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A few years ago a film entitled Stranger Than Fiction (2006) was here at TIFF which displayed an entirely different side to Will Ferrell, best known as a comedic actor, here tackling a dramatic role for the first time. Ferrell was very good in the film, and impressed more than a few film critics (myself included) with his acting chops. Of course his recent performance as President George W. Bush on HBO makes it clear that when he puts his mind to it, he is a gifted actor capable of doing great comedic work. One of the joys of TIFF is finding out something new about an actor or a director, when they tackle something outside their comfort zone, and incredibly, make it work. Just a few days ago Chris Cooper said to me that the industry often pigeon holes actors into doing the same sort of performance and film over and over and over, and that since winning his Oscar for Adaptation (2002) has never been offered anything remotely like that part again. Ferrell is often in danger of getting stuck in that rut, doing the same sort of character over and over, when clearly there is a character actor waiting to break out.
Ferrell has done it again, in a film not as good as Stranger Than Fiction, though his performance may be better, darker, and more complex than that one.
In his new film film, Everything Must Go, directed by Dan Rush, comedian Will Ferrell gives a strong performance as an alcoholic, fired from his job, kicked out of his home by his wife, and left with only his possessions scattered on his front lawn. The entire premise of the film is how he deals with this, how he comes to recognize that his life is not over and he has the strength to carry on. Ferrell handles the angry man portrayal quite well, proving that his work in Stranger Than Fiction (2006) was no fluke. In fact, I dare say this is his best work onscreen...period. This is Ferrell's first foray into the independent filmmaking scene, the actor offered a role that goes against the grain of just about everything he has done.
His character could be a dislikable sort, and indeed Ferrell goes in that direction, capturing the anger of a man who has allowed, through drink and foolish acts, his life to spiral out of control. I cannot remember Ferrell ever portraying such self loathing so brilliantly before, as deep down he knows he is his own worst enemy, but lacks the courage to do anything about it, perhaps because it is his very own misery. People on such a downward dive often have nothing more than their misery, and they covet and protect it, because they somehow understand it is the one thing they do control. Their anger grows, they lash out at anyone around them, and are cruel because they feel they do not deserve any decent treatment or kindness. However there is something so inherently likable within Ferrell it is impossible to completely dislike the character. We see him do some very stupid things, we see him at his very worst, but we also know what he is going through and what he is up against. He's not a bad guy, not at all, he's just in a bad way.
The film itself suffers from being rather one note, though. Once his character is established on the front lawn, the other characters are introduced, it all becomes a tad redundant, despite some strong performances from Ferrell and Rebecca Hall. She brings a lovely winsome presence to the film as a pregnant neighbor, having just moved in, getting a rather shocking introduction to Ferrell. He hits the nail right on the head when he states that she could be looking at her future, but she sees something more in him, and will not let his defeatist attitude get to her. In the moment of the darkest despair of his life, betrayed by someone he truly admired and trusted, he manages to find hope and go on.
Based on a short story by Raymond Chandler, "Why Don't You Dance?", the director-writer Rush knew at once upon reading the story that this would be his first feature. Knowing he needed a strong actor for the part of Nick, who is in virtually every scene in the film, Rush thought of no one else but Ferrell. Knowing that the character had some irredeemable qualities about him, he believed that Ferrell's likability would help with the impact of the film and allow the audience to care about the character.
Rush was right in his casting, no question. Where he fails, I think is in the execution of the story, which lacks urgency and desperation. This guy is out of his home, fired, his car taken away...he is at rock bottom, and yet the film moves casually along. Rush is very fortunate to have Ferrell in the film, an actor interesting enough to keep the audience watching and caring about the character.
The one piece of casting I struggled with was Christopher "CJ" Wallace, who is a thirteen year old kid who becomes over a few days Ferrell's best friend and business partner. There is a lack of chemistry between the pair, and though it does not impact the performance of Ferrell, it does cause the scenes with the youngster to lack a degree of realism. There is just something inauthentic about his work that stands out among the other actors, who live and breathe the characters.
The press audience enjoyed the film, though they seemed to enjoy Ferrell much more. He is the driving force of the film.
The American remake of the brilliant Danish horror film Let the Right One in (2007) is Let Me In, directed by Matt Reeves who gave us the horror flick Cloverfield (2009). With strong buzz floating around this picture, many in the audience were openly discussing the original, wondering if the director of the remake could match that first one. Suffice to say he does, though I cannot say I agree with other critics stating that this new film surpasses the original. Certainly more money was spent in the making, and the production values are stronger, but that first picture had a stark and cold horror that this new one does not have. It's very scary, don't get me wrong, but there is an under current of sadness to this one that I did not find in the first.
Almost a shot for shot remake of the film, the picture is an unsettling, chilling tale of a young American boy and the twelve (more or less she says) year old vampire girl he befriends when she moves into his apartment complex. He is struggling with the nasty divorce of his parents, seeking to belong in a school where he is the target of a relentless bully, and looking for something to happen in his life that might interest him. The girl, Abby, tells him from the beginning, "we can't be friends" yet their friendship nonetheless evolves, slowly, as a trust builds between the two of them. We see glimpses into each of their lives and, in their own very different way, each is an outsider. She for her need for human blood, he because he is different than the other kids and targeted by a particular group of boys who openly despise him.
When her protector dies she is forced to reveal more and more of herself to the boy, who though initially horrified, still understands Abby is the girl underneath it all, and cannot help what she is any more than his mother can help what she is. As a police detective, nicely portrayed by Elias Koteas gets closer and closer to discovering Abby's secret, the boy learns just how far he will go to protect his friend, monster or not.
In the original film, there were no glowing eyes, no changes to the girl throughout the film, which I admired. I have always admired Stephen King's book Salem's Lot in which the vampires' facial features never change, they remain the same and their eyes of pools of darkness. Sadly, the director Reeves has chosen to allow Abby's features to become more and more monster like as she feeds, which to me lessened the impact of the horror. How much more terrifying would it be to see that sweet faced girl feasting on blood, than the green eyed beast we see? It is the wrong move from a director who obviously has great regard for the original and does virtually everything right until that moment. Not that it ruins the film, the picture is too strong for that to happen, and the performances far too outstanding.
Richard Jenkins is the child's protector, her father she calls him, and her connection to food. He kills people and drains their blood so the girl may feed. When one of his killings goes terribly wrong, he pours acid over his face so he is unrecognizable and will not be caught. Abby comes to him in the hospital, and he offers her his blood, before he falls to the ground dead. Without a protector, she is left to find blood for herself, and when the boy tries to make them blood "friends" she goes berserk, lapping up his blood from the ground, before attacking a woman in the apartment complex. This brings the police, and Abby is forced to move on. Or so the boy believes. She is watching him from afar, and is finally his protector from the bullies who terrorize him, leaving a swimming pool awash in blood and body parts. Knowing they cannot escape this series of murders, the boy makes a life altering decision that will impact them both, but keep them together.
When a film is placed on the shoulders of actors so young it is a huge risk for the director, and must weigh on his mind during the making of the film. However when the child actors are as strong as they are in this film, the director has no worries. Initially when I heard Kodi Smit-McPhee of The Road (2009) was going to portray the boy in the film I was concerned as I did not care for his work in that apocalyptic work, believing it to be forced and immature. Yet he has grown as an actor, and grounds this film with a fine and strong piece of acting. His beautiful liquid eyes are so utterly soulful, and his feelings for Abby worn on his sleeve.
As Abby, young Chloe Grace Mortez, is otherworldly. His wise eyes seems ancient, and yet there is a childlike quality to her, "I like puzzles", she tells his friend, not realizing, (or perhaps knowing) he is trying to solve the puzzle that is Abby. She knows what she is, she knows she could kill the boy in a heartbeat, but does not, because despite her belief she cannot have a friend, she knows he is hers.
The attacks are quite startling, as she suddenly moves with extraordinary speed, leaping around like a vicious lynx attacking her prey, and there is no shortage of blood. Yet this is also a film about an evolving friendship, and a deep love between two children.
Though many doubted Matt Reeves, he more than pulled this off, giving us a film that will do very well at the box office and provide audiences with some genuine thrills this fall. Hopefully, the success of this new picture will not cause audiences to forget the original, because it remains a chilling exercise in terror, and that young girls' face haunts the landscape of my mind.


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Posts Tagged 'media'
The Long Tail Theory: Why Webseries Creators Need Net Neutrality
The following remarks were delivered by Thom Woodley at the WGAE's Capital Hill briefing on Internet policy.
* * *
I am a writer, and a creator of content, and as such, by necessity, an entrepreneur. What I'm going to talk about today are the business models of web video, how the open web allows creators to do innovative work, and the dangers that paid prioritization creates for that innovation.
In our discussions of net neutrality today, we've a couple of times heard the comparison of the internet to highways. I'd like to expand that. Let's suppose that a state decides adopt the prioritization model to their roadwork. This would mean they don't pave roads in a certain area as well as other ones. We all know what would happen. The economy in that area suffers. Trucks can't get to it, no one wants to drive along the bumpy, dirty road.
It's the same online. Pavement equals streaming speed. If the streaming speed is slow, no one will watch. We don't force the people who live on that road, the businesses on that road, to pay directly for paving the whole thing. But Internet Service Providers want to do that exact thing to content providers. If we don't have net neutrality, ISPs could charge content providers money to deliver their content at a reasonable enough speed.
I am going to make the case that that is tantamount to killing a new industry before it has developed.
There is a business model of independent web video. There are a few. They exist, but they're still nascent. And it's very different from television or most other traditional economic structures.
I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Long Tail Theory of economics. I'll just give a quick abstract. Say we're in a book store. 80% of people who come into that store will tend to buy the same top 20% of books. The remaining 20% of people may also buy that top tier, but in addition, seek out products that are more diverse, less common denominator. When we chart these spending habits, rank of products sold against volume of sales, we get a short 'body' and a long 'tail'.
Now, in a store, there's a physical inventory. So it only makes sense to keep that top 20% in stock. Of course, for an online store, inventory is more vast. So you can open up the full 100% of products, and get that extra business. And here's a hidden secret: people in this long tail will tend to pay more for the products they love, if they are perceived as rare.
How does this relate to television? TV has a fixed inventory of time that it is selling. As well as a great expense in broadcasting it. So it only makes sense to program shows that 80% of the populace will seek out. The same with movie theaters – a fixed number of screens. But web video has no fixed period of time. It has no fixed numbers of screens. Strictly speaking, it has no distributional limits, except for streaming speed.
That means that online, this long tail of specialized content is now open for everybody.
From an advertising perspective, we know that a message moves farther and more effectively when it is highly tailored to its audience. You are three times more likely to watch a video if a friend shared it to you. So advertisers have an excellent model here. Let's take as an example, an award-winning and very popular series I participate in called The Temp Life. It is sponsored by a staffing agency who could never afford to buy TV time. But they could afford a more specified and tailored web production with Hollywood celebrities like Milo Ventimiglia and Illeana Douglas. And the show just finished its 5th season, which is longer than most real Hollywood shows.
Web video, due to its long tail nature, has the tendency to gather audiences of more specific demographics. These shows function with a smaller audience, but they become more valuable to the sponsor. My show The Burg gathered an audience of hipsters and influencers mostly based in New York. It's the kind of audience TV shows desperately try to attract, but had not reliably done so. Sure, the show did not rack up the millions of views per episode that a TV show needs. That's okay. We did not need it. We had a highly activated audience who, when we did do sponsorships, were much more accepting of our sponsors' products.
Web TV will not be, in the future, about gathering the 'most views', but gathering the 'best views'.
But it's worth pointing out that putting any of this content behind a paywall, or tiered download situation where it didn't stream quickly, that would have killed it. People would not have watched.
There are two more models I'd like to briefly discuss.
One is the audience-supported show. Take the show Anyone But Me. It's a multiple award-winning show about a lesbian teenager and her struggles. It's excellent. It tells a difficult story about a topic some would think is controversial. And it likely would never have been made on TV. They are able to make this show because they have an audience who is demanding it. Again, it's a smaller audience, but they are so passionate about this show that they pay for it. Not per download – by donation.
But it's tight. Profit margins are slim in both of these models. If we were charging Anyone But Me an extra fee to stream fast enough so that the audience can watch it, then they probably would not be able to make it.
Another model that is developing is even more interesting to me, as a small business owner: the local webseries scene.
Distribution is, at present, open to everyone. I can make a video and put it up – there are no walls between me and a prospective audience of millions. At the same time, the means of film production are accessible to everyone, with consumer-level editing software and digital cameras. This means that a webseries can be generated and created anywhere, for any audience. This is of course different from film and TV, where you have to be in LA or NY.
What we are seeing now is communities of content creators and webseries makers beginning to pop up in every state of the union. In places that never had any sort of film industry before, we suddenly see one popping up. And it can be sponsored by local advertisers. I point to one of the shows I'm involved in, Greg and Donny, which is about two guys just chatting about stuff going on in the small, post-industrial steel town Johnstown, PA. Now, that sounds like a very specific show that no one outside that town would want to watch, right? Well… stay tuned.
I believe in a few years, we will be seeing small town film scenes. Communities of webseries creators and vloggers from Maine to Utah. Decentralized micro-industries of creative professionals from Alabama to Wyoming. I believe we will see this… down the road.
But not if the road is too expensive to travel on.
Net neutrality is vital to keeping the lanes of communication open. The creative economy of the future depends on it. Thank you.
Writer and web video pioneer Thom Woodley created one of the first narrative web series "The Burg", the Streamy and Webby nominated shows "The All-For-Nots", "All's Faire" and "Greg & Donny", and is the founder of DIORAMA, a new web video channel aimed at programming television-quality independent content.
In Defense of NPR
Come on now: Let's take a breath and put this NPR fracas into perspective.Just as public radio struggles against yet another assault from the its long-time nemesis — the right-wing machine that would thrill if our sole sources of information were Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and ads paid for by the Koch Brothers — it walks into a trap perpetrated by one of the sleaziest operatives ever to climb out of a sewer.
First, in the interest of full disclosure: While not presently committing journalism on public television, the two of us have been colleagues on PBS for almost 40 years (although never for NPR). We've lived through every one of the fierce and often unscrupulous efforts by the right to shut down both public television and radio. Our work has sometimes been the explicit bull's eye on the dartboard, as conservative ideologues sought to extinguish the independent reporting and analysis they find so threatening to their phobic worldview.
We have come to believe, as so many others have, that only the creation of a substantial trust fund for public media will free it from the whims and biases of the politicians, including Democratic politicians (yes, after one of our documentaries tracking President Clinton's scandalous fund-raising in the mid-90s, the knives were sharpened on the other side of the aisle).
Richard Nixon was the first who tried to shut down public broadcasting, strangling and diverting funding, attacking alleged bias and even placing public broadcasters Sander Vanocur and Robert MacNeil on his legendary enemies list. Nixon didn't succeed, and ironically his downfall was brought about, in part, by public television's nighttime rebroadcasts of the Senate Watergate hearings, exposing his crimes and misdemeanors to a wider, primetime audience.
Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich tried to gut public broadcasting, too, and the George W. Bush White House planted partisan operatives at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in an attempt to challenge journalists who didn't hew to the party line.
But what's happening now is the worst yet. Just as Republicans again clamor for the elimination of government funding and public broadcasting once more fights for life, it steps on its own oxygen line. The details are well-known: how NPR's development chief Ron Schiller stupidly fell into a sting perpetrated by an organization run by the young conservative hit man James O'Keefe, a product of that grimy underworld of ideologically-based harassment which feeds the right's slime machine. Posing as members of a phony Muslim group, O'Keefe's agents provocateurs offered NPR a check for $5 million — an offer that was rejected.
But Ron Schiller couldn't leave it there. Unaware that he was speaking into a hidden camera and microphone, and violating everything we're told from childhood about not talking to strangers, he allowed the two co-conspirators to goad him into a loquacious display of personal opinions, including his belief that Tea Partiers are racist and cult-like. As the record shows, more than once he said he had taken off his "NPR hat" and was representing himself as no one other than who he is. His convictions, their expression so grossly ill advised in this instance, are his own.
Ron Schiller is a fundraiser, not a news director. NPR keeps a high, thick firewall between its successful development office and its superb news division. The "separation of church and state" — the classic division of editorial and finance — has been one of the glories of public radio as it has won a large and respectful audience as the place on the radio spectrum that is free of commercials and commercial values.
If you would see how this integrity is upheld, go to the NPR website and pull up any of its reporting since 2009 on the Tea Party movement. Read the transcripts or listen to its coverage — you will find it impartial and professional, a full representation of various points of view, pro and con, Further, examine how over the past few days NPR has covered the O'Keefe/Schiller contretemps and made no attempt to cover up or ignore its own failings and responsibilities.
Then reverse the situation and contemplate how, say, Fox News would handle a similar incident if they were the target of a sting. Would their coverage be as "fair and balanced" as NPR's? Would they apologize or punish their outspoken employee if he or she demeaned liberals? Don't kid yourself. A raise and promotion would be more likely. Think of the fortune Glenn Beck has made on Fox, spewing bile and lies about progressives and their "conspiracies."
And oh, yes, something else: Remember what Fox News chief Roger Ailes said about NPR executives after they fired Fox contributor Juan Williams? "They are, of course, Nazis," Ailes told an interviewer. "They have a kind of Nazi attitude. They are the left wing of Nazism. These guys don't want any other point of view." When the Anti-Defamation League objected to the characterization, Ailes apologized but then described NPR as "nasty, inflexible" bigots.
Double standard? You bet. A fundraiser for NPR is axed for his own personal bias and unprofessionalism but Ailes gets away scot free, still running a news division that is constantly pumping arsenic into democracy's drinking water while he slanders public radio as equal to the monsters and murderers of the Third Reich.
Sure, public broadcasting has made its share of mistakes, and there have been times when we who practice our craft under its aegis have been less than stalwart in taking a stand and speaking truth to power. We haven't always served well our original mandate to be "a forum for debate and controversy," or to provide "a voice for groups in the community that may be otherwise unheard," or helped our viewers and listeners "see America whole, in all its diversity." But for all its flaws, consider an America without public media. Consider a society where the distortions and dissembling would go unchallenged, where fact-based reporting is eliminated, and where the field is abandoned to the likes of James O'Keefe, whose "journalism" relies on lying and deceit.
We agree with Joel Meares who, writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, expressed the wish that NPR had stood up for themselves and released a statement close to the following:
"Ron Schiller was a fundraiser who no longer works for us. He had nothing to do with our editorial decision making process. And frankly, our editorial integrity speaks for itself. We've got reporters stationed all over the world, we've won all sorts of prizes, we've got an ombudsman who is committed to examining our editorial operations. If you think our reporting is tainted, or unreliable, that's your opinion, and you're free to express it. And to look for the evidence. But we will not be intimidated by the elaborate undercover hackwork of vindictive political point-scorers who are determined to see NPR fail."
That's our cue. Come on, people: Speak up!
Bill Moyers is a veteran broadcast journalist and managing editor of Public Affairs Television. Michael Winship, former senior writer of Public Affairs Television, is president of the Writers Guild of America, East.
Jim Jones and Our Stumbling Leader
I kind of feel bad for America's children, kind of. You see, growing up in my house, the evening news was a given, five nights a week. Dinnertime was always 5:30 P.M. You had to be home, no questions asked. If you were late, you had better have a really good excuse. On school nights, dinner was followed by homework, while starting at 6:00 P.M. my father would commandeer the television to watch the local and national news. At the time, we had four options, and one was PBS in really poor quality.
Writing this makes me realize how much of my youth involved being forced to watch something I did not choose. I am the youngest of nine, which topped out at seven living in the house at the same time during my formative years. I could tell you anything that was happening on Dallas or Knots Landing. I knew who Luke and Laura were and understood when my mother and sisters would talk about them as if they were neighbors. However, when it came to real TV drama, you had to look no further than the news.
My first memories include the much-talked-about clumsiness of President Gerald Ford and the 900-plus people drinking the
"Kool-Aid" in Guyana. The latter, of course, being the image most burned into my brain. I believe at 9 years old, it both frightened and enthralled me. The idea that so many people could let one person direct them to take their own lives was weird and thankfully far away. I don't recall anyone in my family trying to fully explain the breadth of the scene at the time, but I do remember knowing it was bad.
Throughout the years, my household changed for various reasons and, I should take this moment to point out, never included cable television (to be blamed on my father's tight wallet). The routine of watching news continued for years to come. I'm sure I didn't realize then how it was shaping my career path. I learned to be inquisitive. I was even voted biggest gossip in my high school, an honor I wear proudly now as a badge of my journalistic abilities but at the time completely mortified me.
Once I hit college and started hanging around those crazy folks who had CNN and Headline News, I was love-struck. I said, "That's my calling," and immediately changed my major from secondary education, never looking back. When they brought the first Gulf War into our living rooms—well, not mine but someone else's—I was smitten.
I know it makes me sound somewhat old, but here's why I worry about the kids today. There are so many choices on television. If you meet a family that doesn't have cable, you'd give them the stink eye. There are few families that sit down and have dinner together and then turn on the TV the way we used to.
Every time a big event happens, e.g., September 11, those of us in the industry think, Well, this is going to change things for good. It wasn't long afterward that we returned to doing stories about fallen starlets stumbling drunk out of limos with no knickers on and waterskiing squirrels. I blame the attention span brought on by the so-called MTV generation. If I can't blame that, I have to blame parenting, and if I can't blame that, I have to blame an oversaturation of "news" on cable TV. It makes me think that someone down the road is going to look back and say, "The first thing I remember seeing on the news is when Lindsay Lohan went to jail."

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The family of a woman who died when she fell from her seat on Disneyland's Matterhorn ride and was struck by an oncoming car agreed to a settlement Tuesday, just as jury selection in the suit was to begin.
The family of Regena Young of Fremont had sued the park in Orange County Superior Court for $5 million after her death four years ago.
Terms Kept Secret
Under the agreement, terms of the settlement will remain secret, and the attorneys and parties in the case are barred from discussing it, a court clerk said.
Disneyland attorney Richard E. McCain of Santa Ana would not discuss the case except to say the morning's discussions had been "fruitful." Richard L. Bowers, attorney for the Young family, could not be reached for comment.


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James Franco and Aron Ralston Explain How to Watch 127 Hours Without Fainting
Franco: "If you're feeling woozy, just cover your eyes."
Feel like passing out during a screening of Danny Boyle's upcoming 127 Hours, in which James Franco stars as Aron Ralston, the real-life mountain climber who amputated his own arm in 2003 after it got stuck under a boulder? Ralston has some advice: "Stay seated," he told Vulture last week, following a Vanity Fair screening of the film. "It's okay if you're in your seat and you feel like you need to pass out for a few seconds. It only becomes dangerous if you decide you need to leave the theater and you stand up and then you're falling from a standing position."
Franco gave us this tip: "If you're feeling woozy, just cover your eyes. There's nothing wrong with covering your eyes. It took 40 minutes [for Aron to cut his arm off], so what Danny showed is mercifully short. It's visceral, but it's about the exhilaration of getting free and leaving in the end."
For his part, Boyle wishes people would just stop writing so much about 127 Hours' fainting victims. "The danger is that it becomes the be all and end all of seeing the movie," he told us, after participating in a post-screening Q&A with Franco and Ralston. "What follows [the amputation scene] is a moment of redemption where he enters into the sunlight. People should see it in that context. I hope it doesn't put people off who feel that they might get too distressed by it. It's not distressing in that sense, but it is intense."
Besides, "it's a tiny number of people" fainting, Boyle said. "And I've been shocked that we don't have walkouts. I thought people would be unable to sit through it. But most people not only get through it, but enjoy getting to the other side. It's not enjoyable in the conventional sense of the word, but it's a rite of passage that goes on during the film, during the journey of this guy, and I hope people can enjoy the whole movement of the film toward that. And also the redemptive or feel-good ending, the euphoria that he feels — which Aron called an ecstasy, really — is incredibly deeply felt because of the experience you've been through. It's no cheap thrill."
According to James Franco, faintings at screenings might actually be a good sign. "It's meant to be an intense, personal, immersive experience. This isn't a horror film. It's not Saw, where you go into it knowing that half the people you meet at the beginning are going to be dead by the end, so you don't form an attachment," Franco told us. "Here, you're spending the entire movie with one guy. You, as the audience, are going through it with Aron. When you watch the footage of him talking into that video camera to his family, you feel like he's talking directly to you. And when he cuts off his arm, maybe it feels like it's happening to you."
Franco certainly felt like it was happening to him. "It was emotionally and physically demanding role. I've done intense roles before and I thought it would be fine. But when I got to the scene where I do it, I lost it," he told us. The arm-cutting scene involved three prosthetic arms, one made to look exactly like the outside of Franco's own arm, and two filled with all the musculature and bone he had to chop through. "I actually have a problem with blood. It's only my arms; I have a problem with seeing blood on my arm," he told us. "So after the first day, I said to Danny, 'I think you got the real, unvarnished reaction there.'" The prosthetic had actually been made so that Franco wasn't supposed to be able to cut all the way through it. But in the moment, he said, "I just did it, and I cut it off and I fell back, and I guess that's the take that Danny used."
For Ralston, the most important part was making sure the mood of the moment was right, particularly when he figures out that if he breaks the bones in his arm, he can cut through the flesh. "Aron told me that, yes, it was a very painful thing to do, but there was also exhilaration. He had been there for days not knowing how to get out and suddenly he had a solution," said Franco. "You can see that smile. It really was a triumphant moment. I was smiling when I did it," said Ralston. "I had to hound the team to make sure that smile made it into the film, but I'm really happy that it did. That really speaks about the motivation. This is something we want to see him doing. Me, I wanted to do that."
Ralston has been back to that canyon ten times or so since his entrapment; the first time was six months after he got out of the ICU, when he brought the ashes of his cremated hand and scattered them there. And he's seen the movie over half a dozen times. He said that everything you see onscreen, the arrogant, selfish guy who goes into that canyon and the grateful man who walks out, having spent days in this beautiful remote place without humans, trying to reach out to other humans in his life via a camcorder, is true. "It's not a nightmare at all. It's perhaps the most beautiful story I'll get to experience in my life," he said. "It's a true blessing for me, giving this gift to the team who is now giving it to the world. For me, it's truly the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. That's what I always said, until my son was born back in February. When he comes in at the end of the film, it gets me. Every time I see the little boy, I'm appreciative."


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We launched our new book 'Cauvery' and a campaign for water conservation. You can click here to pledge your support and click here to share your water tips and Cauvery stories. Oh, and did we mention once you do pledge support, you/your organization/school/library could be part of the book launch event in Bangalore and win a FREE Pratham Books' gift hamper. There are individual prizes for children and prizes for schools and corporates that send in the highest number of pledges. You can also participate in these contests and stand a chance to win a bucket full of books!
Taran Rampersad wrote an article talks about ebooks in education as well as a model of publishing for education that uses Creative Commons licensing (He also mentions some of our books in the article).
A tweet sent by one of our friend's on Twitter helped us discover Radio Mirchi's initiative to reach out to the visually challenged. Also, find out about the nationwide 'Right to Read' campaign. The campaign begins with road shows in four metros and will then be taken up in different cities. The first roadshow is to be held at Loyala College on 26th September.
If you are in Bangalore, you can take your kids to watch the play, Andher Nagari Chowpat Raja, on September 24.
Is Dan Brown's newest book 'The Lost Symbol' going to break all book records? Take a look at a list of backpacker classics compiled by Bookride. Read about the audio book reader produced by Saksham (a Delhi based NGO).
Image Source: René Ehrhardt


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Fragmenting Our Lands: The Ecological Footprint from Oil and Gas Development
This report addresses the ecological footprint from oil and gas development. Landscape analysis of Upper Green River basin in Wyoming shows that oil and gas drilling and extraction cause significant fragmentation of habitat. Conclusion: similar analysis needed for proposed oil and gas projects.
Authors: Chris Weller, Janice Thomson, Pete Morton, Greg Aplet


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Jeremy Fisher
Jeremy Fisher in the green room before a fantastic show at The Carleton.
Sebrina and the Chair.
Kayla in the Window
Mike Richey
Mike needed a promo pic for an article on him in the Toronto Star, so we set up and shot this in 10mins in his living room.
Sophie Exploring the Dunes
Kirstin in White
Patti Towler
Harry on a Basket
Sebrina Sailor Suit
Sebrina and I did a pin-up style shoot today while I tested out a colleague's new camera (Canon 1DC). I love the orange background!
Jennifer Portrait
Dalton Family


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Visions of a new high school or middle school in Port Jervis have all but vanished because of declining enrollment, assistant superintendent for business Lorelei Case said at last week's school board meeting.
Visions of a new high school or middle school in Port Jervis have all but vanished because of declining enrollment, assistant superintendent for business Lorelei Case said at last week's school board meeting.
Consequently, the school board is designing a contingency plan for students, should the aging Port Jervis Middle School become uninhabitable.
New York state will not provide aid to build a new school when space is adequate for the numbers enrolled, and the taxpayer burden would be too great for the district to fund a new school alone, Case said.
Board member Roger Kalin recalled the way Sullivan Avenue Elementary School became suddenly unusable when a ceiling section fell during spring vacation in 2004. After hasty reorganization, Sullivan Avenue students returned to classes in Anna S. Kuhl Elementary after vacation.
The middle school is now older than Sullivan Avenue was then, Kalin noted. So if such a situation arose there, one possibility that board members discussed, and Case recommended, would be to shift all fifth-graders to Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary, while all sixth- to eighth-grade classes go to the Route 209 complex that houses Port Jervis High School and Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School..
Superintendent Tom Bongiovi and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Cindy Benedict will develop an instructional plan for the possible shift.
"Some board members still want a new school," Case said. "Some see the contingency plan as permanently viable. They may see differently once they see the instructional plan."
Case suggested the board put the contingency plan decision aside until spring, while the board and voters focus on what will likely be proposed in two separate but concurrent referendums.
One referendum would be for 14 renovation projects around the district that will cost a total of a little less than $1 million.
The other referendum, for $4 million, would be for middle school repairs, primarily an upgrade of the deteriorating middle school heating system. Don Preiss, building and grounds director, described how the system's piping is becoming thin and cracking from pressure. He said it also needs to be tested for asbestos.
Case recommended putting the two issues in separate referendums, so if money for the heating system is voted down, the 14 renovation projects still have a chance.
The state would contribute money for the heating system, but only if the building is used for five years. Should the school become unusable before then, the state's 15-year repayment plan would stop.
Case recommended doing the renovation projects now rather than later, when some of it might become more expensive.
Top priorities include replacing 33 doors that provide too much classroom visibility, which was judged a hazard after the elementary school murders in Newtown, Conn. The doors each have an embedded window and three windows alongside them.
Buying a generator for the Route 209 school complex is a high priority. Case says losing power in winter now risks freezing pipes, sewer treatment stoppage and no lighting.
Other projects include:
Parking lot lighting Upgrades of specialty rooms, such as for family and consumer science Replacement of chalk boards with interactive whiteboards and dry erase boards Replacement of deteriorating pressboard furniture
The school board must also decide what to do with the former Sullivan Avenue Elementary School that would be both practical and neighborly.
The 95-year-old Sullivan Avenue School building has not been used since the district was forced to close it in 2004 because of structural weaknesses. Easter Seals obtained the property in 2007 after entering an agreement with the district to restore the building and guarantee its continued use as an educational facility.
Easter Seals has not fulfilled the requirement, having been unable to get funding to renovate the building, and the organization is two years behind with its taxes, Case said, so the property reverts to the school district.
The decision about what to do with the property depends partly on how much the land is worth and how much demolishing the building would cost, since restoration of the building for education is not financially viable.
"If we're not interested in taking it back, we could let Easter Seals take it over or let the city take it for back taxes," Case said. "Easter Seals could sell it for housing. But are we then bad neighbors for not taking it back and allowing a housing complex in an area that's not used to it?"
These issues will be further discussed at the school board meeting on Dec. 17. Case says her priority is to develop the referendum language by the first February meeting, to be voted on in the spring.


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801 E. Houston St., Garrett, IN 46738
Phone 260-357-4114 | Fax 260-357-5000
For the second time in as many years, Garrett High School was ranked among the top teams in the State of Indiana in CyberPatriot - the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. GHS was second in the Sliver Division amongst Indiana teams, which qualifies it to participate in the Regional Round this weekend.
Established by the Air Force Association, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was created to excite, educate, and motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future.
CyberPatriot's core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of two to six students across the United States, Canada, and from DoDD schools abroad, to find and resolve cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated environments. Top teams from the preliminary online rounds win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the live National Finals Competition, where students compete for national recognition and scholarships.
The CyberPatriot field is divided into three divisions – the Open Division for public, private, and home school teams, the All Service Division for JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, and Naval Sea Cadet Corps teams, and the Middle School Division. Based on the results of two preliminary rounds, CyberPatriot VIX high school teams were categorized within their divisions as Platinum, Gold, or Silver Tier teams, with Platinum Tier teams representing the highest scoring teams.
A record-breaking 4,404 teams registered to compete in CyberPatriot VIX, a 30% growth nationally from last season. There were a total of 70 teams from Indiana representing 28 different institutions.
Led by Coach Bill Thomas, the team from Garrett High School excelled in the CyberPatriot VIX State Round held January 13-15, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills, and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cybersecurity. The group consisting of senior Avery Lehner, sophomores Katline Cook and Dawes Dircksen, and freshmen Jacob Davis, Caleb Thimlar and Nicholas Yoder tallied its highest score of the season at 128.0 points, just 1.3 points shy of the top squad from Twin Lakes High School. The top three Indiana teams from each division automatically qualify for the Regional Round, February 3-5.
"This group of students has grown throughout the season from a novice group to one of the best in the State of Indiana," said Bill Thomas. "Their skills in and passion for CyberPatriot have not only won them awards in this competition, but have prepared them for a career in the growing field of cyber security."
The teams from Garrett High School have been supported throughout the season by the Fort Wayne Chapter of the Air Force Association. The local chapter, AF143, paid the CyberPatriot entry fees along with food and beverage for each of the team's competitions and practice dates this season.
"The U.S. Air Force Association and its Fort Wayne Chapter have been key in encouraging the study of cyber security through this program," Thomas said. "Our students at GHS are grateful that we receive the best support of any team in the nation."
More information is available at www.uscyberpatriot.org or from the CyberPatriot staff at email@example.com.


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WinSCP 5.7.7
Administer a remote server, site or computer
Review detailsHide
Our verdict
If you need to administer a remote computer, server or website, this could be a solution
Platform: Windows 8 compatible, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows 7, Windows 7 64-bit, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Size: 2.9MB
Number of downloads: 1273
Only recently we were asked to discuss portable applications live on BBC radio. When we mentioned FTP clients as a tool that you could take on the road and use to administer your remote website, a few people asked what an FTP client was about and why they'd even need to use FTP to access the Internet.
An FTP client can be useful for both uploading and downloading files. For instance, find an FTP server, download a large file (Linux distro or a service pack as ideal example) and, if the download fails, you can resume from the last position using an FTP client. With your web browser, you often have to start the download again from scratch.
If you have a homepage, server or simply want to backup files to a remote location, an FTP client is essential. You can often synchronise files between the local and remote site, so you can quickly make sure the files are updated on both sides.
WinSCP is an open-source FTP client that enables you to login to your remote server, website or other location and then synchronise your files. It also ships in a portable version, so store all your site and FTP passwords, then use WinSCP on the road to access your server, remote computer or other site, without leaving a trace on the host machine.


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Can an Invincible be made even stronger? You bet. With new and improved designs featuring double layered seams and Dura Tuff material, these Extreme Seam Invincibles are the toughest toys yet. Containing Invincibles squeakers, they'll continue to squeak even after being punctured.
Why buy squeaker toys that are squeak-less within a matter of minutes when you could get a better, longer-lasting squeaking dog toy. Long live the Invincibles!


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Reference Strains
A reliable source of reference stock cultures for use in microbiology quality assurance programs is essential. Microorganisms with known and predictable characteristics are used in quality control, education and proficiency programs. Lyophilization is a well-documented and recommended method for long-term preservation of microorganisms. The use of this lyophilized material provides equivalent results to traditional methods used in preparing, storing and maintaining reference stock culture collections.
Many laboratory Quality Control testing procedures need a specified concentration of the challenge strain and that the challenge strain only be passed or subcultured from a reference culture a limited number of times to prevent mutation and subtle performance changes. Traditional methods for preparing challenge strains at specified concentrations are time consuming and labor-intensive. Laboratories will purchase a designated strain, grow the strain, prepare the dilutions, perform colony counts on each dilution to determine the concentration to be employed in the challenge procedure, and subsequently prepare dilutions of the challenge strain for actual use. Also, at each subculture step, phenotypic tests (biochemical activity and morphological examinations) are performed to provide assurance that no mutations or alterations have taken place.
Liofilchem have available, qualitative strains, Culti-control (5 pellets/package) and quantitative strains, quanti-Culti Control (1 pellet + 1 rehydrating fluid). See the products available in Frilabo.
Please, see "End User License" - Download


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Nov. 19, 2008
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Six Santa Clara men's soccer student-athletes were selected for All-West Coast Conference honors this season, the league announced Wednesday. The group was led by first team honoree and senior captain Jide Ogunbiyi. It was his fourth honor from the league.
Junior and sophomore captains Stephen McCarthy and Jalil Anibaba earned second team honors, while freshman Brandon Zimmerman received All-Freshman team and honorable mention accolades. McCarthy was a second-team all-conference recipient in 2007 and Co-Freshman of the year in 2006. Anibaba was the 2007 WCC Freshman of the Year. Junior Jeff Cosgriff and sophomore Kellen Wantulok both earned their second accolade from the WCC as they were also named honorable mention.
Ogunbiyi was once again a fixture in the Broncos defense and started in 14 of the Broncos 20 contests. He ends his collegiate career with 30 career points on 11 goals and eight assists. This was his first All-WCC first team honor as he has been named honorable mention the last three seasons and to the All-Freshman team in 2005.
McCarthy was one of two players to receive second team honors for the second straight season. A preseason M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidate, he started in 17 of 18 contests in which he appeared. He scored two goals on the season. The first was against San Jose State (Sept. 24) and the second was against Gonzaga (Oct. 31). He will enter his senior season in 2009 with 18 career points on eight career goals and two career assists.
Anibaba finished the season in third place on the team with six points on two goals and two assists. He scored both of his goals against Saint Mary's. The first came in Moraga on Oct. 12 and the second came at Buck Shaw Stadium on Nov. 7. Anibaba will enter his junior campaign in 2009 with 10 points on three career goals and four career assists.
Zimmerman tied for first on the team in assists and scored his first collegiate goal this season. His goal came against Loyola Marymount on Oct. 17. His three assists were awarded on Brian Martin's goal against then-No. 16 UIC (Sept. 1), Connor Mitchell's goal against Stanford (Sept. 27) and Sean Danzeiser's goal against LMU (Oct. 17).
Cosgriff finished the season tied for first on the team in goals (3) and second on the team in points (8). His first goal of the year was against Loyola-Chicago (Aug. 30), his second goal was against then-No. 16 UIC (Sept.1) and his final goal was the game-winner against San Diego (Oct. 19). Cosgriff also dished out two assists this season. He will enter his senior season in 2009 with nine goals, two assists and 20 points.
Wantulok started in 11 of 19 contests this season and scored two goals for the Broncos. His first goal was Santa Clara's lone goal against Portland (Oct. 3) and his second goal was against Gonzaga (Oct. 5). He will enter his junior campaign in 2009 with six career goals, three career assists and 12 career points.
The Broncos finished the 2008 season with a 4-9-7 overall and 2-5-5 in WCC action.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Conor Chinn, USF
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Roger Downes, LMU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nick Barclay, GON
COACH OF THE YEAR: Erik Visser, USF
Rafael Baca, LMU
Nick Barclay, GON
Kelin Briones, USD
Conor Chinn, USF
Frankie Lopez, POR
Jide Ogunbiyi, SCU
Ryan Peterman, USD
Tye Perdido, GON
Jeff Russell, USF
Yousef Samy, SMC
Collen Warner, POR
Eddie Ahman, USD
Jalil Anibaba, SCU
Bryan Burke, USF
Roger Downes, LMU
Ben Funkhouser, GON
Corey Heldreth, SMC
Jonathan Levi, USF
Stephen McCarthy, SCU
Patrick Sampson, LMU
Brad Stisser, LMU
Leon Williams, USF
Stephen Carlson, LMU; Jason Coehlo, SMC; Jeff Cosgriff, SCU; Jeremy Coupe, USF; Omar Elmasri, USF; Logan Emory, POR; Andrew Feld, USD; Jordan Grider, SMC; Tim Grey, USD; Austin Guerrero, POR; Nick Heinrichs, GON; Bryan Irwin, POR; Ryan Kawulok, POR; Nick Love, GON; Trevor May, USD; Tim Muravez, GON; Vinny Ocampo, LMU; J.D. Penilton, USD; Erik Rivas, SMC; Kellen Wantulok, SCU; Brandon Zimmerman, SCU
Mitch Boland, GON
Kevin Cook, USD
Roger Downes, LMU
Omar Elmasri, USF
Artur Jozkowicz, LMU
Ryan Kawulok, POR
Tyler Krumpe, LMU
Tom Mohoric, SMC
Stephen Posa, USD
Emmanuel Sarabia, SMC
Brandon Zimmerman, SCU


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I received a bunch of mail this week about our chats with older guys being called back to work.
69-year-old former Chrysler dynamo Bob Lutz saddling up again, this time as the new number two at General Motors.
70-year-old John Guttfreund working his old Salomon Brothers magic at a nutrition company, no less.
I say, gentlemen, have at it.
We could learn from our elders. As Guttfreund told me, "I have nothing to prove, Neil." And that's the point. A lot of these guys have climbed their mountains, run their victory laps and secured their big deals.
They don't have to do this. But they are. They don't really need this. But they're open to it. And it's high time we younger folk consider this: it's time to consider them — because we need them.
In our increasingly youth-obsessed culture, we all too often dismiss them — clearly to our detriment.
But some smart companies are discovering that's pretty dumb. Beneath those grey, if not balding heads, lies some wisdom — a lot of wisdom. They are tested, dedicated and they are decent.
So, the favor isn't ours to ask, it's theirs to answer.
Who cares if they're not the right demo. Only that they do know. They've got the battle scares to prove it.
We should try damn hard to learn from it.
|Common Sense Archive
- Watch Neil Cavuto's Common Sense weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on Your World with Neil Cavuto. And send your comments to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Neil Cavuto serves as senior vice president, anchor and managing editor for both FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN). He is anchor of FNC's Your World with Cavuto - the number one rated cable news program for the 4 p.m. timeslot - as well as the FNC Saturday show Cavuto on Business. He also hosts Cavuto on FBN weeknights at 8 p.m. In addition to anchoring daily programs and breaking news specials on FNC and FBN, Cavuto oversees business news content for both networks and FNC's weekend business shows, including Bulls & Bears, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin' In. Click here for more on Neil Cavuto.


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Hi All,
To all of you who are considering whether to buy this product or not I will say this. MyFico Sucks. They are cold hearted company whose limits for greed's does not know any boundaries. There customer care is worthless. They have customer representatives who read from a ready made script and cannot think from there head.
They don't understand about problems and are good at pointing out your deficiencies. Never ever buy their products.
I recently signed up for their credit monitoring services and yesterday (22-March-2012) was my tenth day. They charged me the 14.95$ today. I had already bought credit monitoring and three credit bureau reports from another company (I am not here for advertising another competitor) and I wanted to cancel the account. The moment I saw the email that said they had charged me I called in there customer care and I was told there policies of not canceling after being sucked into there program. I was also pointed out that I did not call back within 10 days to cancel. I told them that I had been running between hospital (for my 2 year old daughter) and I missed to call them in these 10 days but the heartless guys they are, they refused to cancel. I wanted to talk to their supervisor and she also said the same thing,I told them that I had personal emergencies and I cannot pay at two different places but still they went on reading from a prepared script.
Now I am stuck paying 14.95 for three months here and at 35$ at other service. I really like the other service because they give me unlimited credit reports and also do the credit monitoring for me in 35$ which was what I actually wanted. They offered me 6 months of credit monitoring at 9$ it amounted to paying the same cost over time. I simply did not want this service but the failed Hollywood actors the customer care are they could only say the lines from the prepared scripts.
I told them that I understand the stuff about policy had it been the twelfth day or thirteenth day. If it is the same day on which I was charged I am generally allowed to cancel. Every company who has a contract generally has a grace day. These guys don't have any compassion for regular folks and are out only looking to make money and sucking the regular folks dry.
I urge all of you to reconsider investing with MyFico and take your hard earned dollars to somewhere where they value you as a customer and will listen to you compasionately and don't employ failed Hollywood actors and actresses as there customer representative.
MyFico Sucks
All of you who had a problem with MyFico are requested to joinFacebook.com/MyFico.Sux
Why didn't you cancel before the 10th day?
This thread will likely end up locked but It still needs asking. I see a ton of posts complaining about being charged for the service where people either forgot, waited until the last minute, or didn't read the agreement. Why be mad at the company when being charged is a direct result of your own irresponsibility?
I've signed up for the 10 day free SW last week, and if anything, I need to adjust my alerts. It sends me all kinds of alerts every other day. It works fine. I think there should be a page for people who might have trouble reading instructions. IMHO.
Let's be clear. I've had multiple compaints about the SW product and have posted my complaints as well as plead to Barry for refund for Power Score pulls I wasted. But, that is just that. Compain against ONE product this site offers.
I don't think it's fair to say, 'myFICO' sux, when that includes this incredible community that has help many (including myself) understand and fix their credit.
I only thought the post was about SW, not us.
We're awesome!!
Just saying. Your probably the guy who applied for 40 credit cards within a year too. This is a great site. Please read the terms and conditions before applying.
I actually had the same experience (forgetting to cancel within the trial period) with another credit score/monitoring service. I signed up for the trial period and forgot to cancel until I saw the charge on my credit card. I figured, well I already paid for the month so I will use it and cancel before the next monthly charge. I wasn't impressed with the service especially after I read on this forum that they were giving me a fako score and not a fico score. Anyway, I did remember to call the day before that next month ended to cancel. The CSR asked me why I was cancelling and I said it was because they weren't giving out a true fico score. They must have heard that reason before because she gave me whole spiel about how lenders use all kinds of different scores so it really didn't matter because I should use their score just as a guideline. After she finally stopped to take a breath, I told her I appreciated the information but wanted to cancel. She then proceeded to offer to continue the service for half price ($8.95 instead of the current $17.95) for the next 24 months. I told her no again and she finally agreed to cancel. I guess my point is that all of the services that offer free trial period will bill you at the end of the trial period if you don't call to cancel.
The result of not following directions, was that consequently you had to pay for a purchase you made. This does not mean myFICO sucks, or that Score Watch sucks. I am sorry that you had problems during day 10, but you had 9 previous days in which you chose not to cancel this product. Procrastination caused your problem, not the CSR's that charged you for the product you legitamately bought.
Score Watch does not do everything I would like it to do, but the product works as described, and is properly represented on this site.
crunching_numbers wrote:
The result of not following directions, was that consequently you had to pay for a purchase you made. This does not mean myFICO sucks, or that Score Watch sucks. I am sorry that you had problems during day 10, but you had 9 previous days in which you chose not to cancel this product. Procrastination caused your problem, not the CSR's that charged you for the product you legitamately bought.
Score Watch does not do everything I would like it to do, but the product works as described, and is properly represented on this site.
I really wisth you had written "but given enough time, the product works as described".
I'm really getting frustrated at how long it takes to update new accounts. I've been able to see one for a week on another monitoring service that provides a FAKO score. It's annoying that I'm essentially supposed to burn a Score Power report to see an updated score.
Before anyone asks; Yes. Target score is set to current FICO. And yes, I've also logged into SW repeatedly to see if there was an aert but no e-mail.


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A story about a group of students trying to solve the mysteries around them and slowly discovering why they met in the first place.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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M-commerce and payments are a tsunami that no retailer can ignore, but engaging consumers on mobile, and more importantly, converting consumers, remains a challenge for retailers of all sizes.
Neither dedicated apps nor the mobile web represent a viable way to directly drive revenue for merchants, making an affiliate model one option to reach mobile consumers with payments technology and services.
Building an app does not make sense for most retailers. One reason is that mobile screens are small and people are highly selective about the apps they download. Consumers access an average of 27 apps per month, most of which are for entertainment and utility (communication, email, calendars, to-do lists). That doesn't leave a whole lot of room for commerce apps.
In addition, downloading, installing and configuring a mobile app takes time and effort. An app like Uber, which you plan to use over and over again, provides an instant and valuable service that is only accessible on mobile. Instagram grew popular because it allows people to edit and share photos on the same device they take them. With mobile commerce many transactions are impulsive and one time and consumers have other, better options. They can wait until they are at a desktop or go into a physical store to buy, so going through the whole process of installing a commerce app (and registering a credit card) seems unnecessary and inconvenient -- unless they plan to use that app on a regular basis.
For example, let's say a consumer is an Amazon Prime member who uses Amazon at least once a week. In this case, downloading the Amazon app and registering is worth the effort. However, if that consumer wants to make a single purchase from a speciality sporting equipment brand, downloading an app is more trouble than it's worth. That's why you're seeing traction for big, vertical players like HotelTonight for hotels or SeatGeek for tickets. It's much tougher for smaller, one time purchase propositions.
The chances are pretty slim that enough consumers will engage with a retail app enough to drive significant revenue. And since mobile apps are expensive to develop, the returns generally do not justify the expense.
So why not just forget about the headache of app development and getting end users to install them? Well, the mobile web is also not a great option for capitalizing on mobile commerce. Mobile web checkouts (where say a customer is using a mobile Safari or Chrome web browser) involve friction, and friction spells death for mobile conversions. The more steps and data entry a customer has to do on their phone, the less likely they are to make a purchase.
How about social commerce? Over the past year, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media giants launched commerce initiatives, anticipating that they could turn users' browsing interest into buying, but the results have fallen far short of expectations. What we're learning is that social implies browsing and relaxation while commerce required intent and a totally different state of mind. You may "impulse" buy when you're in a physical store, but you're still in a store with your credit card ready with an intent to shop. So far, that intent is largely missing when it comes to social networks.
So what's left? One strategy is to participate through an affiliate model with existing, popular commerce apps. With this approach, a retailer is able to offer customers the frictionless, user-friendly experience that apps can offer without requiring them to jump through hoops. The consumer's payment information is already registered, which means the battle is 90 percent won.
Ultimately, success on mobile boils down 1) winning coveted app real estate on the device 2) optimizing for the mobile experience and 3) creating a painless payment process. Every retailer is unique and thus requires a unique mobile strategy.
It's becoming very difficult for all but the largest retailers to be successful in all three areas. However, the broad strokes of success are the same: Remove friction, deliver value, and inspire trust. Capturing the full value of mobile commerce is all about balance.
Justin Benson is CEO of Spreedly.


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These User Content Terms of Use govern your conduct associated with the Question & Answer service ("The Q&A Service"), the Customer Ratings and Reviews service ("The CRR Service") and any other services related to user-generated content ("User Content") offered by Tria Beauty (collectively, "User Content Services"). These User Content Terms of Use are incorporated into the Terms of Use. To the extent of any conflict between Tria Beauty's Terms of Use, including the Privacy Policy and these Terms of Use, these User Content Terms of Use shall control with respect to the User Content Services.
By submitting any content to Tria Beauty, you represent and warrant that:
You further agree and warrant that you shall not submit any content:
You agree to indemnify and hold Tria Beauty (and its officers, directors, agents, representatives, affiliates, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party, Tria Beauty's use or publication of content submitted by you, or relating to your use of the User Content Service.
For any content that you submit, you grant Tria Beauty a, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable, unrestricted, right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, perform, display, transmit, publish, translate, create derivative works from, sell, sublicense, distribute, incorporate into other works, and otherwise exploit such content, in whole or in part, alone or with other materials, in any form, medium or technology now known or hereafter created or devised, throughout the world, for any purpose whatsoever, including without limitation commercial, advertising and promotional activities, without compensation to you.
All content that you submit may be used at Tria Beauty's sole discretion. No use of the content by Tria Beauty will be submitted to you for approval. Tria Beauty reserves the right to change, condense or delete any content submitted to Tria Beauty's website that Tria Beauty deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the content guidelines or any other provision of these User Content Terms of Use. Tria Beauty, and anyone who receives permission from Tria Beauty, will be without liability to you for any modification of the content or any distortion or illusionary effect resulting from use of the content in accordance with the terms hereof. Tria Beauty does not guarantee that you will have any recourse through Tria Beauty to edit or delete any content you have submitted. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days. However, Tria Beauty reserves the right to remove or to refuse to post any submission for any reason. You acknowledge that you, not Tria Beauty, are responsible for the contents of your submission. None of the content that you submit shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Tria Beauty, its agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners or third party service providers and their respective directors, officers and employees.
By submitting your email address in connection with your rating and review, you agree that:


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Next Meetup
What we're about
Backed by the London Mountaineering Club, the largest British Mountaineering Council ("BMC") affiliated club in London and the South East, this is a group for anyone interested in indoor and outdoor climbing, hill walking, and mountaineering.
We hold weekly evenings at the Westway and other climbing walls in London, as well as monthly talks and socials with guest speakers, and other outdoor and social activities in and around the capital.
The London Mountaineering Club (www.londonmountaineeringclub.com) holds a full programme of weekend and longer meets around the UK and abroad. We welcome all levels of aspiration and experience; however we are not a training organisation and do not provide formal training.
We adhere to the BMC Participation Statement: The BMC recognizes that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement. We look forward to welcoming you!


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It was a shame, if perhaps inevitable, that ITV was so keen to generate last minute news stories about Sunday night's landmark, two-hour documentary about the Queen in her Jubilee year that it only screened the film to the press two days before its transmission. This meant that the humble TV previewer, who must watch programmes over a week before they are shown in order to hit print deadlines, wasn't able to tell viewers whether the programme was any good or not. And I fear some of its potential audience, feeling some ennui after the glut of recent programmes about Her Majesty, may not have bothered watching.
Because Our Queen was excellent. It was much more amusing than Andrew Marr's dull and pompous Diamond Queen of last year, infinitely more exciting than the TV hours given over to her Jubilee River Pageant, and suffered none of the scandal associated with the last time the BBC attempted to show us a year in the life of the Queen, 2007's Monarchy, where a piece of badly edited footage misleadingly claimed to show Her Majesty having a huff.
With Our Queen, producer/director Michael Waldman managed that rare trick of making a film about the monarch that was always respectful but never po faced. (Waldman has previsouly won a Bafta for The House, his brilliant 1996 series about the Royal Opera House.)
It helped that he had interviewed nearly every talking head you could think of - except, of course, Elizabeth R. From the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal to David Cameron and Ed Milliband to David Walliams and Gary Barlow, everyone popped up to give their penny's worth, at just the right moment, and usually with humour. Particularly good value was the Marquess of Salisbury, whose home is Hatfield House, which the Queen visited last year. "Things have gone downhill of course," he said. "When James I visited they built the house… in these austere times, we've done up the loo."
The film purported to span the year but sensibly concentrated on the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. The camera kept catching sight of the Queen in moments of, if not quite informality, naturalness and ease that seemed to give us a better, deeper glimpse of her personality than, possibly, television has previously afforded us. Her concern about the chance that the fruit at a state banquet might be a fraction too close to the plates was bordering on the adorable, as was the sight of a footman carefully moving every pineapple and arrangement of pears two inches further back.
Lord Coe told us how he got the Queen to agree to meet James Bond, Boris Johnson told us how soggy it was at the pageant, we saw the Queen and her current Prime Minister at least begin one of the famously private monarch/ PM tete a tetes. The access felt privileged, yet was always treated humanely. In fact the only irritation was Sarah Lancashire's breathy, oddly insincere-sounding voiceover that sounded better suited to a deodorant advert than a gently rousing tribute to royalty.
There is some irony that Peter Fincham, the man who resigned as Controller of BBC One over the controversy surrounding the BBC's Monarchy has now, as ITV's Director of Television, presided over something of a triumph with the commercial station's own version of a year in the life of the sovereign.


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The good folks at Horizon Wireless have been kind enough to give us some goodies to help some lucky members trick out their BlackBerry device. It seems that a lot of CrackBerry addicts these days are looking to customize their Berry and set themselves apart from the standard off the shelf look. One of the more popular looks right now is the blacked-out BlackBerry.
For some weekend contest fun, Horizon Wireless has hooked us up with 5 black Bold bezels, 5 black Curve 8900 bezels, 5 black Storm bezels and a few colored trackballs. To get in on the action, make sure you are logged in and leave a comment on this post - and don't forget to tell us what part you would like and what device you have! Contest ends Sunday at Midnight PST. Thanks Horizon Wireless, and good luck everyone!


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Giuliano Modarelli (Italy) is one of the most interesting musicians to emerge from the world music scene over the last few years. His strong compositional style, studious attitude and unique approach to the acoustic guitar through the application of sarod technique has led to collaborations with masters of Hindustani music, including Grammy award winner, Bickram Ghosh, Paban Das Baul (Real World) and Mercury prize winner, Talvin Singh, as well as work with internationally renowned artists from many other traditions, such as South-African contemporary dancer Gregory Maqoma, Belgian choreographer, Sidi Larbi and Kora maestro Sura Susso.
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Englobed – Out Now


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(KMOV.com) -- Jeffrey Weinhaus, otherwise known as "The Bulletin Man," remains in critical condition after being shot by Missouri Highway Patrol officers.
Now his anti-government videos are leading to extreme measures at the Jefferson County courthouse.
The entire courthouse is surrounded by police tape, there's no parking along the building, and everyone going in is being closely watched.
Sheriff Glenn Boyer says Weinhaus' statements from a few days ago have some here, especially the judges, on edge.
"I want to make it clear on the 14th, we're going to occupy the courthouse; try to get people to occupy the courthouse," Weinhaus said in his video. "We'll see how that goes."
Boyer says he's not sure if The Bulletin Man is talking about Jefferson County or Crawford County, but he's taking no chances, especially now that Weinhaus was shot by MHP officers in St. Clair this week.
Click here to watch Weinhaus' YouTube channel.
The anti-government blogger was critically injured as police say he tried to draw a gun on Missouri Highway Patrol officers as they tried to arrest him in St. Clair, Missouri for possession of a controlled substance.
"My personal opinion is he professed some pretty radical ideas and he tried to incite people to following and going along with his ideas," said Boyer.
Boyer and Weinhaus actually have had a relationship that goes back to when Weinhaus was just a boy.
Over the years, Boyer says Weinhaus took a strange turn into his anti-government views.
"I've had him in my office and met him in other locations and it seemed like everytime I talked with him he would cool his jets and back off and then slowly go back to where he was previously."
Boyer says he's tried talking with the us attorney and local prosecutors about Weinhaus over the years, but The Bulletin Man has always stayed just away from any criminal actions.
Even when it came to making threats against the sheriff.
"Has he ever threatened me physicially? He himself no, but in his videos he's indicated someone should do me bodily harm."
Deputies are beefing up the security force inside, by closely screening anyone going in and even checking out anyone outside the building.
Authorities looking for any hint that someone may try to act out on behalf of Weinhaus.
"Is someone going to take it a step further, or will it die down and go away," he said. "We don't know, we don't know, we'll continue to err on the side of caution, use all the safety measures and go from there."
So far, there's been no trouble on scene and one lawyer who was in court says the extra security has not been disruptive inside.
Officials admit being anti-government is not a crime, but expressed concern regarding Weinhaus's avid followers.
But it is expected to last for a few days.
Weinhuas' history with the courts goes back to 1991 in Missouri. It's peppered with multiple protection and restraining orders.
In 2003 he was sentenced to a week of what's known as shock time a shorter sentence on a harrassment charge.
In 2006 - he was held for a 21-day hold by the department of mental health, and in 2007, he pleaded guilty to assault charges for attacking a highway worker in a construction zone.
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Stipend Information
Participants will receive a stipend as support for their living and other expenses during this educational experience. Stipend rates are determined by CDC officials, and are based on the participant's educational level. Stipends for faculty participants will be based upon their regular university salary.
Pay Schedule
Stipends for most ORISE participants are paid monthly and will be received on the final business day of the month.
Direct Deposit
ORISE strongly encourages participants to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), i.e., direct deposit, for stipend payments. To sign up, please download and complete the EFT Application form. EFT requires the participant to have a U.S. bank account; we cannot transfer funds to foreign institutions.
Payment stubs and the annual Statement of Payments will be available via an online service called Doculivery. Information about your Doculivery Account will be provided in the offer package. Your six digit ID number will be sent to you via separate email titled "From ORAU: Please Keep" once all signed documents are returned to ORAU.
Health Insurance Deduction
Participants who enroll in the ORAU/ORISE health insurance plan will have the full cost of the monthly premium deducted from their stipend payment. A participant who begins insurance coverage between the 1st and 15th of a month will pay a premium that month. A participant who begins coverage after the 15th of the month will not pay a premium that month. Insurance coverage will continue through the last day of the month in which the appointment ends. A premium will be deducted from the last stipend regardless of the appointment end date.
Other Sources of Income
Because the educational benefits of the appointment are the primary focus of the program, the Participant may not provide services for compensation to a third party that conflict with the appointment. Awards, prizes, scholarships, Veterans Administration benefits, and other payments may be accepted by the participant provided they do not represent dual payment for the same activity.
Taxability of Stipends
Federal Income Tax
All stipend payments paid by ORAU directly to the participant are considered taxable by the U.S. federal government and should be reported annually.
Because participants are not employees, stipend payments are not considered wages and should not be reported as such. Stipend payments are payments made to you in order to help defray living expenses while you are engaged in a research participation program at the CDC. For IRS purposes, these payments are considered non-qualified scholarships and fellowships (not tuition and fees). For instructions on how to report this amount on your federal tax return, refer to IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, which you can download from www.irs.gov/formspubs or request at 1-800-829-3676.
Except for some foreign nationals, participants will have no Federal tax withheld by ORAU from their stipend payments. Participants who have no tax withheld by ORAU from their payments should consider filing Form 1040-ES on a quarterly basis and paying estimated Federal income taxes; this action will help you avoid being out of compliance with Federal regulations about the timeliness of tax payments.
Participants who have no tax withheld from their stipend payment can expect to receive an annual Statement of Payments letter from ORAU. Designed to help with your tax preparation, this statement will be uploaded to your Doculivery Account by February and will include the total amount of payments made to you by ORAU during the previous calendar year.
Other Taxes
Because stipend payments are awards (not wages), ORAU does not withhold Social Security or Medicare taxes for any participant. Participants are not self-employed, and therefore do not pay self-employment taxes. ORAU also does not withhold state income tax for any participant.
For more information on state tax liabilities and how to file federal tax forms, please contact a licensed tax professional in your jurisdiction. We recommend that you provide your tax preparer with a copy of your most recent Terms of Appointment.
ORAU's Responsibility to Withhold Federal Taxes and Report to the IRS
For U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizens Participating in its Fellowship, Scholarship and Internship Programs
|Qualifying Condition
|Withholds for Federal Income Tax
|Reports to the IRS
|U.S. Citizen
|Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder)
|Foreign national who is considered a resident for tax purposes*
|Tax treaty between the U.S. and country of tax residency
|Yes (on form 1042-S)
|Foreign national who is considered a resident for tax purposes*
|No tax treaty between the U.S. and country of tax residency
|Foreign national who is not considered a resident for tax purposes**
|Tax treaty between the U.S. and country of tax residency
|Yes (on form 1042-S)
|Foreign national who is not considered a resident for tax purposes**
|No tax treaty between the U.S. and country of tax residency
|Yes (on form 1042-S)
* A foreign national who meets the Substantial Presence Test and is, therefore, considered a resident of the U.S. for tax purposes
** A foreign national who does not meet the Substantial Presence Test and is, therefore, NOT considered a resident of the U.S. for tax purposes.
- Nature of Appointment
- How to Find a Participant
- How to Appoint a Participant
- How to Fund a Participant
- How to Renew an Appointment
- How to End an Appointment
- How to Start a Program
- Mentor Responsibilities
- Stipend Information
- Health Insurance
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- Forms
- FAQ's
- Contact ORISE


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Dr. Oetker, a leading purveyor of western cuisine in India, launched a new TVC under Food Mein Daalo Magic campaign for its sub-brand FunFoods. The TVC educates consumers about the versatility of mayonnaise and highlights it in a delectable new avatar to create a creamy sauce for macaroni dish to make it saucier and creamier. Brand Ambassador & modern woman Sonali Bendre will be seen creating a creamy sauce with FunFoods Veg mayonnaise. The ad campaign brings alive the brand's philosophy of creating joys of western food within the comfort of one's own home by making food that is fun and tasty making it exciting for the entire family to consume.
Speaking about the launch, Mr. Oliver Mirza, Managing Director & CEO, Dr. Oetker India, said, "Mayonnaise has been a star performer for us in our bouquet of pleasure food range in the last calendar year. Our first ever ad campaign on Mayonnaise which was launched 16 months ago helped us in achieving over 100% growth in mayonnaise. Through the new TVC, our focus is to educate consumers further on the versatility of mayonnaise. In the new TVC, we will show consumers how to make a creamy white sauce at home. The new TVC will accompany our existing 'Sandwich TVC' and will be live on all major channels. We aim to continue our success and grow mayonnaise into a 1000 cr. category in India by 2020."
Commenting on the occasion, Sonali Bendre said, "I am excited to carry on my association with Dr. Oetker. FunFoods by Dr. Oetker as a brand understands the requirement of today's homemakers and provides a culinary solution through its extensive product range. FunFoods Veg mayonnaise is a personal favourite at my home as my son absolutely loves the creamy white sauce made from mayonnaise which I learned during the shoot for the TVC."
The PAN India campaign will be supported by a holistic marketing approach including TV, digital and social media engagement. Consumer outreach shall include education through recipe brochures, recipe videos on both TV as well as YouTube, on-ground activation through retail exhibitions and regional integration.


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Careers at Würth Timberline
As part of the Würth Group, one of the largest distributors of assembly components,Würth Timberline Fasteners is a stocking distributor serving OEM and industrial markets with a division serving lumberyard and hardware retailers through packaged/merchandised programs. Würth Timberline Fasteners customers have access to over 200,000 products within its supply network of fasteners, tools, and class c components stocked across 6 warehouses nationwide. The headquarters and primary distribution facility are located in Commerce City, CO complete with quality assurance and testing, full-service tool repair, component sub-assembly, kitting and packaging.
Each customer is partnered with a Würth Timberline Fasteners sales team built around industry-specific experience to include the following segments: agricultural equipment, alternative energy, construction, consumer goods, electronics, industrial equipment, medical devices, MRO, oil and gas field/refining, and transportation.
Service is supported by an operations team overseeing customer inventory management needs, PPAP process, secondary processing of product (patching/plating), product certs and documentation control, expediting and logistics. Würth Timberline's Fasteners technology capabilities include MRP order release, EDI billing, remote bin/carton scanning, and online ordering.


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CNET First Look
Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio: Great for drippy desksExpensive but solid, the FabricSkin case also has a splash-resistant keyboard.
Hi. I'm Scott Stein. How intimate do you get with your iPad keyboard case? I mean, that because the Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio suggests that the ability to have a water repellent keyboard case is a good thing. I don't spend a lot of time with beverages around when I'm typing. I like to keep that stuff separate. But if you do happen to be in a situation where you think [unk] coffee shop where you might spill stuff on your iPad. Well, then perhaps that will add to the value proposition here. But the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio is expensive. It's $150. Yeah-- $150 for this admittedly attractive keyboard case. It comes in a variety of bright colors. It is a selection of fabrics on the back and a soft micro fibery-like covering on the keyboard in the front, which again is totally sealed. So in case you happened to spill on, you could just wipe it right up. And we didn't do a lot of fluid testing here. But the advantage is here, go beyond that. You also have a magnetic auto-connection with the side here that snaps into place and also automatically turns on the keyboard. The keyboard feels great, although like recent Logitech keyboards, some of the keys are compressed. If you're a keyboard nerd, or you really pay attention to the stuff, you can see that the capslock and A key combined. The shift key's compress, the tab and Q were combined. It's not a big deal. In fact, when you start typing faster on this after a while, it's fine. It's not as compressed as iPad mini keyboards are. It does feel like a tank and it feels comfortable and heavy. When you're looking at 2.7 pounds with this combine, which is like the way of a MacBook era ultrabook practically. So that's the problem. You're carrying on a laptop weight thing. I still prefer something slimmer, maybe like the Logitech Ultra thin keyboard cover. But if you're looking for one of the most durable all-around protective and liquid repellant keyboard cases, then the FabricSkin keyboard Folio could be worth it if you wanna shot a $150. I'm Scott Stein and that's a quick look at the FabricSkin Keyboard Folio.


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Lan Phuongactress
- Video
Lan Phuong is a Vietnamese movie actress, dance performer, and comedian. She has drawn public attention with the role Thien Huong in Nu Bac Sy (2006), and Mai Lan in Co Gai Xau Xi (2007-2008) as well as has achieved reputable awards such as Gold Medal of Hoi Dien San Khau Kich Chuyen Nghiep Toan Quoc for the role Thu in Me Va Nguoi Tinh (2009). Lan Phuong was also successful in dancing career with the winning of Solo Dancing in Lien Hoan Giai Dieu Que Huong (2005).
Before fame
Lan Phuong moved to Vung Tau when she was 10 and came to Saigon at the age of 18. She graduated from Foreign Trade University and Ho Chi Minh College of Theatre where she used to be teaching assistant for dancing subject after graduation.
Personal life
Lan Phuong is dating with a foreign man whose information has not been revealed yet.
Social site
- The meaning of the name Phuong: Phoenix


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Please recognize that Robin Kramer Writes does not participate in reviews, giveaways, or advertising at this point. Thank you for understanding and refraining from emailing me with such requests.
However, if you'd like to contact me for other reasons regarding my blog or writing/speaking opportunities, certainly feel free to get in touch. Rest assured that I'll make every effort to respond to genuine inquiries within a reasonable time.
email: robinkramerwrites (at) gmail (dot) com
- Robin Kramer
Design by The Blog Decorator


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Prague Close to Centre hotels
Not only the centre of Prague but also its close surroundings offer numerous architectonical, artistic or natural beauties. Did you know that on the territory of Prague there are 88 preserved areas with the surface of 2 200 hectares? The nature of Prague provides living space for various animal and plant species. At the same time, it also offers numerous possibilities of recreational holidays. City parks, historical gardens, forests, alleys, preserved areas, natural parks and watercourses underline the unique atmosphere of this place.
In this busy and crowded city you will find green oasises of calmness, enticing you to take romantic walks, hiking or bicycle trips. Then you can reach the historical centre of Prague on foot and you can start enjoying the exciting life of this sleepless Central European metropolis. Our hotels in this part of Prague offer high-quality accommodation and services. You can choose either smaller hotels with quiet atmosphere or luxurious hotels for demanding clients. It's all up to you and your wishes.
Pleasant tourist hotel about 20 minutes from the historical centre.
Pension is located in the EA Hotel Jasmin*** area
EA Hotel Populus*** offers comfortable accommodation and air-conditioned conference rooms in a quiet area of Prague 3.
The hotel is located on Plzeňská street in the Smíchov district of Prague 5, which spreads out along the left bank of the River Vltava.


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A Fiesta for Eva ~ a fundraiser
Eva is an adorable 4 -year old who has been battling Leukemia since February 2012. Her prognosis is good, but her treatment program will be two long years. A fundraiser is planned for tomorrow evening, Saturday, May 5th (details below). There will be lots of great raffle and auction items, as well as music, dancing,… Read More