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Steve Clarke tells his West Brom stars to think positive
West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Clarke today slapped a ban on "negative thoughts" as he rallied his troops for Saturday's trip to Arsenal.
The Baggies boss takes his fifth-place side to the Emirates Stadium looking to respond to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.
But the Hawthorns head coach has told his squad to head for London with a spring in their step after their superb start to the season left them five points and five places above Arsene Wenger's struggling Gunners.
"I think the spirit at the club should be high at the moment and I said that to the players after the game on Saturday against Stoke," said Clarke. "We were disappointed to lose but all I said was that they should be pleased with their efforts given where we are.
"If at this stage in the season you'd have said that we'd have 26 points and we'd be level on points with Chelsea and Tottenham, towards the top of the league, I would have grabbed that.
"I've tried to tell the players that we're not in a bad place and we have to remain positive. There's no way we can allow negative thoughts to come into our heads."
Subscribe to our NewsletterComments for: "Steve Clarke tells his West Brom stars to think positive "
I can see this game going either way, if we can keep tight and not concede early then fine but an early goal to Arsenal could be a disaster. Overall feel more positive than negative. Keep calm and carry on winning.
We Only Need One Half!
Well, well, well, just when the Wulfies thought they could make capital about Ridgewell having a private joke with a mate, O'Hara voluntarily goes public with something far more disturbing.
Well those Wulfies ever get tire of shooting themselves in the foot! (actually, some of them might play better if they were shot in the foot, it couldn't be any worse)
p.s. his reference to his charity works that he doesn't like to talk about, anyone else instantly think of Jason Bent's charity work?
emma dale
yea you tell, be more positive, dont let your glass be half empty, unlike some of our fans.
CantelloRocket 78
Emma Roid (aka Saft Sid)-
Alright, Sid? Good to have yer back.
I was a bit concerned, with wolves losing every week, and the Baggies ridin' high, you went AWOL for a long time, we missed havin' a loff at ya, but we knew you'd be back when wolves finally won one.
Anyway, I guess you've probably had to spend some time resting, what after that procedure of changing from 'Sid' to 'Emma', eh......?
SC Baggie
Until two weeks ago I was very positive and could not wait for Saturdays to come round thinking we could give anyone a game and even expected to win games we would not have dreamed about last year. However that confidence has suddenly gone and I'm back to dreading this Saturday. Call me fickle or negative but that's my gut feeling. I cant help but think the swopping and changing of players as disrupted the team and l know it is said players need resting but i don't buy that. Teams in Euro competitions / games play many more games than us and why do players show their disgust in being subbed when they want to stay out there.
Jack ♣ Hat.
Have a look at the Euro teams and how many changes they have made. Our squad has got to get used to team changes on a regular basis, the bulk of the squad has to be up to scratch so they can be called upon for any given game. Our club is surging toward the European way, our Dinosaur system is dying out. Stale Solbaken down the road is trying to teach dinosaurs to dance and it is not working. Worry about the Swansea's of this world not the Stoke's. Okay mate.
Kev in Mallorca
Good God man, get a grip!
CantelloRocket 78
SC Baggie,
if you have the time and patience, I'll just tell you a little story.
Back in the late 70's, I was a younger guy who felt very passionate about the Baggies, if we won I'd be on cloud nine, if we lost, I'd be on the verge of depression.
I then went to see us play at Coventry, and stood right behind the Albion goal, excitedly hoping we'd win.
After about 15 minutes, Coventry ran towards us, and next thing I knew the ball was in the back of our net, a few feet in front of me, and 'keeper Tony Godden was sprawled on the ground.
I was absolutely gutted.
Then, as the Coventry players ran back to celebrate, and the Albion players were moving back up to restart the game, Captain John Wile walked towards us, looked at the ball, looked down at Godden, then he broke into a broad smile and shrugged his shoulders-
at that moment, I realised it really wasn't a matter of life and death, it's basically a game that we should all try to enjoy, there's much worse things happening in the world.
By the way, I'm still very passionate, but take it all in me stride these days.
And we beat Coventry 3-1................:)
SC Baggie
Cantello I too am old enough to remember that far back (and farther) I also remember with fondness the player whose name you use, and what a player. You are very correct in what you say there are worse things than losing a game of football. I shall go and have a glass of something strong and thank God I can.
CantelloRocket 78
SC Baggie,
If you're ever around sometime, I'll buy you a glass of something strong, and we'll have a loff together.
Take care now.
SC Baggie
Cheers CR and best wishes
We Only Need One Half!
CR, I remember Tony G on Brucie's (Forsyth) Big Night In, beat the goalkeeper section where they had a different keeper from the top clubs each week (bit like the Golden Shot, some one rang in, left a bit, right a bit, fire, that sort of thing) and I think I am right in saying he never saved one!
Jack ♣ Hat.
The way I look at it is the Arsenal big guns haven't had a chance to get their poor form out of their systems. Maybe their kids should play.
Omma Nael,
....an yo gorra glass?,☺☻☺☻s.
Robin Brittain
So after two successive defeats you lose all faith in what went before. Four successive wins and 26 points plus being fifth in the strongest league mean nothing ? .
Some players get injured , some get sick, and some become mentally or physically exhausted. You forget that apart from playing two games in a week players also have to train. We have built a strong squad to overcome these problems.
Players generally get subbed when maybe they think they are playing better than the manager does.
Cyril Randle
SCBaggie, Cheer up mate and remember football is a sport so who wins should ALWAYS be wide open to the day, the form, one bit of brilliance or one slip up.
We have got a chance at The Emirates which is more than might have been said a few years back.
PS: I'm still revelling in watching a meddling Chairman screw up his toy at Chelsea.
CantelloRocket 78
So our head coach recommends 'thinking and staying positive'-
what a blummin' good idea, but he might be in trouble on here 'cos he's now joined the 'rose-tinted, me glass is fillin' up' club, so he shouldn't be tellin' the players what they can and can't think now he's joined the 'gang', it'll upset 'em...........
Steve Clarke-
' if at this stage of the season you'd have said we'd have 26 points, I'd have grabbed that.......'
do I need say more..............? :)
So now we've got 26 points, how many would you take at the end of the season?
We Only Need One Half!
CR, I know mate, that's you, me, S.C., Bomber Brown, about 25,000 other Albion fans.........and then there's Mboy!
Wot can u do???
At the start of the season I would have been happy with 26 points from 15 games. Now answer my question!
We Only Need One Half!
Mboy, that's a fair question, I would have to say anything that was an improvement on the two previous seasons would make me happy, any significant improvement, i.e. 6 more points or a couple more places on last season would make me very happy.
p.s. If I ever bump into you, I'll have a drink with you, its only banter, don't get so wound up!
CantelloRocket 78
if you didn't notice before, you now know why Max, Kev and others groan whenever they see 'MBoy' on here-
he pooh-poohs everyone else's opinion, and always believes he's one hundred per cent RIGHT, and he'll keep on and on until others lose interest, then he tells himself he's won, and always knew best........
Thank you for providing yet another "raisin d'être". Are you going to answer my question or not?
CantelloRocket 78
you're getting extremely agitated because someone hasn't answered your question, yet the other day, WONOH asked you a very simple question that you obviously didn't want to answer, so you brushed it aside by saying 'this question is invalid'-
double standards, eh?
I'm afraid I find your posts 'PPP'-
pompous, patronising, and pretentious.
We'd invite you to The Vine for a beer, but I guess you'd prefer a Wine Bar.
Also, it'd be uncomfortable with you looking down your nose at us throughout the session.
Tah-tah and toodle pip......
For your information, I was in The Vine last Saturday, (enjoying a few beers , chicken tikka and naan bread with some mates), but if we met, it would spoil our relationship.
CantelloRocket 78
If you really DO go in The Vine on match days, I suggest you be in there quite EARLY for the Norwich game, something's being planned that you might find entertaining.
And if all goes to plan, I don't think you'll have much trouble spotting us, believe me........
(actually, were you the one in The Vine complaining that the chicken wasn't up to Michelin star standard, and trying to find the wine cellar for a perky little Chablis?
But as for you EXPECTING a crushed-velvet tablecloth, well I can understand your utter, utter frustration at one not being made available.......)
Thanks for the warning!!!
A point minimum at Arsenal and 4 maybe 6 with our next 2 games at home. We should then be set fair.
Kev in Mallorca
OK Steve you've just got the job as Chief Inspector of the Fans Comments Police and just a little advice, whatever you do don't call anybody names cause fans with positive thoughts are not allowed to express their opinions on what they think of fans who always see the negative.
'The Class of 68'
Steve Clarke, i'm on your side
I wonder whether (Hagan, Ashman, Giles and Atkinson) uttered those same words in the dressing room. Those for mentioned managers produced the finest Albion teams i have ever seen. And of cause trophy's were won, but the league was a different kettle of fish. When Albion were flying, playing some of the best football in the league, again we used to say, what a wonderful time to be a Baggies supporter. But, some of you might just remember, the press labelled us as the 'nearly' team. Obviously only older Baggie supporters like myself will remember this.
My point being, younger Baggie supporters hav'nt had anything to shout about, until Garry Megson came along and instigated our rise back into the bigtime.
So i wonder, is S Clarke going to take us to another level, or shall we remain known as the 'nearly' club ..... Forever a Baggie
Jack ♣ Hat.
Pasted for the use of:
WEST BROM are among eight more clubs to have achieved top status for their youth academies.
This is good news for the FA seeing as they are taking Baggies' technical director Dan Ashworth to be their director of Elite Development.
But football chiefs still face challenges in fulfilling their side of the bargain in the new Elite Player Performance Plan.
Academies at The Hawthorns, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Norwich all gained category one status in the latest round of inspections.
Congratulations West Bromwich Albion.
Cyril Randle
Jack, that shows we are doing it right and just how far we've come in 11 years or so. It's also great that our best kids are wanted and borrowed by clubs in lower leagues.
Classof68. The finest footballing team I have ever seen was that of 1953/54 and we NEARLY did the double, Div. 1 and FA Cup. So again we were a 'nearly team'. But it was sport in the almost true sense, the teams were equally provided for, wages had a ceiling, the clubs were run by directors made up of local business men and old players, no rich men's toys in those golden days. The one criticism I had then was 'no subs' on the bench. We were hailed as 'The Team Of The Century' by the London papers the day we went to play Chelsea early 1954 at the old Stamford Bridge. I went by train from Aldershot to London and then by tube to the ground. We lost that one 5-0 in the weirdest match I've ever seen. We had more of the game. The very next day, Chelsea were hailed as 'World Beaters' to avoid embarrassment to all.
SC Baggie
Cyril......If I remember correctly we lost the last game of that 53 [ 54 season to Villa at home three nil........they avoided relegation and we fail to win the league
'The Class of 68'
Cyril, i like your response, i'm in awe
My first visit to the Hawthorns was in 1961/2, i missed out on that wonderful mid 1950's team. Many a senior citizen (since passed on) put me wise to those great Albion players of the 50's. They explained in lengthy detail the game at the Molineux, a game we lost, but played the Wo1ve5 off the park with our classic style of play. I think i am right in saying, if we had won that game, we would have achieved the double.
Cyril, i find it wonderful to know that people like yourself with all your history can be on these blogs ..... you have certainly kept the faith
cr id love a drink n a memory lane chat too many negative vibes on here mate when we do good
its moaned about when we do bad we get moaned at that summed it up john wile must admit in the 70s
not many game played we lost if it was not for a winter and injury we could have been top but it didn't happen
but we went on to have some great top 4or 5 finishes its taken 30 yrs to get back to something like my time at the albion slow but sure progress and building from the boot laces up,and now we have gone in to the elite with the academy ,.gonna be exciting times at westbrom,.last 2 seasons we have broke records set new ones,i think in say another 5 yr plan as this is how mr piece sets it achievable realistic goals to move the club on and upwards
ok may be a false position this season but we have deserved every win to get there and 26 points where earned
not given to us like these pundits who think we are no body well i like that baggies can just stay under the radar then before they know whats hit them we will be building a club and team that again will do europe even win silverware ,in my time as a disabled baggie fan and before my accident i have had the privilege to see some cracking games and some great players,some rubbish ones too ha ha I've seen the highs been there with well over 40,000 in the 70s to just above 6000 in 86/7 yet good bad or indifferent i have supported them, till illness took hold in 2010,and my days of going to games had to come to an end,gutted but the memories and you the fans who i met at games good or bad i have been blessed to be part of it from my first game in 78 v everton to my last in 2010 v villa i wouldn't swap or trade it for the world am i sad we never built on that team built round robson and regis yes ,do i think if we had then we would have been as successful as mute went on to be? yes,do i regret we never had a multimillion pound man come in and put millions in for players?no way i have seen clubs go to the wall and clubs that will go leeds ,comes to mind and in 2000s arsenal liverpool even chelsea prove multi million pound players wont win ya nowt you see at westbrom we have a core belief that we have held to this day,fans have moaned and gone on we don't do this we won't pay that ect,well the thing is we are one of the best run club in the prem and you believe me more clubs will be run like us the over payed players will be gone ,you will see this happen where a club will have players who don't cost millions but get discarded because of all of the foreign players,this will happen look where albion is at the moment teames they have played and beat ,its no fluke ya no its just a taste of things to come, its there and as i say 5 yr plan keep in the prem in a top 10 finish get established then move on to try out new things using players that won't break the bank and will play as a TEAM NOT A TEIAM
as so many clubs do and in the end wins you nothing as i say happy times great fans i have met even players i had the luck to meet and a collection i have been lucky to get ,with my last being tony goddens shirt worn v sports braga he swapped it with the braga keeper and thats who i had it from so proud up the baggies


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Lithuania Starts Work on Railway Upgrade for EU Link Via Poland
Bryan BradleyLithuanian state-owned railway company Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai AB began a 1.3 billion litai ($505 million) project to link the Baltic nation's rail network with the rest of the European Union by end-2015.
Five contractors began laying 123 kilometers (76 miles) of high-speed European-gauge rail from Kaunas, in central Lithuania, to the Polish border today, the Vilnius-based company said on the BNS news service. They are Gelezinkelio Tiesimo Centras UAB, a consortium of Kauno Tiltai AB and Mitnija UAB, Panevezio Keliai AB, a consortium of Eurovia CS AS and Eurovia Lietuva AB, and Hydrostatyba UAB.
The EU is helping pay for the effort, which is part of its Rail Baltica project to build a 1,200 kilometer modern rail link from Poland through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and -- by ferry across the Gulf of Finland -- to Helsinki. The three Baltic states had until now different-size Russian-style track.
"In a bit more than two years, for the first time in history, we'll be connected with the railway infrastructure of Poland and other European states," Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai General Director Stasys Dailydka said in the statement.
The upgrade will allow an increase in average train speeds to 120 kilometers per hour, from 70 kilometers per hour now, according to the Lithuanian Rail Baltica website. It will make cargo shipments and travel by rail more attractive and help reduce road congestion in the region.
Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai's contractors will also refurbish parallel older track and upgrade stations and bridges along the route between the Polish border and Kaunas, the state railway company said.

subset: commoncrawl


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Product notities
They are a group consisting of four members who are passionate about sharing their music and message with anyone who is willing to give us an ear. They started out with Gary Witthoeft. Gary felt a calling to make music his living and his passion. While writing Their first release 239*, Gary, who had a long time friendship with drummer Ashley Vargas, asked Ashley if he would do some vocal work for the album. Ashley agreed and gave his opinion and support for the album and told Gary, 'If you need a drummer, I'm open'. At that point they could see that something was truly developing. A few weeks later Ashley introduced Gary to Pete Kruse, a former bandmate of Ashley's in a band called Rufus Tree. Pete then became their bass player as well as hammer dulcimer expert. We released our first album in June of 2009. Pete also introduced them to the last piece of their musical puzzle, guitar player, Zephaniah Whitt. Zeph added a diverse element on the guitar that can only be described as 'sweet'. So, ever since October 2009 'A Gain of Ten' as a whole, has been performing in local chicagoland venues such as Mad Maggies and the Metro. They also have played at youth events and churches. You might be asking what sets 'A Gain of Ten' apart from other bands. Well, that's not necessarily for us to say. Our response would be, see for yourself.


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Carhartt Women's Straight Fit Basic Jeans (Style #WB052)
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Durable and comfortable
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back to topProduct Description
Made to work as hard as you do and keep you comfortable at the same time. These 10.5 oz., 99% cotton/1% spandex Women's Straight Fit Basic Jeans sit low below the waist. It has a slim fit through the hip and thigh with boot leg openings. Imported. VPN: WB052.


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Presenting our favorite songs from 2012. Blur, Cassie, Jeremih, Lower Dens, the xx, Angel Haze, Ariel Pink, Four Tet, and many more.
Their songs may or may not have been proper hits, but these 15 artists placed a single memorable track on Pitchfork's lists.
Pitchfork gears up for the 2006 holiday publishing break by counting down our 100 favorite songs of the year.


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You all love free games right? Good news as it is free games Thursday here at GOL and we bring you news that H-Craft Championship has been unshackled from its price-tag and is FREE.
The game is nearly a full 7 years old, so it's nice to see the developers make it free.
You can get the full version for Linux (and Windows) here: http://irrgheist.com/media/div/hcraft_v1_2.zip
H-Craft Championship is a fun to play scifi-racer. It features 28+ racetracks, a unique driving physics simulation, a fresh design, and a challenging Championship mode.
The 2 Timeattack modes offer the option to exchange ghostdrivers with your friends for competition.
On "Rivals" up to 4 players can have an exciting tournament on a single PC.
Has anyone ever played it? is it worth checking out? Let us know!
Ps. Thanks for letting me know Robert.


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48 Hour Guide To New OrleansA travel guide of New Orleans for visitors who have just 48 hours to see one of America's most fascinating cities
Suspect Arrested In Bourbon Street ShootingNOPD says 20-year-old Trung T. Le fired the first shot in Sunday's gunfight that left 1 dead and 9 injured.
New Orleans Police Questioning 'Person Of Interest' In Bourbon Street ShootingJustin Odom, 21, turned himself in after police announced they wanted to talk to him;
Explore The South: Sights To Behold In America's Southern RegionFeaturing many of America's oldest cities, superb food, refined beauty and world famous attractions, the South has something to offer for all walks of life.
Guide To New Orleans' 2014 Mardi GrasMardi Gras 2014 may be a few weeks away, but Carnival season has already begun in New Orleans, with brightly colored parades throughout the city and much more to come.
Best Places To Visit On Your Guys-Only Road TripA road trip might be the rare occasion for guys to get away from it all and share a few drinks and laughs with their best buddies. Here are five of the best places to go on your guys' only road trip.


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Developer Gameloft and Marvel have announced a brand new mobile game set to tie in with Sony Pictures upcoming release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Described as an "action-packed, open-world adventure" set in the world of the upcoming sequel, you can read the full press release on the game and see the announcement trailer below!
Gameloft, a leading global publisher of digital and social games, and Marvel are joining forces to develop and launch the most "amazing" Spider-Man experience on smartphones and tablets. The game features an action-packed, open-world adventure showcasing characters from Sony Pictures' highly anticipated The Amazing Spider-Man 2, coming to theaters this April.
"After the tremendous success of the first The Amazing Spider-Man mobile game, we're excited to be working with Marvel again to bring the fan-favorite hero back onto smartphones with The Amazing Spider-Man 2," says Karine Kaiser, VP Marketing & Licensing at Gameloft. "Players will enjoy a deep open-world adventure and iconic web-spinning action that makes Spider-Man so extraordinary."
Players can expect to web-sling through a free-roam Manhattan that increases the city size and detail of the first game, making it the ultimate playground to show off Spider-Man's impressive web-swinging, wall-climbing, web-shooting and fighting abilities. Spider-Man embarks on a nonstop, unpredictable action-adventure, as he rushes to save New York City from the chaos of a disastrous crime wave. Combined with an original story inspired by the film, the stage is set for Spidey's greatest battle against film villains Electro and Green Goblin, as well as other iconic foes inspired by more than 50 years of comics.
"We are excited to continue our relationship with Gameloft in releasing best-in-class mobile games," says Javon Frazier, VP of Games Marketing. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2 mobile game delivers a more in-depth gaming experience than its already successful predecessor, which is sure to captivate fans of the theatrical franchise."
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, Windows Phone, and feature phones in April 2014. The upcoming film is coming to theaters May 2nd in the United States.


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Limited Releases: Stoked for Limited Releases
March 1st, 2013
It is a busy week with a dozen films on this week's list. However, most of them are earning reviews that are decidedly mixed. There are a couple great films, including War Witch. There are some earning a lot of buzz, even if their reviews are only good or mixed. Of these, Stoker appears to have the best box office potential.
Charlie Zone - Reviews
The Condemned - Reviews
Day of the Falcon - Reviews
The End of Love - Buy from Amazon
A Fierce Green Fire - Reviews
Hava Nagila: The Movie - Reviews
Leviathan - Reviews
A Place at the Table - Buy from Amazon: Reviews
Stoker - Reviews
The Sweeney - Reviews
War Witch - Reviews
An ex-fighter and ex-con is asked by a family to rescue their daughter, who was kidnapped and is being held in a crack house. It's a Canadian film opening north of the border, but there are a couple reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which is not always the case for Canadian releases. Also, both reviews are positive. Hopefully this is a good sign and it is able to expand wider. Charlie Zone opens tonight in Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia.
A suspense film from Puerto Rico. We don't get to talk about a lot of movies from there, but unfortunately this one is earning zero positive reviews so far. Most critics are complaining that it is too tame to be a horror film and too dull to be a mystery. The Condemned opens tonight at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
I believe this film was made in 2009 and was originally planned for a 2010 release. That didn't work out. It had its premiere in 2011, but it is only now getting a theatrical release. Why did it take so long? Just one look at the reviews explains that. 9% positive reviews would be terrible for the least demanding action film. It will likely prove fatal for this film. Day of the Falcon opens tonight in ten theaters, but that's likely as far as it will go.
Written, directed, and starring Mark Webber. He plays an aspiring actor who suddenly has to grow up after the mother of his two-year old son dies and suddenly he has a lot more responsibilities. The reviews are only mixed, which is a really bad sign for a limited release. The End of Love opens tonight at the Cinema Village in New York City and the Sundance Cinema in West Hollywood.
A documentary about the environmental movement, which has been going on for decades. The reviews are only mixed, and this is a subject that has been tackled in documentaries over and over again. A Fierce Green Fire opens tonight at the Cinema Village in New York City.
A documentary about "Hava Nagila", which is arguably one of the most famous songs ever created. The reviews are very good, and given the popularity of the song, it might find an audience in limited release. Hava Nagila: The Movie opens tonight at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema, both in New York City.
A documentary about the commercial fishing industry in the North Atlantic. The film's reviews are good, but not great. Some critics love the visuals, but others think there's not enough of a narrative to carry the full film. Leviathan opens tonight at the IFC Film Center in New York City.
A documentary about "food insecurity" in the United States, which is a fancy way of saying not being able to afford enough food. Due to backwards subsidies, those who are the most poor also tend to be the most overweight, because unhealthy food tends to be the cheapest. The reviews are excellent, but it is opening in 30 theaters, which is a lot for a limited release, and in Video on Demand, so its box office chances are weak.
The English-language debut for Korean director Chan-wook Park. The film's reviews are good, but not great. However, it is earning better buzz than most limited releases, while the director does have some name recognition, especially amount art house crowds. This could translate into a sizable box office before finding a bigger audience on the home market. Stoker opens tonight in seven theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Toronto.
Based on a 1970s British cop show. The film's reviews are barely above 50%, which is terrible for a limited release, plus it is the wrong genre for limited release. I don't think it will find an audience in theaters, but it should perform better on the home market. The Sweeney opens tonight in ten theaters in select cities.
A Canadian movie about a 14-year old girl kidnapped and forced to become a child soldier. The film's reviews are incredible and it even had some major nominations during Awards Season. Hopefully this translates into box office numbers. War Witch opens tonight in two theaters, the Angelika Film Center and the Lincoln Plaza Cinema, both in New York City.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Stoker, The Sweeney, Day of the Falcon, The End of Love, Rebelle, A Place at the Table, Hava Nagila: The Movie, A Fierce Green Fire, Los Condenados, , Mark Webber


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India cannot be expected to ignore its genuine interests in Afghanistan just to keep Pakistan in good humour. While for Afghanistan, the pact is a way of trying to deal with an increasingly more menacing Pakistan, says Harsh V Pant.
The Af-Pak story takes another turn with the visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Delhi earlier this week. In Afghanistan's first strategic pact with any country, Kabul and New Delhi signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement during the visit.
As part of the new pact, bilateral dialogue at the level of National Security Advisor has been institutionalised to focus on enhancing cooperation in security issues. New Delhi is hoping that Kabul will take the lead in defining the exact terms of this engagement. Along with this strategic pact, two other agreements on India-Afghan cooperation in developing hydrocarbons and mineral resources were signed further underlining India's role in evolution of Afghanistan as a viable economic unit. The two nations agreed to enhance political cooperation and institutionalise regular bilateral political and foreign office consultations.
The strategic pact that commits India to "training, equipping and capacity building" of the Afghan National Security Services will certainly raise eyebrows, especially in Pakistan. Not surprisingly, Islamabad was quick to remind the Karzai government that it should behave responsibly.
For a long time, India had been rather cautious in taking a leap into this realm so as not to offend so-called Pakistani sensitivities. The West further supported this posture by encouraging India to be a player in Afghan reconstruction efforts but actively discouraged India from taking on a more forceful security role.
But Pakistan's machinations continued with or without Indian provocation. Its proxies kept on targeting Indian interests in Afghanistan. As NATO forces leave Afghanistan over the course of next few years, no one expects the Afghan security forces to be able to take to the challenge of the Taliban and other extremists without any help and Indian training would be very influential in this regard.
And India cannot be expected to ignore its genuine interests in Afghanistan just to keep Pakistan in good humour. So the plan to train Afghan forces that was first mooted six years back by Kabul has become a reality now.
Meanwhile, as Pakistan decides to up the ante in Afghanistan, the Afghan government is seeking international support in tackling Rawalpindi's growing sense of adventure. The pact with India is Afghanistan's way of trying to deal with an increasingly more menacing Pakistan.
During his visit to New Delhi, Karzai was categorical in suggesting that South Asia faced "dangers from terrorism and extremism used as an instrument of policy against innocent civilians." Karzai is seeking strategic pacts with the US and the NATO as well to ward off the challenge from Pakistan.
Karzai's position has changed significantly in recent months. After calling the Taliban 'brothers' and encouraging the insurgents to reconcile with the Afghan government, Karzai has become more hardnosed in his appraisal of the Taliban and its sponsors in Pakistan. The Afghan President has now suggested that peace talks with the Taliban are futile unless they involve the Pakistani authorise who are the real masters behind the shenanigans of the insurgent groups.
Karzai's attitude has been particularly affected by the killing last month of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Afghan government's chief peace envoy, by the Taliban, Kabul has been categorical that this assassination was plotted in the Pakistani city of Quetta with the active support from the ISI. The reconciliation effort, as a result, is in tatters.
Ever since the death of Osama Bin Laden in May, US-Pakistan ties too have been in disarray. The security establishment in Pakistan wants to retain Pakistan's central role in negotiations with the Taliban and want to prevent the US from having any long-term military presence in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Washington has been signalling that it would not tolerate continuing use of terrorist groups, aided and betted by the ISI to kill Americans and their allied in Afghanistan.
In a radical departure from the long-standing US policy of publicly playing down Pakistan's official support for insurgents operating from havens within Pakistan, Admiral Mike Mullen, the just-departed chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the Haqqani network as a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's ISI.
Much of the blame for the current turmoil in Af-Pak lies with the Barack Obama administration that made it clear early on that it wants to exit Afghanistan as soon as it possibly can without any concessions to the rapidly changing ground realities. Pakistan's sponsorship of the Haqqani network has been an open secret for quite some time now as has been the fact that the Haqqanis have been responsible for some of the most murderous assaults on Indian and western presence in Afghanistan.
The US was reluctant to take on Pakistan on this issue till such time as their interests did not come under direct attack.
As the western forces prepare for a pull-out, New Delhi is right to strengthen its partnership with Kabul. Strengthening the security dimension of India-Afghanistan ties is extremely important for India as it is in New Delhi's interest to help Kabul preserve its strategic autonomy at a time when Pakistan has made it clear that it would like the Haqqani network and the Taliban to be at the centre of the post-American political dispensation in Kabul.
It is true that given the logic of geography and demography, Pakistan cannot be ignored in the future viability of Afghanistan. Karzai was assuaging Pakistani anxieties when he suggested that "Pakistan is a twin brother" while "India is a great friend."
But India and Afghanistan can certainly change the conditions on the ground forcing Pakistan to acknowledge that its policy towards its neighbours has not only brought instability in the region but has also pushed the very existence of Pakistan into question.


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Thread: Thankful Tuesday
Results 11 to 14 of 14
I have my internet back at home! Cox man was supposed to be at my home between 3 and 5. He showed up at 2:40! I was thrilled. It was a quick fix. You don't realize how naked you feel without internet until it's gone.
The internets complete me. :D
TOTD: I don't feel sorry for anyone. I just point and laugh like any good evil rethuglican would do.
I kid, I kid!!
I only feel sorry for those who are responsible and try to make the best choices they can (buy insurance, build solid houses, having emergency plans ready) and still end up with losing their homes and livelihoods.
I don't feel sorry for those who don't bother to buy insurance, build their homes as solidly as possible, and expect others to save them in times of crisis.
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Posts
- 11,970
06-17-2008, 01:40 PMChoices have consequences in life and building in areas that flood or along coast lines that are subject to hurricanes is rolling the dice. So I would say that many of these people knew that and took a chance and lost.
I do feel sorry that they are homeless and have probably lost many of their possessions. How could you not feel sorry for the children. They are blameless. I don't want to have to pay for the parents stupidity though by having my insurance rates go up.
TOTD: No, I don't. I mean....I hate to see ANYONE lost their home due to a natural disaster of some sort...flood, hurricane, tornado, etc....BUT we all know when we move to an area close to a body of water...or in an area prone to certain things, so...it is bound to happen. I suppose I do feel sorry for them...I mean, who wouldn't? It sucks...but you should be very aware of the dangers by doing so...
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." H.P. Lovecraft in Supernatural Horror in Literature
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Puccini's "O soave fanciulla" from La Bohème
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
In honor of Giacomo Puccini's 152nd birthday, we asked you to vote for your favorite performance of "O soave fanciulla" from La Bohème. We played the winner, the performance by Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjoerling, at noon.
Listen to a sample of the performance by Bidu Sayao and Richard Tucker.
Comments [46]
I'll go with Giuseppe Di Stefano and Licia Albanese from an RCA recording of Boheme highlights recorded in 1951. She also recorded the duet with Beniamino Gigli in the complete recording in 1938, which I'm sure was great, but I haven't heard it.
Nope Jussi's Italian was just fine. I lived in Italy for 4 years and am fluent in the language. Yes, Luciano was wonderful. As for Victoria, she was built like a bird with a round chest. And boy could that bird sing.
Sorry, Jussi just doesn't make it...he lacks the true beauty of the Italian pronunciation, misplaces infinitesimally the precise accent, nevertheless a great singer...had Jussi lived he could have learned from Luciano...my man.
I agree with Peter. Luciano suffered a great deal from cattivo gusto (poor taste). The first singer that my son asked "Who the hell is that?" was Jussi. The Golden Swede at one time had trouble with the Sicilian dialect in the opening aria from Cavelleria and would sing it in Italian. But superb intellect that he had, he was able to get the Sicilian right. Luciano always had trouble with the Neopolitan dialect. What was amazing was the Richard Tucker's neopolitan was perfect. Pretty good for a guy from I think Cleveland. Luciano was a big ham. Could never watch the 3 Tenors concerts because all three were hamming it up. I was lucky to have grown up listening to Jussi, Victoria, Zinka, etc. I have the Boheme with Jussi and Victoria. I was gifted with another recording with different singers and never listen to it. And for me, only Jussi and Beniamino Gigli were perfection in the Nessun Dorma aria.
I had a lp recording of Turandot with Jussi, Tebaldi, and wore it out. Thank God for CDs.
Every time I hear this duet, I fall in love with my wife all over again. All these singers are great, but Pavarotti and Freni will always be my Bohemes.
The real genius, however, is Puccini. What incredibly moving music.
Jussi Bjoerling and Victoria de los Angelis give the quintessential performance of this work.Freni was a great Mimi and Pavarotti always moves me.
However, there is something in the quality of the voices of Bjoerling and de los Angelis that simply tears your heart out.
By the way, QXR, it's not really an aria, it's a duet!
Jussi and Vicki, definitely. Others are merely great.
I vote for Victoria de los Angeles & Jussi Bjoerling, the greatest Mimi & Rodolfo of all time.
It has to go to Bjorling. Too bad Netrebko and Bjorling could never do it. Villazon just looks too much like Mr. Bean, but I can't keep my eyes off of Netrebko. HOT!
what joy Freni and Pavarotti - I have listened to WQXR for 60 years - it brings me back to my youth ! The best !!
As many great voices are there are, the depth of emotion and beauty of sound enters another dimension with Bjorling and De Los Angeles. There are so many great moments in the entire Opera's recording, down to the last "Mimi!".
Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjoerling are my absolute favorites. I love the melting sound of his voice and she has a voice just like her name - of the angels.
My vote is definitely for Freni, either with Pavarotti or Gedda. The latter (not among the choices) would have the advantage of ending in harmony, as written. Why no Tabaldi? Because she always had trouble (to say the least) with the written high C, which always came out strained and, yes, flat.
How to choose! But I have to go with Netrebko and Villazon. I know it was a concert recording, but that was flawless!
Jussi Bjorling & Victoria Delos Angelas
O Soave Fancuella
I'm 82 and started listening to WQXR since I was 22. Bjorling was a favorite of mine-died too young. Delos Angela, I envied-desperately wanted to sing-I do sing in the church choir/alto, but how I love all of the great opera singers.
Please, please, please, let it be Bjorling/Delos Angelas...
Thank you
My problem witht he otherwise exquisite version of the "due modenese" is that Luciano ruins the moment with his peasant's bellow in unision at the end, instead of maintaining the mood and taking the lower option in harmony. Alagna makes the same lapse of taste error, so I go with Jussi and Victoria.
Jussi and Victoria. The other singers are fine but J & V were wonderful. I am 74 years old and I have heard all the others.
The Spanish Lady and the Swede.
I'm amazed that you omitted the 1959 rendition of Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi under Tullio Serafin's direction...a serious mistake on your part. There is also a superb performance by Mirella Freni and Nicolai Gedda under Tommy Schippers that is worthy of making your selection list.
While it IS my favorite cast, de los Angeles and Bjoerling, why no Tebaldi on the list of choices?
The choice of these selections is the heavenly duo of Bjorling and De los Angeles - clearly. Pav and Freni second. But where is DiStefano Callas? That would be my number one pick.
I wish I could sing like that, what a gift from the heavens, they are all great.
Pav is the man but on this one my vote is for O Soave Fanciulla. Italy has magic with these great opera's and singers.
Isn't it strange? I happen to be a typical science fiction fan. And what does that have to do with today's count down? Plenty. Doctor Who insists he was with Giacomo Puccini when the end came, and actually suggested who he should request to finish the opera Turandot. Which suggests to me that he was that individual who was with the maestro when that part of life happens, (it turns out that history is largely blank on that episode.), and course that's why I am mentioning him. His favorites amongst the library of these operas by Giacomo Puccini, include La Boheme, and Madama Butterfly. (Both mine also.)
Here is where it gets to be peculiar, I'm also a Star Trek fan, and the Doctor on Voyager had his peculiarities, and that chosen scene from the opera was his favorite, from a favorite opera.
Now I imagine those of you on the WQXR staff who read these will be reading mine and wondering what am I getting at. Feel free to contact me off board, please.
My vote is for Freni and Pavarotti. This duet still gives me goosebumps after all these years. Thanks Maestro Puccini.
Where is Tebaldi? If I sprinkle magic dust on the Met Opera maybe we will hear Pavarotti/de los Angeles.
Out of this group, I'll vote for Bjoerling and de los Angeles. I adore Pavarotti and Freni also, but I'll go with Beecham over Karajan. Also, Bjoerling sings the ending as written and does not take the high note with the soprano.
If it had been "open voting," I would have put in a word for Caballe and Domingo on the Solti recording. The two do the most exquisite pianissimi on the last few notes, and Domingo also does not go for the high note along with the soprano. Of course, if you have a high C like Pavarotti's, it's hard not to go with it!!
Jussi, Jussi, Jussi! and the great De los Angeles
Jussi Bjoerling and Victoria De los Angeles' rank at the top of the list and get my vote, without question the best. What a shame he died at 49.
Not Fair!!! It's like asking which part of Heaven you would like to spend eternity in!
My vote's for Luciano e Mirella. Bravissimi!
For me ,there is the most beautiful movement within "O soave fanciulla" that I have ever heard.
Am loving the Showdown at High Noon games. Bjorling and De Los Angeles get my vote today - effortless, spontaneous and passionate in ways the other great duos on your list cannot match.
Jussi Bjoerling and Victoria De los Angeles' recording I rank at the top of the list without question.
I just love Luciano Pavoitti. His voice is great! He died to soon, 71 is not old. He is now in heaven singing for the Big Guy, as I call God. Thanks to his recordings we will continue to hear his beautiful voice!
The Beecham Boheme is one of the two best operatic recordings ever (the other, of course, is the deSabata-Callas Tosca)
And, Bjoerling and de los Angeles are still the greatest!
As Mr. Jellinek might agree, Jussi Bjoerling and Victoria De los Angeles' recording, from the complete set cond. by Sir Thomas Beecham takes top honors.
As much as I love Pavarotti/Freni, I agree with one of the comments - we do not hear Boerling and De Los Angeles nearly enough - GO JUSSI!
Merry Christmas to all my fellow QXR listeners!
Each operatic version with it's own particular flavor of romantic expression....still
one brought me to tears and made me forget all the technique and study and made it sound and feel effortless. Every note came forth with a seamless symmetry with the soul of the composer for me and it was Victoria and Jussi.
I just crumbled and forgot where I was in time and place.
Many Thanks, Puccini and Happy Birthday.
My choice would have been Freni and Nick Gedda from (I think) 1961, with Schippers conducting. I suspect that was strictly a studio recording with no staging, so there would be no good video. Maybe that's why it wasn't "on the ballot"? However, Freni and Pavarotti are a good second choice, especially since they were singing together since their childhood in Modena.
All stellar voices, but there's really no contest: the superlative rises to the top: Freni and Pavarotti.
I just communed with the spirit of George Jellinek. He asked me to tell you there is no contest; Bjorling and De Los Angeles are hors concours.
I love you guys but.....Where's Renata Tebaldi and Prandelli or Bergonzi recordings...She is the quintessential Mimi!
What a difficult choice. try to choose between the deLos angelos and the Netrbko was almost impossible. However, we donot hear De los Agelos often enough.
what an embarrassment of riches! so many great choices it is hard to pick just one. Thanks!
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Believing in God is important, but what about God believing in us? Believing that we can actually be the kind of people we were meant to be. People of love, compassion, peace, forgiveness, and hope. People who try to do the right thing all of the time. It's easy for us to sometimes get down on ourselves. To feel "not good enough" or feel like we don't have what it takes. But maybe if we had more insight into the culture that Jesus grew up in and some of the radical things He did, we'd understand the faith that God has in all of us.
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This Gingerbread Pear Cake seems to glow like a fiery lamp in a dim room during these dark and cold days.
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Last night at services I spoke about the coming together of ancient and contemporary narratives, most significantly related to the moments when we read words from the prayerbook about the Exodus from Egypt while Egyptians themselves put their lives on the line to throw off a repressive regime that, paradoxically, has allied itself with Israel's democracy.
Can we pray the words and mean them? Can we recite a liturgical mantra about God heeding the cry of the oppressed, inspiring us and moving us to freedom back then, in a distant past, and therefore see ourselves as part of a greater narrative of freedom for all people?
Is the Exodus particular or universal?
These are the religious questions we ought to be asking ourselves at this pivotal moment in history when not only Egyptians but Arabs throughout the region are clamoring for the right to control their own destiny. And for Israelis in particular and Jews in general, there is both an ancient truth and a contemporary reality that will continue to speak to us as we navigate our way through this.
The ancient truth: the Jewish people's Exodus from Egypt speaks to the right of human beings to exist in freedom, worshiping a God of their choosing, in command of their own destiny in their own land.
The contemporary reality: what will the dissolution of regimes that supported a cold peace with Israel mean when democratically elected governments seek to dismantle those peace agreements?
We ought to support the struggle for freedom--a universal truth; but be ever-vigilant in protecting our self-interest.
The Times reports on the Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization in San Francisco which supports the Egyptian uprising, but is also an organizing force behind the ill-conceived boycott and divestment movement against Israel, taking a position that many people correctly argue is actually meant to de-legitimate Israel. Alana Newhouse recently exposed some of this idiotic thinking in writing about the Boycott Israel movement's targeting of the La MaMa theater for hosting an Israeli dance week benefit.
The grandiose narrative of revolution, ever-attractive, has to be tempered by realistic expectations, fragile alliances, and the slow, hard work of building real democratic movements. A whole heap of chaos lies ahead.
We woke up this morning to blown up natural gas lines in the Sinai, from which Israel receives 40% of its natural gas; and conflicting reports about assassination attempts on Omar Suleiman. There is a long, long way to go.
As whole nations in the Middle East stand on the verge of being re-made, Israel is exposed for its own inability to make a lasting peace with Palestinians, a fact (whomever is to blame) that will add another potentially destabilizing element to events as they unfold.
I believe, from my pulpit in Brooklyn, that in moving forward we Jews must embrace the desire for freedom being expressed throughout the Arab world and the greatest reason for our making that argument is found in the shared truths of our own ancient and contemporary narratives. More than three thousand years ago we liberated ourselves from a Biblical oppression in the land of Egypt and we continue to tell that story in our daily prayers to this day. And less than 70 years ago, we dedicated ourselves to building a modern state as a free people in its own land--a beautiful and sometimes maddeningly imperfect democracy but a democracy, nonetheless.
Our message to our Egyptian neighbors ought to be: We are with you. And you are with us. Let's build democracy together, you in your land, we in ours.
05 February 2011
3 comments:
- Amanda said...
I agree with you, but I wish it were that simple (I guess it could be, but it sure isn't)
- February 5, 2011 at 8:47 AM
- Andy Bachman said...
Amanda--If America and Israel are to maintain any claim of exceptionalism, then the diplomacy ought to be both aspirational and pragmatic.
- February 5, 2011 at 9:13 AM
- Amanda said...
And your wish most certainly is aspirational and I guess pragmatic, but shouldn't diplomacy also be realizable?
BTW, my goal is not to be a nay sayer, I want peace as much as the next guy, I'm just, unfortunately, not very optimistic. - February 5, 2011 at 8:48 PM
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By Kelly L. Anderson
PBN Staff Writer
A 1999 former FedEx 18-foot aluminum box truck is turning one gallery owner's vision of sharing art outside the usual places into reality.
Gallery Z owner Bérge Ara Zobian is turning the truck into a mobile art gallery. Thanks to a successful fundraising effort, ArtMobile will feature a hardwood floor, hanging materials, surround sound, digital monitors, track lighting and art from at least 120 artists. The all-original art will be sold from $50 to $18,000, he said.
Zobian has owned Gallery Z, on Atwells Ave in Providence, since 2001. But now he wants to take art out to the community to make it accessible to everyone.
The outside of the truck is being painted to feature Gallery Z's ArtMobile logo. It'll serve festivals, private, public and corporate events.
"There are recent fads and fashion with trucks out there for baking and cooking and this is not the purpose I'm doing this," Zobian said. "There are a number of people out there who are collectors and people want to see" art.
Zobian got the idea from his experience as a curator, lending paintings and other artwork to restaurants and other small-businesses in Rhode Island.
Cristina M. Di Chiera, director of individual artists programs for R.I. State Council on the Arts, said that although Rhode Island has an abundance of artists, "there are not a lot of galleries in the state showing local contemporary art.
"Gallery Z is among the most long-lived and successful, so it's wonderful that [Zobian] is coming up with creative ways to expand his reach," she said.
Zobian estimates the entire cost to be about $15,000. He bought the truck for $6,200 and had a mechanical shop make sure it was safe and sound.
He expects the project to be complete by the end of this month. Donations through Nov. 9 to an online funding program called Kickstarter had helped raise $4,204 for the project.
The plan now is to have the ArtMobile in the community by March 2012. An unveiling ceremony will be scheduled between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Zobian said.
Kickstarter is a large funding platform for creative projects around the world. Every week, tens of thousands of people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.
Project creators keep 100 percent ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences to donors that are unique to each project.
Donors to the ArtMobile will receive a range of various specials depending on how much they donate. The largest donors, $500 or more, will get a personalized 'thank you' email from the gallery director, added to the mailing list for this project to receive status updates of the ArtMobile and Gallery Z announcements. Their names, unless they wish to remain anonymous, will be featured on the Gallery Z website as an official ArtMobile sponsor and they will get an exclusive invitation to the unveiling. Among other things, they also can have the ArtMobile drive to a private party or event up to 25 miles from the location of Gallery Z or choose a painting from the gallery up to a $200 value.


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On this blog, we often talk about organizing space and things. From a project as simple as a junk drawer that provides a little calm in the chaotic kitchen, to a closet re-do that helps you get dressed easier in the morning, the feeling of being organized is definitely empowering.
The folks in the office often joke about how I am organized to a fault. I do admit, I do have a little bit of a compulsion in this area and love having a place for everything!
However, one thing I do poorly at is organize my time.
One example is in the office.
I am an email junkie. Self-confessed. Case in point for the madness:
–When I am working on a project and I see the envelope pop up at the bottom of the screen, I immediately go check Outlook to see if the email is urgent
–I carry my blackberry around all day long, keeping tabs on the newest messages that come in. I am ashamed to admit I sometimes do this in meetings while other people are talking which is a really bad habit.
–I sometimes have a hard time getting through my actual work to-do list because I am constantly answering emails throughout the day that pop up.
I have read a lot lately about the psychology around multi-tasking. We have learned to be such great multi-taskers in todays' time, but are we more productive? Many sources (see interesting article from AMA) say that actually doing too many things at once is counter-productive and then it actually takes more time to get all the items accomplished.
My morning routine is generally to go through my email first thing in the morning. On average, I usually receive 100 emails between 5:30pm and 8am, so the average time to plow through the pile is 1 hour.
This morning, I decided to try something different. I had a hot project that needed attention so I decided not to open Outlook until it was done. It only took me a half hour to do my project, and I felt remarkably good. I started my day with the first thing crossed off my to-do list before I opened Outlook.
As this relates to organizing my day, this month of June I am going to try to be conscientous of focusing on one thing at a time to see if this "organization of time" gives me the same empowering feeling that "organization of space" does. I'll let @rubbermaid (Jim) and @rubbermaiderin (Erin) give me a scorecard at the end of the month.
As I start this personal challenge, do you have any advice with how you either FOCUS or MANAGE EMAIL that can help me in this endeavor?


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Our two pros were "arguing" this morning. I thought I would bring it to the board and find out your thoughts/experiences... Here is the situation. We are a 4.5 ladies club team. Our pros are setting up this year's doubles combination. They were "stuck" on what to do with me and my new partner. One pro said I should be on the Ad side as they think I am the overall stronger player and solid at the net. The other pro said I should be on the Duce because I have a stronger forehand than backhand and my partner is more consistent in her returns even though she doesnt hit hard. This pro feels its more important to get the point started, but the other pro is worried my partner's softer returns will be punished and thinks its better to lose points from the Ad side than Duce. It was fun listening to their debate and in the end the pro putting me on the Duce side "won". Does it really make that much difference at this level? Curious to hear of others experiences
I'm 4.0, not 4.5, so my thoughts might not be all that applicable. I think in ladies doubles, you have to have a strong crosscourt FH in the deuce court. If not, the opposing net player will use her FH poach to eat you alive. Also important is having a solid overhead in the ad court, as that player will see 75% of the overheads. I understand the logic of having the more consistent returner in the ad side, but . . . the serves I have seen from 4.5-ish women are good, but Serena will not be across the net. The serves are plenty returnable. Whoever is on the ad side should be able to get her returns low and away from the BH poach of the opposing net player. So, without knowing more about your respective games, I would agree with what your pros decided.
I've never heard that its better to lose ad points than deuce points. Every big point is on the ad side except 5-40 or 40-5. I wouldn't want to be at a disadvantage every time we give them an ad point. My theory is simple: whoever plays ad side best, plays ad side. If the ad player has on off day, switch sides after the 1st set.
I really don't see how it makes a difference which side you start from. You have to alternate sides after every point anyway, plus can't you just mess with the formations maybe play a little aussie formation?
Rather than basing it all on theory why not just play 2 practice sets--1 w/ you in the ad court then 1 w/ you in the dEuce court and see which 1 works best?
I don't know too much about 4.5 ladies tennis but in my neck of the woods, the stronger returner always plays the second court unless there is a right/left combination. There are occasional exceptions of course but this is the general rule.
I believe the OP is talking about return games. And I'm in favor of putting the more consistent returner in the Ad court. There are more opportunities for games to end in the Ad court and I would want the person most likely to get the return in play on that side. I would probably make that call at any level. It would be more difficult at 4.5 and above because the disparity between individual players should be less obvious.
whoever has the better putaway overhead should play the side that they can putaway lobs down the middle. You see an ass load of lobs in league play.
Totally disagree. The best player - in rec doubles - should always play the deuce side. In theory, more balls are likely to be hit to that person since not every game finishes with an even number of points. Plenty of times break points are at 15-40. Being able to consistently get the other guy TO break point is more key than one or two break points a match at 30-40. You're starting off every game, every tiebreaker, every everything just about. Many times that sets the tone for a match. It's also a lot tougher to hit an inside-out backhand return off hard balls. I don't know a lot of people who can consistently dip the ball inside out that aren't in college or on the tour off of good hard first serves. I always feel like more people poach off the deuce side anyway because it's a FH volley, so it's even more of a premium to be able to hit that return as a skill. Most right handers also don't have a great inside out serve on the ad side (maybe a good kicker), but I do think a lot more have a good wide slice on the deuce, which is also a beeyotch of a return for the deuce side guy. If you have a lefty opponent, then it's more of an issue for your ad guy. But, I would want the best player seeing as many potential balls as possible than worrying about a few key 30-40 break points. Everyone just likes to think they are some badass because they play the ad side. Jeff
People tremendously over think the Ad/Deuce side. You should play in whatever formation makes your return of serve stronger. For you guys that is with you playing Deuce and her playing Ad. The return of serve happens on half the points- who cares about who has the stronger overhead when that matters just a few times per match? When it gets to deuce you need to win both points- if you win the deuce point then the Ad player doesn't have extra pressure. Winning more points is the goal.
Big points on ad court: 0-40, 30-40, 40-30, ad-in, ad-out Big points on deuce court: 5-40 I don't mind your theory of getting yourself TO game point, but if you face more potential game points for your opponent...why would you want a less capable returner on that? As I said before, of the 2 players put the one that plays ad side best on the ad side.
This is the conventional wisdom. Most games are ultimately decided on the ad side. There may be other considerations as well. For instance, one player might only be slightly better at returning but prefers the deuce side whereas his/her partner prefers the ad side. With this situation, a little bit of experimentation might determine which returning orientation works best for the team overall. With lefty/righty combinations, the lefty often player the ad side but this is not always the case. Up until fairly recently, the Bryan bros had played the conventional formation but then decided to switch it to put Bob, the lefty, on the deuce side (for a variety of reasons). Mike, the righty, is probably a little bit better at returning. They both have decent enough BHs and footwork to handle the alleys and they decided that they would rather put their FHs in the middle for poaching purposes.
All things being equal (which they seldom are at the rec level) the more consistent player should play the ad side. In good doubles the scores are 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The flashier, big shot, more dynamic player should play the deuce side and the more consistent player should play the ad side. This way the deuce guy can be aggressive and make things happen and the ad guy can save the team's ass to bring the score back even again and reset the game. 4.5 should be pretty decent club doubles, but these days you even see pros playing one/up, one/back, so what the heck, these are the go-go days, so anything goes. In the OP's case, either, one of these pros doesn't know his business, or there is some over-riding discrepancy between the two players abiliteis to create such a challenge to the fundamentals of winning doubles.
I think there is a gender disconnect going on here. I think the issues are different for men and also for leftie/rightie pair. Maybe in men's there are only a few lobs, but that is not true in 4.0 women's. Indeed, the weaker your overheads, the more lobs you will see. If you miss a few overheads early, you can rest assured your opponents will notice. I also don't think it is correct to say the more "consistent" returner should be in the ad court. I think better is that the "stronger" returner should be in the deuce court. As a deuce court player, I can tell you that taking a serve up the middle with your BH and getting it away from the poach is really hard. I need a lot of shots to deal with this. I have to have the BH back to the server, of course. I should be able to take my BH to the net player's alley, preferably with topspin so it dips. I need to be able to stand in closer to take away the net player's time. And I need a lob over her BH. When I play with lower-rated players, I prefer that they play the ad side. When I have had them play the deuce side, we get eaten alive off of poaches once the net player grooves off of their return.
This could go in circles for a long time. However, the stonger returner or player should be on the ad side. Are there exceptions to the rule given gender, shot strength or weakness or return side preference? Sure. Given the importance of points on the ad side, more often than not, that's where the stronger returner/player should be. In a new partner situation if that team gets blown out first set and rarely had a sniff for break points, change sides in the second set or possibly even the 3rd set. Making adjustments is the key.
Agree more with HookEmJeff. Forget big point focus. You're only at a BP because the deuce returner is handling the back-across BH return. That's the one that is the hardest to hit and the easiest to poach. It doesn't matter if he's the strongest player, it just matters that he can hit that return.
I don't get this idea of setting up doubles combinations and what side you should play before the season starts. Nothing should be set in stone. Try it both ways against a variety of partners in practice. Nothing beats trying things out in real world situations. How do you even know that you and your new partner are even going to mesh? What if you have a huge personality clash or your play styles really don't compliment each other? Everything should be fluid and adjustments should be made through out the season if need be.
^^^as nice as "trying it out both ways" sounds, it is rarely realistic to get a sampling of any significance. People have lives and schedules don't always allow a dozen practice matches in a month before a season starts. The most likely trial and error will happen during the matches themselves, when it counts.
This assumes that the other servers can serve to the BH on the deuce side consistently. This is not always the case (but you would think that 4.5 players should be able to do this). OTOH, righty servers will often have a difficult time serving out wide on the ad side so putting the weaker BH on that side will often make sense, particularly if that player has a decent FH return. Now if you are facing a lefty server on the ad side, you want a strong BH on that side since many lefties can hit a serve to the BH that is difficult to run around.
Let's here from the combo players out there. If you are playing combo, one player is presumably one USTA level stronger than the other. Which side does the lower player tend to play? When I play 7.5 combo, I play deuce side. This is because some ladies are eaten alive on the BH return back to the server. Indeed, I sometimes partner with a lady who struggles with her FH and lacks variety on her returns. We do much better with her on the ad side because that way we don't spend two sets getting poached on the deuce side. Here's the weird thing, though. When I captain (3.5 ladies, 7.5 ladies combo, 4.0 ladies), I usually ask the team to tell me which receiving side is their strongest. About 90% of the team replies deuce. I cannot for the life of me figure out why that is.
That does seem weird. I would think, at those levels, that more serves on the as side would go to the FH (where more players are comfortable). Perhaps players are not at ease with the ad side because that is where most games are decided (i.e. the last point is played). It is probably perceived as the "pressure" side since so many "game points" happen there.
I watched one of the videos when FYB was promoting the Bryan Brothers' doubles playbook, and the Bryan Brothers said that the stronger partner should be on the ad side because most of the important points are started on the ad court. They also said that it is easier to take overheads in the middle of the court and recover back in position if you started on the ad side.
I play 8.5 and 9.5 mens combo. My 8.5 partner is a 4.0 with a 2HBH. He makes aggressive errors, but his 2 hander does better generating pace back across the court than my 1-handed block or slice. I am a liability on the ad side because my returns are more likely to float and get poached. The further I'm stretched wide, the more time the net player has to poach. On the deuce side I create better angles with my FH and even though my backhand can float, I can do a reasonable job of keeping it away from the poaching opponent (less time for him to react on his partner's T-serve). That's probably the reasoning that most feel they are better on the deuce side. Most have stronger FH than BH and a weak BH return on ad side is more of a liability than it is on the deuce side.
I am a firm believer in that the stronger player has to play the ad side. 30-40/40-30 are by far the most important points in the match, you want your stronger player having a chance in those points. Those 30-40 break points are everything, they decide matches. And, there is less pressure on the weaker player if they are returning serve at deuce than at ad-in/ad-out. Plus, you want the stronger righty player having his/her forehand/overhead in the middle. Also, a lefty should play the deuce side. The ideal combo is a stronger righty player in the ad side, and a lefty on the deuce side. Two forehands in the middle, that's ideal. And Cindy, what I have observed is that women usually have a "side", not necessarily the deuce or the ad side, but one or the other, much more than men have a "side". That is frustrating for me when I play Mixed and the woman refuses to play the deuce side.
^ I guess you need to move from the Bay Area over to Cindy's part of the world where 90% of the women would rather play the deuce side. :twisted: Two of the best doubles players of all time, J Mac and M Navratolova, were both lefties. I believed that they both played the ad side. I believe that more lefties play the ad side rather than the deuce side in doubles. The Bryan bros played for quite a few years with Bob, the lefty, on the ad side before switching (relatively recently). .
I play combo as the weaker player, and there is no pattern to the preferences as far as I can tell. I play with three different partners and I've played both sides with all of them. Personally, I think returning on the ad side is much more difficult in dubs. I find more guys can hit the kick serve out wide to my BH because that wide corner of the service box is farther from the server, giving them a larger margin of error (at least I find it much easier to hit the kicker out there). None of these partners expresses a preference--instead asking me which side I like. Personally, I ask my partner from which side they return best, and go from there. In mixed I always try to play ad side because that's where so many of the key points originate.
3 points to consider. Who is better under pressure? That's the ad court player. Who can return the ball without giving it to the netperson? Play the side you can return serve. Who can cover the middle in volley exchanges? You can cheat both players to the center if need be.
I think by the time you get to 4.0, most women can play either side. But that is not the question I ask. If I ask the players which side they prefer, most reply, "Oh, I can play either." If I ask the players on which side they are stronger, most reply deuce. Interestingly, the one player who is most firmly an ad court player is just terrible on the deuce side. She struggles with her FH. She can get away with hitting slice BHs and FHs on the ad side, but she feels she cannot hit a FH well enough to avoid a poach (or lob or go DTL). As for me, I used to play ad side all the time. I had no FH crosscourt, but I was happy to hit the FH inside out. Even in mixed, I played ad because it was better to have me get a return in the court than to donate endless points trying to take my FH crosscourt. Thankfully, I have fixed my FH.
I am a 4.5 player, college tennis coach, and 8.0 mixed doubles player. With all being equal, you put the better player on the ad side of the court. Sometimes due to lefty/righty or a particular weapon or weakness you change, but in general its best to have the better baseliner on the ad side. Most game points are played on the ad side of the court. The better player's forehand is in the middle of the court as well.
All things being equal tennis is a game of percentages and you win by making the fewest errors. It's easy to be "strong" and hit the ball out of the park, anyone can do that, but the percentages are higher in being consistent and giving opponents the opportunity to mess-up, which usually occurs within five or six shots. My definition of "stronger" is the one who hits the ball, harder forcing errors or hitting un-returnables, but this is also lower percentage and they will also make more errors. The "consistent" player is the one who plays more conservatively, more touch, more angles, keeping the ball in play by making a lot of returns. Unless the two "arguing" pros, in the OP are seeing some glaring weakness at the 4.5 level, one is wrong. The OP is talking 4.5, Cindy as a freshly minted 4.0, is swinging the discussion to a different level where all things are not equal and you can pretty much do whatever you want having so many variables. This is not a decision for a team captain, unless they are very astute as you can see even two "pros" have differing views. When the discussion comes up I just tell my dubs partner that my surgeon advised I play the ad side unless there's a lefty serving.
Comes down to which player is more effective from which side. Put them on the wrong side, they play poorly as a team.
http://www.tennisxpert.com/more-thoughts-doubles-game08.aspx Here is another perspective on choosing which side to pick for serve returns. Of course, when facing lefty servers, the best choice might very well be different.
This is true assuming all players are right handed; a weaker BH should play the ad court. Most rec players poach better with FH and don't have strong high BH volley putaway, so my partner's weaker BH cross courts will less likely to be attacked. It's much easier for my FH from the deuce side to hit dtl against aggressive poachers comparing to my partner's BH.
If it takes you a dozen matches to find out what works, the season will be over. The way I see it any information is better than none. Even 1-2 practice session together should allow 4.5 level players to get a basic understanding of what is going to work better. This team has a head pro/coach. This type of team is not just a random bunch of gals thrown together. I am sure the head pro is running clinics or practice sessions or why would he be running this team?
I get the logic, but a weak BH at 4.5 traveling all the way cross court gives the poaching net player so much time. Maybe this is better info for lower level doubles that don't come across a lot of aggressive net players.
I should've also stated that my 1HBH is more likely to be late, thus an inside out backhand isn't impossible.
F.T.D., sounds like it's time to work on improving your BH; maybe you can get together with NTRPolice for some drilling.
Well, great discussion and many fantastic comments. We played our first match today with me on the Duce and my partner on the Ad. We did win.. However, many of our games were "me" starting the point with a deep crosscourt forehand at caused a loopier return for my partner to put away. This worked great till they tried poaching my return then I had to go down the line a few times, which kept the net gal in her spot, but I did get a few winners. Any serve out wide to my partner created a put away poach (I got hit twice today). But, on second serves or down the middle serves my partner was able to return deep crosscourt and we were able to pull it out 7-5 and 6-4. I like my partner she is a nice calm lady, but I would like for her to work on her returns. I'm worried better serves will be able to pull her wide more consistently. The one pro (a lady) who created this combo was "gloating" to the other pro (a guy), but he still insists that our scores were too close and that we should switch next time. Thoughts on our scores being too close??
I've been working at it for 20+ years. It's about as good as its ever been. Still my weaker side, probably never going to change that. Tried 2HBH for a spell, but it worked less than my switch hitting in little league. I have a racquetball background so 1H is more natural, but not Gasquet-ish by any stretch. However, I've seen Mr Police's 1H'er and I don't think he's got anything on mine.
I'm still working on mine and it's been about 50 years but it's coming around finally. Here are a few tips that helped me: * Place your thumb firmly behind your grip on the big flat. This will support the shot firmly as the palm of the hand does for the FH. * You will notice yourself cheating on this when the thumb starts slipping to its side rather than firmly flat against the racket--but you will know what the problem is then. You must have the courage and thoughtfulness to execute this--easier said then done! If you don't firmly place the thumb, it will slice and take the power out of the stroke. * Holding the grip as far down into the palm will facilitate the grip change. * Putting the palm of the off hand under the butt of the racket will help to de-weight the racket also. * Now hit a million practice balls. G'luck
I guess I always take the side that my partner doesn't want, which typically seems to be the deuce side. I'll play whichever, I have no preference. Usually, I pretty much assume I'm playing the ad in mixed if the guy has a ridiculous kicker to the BH, because most girls I've played with can't handle that big hop or out wide lunge return. I think whenever they protest, I let them see and then it's funny to see if they want to try to switch it up in a second set or not. Sometimes you just have to let people take their medicine. I also prefer to not have every ball come to me at 15-0 or 30-15 or 40-30 as a returner in mixed at least (LOL). I think everyone likes to think they are the stronger player because they are playing the AD side. There IS no stronger side, there are just stronger players. I just think you play simple math: Statistically, you are just MORE likely to be playing MORE balls by playing on the deuce side because everything starts out on that side. If every game had the same number of even points, then I'd say it's a wash. But, it's not. And...I come to play, so I certainly want to play more shots! The funny thing I've noticed is that at lower rec level doubles (8.0 COMBO and below) many people still can get a LOT of forehand returns off the deuce side, either off a runaround, a slow serve, or just because for most players serving at that level it's easier to serve center or wide on deuce side. So, you can get that FH. Much harder for players that level to get the ball up the T. At levels above that (maybe 8.5 combo and above), you start seeing that BH down the middle a LOT LOT more. I think it's just much more part of the game and that deuce returner is really under the gun because that's usually his/her BH that has to go all the way over. It's a small window to hit into with what is usually most people's weaker wing. Most players (at least all the ones I've seen in my years of playing) are way more versatile with their FH, they can bang it, lob it, slice it, roll it, inside out it. Because of that, I think many players feel the FH is their better shot that they actually have more court space to "safely" hit into on the ad side. I know a lot of players - even at good levels - do NOT feel that way about that BH return inside out. They know they can't get that ball over there and have to lob. At the pro level, I think they pretty much squeeze the middle with most stuff and leave the alleys completely alone - even in rallies - daring you to try to redirect off of 120 mph serves or huge groundies and volleys. If you can do that, you are Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer or Leander Paes. You are NOT the guy at the park. Granted, many break and key points are on the AD side, and it's always the final point of a deuce game. I just think that the AD side better player discussion is overplayed. I think the real issue (on who should play which side) is can you return serve consistently well enough to get it away from the poacher, whatever side you're on? Knowing tendencies, knowing all of that, that's how you should make your decision in my opinion. I like both sides and have never tried to be "phobic" about either one. People that are like that are not people I want to play with! Jeff
Jeff's logic is very similar to mine. The deuce returner does see more points. There are pluses and minuses either way (return consistency, whether the server can exploit whatever weaknesses you have, what side do you volley better on, who has the better overhead, etc.). In the end, you have to simply figure out which way you and your partner play better. For those who stick with "the key points are on the ad side"... Would you rather have your better returner receiving serve at 40-30 or have your weaker returner receiving serve at 30-40?
Turn sideways and don't open up after the hit. Big shoulder turn, shoulder touches chin. Racket head is up high, above your head, like Gasquet.
First off, listen to this guy. He knows what he's talking about and obviously has played a lot of doubles. So have I. I agree with virtually everything he says. I would also add that there is a slight issue with the ad court that you don't necessarily have to deal with in the deuce court. That is, if your deuce court partner is weak, you are very often returning serve DOWN a point. That is, the serving team has the advantage and can be more aggressive, because they can more easily afford to lose a point. This typically means that the server will be more aggressive with his serve, and the netman will be more likely to poach. So, a weaker deuce court player puts much more pressure on his ad court partner. This is not good. A VERY basic rule of thumb is: the stronger BH returner should play the deuce court. This is done for obvious reasons, as most of the serves in the 4.0-4.5 level matches are directed to the backhand. If you're always starting out the game DOWN a point, it's tough to recover in the long run over a full match. My personal rule of thumb in round-robin leagues is: count how many break points or breaks of serve you get in the first set, THEN you decide whether or not to switch return sides based on that number. That is, if you get ZERO break points, then you switch return sides. If you get only a few BPs but no actual breaks, then you still switch. If you get more than 1 break of serve, then you stay. Anything in between, you decide based on how well you're both returning. I would also add that the more CONSISTENT returner should probably play the ad court, as it's more likely that they'll keep you in a game in the event that you get down in the score. The deuce court returner has the advantage of being able to "go for it" on the return of serve, provided his partner is reliable. Anyway, those are just my thoughts. I play the deuce court whenever I can, and I have tons of options for returning serve. Slice crosscourt, dipping topspin BH, crushing the ball DTL with my forehand, lob over the netman to the server's BH, etc. It's a fun side to play. I feel more restricted with the ad court, although a powerful inside-out forehand is a potent weapon, but I feel there are fewer options because it's less likely to be able to crush a ball DTL from the ad court, so the opposing netman can more easily poach.
Oh, I forgot to add: there is also the factor of what side you're better at POACHING. On the deuce court (assuming right-handers), you have to be able to have a strong BH poach. While most people feel comfortable poaching with their forehands, there are also a ton of people (particularly 2-handers) who cannot comfortably poach on the backhand side. These people should NOT play the deuce court unless they have a ridiculously good return of serve to make up for it. As long as you can get the serve back in play, then your netman should spring into action on the second shot, particularly if your return of serve is halfway decent. In playing the deuce court, I would guess that almost 50% of the points I try to get into the action on the second ball. That's because my BH overhead and volley are very good. I have a good "feel" for moving to my left and picking off balls with my backhand volley. But when I play with 2-handers that want to play the deuce court, they NEVER poach and it puts more pressure on me in the ad court because no matter how good my return is, I usually still have to play another ball. Just something else to keep in mind. Sometimes it's not just the service return that matters, it's the ability of your partner to cut off a weak ball on his side. For right-handers, it's easy to poach from the ad court, but it takes a player with a good one-handed volley to be able to support his partner from the deuce court.


text: Several Broncos Fans Plan To Spend Their Super Bowl Savings On "Start Tebow" BillboardsBrian Hickey9/14/11 9:45pmFiled to: FansTim TebowNflDenver BroncosKyle OrtonBillboardsNewstweet14EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Some people might wait until Week Two to write off their professional football team's chances of a successful season. Jesse Oaks and his seven friends are not those people. Advertisement No, they saw Kyle Orton's performance in the season opener against Oakland and despair descended upon them all. Granted, they're pretty much delusional for thinking all wasn't lost before the Broncos's preseason kickoff, but they stuck to their "save for a trip to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis" guns anyway.But no more. Advertisement These eight superfans commit their money to the style of gimmickry good for one day of ha-ha attention, but probably no action from the deciders.[T]he group concocted a new plan for how to spend those dollars: Buy two billboards on which to implore the Broncos bosses to make a change at quarterback."We believe in Coach Fox, we're just tired of Kyle Orton," Oaks said. "We were sitting around after Fox said he didn't hear the chants for Tebow, and we figured if he's deaf, we hope he's not blind."Oaks, who lives in Independence, Ky., said he has called several billboard companies, and was told it would cost $10,000 to purchase two billboards in downtown Denver."We're not blind, we know when we see good football. We see other teams making good plays and we don't see that from our team. We can sink or swim with Tim Tebow, why wait a few more years?"Fine, they love their team, but it's a two-hour drive from Independence, Ky. to Indianapolis so, barring greedy toll trolls, a full-page ad in Westword might be a more realistic investment.Broncos fans planning to buy pro-Tebow billboards [Denver Post] (H/T Kyle M.)Reply14 repliesLeave a reply


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The SP-500UZ - unlike virtually all its direct competitors - isn't designed to look like a miniature SLR (though it does sport a fairly sizeable grip), but more like a chunky version of a traditional 'compact' camera. The styling is functional and fairly conservative, but it is well built, is fairly compact and seems very well built. The control layout is pretty basic - the SP-500UZ relies on menus fairly heavily, an inevitable consequence of such a large feature set - and the rear of the camera is dominated by the large, bright screen.
In your hand
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text: Saint-Maur-des-FossésSaint-Maur-des-Fossés (săN-mōr-dā-fôsāˈ) [key], city (1990 pop. 77,492), Val-de-Marne dept., N central France, on the Marne River. An industrial suburb of Paris, it manufactures automobile parts, ball bearings, electrical equipment, asbestos and paper products, and furniture. It is connected to Paris by metro. St. Nicholas Church (12th–14th cent.) houses a statue of Our Lady of Miracles, an object of pilgrimages. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: French Political Geography |


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The Monkees, American pop-rock group created as a made-for-television answer to the Beatles in the mid-1960s. The members were Micky Dolenz (byname of George Michael Dolenz; b. March 8, 1945, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), Davy Jones (byname of David Jones; b. December 30, 1945, Manchester, England—February 29, 2012, Stuart, Florida), Mike Nesmith (byname of Robert Michael Nesmith; b. December 30, 1942, Houston, Texas, U.S.), and Peter Tork (byname of Peter Thorkelson; b. February 13, 1942, Washington, D.C., U.S.).
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Hi, I try to create a 3D model with 2 photos as here http: // http://www.photo-to-3d.com.
Could the triangulation of Delaunay be a track? If yes how to make it with Jitter?
Java is certainly one of solutions, regrettably for me I do not master Java.
Tools as xray.jit or cv.jit they are of good tracks?
I need to create then a .OBJ (jsobjwriter.js work from NURBS, Can we modify it so that the js work with the triangle?).
Http: // http://www.cgal.org seems to me very interest, but how to implant it in jitter?
Many questions;-)
I work on an installation, and I need help. I have a budget to make this work with the guru Java or C ++ which in time to dedicate to this project.
Thank you for your attention the friends.
Nobody to help me?
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