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113 April 2, 2003
What interests me is the question of how humans learn to live with uncertainty. Before the scientific revolution determinism was a strong ideal. Religion brought about a denial of uncertainty, and many people knew that their kin or their race was exactly the one that God had favored. They also thought they were entitled to get rid of competing ideas and the people that propagated them. How does a society change from this condition into one in which we understand that there is this fundamental uncertainty? How do we avoid the illusion of certainty to produce the understanding that everything, whether it be a medical test or deciding on the best cure for a particular kind of cancer, has a fundamental element of uncertainty?
On February 27, 2003, Edge Foundation, Inc. celebrated the 6th anniversary of Edge at the "Edge Science Dinner" (formerly known as "The Billionaires' Dinner") at Cibo's Restaurant, in Monterey, California.
more information always better?" asks Gerd Gigerenzer. "Why
else would bestsellers on how to make good decisions tell us to
consider all pieces of information, weigh them carefully, and compute
the optimal choice, preferably with the aid of a fancy statistical
software package? In economics, Nobel prizes are regularly awarded
for work that assumes that people make decisions as if they had
perfect information and could compute the optimal solution for
the problem at hand. But how do real people make good decisions
under the usual conditions of little time and scarce information?
Consider how players catch a ballin baseball, cricket, or
soccer. It may seem that they would have to solve complex differential
equations in their heads to predict the trajectory of the ball.
In fact, players use a simple heuristic. When a ball comes in high,
the player fixates the ball and starts running. The heuristic is
to adjust the running speed so that the angle of gaze remains constant that
is, the angle between the eye and the ball. The player can ignore
all the information necessary to compute the trajectory, such as
the balls initial velocity, distance, and angle, and just
focus on one piece of information, the angle of gaze."
GERD GIGERENZER is Director of the Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin and former Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. He won the AAAS Prize for the best article in the behavioral sciences. He is the author of Calculated Risks: How To Know When Numbers Deceive You, the German translation of which won the Scientific Book of the Year Prize in 2002. He has also published two academic books on heuristics, Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart (with Peter Todd & The ABC Research Group) and Bounded Rationality: The Adaptive Toolbox (with Reinhard Selten, a Nobel laureate in economics).
Gerd Gigernezer 's Edge Bio Page
At the beginning of the 20th century the father of modern science fiction, Herbert George Wells, said in his writings on politics, "If we want to have an educated citizenship in a modern technological society, we need to teach them three things: reading, writing, and statistical thinking." At the beginning of the 21st century, how far have we gotten with this program? In our society, we teach most citizens reading and writing from the time they are children, but not statistical thinking. John Alan Paulos has called this phenomenon innumeracy.
are many stories documenting this problem. For instance, there
was the weather forecaster who announced on American TV that if
the probability that it will rain on Saturday is 50 percent and
the probability that it will rain on Sunday is 50 percent, the
probability that it will rain over the weekend is 100 percent.
In another recent case reported by New Scientist an inspector
in the Food and Drug Administration visited a restaurant in Salt
Lake City famous for its quiches made from four fresh eggs. She
told the owner that according to FDA research every fourth egg
has salmonella bacteria, so the restaurant should only use three
eggs in a quiche. We can laugh about these examples because we
easily understand the mistakes involved, but there are more serious
issues. When it comes to medical and legal issues, we need exactly
the kind of education that H. G. Wells was asking for, and we haven't
gotten it.
Representation of information is important. In the case of many so-called cognitive illusions, the problem results from difficulties that arise from getting along with probabilities. The problem largely disappears the moment you give the person the information in natural frequencies. You basically put the mind back in a situation where it's much easier to understand these probabilities. We can prove that natural frequencies can facilitate actual computations, and have known for a long time that representations whether they be probabilities, frequencies or odds have an impact on the human mind. There are very few theories about how this works.
give you a couple examples relating to medical care. In the U.S.
and many European countries, women who are 40 years old are told
to participate in mammography screening. Say that a woman takes
her first mammogram and it comes out positive. She might ask the
physician, "What does that mean? Do I have breast cancer? Or are
my chances of having it 99%, 95%, or 90% or only 50%? What
do we know at this point?" I have put the same question to radiologists
who have done mammography screening for 20 or 25 years, including
chiefs of departments. A third said they would tell this woman
that, given a positive mammogram, her chance of having breast cancer
is 90%.
What we do is to teach these physicians tools that change the representation so that they can see through the problem. We don't send them to a statistics course, since they wouldn't have the time to go in the first place, and most likely they wouldn't understand it because they would be taught probabilities again. But how can we help them to understand the situation?
Let's change the representation using natural frequencies, as if the physician would have observed these patients him- or herself. One can communicate the same information in the following, much more simple way. Think about 100 women. One of them has breast cancer. This was the 1%. She likely tests positive; that's the 90%. Out of 99 who do not have breast cancer another 9 or 10 will test positive. So we have one in 9 or 10 who tests positive. How many of them actually has cancer? One out of ten. That's not 90%, that's not 50%, that's one out of ten.
Here we have a method that enables physicians to see through the fog just by changing the representation, turning their innumeracy into insight. Many of these physicians have carried this innumeracy around for decades and have tried to hide it. When we interview them, they obviously admit it, saying, "I don't know what to do with these numbers. I always confuse these things." Here we have a chance to use very simple tools to help those patients and physicians to understand what the risks are and which enable them to have a reasonable reaction to what to do. If you take the perspective of a patient that this test means that there is a 90% chance you have cancer you can imagine what emotions set in, emotions that do not help her to reason the right way. But informing her that only one out of ten women who tests positive actually has cancer would help her to have a cooler attitude and to make more reasonable decisions.
cancer is another disease for which we have good data. In the U.S.
and European countries doctors advise men aged 40 to 50 to take
a PSA test. This is a prostate cancer test that is very simple,
requiring just a bit of blood, and so many people do it. The interesting
thing is that most of the men I've talked to have no idea of the
benefits and costs of this test. It's an example of decision-making
based on trusting your doctor or on rumors. But interestingly,
if you read about the test on the Internet in independent medical
societies like Cochran.com, or read the reports of various physicians'
agencies who give recommendations for screening, then you find
out that the benefits and costs of prostate cancer screening are
roughly the following: Mortality reduction is the usual goal of
medical testing, yet there's no proof that prostate cancer screening
reduces mortality. On the other hand there is proof that, if we
distinguish between people who do not have prostate cancer and
those who do, there is a good likelihood that it will do harm.
The test produces a number of false positives. If you do it often
enough there's a good chance of getting a high level on the test,
a so-called positive result, even though you don't have cancer.
It's like a car alarm that goes off all the time.
is very puzzling that in a country where a 12-year-old knows baseball
statistics, adults don't know the simplest statistics about tests,
diseases, and the consequences that may cause them serious damage.
Why is this? One reason, of course, is that the cost benefit computations
for doctors are not the same as for patients. One cannot simply
accuse doctors of knowing things or not caring about patients,
but a doctor has to face the possibility that if he or she doesn't
advise someone to participate in the PSA test and that person gets
prostate cancer, then the patient may turn up at his doorstep with
a lawyer. The second thing is that doctors are members of a community
with professional pride, and for many of them not detecting a cancer
is something they don't want to have on their records. Third, there
are groups of doctors who have very clear financial incentives
to perform certain procedures. A good doctor would explain this
to a patient but leave the decision to the patient. Many patients
don't see this situation in which doctors find themselves, but
most doctors will recommend the test.
Thus, dealing with probabilities also relates to the issue of understanding the psychology of how we make rational decisions. According to decision theory, rational decisions are made according to the so-called expected utility calculus, or some variant thereof. In economics, for instance, the idea is that if you make an important decision whom to marry or what stock to buy, for example you look at all the consequences of each decision, attach a probability to these consequences, attach a value, and sum them up, choosing the optimal, highest expected value or expected utility. This theory, which is very widespread, maintains that people behave in this way when they make their decisions. The problem is that we know from experimental studies that people don't behave this way.
There is a nice story that illustrates the whole conflict: A famous decision theorist who once taught at Columbia got an offer from a rival university and was struggling with the question of whether to stay where he was or accept the new post. His friend, a philosopher, took him aside and said, "What's the problem? Just do what you write about and what you teach your students. Maximize your expected utility." The decision theorist, exasperated, responded, "Come on, get serious!"
can often be modeled by what I call fast and frugal heuristics.
Sometimes they're faster, and sometimes they're more frugal. Deciding
which of two jobs to take, for instance, may involve consequences
that are incommensurate from the point of view of the person making
the decision. The new job may give you more money and prestige,
but it might leave your children in tears, since they don't want
to move for fear that they would lose their friends. Some economists
may believe that you can bring everything in the same common denominator,
but others can't do this. A person could end up making a decision
for one dominant reason.
a second group, which doesn't look at bounds in the environment
but at bounds in the mind. These include many psychologists and
behavioral economists who find that people often take in only limited
information, and sometimes make decisions based on just one or
two criteria. But these colleagues don't analyze the environmental
influences on the task. They think that for a priori reasons
people make bad choices because of a bias, an error, or a fallacy.
They look at constraints in the mind.
Evolutionary thinking gives us a useful framework for asking some interesting questions that are not often posed. For instance, when I look at a certain heuristic like when people make a decision based on one good reason while ignoring all others I must ask in what environmental structures that heuristic works, and where it does not work. This is a question about ecological rationale, about the adaptation of heuristics, and it is very different from what we see in the study of cognitive illusions in social psychology and of judgment decision-making, where any kind of behavior that suggests that people ignore information, or just use one or two pieces of information, is coded as a bias. That approach is non-ecological; that is, it doesn't relate the mind to its environment.
important future direction in cognitive science is to understand
that human minds are embedded in an environment. This is not the
usual way that many psychologists, and of course many economists,
think about it. There are many psychological theories about what's
in the mind, and there may be all kinds of computations and motives
in the mind, but there's very little ecological thinking about
what certain cognitive strategies or emotions do for us, and what
problems they solve. One of the visions I have is to understand
not only how cognitive heuristics work, and in which environments
it is smart to use them, but also what role emotions play in our
judgment. We have gone through a kind of liberation in the last
years. There are many books, by Antonio Damasio and others, that
make a general claim that emotions are important for cognitive
functions, and are not just there to interrupt, distract, or mislead
you. Actually, emotions can do certain things that cognitive strategies
can't do, but we have very little understanding of exactly how
that works.
Herbert Simon's idea of satisfying solves that problem. A satisfier, searching for a mate, would have an aspiration level. Once this aspiration is met, as long as it is not too high, he will find the partner and the problem is solved. But satisfying is also a purely cognitive mechanism. After you make your choice you might see someone come around the corner who looks better, and there's nothing to prevent you from dropping your wife or your husband and going off with the next one.
Here we see one function of emotions. Love, whether it be romantic love or love for our children, helps most of us to create a commitment necessary to make us stay with and take care of our spouses and families. Emotions can perform functions that are similar to those that cognitive building blocks of heuristics perform. Disgust, for example, keeps you from eating lots of things and makes food choice much simpler, and other emotions do similar things. Still, we have very little understanding of how decision theory links with the theory of emotion, and how we develop a good vocabulary of building blocks necessary for making decisions. This is one direction in which it is important to investigate in the future.
simple example of how heuristics are useful can be seen in the
following thought experiment: Assume you want to study how players
catch balls that come in from a high angle like in baseball,
cricket, or soccer because you want to build a robot that
can catch them. The traditional approach, which is much like optimization
under constraints, would be to try to give your robot the complete
representation of its environment and the most expensive computation
machinery you can afford. You might feed your robot a family of
parabolas because thrown balls have parabolic trajectories, with
the idea that the robot needs to find the right parabola in order
to catch the ball. Or you feed him measurement instruments that
can measure the initial distance, the initial velocity, and the
initial angle the ball was thrown or kicked. You're still not done
because in the real world balls are not flying parabolas, so you
need instruments that can measure the direction and the speed of
the wind at each point of the ball's flight to calculate its final
trajectory and its spin. It's a very hard problem, but this is
one way to look at it.
illustrates that we can do the science of calculation by looking
always at what the mind does the heuristics and the structures
of environments and how minds change the structures of environments.
In this case the relationship between the ball and one's self is
turned into a simple linear relationship on which the player acts.
This is an example of a smart heuristic, which is part of the adaptive
tool box that has evolved in humans. Many of these heuristics are
also present in animals. For instance, a recent study showed that
when dogs catch frisbees they use the same gaze heuristic.
The Edge Annual Science Dinner [2.27.03]
[click here for slide show — or — click on individual thumbnail photos for full-size image]
John Brockman
Kelly Bovino
Sarah Kellen
Max Brockman
On February 27, 2003, Edge Foundation, Inc. celebrated the 6th anniversary of Edge at the "Edge Annual Science Dinner" (formerly known as "The Billionaires' Dinner") in at Cibo's Restaurant, in Monterey, California.
Chee Pearlman, N.Y. Times
Rodney Brooks
Among the world-class scientists attending the dinner (who are also Edge contributors) were biologist Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, And Steel); psychologist Steven Pinker (The Blank Slate); cognitive scientist Daniel C. Dennett (Darwin's Dangerous Idea); Computer scientists Marvin Minsky (Society Of Mind), Rodney Brooks (Flesh And Machines), and W. Daniel Hillis (The Pattern On The Stone); Physicists Freeman Dyson (Disturbing The Universe), and Lee Smolin (Life Of The Cosmos), and atmospheric scientist Stephen Schneider (Laboratory Earth).
Katie Hafner, NY Times
George Dyson
Terry Root
Stephen Schneider
Dina Graser
Lee Smolin
Patti Hillis
Steven Johnson
Kevin Kelly
Sunny Bates
Stewart Brand, Long Now
Mitch Kapor
Smith, Planet Out
Jaron Lanier
Marnie Morris, Anamatrix
Jeff Bezos, Amazon
Don Norman
Maryam Mohit, Amazon
Frieda Kapor
John Markoff, NY Times
Adam Bly, Seed
Jane Metcalfe, Forca
Ryan Phelan, All Species
Stewart Brand, Long Now
Kim Polese, Marimba
Max Brockman
Sarah Kellen
Matt Jacobson,, Quicksilver
Danny Kwock, Quicksilver
Sergey Brin, Google
|Also present: Pam Alexander, Alexander, Ogilvy; Garry Betty, Earthlink; Paul Bricault, William Morris; John Doerr, Kleiner Perkins; Daniel Greenfield, Earthlink; Alan Kahn, Barnes & Noble; Vinod Khosla, Kleiner Perkins; Dennis Kneale, Forbes; Walter Mossberg, Wall Street Journal; Yossi Vardi, ICQ.
Nicholas of Cusa, who lived from 1401 to 1464, was one of the first who tried to break out of the geocentric, anthropocentric, finite, and hierarchically sequenced world of antiquity, a world bounded by the walls of the heavenly spheres. He glimpsed the dizzying potential of space and entertained a very different universe: open, unbounded, without natural subordination of any one part to any other, filled with identical laws and with essentially interchangeable components. Technically, his step is called the "infinitization of the cosmos," an idea so new then that it was ignored by Nicholas of Cusa's contemporary, Copernicus, who thought the world was contained within a sphere of about 20,000 earth radii.
What Lies Behind our Desire to Venture into Space?
The leap into Space witnessed in our time, with its triumphs and tragedies, will remain part of the permanent memory of mankind, alongside the historic memory of the great journeys of adventure and discovery that formerly found expression in epic form. People in the distant future may, in their own way and using their own media, be describing our attempts to transcend our physical dependence on the earth somewhat as we still are singing Homer's song to relive the voyage of Odysseus beyond the boundaries of the ancient world.
I venture two brief speculations. The first is that, in retrospect, the exploration of the solar system, and beyond, by means of earth-launched physical instruments, was prepared for by a series of equally daring, mental launchings into space. Science and space have in fact been Siamese twins from the start: Space has been the foremost laboratory of the scientific imagination—from the pre-Socratics who toyed with the question of the limits of space, to Aristotle and his followers for whom the cosmos was not only finite but relatively small, to Kepler who could envisage something like the law of conservation of momentum by thinking about mutually attracting and colliding bodies in far-distant space, to Galileo for whom space was not yet Euclidean but warped, and on to Newton and the modern period.
In a sense, the space age really started not with Sputnik I, but with those early explorers of the mind's own space, who, launching their imaginative conceptions, prepared the ground for launching our hardware. There are several candidates for a designation of the father of the space age. My own preference is a philosopher, mathematician, cosmologist, and cardinal of the church, Nicholas of Cusa. (Appropriately, a crater on the moon has been named after him.) A good description of his work is in Alexander Koyré's great book, From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe. Nicholas of Cusa, who lived from 1401 to 1464, was one of the first who tried to break out of the geocentric, anthropocentric, finite, and hierarchically sequenced world of antiquity, a world bounded by the walls of the heavenly spheres. He glimpsed the dizzying potential of space and entertained a very different universe: open, unbounded, without natural subordination of any one part to any other, filled with identical laws and with essentially interchangeable components. Technically, his step is called the "infinitization of the cosmos," an idea so new then that it was ignored by Nicholas of Cusa's contemporary, Copernicus, who thought the world was contained within a sphere of about 20,000 earth radii.
But Nicholas of Cusa saw the consequences of his vision: In an immeasurable universe, where there is no limiting point or center, all motion is relative, and the earth and all other bodies may be considered in motion. The earth then joins the ranks of the noble stars. He even imagined that the stars may also be endowed with life forms. Most of his readers recoiled in horror and vertigo, except Giordano Bruno, who embraced these ideas, and who, by being burned at the stake in 1600 for such heresies, became (so to speak) the first space casualty. Thereafter, however, Nicholas' ideas became more and more influential.
Nicolas of Cusa was a prominent person, but we know all too little about him. Though we happily have his book with the modest title On Learned Ignorance, which I like to think started the space age some 560 years ago, the reputedly most adventurous of his scientific-philosophical writings have been lost to history.
My first speculation, looking back, brings me to the second, looking forward. Who, in the long run, will tell our story? Who will be the future Homers to sing of our time, and where will they get their information? Will the future students of our attempts at exploring have reliable information, more reliable than we have about our predecessors? Who is now concerned with preparing accounts that can withstand the scrutiny of the ages to come? Who is saving the database, the less obvious documentation of successes and failures? Who is conducting the oral history of the pioneers? Are there interviewers able to handle the science, the technology, and the industrial and administrative components of modern space achievements?
There are a few who can, historians of science and technology. On the members of that fairly young profession we shall have to rely for the preservation of the record, and for the assessment and authentication of what has been happening during this early, heroic period. We are lucky that such people, in the United States, in the U.K, and in Europe, dedicate their lives to such scholarship. But altogether, the number of these professionals are few, and their support and the infrastructure of their professional societies are now under severe constraints. Let us not be chided by future historians, for neglecting our opportunities of preserving the full record, as we ourselves might blame Nicholas Cusa's contemporaries for not having preserved more of his pioneering thoughts.
GERALD HOLTON is Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Professor of the History of Science, Emeritus, at Harvard University. His recent books incude Thematic Origins of Scientific Thought; and Science and Anti-Science.
a simple story that sums up the perils of global terrorism. "Once
there were two people sitting in a rowboat. One suddenly started
making a hole on his side of the boat. The other screamed. The first
countered and said, 'What do you care what I do on my side of the
In your
search for a new Science Advisor, I strongly recommend that you select
an individual who has as much common sense as he or she has accomplishments
in the sciences. Equally important, this open minded advisor needs
to approach our world of interrelated problems with a systems view
of things, which is something compartmentalized thinkers struggle
with conceptually. This systems view is essential for effectively
dealing with the web of gnarly problems that entangle nations and
strain international relations.
I'd help organize a maverick group of professional thinkers (scientists, engineers, artists, educators, scholars, policy-makers, and polymaths), and invite them to delve into a pool of obvious and deep questions concerning national security.
I'd compare this exploratory work to the adventurous endeavors undertaken by the American military strategist and futurist, Herman Kahn, founder of the Hudson Institute think-tank and author of On Thermonuclear War. Ideally, I would hope to see the creative energies invested here parallel that of other intensely focused science-technology-civil society-oriented projects in the past; imagine a sort of Manhattan Project for Peaceful Solutions or a small scale Pugwash Conference (without any formal conference which comes with a certain structure that can inhibit the free exchange of ideas). Our group would scope out a long-term strategic vision for securing our nation and safeguarding the world from the projected charges and potential damage of "rogue elephants."
Note that we would engage in this collaborative envisioning activity using some unconventional, yet proven, techniques of communication that involve symbolic modeling. One outcome of this work would be a set of tactical, implementation plans. These practical plans could then be evaluated and contrasted with the research-based recommendations of groups such as the Rand Corporation, among other solution providers.
could also be run through the mill of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats (SWOT) analysis, a business practice I'm quite familiar with
having facilitated many strategic planning sessions for executive
officers of Fortune 500 Companies.
These are merely a handful of basic questions that come to mind at the moment. Any one of them could be explored by this group of thinkers using the tools of science and common sense to solve this gravest of problems: fighting a war on terror that doesn't perpetuate the cycle of violence but rather prevents it by fostering a new understanding. The main task of this group would be to find more ingenious ways of dismantling this Gordian Knot of political, ideological and religious beliefs other than reaching into that old Pandora's Box and taking out another weapon to whack away at our worst primal fears.
Clearly we have much more scientific work to do to better understand the nature of fear and terror, and to recognize the patterns of ineffective responses to these phenomena. Whenever our brute fears overpower our rationality trouble abounds.
Finally, we need to explore our deepest, most ambiguous questions about the roots of terrorism that have as much to do with science as they do with philosophy and religion. Naturally, your new Science Advisor needs to handle this reality with the utmost sensitivity. And the advisory board needs to value the fact that there's always more than one viable solution to any given problem, when viewed from many perspectives. Without this broader and deeper exploration, our world may remain pinned and pained by the headlock we're in.
a simple story that sums up the perils of global terrorism. "Once
there were two people sitting in a rowboat. One suddenly started
making a hole on his side of the boat. The other screamed. The first
countered and said, 'What do you care what I do on my side of the
boat?'" I thank you for caring about the hole in our boat. Now you
need to get the rest of the world on board about caring too.
John Brockman,
Editor and Publisher


text:
Identity Sheed Problem in SQL Server 7greenspun.com : LUSENET : DBAzine : One Thread
I am using SQL Server 7.0 & facing a peculiar problem in a stored procedure on returning the value of Identity key. Can anybody help me in this regard.
The problem is as follows :
I have a table having an Identity Column. Through stored procedure I am inserting the data into it & while the record is getting created I want to use the Identity seed generated. The procedure was working fine for some time. But after some days I found that even though it creates the record with the identity sheet, it is not returning the lat identity value i.e. through function @@identity.
Is have checked the database, tables etc through DBCC & also done Update statistics. But the same problem persists.
When I am using the same procedure on the same table of a different database it is working fine.
Can you please help me out in solving this problem.
-- TapKs (email@example.com), October 14, 2002

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I decided it'd be an interesting idea to introduce my main characters – and to get other authors to do the same in guest posts. So I might as well start off with my main guy from my upcoming September release, Battle of Thrills:
Jared Lancaster
Age: 30s
Appearance: Do I lose respect points if I say 'like Nathan Fillion'? I know he's not regarded as THE sexiest man alive, but there's something about him… He's on my list of 'men I would date if I was straight'. And it's not a long list!
Sexual orientation: Straight.
Temperament: Confident. Used to getting his own way. Imaginative – which is important, given that the 'battle of thrills' referred to in the title is his idea. He's also determined and stubborn, which are traits he and Elle, the book's heroine, share.
Distinguishing marks: No tattoos and no uber-dramatic scars, but then, Elle has enough tattoos for the both of them…
POV excerpt:
Jared glanced up from his computer screen as Elle approached his workstation, holding out a cardboard cup. "Figured you'd need the pick-me-up."
He took it from her grasp, and his fingers accidentally brushed hers, sending an electric shock through him. It was the first time since they'd begun their game that they'd made physical contact, and he hadn't meant to do so just then.
He tightened his fingers around the cup while Elle instinctively jumped and pulled away, her eyebrows shooting up and a slight victory smile tugging at her lips. "Doesn't count," he murmured, barely loud enough for her to hear.
"Oh, it so does," she said, sotto voce, before spinning to offer Kayla Morris, the Courier's celebrity correspondent, a fruit smoothie.
While the rest of them thanked her for the breakfast, Jared watched her thoughtfully, sipping his coffee. Catching her eye again a second later, he murmured, "Sick of playing so soon?"
She cocked her head to one side, her eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Okay, it doesn't count—just this once. And I get the same. Anything after that and it's game over."
"Deal," he conceded quietly, while in the background Kyle and Tom bickered about the best way to spend a weekend. She shot him a sunny smile and chipped into their conversation, sitting on the edge of Jared's desk and pulling the material of her skirt a little further up her thighs, exposing a fraction more of her pale, smooth flesh.
He tried to ignore it, tried to push out of his mind images of leaning forward and trailing kisses over every visible inch of skin, from her knee to the hem of the skirt. It was more difficult than he'd expected, and when she left her perch to examine Tom's newest electronic gadget he gave a small sigh of relief.
Memorable quote:
"Now it's your turn to do the imagining," he said softly. "Imagine your fingers are mine…my hands on your body, my fingers fucking you until you scream out for me…"
Battle of Thrills will be released on September 26th by Total-E-Bound Publishing. Watch this space for preorder links!


text:
We are rolling into the final month of summer, but if you're looking to beat the heat by looking indoors for entertainment, you should know that some possible options are going to be going away very soon. In August, contracts for certain movies on Netflix will expire, and while there are many great titles that will be arriving online August 1st, there's also some notable titles that are signing off.
So which are the best titles that will soon be hopping off of Netflix? We've culled together a list of the top 10, and we're sad to say that it's a pretty awesome bunch of movies. Make some time in your calendar, and prepare to watch all these film before they drop off the site!
The Longest DayAs far as World War II epics go, there are few films that are more epic or more World War II-ier than The Longest Day. Directed by a team including Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki, and clocking in at nearly three hours long, the film is a massive and in-depth look at the events of D-Day and the landings at Normandy. The cast is absolutely ridiculous - featuring John Wayne, Robert Mitchhum, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda and many more, and if you have the time to watch it's an amazing experience.


text:
Beautiful iconic fifties cruiser
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Continental kit, wide whites, and fender skirts
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332 V8, 2 barrel, dual exhaust
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Drives every bit as good as it looks
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Please contact us at 713-541-2281 or firstname.lastname@example.com with you questions.
Current odometer readings are required for advertising but will be sold "Exempt" due to age
Sold AS-IS with no warranty offered or implied.
For sale here locally so we reserve the right to end this listing early.
Financing Available
As little as 10% down, low rates, super long terms, and no prepayment penalty with approved credit!


text:
I have bragged about CVS and how I can stretch my money so far there! Well, here is the scenario that I actually ran TODAY. Keep in mind that I have some ECB from a prior purchase, but if you follow most of what I do, you can still make a great deal and have some ECB to spend on future purchases!
Transaction #1
$4.99 6 Pack of Scott's PaperTowels
$14.00 4 – 12 pk Diet Coke
$ 6.00 1 Tylenol
$24.99 Subtotal
-$3.00 CVS $3 off $15 purchase
-$3.00 ECB from prior purchase
-$4.00 Diet Coke Coupons I have from mycokerewards and coupon booklet
-$1.00 Tylenol Coupon I printed (link in the CVS sneak peak ad)
-$10.00 ECB from a prior purchase
$3.99 Out of pocket
ECB earned: $10.00
Transaction #2:
$2.99 Colgate
$1.49 Hershey Kisses (clearanced)
$4.48 Subototal
-$1.00 Colgate Coupon
-$1.00 Kisses Coupon
$2.48 Out of Pocket
ECB Earned: $2.99
Transaction #3:
$2.99 Colgate
$2.39 Kleenex
$.01 Kleenex
$5.39 Subtotal
-$1.00 Colgate Copuon
-$2.99 ECB just earned
-$.40 Kleenex Coupon
-$.40 Kleenex Coupon
$0.60 Subtotal
ECB earned: $2.99
So, in total, I spent $7.07 (plus tax) out of my pocket and have $12.99 in ECB to spend on a future purchase. Here is all I took home:
1 6 Pack of Scott's Paper Towels
4 12-pk Diet Coke
1 Tylenol
1 Package of Hershey Kisses
2 Tubes of Toothpaste
2 Packages of Kleenex
So, as you can see, I did pretty good and really stretched my dollars!! Plus, I have almost $13.00 to spend later on. I also scanned my card and got a coupon for $5.00 off a $30.00 purchase as well. So I actually have $18.99 to spend!!! So that is basically how you work it!
Some people get anything they can for free, but I just get what my family really can really use. There are always great deals to be had and if you need help learning or want to really stretch that dollar, contact me and I'll be happy to help!!!


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Luke Donald is taking his Ryder Cup snub into his own hands, firing his coach and getting back to basics with his long-time mentor.
Having been left off Team Europe in favor of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher by captain Paul McGinley, the former Wold No. 1 parted ways with swing coach Chuck Cook a few months ago, according to The Telegraph. He blamed himself for letting his ranking slide to 34th under Cook's supervision, which he admitted just wasn't working.
"I could have been picked ahead of Lee, Stephen or Ian and feel I could have justified the wild card," Donald told the Telegraph. "But it was not anger directed at Paul or anyone, just at the fact I'd put myself in that situation."
Donald will try to attain to his top form this week at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, back under the wing of Pat Goss, his coach for 16 years prior to his move to Cook last August.
Under Goss, Donald excelled in his short game, but he thought he needed to overhaul his swing to add distance, so he hired Cook. The alteration was too much to pin down for Donald, who said he still has a good relationship with his former coach. and "nothing for Paul [McGinley] but admiration."
"I lost sight of what made me successful," Donald said. "I focused too much on what I perceived as my weakness and forgot about my strength, which is from 150 yards in…I prefer making small improvements each day. Pat understands that and for the first few weeks we didn't talk about swing, just did some really good work on my wedge play and putting. I'm ready to compete again."
For more news that golfers everywhere are talking about, follow @golf_com on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube video channel.


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Datapalooza Day One
DATAPALOOZA DAY ONE: The first Health Datapalooza of the Trump era was pretty reassuring for people in the health IT community:
— Price: Those feelings of relief are mostly down to HHS Secretary Tom Price. The primary takeaway is Price's commitment to simplify reporting and usability burdens in EHRs.
Story Continued Below
"The promise of health IT is so great, but we must recognize that a one-size-fits-all, inflexible system for our nation's patients and physicians simply will not work," he said, adding that physicians were taking too much time "tapping on screens and keyboards rather than helping patients."
He continued, "We'll work on reducing burdens from the federal level but folks on the ground need to help make certain that IT increases usability and interoperability for physicians and patient, and I'm optimistic of the innovations you can come up with to make that happen."
Price also praised Karen DeSalvo's data-blocking pledge drive, and said the department would "encourage interoperability from the 60,000-foot level." That would leave the private sector to work on the details.
Finally, Price outed his former colleague Rep. Michael Burgess as a compulsive health app downloader who had shown him his EKG and "things I didn't even want to see on his iPhone." Burgess, who also addressed the event, asked whether he should charge Price with a HIPAA violation.
Several audience members were overheard expressing relief at the speech, which suggested that HHS under Price would be following the glide path established by the outgoing administration in health IT policy.
Price also gave a shout-out to two books: Eric Topol's "The Patient Will See You Now" and John Toussaint's "Potent Medicine." (A little bit later on the latter book.)
— Severino: The new chief of HHS's Office for Civil Rights, Roger Severino, promised to keep enforcing the privacy and security rule. "With big data comes big responsibility," he said.
— Personnel notes: Greg Downing, a mainstay of HealthDatapalooza from its start in 2010, is retiring from HHS next month, former CMS data chief Niall Brennan announced. "He was the quiet co-founder of Datapalooza and kept the Millenium Falcon together through asteroid fields and other disasters," said former HHS Chief Technology Officer Todd Park (you can't have Health Datapalooza without at least one Star Wars reference).
— Also on the Datapalooza beat: Acting AHRQ director Sharon Arnold pens a rah-rah blog post about her agency's work with respect to health data.
— Oh and this: Canadian and American public health organizations, including the CDC, announced the Healthy Behavio(u)r Data Challenge [healthdatachallenge.com] (get it? Canadian and US spellings). They're seeking help from nerds of all stripes to identify and evaluate new data sources and methods to enhance public health surveillance.
— And, finally, a new dataset: Fred Trotter's group, CareSet Systems, released a new dataset Thursday: one measuring the uptake of e-prescriptions among the Medicare Part D population. Find it here.
CONGRESS KEEPS CHUGGING ALONG: Scott Gottlieb moved one step closer to the FDA commissioner's seat, with the HELP Committee approving him 14-9, along mostly partisan lines. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the chair of the committee, said he thought Gottlieb's private sector experience was a benefit, and pronounced himself "been a little bemused" by suggestions that Gottlieb would have conflicts of interest. Alexander made sure to note that most Democrats didn't have a problem with Gottlieb predecessor Rob Califf's private sector experience. (Though some did, of course.)
Meanwhile, we maybe might and maybe might not see a Obamacare repeal-and-replace vote … Also it appears that, today, we'll see a vote on a stopgap funding bill in the House intended to avert a government shutdown.
— CHIP hearing: The Senate Finance Committee is expecting to hold a hearing on the reauthorization of CHIP May 9. Telehealth advocates have been talking about trying to hitch reforms to a big item like CHIP, so this may be something to watch.
eHealth tweet of the day: GetMyHealthData @GetMyHealthData "It's our #data, let us have access [to it]. We'll make the right decisions; we'll get it in the right hands." -Rep. Burgess #hdpalooza
FRIDAY: Your correspondent will be at Health Datapalooza, hoping he's not another anecdote palooka. Set your correspondent straight about data use at email@example.com. Discuss the greatness of data at @David_Pittman, @athurallen202, @DariusTahir, @POLITICOPro, @Morning_eHealth.
QUICK BOOK REVIEW: We hadn't heard of either Dr. Toussaint or his book, so based on Price's recommendation, we decided to check it out quickly. The book — from 2012 — includes a whole section on data transparency, including this randomly-selected quote: "Quality can be defined a hundred different ways and is usually hidden by a lack of reporting, or well-intentioned but opaque data streams that leave the customer as uninformed as he was without the data."
Toussaint recommends "a few simple measures of quality" like: number of errors, as a historical trend; or number of surgical infections in the last month.
"Notice these are outcome measures," Toussaint writes, "not process measures." CMS, he feels, "focus quality measures on whether hospital personnel complete a series of steps that correspond with the standard of care."
Unfortunately Amazon terminated our free preview of Dr. Toussaint's book at that moment, so we'll have to refrain some offering deeper insights. The people like it, as it averages a five-star review on the book-buying website.
TELEMEDICINE UPDATE: Interstate licensing compacts, which allow states to work together to more quickly and easily OK clinicians to see patients in multiple states, seem to be all the rage these days. Physical therapists' compact is now triggered this week after the 10th state, Washington, signed on. "This will change the landscape of the rehab industry," the American Telemedicine Association's Latoya Thomas told Morning eHealth.
— Arizona: A newly enacted law in Arizona changes the state's internet prescribing standards to remove CMS requirements for telehealth, basically streamlining what providers there must do
ONC WANTS TO MEASURE INTEROPERABILITY BETTER: We have interoperability standards. EHRs are certified that they conform with these standards. And yet, no interoperability. Why? ONC is taking a crack at the problem with a proposed "Interoperability Standards Measurement Framework," which is broadly aiming at helping the health care system measure how well various standards are performing: for example, how many transactions organizations are using for each standard.
In theory, this should provide an upgrade to the use of surveys to measure standards. The document says ONC is aiming to complete the task of promulgating such metrics over three to five years.
** A message from URAC: Telemedicine is growing. How do patients and regulators know that the services are safe? Or that patient information is protected? Leading healthcare accreditor URAC developed Telehealth Accreditation standards that advance healthcare quality and protect consumers, while reducing regulatory burden. In an evolving telehealth industry, national standards are critical. Learn more. **
PDMP NOTES: A few updates on the PDMP front:
— What's your feeling?: A pair of law professors wanted to know how people feel about PDMPs, and so took to Reddit to find out. One of them, Leo Beletsky, offered a tweetstorm about their findings, noting that clinicians generally liked PDMPs while drug users and patients didn't.
"Patient postings tended to express apprehension, fear, and lack of clarity about how PDMPs would impact access to pain therapy," Beletsky tweeted.
It's very interesting research, though we wonder how it might be repeated over more…conventional … social media. For example, we wonder how they evaluated posters' use of dank memes and reddit gold. (NOTE: If you don't know what this means, congratulations! You're making productive use of your brainpower).
— Florida: Researchers took a look at Floridian emergency physicians' assessment of their state PDMP, and found they still weren't using it widely. Of 88 respondents to a survey, 84 percent reported having registered, but use was low: 21 percent said they only rarely use the state's PDMP, and 51 percent said they only use the program when misuse or abuse is suspected.
Bad technology seems to be a culprit: users complained of the long lag periods to access data and the inconvenience with logging on.
FROM ACROSS THE POND: Using registries — especially those that proactively alert people — can improve vaccination uptake, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reports. (Hat tip to our Politico Europe colleague Natalie Huet.)
Calico — Alphabet's aging research arm — is really secretive, notes Vox … it's a basic science company (maybe), suggests CNBC's Christina Farr, based on a read of Alphabet head honcho Larry Page's shareholder letter.
Is the VA going to go to the cloud for its EHR?
Vanderbilt's incipient EHR installation is troubling the bean counters at Moodys.
NFL Players Association to partner with a wearables startup.
** A message from URAC: Telehealth is exploding – permeating nearly every healthcare setting, with different telehealth models and new partnerships forming every day. When it comes to quality care and patient protection, it's like the Wild West. As a leading healthcare accreditor, URAC understands how accreditation ensures that national standards for quality, accountability, consumer protection and more, are met.
URAC's telehealth accreditation – the first and only independent, third-party national program – was developed in consultation with leading experts in the telehealth industry, including representatives from healthcare providers, technology firms, consumer organizations, insurers, and academics. Industry best practices were identified in areas such as quality and coordination of care, access, safety, systems integrity and reliability, consumer protection and empowerment, and more.
Increased regulation can stifle innovation and create barriers to entry. Accreditation defines the standards of excellence, while allowing an evolving industry to innovate, ensuring patient safety and quality care. Learn more. **


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So I've decided to use the word "undiscovered" very loosely in this series, especially in this post. I discovered Nash Edgerton about 3 years ago when I first saw his heart stopping short "Spider." This film lit me up then blew my fucking socks off. I knew instantly Nash was my kind of filmmaker. His ability to tell an in the moment type story that's compelling, simplistic and utterly engaging is something that's few and far between in the realm of short films. I've watched a ton of shorts and most seem cram so much information in their stories you're overloaded with irrelevant details leading to predictable conclusions. It's like whoever taught them about making movies didn't teach them how to make short movies. I've seen enough feature films told in 20 minutes or less to last a lifetime. When filmmakers are in the lab creating their next festival blockbuster it is key to create a narrative that is captivating, evoking and leaves your audience thirsty for more. That to me is the sign of a great short film and Nash Edgerton has perfected it.
Nash is an Australian writer, director, producer, actor, editor and stuntman. He is most famous for his stunt work which includes The Matrix triology, The Thin Red Line, Superman Returns, Star Wars II, Stars Wars III and a whole lot more. Nash is a member of the Australian based company Blue-Tongue Films and the LA based music video/commercial company The Directors Bureau. His most recent and probably most mainstream work is the Brandon Flowers music video "Crossfire" starring Charlize Theron. This video is original, creative and literally kicks fucking ass! Nash has directed one feature film titled "Square" as well as a handful of shorts. Though I have yet to see "Square," I can bet that the film has a very humanistic feel just as all his shorts do. The thing I love about Nash's style is that his films feel like they are plucked from real life. No matter how fantastic the story, he encompasses the ability to make moments feel real. Dialogue, actions and situations in which his characters are involved are portrayed in a ways that don't feel forced or contrived. Nash adds the human element to his work that can bring you deep into his stories, then he'll punch you in the face so be prepared. Nash Edgerton is a badass, and if you've never heard of him, mark my words…that won't be for long.
Here's a few of my favorite Nash Edgerton shorts:


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w96m026.jpeg [22KB]:
Masquerade - Journeyman #42 - Nell Jennie Faries. I believe the costume is from The Diamond Age.
Photo by Debbie King
Information updated by Susan de Guardiola
Updated September 18, 2000. If you have a comment about these Web pages, please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster.
Copyright © YEAR by F.A.N.A.C. Inc.


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KATELIOS beach is on the south-east of Kefalonia. It is a long beach and in essence an extension of the main road on which many restaurants and coffee places can guaranteeyou a nice awakening if you stop by before your morning-afternoon swim. The view from thisbeach is wonderful as it stretches all the way to the neighboring Zakynthos island.
East of Katelios is POTAMAKIA beach where the loggerhead turtles nest. You can be guided to see them from June to September. Visitors without guides are discouraged to go.
Agia Efimia
Lepeda Beach
Petani Beach
Antisamos Beach
Lourdas Bay
Platia Ammos
Avithos Beach
Makris Gialos and Platis Gialos
Poros Beach
Emblisi Beach
Mounda Beach
Skala Beach
Katelios Beach and Potamakia Beach
Myrtos Beach
Xi Beach


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Description: Article details the history of the Civil War strife along the Missouri and Kansas border. Order Number 11 issued by the Union forces led nearly twenty thousand people to abandon their homes in the Missouri counties of Jackson, Cass, Bates and parts of Vernon. Includes a reproduction of the order as well as photographs and other illustrations including information on William Quantrill.
Creator: Sarah Bohl
Subject: Order Number 11; Quantrill, William C.; Border Warfare; Civil War
Date: Spring 2004
Volume: 36
Location: Periodicals
Collection: Prologue
Illustrations: Yes
Number: 1
Pages: 44-51
Item Type: Magazine Article


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After a few years, when too much bone density is lost, the entire physiology of the face can change, making the cheeks look "dropped in". Besides these problems, bone loss also affects negatively the way dentures can be fit into the mouth.
Bone loss and dentures
Patients who struggle with missing teeth can definitely take advantage of the benefits offered by dentures. The dentures will support nicely the entire arc in the mouth, and will not allow the cheeks to suffer deformities due to bone density loss.
However, it is important to keep in mind that dentures will not actually help restoring good health in the gumline, where the natural tooth root is already missing. Dentures only offer some support and a good function so that you can eat and speak normally.
If you already have dentures, and the bone density is in its deteriorating process, the dentures might easily become ill fitting. They will feel loose, and the patient can even experience pain and discomfort as the natural shape of the entire gumline and jaw line is changing.
The ideal solution for cases of bone loss is represented by the dental implants. The dental implants will not only replace the teeth like the dentures do, but they will also help replacing the function and the form of the entire dental arc, and of the tooth roots as well.
When you get dental implants, jaw bone deterioration is stopped successfully, as the implants do provide a "dental root" as well (the titanium insert will take place of the natural tooth root).
Dental implants support through bone grafting
The dental implants are fitted right into the jawbone, because only this way will they be able to replace functionally and aesthetically the tooth.
When the patient struggles with bone loss, bone grafting might be needed in order to help supporting the implants well. Through grafting, the structure of the jaw bone is improved, and the implants can be fitted successfully.
The dentist will usually add extra bone mass to the area where there is a lack of bone within the jaw. Bone jaw can weaken over time, and resorption can occur if a patient does not get dental implants for several years after the tooth has been lost.
Make sure to discuss with your dentist the best possible treatment plan if you struggle with missing teeth. As already noted, dentures are good, but they do not provide sufficient support if you already struggle with massive bone loss.


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Photos Courtesy of What A Day! Photography
Awhile back we had the pleasure of working with Sunset Ranch, a 30-acre property located atop Waimea Valley on Oahu's North Shore for their Launch Party. The privately owned ranch has recently been protected with one of Hawaii's first private conservation easements, so it will remain preserved forever. At Sunset Ranch they believe strongly in furthering land conservation and self-sustainability in Hawaii and have now opened the property up for events, farming, a nursery and horsemanship programs.
The ranch itself is BEAU-TI-FUL! With gorgeous views, and so many different venues (both outdoor and indoor) for a wedding, or special event. For their barn design, we were asked to create a modern wedding cake detailed with rustic and romantic elements to accompany the beautiful tablescape. For the modern element we created a 2-tier hexagon shaped cake, and accented it with handmade white whimsical sugar flowers on a light ivory fondant for a soft, romantic and rustic blend.
I absolutely love all the little details that Shilhi from Passion Roots put into this design. The color palate of cream, peach, and pink with accents of eggplant was stunning. Shilhi wanted to incorporate a softness with the flowers, and balance it out with a deep, lusciousness of grapes and plums (reflecting the produce from a farm, and honoring all the hard work that goes into farming). And the influence of owls, fruit, wheat and cork were perfect additions for a "rustic elegance" themed wedding.
Photos Courtesy of Heather Kato
In our next post, we'll share more of the beautiful landscapes of Sunset Ranch with the ceremony design part of the launch. Stay tuned...
Fabulous Vendors from the Sunset Ranch Launch Event:
Cakes: A Cake Life
Event Coordinator: Seasons Of Life Wedding & Events
Floral Design: Passion Roots
Photography: What A Day! Photography
Venue: Sunset Ranch


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The two diggers have unearthed more zouk tunes for the Heavenly Sweetness label.
Digital Zandoli 2: Funky Zouk Spectrum 1984-1993 follows two mixtapes and a 2016 compilation focusing on zouk, a style of electronic music influenced by funk, boogie, Latin and African music that thrived in the French West Indies during the 1980s. The music has once again been selected by Julien Achard (of Digger's Digest) and Nicolas Skliris, who have included obscure tracks alongside music by well-known acts like Osmose and Michel Alibo.
Listen to compilation track "Ban Di Fwan" by Coco Fabert.
01. Coco Fabert - Ban Di Fwan
02. Wach' Da Star De La Rue - Confrontation (Instrumental)
03. Michel Alibo - Fou, Jaloux
04. Osmose - Melodi
05. Juliane - Blanc E Noir (Instrumental)
06. Champagn' Cocktail Lavaxn - L Anmou Aw
07. Jo Star - Demare Moin
08. Alex Rosa - Sistem
09. Patrick Nuissier - Pou Qui
10. Vik In - Tension La Ka Monte
12. Djeminay - Sun Plash
Heavenly Sweetness will release Digital Zandoli 2: Funky Zouk Spectrum 1984-1993 on September 22nd, 2017.


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Flat-panel renovations to young couple with the Renewed modern home
Previous modern for your block of flats, Specially designed housing estates renovation presentation of our articles (total of apartment renovation, broke down-modern home of real property 51sqm) received a total of opinions readers' House so much to spend on chimera "," If you have money then why are panel "," not worth it "," conjured up "etc. Such Opinions are not only individually, but more expensive, renovated, small apartments, sometimes in the context of suggesting Also, as more money if Quality only to kill your expensive equipment and renovated real estate would make sense for. ..
Our Opinion harm is there are many aspects on on May set off, that is not about the outside observer, there are many Factors, Which in the case of property harm is certified by the Greater Financial Expenditure (small and flat panel), eg. You inherited an apartment, a good location, infrastructure, transport, workplace, school, etc. Money can be a demanding renovation, but bigger, more expensive property purchase is no longer sure hurt enough credit, but not everyone is livable, modern living environment you want for yourself, for your family. Everyone has a different priority, the flat interior is who is willing to spend more money and buy more expensive condo is one who takes to the sophisticated equipment will no longer be APPROPRIATE.
In the pictures below you can see 86nm, a total of flat-panel renovation of the roominess, quality, but well thought out budget. The young couple Averse been armed to the open layout, not the two separate room to the space July Andrásy have been a senior place in the living room, dining room and the kitchen. The bright interior with warm parquet flooring, a neutral, patterned wallpaper, wood and white combination, the small bright green (the dining room chairs and carpet) to form a pleasant, modern atmosphere. The kitchen has been equipped with one side of the wall, this will in- crease the floor space can be seen visually widens the space. The living room with built-in build Aquarium interesting solution.
The bedroom is decorated with unique furniture, the furniture and the bed unit. The bathroom has a small bright yellow spice up the overall picture, the Foyer behind Plexiglas sliding doors of the wardrobe has been disconnected, so it would seem more spacious.


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Gaining relevant experience through the Formula Student competition, James Hazelhurst gets to walk into work every morning past a row of Bentleys…
What's your name?
James Hazlehurst
Where do you work?
I work at Bentley Motors in Crewe.
What's your job title?
Graduate Chassis Engineer.
How long have you been doing that?
I joined Bentley in October 2010.
How did you get there?
I completed an MEng degree in Mechanical Engineering after taking my A-levels in Maths, Physics and Chemistry. Through my involvement with the IMechE Formula Student project to design, build and test a small single seat racing car I developed specific knowledge relative to automotive engineering from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
What are you currently studying?
Although not a formal training course, I am working at Bentley under the Graduate Development Programme. This consists of a number of varied placements around the entire company to give as wide an exposure as possible; the aim being that graduates obtain a wider understanding of the whole company and how their work fits into that of the business.
What's the work like?
Widely varied: from analysing data on a computer to being on my feet all day chasing up parts and conducting physical tests.
What are the people you work with like?
Bentley places great emphasis on its behavioural framework and this reflects in the quality of people that it attracts. Everyone is great to work with and works as a team.
What's the best thing about the job?
I have always had a passion for cars and to get a job with a great British marque is a dream come true. Nothing beats walking into work every morning past a row of Bentleys.
Much travel involved?
I have been out to Spain to a test track conducting car tests for a week, with future trips on the horizon. The department I'm in undertakes a lot of testing around Europe.
What do you think you'll do next?
I'm currently halfway through my first placement in my Vehicle Dynamics and I'm looking forward to my next placement in either Quality or Press and Specials in a couple of months time. I'm looking forward to the end of my graduate scheme so I can take all my experience into a permanent position and make a significant contribution to the product that the company makes.
Any advice to prospective graduates?
Take any opportunity you get to experience practical engineering outside of your structured training/qualification. Not only will it teach you to think for yourself and apply the knowledge you do have to new situations, it will also give you priceless practical and hands on experience. It will also make you more appealing to prospective employers.


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Gecko solved
Saturday the 21st of November the final column "De damkunst" by Arne van Mourik has been published. Linked to this is his tournament problem, entitled Gecko. The only limitation is the edge of the board, for the rest, the artist has the freedom to enjoy himself.
White has a lot more material, but on every 'normal' reaction black will combine, thanks to his four kings. How can white still win?
Geckos are known for their ability to stick to all kinds of surfaces, even vertically and upside down on glass. In this composition the kings jump to the left wall like geckos.
Here is the solution.
Harm Jetten's widely known Dam2.2 can't find it. For Kingsrow a picosecond will do. He finds exactly the solution given by Arne van Mourik:
44-40 (13×49) 41-37 (35×22) 11-7 (19×41) [the first gekko to the wall] 7×27 (49×21) [the second] 46×37 (48×31) [the third] 26×17 (50×11) [the fourth] 16×7 (2×11*) 36×27 (11-17 of?) 15-10 (14×5) 20-14 (9×20) 25×14 (3-8) 14-9 (8-13 or?) 9×18 (17-22) 18-12 (22×31) 12-7 (1×12) 6-1 (31-36) 1×23 and black may choose if a white king finally ends high or low.
Well, of course Kingsrow prefers 12-17 as black's last move, instead of 31-36. Kingsrow ain't no problemist.


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Future Students
Discover your area of research interest and add your ideas and insights to the global body of knowledge.
Postgraduate research degrees are specialised and research-intensive. Interactions with your supervisory team is key as is management of the various aspects of your investigative work.
Our higher degrees by research will help you to make an impact in your chosen field of study.


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What You'll Get
Barbecue sauce recipes are often strict family secrets handed down from generation to generation, unlike passwords to Narnia and the lycanthropy gene. Enter a fantastical world of barbecue with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of fare and drinks at Maderas Steak & Ribs in Los Alamitos.
Maderas Steak & Ribs, a family-oriented steakhouse, prides itself in friendly service and a diverse menu of items slathered in its signature barbecue sauce. For dinner, savor the savory tri-tip, which arrives in thin strips soaked in the homemade barbecue sauce ($19.95), or try the baja fish tacos, which come packed with either mahi-mahi or salmon ($11.95). Following at a discreet distance, creamy New York cheesecake tempts any patrons still unstuffed ($6.45). Feel free to enlist the various liquids of the well-stocked bar to quell mouth fires or to stoke disco infernos ignited by the restaurant's frequent live music.
Yelpers give Maderas Steak & Ribs a 3.5-star average, and five TripAdvisors give it a four owl-eye average.
- Everything was grilled to perfection and the veggies were to DIE for! – Michelle V., Yelp
- The service was excellent, ambiance warm and quiet. Everything we ate was wonderful – gardog, TripAdvisor
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Jul 28, 2011. Amount paid never expires. Limit 3 per person. Limit 1 per table. Dine-in only. Not valid toward specials or on holidays. Tax and gratuity not included. Not valid with other offers. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About DUPLICATE - DO NOT USE Maderas Steak and Ribs Orange County
Smokiness drawn from New Mexican chili peppers grown in Hatch wafts across taste buds at Maderas Steak & Ribs, where kitchen commanders infuse southwestern standards with the distinct fire and spice of red or roasted green chilies. The zesty peppers heat up piles of chicken, pork, or veggie enchiladas, which share a menu with fresh seafood and hefty steaks forged from prime Angus beef. To sustain flavor throughout meals, in-house pastry chefs fill crumbly crusts with pie or cheesecake swirled with fresh fruit and juices.
Neon lighting grants old-timey-diner appeal to the spacious tables and cushy booths of Maderas's big, kid-friendly room, through which live music occasionally wanders on Friday and Saturday nights and whenever forks happen to clang melodically against glassware or mom's glass chewing-gum dispenser.


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* Unique waterproofing standard for up to 30 meters deep submerging in the water, you can either wash hands, wash the face or take a shower etc.
Function Overview:
* Displaying Time and date via LED digital tube
* auto-calendar
* 12 hours system
* One-button operation
* Power-saving Mode: auto-off on OSD if no button actions were taken within 3 sec.
Mode selection:
* Press the button to activate the LED display
* Choose Time mode, Date mode, and Micro chronometer Mode by press the button sequentially
* PS: The dot in front of the "Hour" means "PM"
Data Setting:
* In "Time Mode", Long press the button so as to get into the "Setting Mode". When the "hour" starts flickering, single-press the button to modify the number. Keep long-pressing the button to swift the object to be set, which would be "Hour", "Minute", "Month", "Day" in sequence, and all of them can be modify by single-pressing the button.
* When you finish modification, auto system will turn the mode back to "Time Mode" in 5 sec.
* Please avoid lighting up the LED display continuously for a long time. When it's in low battery, the brightness of the LED display will dim out. User should swap the battery that is in the same specification.
Package included: 1 x LED Watch


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Bristol's estate agent Knight Frank handles Bristol harbourside houses, apartments and penthouses for sale (BS1 and BS8).
Bristol's iconic floating harbour encapsulates the centre of Bristol and its blend of industrial buildings and modern contemporary developments. With landmarks such as the ss Great Britain and Bristol's Arnolfini, there are a huge amount of bars, restaurants and cafes to enjoy, coupled with large employers, gyms and hotels.
There is a diversity of buildings within the city centre from post war / modern, to developments that are still under construction. Most common are the contemporary developments that range from one bedroom apartments to penthouses with water views.
Bristol's harbour side is unique, with its constant supply of food and cultural events throughout the calendar year, most famously the Bristol Harbour Festival, held in July.
Homeowners and investors alike buy into its wide range of bars, restaurants, galleries and cinemas, not to mention Temple Meads railway station being within easy reach.
Knight Frank's Bristol office has a continued success in selling properties in the harbour side area. Many developments containing some of the best houses and apartments were sold by the new homes department and therefore our knowledge of the city and its buildings could not be better. Having lived on the harbour side for 4 years, Robin Engley knows exactly what to enjoy and where to enjoy it.
Should you wish to have advice on the best way to market your harbour side property, or you are looking to purchase a property with water views, please do contact us today on 0117 317 1999 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Chloe Mann had a night for the history books, as she took over Florida's career hitting percentage record in Saturday's 3-0 sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Senior middle blocker Chloe Mann had a night for the history books, as she took over Florida's career hitting percentage record in Saturday's 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-10) sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The reigning SEC Player of the Year and a 2012 AVCA First Team All-American hit an errorless .583 against Milwaukee with seven kills on the night.
Mann set the record with her first swing of the night, having to register at least 1,200 attempts for her career to be eligible for the all-time list. The old record was held for 13 years by Heather Wright (1997-2000), who hit .424 during her years with the Gators.
Quick hits
*Sophomore outside hitter Gabby Mallette turned in 15 points, tying her career high, with 12 kills and five blocks.
*Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Noami Santos-Lamb tallied a career-high 10 kills against the Panthers, racking up 11 points on the night.
*Junior libero Taylor Unroe scooped 13 digs against Milwaukee, her 22nd straight match with double-digit digs. The tally dates back to her 20-dig match against Tennessee on Nov. 4, 2012.
*Senior setter Taylor Brauneis led the Gators to their eighth match of the season above .300, dishing out 32 assists and leading Florida to a .396 hitting percentage. In the first stanza, Florida hit .560 with just two errors.
*Florida is undefeated (11-0) when capturing the first set in 2013.
*Saturday night was Florida's eighth sweep of 2013.


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text: A few years ago, I was teaching my 3rd grade art students about Vincent Van Gogh. I showed a short slideshow of his major works, one of which was The Potato Eaters. Afterward, I gave the students a few minutes to talk to their neighbors about what they saw, and I overheard this conversation:


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With everyday low prices and a constantly evolving inventory of new cars, Ramsey Motor Company is a great place to go for a 2012 and 2013 Chrysler, Jeep, RAM or Dodge in Harrison. We have the experience to get you into the driver's seat of that new Chrysler, Jeep, RAM or Dodge which meets all your needs. A member of the Ramsey Motor Company sales team is ready to answer any questions you have. Take a spin in the all new 200, Town & Country, Wrangler, Compass, Liberty, Grand Caravan, Nitro, Journey, RAM, Caliber and many others, by visiting Ramsey Motor Company today. We will get you into a new or used car and onto the Harrison streets in style!


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Denver Comic Con is Colorado's largest comic convention. People come from all over the state and from all over the country to this convention. If this is your first Denver Comic Con, here are my PewPewCat's tips for Denver Comic Con 2017 to making the next three days the most enjoyable.
What is Denver Comic Con?
Denver Comic Con started in 2012 to help fund the organization now known as Pop Culture Classroom (PCC). PCC is a Denver-based nonprofit that brings a love of learning back into schools and even correctional facilities. They do this by using popular culture in order to increase literacy and celebrate diversity. By doing this it builds a relationship with the community and teaches the individual the power of self-expression. It's a wonderful organization the helps children and adults alike. For more information: http://popcultureclassroom.org/
Denver Comic Con is also an educational program of PCC that has more than 600 hours of educational programming, and areas of the convention floor dedicated to the Pop Culture Laboratory, an educational area for kids. The Pop Culture Laboratory is an area to engage kids on educational activities such as allowing young artists/creators to work directly with professionals from the comic book and animation industries as well as other creative professions. It's a great time for kids to learn directly from the creators who work on their favorite shows.
The Essentials
There's hundreds of hours of panels taking place throughout the convention. Want to get ahead and plan out your convention? You can! Denver Comic Con has released a digital copy of the programming schedule on their website. Plus, if you want it on your phone there's an app for it as well. Click the link for more information on the schedule and for the app: http://popcultureclassroom.org/dcc/panels-and-workshops/
Now, if you've never been to the convention before and are planning on staying the whole day, there is a food court in Denver Comic Con. There are also multiple adult beverage stations as well, all serving the convention beer I AM BREWT. The food court is pretty expensive and the lines around meal time become pretty long. Yet, there are restaurants around the convention center as well, and the 16th Street Mall is two blocks away from the convention. If none sound appealing, pack a lunch. If anything though, bring a water bottle. Keeping hydrated while at the convention is a must.
I will warn you though, there are going to be a ton of people at this event. Be sure to bring good walking shoes that you can handle walking in for hours, bring pain medication just in case you develop a headache, and be sure to take care of your personal hygiene. I'm a huge fan of deodorant and showers.
Also, if you are a cosplayer, be sure to bring a sewing kit or safety pins for any unfortunate mishaps and glue for any prop or costume breaks. I know that it gets super hot under those wigs so be sure to drink plenty of water. Please read the Denver Comic Con rules and regulations for cosplay before going to the convention. They're pretty strict and I don't want you to be turned away. You can find them here: http://popcultureclassroom.org/dcc/cosplay/
If you're not a cosplayer but want to take photos of or with the cosplayer, please be respectful and ask the cosplayer for a photo. If they refuse, respect their wishes. Denver Comic Con takes any harassment very seriously and wants all attendees to feel safe at all times. If you ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable, report it to a Denver Comic Con volunteer right away. They are there to help.
Hopefully this helps in explaining what to expect out of your Denver Comic Con experience. If you have any questions just let me know! Oh, be sure to check out the video game area! I can't wait to see you all there!


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Oh Benny (and Betsy), you have been great fun over the last month, but it's September now, and you have to go away back into the toy box!
You played in giant brick pits…
You tried (and failed) to build a spaceship out of strawberry laces
You played in the boat pond…
And you witnessed an awful lot of summer rain.
But when the sun came out it was glorious!
You started your first minion army.
You played on zip wires…
and then you got found by a giant robot and it was all over!
September will see Stormtroopers out in force! Check back to see them (and possibly, a review of the Wall-E build, as he is awesome!)


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- Brisbane
- North
- Breakfast/Brunch
- Lunch
Windsor Larder
Whatever time of day you stop in, there's no resisting the all day breakfast dishes here. Ricotta gnocchi topped with chorizo, poached eggs and a tomato and basil sauce? Or how about ricotta hot cakes with strawberries, basil, maple syrup and ice cream for the sweet tooths? There's no choosing a sandwich over that.
If you like to keep your breakfast and lunch routine separate though, the menu also offers up lunch time eats of fresh pastries, salads and soups, as well as an ever changing menu of seasonal feeds. Chef and owner Doug isn't one for a regimented menu and has an entire library of cookbooks on the shelves for inspiration, so you never know what you'll find on the specials board!
It's not just eating in on offer either – lining the pantry shelves of the café you'll find irresistible jams, smoked salts, jars of pickled goods and other gourmet delicacies, as well as freshly baked loaves from Brassiere Bread to take home with necessities like milk and butter.


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- This event has passed.
ASA-Midwest Central Missouri Chapter Meeting: Selling Diagnostic Services for Maximum Profits
April 18 @ 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm$99
Event Navigation
Selling Diagnostic Services for Maximum Profits
presented in person by Jeremy O'Neal, Advisorfix
Take a journey into the world of your customer and find out exactly how to sell Diagnostic Services for Maximum Profit. During the course Jeremy will assist each participant in understanding how to create Diagnostic Service Packages that auto repair consumers will pay for. Each participant will learn a step by step system for identifying the right type of jobs to apply diagnostic charges to and how to properly present these sales to customers. Participants will learn how to deal with the 5 most common sales objections presented when selling diagnostic services. The goal is to help each participant create a more profitable repair shop.


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A lot of you have been asking me for instructions on how I made my paper rose. I didn't anticipate it being so loved by many of you. Thank you so much.
I must tell you that I can't take full credit for this idea. I was looking around and I came across Tim Holtz blog totally by accident and saw the beautiful rose he did. I thought to myself "HEY", I can totally do this with the Extra Large Fancy Flower punch and so I did.
Here are my instructions for my version of the rose.
Supplies I used: Card stock 2.5 x 8.5, Bone Folder, Extra Large Fancy Flower punch, Tombo glue, sponge, paper clips, scissors
Ink colors I used: Rich Razzleberry and Orchid Opulence
Step 1. Destroy Fibers in the card stock. You can do this by rubbing the card stock against a edge of a desk, back and forth until the it is easily bendable.
Step 2. Punch 3 flowers with the Extra Large Fancy Flower punch and sponge edges. I used Rich Razzleberry and speckled the whole flower and Orchid Opulence on the outer edges on both sides.
Step 3. Flower #1 make a cut in-between 2 petals half way up. Flower #2 cut one petal completely out. Flower #3 cut two petals completely out. You should have 5 pieces.
Step 4. Apply glue on right side of petal and overlap petal on the left to make a cone shape. Use paper clips to hold until glue drys. Do this to all flowers excluding the 2 pedals you cut out. What you have should look like this now.
Step 5. Roll the top edges of the smallest pedal towards the center.
Step 6. Roll the top of the left petal down. Turn the petal around to the opposite side and roll into a cone shape and glue.
Step 7. After the sections dry, carefully cut off the bottom tips of all pieces. Cutting the ends off help the pieces nest inside each other nicely.
Step 8. Curl each of the the petal pieces. If you find the paper still to stiff to work with, I used the bone folder to destroy the fibers even more to help curl the petals.
Step 9. Working from the biggest piece of the rose to the smallest. Apply glue to the inside of the 4 petal section and place the 3 petal piece inside. Repeat this with all sections and finishing by gluing the smallest petal inside.
Step 10. After the rose is dry I used my fingers to form the rose even further if needed and placed on my project.


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How to Get Free eBooks
You can get all below shown eBooks which is completely freely available to you through ELinuxBook. For that you just have to complete one time registration process and then you can download each and every free eBooks from our site by entering your Username and Password.
Note : If you have already registered then use your Login details to Download the eBook for FREE!
This Free E-Book comes with all basic features of Linux, Recommended for all newbies or beginners who just started learning Linux and want to make his carrier in Linux. Total Pages 255.
This Book comes with all below Contents :
- Introduction
- Basic concepts and commands
- Knoppix workshop
- GNU/Linux installation
- Debian Etch installation workshop
- Basic configurations
- Daemons and runlevels
- Installation of applications
- Workshop on basic configurations
- X-Window architecture
- X-Window workshop


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Honda ACCORD₦990,000.00 | Imo, Isu
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* CD, AM & FM Radio. * Leather Seat. * Power Steering. * Power Mirrors. * Power Windows. * Central Lock. * Alloy Wheels. *V6 ENGINE * AC. * 5 Persons Seat Capacity. * ABS Brakes. *...Add to Compare Remove compare Share Add to favorites Remove Favorite Details Contact
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Cancer is one one of the most deadly diseases present today and until now there is no cure. But Foods can be used as a fighting tool against Cancer. Learn the following foods in the list below.
- Leafy Green Vegetables
- Wild Fish
- Traditional Teas
- Mushrooms
- Healthy Unrefined Oils
- Dairy Products
- Organic Meats
- Fresh Spices
- Orange-Colored Fruits
- Berries
- Cruciferous Vegetables
The following will help those who are suffering this disease.


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Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
Soooo guys, I've been really hitting the gym!! I've been working out two times a day and five days a week for a few weeks now and I'm actually seeing result. It works!! Working out really works lol, It was about time I got my life back in order in this aspect. I can't be spiritually fit and physically a hot mess......and that is what brings me to this blog post today, I want to tell you all a story as I've been known to do so many times before.
I was in the gym the other day and I saw this girl come in and start working out on a machine near by, she was getting it y'all!! You know that saying go hard or go home, well she had totally got the motto down to a science because she was going HARRRRD!! (with no intentions of going home anytime soon) Then me with my imperfect self started looking at her like she was crazy, not because she was making me feel like I wasn't doing enough, but because she was already thin.
I truly didn't understand why she needed to go so hard on that machine, because to my naked eye she looked as though she was already pretty much in shape. I told the Lord "If I was even half the size she is I wouldn't dare be going that hard, I'd be trying to maintain the little weight I do have, not let it melt away." Then the Lord started speaking to my heart telling me that "just because she looks thin, doesn't mean she is automatically in shape." Me being a smarty pants said "well she sure could run longer than me!" he said "that may be true, but is her spirit in shape?" and at that moment it all begin to click as he kept giving me revelation after revelation.
The little hair that I do have now was blown back (he is constantly blowing my hair back with revelation). He told me that just like a lot of Christians they walk around "looking" the part but not really laboring the part. They go to church 2-4 times a week, wear nice suits and dresses, and know my Word, but their spirit is completely and utterly out of shape. He told me "Christianity is a show and competition to many of them. They play with my name and put words in my mouth. They are more traditional and religious than they are loving and focused on a solid relationship with me."
I wish you could of seen my face at this point in the middle of that gym. I hadn't signed up for a sermon and a workout that day, but he gave me some good revelation that had me completely out done. Although I have discerned such things about some people, the Lord had never talked so direct to me about "Christians".
Perhaps you know someone like this or maybe that someone is you; however I encourage you to get back to what really matters, the last thing you want is for God to dismiss you from his gates on judgement day because you'd rather play church than to actually be the church!
Are you in shape? Have you been strengthening your spirit man as much as you've been lifting weights? Have you been ignoring your relationship with God? Have you been walking around "claiming" that you are a child of God but yet your life is fruitless? Do you look and talk the part but have failed to walk the part? If so, thank God the end hasn't come YET and there is still hope! God wants a relationship with you! Not only does he wants us to take care of our bodies, he wants us to take care of our spirit. Especially if he has called you to lead in ministry. You have to be in constant communication and right relationship with him to lead properly. He longs for you! He needs you! He wants to help you be bold, confident, and authentic for his Glory! #GetBackTOTheBasics
I hope & pray that this has blessed you; if so please SHARE so that it can bless someone else. COMMENT below how you stay connected to God in a ever changing world full of chaos, & be sure to SUBSCRIBE its FREE!!!
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Good news for horror fans who didn't make the pilgrimage to their local dollar theatre to catch Midnight Meat Train in its August dump release, you can now catch it via FearNet. I can't speak for all cable subscribers, but Comcast customers can access it via OnDemand>Free Movies>FearNet. You can also watch some making of videos, which you can also watch on the website. Of course after you watch it, you may come to the same conclusion I did – Lionsgate didn't slaughter Midnight Meat Train for shits and giggles, no, it was definitely a mercy killing.
But first, this is totally out of left field and unrelated, but something randomly triggered my memory while watching MMT and I remembered something I forgot to mention in my review of Mirrors back in August. At one point they had a character watching the news on television, totally standard stuff, until I hear they're reporting on, of all things, the Peter Braunstein case. What the hell? First of all, I always assumed those background news shows in movies were fake, but if you are gonna go for verisimilitude, couldn't you use something more standard, the usual b&e or traffic accident or whatever, something less distinctive? Using a news clip that's real and about something so horrific really pulled me out of the movie for a good five minutes. I go to horror movies to escape the real horrors of the world, not to be reminded of them. And it's even worse to give that monster any more attention than he's already been given. Yuck.
Anyway, Midnight Meat Train. It was not as good as I expected it to be. I know, you're thinking, "You had expectations for a movie called Midnight Meat Train?" But it should be clear to everyone by now that I am not particularly discerning when it comes to horror movies. I know what I like, and MMT seemed to have all the earmarks of something I'd enjoy. It has Bradley Cooper for one. It also has Leslie Bibb. And it seemed to promise fun times watching people get slaughtered on a subway. But the movie, while wobbly throughout, goes irrevocably off the rails in the third act. Pardon the pun.
It starts out well enough. Cooper plays Leon (which is not the worst name in the film – that dubious honor goes to "Jurgis"), a photographer who is told by a mentor-type-person (played by Brooke Shields) that his work is too safe and he must step out of his comfort zone. When Dan Humphrey got that advice earlier this week, he struck up a bromance with Chuck Bass. But Leon takes it as an invitation to follow an underground serial killer (the also-poorly-named Mahogany, played by Vinnie Jones).
[Warning: There is some spoilage for the movie's ending after this point. If you care about watching Midnight Meat Train spoiler-free, I suggest you peace out now and check back later this week for my thoughts on The Glass Passenger and more fall TV reviews.]
Midnight Meat Train goes along entertainingly, predictably but entertainingly, in this vein for a while. Leon can't get the police or his girlfriend (Leslie Bibb as Maya) to believe him, he falls further down the venisonhole and starts obsessing, blah blah blah. All is fine and well until we learn that Mr. Hack and Slash is not working alone – he's got the train conductor on his side. Which does make sense because it is a pretty grisly and unsubtle operation to pull off by oneself, but it immediately shifted the kind of movie we were dealing with, and not for the better.
By the time we get to the end of the line, it's veered off into a weird place populated by cult members and monstrous mole people. Suddenly there's supernatural stuff and talk of destiny and, man, this is not what I signed up for. And okay, I can't penalize a movie for being different than I expected it to be, but I can penalize it for having a wackadoodle ending that doesn't mesh with the straightforward slasher first act.
There's also a lot of disbelief requiring suspension. Of all the cops in the (unnamed, shot in L.A. but reads more generically NYC) city, Leon and Maya just happen to go to the one who's in on the meat train conspiracy. Very convenient. And really, any large city has a transient population that can be easily picked off, people who wouldn't be missed, so why go through all the trouble of commandeering the train and picking off assorted people who might be more easily missed? The connection – if any – between the meatpacking plant and the creatures getting fed the meat is never really explained. Is the plant a (bloody) red herring? There's also some weird business with Mahogany picking something off his chest and putting it into jars kept in his medicine cabinet that is never really explained. There's just a lot of weird shoehorned in and improperly explained. I think they could have made the straight-up slasher flick, or they could have made the creepy supernatural horror flick, but they tried to make both and wound up with neither.
Also, they interrupted the movie midway through, at "intermission", to show a trailer for Saw V. I am so very completely over the Saw series, for the record. The first movie was okay, the second was really good, the third and fourth were largely incomprehensible. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably go see it, because I'm a masochist, but I'm more looking forward to Quarantine than I am more Saw dust.
I now understand why Lionsgate was so quick to dump Midnight Meat Train into second-run Podunk theatres. Despite an admirable job by Cooper and Bibb, who acted the hell out of their parts and made the movie more watchable than it would have otherwise been, Midnight Meat Train is the turducken of horror movies, trying to be too much at once and instead ending up a steaming pile of goo.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
It's He-ere: Midnight Meat Train
Good news for horror fans who didn't make the pilgrimage to their local dollar theatre to catch Midnight Meat Train in its August dump release, you can now catch it via FearNet. I can't speak for all cable subscribers, but Comcast customers can access it via OnDemand>Free Movies>FearNet. You can also watch some making of videos, which you can also watch on the website. Of course after you watch it, you may come to the same conclusion I did – Lionsgate didn't slaughter Midnight Meat Train for shits and giggles, no, it was definitely a mercy killing.
2 comments:
- Sex Mahoney for President said...
With a great title like that and mole people, I feel like I have to see this movie.
Sex Mahoney for President
- Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:39:00 AM EDT
- smd said...
It's worth seeing if you know what you're getting into, I think I would have been less jarred and enjoyed it more had I known the supernatural stuff was coming, since I enjoyed a lot of it up to that point. But if you have any interest in mole people, you have to read The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth, a great non-fiction account of the real mole people of NYC.
- Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 10:52:00 AM EDT