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Week of April 25, 2002
Week of April 18, 2002
Week of April 11, 2002
Week of April 4, 2002
Commission Tours McCurtain County
Instead of meeting at Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission had a change of venue for its regular monthly meeting held April 1. The Commission met in Broken Bow and combined the meeting with special tours the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain County.
During the meeting held at the Forest Heritage Center within Beaver's Bend State Park, the Commission voted to approve a resolution in support of State Question 698. The state question would raise the percentage of legal voters from eight to fifteen percent required to sign a petition that would bring to the vote of the people a proposal to abolish or diminish legal hunting, fishing and trapping activities. Although the state question addresses other forms of recreation involving animals, the Commission's resolution focuses exclusively on the outdoor recreation aspects of SQ 698.
Commissioners heard a presentation on the lower Mountain Fork River trout fishery, one of the state's most important trout fisheries. According to James Vincent streams biologist with the Wildlife Department, approximately 35 percent of statewide trout stamp sales occur in the Mountain Fork area. Combining beautiful scenery with first class trout fishing, the 12-mile stretch of river offers opportunities for beginners and pros alike. Each year around 100,000 trout are stocked in the cool waters. Established in 1989, biologists are continuing to improve the trout fishery by maintaining optimum water temperatures, improving access and increasing habitat by adding boulder clusters and check flow dams.
In association with their regular meeting, the commission toured the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area. The area was established in May 1998 through a cooperative agreement between Weyerhaeuser Company and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and to date has been deemed an outstanding success. Covering 450,000 acres of mountainous woodlands, the area offers sportsmen excellent hunting for Eastern wild turkeys and white-tailed deer as well great fishing away from the crowds, all for only $16 a year ($25 for non-residents). As part of the unique partnership each cooperator has different responsibilities; the Wildlife Department responsibilities include making habitat recommendations and cooperating in reporting illegal activities and Weyerhaeuser Company responsibilities include maintaining recreational access and managing streamside zones to minimize land disturbance.
Sand Bass Biting
South winds and warm rains mean one thing across Oklahoma; it is time to go white bass fishing. White bass, or sandbass as they are called, migrate into streams and rivers feeding lakes in late March and April.
"It looks like the sand bass should be hitting their peak run (migration) here in the very near future," said John Stahl northwest region supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
According to Stahl, he looks for blooming red bud trees and water temperatures in the low 50's as good signals to when the silver-sided fish begin their run. Oklahoma's state fish, the white bass is an aggressive feeder, particularly during the spring spawn. White bass make excellent tablefare and can be found in every large reservoir throughout the state.
"Jigs, spinners and minnows are all good choices for sandies during the spring," Stahl said.
White bass fishing can also be a great way to introduce kids to fishing.
"It can really be a lot of fun for the whole family," said Damon Springer, aquatic resources education coordinator for the Wildlife Department. "There is often plenty of action to keep kids interested, plus it is great just to get outside on a beautiful spring day."
Great white bass fishing can be found in every corner of the state. The spring run may already have begun in the warmer southern half of the state. Southern Oklahoma anglers should find some good action at Gains Creek above Lake Eufaula and upper Mountain Fork above Broken Bow Lake. Savvy anglers have long known that Hickory Creek above Lake Texoma and the Little River above Lake Thunderbird consistently produce stringers of sand bass.
White bass in the northern half of the state should be beginning their run during the next extended warm spell. Fishermen may find the Canadian River above Canton Lake, feeder creeks on Lake Ft. Gibson and the Horseshoe Bend area of Lake Tenkiller to be white bass hotspots.
Red Slough Wetland Receives Award
The U.S.D.A. Forest Service recently awarded the Ouachita National Forest and Ducks Unlimited the prestigious National "Taking Wing" Award for habitat restoration at Red Slough Wetland in McCurtain County. The award, which was established in the mid-80s to improve wetland habitat for waterfowl on national forests and grasslands, was presented April 3 in Dallas.
"Habitat at the Red Slough Wetland demonstrates the ability to work together to deliver effective land stewardship and integrated bird conservation," said U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth in a memo to regional foresters this month. "Many voices echoed that we are indeed working hand-in-hand with partners and the public in the conservation of natural resources."
An inter-agency team comprised of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the USDA Forest Service, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and Ducks Unlimited, Inc., shares responsibility for restoration, enhancement, and day-to-day management of the more than 7,000-acre Red Slough Wetland.
"Ducks Unlimited has been a partner of the Forest Service since 1984," said Ross Melinchuk, director of state and federal relations, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. "We are excited about the success of the Red Slough restoration and pleased to be among the partners receiving the Taking Wing Award."
According to Ouachita National Forest Supervisor Alan Newman the Red Slough Wetland has become increasingly important for numerous species of waterfowl and neotropical migrants since coming into public ownership in 1997.
"The Red Slough Management team has done an outstanding job of increasing wetland habitat by transforming the slough from a working rice farm to a unique habitat for wintering, migrating, and breeding species," Newman said. "It's fast becoming a premier birding and waterfowl hunting destination in Oklahoma."
Waterfowl hunters and bird watchers have traveled from as far away as Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, and Illinois to see some of the nearly 300 species at Red Slough. Managers say as word gets out about this hidden treasure, visitation to the area will increase even more.
Taking Wing, led by the USDA Forest Service, is a partnership program that brings together, the public, and partnering agencies to increase conservation for waterfowl, shorebirds, and water birds.
For more information on the Red Slough Wetland log on to the U.S. Forest Service web site at www.fs.fed.us/oonf.htm
Youth wildlife camp deadline approaching
The application deadline is quickly approaching for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's fourth annual Wildlife Youth Camp. Youth interested in wildlife, fisheries or law enforcement have until April 15 to submit their application.
The camp, scheduled June 9-14 at Camp McFadden near Ponca City, is open to Oklahoma youths ages 14 to 16. Additionally, applicants must have been enrolled in school during the 2001-2002 school year. Participants will attend courses in firearms handling, wildlife law enforcement, wildlife and fisheries biology, water safety, self-defense, rifle and shotgun training, waterfowl hunting, and archery. Course instruction is provided be Oklahoma game wardens and other wildlife professionals.
The camp is free of charge but will be limited to 35 participants. Applicants should be interested in fish and wildlife management or law enforcement and must submit a 75-word essay explaining why they want to attend the camp, why they believe they should be selected and what they expect to learn while attending. They must also submit a letter of recommendation from a person of their choice other than a family member.
To obtain applications, contact the Wildlife Department's Law Enforcement Division at P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152, or by calling 405/521-3719. Applications may also be available from local wardens or from the Wildlife Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com. Simply print off the application, fill it out and mail it in with the essay and letter of recommendation.
Controlled hunts application online
Oklahoma hunters wanting to apply for the Department of Wildlife Conservation's controlled hunts can now do so online through the Department's Web site www.wildlifedepartment.com. The system was recently activated and allows hunters to apply for controlled hunts including deer, turkey, elk, antelope, upland birds, and pursuit with hounds-raccoon hunts. The application deadline is May 3, 2002.
Before online applicants can apply in the various hunt offerings, the system requires each applicant to pay a $5 processing fee via secure credit card transaction. The $5 fee is required of all persons who apply for controlled hunts, including lifetime hunting or lifetime combination license holders. The fee was authorized by the 2001 Legislature to offset rising costs for administering the program.
According to Melinda Sturgess-Streich, chief of administration for the Department, the fee is required per person, and not per application. Once a hunter pays his $5 fee to enter the system, he can apply for hunts in multiple categories.
"We have had some overpayments sent in by hunters using the conventional mail-in applications which we've had to refund to them," said Sturgess-Streich. "For this and other reasons, we're really encouraging hunters who still haven't applied for controlled hunts to use the secure online system. Upon applying for a person's first hunt category, the system requires the $5 credit card payment and doesn't allow overpayment. Once a hunter is registered as a paid applicant, they are then free to continue applying for additional categories."
Sturgess-Streich added that the online application also ensures that applicants provide all the information required to apply. Missing information such as social security numbers, hunting license numbers, and date of birth, will halt the application system until they are filled in correctly.
"Also for those hunters apprehensive about using a credit card over the Internet, we've taken the appropriate steps to ensure our system is completely secure," Sturgess-Streich added.
In 2001, nearly two-thirds of all hunters used the online application method for controlled hunts. For more information regarding controlled hunts, log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com, or pick up the hard copy Oklahoma 2002 Controlled Hunts booklet available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
Float tubes good for pond catfish
Since their invention in the 1940s, bass anglers have used float tubes to access hard to reach fishing spots, especially on farm ponds. Bass aren't the only fish that float tubers can catch however. With a few tackle considerations, float tubes can be very effective on ponds stocked with channel catfish.
"Several years ago, we had a chance to film a unique fishing segment for 'Outdoor Oklahoma' with some expert catfish anglers who used float tubes," said Rich Fuller, information supervisor with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "The preferred tube fishing catfish pole is a 10- to 13-foot telescoping fiberglass panfish pole. Some tackle stores in Oklahoma stock the inexpensive poles, but they are more common in southern states like Louisiana and Florida where they're called 'bream' poles."
Fuller added that the poles have a small built in reel that is spooled with six- or eight- pound monofilament line which feeds through the center of the long pole. The monofilament line should be replaced with the new 30-pound test braided line that some anglers are using on conventional spinning reels or level wind reels.
Hooks used with the catfish pole rig should be small number six or eight sized light wire treble hooks. If the hooks get caught in submerged snags, then they will straighten out before the 30 pound braided line breaks. A small pair of needle-nosed pliers can put the bend back in the hook, which lets the angler quickly resume fishing. This can usually be done several times before the hook needs to be replaced.
Fuller said that any popular catfish baits will work with the rig, but a favorite used by float tubers is chicken blood.
"Channel catfish have tremendous olfactory senses and congealed chicken blood is very effective," said Fuller. "The fellas we filmed also use a thin 'porcupine quill' type of slipcork. While the thin float keeps the bait up off the bottom, it doesn't provide any resistance to the fish when he bites the bait and so you rarely have a fish spit it out before getting hooked."
Fuller said an upcoming episode of "Outdoor Oklahoma" will again feature float tube fishing for catfish on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 a.m. on OETA-The Oklahoma Network.
"Blake Podhajsky not only works on our 'Outdoor Oklahoma' program, but in his spare time he plays in a rock band," said Fuller. "We had a chance to film Blake and his bandmates on their introduction to the sport of float tubing for catfish. For some it was their first fishing experience and certainly the first time they've ever been in a float tube.
"I think they had quite an adventure."
Outdoor Oklahoma features such topics as fishing, hunting; and fisheries, game and non-game wildlife management. The 30-minute program can be seen on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Oklahoma can also be seen on the following television stations: KSBI Network (greater OKC metro area), Mondays-5:00 p.m., Thursdays-10: 30 p.m., Saturdays-1:30 p.m., KTEN (south-central and southeastern Oklahoma) Sundays-5 a.m., KWEM (Stillwater), Wednesdays-8:00 p.m., Fridays-7:00 p.m. and Sundays-8:00 p.m.
For a complete listing of show times and channels in your viewing area, consult the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com or your local TV guide.
|Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation personnel will be addressing various quail management issues
in a series of public meetings to be held across the state.
"This is a great opportunity for individuals interested in quail management to come out and talk about topics affecting quail including, predators, hunting pressure and the quail initiative," said Mike Sams, upland game biologist for the Wildlife Department.
Sams said that the state's new 10-point quail initiative focuses on maintaining healthy quail populations in Oklahoma. Parts of the plan include seeking funding to provide incentives to landowners to enhance habitat, identifying key areas for habitat improvements, educating the public about quail and working with public utilities and the Department of Transportation in developing right of way management practices that conserve nesting habitat for quail and other grassland birds.
|Population surveys
show quail numbers are down over most of the state, a trend observed
throughout the entire southeastern United States. Even with recent
declines, Oklahoma is one of the few remaining states where hunters can
pursue relatively large numbers of wild quail. Hunters harvest an
estimated one to two million birds a year in the state, which consistently
ranks nationally in the top three for harvest.
Sams added that through sound management and cooperation with landowners, Oklahomans can ensure that the state remains one of the top quail states in the nation.
"Through the meetings we hope to provide some insight on the status of quail in Oklahoma and the things that we can do to ensure that the quail population continues to thrive in Oklahoma," Sams said.
The following is a list of the meetings and their locations. All meetings begin at 7 p.m.
March 28 - Tulsa
April 1 - Oklahoma City
April 8 - Clinton
April 11 - Enid
April 15 - McAlester
April 19 - Idabel
April 22 - Lawton
April 25 - Ardmore
April 29 - Woodward
| Spring is here and it's time for Oklahoma sportsmen to dust off their fishing tackle.
The warmer weather predicted for the next few weeks will be a great time to get outdoors and take advantage of Oklahoma's excellent crappie fishing opportunities. Crappie are one of the most sought after fish and the angling action is heating up across the Sooner State.
"The crappie are starting to bite, and it's only going to get better during the next month," said Paul Mauck, southcentral fisheries supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Mauck said crappie can be found moving into shallow water to spawn once the water temperature reaches the upper 50s.
| "They will generally start spawning first in the southern half of the state," he said. "A general rule of thumb is that for every 100 miles north from the Red River you travel, you can expect the crappie to spawn a week later."
Crappie spawning generally takes place in fairly shallow water, often only 18 to 36 inches deep. Females may deposit between 25,000 and 75,000 eggs before returning to deeper water, leaving the males to guard the eggs. Once the eggs hatch, males linger for a few additional days to continue guarding the fry.
"They seem to prefer gradually sloping points with firm bottoms. The upper areas of the reservoirs that have some brush or other cover are usually the most productive spots," Mauck said.
He added that a wide variety of lures can be used, including small spinners, jigs and minnows.
"It is tough to beat the old stand-by minnow and bobber. That is probably the most consistent way to catch crappie," Mauck said.
Crappie are fun to catch, but that is not the only thing that has made them so popular. They are also one of the tastiest fish around. Lightly bread fillets in cornmeal and fry in vegetable oil until they float, and you will soon be heading to the lake to catch more.
For a complete list of regulations anglers should pick up a copy of the 2002 Oklahoma Fishing Guide before heading out on any fishing adventure or log on to the Departments web site at www. wildlifedepartment.com.
| Recently, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation relocated eight elk to the Pushmataha Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in an effort to improve the herd's vigor and genetic variability.
Once common in pre-settled Oklahoma, elk shared the same fate as the buffalo and were eliminated by market and subsistence hunters by the 1870s. Along with restoration of white-tailed deer, the wildlife department released elk in the early 1970s on several WMAs including Spavinaw Hills, Cookson Hills and Pushmataha. The herds expanded rapidly, but over several generations have lost genetic diversity and have become encapsulated. According to Jack Waymire, senior southeast region wildlife biologist with the Department, relocation of eight new animals to the herd at the Pushmataha WMA should benefit the health of the herd.
| "We have approximately 40 animals in the Pushmataha herd. Our herd is isolated and unlike the large herds in western states, does not have the capability to mix with other elk and ensure genetic variability. Genetic diversity promotes greater immunity to certain illnesses and also results in better reproduction. These eight new animals should help restore some diversity back to the herd."
The elk, composed of three adult bulls and five adult cows were released on the Pushmataha WMA in late March. In addition to providing new bloodlines to the existing herd, biologists will also use the new animals to learn more about elk movement and habitat use on the area.
Six of the eight animals have been affixed with radio telemetry collars so biologists can determine their location and whether they have mixed with the existing herd. Additionally, the collars will help biologists determine if the new bulls have been successful in acquiring a dominant position as a breeding bull and what types of habitat they prefer at different times of the year.
Through donations by the Oklahoma Station of Safari Club International, the elk were purchased from Timberline Ranch, a private commercial elk ranch in Cushing. The elk have been inoculated for tuberculosis and brucellosis and are determined to be in good health by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.
"We want to extend our greatest thanks to the Safari Club and Timberline Ranch for making this restoration project possible," said Waymire. "Transporting something as large as one bull elk can prove to be a challenge, much less three bulls and five cows, but all of the animals made the trip in excellent condition and have adjusted well to their new surroundings."
| The onset of spring is a signal to backyard birders that its time to put up their hummingbird feeders. Birders may not be aware, however, of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's hummingbird citizen monitoring project.
"The numbers of hummingbird survey participants have dwindled over the past few years, and we still need input on the numbers and types of 'hummers' people are seeing at the feeders," said Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity program biologist with the Wildlife Department. "Although these birds are familiar to many, we hope to learn more about the four species of hummingbirds that visit Oklahoma each spring.
Along with the common ruby-throated hummingbird, Hickman said three other species, the black-chinned, rufous and broad-tailed hummingbird, also visit Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Hummingbird Survey is designed to help Department biologists and other wildlife professionals track the populations of these sometimes rare and always beautiful visitors.
| The Wildlife Diversity Program provides a free brochure that describes the biology of these smallest of Oklahoma's birds and contains a survey form which birders can use to report their hummingbird observations.
The free brochure also contains information about plant species that can be used to attract hummingbirds, as well as butterflies, to the backyard. The Department's "Oklahoma Wildscapes" program provides information and guidance for individuals on landscaping their properties with a wide variety of wildlife species in mind," said Hickman.
Besides the hummingbird brochure, people also can order the $5 Oklahoma Wildscapes Certification Packet, which features ways to attract wildlife and shows how to certify your efforts of creating a wildscape. The packet includes information on plantings, creating various water sources for wildlife and tells how to get started with your wildscape.
To request more information, contact the Wildlife Diversity Program at 405/521-4616, or go online to www.wildlifedepartment.com.
| Recent heavy rains could kick this year's paddlefish run into high gear, according to Wildlife
Department fisheries biologists.
Paddlefish, one of Oklahoma's most unique fish, begin staging at the upper end of reservoirs in early spring in anticipation of the spawning run. As water temperatures rise and rains bring water levels up, paddlefish begin moving upstream to spawn.
Due to changes in their habitat, paddlefish only occupy a small percentage of their former range in the U.S. Oklahoma, however, has maintained a healthy population of paddlefish in northeast Oklahoma. The Neosho River system and Grand Lake in particular supports a thriving paddlefish fishery according to Barry Bolton, assistant chief of fisheries at the Wildlife Department.
| During their annual spring spawning run paddlefish can be more vulnerable to overharvest. To provide the maximum sustainable fishing opportunities and to ensure the long-term health of the paddlefish population, the Wildlife Department has established special fishing regulations during the spring spawning run.
Mabrey appointed to Wildlife Commission
Bruce R. Mabrey, Okmulgee, was recently appointed by Gov. Frank Keating to serve on the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. Mabrey's term will run through 2006.
A lifelong resident of Okmulgee, Mabrey has been the executive officer of a family owned bank holding company with ownership in several eastern Oklahoma banks. and is currently the executive vice president of Citizens Bank & Trust Company in Okmulgee.
Mabrey, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah will serve as the Wildlife Commission's District 2 representative. The district includes Adair, Sequoyah, Cherokee, Wagoner, Muskogee, Haskell, McIntosh and Okmulgee counties.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the ODWC, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
"I enjoy the outdoor experience and the resulting fellowship of family and friends," Mabrey said. "I appreciate the lessons learned from my father that hunting and fishing were a privilege and I believe it is our responsibility to preserve and conserve wildlife resources for future generations of hunters and anglers."
Active in a number of local conservation organizations including Friends of the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge, National Rifle Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Okmulgee County Bowhunters, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Boone and Crockett Club, Mabrey has also served as the past president for Okmulgee County Cattlemen's Association, Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce and Okmulgee Main Street Association.
Mabrey and his wife Karen have four children: two daughters, Mollye and Melanie, and two sons, Matt and Mark.
Project WILD teaches teachers
More than 18,000 educators across the state have become trained in Project WILD since it's inception in 1984. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Project WILD is a conservation education program that gives state educators training and materials to assist them teach students about wildlife and the environment.
"When you consider how many teachers and youth leaders have gone through a Project WILD workshop, and then how many dozens or hundreds of students that they've reached, it's no accident when we hear from parents who say that their kids often know more about Oklahoma wildlife than they do," said Lisa Anderson, education specialist and ODWC Project WILD coordinator. "We feel the program has significantly raised the awareness and appreciation for wildlife in Oklahoma."
Anderson explained that once educators attend a six-hour Project WILD workshop, they receive a complete curriculum to incorporate wildlife and conservation education into their normal school day. The curriculum is inter-disciplinary and therefore can be used to supplement a variety of existing subjects such as mathematics, language arts, physical education, science and many others."
Anderson added that the program is designed to give students problem solving and decision making skills that will assist them in making informed decisions and responsible behavior concerning wildlife and the environment. Educators can learn more about Project WILD including a list of upcoming workshops by logging onto the Department's official Web site: www.wildlifedepartment.com and clicking on the link for education programs. Additionally, Project WILD will be the feature subject of an upcoming episode of the "Outdoor Oklahoma" television program on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sunday, April 21 at 8:00 a.m.
Outdoor Oklahoma features such topics as fishing, hunting; and fisheries, game and non-game wildlife management. The 30-minute program can be seen on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Oklahoma can also be seen on the following television stations: KSBI Network (greater OKC metro area), Mondays- 5:00 p.m., Thursdays-10: 30 p.m., Saturdays-1:30 p.m., KTEN (south-central and southeastern Oklahoma) Sundays -5 a.m., KWEM (Stillwater), Wednesdays -8:00 p.m., Fridays-7:00 p.m. and Sundays-8:00 p.m.
For a complete listing of show times and channels in your viewing area, consult the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com or your local TV guide.
Statewide quail meetings continue
Sportsmen and other interested parties are encouraged to attend a series of public meetings designed to address various issues regarding bobwhite quail. The meetings are being conducted by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation biologists and will be held at four sites in the month of April.
"This is a great opportunity for individuals interested in quail management to come out and talk about topics affecting quail including, predators, hunting pressure and the quail initiative," said Mike Sams, upland game biologist for the Wildlife Department.
Sams said that the state's new 10-point quail initiative focuses on maintaining healthy quail populations in Oklahoma. Parts of the plan include seeking funding to provide incentives to landowners to enhance habitat, identifying key areas for habitat improvements, educating the public about quail and working with public utilities and the Department of Transportation in developing right of way management practices that conserve nesting habitat for quail and other grassland birds.
Population surveys show quail numbers are down over most of the state, a trend observed throughout the entire southeastern United States. Even with recent declines, Oklahoma is one of the few remaining states where hunters can pursue relatively large numbers of wild quail. Hunters harvest an estimated one to two million birds a year in the state, which consistently ranks nationally in the top three for harvest.
Sams added that through sound management and cooperation with landowners, Oklahomans can ensure that the state remains one of the top quail states in the nation.
"Through the meetings we hope to provide some insight on the status of quail in Oklahoma and the things that we can do to ensure that the quail population continues to thrive in Oklahoma," Sams said.
The following is a list of the meetings and their locations. All meetings begin at 7 p.m.
April 19 - Idabel
Kiamichi Technology Center,
3 miles North on Hwy 70
April 22 - Lawton
Lawton Public Library,
110 S.W. 4th St.
April 25 - Ardmore
Southern Oklahoma Technology Center,
2610 Sam Noble Parkway
April 29 - Woodward
Northwest Electric Cooperative, 2925 Williams
BioBlitz! reveals hundreds of species
Organizers have announced the second annual BioBlitz! will be held this September around Broken Bow Lake in McCurtain County. A BioBlitz brings a variety of natural resource professionals together to categorize the biodiversity of a particular area.
Last year biologists with the Oklahoma Biological Survey along with others from the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation used the relatively new method of measuring biodiversity in an intensive 24-hour species inventory of a Norman area park.
The first BioBlitz attracted wildlife and fisheries biologists, botanists, entomologists (those who study insects), ornithologists (those who study birds), mycologists (those who study fungi) and several other natural resource experts. The group of nearly 35 scientists descended on the Sutton Urban Wilderness Area on the northeast edge of Norman and found more than 275 different species of animal life and over 220 species of plants and fungi.
"Last years BioBlitz was a tremendous success," said Julian Hilliard, Wildlife Department natural resources information specialist. "We are excited about going to the southeast part of the state. We hope to find an even higher number of species."
BioBlitzing began five years ago in Washington, D.C., and has since been conducted in many states. The event in Norman was the first of its kind in Oklahoma. One of the more high-profile BioBlitzes took place in 1998 around the area of Walden Pond, of Henry David Thoreau fame.
According to Hilliard, the Norman event not only yielded valuable information, but was also a challenging event for the participants.
"BioBlitzing isn't a competitive event, but it can get pretty crazy with biologists of several different disciplines with nets, jars, and mysterious-looking pieces of scientific equipment used to sample an area," said Hilliard. "The ability to discover so much about an area in such a short period of time makes the BioBlitz not only fun to participate in, but also a valuable research tool."
General BioBlitz information, as well as links to other sites can be found at www.im.nbs.gov/blitz.html.
In addition, an upcoming episode of the Outdoor Oklahoma television program will feature a documentary on the bio-blitz held in Norman. The program will air on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sunday, April 28 at 8:00 a.m.
Outdoor Oklahoma features such topics as fishing, hunting; and fisheries, game and non-game wildlife management. The 30-minute program can be seen on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Oklahoma can also be seen on the following television stations: KSBI Network (greater OKC metro area), Mondays- 5:00 p.m., Thursdays-10: 30 p.m., Saturdays-1:30 p.m., KTEN (south-central and southeastern Oklahoma) Sundays -5 a.m., KWEM (Stillwater), Wednesdays -8:00 p.m., Fridays-7:00 p.m. and Sundays-8:00 p.m.
For a complete listing of show times and channels in your viewing area, consult the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com or your local TV guide.
Deadline near for controlled hunts
It is that time of year again. Time for hunters to submit their controlled hunt applications offered by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Those interested in applying have until May 3.
"We're approaching the home stretch," said Melinda Sturgess-Streich, chief of administration for the Department. "We want to remind everyone that applications must be made by May 3, or they will not be accepted."
Sturgess-Streich added that the best way to assure the Department receives their application is to apply online. The online application system will accept applications until 11:59 p.m., May 3. By logging onto the Department's official Web site, www.wildlifedepartment.com, applicants will be assured that they provide all the necessary information for their application to go through.
"Applying online helps to eliminate concerns about lost, incomplete or incorrect applications. The program will not accept an application if there are discrepancies or incomplete information, and it will inform the applicant how to correct the application," Sturgess-Streich said. "The applicant can double-check to make sure the application was accepted by going back into the Web site's controlled hunt page and clicking on the confirmation link."
So far, there have been few problems with hunters using the online application system, however Sturgess-Streich said one problem has surfaced with some AOL subscribers.
"Some users of AOL versions 6.0 and 7.0 have experienced difficulty with some of the information 'fields' not showing up correctly. This problem can easily be remedied however, by users accessing wildlifedepartment.com via the Internet Explorer browser located on their machine's desktop."
For those unable to apply online, the Oklahoma Controlled Hunts 2002 booklets are available at Department installations and hunting and fishing license vendors across the state. Mailed applications must be post-marked no later than May 3, 2002, to be accepted.
Hunters applying for the Wildlife Department's controlled hunts will notice a number of changes, including provisions designed to spread out hunter opportunity and a $5 per person application fee.
The fee is required of all applicants, including lifetime hunting or lifetime combination license holders, and is collected via credit card payment for online applicants. Mail-in applicants can pay via cashier's check or money order and should refer to the Oklahoma Controlled Hunts 2002 booklet for more instructions. The fee was authorized during the past legislative session to offset rising costs for administering the controlled hunts program.
Other significant changes for this year's drawing involve combining all archery, muzzleloader, deer gun and non-ambulatory deer hunts into one general deer category. The Department also has implemented a progressive draw, whereby the elk hunts are drawn first, then antelope, and then deer. If an applicant is selected for an elk hunt, they earn preference points in the antelope and deer categories (if they applied for those categories) but are not eligible to draw either of those hunts. The new progressive drawing system was implemented to spread out hunter's opportunity to draw a hunt by preventing individual hunters from drawing multiple big game hunts.
For a number of years, hunters who apply for certain categories but do not successfully draw a permit have been awarded preference points. Within Oklahoma's preference system, hunters with the most preference points have greater chances of being drawn, but the system does not guarantee that those with the most points get drawn - only that their odds improve. In fact, first-time applicants with no preference points can get drawn over those with many points.
According to Sturgess-Streich, hunters who have previously applied for the various deer categories will carry over their highest preference point total to the new deer category. In other words, if a hunter had one point in the archery and five in muzzleloader category, they will have five points in the new combined deer category.
QU youth camp slated June 2-7
Youngsters interested in expanding their outdoors skills can participate in the eighth annual Oklahoma COVEY Kids Camp June 2-7 at Camp Redlands in Stillwater.
The week-long camp, hosted by the Oklahoma Council of Quail Unlimited, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and local Quail Unlimited chapters, is open to all Oklahoma youngsters ages 13 to 16. According to Bob Hayes, camp coordinator, the camp teaches kids to better appreciate Oklahoma's natural resources and exposes them to wide variety of outdoor endeavors.
"COVEY Kids camp is an excellent way to ensure that future generations of sportsmen, conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts will have the same opportunity as previous generations, to experience what the great outdoors has to offer," Hayes said.
Attendees will receive professional instruction in archery, sporting clays, muzzleloading, taxidermy, dog training, radio telemetry, hunting safety, wildlife career opportunities, habitat evaluation, first aid and much more.
"One of the nicest things about the camp is that we are able to cover so many different aspects of the outdoors," Hayes said. "We have volunteer teachers who come from all over the state to share their time and knowledge with the kids."
A maximum of 35 students will be selected for this years camp. To apply, applicants must write a short essay explaining why they wish to attend, why they should be selected and what they expect to learn. It should also explain their involvement in extracurricular activities.
The camp costs $250 per person, although scholarship funds are available from each local Quail Unlimited chapters. The application deadline is May 15, 2000.
For more information, contact Bob Hayes at 918/542-1403.
Aquatic education reaching thousands
Thousands of Oklahoma children have experienced the thrill of a tug on the end of their line thanks to a dedicated corps of volunteer aquatic education instructors, according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation personnel.
"The program has been a real success," said Damon Springer, AREP coordinator for the Wildlife Department. "We begun in 1998 and about 18,000 kids go through the program each year. They learn about everything from how to cast a rod and reel to outdoor ethics. And virtually all of the clinics include a chance to catch a fish."
More than 175 clinics are held each across the state from isolated farm ponds to parks in the heart of metropolitan areas.
"The success of the program really goes back to all the hardworking volunteers that love children and love fishing," Springer said.
Certified volunteer instructors conduct fishing clinics after attending a three hour training workshop. The workshops, held at various locations throughout Oklahoma, are open to groups or individuals interested in volunteering to train and educate tomorrow's anglers. According to Springer, the clinics provide an excellent means for bass clubs, civic organizations, church groups and others to give something back to their community.
A variety of literature and fishing equipment is available for certified volunteer instructors to use during fishing clinics. Certified instructors receive a patch to sew onto a khaki (tan) shirt of their choice, a uniform cap, and a window sticker to display on their vehicle, as well as participating in an incentive program which rewards them for their service.
Individuals or groups interested in participating can find more information at the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com or contact Damon Springer, at 405/521-4603.
A number of fishing clinics are available to the public this spring. For a complete list of clinics scheduled in Oklahoma log on to: www.wildlifedepartment.com.
Baron Fork River Float Featured
Native Americans share a unique relationship with rivers and living things around them. An upcoming episode of the Outdoor Oklahoma television program features the natural and cultural history of the area along the Baron Fork River in northeast Oklahoma.
Cherokee Indian and former biology teacher, Al Herrin shares his perspective on the importance of the river to Native Americans and to the community as a whole. Herrin joins Jim Burroughs, fisheries biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, on a float down the river to fish for smallmouth bass and to take in the scenery.
"The rivers were once a central part of the daily lives of the Cherokee people," Herrin said. "The area has a fascinating history including Civil War battles and long gone railroads."
According to Burroughs, the Wildlife Department is working with landowners to make sure the river runs clear and maintains its biodiversity for future generations of Oklahomans.
"Protection of the riparian areas is very important," Burroughs said. "Fencing off areas along the riverbanks is one of the best things that landowners can do to protect streams.
"This benefits the river by keeping sediment out of the stream bed and also benefits the landowner by stopping erosion."
Using ultra-light equipment, the pair take advantage of the rivers healthy population of smallmouth bass. The Baron Fork River is one of the top river smallmouth bass fisheries in the state. The program will air on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sunday, May 5 at 8:00 a.m.
Outdoor Oklahoma features such topics as fishing, hunting; and fisheries, game and non-game wildlife management. The 30-minute program can be seen on OETA-The Oklahoma Network Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Outdoor Oklahoma can also be seen on the following television stations: KSBI Network (greater OKC metro area), Mondays- 5:00 p.m., Thursdays-10: 30 p.m., Saturdays-1:30 p.m., KTEN (south-central and southeastern Oklahoma) Sundays -5 a.m., KWEM (Stillwater), Wednesdays -8:00 p.m., Fridays-7:00 p.m. and Sundays-8:00 p.m.
For a complete listing of show times and channels in your viewing area, consult the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com or your local TV guide.
Fun Family Fishing Destinations
For Oklahomans who couldn't wait for warmer weather and longer days, springtime is here. It's now time for you and your family to grab a pole, pack a picnic basket and head out to your favorite fishing hole.
Oklahoma is blessed with a tremendous number of lakes, ponds and creeks that can provide some great family fishing.
"Time on the water connects people. Fishing is a wonderful way to spend time with your family and friends," said Barry Bolton, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Bolton added that you can just about drive any direction and find good fishing in Oklahoma.
"The fishing is really picking up right now all across the state," Bolton said. "But you don't have to travel to one the big reservoirs to find fish, often some of the best fishing can be found on smaller bodies of water such as municipal lakes or Wildlife Department lakes."
Those looking for more family fishing fun may want to wet a line in one of the following lakes.
American Horse Lake, located in Blaine County 10 miles west of Geary, has long been known for its outstanding panfish population. The 100-acre Wildlife Department owned lake also has a nice population of largemouth bass. With picnic tables, grills, bathrooms and a boat ramp, the lake is the perfect spot for a family to spend the day.
Hunter Park Lake, located in Tulsa at 5804 East 91st Street between Yale and Sheridan, is an ideal place for the family to spend an entire day. This city park pond not only has three fishing docks on it, but the park also features a water playground where kids can cool off after a morning of fishing. The Wildlife Department offers several fishing clinics at the park each year for more information go to www.wildlifedepartment.com.
Pretty Water Lake in Sapulpa offers year-round fishing fun. Stocking of rainbow trout in the winter and channel catfish in the summer means there are plenty of hungry fish no matter when you go. The 20-acre spring fed lake has several additional amenities including three fishing piers, picnic tables and a recreation trail. In addition to a state fishing license, a $7.50 Sapulpa summer fishing license is needed. For more information, contact the Sapulpa Parks and Recreation Department at (918) 227-1534.
Dolese Lake located at NW 50th and Meridian in Oklahoma City is a good close to home fishing spot and is the site of many kid's fishing clinics each year. Children can learn how to identify certain fish species, how to cast a fishing line and much more and have the opportunity to catch a fish afterwards. For more information about Dolese Lake fishing regulations or other Oklahoma City fishing opportunities call the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department at 405/755-4014.
Lake Scott King, operated by the city of Ardmore, is snuggled up against the scenic Arbuckle mountains. The lake has an excellent population of crappie and catfish and offers picnic areas and a fishing dock. Children under the age of 16 are not required to purchase the $12.50 city fishing license. For more information concerning Lake Scott King or other Ardmore City lakes contact the Ardmore Parks and Recreation Department at 580/ 223-4844.
No matter where you choose to go, fishing with family and friends can be a great way to spend an evening or weekend. It is fun and relaxing and allows everyone the opportunity to connect with each other. Many lakes are located in the most scenic areas the state has to offer.
If you are planning a trip, be sure to get a copy of the 2002 Oklahoma Fishing Guide. The regulations, as well as additional fishing information, are also available on the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com.
Controlled Hunt Deadline May 3
For hunters who haven't applied for a Controlled Hunt, it's not too late, but the May 3 deadline is coming soon.
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Controlled Hunt Program offers sportsmen special opportunities to harvest elk, antelope, deer, turkey, quail and more, all for a $5 application fee.
Participants may pick up an application booklet at department installations or license vendors. The most accurate and efficient way to apply is to apply online. The online application system will accept applications until 11:59 p.m., May 3. By logging onto the Department's official Web site, www.wildlifedepartment.com, applicants will be assured that they provide all the necessary information for their application to go through.


text:
Technical Details
|Download driver for: SONY VGN-NR270N
|Supported System
|Win 8, Win 7, Win 10, Win xp, Win Vista, Win 8.1, Win Server 2003
|File Size
|1374 kb
|Shared Library driver for SONY VGN-NR270N
This utility installs the Sony Shared Library for compatibilitywith the Microsoft® Windows® 7 operating system
How can I Update Sony Drivers?
How to Update Drivers with Device Manager?
QUESTION: My Vaio Duo Ultrabook (SVD11223CXS) has gone into a login loop. It appears to be looking for a file that has either been corrupted or eliminated missing. Definitely, I can't shut it down with normal methods and the "assist" button does not interrupt the cycle. Is there any way to shut this down without having just letting the battery run out?
Once it is turned off, I might be able to reboot and troubleshoot.
- Power reset your computer. Using a safety pin, push and hold the hole for 3 seconds.
- Reset BIOS.
- Test the computer in Safe Mode.
- Restore the computer to the last known good configuration.
I really hope this helps.
To update driver for SONY VGN-NR270N using Windows Update.
You can check Windows Update any time to see if it's found updated drivers for your hardware, especially if you recently installed a new device. Then, you can install the updated drivers. Here's how:
- Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
- In the left pane, click Check for updates. If there are any available updates, click the links to see more information about each update. Windows Update tells you if an update is important, recommended, or optional. Each type of update might include drivers for SONY VGN-NR270N.
- On the Select the updates you want to install page, look for updates for your SONY VGN-NR270N, select the check box for each driver that you want to install, and then click OK. There might not be any available driver updates.
- On the Windows Update page, click Install updates. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Windows Update will tell you if the updates were successfully installed.
That error still there? Don't Worry! Download & Try DriverTuner
1. Download a Driver Updater and double click it to install
2. Scan your computer for outdated drivers. Select the ones(here you should select SONY VGN-NR270N) you want to update and click download
3. When the download process is finished, click SETUP to install them. Voila! Your driver for SONY VGN-NR270N has been updated. Sometimes a reboot is required to let the drivers take effect.
|Fix Driver Problems
|Driver Update Tool
Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Madrid: Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal believes any footballer in the world would be "seduced" by Real Madrid and hinted that he could be interested in moving to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
The Chile international finished last season as the Bianconeri`s joint-top goalscorer, prompting speculation that Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti could swoop for his services.
And the 26-year-old has admitted he is flattered by reports of their interest and refused to pour cold water on the latest round of transfer speculation.
"I am honoured that a big club [like Real Madrid] is interested. They would seduce every player [into joining them]," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Vidal`s current deal with Antonio Conte`s side expires in the summer of 2016 and Vidal remains open as to what his next move will be.
He said: "I have not yet renewed my contract. My deal is still running, I`ll just see what will happen now."
The midfielder arrived in Serie A from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of €12.5 million in 2011, with his price tag now likely to be more than double Juve`s original outlay.


text:
(Reuters) - Disaster modeling company RMS expects insured losses from superstorm Sandy in a range of $20 billion to $25 billion, the company said on Wednesday.
RMS has not formally released its loss review yet, but the company confirmed comments by clients who have seen early data on the losses. At the high end of the range RMS's estimate exceeds peers AIR and Eqecat, whose top estimates were $15 billion and $20 billion, respectively.
(Reporting By Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Gary Hill)


text:
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — In a symbolic blow to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, senior Arab diplomats said Sunday that they will transfer Syria's seat in their main regional group to opposition forces.
The Arab League's decision is unlikely to mean much in practical terms to Assad's regime, which has already been abandoned by many Arab states that are siding with rebel forces in the two-year civil war. But it reflects pressure being exerted by key rebel backers — Qatar and Saudi Arabia — for a show of Arab solidarity against Assad at a two-day Arab League summit beginning Tuesday in Doha.
The gathering comes amid a serious shakeup within the opposition force over complaints that international support is insufficient to bring down Assad and turn the tide against his security forces.
The president of the Western-backed Syrian opposition coalition, Mouaz al-Khatib, resigned Sunday from the Syrian National Council, blaming world powers for not giving the anti-Assad forces the ability to "defend themselves" against Assad's superior military power.
It was a clear snub of U.S. and Western allies that have resisted calls by regional countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to increase the flow of heavy weapons to rebel fighters. Western governments fear stepped-up military aid could prolong the bloodshed and potentially give greater firepower to Islamic extremists who have joined the civil war, which has claimed more than 70,000 lives.
The Doha summit could now become a high-profile forum for a newcomer opposition figure, Ghassan Hitto, a Syrian-born American who this month became head of the Syrian National Council's interim government. Qatar's prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, has invited Hitto to the summit.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr Kamel said it was now up to the Syrian opposition to decide on its envoy once the Arab League officially transfers the seat after the summit gets under way.
The Saudi deputy foreign minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah, called the decision another "turning point" in boosting international recognition of the Syrian National Council, which has presented itself to world leaders as a political alternative to Assad.
The move, however, also underscores some rifts and reservations among Arab states.
Syria's neighbor Lebanon — caught in a volatile split between Assad backers and opponents — abstained from the vote on switching the Arab League seat, said a diplomat who took part in the discussions. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media.
Other nations are wary about completely cutting ties with Assad. Iraq and Algeria voted in favor of transferring Syria's seat, but urged the Arab League to take a "conservative" approach toward the civil war, the diplomat said.
Only hours before the Arab League decision, the traditional Syrian flag — not the rebel version — was displayed in the meeting hall in a sign of the disputes over how far to back the rebels.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to travel to Paris on Wednesday to meet French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for talks that are expected to focus on arming Syrian rebels. The discussion also is expected to touch on the suspected — but still unproven — use of chemical weapons in Syria, according to French officials.
Associated Press Writer Brian Murphy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.


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Cloverfield (US - BD)
Ok, this time it was in hi-def, so Gabe totally saw it. It's a robot lion for sure...
Young lovers Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman) end their relationship when Rob scores a Vice Presidential job in Japan. Weeks later, Rob's friends throw him a surprise party to celebrate his new job. Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel) has been given the task of filming goodbye testimonials during the party, a job he quickly hands over to best friend Hud (T.J. Miller). When Beth shows up with a new beau the party turns sour, as do Rob's spirits. While Jason and Hud attempt to console Rob something throws the Statue of Liberty's head at them.
Cloverfield belongs on a pedestal in the annuals of classic exploitation cinema. It may've cost $25 million (which is still incredibly cheap by studio standards), and it may've been released in a couple thousand theatres to a final stateside ( edit to clarify: release weekend) total of $40 million, but it's still a film that "attract[s] viewers by exciting their more prurient interests". That's the wikipedia definition, which goes on to define the genre as "rely[ing] heavily on the lurid advertising of their content rather than the intrinsic quality of the film[s]". If this doesn't exemplify everything that makes Cloverfield special, I don't know what does. What better thing to exploit then the western world's ongoing fear of repeat terrorist attacks? If it's good enough for Steven Spielberg it should be good enough for anyone, right?
The 'relying on lurid advertising' part is the part that makes Cloverfield a truly modern exploitation vehicle. The film's producers, which include TV production superstar J.J. Abrams (I'm entirely unfamiliar with the man's work, except Mission Impossible III), put together one of the most tantalizingly enigmatic as campaigns in recent history. Cloverfield sported no fewer than six fake titles, none of which were present on the original trailers that were mysteriously tacked onto Transformers with almost zero previous internet buzz. Post trailer release the net was plenty abuzz with even more mysterious viral promotional sites. Suddenly, what appeared rather obviously to be a monster movie by way of the Blair Witch Project was rumoured to be an adaptation of everything from H.P. Lovecraft to Voltron and the 'Rampage' video game series. The best William Castle ever managed was a buzzer in the seat.
Cloverfield is at its best when it's manipulating us with images of massive destruction from a candid street level. I found myself genuinely nerve jangled during these combat photography by way of Youtube chase scenes. For several glorious moments I was legitimately transferred to a horrifyingly real world where terrifying monsters stomp on innocent, terrorist frazzled New Yorkers. As a horror fan I've found it harder and harder to find movies that really frighten me and Abrams and director Matt Reeves found a successful means to bring out my basic real life fears by supernatural means. During these moments I knew what it was to be an A-bomb distressed Japanese man watching the original Godzilla for the first time.
Unfortunately, I couldn't help but be entirely torn out of my frightful state of suspended disbelief every time the film stopped to develop its plot and characters. Upon a first viewing (in theatres) I assumed that I just didn't like the characters, and that the plot depended on too many coincidences and dubious character choices. These are still unavoidable problems, but a second look has led me to a slight change in reasoning. I now think that a character-driven feature simply can't sustain such authentic realism. The only way it could work is for the film to be strictly plot-driven, following the army's battle with the monster from start to finish through various media film sources, as if one were flipping through channels as the event happened live (just like it happened on September 11th). Something tells me Paramount wouldn't have given up 25 million dollars for that project.
The problem with Abrams and co.'s concept, which is a clever one, is that it requires much more suspension of disbelief then most of us are capable of. This is the real world, and real world rules keep applying. A second viewing on a smaller screen only allows these issues to scream louder. There aren't a lot of films that attempt the 'found footage' approach, and every single one, though often successful on a visceral level first viewing, can fail when nit-picked apart. Some audiences simply aren't willing to go along with high concept for high concept's sake.
The most successful 'found footage' movie is still the granddaddy, Cannibal Holocaust (though Ruggero Deodato was inspired by the often faked and sold as real Mondo films of the 1960s, and the first third doesn't really work at all). Cloverfield's biggest hurdle of disbelief is Hud's reasoning for continued documentation—why wouldn't he just drop the camera and run? Cannibal Holocaust (and to a lesser extent the Cannibal Holocaust inspired Blair Witch Project) doesn't have this problem because the protagonists are documentarians that are actually creating the mayhem. But I suppose a film from the point of view of the Cloverfield monster's giant camcorder would be more funny then frightening. Still, it's hard to deny Deodato's film had influence on Abrams (see below).
The 'real world' video of Cloverfield is (I believe) not supposed to be high definition (though technically it was filmed as such), so the standard definition of the original DVD release was really more than acceptable. The movie looks kind of like crap throughout, but it's been specially crafted to look like crap, so more power to it. The lighting is dull, the framing is awkward, the grain is heavy, the focus is bad, etcetera and so forth. The colours are often quite bright, with surprisingly minimal blooming (unless, of course, intended).
So is there a point to this Blu-ray, 1080p release? Not really, unfortunately. There's still some obvious compression throughout, but it's obviously meant to be there. I can swear to brighter and fuller colours during the better lit scenes, I can swear to generally less compression, and I can acknowledge that there's pleanty of new detail to discover, but I'm not blown away by any of it. Perhaps this is one of those films that has to be seen on a 50 inch screen to really appriciate the difference between the DVD and Blu-Ray release.
Cloverfield's audio is one of those things that can pull you out of the film if you think too hardly about it. Some digital camcorders come with stereo microphones that create a 5.1 effect, but I find it pretty unbelievable that modern technology can exact the sound of a gigantic monster stomping up behind us. But this is really an unnecessary nit-pick, because the ferocity of a large-scale monster attack wouldn't work as well in mono or even stereo. The trade off for intense, multi-channel soundtrack is a lack of music (mostly, there's some music-like ambient noise). Without the unrealistic 5.1 track we wouldn't get the impressive punch of the creature's early attacks, or the visceral impact of the army attacks. The vast majority of the film is centre-channel friendly, and most of the stereo and surround channel work is devoted to light ambiance.
This new TrueHD track is more or less the same thing as the DVD track, but it is obviously less compressed. My volume levels were much different upon this viewing, though my overall experience wasn't. This is clear from the opening company credit stomping bass, which is just about as close as your living room will probably get to being shaken by an approaching behemoth. The party scenes, being more subtle then the monster scenes, show the most improvement. It actually sounds a realistic immersion into a party atmosphere, more so then the DVD release. The big scenes are generally punchier and clearer, and I'm sure that those with real top of the line systems will notice the difference.
I said with my DVD review that I was a little surprised at the general lack of volume in special features. I thought that that release was a stopgap to a better release, but I thought that the Blu-ray would take a little longer to be released. This is more or less the same collection of extras. I'm reminded that there are plans for a sequel, so I'm guessing that will be the point at which we'll see a bad ass special edition.
The Blu-ray release has one exclusive extra, and it's a pretty neat one. What we've got is called a 'Special Investigation Mode', which is a viewing mode that places the film in a smaller frame and surrounds it with various notes and images. This option allows for the audience to play along with the film. On the left is a map of Long Island, which lights up with three different coloured dots depending on the actions of the film. A blue dot represents the human subjects, a red dot represents the monster (Large Scale Aggressor or LSA), and a green dot represents primary military activity. Along the bottom of the screen is a little fact track that talks about some of the more mysterious aspects, and some of the more obvious ('It is suspected that the Statue of Liberty's head was deemed inedible and rejected by the LSA'). Between these items, also below the movie itself, is a little 'Creature Radar', which lights up when the LSA is nearby. This is a very cool extra, and the kind of thing I expect more of from the technology.
Reeves' track is, technically speaking, very good, fulfilling many questions about the pre-production process, the filming process, and some of the post-production process, and his personal views and attachments to the film, but the absence of Abrams is suspicious to me (perhaps he was too busy with his new Star Trek project). Perhaps I'm just a little double-dip paranoid on this one. Regardless, I learned quite a bit about the making of Cloverfield from Reeves' calm and collected commentary, specifically about the early production (though he doesn't cop to ripping off The Descent's best scare). Some fans may be disappointed by the lack of detailed description of the film's monster and his (her?) origin (another possible clue to a future special edition release).
The deleted scenes (four) and alternate endings (two) will probably disappoint most of the film's biggest fans as well. All the deleted scenes take place during the film's almost unbearable opening party. There's no new monster footage or alternate and more violent versions of some of the lice attacks. The alternate endings both come to the same conclusion as the final film (no proof of survival, or death, or monster getting away, or monster being quashed), but vary slightly in length and location on Coney Island. All scenes feature a Reeves commentary track.
Three decent featurettes fill out a couple of facts Reeves may have missed during his commentary. 'Document 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield' is your basic who, where, when, and why of the production. Abrams and the actors are given a shot at explaining themselves. It's not too deep, and it isn't too long, but it fulfils a few of our informative needs. 'Cloverfield Visual Effects' is more like it, delving deeper into the film's fleeting magic. It's a credit to Reeves and the effects crew how hard it is to even notice some of the film's more special sleight of hand. 'I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge' is a brief look more specifically at the design of the monster, though it does literally repeat the other commentaries.
'Clover Fun' is the blooper reel, which mostly consists of actor T.J. Miller making people laugh, but also includes some destruction related follies. A few previews, and some Easter egg end the extras.
Cloverfield smashes its way onto Blu-ray, but not quite with the aggression I expected from a double dip. Maybe I shouldn't count this as a double dip, but as a delayed next generation release. If you already own the film on DVD you might want to wait a little while for the sequel release in theatres, because I'm almost positive there'll be another release with more extras around then, but the enhanced viewing option is pretty cool. The A/V isn't a massive upgrade, but it is a noticeable one. This is a case where I leave a purchase entirely up to reader discretion without any huge input other then the assumption that I would wait. But that's just me.
* Note: The Images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
Review by Gabriel Powers
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 3rd June 2008
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: English HoH, French, and Spanish
Extras: Enhanced Viewing Mode, Commentary by Director Matt Reeves, Case Designate: Cloverfield Supplemental Files, Document 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield, Cloverfield Visual Effects, I Saw It! It's Huge!, Clover Fun, Deleted Scenes Optional Commentary, Alternate Endings with Optional Commentary
Easter Egg: Yes
Feature Details
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: T.J. Miller, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Michael Stahl-David
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi and Thriller
Length: 81 minutes
6Review Guide
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The sights and sounds of a farmers market are almost universal, whether you're at the Gorge Grown Farmers Market or in another part of the globe. The laughter and shouts of children playing, the murmur of voices from farmers and shoppers alike, the sound of music ringing in the air, the smell of food cooking, the colorful array of fresh, local fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, and other food products are what one expects to see at a farmers market.
It is also what the community members of Odell have asked for in the new market that Gorge Grown Food Network will be launching next year.
Gorge Grown Food Network, in collaboration with The Next Door and with support from Mid-Valley Elementary School and St. Francis House, began investigating the possibility of having a farmers market in Odell in the summer of 2013. After receiving a large amount of positive feedback about the idea, a number of focus groups were held to develop more concrete plans for the market.
These meetings resulted in the creation of the Mercado del Valle (Valley Market), which seeks to celebrate the multicultural diversity in the community of Odell.
The Mercado del Valle will host its opening day on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will continue every Saturday until Sept. 20.
There will be music, children's activities, hot food and a variety of fresh, local fruits and vegetables available from market vendors. In addition, there will be a community table available each week where local gardeners can sell their bumper crops on an as-needed basis.
Gorge Grown Food Network, a nonprofit promoting local food production and consumption, has been running the Gorge Grown Farmers Market on Thursdays at Hood River Middle School since 2006. GGFN brings a wealth of information to the table about running a farmers market and is excited to be working with the community of Odell to make the Mercado del Valle a success.
It is currently accepting applications for a farmers market manager for the Mercado del Valle. This will be a part-time seasonal position and applicants must be bilingual in English and Spanish and have access to a computer and email.
It is also still looking for vendors to sell their food products at the market, musicians, people to lead children's activities, and volunteers. Persons interested in any of these opportunities can contact Woodley Smith at 541-380-5130 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Plastic-Gun Measure Passes House
Move Targets Weapons That Can Elude Metal Detectors Amid Rise in 3-D Plastic Gun Technology
WASHINGTON—The House on Tuesday passed legislation extending a ban on guns that can't be spotted by a metal detector, but held back from expanding it to address all-plastic guns made possible by 3-D printer technology.
The bill, passed on a voice vote, would extend for 10 years a law dating back to 1988 that makes it illegal to manufacture, sell or possess a gun that could elude metal detectors, which are used for security screening at government buildings, schools and airports. Under the law, gun makers must include a certain...


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Choate Magazine Extensions offer extra capacity with easy installation. These quality steel tubes are perfect for competition or home defense. The description refers to the additional rounds added to the capacity of your stock firearm. High visibility follower included. The sling swivel can be placed on either side for right or left-handed use.
Kit Includes:
- Magazine extension
- Base clamp
- High visibility follower
- Magazine spring


text:
SQL Server 2008 is being released too soon after SQL Server 2005, and it's not going to be widely adopted. But I'm here to tell you I don't buy that contention: A lot of customers have their eye on SQL Server 2008, and they're ready to jump on board because they need the strong BI enhancements SQL Server 2008 brings. Three areas with major enhancements will make droves of customers move: Reporting Services, Database Services, and operational management.
If you accuse me of being biased toward SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), I am; so let's cover it first. SSRS in SQL Server 2008 boasts a shiny new standalone Report Designer, introduces the Tablix—the ultimate data region—and no longer requires Microsoft IIS.
In previous releases of SQL Server, everyone (e.g., end users, CIOs, and industry analysts) railed at Microsoft for holding a hard line on requiring Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or Business Intelligence Development Studio for the SSRS Report Designer; SQL Server 2008 liberates us from that requirement by providing a full-featured standalone Report Designer. And with the new Report Designer, we can build reports using the Tablix, a new data region that offers tabular flexibility married with cross-tab capabilities. The Tablix replaces the table, matrix, and list and offers the ability to build side-by-side cross-tab sections each with corresponding group aggregates. If you've ever run into the limitations of the matrix, you'll want to migrate to SQL Server 2008 as soon as possible.
And SSRS 2008 has been detached from IIS, which is a beautiful thing when you want SSRS to play nicely with other applications (and their security) and with Share- Point. SSRS now uses HTTP.sys, similar to how SQL Server 2005 works for native Web access for procedures.
The relational engine (aka "Database Services") has some new features that make SQL Server 2008 compelling. Here are the ones I think will win over the most customers (especially the BI folks).
Merge statement. The Merge statement lets you insert and update records in the same statement, a biggie for tracking historical changes while loading a data warehouse.
New DateTime data types. New DateTime data types permit separation of date and time information with support for greater range and precision, as well as handy time-zone offset aware DateTime types.
Table valued parameters. With the table valued parameters, you can now pass tables as parameters into stored procedures, which should eliminate the need to parse a comma-separated value (CSV) list (or similar) within the proc. You can even pass an ADO.NET DataTable as a parameter, which should make it very easy to work with data between the Microsoft .NET framework and SQL Server.
Larger user-defined data types. In SQL Server 2008, the 8K ceiling has been removed for user-defined data types including .NET CLR types. With the restriction removed, you can create more full-featured types and aggregates.
Change Data Capture. Change Data Capture will track and expose database changes, a dream for DBAs. Incremental extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) processes will be able to leverage this feature to identify and extract only new and changed data.
For daily operations for most databases, SQL Server self-manages and self-heals; hard-core DBAs like to beat up SQL because it doesn't have a ton of knobs to constantly adjust. I think most of the criticism is posturing for job security, but SQL Server 2008 will deliver "more knobs" with a Resource Governor and the Declarative Management Framework (DMF).
Resource Governor is long overdue, providing the ability to corral resource-hungry databases within definable limits and priorities, therefore enabling good performance in tandem with concurrency. The DMF's features are policy based, which gives you the ability to apply the same custom settings across many SQL Server servers via a policy. And even though old-school DBAs can't beat up SQL Server for having too few knobs, they can still say SQL Server is for sissies because the install process is easy, even easier than before.
The list of SQL Server 2008 features is longer than my arm. It's great that database mirroring gets its 2.0 revision, geospatial data support is coming, and we can code in C# in Integration Services with Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) support. A lot of customers are going to see value in the items I highlighted above and say "See ya SQL Server 2005 (or 2000), we are moving on up to 2008!" Call me partial, but I think SQL Server 2008 is all about BI, and once the word gets out, 2008 is going to have a lot of fans.
Special thanks to Ashton Hobbs of Solid Quality Mentors for his thoughts regarding SQL Server 2008.


text: Kosmor :: View topic - Technology Research Imprint Search Log in Legal Memberlist Profile Technology Research Goto page 1, 2 Next Kosmor Forum Index -> Feedback / suggestions for improvement View previous topic :: View next topic Should my idea be instigated? Yes 61% [ 16 ] No 19% [ 5 ] Meh 19% [ 5 ] Total Votes : 26 Author Message fernGuest Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 13:52 Post subject: Technology Research Carrying on from my predicament with no enemies, merthos suggested that i use the time to grow. However , there is not much growing that i can perform I suggest technology research. It should be v.expensive, say 1 Mill creds, and provide small increases, say +5percent ship firepower. Or say increased scanning. Of course pros get advantages, which would help maelstroem out as he would get more money from pros. It would mean if many declare independence, you are not back to square1 Back to top MaelstroemCommanderJoined: 30 Jan 2004Posts: 431Location: Munich, Germany Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 14:15 Post subject: In german kosmor, a group of designers has formed to build a system which allows character specialization. When completeley designed and implemented, the player will be able advance through several "levels" of specialization. Bye, Maelstroem_________________Commander Maelstroem in the house Nemesis Back to top fernGuest Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 14:17 Post subject: So its already being worked on. Thanks Back to top Templar_scumGuest Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 03:39 Post subject: Isn't that like building higher ship yards for better ships Back to top WalkerGuest Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 03:42 Post subject: no what malestroem means is kind of racial specialisation you can choose to gain advantages in military, or in economy, or in speed.... and so on Back to top Templar_scumGuest Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 03:43 Post subject: Wow, sweet, that is pretty immense Back to top vadiGuest Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:50 Post subject: Do we get cat-people as a race Back to top alphabravoMajorJoined: 15 Feb 2004Posts: 827Location: UK Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 17:32 Post subject: i dont think i like this idea much... who are the developers?_________________Major alphabravo in the house Thalgados-Sissyhood Back to top MerthosGuest Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 01:03 Post subject: It's an idea currently developed by some players in .de. Not finished and even when it's ready it will take some (a lot of) time for Maelstroem to implement it. http://www.kosmor.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8371 http://www.kosmor.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8565 Back to top LinkyboyGuest Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 03:13 Post subject: I don't like the idea much either, and what does meh stand for. Back to top Templar_scumGuest Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 13:54 Post subject: What don't u like about the idea, would Pro-users have any advantages? Back to top fernGuest Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 14:17 Post subject: meh is like u r not bothered, and that is is unnecessary Back to top Templar_scumGuest Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 03:38 Post subject: @Merthos, that link is all in German, if I knew German then I'd just play .de wouldn't I Back to top fernGuest Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 04:56 Post subject: Go to google, type in german translator, copy all the .de german,run it through the german translator, and hope there are no special german kosmor words Back to top fernGuest Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 05:14 Post subject: Translated 1st link 1st page , but after reading walkers post i decided that maybe an admin does need to explain cos i got confused anyway, here it is: Walker Hausgilden member Registration date: 16.11.2003 Contributions: 3597 Residence: Karben/Giessen/Erfurt Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 12:03 title: Establishment of a team for the elaboration of the specializations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, since I am safe that it of enough people give those to it interest to have would like I times such a team to base now the sense is not that a suggestion not in the feedback forum is dead-discussed to separate intensively a small group of players thoughts makes itself like one this simply and as balanced as possible to train can without constantly new ideas with the philosophy the anything to do have or very special/heavily convert is arise and the discussion dead runs oneself sometime but my judgement its own forum is needed, as well as an email address to the all suggestions of the Community on this topic to be sent to be able These suggestions are sorted to be able to present examined and trained or rejected with the goal Maeli sometime a finished total concept The whole will will quite time-intensively thus not apply if one only times nen own suggestion wants actually haett I gladly seen the Maeli organized, does not want he however not, thus applications please in this case then times to me Unfortunately I cannot place a forum, there braeuchte I to Unterstuettzung of possibly someone the moreover one we need to say absolutely at least 1 programmer equal to us can whether are somewhat convertible or not Thus postet times if their desire have and I schau times like the resonance is, can also be all this to say "that eh nix, that never converted, with WHICH I cannot co-operate eh, but me my time is too unfortunate" etc.. _________________ Hausgilden member Walker in the house Phoenix Upward Archon_Gareth COMM other Registration date: 08.06.2003 Contributions: 779 Residence: Rhede Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 13:24 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can place a separate forum none rehearse partitioned and invisibly for user the one other topic on the portal prefer group only this forum or forums does not provide sees is rehearses in the forum also a suitable mail can generate and the things regularly call and posts up greets _________________ COMM other Archon_Gareth in the house Phoenix Upward Walker Hausgilden member Registration date: 16.11.2003 Contributions: 3597 Residence: Karben/Giessen/Erfurt Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 13:25 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- marvelously, only prospective customers are missing * to g * _________________ Hausgilden member Walker in the house Phoenix Upward Acre Fleet administrator Registration date: 10.06.2003 Contributions: 2268 Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 13:50 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I participate however completely without programming knowledge _________________ Fleet administrator of acre in the house Phoenix Upward CorranHorn Hausgilden councillor Registration date: 23.06.2003 Contributions: 3112 Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 14:21 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I could write the same as acre... _________________ Hausgilden councillor CorranHorn in the house Phoenix Upward Krondor Hausgilden member Registration date: 05.05.2003 Contributions: 1501 Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 14:43 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TC, alo I would by-look. Have also little notion of PHP and programming. Greetings sending Krondor _________________ Hausgilden member Krondor in the house Kron Korsaren Upward Maelstroem COMM other Registration date: 26.03.2003 Contributions: 2199 Residence: Munich Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 16:41 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think also times that the programming abilities are not so important. Are important: 1. Balance 2. Simplicity in application and implementation 3. Good integrableness in the Gameplay (fight, Kp Bewegungsgeschw, radar range, max. Kp limit etc.) 4. Good designations (is to fit into the Kosmor style) and halfway logical connections specialization - > effect Best greetings, Maelstroem _________________ COMM other Maelstroem in the house Centaurus Upward Walker Hausgilden member Registration date: 16.11.2003 Contributions: 3597 Residence: Karben/Giessen/Erfurt Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 16:51 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I want to have at least the opinion of a programmer because I exactly white which we otherwise a concept to provide which we for simple and good keep however program-technically under a work expended of 200000 to grant am not capable of being implemented it is to hold the team quasi on the right trace thereby the suggestion remains convertible _________________ Hausgilden member Walker in the house Phoenix Upward DOA Admiral Registration date: 14.07.2004 Contributions: 209 Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 17:49 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hereby announce me, have however in things programming sowas from tuten and blisters no notion... _________________ Admiral DOA in the house Emperor Upward D-TecT Hausgilden councillor Registration date: 12.09.2004 Contributions: 32 Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 17:56 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if programming has experience in things, but whether somewhat simply is to be merged, it is difficult to say, since I know not the SOURCE code of kosmor and is implemented like all this. Ne idea in addition, would have those very probably simply to realize is - participate thus P.S.: But it a Fulltime job does not become only so long, because I have for the moment examination phase. _________________ Hausgilden councillor D-TecT in the house Zlick Upward Walker Hausgilden member Registration date: 16.11.2003 Contributions: 3597 Residence: Karben/Giessen/Erfurt Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 18:06 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-TecT wrote the following:: Ne idea in addition, would have those very probably simply to realize is - participate thus in order to bring in simply only ne idea in such a way or need you not to announce, it email an address will give themselves around suggestions will not bring in, the team is to then evaluate these, brought, rejects etc. and a total concept together to provide _________________ Hausgilden member Walker in the house Phoenix Upward Surst COMM other Registration date: 30.04.2003 Contributions: 1519 Residence: Pour Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 18:19 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I announce myself also, have on most days in the week time. Proggen is also nix, there must who other one ran _________________ COMM other Surst in the house Lebiadyn Upward Xan Hausgilden head Registration date: 22.12.2003 Contributions: 104 Residence: Free city Austria Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 18:36 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How largely is this group the max. to be? * announces itself * no programming knowledge possesses. Have much time Mo-Fr _________________ Hausgilden head Xan in the house Hommel Upward Walker Hausgilden member Registration date: 16.11.2003 Contributions: 3597 Residence: Karben/Giessen/Erfurt Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 18:38 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would find 5 people personal ideally however times see who everything apply _________________ Hausgilden member Walker in the house Phoenix Upward Wyvern Hausgilden councillor Registration date: 29.07.2003 Contributions: 1468 Residence: Roth Written to: Mi January 19, 2005 18:51 title: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- However unfortunately too little time has programming knowledge, in order to be able to make that as Fulltimejob. In addition it said to D-TecT already correctly. To evaluate, whether somewhat easily it is to be implemented it is which completely different one, than evaluating whether somewhat easily in Kosmor integrable is. I do not know the programming of Kosmor evenly. _________________ Hausgilden councillor Wyvern in the house Phoenix Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Kosmor Forum Index -> Feedback / suggestions for improvement All times are GMT - 6 HoursGoto page 1, 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Jump to: Select a forum Information----------------NewsGalactic News Community----------------Kosmor TalkKosmor TradeKosmor TournamentsKosmor RPG Support/Feedback----------------Questions and AnswersFeedback / suggestions for improvementBug-Reports You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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Jenny Magnus and her tribe, the Curious Theatre Branch, have been doing their own deeply personal thing for some 25 years now — in large theaters and small — sans regard for external trends or rewards. These days, they're even working with their younger relatives, who show up among the 16 actors appearing in "Still in Play: A Performance of Getting Ready," the culmination of a Magnus residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
For those of us who've watched these singular Chicago artists for many years, the sight of a stage filled with at least three different generations of Curious-related performance artists is, frankly, moving. Bodies have changed, lives have morphed, communities have fractured and been restored. Beau O'Reilly, Magnus' best-known collaborator, now comes with a wild shock of hair and an appearance somewhere between Billy Connolly and Colonel Sanders. He is grand, weird and unbowed.
There always has been more than a touch of the Samuel Beckett about Magnus, a formidable writer and an enthusiastic musician. (The Curious tribe has spawned various eclectic bands, including Maestro Subgum and the one in this show, the Crooked Mouth Band.) And, in its best moments, "Still in Play" is a bittersweet celebration of, well, still being in play. Still being crazy after all these years, you might say. Still crazy for no money.
The setup this weekend at the MCA is that we're watching a group of actors warm up during the last 60 minutes before a performance. We know this from a stage manager, who keeps walking through and saying, "30 minutes, everyone," and so on. This is a good defense for the essentially chaotic visuals in director Stefan Brun's production: the clumps of people wandering around and stretching; the sections where people with their backs to the audience say things you can't hear properly; the strange placement of the band at the very rear of the stage where they can't engage their audience effectively. But you're still watching a fake rehearsal, and, absent some very fresh take, rehearsals are more interesting for the performer than an audience.
One could deal more easily if there were any credible sense of an actual performance about to take place in this space, once everyone is ready. But that just doesn't track. You don't get any feeling of the mounting backstage tension, the preparation of a text of any kind, or any contextual implication of an impending show. (What? Where? For whom?)
But those are the kinds of questions that Curious has never much liked answering. Specifics are absent. The self-examination only goes so far. What you get here is a loose meditation on why this company has kept performing and presenting despite challenges that would have felled the rest of us. And that means you have to find these people inherently interesting to get much from the show. (I do, and I found it intriguing, but beware.)
In the best moments, the Magnus character muses on what it's like to go back to your younger, idealistic, performing self and feeling "like a visitor to it," having settled for "humbler but more durable satisfactions."
Not these guys. They are durable within themselves.
When: Through Saturday
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Tickets: $28 at 312-397-4010 or mcachicago.org


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Here's a not-so-new report that's been making the rounds a few years.
Nearly three years after the National Enquirer alleged that Morgan Freeman was dating his step-granddaughter ("Morgan Freeman 'incest' shocker," read the understated headline), come reports that the 74-year-old Oscar-winning actor plans to wed the 27-year-old in the very near future.
Citing "insiders" in Morgan's life, the Enquirer claimed in June 2009 that Freeman's affair with the then-25-year-old E'Dena Hines had been going on for nearly a decade, implying he began sleeping with her when she was 15 or 16, adding to the creep-out factor.
The glossy tabloid claimed Myrna filed for divorce in 2008 over the affair.
E'Dena's mother, Deena, was adopted by Freeman when he married her biological mother, Jeanette Adair Bradshaw in 1967. Their marriage ended in 1979 and Freeman wed Myrna Colley-Lee in 1984.
The same exact reports – that the alleged couple were to wed – surfaced in the fall of 2009 and in late 2010, when Freeman's divorce with Myrna was finally finalized. (See Wendy Williams discuss the story on her show in July 2010.)
Freeman has not discussed the matter.
Believe what you will.


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is a giant global manufacturer with a large product line and several divisions.
One of its divisions, the Storage Device Division, recently released the MK1032GAX
hard disc drive, a 2.5-inch HDD with 100GB capacity hard disk. According to
Toshiba, the MK1032GAX offers the industry's highest areal density per platter,
at 83.2 gigabits per square inch while the drive's 5400 RPM motor speed, improves
system-level performance by as much as 12 percent when compared to 4200 RPM.
We received the MK1032GAX hard disk drive from Toshiba, shown below.
- 100GB capacity
- Rotational Speed of 5,400rpm
- Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) motor drive
- 9.5mm High
12ms Average Seek Time
- ATA-6 Interface
- 100MB/sec Transfer Rate
- 16MB Buffer
300,000 MTTF Hours
In order to investigate the difference between a 5400rpm HDD with 16MB buffer
and a 4200rpm HDD with 8MB buffer, we compared the Toshiba MK1032GAX with the
Fujitsu MHT2080AT. We chose to use the Fujitsu drive in this comparison due
to the fact that most notebooks have a drive similar to the Fujitsu HDD.


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Message Board
David Rountree Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Rountree has written!
Author Rountree's Book Reviews
Dark Lord - Chronicles of Greywolf and the Goddess 1
General Greywolf leads a cast of "a thousand" intriguing creatures (mostly elves) in a war against the Evil Dark Lord who is set on invading the idyllic land of Tir-na-nog. When the charming Goddess Diana enters the scene, Greywolf looses his heart even as he wins battles. ...


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Rose, Neroli and Lavender scented body warmer.
Body warmers are a natural alternative to a hot water bottle made with natural wheat grain fragranced with pure essential oil. Just pop the body warmer in the microwave for a minute and a half to help soothe away aches and pains, warm up your bed or just give you a cozy cuddle in bed or on the couch.
In 100% cotton linen, these body warmers are filled with natural wheat grains and infused with pure essential oils.
Instantly huggable, it's also great for soothing aches and pains and relieving stress - the ideal seasonal gift for women everywhere.
- Made in 100% pure cotton
- Warm in 1.5 minutes
- Heat in a microwave only
- Cotton calico insert is filled with natural wheat grain fragranced with pure essential oils.
- Outer cover can be removed and cleaned as per instructions.
- Dimensions: 7" x 12.5" x 1.5"