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This week in Island history
The news of 10 and 15 years ago is from the Jamestown Press. The news of 25, 50, 75, and 100 years ago from the Newport Daily News comes from the collection of the Newport Historical Society.
100 years ago From the Newport Daily News, April 30, 1906:
The heavy showers today stopped work on the fortifications at Fox Hill and Boston Neck.
From the Newport Daily News, May 1, 1906:
The Jamestown Brass Band gave a concert and dance last evening in the Gardner House hall. There was a large attendance, considering the bad weather.
Today is one of the red letter days in the history of Jamestown as the Enterprise Transportation Company steamer will make its first stop here, on the way from Fall River to New York at 7:30 tonight
75 years ago From the Newport Daily News, April 27, 1931:
The Jamestown Post, American Legion, held a very successful dance at the Holy Ghost Society hall Saturday evening, a large number from Newport attending. Bill Bailey's orchestra furnished the music, and the entertainment by Mr. Butler from Providence was enjoyed by the young people present. After the dance a number of house parties were held in different sections of the island.
From the Newport Daily News, April 29, 1931:
Thomas Hunt, druggist, is putting his Jamestown (drug) store in readiness for the summer.
50 years ago From the Newport Daily News, April 25, 1956:
The possibility of the Commerce Oil Co.'s proposed $30,000,000 refinery being shifted from Portsmouth to Jamestown has aroused resentment from Portsmouth officials.
The Jamestown Town Council has a number of controversial matters to consider in addition to discussion on the possible settlement of an oil refinery in the town. Bills authorizing installation of parking meters in the business section of the island and the establishment of a police court for collection of traffic fines are up for consideration. Also to be discussed is the question of property revaluation. . . . The bill asking sale of the ferry assets, including the boats and slips, to the state for $270,000 to be paid at the rate of $27,000 a year for ten years, is on the agenda for the meeting. . . . The permanent police bill will be explained.
From the Newport Daily News, April 26, 1956:
The brand-new Jamestown problem of the pros and cons of a proposed oil refinery on the island got a full airing last night in a jam-packed meeting at the recreation center. More than 300 people crowded into the center's lobby (the main hall was in use by another group) to hear what Harold M. Geller, executive vicepresident of the Commerce Oil Refinery Corp., had to say.
Jamestown's tax rate will rise from $31 to 433 per $1,000 vaulation if the proposed budget . . . . is adopted at the financial town meeting Monday.
25 years ago From the Newport Daily News, April 27, 1981:
The state has temporarily shelved plans for a scenic underwater diving trail system in Sandy Beach Cove off Fort Wetherill.
Newport Bridge traffic and revenue were up last month compared to March 1980, according to the state Turnpike and Bridge Authority. Last month 241,583 vehicles crossed the bridge In March, 1980, 221,132 vehicles crossed the bridge. Revenue last month was $291,695 compared with $266,195 the previous March.
The Waterfront Authority has agreed to lease dock space to William A. Hooton of Oddenbury, England, for his 92-foot charter sailboat Borneo.
From the Newport Daily News, April 28, 1981:
Building, plumbing and electrical permit fees were raised by the Town Council Monday night. Fees for new buildings were increased from $2 per cubic foot to $3 and re-modeling fees will be $4 per $1,000 cost. Plumbing fees will double and electrical permits will go up by 50 percent.
15 years ago From the Jamestown Press, April 25, 1991:
The Town Council will take legal action if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits the state Department of Transportation to build a cross-island highway that does not include the controversial Helm Street overpass.
Jamestown's senior citizens are finally one step closer to having an activities center to call their own. The Town Council Monday night voted to enter into a 99-year lease with the Holy Ghost Society for land on Pemberton Avenue.
10 years ago From the Jamestown Press, April 25, 1996:
The Town Council Monday approved a Harbor Management Commission plan to pay an engineering firm some $64,000 to design repairs and a possible extension to the steel pier at East Ferry.
Volunteers reported that the beaches seemed cleaner this year. But when Saturday's annual island shoreline cleanup was completed, two 20-yard dumpsters were overflowing.
A panel has been formed to give a new look to the Veterans' Memorial Square at East Ferry.


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Opinion on Paul Pogba's Manchester United situation
"I'm starting to think he won't be here beyond the rest of the season."@krisvoakes with his take on Paul Pogba's refusal to commit to Manchester United pic.twitter.com/EA0gCYrGq2
— Goal UK (@GoalUK) September 12, 2018
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[: @sbauza99] pic.twitter.com/DP7ktfIOM4
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"There wasn't a dry eye in the changing room...
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Lopetegui has reached 100 days in charge at Madrid - and he admits the time has just flown by! pic.twitter.com/2SDdnidlqo
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Who's ready for another week of Premier League action?
All the best stories from last week, courtesy of @rhysjamesy
Watch The Premier League Show on iPlayer nowhttps://t.co/tmnGIc74wq pic.twitter.com/gVYGU6zdGD
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 21, 2018
"They are amazing athletes but they're not really the most intelligent footballers"
Nigel Reo-Coker says young players are spending too much time on social media. pic.twitter.com/WJJDGlkKc7
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) September 21, 2018
@TrollFootball pic.twitter.com/1VjJffWWmD
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[#Video] La légende raconte qu'il cherche encore la balle ! pic.twitter.com/rjVOnfQr3c
— Footballogue (@Footballogue) January 22, 2016

subset: commoncrawl


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Keniston Bridge #15May 23. 2013 3:09PM
Lorden Road
Andover, NH
The Keniston Bridge was built by Albert R. Hamilton. The bridge's name came from a prominent family of that name who lived for many years in one of the old homesteads in town. The bridge has been damaged only once, in 1972, when ice tore off several planks. During a 1981 rehabilitation, the bridge was lifted by two cranes and moved to a site only a few feet above water level. Workers had to work quickly and move the bridge back to its proper location when heavy rains fell, putting the bridge in jeopardy of being carried away by rising waters. The Keniston Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Year of Construction: - 1882
Original Cost: - $745.57
South of U.S. Route 4, one mile west of Andover Village on Lorden Road over the Blackwater River in Andover.
Town lattice truss. The bridge is 64'6" long with a clear span of 54'2". It has an overall width of 18'9" with a roadway width of 15'10" and a maximum vertical clearance of 12'0". It is partially sheathed on the sides and has a deep overhang reminiscent of the rakish prow of a ship. The bridge is posted for six tons.


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Alan Hale
July 12, 2012
On July 2, 2012, Cheney lost a great member of its community. A husband, father, decorated fighter pilot, Air Force test pilot, businessman, and professor, Alan Hale left an indelible mark on the many lives he touched and we were all fortunate to have known him.
Born in Providence, Utah, 1937 to Seymour (Bill) and Velda Hale, Alan was the eldest of seven children and grew up in the communities of Oakley and Payette, Idaho. After graduating high school in 1954, he entered the service as a pilot in the Idaho Air National Guard and soon transferred to the U.S. Air Force. While in Air Force pilot training in Bryan, Texas, Alan met his wife of 55 years, Mary Kaye Perkins, a Spokane native. Within three months the two were engaged and married the following spring in Spokane.
Six children (all boys), an adopted girl, and a host of military bases would follow. While serving as an Air Force flight instructor in Oklahoma, Alan earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and became an Air Force test pilot. In 1964, the Hales moved to Edwards AFB where Alan worked for notable test pilot Chuck Yeager during the "Right Stuff" era. In 1968, Alan was sent to Vietnam. Flying close-air support for helicopters rescuing downed pilots, Alan earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal (first through fifth Oak Leaf Clusters) for aerial gallantry. Returning to Edwards AFB under base commandant, Buzz Aldrin (second man to land on the moon), Alan was a flight instructor for test pilots, including notable Washington State University graduate Dick Scoby, commander of the ill-fated Challenger shuttle.
In 1974, after Air War College and earning a master's degree in Business Administration from Auburn University, Alan was transferred to the Pentagon in Washington D.C. He was promoted to a colonel and worked in the Air Force's Research and Development Appropriations Department. Within the next four years he appeared before Congress on multiple occasions to seek funding for various military research projects before his retirement in 1978.
The family moved back to Payette to help Alan's parents with their business. While there, Alan started a computer business integrating a microcomputer with cash registers. A novel concept in 1979, the company was soon purchased by a large corporation. In an effort to relocate back to Spokane in 1981, Alan took a position at Eastern Washington University (EWU) and became one of the first computer science professors for the new Math and Computer Science Department. Alan spent 15 years teaching students the fine art of computer programming and microprocessor design.
While working at EWU, Alan and his students won a contract from NASA to create an onboard processing unit for the Space Shuttle program. This project spawned the creation of the electronics manufacturing company XN Technologies, Inc. (XN). XN grew quickly after it began developing audio-visual switching equipment under the brand name AutoPatch.
In 2006, with the company employing over 140 employees, Alan sold his interest in XN to AMX Corporation (AMX) of Richardson, Texas. To this date AMX continues to grow the AutoPatch division in the Cheney manufacturing facility.
After the sale of XN, Alan focused on his new company, XN Air, an aircraft fueling and maintenance facility located at the Spokane International Airport. Last year, when Alan's medical condition made it impossible to continue XN Air, the fueling portion of the company was sold to Ross Aviation and the maintenance was sold to Aviation Services.
Alan was a decorated war hero, test pilot, entrepreneur, and educator. Cancer brought down this man that enemy bullets could not. He passed away at his home in Cheney with his family at his side. Alan is survived by his wife Mary Kaye of Cheney; brother, Bill Hale Jr.; Sister, Barbara Wharton; sister Gwen Clem. son John Hale and wife Laurie Hale of Cheney; son Mark Hale and wife Jodie Hale of Cheney; son Phil Hale and wife Kathy Hale of Cheney; son Chris Hale and wife Cindy Hale of Anchorage; son Brian Hale; grandchildren Thomas and Justin Hale of Spokane; Jason Hale of Idaho Falls; Alex and Patrick Hale of Ripen, Calif.; Ashley, Madeline, and Jenna Hale of Colorado Springs; Codi and Gage Onda of Cheney; great grand-daughter Mia DeMaderios of Ripen, Calif.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Alan is preceded in death by his son Steve Hale, daughter Brenda Hale, and parents Seymour and Velda Hale of Payette. Visitation was held Tuesday, July 10 at Cheney Funeral Chapel. A funeral service was held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 460 North 5th St., Cheney, WA 99004, Wednesday July 11, 2012 with a short reception following. A full military burial service was conducted at Holy Cross Cemetery, 7200 N. Wall Street, Spokane, WA 99208.


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It is estimated that the industrial sector accounts for 30 percent of all energy consumed in the United States. Based on U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) data, in 2011, the region consumed 327 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electrical energy and 1.354 trillion MBtu of gas energy in the industrial sector. Through existing efficiency programs in the region, industrial electrical energy consumption was reduced by 1.5 percent and gas energy consumption reduced by 0.4 percent. While energy efficiency programs are making progress, there are additional energy savings in the industrial sector that remain untapped.
The region can significantly reduce industrial energy use and peak demand by supporting broad adoption of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office programs. These materials help to engage long-term industrial investments and performance management for energy efficiency. Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) installations have been active in the region and have largely been driven by state energy efficiency goals as well as other supporting state and federal policies. The current project will focus on IEE, and consider combined heat and power in the future.
NEEP's project seeks to increase the adoption of IEE practices in the region through Superior Energy Performance and the energy management standard. As part of our involvement in Industrial Efficiency, NEEP will engage stakeholders across the region—including energy efficiency program administrators, state agency staff, and industry representatives to keep abreast of relevant developments regionally and nationally. NEEP will also conduct a high-level updated market assessment of the region's industrial base, current program activity, associated savings estimates, status of relevant state regulatory policies, potential barriers (e.g., cost-effectiveness analysis and savings evaluation, measurement and verification), and the services offered by existing organizations.
Industrial Efficiency in Action: Sikorsky Aircraft, 2012 Business Leader Champion


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Unique Books About Gifts and Gift Giving
I just discovered it's Super Thursday… woohoo!
What is it? I hear you ask. Don't worry I didn't know either but I found out.
Super Thursday is the day roughly about 3 months prior to Christmas where many of the big books of the year are released hoping to take a chunk of the lucrative Christmas book sales.
You see books make fantastic gifts. Books are so rich with personality that they present the perfect opportunity for people who like to buy gifts.
What better way to show that you know someone than a book that has been hand picked for their reading pleasure.
Today since we are a highly sophisticated bunch we present to you our squeaky clean book list for people who love to give books. I know… we are sooooo meta!
These books explore the gift giving from various angles. We have anthropology and social evolutionary biology. We have tips and tricks. We have a history of gift giving and special consideration to gift giving for kids.
Language of Gifts: The Essential Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving
You might never have stopped to think about it but gifting is a form of communication. Humans are not the only animals that give gifts other animals such as chimpanzees do it too.
It's probably fair to say that gift giving is a form of communication that is much older than spoken languages.
There is a language of gift giving – gifts speak. We all speak the language of gifts as it's something we learn through out culture but you can learn to speak it better and like learning any new language learning the language of gifts can be a really satisfying pursuit.
Available from Amazon
The Art of Gift Giving
Who better to talk about gift giving than some people whose daily business involves gifts and gift giving.
Each day Unique Gift Hampers send out numerous gifts all carefully prepared to meet the needs of both the giver and the recipient.
They describe themselves as "A team of talented gift preparing elves for those of you who aren't Santa."
As they explain, the giver wishes to say something with his gift and this book is about the skill that it takes to say the right thing and not put your foot in it.
To delightfully illustrate this The Art of Gift Giving simply asks us to consider if we ever received a gift that didn't quite hit the mark? An experience I'm sure everyone has been through.
Gift givers want to hit the mark, and the Unique Gift Hampers Elves and The Art Of Gift Giving teaches you how to hit the mark more often than not.
While not a very long book the "Elves" have condensed their years of experience in helping buyers express the right message and the result is a surprisingly delightful ebook that you can find on their website.
A lot of care went into the creation of this book and the authors present their gift to their customers.
The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies
It's not just authors and shops that talk about the importance of gift giving. It's an academic subject too.
A friend of mine studied Anthropology at university and be all accounts The Gift by Marcel Mauss is a classic from 1954 that examines primitive societies and concludes that gift giving is an absolutely fundamental aspect of our society.
Perhaps an little but heavy reading but if you want to go deeper in the gifting then this might be the book for you.
Make It Memorable
Robyn Freedman has written many books about gift giving and this book speaks specifically about the skill of making something memorable.
The book is filled with many romantic ideas such as gluing "I will always love you" spelled out in letters onto your scrabble board.
If you are looking for tips to make a gift giving impact that won't be forgotten then I'm sure you will find something in there. Memorable gifts are rarely about spending lots of money but more in the significance of the actions.
An informative guide although perhaps guilty of being a little too simplistic at times.
Available on Amazon.
Fabulous Gifts: Hollywood's Gift Guru Reveals the Secret to Giving the Perfect Present
Another guide about how to select the right gift and bring joy to the recipient. Lash Fary built up his experience as a gift giver by operating a business that provided for gifts at massive events such as The Grammys and the MTV Awards.
Attendees at these evens usually receive a gift from the organizers and it was Lash Fary that was the brains behind the gift baskets that went out.
An entertaining read and a peek behind the scenes that may be intriguing to those that like a bit of celebrity gossip.
Get it from Amazon.
That's it. Hopefully you'll enjoy at least one of our selected gift giving books and they will help you to enjoy giving gifts as well as receiving them.


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in this section
ECE Professor Emeritus Simpson (Sam) Linke Dies at 96
ECE Professor Emeritus Simpson (Sam) Linke passed away on Friday, December 27, 2013 at the age of 96. Professor Linke joined the School of Electrical Engineering as an Assistant Professor in 1949. He was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1953 and became a Full Professor in 1963. His research areas included electric power and energy systems.
From 1955-60, he was Supervisor of the Power System Calculator and a Senior Power Engineer at Philadelphia Electric Company (1955-56). He served as the Assistant Director of the Laboratory of Plasma Studies (1965-75). In 1971-72, he served as Manager of Energy-Project Funding for National Science Foundation.
He was an IEEE Life Fellow, Attwood Associate of CIGRÉ, and a member of Sigma Xi and Eta Kappa Nu. Professor Linke received a merit award for a technical magazine article and was author and co-author of 50 technical articles.
From 1973-78, Professor Linke organized and conducted the first International Symposium on the Hydrogen Economy, He also conducted a Symposium on Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage as well as a Symposium on Research in Electric Transmission and Distribution.
Professor Linke was the Editor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Newsletter, Connections from 1992-2005.
He retired from Cornell in 1986.


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The end of Sauber's financial struggles could depend on the new Russian connections paving the way to sponsor deals. Ever since the so-called 'Russian rescue deal' was announced, suggestions the str...
Ever since the so-called 'Russian rescue deal' was announced, suggestions the struggling Swiss team's financial woes are far from over have persisted.
"I understand that people want to know more," team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Blick newspaper, "because until now we have not said so much.
"But I want to assure everyone that things go in the right direction."
She hinted, however, that Russian rubles have not been flowing overly quickly.
"I hope that in this season, we will see new sponsor logos on the car," said Kaltenborn.
"We also hope that something happens in terms of Sochi," she added, referring to next year's inaugural Russian grand prix.
What is fairly certain is that, if the Russian teen Sergey Sirotkin is able to secure a super license, he will be racing a Sauber in 2014.
But Blick reports that Sauber's current lead driver, the Ferrari and Lotus-linked Nico Hulkenberg, will definitely not be Sirotkin's teammate.
That news would seem to boost Esteban Gutierrez's chances, as he is strongly linked with Mexican team backers, including Telmex.
"Actually one thing really does not have anything to do with the other," Kaltenborn insisted.
In fact, she admitted that, "Ideally, we would want a more experienced teammate" for 18-year-old Sirotkin.
"On the other hand we have been in this situation before and it worked well with two somewhat inexperienced pilots," added Kaltenborn.
However, Sauber is close to renewing its engine deal with Ferrari for 2014, and the Italian team is looking for a middle-ranked team to place Jules Bianchi.
And current Ferrari racer Felipe Massa is also on the market.
Kaltenborn insisted: "Ferrari will have no influence on our driver choice. And there is no obligation for us to take a second Russian driver."
One thing is for sure -- Sauber has no place available for its highly-rated 2013 reserve driver Robin Frijns, who has already departed the Swiss team.
Kaltenborn admitted letting the Dutchman go was all about money -- or his lack of it.
"Unfortunately it shows what situation formula one is in at the moment," she said.
"Despite his talent, his management hasn't been able to find more sponsors. And it makes no sense to hold on to a driver if you cannot give him what he wants."


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Travel News blog posts
Christchurch Arts Centre and Canterbury Museum Join Forces to Perserve Heritage of the Region
By Travel News
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Canterbury Museum and The Arts Centre of Christchurch have officially joined forces to achieve their common objective of preserving and promoting the history and heritage of region.
Top 10 Tramping Destinations New Zealand
By Travel News
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Fans of the great outdoors have voted Te Anau as the best place in New Zealand to live if you love tramping.
Middle Earth Inspired Safety Video Wins Hearts of Air New Zealand Passengers
By Travel News
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Air New Zealand is well-known for offering fun, light-hearted and entertaining safety videos to passengers, and the latest – aptly titled The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made – is no exception.


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Jewish World Review January 4, 2008 / 26 Teves 5768
A defining atrocity? Yes, against our Marines
By Diana West
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Diana West is a columnist for The Washington Times. Comment by clicking here.
© 2008, Diana West


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With both Windows and Windows Phone changing fairly dramatically with this year's major updates, some users are concerned or confused about how they'll accomplish common tasks. Key among these is PC-to-device sync: Microsoft will deliver a new sync client and new PC-free functionality with Windows Phone 8 this year, but many are wondering how they can sync their existing Windows Phone 7.x and Zune devices.
The confusion is understandable. Back in February, an internal Microsoft video describing many Windows Phone 8 features leaked, resulting in my tell-all article Windows Phone 8 Preview. In that video, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said that the software giant would be replacing the Zune PC software, which is currently used to sync music, podcasts, videos, photos, and/or apps and games between your PC and a Windows Phone or Zune device. This has led, naturally, to questions about whether this new sync client was part of Windows 8, whether it was available already, and whether it would be made available for users of older, non-Windows Phone 8 devices.
So let's examine what he really said first.
"We're building a dedicated Windows 8 application that's intended as a companion for Windows Phone," Mr. Belfiore said in the leaked video. "This is intended as a replacement for the Zune client we have today and instead, from Windows 8, you'll manage your phone that way. It's a way of connecting your phone to all of your Windows 8 application experiences. You'll be able to do things like browse into your phone, take a screenshot, and paste it into an email. It will be natural and powerful and really show how the combination of these two devices is really great together."
From this statement, it's likely that Joe meant "Metro-style app" each time he said "application." It seems that this client will only be made available to Windows 8 users, that it will only work with Windows Phone 8 devices, and that it will ship alongside Windows Phone 8, and not be included in Windows 8 itself.
Regardless, no such client exists today in the Windows 8 Release Preview. So, how does one sync a Windows Phone 7.x or Zune device with Windows 8, you ask?
Simple: You use the Zune PC software, just as you do on Windows 7. It is acquired the same way (via a free download from zune.net), works the same way, and will let you access your soon-to-be-legacy devices on Microsoft's latest desktop operating system going forward. Nothing has changed.
Yep, Zune still works fine on Windows 8.
Some of these are just too easy. :)


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Name: Bai Mudan
Type: White
Region: Fujian Province, China
Bought At: Samovar
Price: $19 for 1.5oz
First Impressions: Large brittle leaves, sweet grassy smell
A very delicate but flavorful white tea, this tea has a really smooth sweet aftertaste. Not nearly as grassy as I would have guessed based on the smell of the dry leaves. This would be a good first white tea to try if you are used to something a little darker. It shows of white tea's high points without suffering from the lack of flavor they sometimes can have.
My Rating:
3.5 / 5


text: Unwind after a long workday with 5 O'Clock Shadow at Holeman and Finch! Every weeknight from 5 to 7 p.m., enjoy a rotating menu of specials in the bar – including varying dishes, featured beverage pairings and the always-available $1 oysters. Need a hint to what you might be in for? Past highlights have included the iconic deviled eggs on-the-house, bratwurst and beer, salad and Chenin Blanc for $12 and more. Stop by this week to see what we're cooking (and pouring) up next. The ideal post-work happy hour.


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Click to enlarge images.
There is more to sniping than shooting.
Snipercraft's 20th SniperWeek
By: Devon Black
Twenty years ago, a brainstorming session by three Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Police SWAT snipers resulted in the creation of Snipercraft. The purpose was to facilitate organizing and hosting a sniper tournament in Florida. After months of planning, and surviving an interruption caused by Hurricane Andrew, they managed to pull it off. The Snipercraft Challenge drew about 30 snipers from around the state for two days of learning and fun. What was supposed to be a one-time event has turned into the cornerstone of the police sniper community.
Derrick Bartlett still serves as Snipercraft's director and guiding force. He is also the President of the American Sniper Association. He has used his 22 years of SWAT/sniper experience to shape the mission of both organizations. Snipercraft emphasizes technical knowledge as much as it does tactical skill.
Training, competitions and support services have been provided by Snipercraft to agencies throughout the country. And for 20 years, Snipercraft has hosted a gathering of snipers from around the world called SniperWeek. This is the largest and longest-running police sniper training event anywhere. Snipers and SWAT officers from all over the United States, Canada, South America and Europe have attended, making this truly a world-class affair.
In 2012, over 300 people attended the SniperWeek conferences. Over 100 teams competed in the two challenges. This unique training event is held each spring in Florida, and each fall in California. SniperWeek starts with a two-day educational seminar. Speakers from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and expertise have stood at the podium over the years. Nearly everyone who is anyone in the sniper community has presented there.
Luminaries like Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Chris Kyle, Mark Spicer, Jeff Martone and Pavel Tsatsouline are among the impressive list of high-profile speakers who have addressed SniperWeek audiences. Twenty years ago, at the very first Snipercraft seminar, Major John Plaster was the featured speaker. His seminal book, The Ultimate Sniper, had just been published, and few in the room even knew who he was. His career has come a long way in the past two decades, and it was only fitting that he was the featured speaker at Snipercraft's 20th anniversary.
In addition to Major Plaster, this year's conference speakers presented relevant and stimulating subject matter. Giles Stock, a law enforcement representative for Hornady Ammunition, made a detailed presentation that answered every question snipers could have about how bullets work. He also addressed the dangerous beliefs some snipers still have about using boattail hollowpoint bullets for sniper work.
Tod Litt, with Nightforce Optics, brought an authoritative voice and years of technical expertise to the podium. He was able to provide an interesting and easily understood look at sniper optics, both current and what's coming in the near future. One of the more provocative issues he addressed was his preference for second focal plane scopes for police snipers, as opposed to the latest market push in favor of front focal plane. He made a sound and surprising argument for choosing equipment based on operational needs, rather than hype.
One of the most impressive speakers at Florida's SniperWeek was Laura Scarry. She is an attorney from Illinois, who has made a career out of providing legal assistance to police officers in use-of-force cases. Her personal background as a police officer added to her credibility with the audience. She clearly explained every aspect of the law as it pertains to use of deadly force and the subsequent investigations.
She dispelled many long-held beliefs about cases like Tennessee v Garner, or Graham v Conner, and administrative practices like the Use of Force Matrix. She was equally authoritative, informative and entertaining. Every cop who carries a gun for a living needs to sit in on one of her lectures, wherever she may appear.
Of course, the main attraction of the SniperWeek conferences is the many sniper incident debriefings. This year included incidents from Texas and California. While all were informative, the two which caused the most after-hours conversations were stories of shots untaken or unsuccessful. Each was a step-by-step blueprint of worse case scenarios made worse by bad judgment and administration.
Perennial issues like selection and training of personnel, deployment positions, equipment choices and leadership all came into play, and could have led to tragic outcomes. Hopefully, the open sharing of both incidents and the lessons learned by those involved will make future teams safer and more effective. This is just one of the benefits of SniperWeek.
Snipercraft enjoys the support of companies like Accuracy International, SRT Supply, Mile High Shooting Accessories, Black Hills Ammunition, Hornady Ammunition and Nightforce Optics. Every year, they are in attendance as primary sponsors. They have also provided assistance throughout the training year with product donations and literature.
The educational conference is followed by two days of live-fire range training. The Snipercraft Challenge and its West Coast equivalent, the Pacific Challenge, are not billed as sniper competitions. That term has been used by competitive shooters and fat old guys with scoped rifles to a point where it has lost its distinction. Instead, they are called competitive training events. Each course of fire is purposely designed to test a sniper team's operational skills.
Using information garnered from the world's most comprehensive sniper shooting database, Snipercraft is able to create courses of fire that incorporate situations, distances, shooting positions, and target exposures real snipers faced on real-world operations. Sniper teams are asked to demonstrate on demand their ability to perform what other snipers already have. The event serves as a crucible, a realistic yardstick by which a team can measure its readiness. It shows teams whether they have been training to be snipers, or just cops with scoped rifles.
Bartlett often reminds those in attendance "there is more to sniping than shooting." The Challenges reaffirm that position. Anyone can lay down behind a scoped rifle and hit bullseye targets, some obviously better than others. Sniper teams here are expected to do the other things, like observe, communicate, process information and overcome physical stress, all while shooting accurately. These skill packages are tested by courses like Hunter-Killer and this year's new nemesis, Math Wiz.
Hunter-Killer has been a part of the Challenge for nearly 10 years. It is a deviously simple premise. Snipers are given a target ID booklet to examine. Downrange is a target array with dozens of photographs. The team must properly identify, locate, and shoot their targets within a specific timeframe. However, there is a twist to the procedure that tests a team's observation skills, their team communication, and their trust in one another. While some teams have the communications component required by this course mastered, others found themselves frustrated.
Math Wiz is equally simple, and insidious. Teams are given a booklet with four simple math problems in it. The teams must solve the problems with pen and paper (the old fashioned way), before they can go on to the next page. Their answers then correspond to target ID pictures, which they must now match up to their target down range. After making a proper ID, they must then shoot it accurately. All of this occurs with the clock running. For such a simple set of tasks, doing them under stress completely derailed some teams. It made some teams very unhappy.
Bartlett had a very good argument defending the course. On every callout, snipers are expected to take in information from a variety of sources – their briefing, what they see down range, what they hear over the radio, and any other sources that may arise. They will be constantly processing that stream of information and distilling it into intelligence, which will lead to them making decisions on what courses of action they will take during the callout, including whether or not to shoot someone. And they are doing this with a clock running, only in the real world, they don't know when the clock hits zero.
Math Wiz was designed to force sniper teams to process streams of information, use the conclusions to move forward to make tactical decisions, and then shoot accurately under stress. Faulty processing leads to bad conclusions, which leads to bad outcomes. It is a controlled and repeatable model of the sniper's job on a callout. As expected, some teams did very well on this, while others found they have work to do.
Each year the Challenge engages teams in seven or eight courses of fire, which push them out of their comfort zones, while testing the full range of their martial skills. And because there is always a historical precedent to each course, it is difficult to argue about the realism or relevance. Sniper teams are rarely allowed to shoot from a comfortable prone bipod position. Instead, they are expected to be able to assume not only the standards like standing, sitting and kneeling, but wicked variations like rollover prone and squatting.
Real world situations also justified forcing competitors to shoot while utilizing shooting sticks, as well as a stress course wearing a gas mask. Everything is shot under duress, and the added burden of peer pressure. The prepared excel; many other teams get a reality check. If you want to find out where your team is operationally, this is where you have to go.
The Snipercraft Challenge in Florida was won by Mike Bertucci and Phil Glover from Valley (Spokane), Wash. Police SWAT. The Pacific Challenge was won by Matt Emrey and Omar Mondragon with the Escondido, Calif. Police. Congratulations to both teams for doing what many have tried, but only a select few have achieved.
The 21st year for Snipercraft promises to be every bit as busy as the first 20 years. The training calendar is full, with classes held around the country. SniperWeek will be in Clearwater, Fla. on April 3–6. SniperWeek West will be held in Elk Grove, Calif. on Oct. 8–11. Since this is a professional training event, SniperWeek is restricted to law enforcement, corrections and military personnel. Details for all of Snipercraft activities can be found on the website. If you are looking for the very best in information, support and training for the police sniper, there is no better place to start.
Devon Black is a former police officer and SWAT team member. He now works as a freelance writer of police and SWAT related articles for a number of tactical magazines. He can be reached at email@example.com.
Published in Tactical Response, Jan/Feb 2013
Well done article. Devon has done his homework!Snipercraft is truly a must attend event for the LE Sniper. Derek and his team do an awesome job every year. The best thing about it is, with Derek there is no B.S. he knows what he is doing and so do all of his speakers and instructors. He is open to suggestions but you had better be able to prove a technique or tactic will work in the real world, because thats what Snipercraft is all about, real world challenges, with real world solutions.


text: The Commission wishes, through this Website, to present an overview of higher education in Kenya and to inform the public of the quality assurance mechanisms which have been put in place in the sector. Through this its hoped that there will be greater public awareness on the institutions recognized by the Commission for University Education and the World. The Website also informs the public of the existing structure and operations of the Commission which are geared towards ensuring quality in higher education.


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This Texas newspaper story has been circulating around the blogosphere for a while so I thought it deserved a bit of attention.
I think most everyone is aware that the number of star-quality or even major league-caliber African-American players in MLB has dwindled in recent years. The article does mention how the population of African-Americans in basketball and American football are much bigger than in MLB (we won't even mention the NHL because I am pretty sure I can count the number of non-goaltender black players on one hand). There are several concerns that may or may not be significant, but they are there:
- Cost: as in ice hockey, baseball can be a very expensive sport with league fees, equipment (but who buys a $300 bat?!) and perhaps private instruction. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that as a whole, black Americans don't have a lot of money.
- Support: baseball doesn't offer as many scholarships, especially full-ride scholarships, as football or basketball.
- Marketing: MLB is stupid and doesn't know how to advertise their game to appeal to the African-American community.
- My own addition, but I'm guessing it's easier to rise through the ranks in basketball and football than it is in baseball, plus the former sports don't have as stringent of a period of indentured servitude as MLB does.
It's a good, quick read if you guys have the time.


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Jasmine and Ginger
Added Jul 7, 2013
Perth, Australia
This is my Colette outfit! I had to make some major alterations to the Jasmine to get it to fit, but the Ginger was fairly straight forward, although I did use a few couture touches to make it a bit special such as Hong Kong binding and a hand picked zip! I really love this outfit and the pieces are just so versatile I know I'll be making more! Check out the blog for all the construction deets! http://coutureacademic.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/colette-a-rama/
Material Notes
Cotton voile and cotton cord
3 Comments Sign in to add a post
Jul 8, 2013, 02.40 AMby schnui
This outfit is lovely and after reading your detailed blog about making the major adjustments to the Jasmine blouse, I may consider it again. I have made 2 but only posted one and I call it my 'Not Happy Jan ' top. The pattern was definitely not made to suit me but I really love the pattern and especially so when I see yours. Maybe when I have plenty of time, I will nail all the adjustments. Thanks for all your advice on your blog, I really appreciate it.
1 Reply
Jul 8, 2013, 02.48 PMby Couture Academic
Heya! Thanks for the comment and complements! I'm so glad my fitting woes could help someone else with theirs. Give her one more red hot go and hopefully you'll nail it! The pattern really is pretty, I didn't want to bin it either, so you just gotta try and try until you get it! Draping it on my dummy was a real help. Hopefully it'll become your Happy Jan top :)
Jul 7, 2013, 06.27 PMby Mary Athey
fab outfit, both pieces are so lovely. i have never put a zip in by hand?? i'm to frightened of it coming apart lol . any tips would be much appreciated x
3 Replies
Jul 8, 2013, 12.25 AMby Couture Academic
Hi Mary! Thanks for the comment! Hand picked zips are actually really sturdy! I wouldn't use them on something like kids clothes, but I've never had one fail yet! Use a double thread and coat it with bees wax (run it through a block) and then run that under a hot iron to melt the wax. This strengthens the thread and acts like a sort of glue when all is said and done. I would practice on some scrap fabric first though, as it does take a bit of practice but it's not hard at all and you have SO much more control especially if you're matching prints/waistbands etc. Check out the Threads tutorial here http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/5135/a-hand-picked-zipper-is-worth-the-effort and here is how to do a prick or pick stitch http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/7215/how-to-do-a-pickstitch
I've also got a tutorial on my blog http://coutureacademic.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/technique-of-the-week-hand-picked-zippers/ if it helps you too.
Good luck and enjoy :)
Jul 8, 2013, 12.54 AMby Mary Athey
thanks so.much for that, i'll check out both x
Jul 8, 2013, 02.49 PMby Couture Academic
Sorry, dammit! Pressed the wrong button AGAIN! I always mean to press reply and not mark comments as inappropriate! Burdastyle, could you undo this and perhaps add an "undo button"???
Jul 7, 2013, 01.40 PMby skeeler
Great outfit! I'm with you on the hand-picked zippers. I never use a machine for that anymore. So much easier to hand sew it in!
1 Reply
Jul 7, 2013, 02.19 PMby Couture Academic
Hey thanks Skeeler! I don't insert zips by machine anymore either…spoiled now :)
Add to Favorites 3 people added it


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 25th Apr 2008 15:01 UTC
When PsyStar announced they would be offering their own Macintosch clone, pre-installed with Apple's Mac OS X Leopard, they opened up a whole can of worms. Despite the fact that the company itself was shrouded in mystery and dubiousness, the possible implications of their actions sparkled an interesting debate here on OSNews as well as other discussion venues: can PsyStar and its users just discard Apple's End User License Agreement for Leopard? Instead of relying on my own limited layman's understanding of Dutch Common Law, I decided to contact Dutch legal experts, and ask for their opinions on Apple's EULA, and EULAs in general.
Thread beginning with comment 311497
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This has been struck down before.
by jefro on Fri 25th Apr 2008 20:28 UTC
This is the same as claiming one can only use a "brand name" of oil in a "brand name" outboard motor.
If I purchase and I don't mean lease software I will do what I want with it.
"Apple's" only recourse is to not honor it's warranty, not threaten me.
Edited 2008-04-25 20:30 UTC
RE: This has been struck down before.
by elsewhere on Sat 26th Apr 2008 06:21 in reply to "This has been struck down before."
If I purchase and I don't mean lease software I will do what I want with it.
In the US, this is basically protected by the doctrine of first sale. There is enough precedent to suggest that purchasing software is a sale, not a license, which means that the software vendor has absolutely no recourse over what you do with the software after (respective of copyright laws, of course).
The content holders hate this, of course. They don't like people being able to sell software they no longer need, they don't like people being able to sell books they've finished reading to used bookstores, and they don't like people trading console games in at EB Games. All of this robs the content holders of incremental revenue they feel they are entitled to. They've tried to undo it, and they will continue to.
But as far as software goes, it is pretty much under the regulation of copyright law in most jursidictions. Copyright law does not come into effect until a protected work is distributed, so regardless of EULAs, the average user in the average free country is able to do whatever the fark they want with software they are legally in posession of, until the point where they touch copyright provisions regarding distribution.
I think the thing that surprised me most from reading the article, at least compared to my experience with Canadian/US law, is that North American laws generally do not permit citizens to "waive" their rights under the law. That is to say, that an EULA, no matter how well written or "reasonable", cannot coerce an individual into waiving entitlements provided to them. Getting back to my original point about doctrine of first sale, for instance, renders Apple's restriction against installing on non-Apple hardware invalid. Simply because the existing law says that if you are in legal posession of protected content, you can do whatever you want for personal use (again, subject to copyright law). You could hack OSX to run on a TRS-80 if you wanted, and Apple has no recourse. Though selling that TRS-80 with a hacked version of OSX would most likely violate copyright, since you've modified a protected work and are re-distributing it, and that likely touches upon the original issue. But as was pointed out in a previous post, transferring the media to someone else, and providing instructions or directions on how to modify it in order to run on the TRS-80 (or any other platform), would most likely be permissable in the eyes of the law. Once Apple has received remuneration for their content, they no longer determine what you do with it. Whether you resell it or hack it to pieces.
Sadly, though, Apple can bypass fair-use and similar protections by simply implementing some sort of encrypted protection in their software. If they decided to tie OSX into Intel's trusted computing infrastructure, for instance, to ensure that it only runs on an authorized system, then the DMCA would come into effect (at least for US users) and that bypasses the other provisions consumers have. The anti-circumvention provisions generally trump any other freedoms that consumers might otherwise exercise.
Putting that aside for a moment, EULAs rely on contract law, and software is governed by copyright law. So not only must EULAs conform to the requirements for contract validity if they are to have any effect (for instance, you must be of the age of majority to participate in a contract, which renders EULAs invalid for minors), but even then, the contract cannot force the user to waive entitlements under copyright law. In other words, Apple can't restrict a legally purchased copy of OSX to Apple platforms any more than a publisher can prevent selling a book to a used book store as a condition of sale. Doctrine of first sale trumps anything they try to work around in the EULA from that aspect (again, excluding the DMCA).
Anyways, just my North American perspective (well, CA/US, I can't claim experience with Mexican law). I have spoken to legal experts regarding somewhat related issues in the past, including our own in-house corporate counsel, so while I certainly won't claim to be an authority, I'm not entirely pulling this out of my butt, either...
Just my 2c...
Edited 2008-04-26 06:24 UTC


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Description 2008 Shogun Comp Vest:
The Billabong Shogun has the same style as the boardshort print. Superflex neoprene with comfort for all day riding. Billabong vests are worn by top riders including the Billabong wake team. See why Danny Harf, Brian Grubb, Shawn Watson and the rest of the Billabong team choose Billabong vests when they ride.


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Andrew Feldstein, the Harvard-educated lawyer who leads BlueMountain Capital Management LLC, has had a good run.
His firm boasts just one losing year since it was started in 2003. Assets have swelled to $12.7 billion, and he has 150 people in New York and London helping him manage the abstruse derivatives contracts he likes to trade: credit-default swaps, collateralized debt obligations, synthetic CDOs, mortgage bonds, swaptions -- the alphabet soup of stuff that went bad in 2008.
Feldstein is best known for his June coup, when he bet against the London Whale -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. trader Bruno Iksil -- who was long and wrong on $100 billion in credit derivatives. That play reaped $300 million for BlueMountain, according to people familiar with the matter. JPMorgan lost $6.2 billion. Feldstein did more than make money. He also helped Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon unwind JPMorgan's trades, earning points with America's most powerful banker, Bloomberg Markets will report in its February issue.
JPMorgan and BlueMountain are tight. Feldstein worked at JPMorgan for a decade before going it alone, and the bank is BlueMountain's biggest broker. They entwined even more this week when BlueMountain hired James "Jes" Staley, a 34-year JPMorgan veteran once considered a candidate to succeed Dimon. Staley will be a managing partner and buy a stake in the firm.
Staley is joining a lucrative enterprise. Feldstein's $5.1 billion flagship fund, BlueMountain Credit Alternatives, rose 13.3 percent through October, making it No. 51 in Bloomberg Markets' annual ranking of the top 100 large hedge funds. Credit Alternatives was the 20th-most-profitable fund, producing $134.7 million for BlueMountain. Since its inception in late 2003, the fund has returned an average of 10 percent a year.
UBS Deal
Feldstein, 48, who declined to be interviewed for this story, expects the good times to keep rolling. In October, BlueMountain started soliciting new investors for Credit Alternatives through UBS AG, Switzerland's biggest bank. By pooling their money, UBS's wealthy clients can each put in $250,000, far less than the $1 million-plus that hedge funds typically demand.
That could be a dangerous proposition, says Peter Rup, chief investment officer at Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC in New York. He says credit markets are poised for a fall.
"The good rates of return in this market have been had," Rup says. "The unsophisticated buyer is going to get hurt."
Money Flow
BlueMountain is raking money into a new fund, too. It raised $1.5 billion for the BlueMountain Credit Opportunities Master Fund I in October, twice what it expected, BlueMountain co-founder Stephen Siderow said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Feldstein is betting that BlueMountain can make money on assets that banks no longer want to own and on loans that banks no longer want to make, according to an October marketing document for the new fund obtained by Bloomberg Markets. As banks shed risky assets, Feldstein is making money picking through these flea markets of finance.
"This market will continue to grow," says Paul Rowady, a senior analyst at research firm Tabb Group LLC in New York. "Their intuition to be a leader is spot on."
BlueMountain has purchased securities backed by a film library and subprime car loans and has looked at bonds built from time shares, according to the pitch for its new fund. It also buys CDOs -- pools of mortgages and other loans that, pre- 2007, banks assembled, cut into tranches according to risk and sold to investors. Synthetic CDOs are made of CDSs that insure bonds; the swaps pay the holder if a company defaults on its debt. Originally, banks used them to extend credit to corporations. Then they became tools for speculation.
'C' Trouble
BlueMountain has company around the bargain bin, particularly when it comes to collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs, which are securities built out of loans.
"You'd have thought anything with a C in front of it would have been toxic after 2008," says Bonnie Baha, a fund manager at DoubleLine Capital LP in Los Angeles, which oversees $50 billion. "But the bid seems to be never ending. It's been a nice ride, but it's not going to go on forever."
BlueMountain says that in 2011 it bought a portfolio of synthetic CDOs and CDSs from Montrouge, France-based Credit Agricole SA. The sale cut Agricole's risk-weighted assets -- which must be protected by a capital buffer -- by $18 billion, the bank says.
"We think there will be more of those types of transactions," Siderow said in his Bloomberg Television interview.
Dr. Frankenstein
For banks such as Credit Agricole, tapping Feldstein is like having a tall, green monster on the rampage and calling in Dr. Frankenstein to deal with it. He was on the JPMorgan team that helped create credit derivatives in the early 1990s.
BlueMountain often exploits tiny, intermittent differences in price among bonds and the swaps that insure them. It uses custom algorithms to arbitrage those swaps and the indexes that London-based Markit Group Ltd. owns and manages.
Even so, none of the eight men who run BlueMountain are quantitative traders. Michael Liberman, BlueMountain's chief risk officer, who has a master's degree in math from Brandeis University, comes closest.
Rather, Feldstein, Siderow and the others are mostly MBAs and lawyers. A law degree helps when you're dealing with CDO prospectuses, which run to 350 pages and make stock-offering documents read like spy thrillers.
Feldstein grew up far from the world of finance, in Flagstaff, Arizona. His father, Murray, a urologist, was elected to the Flagstaff City Council as a Libertarian in 1980, giving the party, founded in 1971, one of its first victories.
Power Couple
Andrew went east for school and graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University in Washington. He then worked at consulting firm Bain & Co., where he met Jane Veron, a Yale University graduate -- also magna cum laude -- whom he married after leaving Bain to attend Harvard Law School, according to a 1989 announcement in the New York Times.
At Harvard, he played pickup basketball with classmate Barack Obama. Feldstein said he can tell a lot about people by how they play the game.
"He was a leader," he said in a 2008 Financial Times video interview. "He could have scored or he could have passed, and he passed."
In the 2008 election, Feldstein gave $4,600 to Obama, $6,900 to Hillary Clinton and $2,300 to fellow Arizonan John McCain, his only donation to a Republican that cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. He gave nothing to Obama in 2012.
Network Effect
Feldstein hired on at JPMorgan in 1992 and spent the next decade finding new ways to make money with derivative products. In 2003, Feldstein started BlueMountain with Siderow, whom he knew from Harvard Law. Siderow had been working at McKinsey & Co. in New York.
The pair tapped their networks for talent. Chief risk officer Liberman also worked at JPMorgan before joining BlueMountain in 2004, as did Peter Greatrex, who signed up in 2007. Alan Gerstein, another friend of Feldstein's from the bank, joined in 2004 after a stint at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., where he knew Bryce Markus, who joined BlueMountain in 2005, and Derek Smith, who came onboard in 2008.
David Rubenstein, another Harvard Law grad, knew Siderow at McKinsey and came to BlueMountain in 2006.
All have equity in the company, and ownership is lucrative. In 2010, Markus, 35, bought a Park Avenue apartment from Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein for $12.2 million, according to real estate records.
Crossing Dealers
In its first few years in business, BlueMountain practiced a strategy known on Wall Street as crossing dealers, according to three people familiar with the firm's trading.
In one example, BlueMountain would call a handful of banks and ask for prices on bespoke securities -- CDOs that had been cut into custom tranches by the banks that bought and sold them. It would buy from the bank quoting low and sell to the one quoting high. The move rankled some bankers. BlueMountain's defenders say it was just taking advantage of inefficiencies in the market for the benefit of its clients.
Feldstein and Siderow declined to comment on the matter.
London-based Barclays Plc, a longtime Feldstein banker, says it has no complaint about its treatment by BlueMountain.
"The trading desk has consistently maintained a strong working relationship with BlueMountain over many years and market cycles," Drew Mogavero, global head of high yield and U.S. credit derivative trading, wrote in an e-mail. "We have found them to be a valuable business partner and a top trading account."
Next page: Coveted Customer
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Roy is not likely to be here next year, supposedly he wants a big raise.Reefer2 wrote:Great pickup - now it is in MG hand to keep him.
no idea on how to make it work but assume that Ballard is gone and then the question is Roy better than Booth?
Positions can work themselves out later as a 2nd line with Roy/Kesler/??? looks pretty good and we will have a decent centre once Kesler gets hurt again .
The only possible way to sign Roy would be if Luongo, Booth & Ballard are gone, and either Raymond or Higgins don't return here.
Roy is really a 2nd line center, so we can't afford to have a 3rd line center earning north of 5 mil next year.
There will probably be quite a few guys available this year at fire-sale prices as the Cap goes down, so I could see MG looking for a solid 3rd line UFA center to sign in the $2.5 - $4 range


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J.J. Abrams, who has made a name for himself writing, directing and producing such hits as "Lost" and "Star Trek," was tapped in January to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII." (Tracey Nearmy / European Pressphoto Agency)Link
Abrams made his first foray into television in 1998, co-creating the coming-of-age drama "Felicity," which starred Keri Russell as the title character. The show won a Golden Globe and an Emmy. (The WB)Link
Abrams created the Jennifer Garner-starring spy thriller series "Alias," which won four Emmys and a Golden Globe. (Norman Jean Roy / ABC)Link
J.J. Abrams on the set of "Mission: Impossible III," the first feature film he directed. The film earned nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office. (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and star Tom Cruise on the set of "Mission: Impossible III." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and star Tom Cruise pose atop Shanghai's historic Bund 18 building after wrapping up filming in China for "Mission: Impossible III" on Nov. 30, 2005. (Associated Press)Link
Abrams co-created "Lost" with Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof. The suspense-filled show followed a group of people after their plane crashed on an island. The massively popular series became a cultural touchstone, with millions of viewers tuning in for twist after twist. (ABC)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Los Angeles in April 2006. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles TimesLink
J.J. Abrams, second from left, poses with the cast members from "Fringe," a sci-fi television series he co-created with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. (Rich Lam / Getty Images)Link
J.J. Abrams reveals his first casting for his 2009 reboot of "Star Trek" during a 2007 Comic-Con panel in San Diego. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)Link
A scene from Abrams' 2009 film "Star Trek," which raked in more than $385 million worldwide. (Paramount Pictures)Link
Steven Spielberg, left, co-produced the 2011 film "Super 8," which J.J. Abrams wrote and directed. The pair are shown here at a 2009 dinner honoring Spielberg in Beverly Hills. (Michael Kovac / WireImage)Link
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and actor Kyle Chandler on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Young actors Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths discuss a scene with director J.J. Abrams on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
J.J. Abrams, left, and Eric Kripke executive produce the post-apocalyptic adventure series "Revolution." The pair are photographed here at Abrams' company Bad Robot in Santa Monica on Aug. 20, 2012. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)Link
Abrams, second from left, shares the stage with "Star Trek Into Darkness" actor Benedict Cumberbatch, star Chris Pine and producer Bryan Burk during a December 2012 press conference for the sequel to their 2009 blockbuster. (Koji Sasahara / Associated Press)Link
J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath are co-chairs of the Children's Defense Fund of California. They're photographed here in December 2012. (Mark Davis / Getty Images)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Beverly Hills in June 2011. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Beverly Hills in June 2011. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)Link
It's no secret that J.J. Abrams knows his way around a mystery. So maybe fans shouldn't have been quite so surprised to hear the news that he'll be the guiding force behind the camera for the next big-screen "Star Wars" film — maybe all those publicly issued denials were simply an expert act of misdirection?
The man who most recently has been spending the bulk of his time guiding the latest incarnation of "Star Trek" on the big screen had insisted for weeks that he wouldn't be jumping franchises to board "Episode VII," though he did reveal to Empire in an interview late last year that he'd been approached about the project.
"I quickly said that because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek,' and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams told Empire. "I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."
PHOTOS: 'Star Wars' at the box office
Although reaction to Abrams' selection has been mixed, he's certainly demonstrated his way around a sc-fi blockbuster — 2009's "Star Trek" pulled in upwards of $385 million worldwide and anticipation for the May sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is high.
This seemed like an opportune moment to pull together our wish list for what we'd like to see in Abrams' "Episode VII."
Feel free to weigh in with your own ideas in the comments section below.
A simple, straightforward story: "Star Wars" is about big, mythic arc, the triumph of good over evil — trade disputes, political maneuvering, not so much. Let's just see great heroes, intriguing, complicated foes and a righteous quest that would make Joseph Campbell proud.
A bad-ass leading lady: Leia set fan boy hearts aflutter — yeah, yeah, slave bikini, blah, blah — but for a whole generation of young girls, she was a smart, independent, resourceful character, a woman of principle to look up to. Natalie Portman is a terrific actress who's turned in some astonishing performances in genre fare, but her Padme Amidala just never inspired the same sort of devotion.
An all-new cast of characters: With so many stories to tell in the universe, let's leave the canonical characters in the past. Yes, there would be a certain wonderful nostalgia in seeing cameos from Luke, Leia and Han Solo, but perhaps something a little too distracting too. Here's to exploring new galaxies, though if Artoo and Threepio wanted to tag along on that journey, that might be all right. Those droids age well. And speaking of droids…
Limited CG: Please, please use prosthetic makeup to design creatures that occupy actual physical space. Vividly rendered alien worlds are great, but they're better when they're populated with beings that exist in three real-world dimensions. Call us old-fashioned, but we'll take a giant walking carpet over a CG phantom any day.
Benedict Cumberbatch: So, we still don't really know much about his "Star Trek Into Darkness" character but, seriously, just listen to that voice. Is there anyone who could make a better Sith Lord? The chameleonic British actor already is beloved by genre fans. He'd be a great addition to the cast in really any role. As would Simon Pegg. Maybe not as a Sith Lord, but there's no question he could be the cool teacher at, say, a Jedi Academy?
Humor: Bring with the funny. It doesn't need to be a comedy, certainly, but in its best moments, "Star Wars" warmly embraced action, adventure, romance, pathos and humor, especially with the artfully placed one-liner (preferably delivered in a dry, world-weary manner by a scoundrel-type with a heart of gold who wouldn't hesitate to shoot a Rodian first). Ahem.
Time travel: It's a part of nearly every Abrams project. Surely, there must be a way to use the Force for good and erase Jar Jar Binks from existence?
— Gina McIntyre
Follow us on Twitter: @LATHeroComplex
J.J. Abrams and 'Star Wars': Many voices cry out
J.J. Abrams set to direct 'Star Wars: Episode VII'
'Star Wars' director watch: Who's out, who's in?
Obama White House says no to Death Star petition
'Star Wars': Michael Arndt signed to pen Episode VII
New 'Star Wars': Lucas won't write or direct
Abrams: 'Star Trek' still in shadow of Lucas
PHOTOS: 'Star Wars' at the box office
'Trek': Meet the villain, Benedict Cumberbatch


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The Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce honored several people for their contributions to the community during the organization's annual awards banquet Thursday evening at the Chillicothe Elks Lodge, with around 200 chamber members and guests attending.
The event also marked the changing of the guard, as outgoing president Kent Peterson stepped aside, and Eric Sensenich moved up from vice president to president.
The evening also included entertainment by local contestants in the annual "Dancing with Our Chillicothe Stars" dance competition.
In his parting comments, Peterson said he has enjoyed his time as Chamber president, and noted some of the popular Chamber activities.
"All the events the Chamber participates in are only successful because of the wonderful volunteers and staff," Peterson said. "Thank you all for a wonderful year."
Peterson introduced incoming president, Eric Sensenich, who presented Peterson with a plaque for his leadership this past year.
Sensenich said he was looking forward to an exciting year, and stated that the Chamber's events are successful and made possible by a strong and active membership. He also announced that a newly-designed Chamber website is expected to go live next month.
The chamber's financial stability allows the Chamber to dream big, to plan, and move forward, the president stated.
"This would not have been possible without the hard work of many, many people, past and present board members, volunteers and most importantly, a very supportive, very loyal, and very dedicated Chamber membership," Sensenich said. "You are the foundation and motivation for all that we do."
Awards presented were:
Personal Community Service: Charley Merrill.
Chamber Person of the Year Award: Staci Baker.
Chamber Business of the Year Award: KCHI.
Ambassador Team of the Year Award: Charley Merrill's team, chaired by team captain Charley Merrill.
Ambassador of the Year Award: Rosina Harter.
Business Holiday Lighting: Nico'Z Catering and Eatery.
The Personal Community Service Award was presented to Charley Merrill by Tony Clark. The award is presented to a chamber member who exemplifies outstanding personal community service.
In introducing this year's winner, Clark said Merrill has been involved with many community projects — both large and small.
"This person has led the way throughout with an ability to 'walk the walk' in terms of commitment, loyalty and faith," Clark said.
Merrill has served on the boards of numerous organizations in the area, including the Grand River Area Family YMCA, the Chillicothe Area Chamber, the Livingston County Development Center and the Salvation Army — just to name a few. He has also been involved over the years with the Area Youth Benefit Fund.
In making the presentation, Clark stated that this year's award was unique, because it was being given as Merrill and his wife, Vicki, move to Iowa to start a new chapter in their lives.
"He will be missed by many, but will be remembered by the large impact he made on many, many in Chillicothe and the surrounding area," Clark said.
Merrill was unable to attend the banquet because he had started his new job on Tuesday in Elkhorn, Iowa. Clark, instead, presented the award to Vicki, who expressed appreciation for the award on Charley's behalf.
The Chamber Person of the Year Award was presented to Staci Baker by Bill Young.
In making the presentation, Young said that Baker is a lifelong resident of the area who has been working in, volunteering for, and contributing to the community and this area for many years.
Baker has been involved with the Chamber over the last several years, as an ambassador, committee person, presenter, event attendee, and more.
Baker is an entrepreneur, a coach of many sports teams throughout the years, and an avid runner. She is vice president of community lending at Citizens Bank and Trust, a board member of the Livingston County Development Center, Chillicothe Kiwanis and Main Street Chillicothe, and a committee member of the Area Youth Benefit Fund.
"Her support of the Chamber and its events has been amazing throughout the years," Young said. "She is part of the original committee that created and presented the first Piccadilly Gala and Auction — and still works on that committee today."
The Chamber Business of the Year Award went to KCHI, and was presented by Kent Peterson.
In making the announcement, Peterson said that KCHI has been a member of the Chillicothe business community for many years.
"It is such an integral part of the fabric of our community that we truly cannot imagine it not being in existence," he said. "Many changes have occurred with it through the years — personnel, ownership, direction, location, but it's main business focus has not wavered — helping Chillicothe be the best that it can be."
KCHI is owned by Dan Leatherman, and Peterson noted the commitment Leatherman made to the community when he and his wife moved to Chillicothe in the mid-1990s.
Leatherman has been a "champion of the Chamber in many different ways throughout the year — volunteer, sponsor, event chair, board member and president. Additionally, employees are always encouraged to get involved with the Chamber and its many events," Peterson said.
"KCHI Radio Station, and its owner, Dan Leatherman, have made such a tremendous impact on our community," he continued. "Together, with his wife and business partner, Patti, and their three children, they have truly made an impression on those around them, and Chillicothe is certainly the better for their presence here."
Eric Sensenich presented the Ambassador Team Award to Charley Merrill's team, and the top Individual Ambassador Award to Rosina Harter. Other teams participating were Michelle's Heavy Hitters (Michelle Sewell, team captain), Berry's B&B Gators (Martha Berry, team captain), and Sally's Pep Squad (Sally Peterson, team captain). The ambassador awards are determined by attendance and volunteer hours with Chamber events throughout the year.
Following the awards presentation, the evening's entertainment began with "Dancing with Our Chillicothe Stars," a dance competition featuring four teams. Sensenich served as the master of ceremonies. As in past years, Bill and Elaine Walker, of Trenton, served as dance instructors.
"Our stars come from many different corners of our community, but all with a few things in common: a love of dance (or a willingness to learn), a community-minded focus to lend this level of support to further the efforts of the Chamber, and a heroic, daring spirit and heart to brave the terrifying prospect of performing in front of friends, family and co-workers," Sensenich stated.
The panel of judges consisted of Crystal Narr, director of Main Street Chillicothe; Circuit Judge Tom Chapman; and Amy Supple, director of the Greater Chillicothe Visitors Region.
Dancers were as follows:
• Tonya Reed, owner of Clifton's Children's Clothing Store, and Ricky Baker, agency manager at Robertson Insurance Services. They performed the Foxtrot.
• Sally Stefancik, accounting manager at Woody's Automotive Group, and Jared Cosgrove, a welder with Chillicothe Iron and Steel. They performed the Samba.
• Jody Yuille, manager of Chillicothe's Comfort Inn & Suites, and Scott Cady, pharmacist with Hometown Pharmacy. They performed the Waltz.
• Jennier Potter, receptionist/administrative assistant at United Methodist Church, and Ike Holland, city administrator for Chillicothe. They performed the Swing.
In the end, judges presented the Technically Terrific Award to Jody Yuille and Scott Cady; the Twinkle Toes Award to Jennifer Potter and Ike Holland; the Smooth and Sophisticated Award to Tonya Reed and Ricky Baker; and the Born to Perform Award to Sally Stefancik and Jared Cosgrove.
The Audience Award was presented to Sally Stefancik and Jared Cosgrove.
Thursday evening also included the introduction of the 2012 Board of Directors: Eric Sensenich, president-elect; Danette Rardon, vice president; Steve Holt, past president. Members are Martha Berry, Pat Gates, Brent Kline, Julee Nibarger, Cathy Ripley, Matt Wenzel and Brian Wills. Mayor Chuck Haney serves as an ex-officio member of the chamber board. New members for 2013 are Roger Barnes (Chillicothe R-2 School District), Ronni Clark (Piggly Wiggly), and Jill Distler (Essential Kneads).
Sensenich also recognized the chamber staff of Lindy Chapman, as director, along with Susan Price, office manager.
Table sponsors for the evening were Bank Midwest; City of Chillicothe; Empire District Gas; Harden, Cummins, Moss & Miller; Hometown Pharmacy; Midwest Gloves and Gear; Sensenich Jeweler; Woody's Automotive Group; Citizens Bank & Trust; Comfort Inn & Suites; Farmers' Electric Cooperative; Hedrick Medical Center; Hy-Vee Food Store; Robertson Insurance; and Wabash BBQ.
Others assisting with the evening included Murphy's Photography, Original Artworks by Kelly, Sharp Focus Video, and Hy-Vee Floral Department. Jennie Tipton and Martha Berry were co-chairs, with assistance from Margaret Deatz, Jill Distler and Karen Kay Summerville.
Chamber celebrates
The Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce honored several people for their contributions to the community during the organization's annual awards banquet Thursday evening at the Chillicothe Elks Lodge, with around 200 chamber members and guests attending.


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(Reuters) - Australian Matt Jones executed two near-miracles in quick succession to win the $6.4 million Houston Open in a playoff on Sunday.
He dramatically earned a last-minute ticket to the Masters when he sank a 40-yard birdie to beat American Matt Kuchar at the first extra hole at the Golf Club of Houston.
"I told my caddie I would chip it in, so it was nice to do it," Jones told NBC TV after an Australian won in Houston for a ninth time.
"It's been a while coming. I've been out here for seven years now so it's good to finally get one. I've had a few chances."
Minutes earlier, Jones birdied the same par-four 18th by sinking a 45-foot putt that at the time seemed like it would be too little, too late.
But Kuchar, playing behind, pulled his approach shot from 216 yards into the water hazard at the same hole and, after taking a penalty stroke, did well to salvage a bogey thanks to a deft pitch and force a playoff.
Jones earns $1.152 million for his first PGA Tour victory and becomes the fourth player from his country to win in the past seven weeks, joining Jason Day (WGC Match Play), John Senden (Tampa Bay Championship) and Steven Bowditch (Texas Open).
The 33-year-old from Sydney has never played in the Masters, and he needed nothing less than a victory in Houston to secure the final spot in the first major of the year next week.
Jones started the final round six strokes behind Kuchar and fell further adrift when he bogeyed the first hole.
He also bogeyed the 17th after driving into a hazard, but still carded a 66, while Kuchar shot 72. They finished at 15-under-par 273, two strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia.
Spaniard Garcia, the halfway leader, will arrive at the Masters with confidence. So will Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, whose closing 65 matched the low round of the tournament.
He finished equal seventh on eight-under, while Phil Mickelson also had a solid week, a further stroke back heading to a tournament he has won three times.
Kuchar also will travel to the Masters in good form, though mindful he has failed to close the deal the past two weeks.
The six-time PGA Tour winner led halfway through the final round of the Texas Open last week but finished equal fourth, and took a four-shot advantage into the final round in Houston.
Kuchar needed only to par the par-four 18th to win in regulation but his second shot, with a hybrid, was doomed for a watery grave the entire way.
"That's in the water. Golly, Matty," Kuchar said angrily while his ball was still in the air. He subsequently sank a three-foot putt to stay alive.
In the playoff, Jones drove into a fairway bunker and then sprayed his second shot short and right of the green, his ball stopping in light rough.
As a steady rain fell, he calmly pitched over a greenside bunker and his ball rolled forward inexorably into the hole.
Kuchar had a chance to extend the playoff, but his bunker shot came up well short.
"I've been working hard on the chipping and putting. As soon as it came out, it was exactly where I wanted," Jones said of his winning shot.
Jones will have to change his travel plans to Augusta, but he has no complaints.
"I have a lot of tickets to buy right now," he said.
(Reporting By Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Gene Cherry)


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Get the Flash Playerto see this player.
Short review: The girls on this site are, unknown to them, part of a social experiment to see what happens when you shove a cock through a gloryhole in a public women's restroom. Their reaction may surprise you, as instead of running away, they tend to touch the penis, rub it, play with it, lick it, suck it, and inevitably fuck it as they get more and more horny. No wonder women take so long in the bathroom!
Content Amount: The members area of this paysite contains a nice assortment of exclusive public bathroom gloryhole videos, and your membership also includes bonus access to several other hardcore reality porn sites in the same network.


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|Region :
|10 Jahre
|Modul Orientierung
|Hochformat, Querformat
|Allgemeine Daten
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The HUGE Metal Roof System is engineered for the maximum flexibilitypossible in designing and planning for the commercial and residential roofsolar system. It is applicable to install the usual framed module, The specialextruded aluminum rail, special module, clamp kit and the various roof hookscan be high pre-assembly and make the installation easy and quick to save yourlabor cost and time. The customized length can eliminate the weld and cutonsite to keep the high anticorrosive performance, the structure strength andthe appearance
About Xiamen Huge Energy
Huge Energy is always in the forefront of the solar mounting system PV market. We offer quality product solutions and comprehensive service to meet the increasing market demands. We are now one of only a few Chinese manufacturers of large professional solar mounting systems.
"Professionalism" and "innovation" are our pursuits and they guide all of our service offerings. We always adhere to the business philosophy of professionalism, sincerity, mutual benefit and quality service. Our corporate culture is based around green living and continuous development. We provide industry leading solar mounting systems that are flexible, easy to install and low cost. With our professional R&D team, Huge Energy can develop various personalized and customized solutions for different customer demands.
We have AS/NZS 1170.2 compliance and SGS testing reports for our mounting systems; use the "Enquire" button for detailed information.
The Huge Solar Terrace has been used in large and small installations around the globe, from Australia to Denmark to Japan.


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Express your style with light
Made from sandblasted glass shade and synthetic clips in bronze, gold or chrome, this ceiling and wall light cuts a clean statement and can be an easy integral to any home. Suitable for those after simple fuss free designs. See all benefits
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Eric McCormack | Will Truman
For eight seasons, Eric McCormack played jovial gay lawyer Will Truman on NBC's "Will & Grace," a man surrounded by voices competing for his attention: his neurotic roommate Grace, his flamboyantly peppy friend Jack and boozy socialite sidekick Karen. His latest TV role one-ups the babble: In TNT's new summer drama "Perception," McCormack stars as Dr. Daniel Pierce, a scruffy neuroscientist and professor who helps the federal government solve difficult cases with the help of his own multiple voices. He is, after all, paranoid schizophrenic.
McCormack also had a stint on Broadway, finishing up a role in Gore Vidal's "The Best Man." He also starred in another TNT drama, "Trust Me," set inside a present-day fictional advertising firm. But it was canceled after one season. The post-"Will & Grace" years -- TV-wise -- have otherwise largely consisted of a few Lifetime network ventures, including a short-lived comedy he produced called "Lovespring International" and guest-starring roles on network shows.


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Ladies and gentlemen, here's the CLOWN LAB; a clown workshop with artists from Europe, the United States and Quebec organized by Casting team in Fall 2012. We think you'll love it!
Episode 1 of 4 : Meet the Team
Episode 2 of 4 : Getting ready
Episode 3 of 4 : Fine Tuning
Episode 4 of 4 : Showtime
O Cirque du Soleil está renovando seu contrato de colaboração com a Federação Internacional de Ginástica (FIG) por mais 4 anos. Durante a visita do Presidente Prof. da FIG, Bruno Grandi, e do Secretário Geral André Gueisbuhler à nossa sede em Montreal, mostramos os bastidores do novo espetáculo Amaluna! Destaques da visita!
Writer and director David Shiner and director of creation Serge Roy talk about launching an entirely new genre of show for Cirque du Soleil.
Get behind the scenes of our new show about Elvis and his musical heritage to premiere in Las Vegas in 2009


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BioShock Infinite Takes to the Skies
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I actually didn't even consider this story playing out in an alternate world... Kinda makes sense now that I'm thinking on it. Sigh... I'm too tired, excited and sceptical to be making sense right now.
Ah... yeah, I suppose that is true. As I said in my earlier post, I'm way to tired, excited and sceptical to be making sense right now. My bad, haha.
Can't think... mind to awesomed out.,. need to remember how to breath!!!
I just don't know what to say except: DO WANT!!!
Sorr for that...
MOAR Bioshock!
In all seriousness... It looks good.
I wonder if that phsyonic woman we saw is possibly an older big sister from the second game?
It looks impressive, I just don't get why they had to make it a "Bioshock" game when it has nothing to do with it at all.
Agreed on all points.
I just personally wish it was named differently. Bioshock was the spiritual predecessor to System Shock, so why couldn't they do the same with this? Why not call it 'Nerve Shock' or 'Spirit Shock' or something?
To myself and a lot of other fans, Rapture makes Bioshock. Hopefully it will be renamed just as Natal was changed to Kinect.
This looks interesting, like many people I was disappointed with Bioshock 2, but this looks pretty awesome. I am surprised how many people though are dismissing this as Bioshock in the sky, the trailer does show what looks like different motivations in the city.
For example, Rapture was created to embody a Libertarian paradise, when there were no restrictions on what an individual could do or achieve. People could splice and modify their own bodies at will and were subject to almost no rules (initially). The protectors of the society's most important resource are the big daddies, who for the most part are docile unless their charge is in danger.
Columbia on the other hand look like an inversion of Rapture, the posters around the city constantly tell of some kind of Holy Duty citizens must attend to and the poster of Columbia rejecting a deformed looking baby suggests that Columbia accepts only what it sees a pure humans, so ideas such as plasmids and naturally developed super powers are persecuted and rejected. The woman who saves the man in the trailer is quickly grabbed by the big Daddy styled monster, which suggests that the role of a Big Daddy like creature has shifted from a docile protector to an aggressive hunter.
The two cities actually effectively represent the two mindsets of American thinking around those periods. Rapture represents our Libertarian ideas were consolidated around during the Cold War, fighting against our perceived enemies that would support Communism and Collectivism. Columbia seems to represent the America that was present during the turn of the century, an America which was obsessed with moral, nationalistic, racial and gender principals, which again you see in the trailer with the posters discussing Holy Duty, the multitude of American flags, the poster of the rejection of the deformed (and therefore inferior baby) and even to a lesser extent, the almost cliched, helpless looking woman who temporarily saves the falling man.
This is just my two cents, but I think that its safe to say that this city is going to be more than just Rapture with a face list.
Why is this called Bioshock? Honestly, keep the "shock" part and name it something else. Name it Aeroshock or something. Other than that it looks great.
HOLY SHIT! I mean...HOLY FUCKING SHIT! I'm so happy right now, there are literal tears in my eyes. I'ma a HUGE fan of Bioshock and this era, and the fact that it's in the FUCKING SKY now? HOLY SHIT! I usually don't even swear this much. That's how pumped I am. I NEED a release date.
Looks nice, im into the whole steam punk/Diesel punk vibe of the bioshock series and Im intrested how they are gonna make it atmospheric.
If it'll be better than Bioshock 2 was, that being not stagnating the franchise and developing an entirely new story rather than beating it to death with unlikable characters and very little gameplay alterations for the sake of online multiplayer, then sign me up. Looks creative, and if it has the same BioShock artistic flare, with the beautiful environments and haunting atmosphere, then the Bioshock rampant fanboy inside me can't wait.
I never played them but isn't that what the Systemshock games were? :-P
it looks amazing. a flying city with a distinct architectural style? yes please, it's what gave the original bioshock so much of it's atmosphere. I'm a bit worried that a city in the sky may be too well lit, which would reduce the creepiness factor which you had underwater.
While I totally expected it to be about Bioshock i'm pretty disappointed its not a System Shock game. There may even be man tears.
Looks interesting at least.
See! See what you made me do!
I like the idea, but one thing is so retarded I just can't stand it. The Big Daddy look alike guys have exposed hearts. It looks awesome, but what's practical with that? If i were to design a superhuman, I'd put most armor around his weakest part. Let's bet the fastest (or only) way to kill these guys will be aiming for the heart. Really stupid design.
goddammit why isnt rapture destroyed yet?
Unless they change the spawn system it will still suck, like the first two.
Interest definitely piqued but I must admit that's a lot of American crammed into the theme,I hope that fits as an art thing and doesn't serve to alienate by introducing story elements as thick as the design.
I'm confident they know what they are doing but it's reasonable to note the subtle worry when they have minimum 2 flag inspired designs fer square foot consistently through the whole thing, pardon the hyperbole.
Perhaps they gave it a weak spot just in case it went on a rampage.
I jizzed a little after seeing this trailer, just a little.
its not because its the 3rd game, its because now its either the reimagining of it or its the prequel that doesnt quite fit with the other games, if it came after bioshock 2 like any reasonable game then it wouldnt be the milking point but it didnt, so it is
As long as it's steampunk and it's BioShock, I want it!
Not even remotely interested, oddly enough. Trailer wasn't that great, didn't give me purchase intent. Didn't even inspire rental intent. :/
they can keep making Bioshocks as long as they stop just shy of 13...
Good point, i completley forgot about System Shock for a sec there!
Well, either that or the centre of the earth.
awesome. i loved bioshock 2, thought it was better than 1 in every way, story included.
but this looks like it'll blow 1 and 2 out of the water. pun intended.
Idle Thumbs called it, Episode 26: Raisin' the 'Bargo. Bioshock 5 will be on the Moon.
Bioshock 2 was in NO way better story related then the first one.
Looks like it could be a good game with plenty to explore...as long as there are lots of those balloon things to access (or maybe control). Although another form of Big Daddy...couldn't they add something a little bit different to hulking metal men?
yeah it was. bioshock was good but up till the end i had almost no attachment to the main character until the end, and even then it was difficult to feel attached to them, seeing as i never actually met them.
in 2, i felt attached to delta from the beginning. he had a deep goal and wanted to save his daughter, he also had a personality of sorts, even though he couldn't speak. i felt invested from the start to finish, and the ending was heart wrenching for me. there wasn't a major plot twist like in 1, but there were smaller plot revelations that did it much better.
No. I wont be hurt again. Bioshock 2 sucked. I wont participate in this dead horse beating.
Hello sir, I'd like to introduce you to something called "Subjective Statements"
Personally, I didn't like Bioshock 2 as much as the first.
But this looks very unique and imaginative. I'd definitely play it.
I think "Columbia" is the exact opposite of Rapture, very nationalistic and full of American exceptionalism. It's also possible that Ryan is going to be in the game, the man on the balcony. It fits with the plot and he may get fed up with Columbia's jingoism and go ahead and start Rapture.
I quite like the idea of Columbia falling into the sea to become Rapture. The story we were told in Bioshock 2 could be a lie to cover up Columbia's mistakes, because Andrew Ryan being who he is would not really tell of the things he messed up on. But the dates of Bioshock 1 may not match Columbia's
I have this strange feeling that that one girl is the thing really keeping the city up in the air the propellers are just for show. you save the girl the city falls (Into the sea) ryan gets pissed and low and behold.
ehm....steampunk. right....apparently I'm one of only two people on the internet who do not like steampunk (or any of the other "punks") so I must say I'm unimpressed. That, and the shooting from the first two Bioshock games was pretty disappointing, so I'm just gonna say "pass" for now.
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the advice goddess
All Work And No Foreplay My husband and I are entrepreneurs, developing a new product. We're both working long hours. He's miserable because he has no time for his art (painting), and our sex life is in shambles. There isn't a lot of blame or anger. We simply go about our entire days with little or no flirting and fall into bed completely exhausted at night. Even if we crave sex, we're too tired. We kiss goodnight and promise it'll be different tomorrow or on the weekend, but it never is, and I see no reason to believe things will change. We used to race home from work to have wild sex and then do silly things together in the evenings. People always called us "the sensual couple" because we couldn't keep our hands off each other. How can we get the zing back? — Accidental Celibate
Eighty percent of sex is just showing up. (The other 20 percent is remaining conscious while you're having it.)
Of course, you'd need to leave work at a reasonable hour to make your role-play in bed more dirty doctor/naughty nurse than adjacent coma patients. I know, that's not what it says you're supposed to do on your printout of the Puritan Work Ethic. Former Harvard psychology professor
Shawn Achor writes in The Happiness Advantage that we're taught that we have to sacrifice happiness for success and told that only when we're successful will we be happy. Achor counters that happiness isn't something that falls in your lap when you attain some level of accomplishment; it's "a work ethic." He cites a decade of research suggesting that happiness "raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent, as well as [leading to myriad] health and quality of life improvements."
Remember, people called you "the sensual couple" because you couldn't keep your hands off each other, not because you couldn't take your eyes off the clock. Ditching the clock for at least some of the day is essential. It's activities that make you lose track of time that make you happy — activities like sex (and painting) that also make you forget yourself and that package your husband neglected to bring to the post office. To put this in entrepreneurial terms, you need to relaunch your sex life and take it as seriously as you would a business launch. Look at sex as a mandatory meeting you need to have naked. And as unromantic as this sounds, you need to put "flirt with husband" on your daily schedule — until it becomes a habit again. Implied in that is "be fun!" Be silly like you used to. Make an effort to leave work well before the cows not only come home but start watching "Seinfeld" reruns. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol. com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2011 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com