowing Bibby's voice to resonate even harder as he speaks on how fame has only heightened his sense of paranoia.
"I got n----s plottin' on me/Keep that glock up on me, Hella guap up on me/No you not my homie, I could get you shot up homie and they ain't gon' find out/Bring them 45s out every time I ride out/Try to come in my house, leave you inside out," Bibby raps.
Back in June, Bibby told BET.com that he and fellow Chiraq rhymer Lil Herb planned to do an album or mixtape together, and after hearing "Game Over" that's something fans will undoubtedly look forward to even more as Bibby and Herb take turns showcasing their ability to chop it up like fellow 312-native Twista.
What might have been most notable about Free Crack 2 was that Bibby was never outshined by any of his collaborators, and there were some spitters. He teamed up with Juicy J on two of the mixtape's standout tracks, "For the Low" (which also featured Wiz Khalifa) and "Montana," which catalogued each MC's respective boss-like traits. Then on the P-Lo-produced "Boy," Bibby went back and forth with Grand Hustle's grand hustler himself, T.I., and even took on Tip's style a little bit as the two paid tribute to the timeless art of stunting.
Bibby's improvement was prevalent throughout the mixtape but "Dead or in Prison" exhibited a new level of depth and introspection, detailing the difficult balance of fame and authenticity and how that effects everyday life in some of America's urban war zones.
"They see a young n---a stuntin' now they want you killed/Gotta watch out for these youngins tryna pay they bill/I swear to God I liked it better back when I was broke/I'm paranoid I gotta keep an eye on all these folks/Never been a fool, ridin' with the tool/Early in the morning takin' nephew to school/They say I changed, I'm still the same dude/Everything the same I just changed how I move," Bibby rapped.
Even though he's not quite old enough to drink, Lil Bibby deserves a toast for Free Crack 2. From mainstream hits like the Ty Dolla $ign-influenced "I Be on It" and the "Water" remix which features Jadakiss and Anthony Hamilton, to heavier songs like the Kevin Gates-assisted gem "We Are Strong," Bibby exudes a confidence that goes beyond the self-promotion 101 type rhymes that have flooded hip hop.
Chicago has put out a lot of promising young artists but with a stentorian voice and the ability to adapt to any beat and speak candidly on any subject, Lil Bibby has all the makings of an artist who will still be around twenty years from now.
BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
(Photo: Grade A Productions)
The former FLOTUS also explained to Ellen Degeneres how Barack stepped in and saved the day.
"When my teacher asks me a question thinking I'm not paying attention, but I get it right."


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Ascension Christian Elementary Sports Program
Students at Ascension Christian Elementary enjoy playing various sports throughout the year. We require school coaches to have a heart for teaching the youth how to play, compete, and improve.
Ascension Christian Elementary competes in football, volleyball, soccer, basketball (boys and girls), baseball, and softball.
For more information about the ACE sports program, contact the Athletic Director, Joey Evans at 225-644-3110.
Ascension Christian Athletics requires an athletic packet to be completed on each athlete each year. Please complete this form, print it, sign it, and bring it to the front office.
Athletic Packet
All game schedules will be posted here when available.


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Jillian comes to visit!
I love my cousin to pieces. I so much look forward to spending time together and immersing Jillian in Bend life. She fits right in.
Jillian and I both love good food and are passionate about cooking. So, of course, we love to create recipes together! On this particular visit, we set out to make a fruit tart of sorts. I had a bowl full of pears to use up and was inspired by a rustic crust recipe I'd seen recently.
So pen and paper out, we started to sketch out our vision. Creating recipes can be difficult, because they have to be unique. There are probably a hundred recipes online for a pear tart. So how do we make this one different?
For starters, we decided on a 'rustic' crust. To us, that meant a more complex and flavorful texture, consisting of layers, rather than a simple flaky crust. We choose rye flour for it's intense, nutty flavor and color. Is there anything more beautiful than a less than perfect dark crumbly rye crust? I think not.
To add to a more subtle flavor (and challenge) we also used coconut oil in the crust. This was after much debate. At first we were going to try an oil-based crust, but shied away from that these crusts tend to be dense, and for lack of better word, dull. Using butter would have been delicious, but too easy. Coconut oil seemed like a happy medium: a challenge but more forgiving due to it's high saturated fat content (similar to butter).
To prepare the crust, we kept true to classic method: flour + coconut oil + ice water. We cut the flour, sugar, spices and coconut oil together and then added the ice water. We tried chilling the dough after it was formed (as you would a traditional pie crust), but found the coconut oil solidified and made for a crumbly crust. Room temperature dough was easier to work with, which we noted in the instructions.
We kept the filling really simple. We wanted the fruit to be the focus and not detract from it's beautiful flavor. We were planning to use pears, but I wanted to add something else. I had blueberries, grapefruit, and blood oranges also in my fruit bowl. In the past I've done a lot with blueberries, but was really interested in using citrus to enhance the pear flavor. Plus, thinly sliced citrus can be visually stunning on top of baked goods. We settled on blood orange for the flavor and color. To create a caramelized top and bring out the sweetness of the fruit, we drizzled honey on top of the fruit before baking.
The last touch was brushing the galette with an egg wash to create that beautiful and delicious gold crust. We sprinkled with vanilla sugar just before baking as well.
The final product? Perfect. Beautiful. Delicious. Very much a rustic tart with the sweetness of fresh fruit. Not too sweet, but begging to be paired with some cream. So we did. Homemade whipped cream.
Stephanie + Jillian for the win!
Rustic Blood Orange + Pear Galette
For the Crust:
1 c. flour
1 c. rye flour
2/3 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. ice water
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 T brown sugar* (optional, but recommended)
For the Filling:
1 blood orange
egg wash (optional)
vanilla sugar
Pre-heat oven to 375.
To prepare the crust:
Mix flours, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Cut in coconut oil and pulse or mix until roughly combined. Add water and incorporate together. Shape into a flat disc and roll out on a well floured surface. Roll until the dough is thin, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside.
To prepare the filling:
Slice pears very thinly and arrange on the crust, leaving a 1-2" border of crust to fold over. Slice a whole blood orange (with peel intact) and arrange over the pears. Drizzle generously with honey. Gently fold the crust up over the sides to cover part of the fruit. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
Bake for 30 min or until crust is slightly brown. Serve with cream if desired. This keeps well and is even better (if possible) the next day.
*Another sweetener may work here. Maple syrup or honey comes to mind.


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Vistek Commercial Sales – Professional Solutions
For 40 years, Vistek has been the choice of Canada's leading image-makers.
Vistek Commercial Sales is unique in its ability to provide imaging and technology solutions for companies, institutions, schools, professional photographers, videographers, and multimedia producers who want the best photo and video equipment and the most knowledgeable advice in the industry.
With Vistek Commercial Sales, you get an experienced team of digital imaging, workflow and systems consultants with extensive knowledge in Professional Photo as well as Film and Television, Professional and Broadcast Video, Pro Audio, Systems, Applications, Computing, Accessories, Lighting, Grip and much more.
"The business of photography has become so highly technical, I've come to rely on Vistek's Sales & Solutions and their expertise. If I need them in the studio – they're there. If I run into a problem on location, I call and a representative talks me through it."Dermot Cleary
Providing you the solutions you need.
From product demonstrations to one-on-one sales consultation, right through to installation, and training, our experts are here to provide corporate, educational, government, broadcast and production clients with extensive and uncompromising before-and-after sales support and service.
Vistek Commercial Sales provides sales and service support, and encompasses all the photo and video products and accessories that we carry in our Prosumer, Professional and Broadcast lines across Canada, including exclusive brand names that we bring in from all parts of the world.
Important Notice for Drone owners
Transport Canada's new Drone Rules take effect on June 1st, 2019!READ MORE
We offer the professional video industry a specialized division called the Pro Video Solutions Group.
We are Sony authorized as a Professional and Broadcast Dealer, meaning our product range is extended to include the highest levels of production and broadcasting equipment available from Sony, as well as a broad range of other leading vendors, including full product service capability in our factory trained and authorized service centre located in downtown Toronto.
Request Info
We'd very much like to offer the services of the best support team in the industry to your company. So why not contact us for a product quotation or complete project consulting, plan and installation. We look forward to hearing from you.


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If you are driven to contribute to a better world and to executing your job even better tomorrow than you did today, you should consider applying for a job at Tech-Hub.
We care about your career
As a Tech-Hub employee, you can expect regular interaction concerning the ways in which we can hone your capabilities and help you to excel, within your role and beyond. Find out more about why you should seriously think about taking your career to a new level with us.
We're always hiring
We are continually on the lookout for exceptional new talent as we expand our operations. Does your ambition match ours?


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Astronomy News-Asterism/Constellation Report (Extra Credit)
Select a current astronomy news story (Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines are good sources, as is the Space.com website), as well as one of the 88 celestial constellations, and give a short (roughly 5-minute) report on them to the class, turning in a 2-page, 600-word summary (~1 page/300 words for news report + ~1 page/300 words for constellation) in his/her own words, citing all sources. The constellation portion should focus on scientific and technical aspects, such as brightest stars, galaxies, Messier objects, NGCs, asterisms and other features, location in the sky, best viewing times, and, if it is within a zodiacal constellation, how the earth's precession has affected the dates that the sun is found within that constellation. A brief overview of the mythology is also acceptable. Make sure you cross check your news story with another source to get a second perspective, and cite that source in your references as well.
Due date: any scheduled classroom date up to and including the final day of class, one week prior to the final exam.
The following is a good example of this type of report:
News Report: Higgs Boson - The God Particle
Peter Higgs first proposed the existence of a particle responsible for giving other particles their mass in 1964 (Markandeya). Nicknamed "The God Particle," the Higgs Boson can be considered evidence for the Big Bang Theory, as this particle would have had to form right after the Big Bang in order for any other particle with mass to exist.
According to HowStuffWorks.com, a boson is a "corresponding carrier particle… that acts upon matter." In the standard model, used in particle physics to help us understand the universe, each fundamental force (gravitational, electromagnetic, weak, and strong) has a boson. The Higgs boson would act as barrier that would break the symmetry between a pair of forces, as explained by physics and astronomy professor Steve Weinberg in an article from the New York Times. The idea that matter, since it does not initially have mass, would have to pass through a field (in the form of a very large particle) to gain mass prompts the need for the existence of the Higgs field and its "carrier particle," the Higgs boson (Atteberry).
This year on the fourth of July, the discovery of "a new heavy particle" was the result of the European Large Hadron Collider experiments, which involved studying the collisions of protons (Weinberg). Whether or not this particle is in fact the Higgs boson is yet to be determined, although the discovered particle does have compatible properties with those predicted of the Higgs. If indeed the Higgs boson has been identified, there is still much to uncover about the standard model as well as the universe as a whole. As Weinberg says, "This discovery simply fills a gap in our understanding of the laws of nature… and throws light on what is going on in the early universe." Understanding this much more about the early universe might be considered simple, while at the same time elegant, meaning that its significance is in no way diminished.
~Sara Flores
Constellation Report: Scorpius
Scorpio (translated as "the scorpion") is an asterism within the constellation of Scorpius. Scorpius is a zodiac constellation, meaning it lies within the path followed by the Sun, or the ecliptic. This particular section of the sky is best seen in July, but can be seen between the latitudes of 40 and -90 degrees. Universe Today states, "the constellation of Scorpius resides on the ecliptic plane and was one of the original 48 constellations charted by Ptolemy to be later adopted as a modern constellation by the IAU. It covers 497 square degrees of sky and ranks 33rd in size." Due to the precession of earth's rotation axis, the sun now passes through Scorpius from November 16 to December 15, so most of you so-called "Scorpios" are actually "Libras", while most of the supposed "Sagittarians" are the real "Scorpios"!
The asterism itself is made up of fifteen stars. Its brightest star is named "Antares." Found in the heart of Scorpio, Antares has a reddish tint, and looks much like the planet Mars. The constellation also includes four Messier objects: M4, a globular cluster containing thousands to millions of very old stars; M6, The Butterfly Cluster; M7, Ptolemy's Cluster; and M80, another globular cluster also containing thousands to millions of very old stars.
For the ancient Greeks who named this asterism, Scorpio represented a giant scorpion. There are several theories about the story of Scorpio, but most believe that the giant scorpion was the cause of death for the hunter Orion who claimed to be invincible to any creature. The Greeks believed that the scorpion stung Orion to death, and when the gods immortalized both Orion and the Scorpion in the sky they put them on opposite sides so that they would not fight. Because of the sky's rotation however, the scorpion is destined to forever chase Orion around the sky.
~Hannah Gaddini
Works Cited (at least two for each part)
Astronomy News Report:
Atteberry, Jonathan. "What exactly is the Higgs boson?"24 January 2012. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/higgs-boson.htm> Web. 18 September 2012.
Markandeya, Virat. "Physicists Detect New Heavy Particle: Signature resembles long-sought 'Higgs boson'" 4 July 2012. InsideScience.org. <http://www.insidescience.org/?q=content/physicists-detect-new-heavy-particle/724&track=AW> Web. 18 September 2012.
Weinberg, Steven. "Why the Higgs Boson Matters" 13 July 2012. NewYorkTimes.com. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/opinion/weinberg-why-the-higgs-boson-matters.html?pagewanted=all> Web. 18 September 2012.
Constellation Report:
Dolan, Chris. "Scorpius." Scorpius. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Scorpius.html>.
Plotner, Tammy. "Scorpius." Universe Today. Universe Today, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www.universetoday.com/23555/scorpius/>.
"Zodiac Constellations." ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://kvmagruder.net/bcp/zodiacal/zoo.htm>.


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Minted: King Edison Pendant Light
The King Edison is a piece of design perfection. A tiny, perfectly formed Baroque chandelier suspended inside a handblown glass lightbulb and hung on braided silken cable.
This beautiful pendant can be hung individually to make a beautiful feature of a reading corner or dining table., or hang a few together to create a truly show-stopping effect.
Dimensions: 15 cm diameter x 21 cm height.
Available at DUST.ie for €699
Every week we'll feature designer items in our 'Minted' section that may or may not break the bank!