text:
Scoot to 5.45 :D
October 23, 2009
Scoot to 5.45 :D
61 comments:
I'm seriously boycotting, I can't watch!ReplyDelete
This is where I'm going to draw my line. No way am I going to watch this now. I want to CRY in the theater with everyone else!ReplyDelete
Seriously, good for you guys - I am a weak crack addict!ReplyDelete
- Lorabell
OMG! His words are much more harsh than what he actually said in the book.ReplyDelete
OMFE!!!!!!!!!!! ***cries***ReplyDelete
i watched the first 45 seconds and then stopped! *chants* i will be strong. i will be strong!ReplyDelete
I can't understand what they're saying. If I didn't know what it said in the book, almost line for line, I wouldn't know what's going on. Are they mumbling? Or is it sound quality? I thought the first twilight movie had a lot of mumbling in it too.ReplyDelete
But...but....but....fapohgif gjzspoghz!ReplyDelete
My boyfriend broke up with me over a text two weeks ago, after two years. I'd prefer this...haha.
I had to watch, it's not like I won't see the movie at least 4 times anyway. At least I can admit I have a problem, that's the first step. HA HA. I cannot wait!!!! They are so much more intense than I thought they would be. It looks so good. I wish Chris was directing all of them. He really has the right mood and direction.ReplyDelete
I won't watch, I won't watch! I've seen too much already. I don't want to ruin parts of the movie that are not straight from the book.ReplyDelete
Rob freaking nailed it!!!!ReplyDelete
Okay I watched it again. It was sound quality, I think. I totally understood what they were saying the second time. I think Kristen pulled of the intensity of emotion for the scene. I believed her. The way Rob kisses her head, the angle, the way we can see his face but she can't -- is utterly heartbreaking.ReplyDelete
MY HUSBAND MADE ME WATCH IT!ReplyDelete
i showed him that it was up but i told him i'm not gonna watch it. so he watched it and then told me to watch it.
i didn't cry, but i think i need to watch the stuff building up to it.
I wish Kristen would lick her lips less though. I'm just saying. But she's prettier than Rob in this scene. I think she's becoming prettier than Rob. I know it's sacrilegious to say, but it's true.ReplyDelete
I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch.I must not watch....ReplyDelete
DON'T WATCH IT!!!! I did cuz Im stupid with no will.... save it for the movie.... Im piss with my self....ReplyDelete
PS: I cry as much as I cry when I read the book....
I regret watching it too! Grr, I hate myself for giving in to the temptation. I'm seriously disappointed in myself right now.ReplyDelete
My mouth was open in disbelief of the awesomeness the whole time and my tongue got dry! Ixnay on the box of tissues, I'll just need a really big drink. Robert Pattinson should win an effing Oscar for that.ReplyDelete
I watched it- OMF'ing Edward! That was great! Thanks for posting and making a perfect ending to a really great day!ReplyDelete
Thanks for posting it..Just needed to get this scene in my mind before I go to the theater. Now I need tissues and a vodka shot. I'm really not going to be able to wear mascara Nov 20th. *Cries* Oh Edward, how you break my heart.ReplyDelete
UGH I watched part of it...couldn't resist...must go read book as a filler instead....November 20th...hurrryyyyyReplyDelete
Damn. After watching the scenes with Bella and Jake and the pack, I thought maybe this movie wouldn't be so bad... but honestly, a spoon could portray more emotion in that scene than Kristen did, I think this even out does her second hospital scene in Twilight as far as bad acting goes (which is disappointing, I thought she'd be able to pull it off because she does a good job of showing emotional pain in the movies Speak and The Messengers).ReplyDelete
I cried when I read this scene in the book, I felt nothing except amusement at the awful acting and funny wording of certain parts in the movie version.
(As for the funny wording, yes, I am immature and laughed at:
"I'm coming!"
"I don't want you to come!"
Maybe if the acting was better and I actually felt the emotions a scene like that should have induced had the acting been good then the wording wouldn't have stood out so much).
Also, the end of the scene... unless they've cut out part of it between when he leaves and when she falls, that part was terrible. In the book, she's crying and distraught and trying desperately to follow Edward and then falls and just doesn't have the strength to get up again - movie version, she just "trips" (in an obviously fake way) over a huge log and lays down a few feet away from where he left her. They didn't walk so far into the forest so it wouldn't have taken anyone long to find her.
...Done ranting now. At least the scenes with the wolf pack should be good, and they make up a lot of the movie - Taylor and all that seem to bring out the best in Kristen's acting.
This is just my opinion, looks like I'm in the minority with hating this scene. :P
I refuse to watch it. I already thought they had given us too much in the trailers. I'm waiting.ReplyDelete
When this first hit I was in the middle of class and I was SO tempted to leave so I could watch it right at the moment. But I'm not that obsessive, so I just watched it with no sound (I don't have issues, yeah - right). Then the moment my professor began closing the class I was out of there like Edward leaving Biology and sat right outside my classroom and plugged in my Bose headphones and watched it again with sound twice, so I had no issues with the sound. Now I'm home and I'm watching it again.ReplyDelete
I can't resit the TwiCrack. Hi, my name is T.J. and I'm a Twilocholic!
@ lanna-lovely: In the book Bella said she was surprised how calm she was because she was just numb. So in a way she is acting accordingly.ReplyDelete
And the whole tripping issue I agree with you, but we can't all expect every little detail to make it into the movie. I mean, the movie is already 2 hours - not that that's a bad thing - imagine if all the little things that the fans demand to be in the movie WERE actually in the movie. How long and drawn out that would be..just like Transformers 2. I liked that movie too but it was quite longer than necessary. I kept moving around to prevent myself from getting a buttlock. Lol.
I agree with you completely! I usually just let Kristen's stammering and blinking slide as I love the story, but she blew it big time in this pivotal scene. The blinking and stammering were the same as when she told Edward in Biology that she didn't like the rain. And after all, discussing weather and being dumped by your true love are very equal! LOL.
Yes, they definitely didn't show a big part that I'm sure will be in the movie - it's light out when they start talking and it's dark when she 'stumbles' over the log.
Haha, the 2nd time I watched it I did catch on to the whole "I'm coming" "I don't want you to come" bit. I hope I don't laugh at the theater!! Wow, that's gonna make a great YouTube spoof pretty soon...ReplyDelete
Wow ok soooo where is this? How could this get leaked??? Please someone explain to me! This movie is really really going to make me cry! My god this is aweeessssoommee! Chris definitely did a great job!ReplyDelete
I agree with lanna-lovely. You described it very well. Kristen CAN NOT act!!ReplyDelete
The scene was set up well and pretty much how I imagined it, but fell short. Rob tries so hard and does a great job as Edward, but Kristen doesn't give him much to work with.
I'm really looking forward to seeing Taylor Lautner as Jacob!
In the book, Bella is numb. Shock. Grief, but numb. I actually Kristen did a pretty darn good job. But I think when we see the full movie and everything leading up to that scene we will see the effect more. Rob was amazing though. The look on his face when he kisses her forehead...ReplyDelete
i started it up, but after he said "come on and take a walk with me, and i heard the sad music, i was like HELL NO! IM WAITING FOR THE MOVIE! This is most important scene in the movie. I dont want to ruin it phew!ReplyDelete
Hrmmm... Rob was really good in it, there was some very intense moments in his performance, the best thing was the tone in his voice, there is some hesitation there but as Bella pushes him more and more, his tone is more determinate until the point of getting a harsh threat style in it; there was also the aloofness facade that is described in Edward in the book, but the hint of pain in him when he kisses her forehead.ReplyDelete
As for Kristen, she did fine till the middle of it, and when she had to reach a more emotional level in the scene, she started blinking and gasping and licking her lips; the thing is that it kind of annoyed me, because there is Rob doing a good interpretation of the scene and she is missing it.
Rob carries her scenes too much; and I noticed that Taylor does it too; both good actors but Kristen as Bella is not responding to their performances.
Well, I watched, because, well, I'm a Twicrack Addict too. I've actually watched several times, to be honest. I first watched a really bad version of Twilight online before seeing the movie in the theatres, and that didn't sway me one bit, I still immensely enjoyed seeing it on the big screen. No spoilers will ruin New Moon for me! As for Kristen's acting, let's give the girl a break, shall we? I think this is a 100 times better than Twilight, and everything I've seen of her so far is awesome. And as far as New Moon (what we've seen so far), may I suggest this? CHRIS WEITZ FOR BREAKING DAWN! YEAH! ;)ReplyDelete
Okay, I did watch it once...I should have waited but I didn't :( I figured if I don't watch it over and over again, maybe it will kinda still be new when I see it at the movies LoL. I think it was done very well, pretty much how I thought it would be :) I think Kristen did a great job. Like some have already said, Bella is suppose to be numb. Like when she realizes he meant his family and him, you could tell she was thinking about it just like in the book. Robert was great as always :) It did look a little weird when she fell but I don't think that's the whole scene, it kinda looked cut or something. This is going to be a great movie, we just need to see it put together :)ReplyDelete
Also when Edward kisses Bella goodbye...OMG, this is going to be hard. He just makes me want to hug him ;)
I WILL NOT WATCH... i think... i'll try.... oye... this addiction is worse then drugs hahaReplyDelete
HOLY %^$#^%$#$%^#$&^*%*!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
I dont know this is crazy right now
I was a little disappointed in Kristen's acting too and I love her as an actress but in the book leading to the breakup they were tense with each other anyway, that may explain the way Kristen acted in this scene..think we all need to wait for the movie to let it make sense..I wish I would've had the willpower to not watch it...I still cannot wait for the movie..already got my ticket!!..ReplyDelete
Kristen did a fantastic job. Bella is described as numb. You have to remember that she is being caught off guard with his words. She thinks she is going with him. She is not acting like a lunatic, crying her eyes out, because she is in shock & disbelief. She does a 100% perfect Bella.ReplyDelete
I watched it a bunch of times and I thought Kristen did an awesome job. Yeah, she blinks. People blink. Yeah, she has the lip thing but Bella has the lip thing. So would you all have been happy if she blubbered like a fool and chased Edward through the forest? You know we would have blubbered and chased Edward through the forest, but if Kristen did it we would have laughed at her. The "coming" lines are HILARIOUS if you watch it a few times. REALLY FUNNY. I recommend watching that part again.ReplyDelete
Rob overacted. He wasn't bad but didnt do it for me.ReplyDelete
seriously...Kristen, you'll never win even when youre spot on, you'll never win. She did great in the break up she played is just the way it was supposed to be. Nothing fabricated.
GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kristen is fabulous. If you really look at her face and watch her eyes you can see absolute terror and hollowness in the pit of her stomach.......she was bloody fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought Edward was great. Really go and read that scene again and it all makes more sense......like Lisa - The Heller Family commented she is numb and speechless. I thought Edward/Pattz is awesome as he is trying to comvince Bella of his lies so he has to TRY harder so that is what he is doing.ReplyDelete
SO GO AND WATCH IT as it is only 7 minutes total out of the whole 2 hours!! Imagine how much greatness we haven't seen yet!
AMAZİNG!!!!! ROBERT, you kicked ass in that scene!ReplyDelete
Seriously he was great! and Kristen too!
How could they keep releasing these clips!!!
I, Kristie L Cullen solemnly swear not to watch it!
I have to say I found Kristen rather bad in the first one. But I blamed bad direction because she is a great actress. I thought she was much better in this. She embodies her more and seems for comfortable. I did think she could of added a little more emotion. And of course I am biased, Rob was fabulous!!ReplyDelete
To all the people trying to excuse Kristen's performance as "Bella is numb/in shock" - that wasn't even how it came across in the scene, it was like Kristen was trying to act like she was in pain but fell short.ReplyDelete
I've seen people when they're numb or in shock and when they talk their voice is either totally void of emotion (which Kristen's wasn't, she was trying to put emotion in it, but it just wasn't convincing) or there is pain in their voice (again, it didn't work if she was trying to portray that either).
As for the end of the scene that I mentioned, of course I know they can't include everything, I didn't expect them to (although really, they could've added it, it would've only taken a minute or less of screen time) - but they didn't have to add a pathetic version of it where she trips over a log in an obvious fake way... they could've had her just, like, fall to the ground crying/clutching her stomach (like they describe her doing in the book), the whole half assed attempt at falling thing was dumb.
If you've seen her in the movie Speak then you'll know she can play numb or in shock really well - and this, what she did in that scene wasn't it. And she can play pain well too, if you see the scene in The Messengers where she pretty much falls apart (or some scenes in Speak too) - again, this was nothing like that.
I'm not expecting people to agree with me, it's just what I think. *shrugs*
The video is still posted on The TwiScoop on Facebook:ReplyDelete
I went to watch it but as soon as Edwards said Come take a walk with me I closed out....I don't want to ruin anymore of the movie for myself.ReplyDelete
I've seen so much that I really feel like I might be taking the SQUEE edge off. (OK so that probably isn't going to happen.....)
Lanna-lovely, you have some really good points. I didn't like the log thing either. I hope they fix that before the final version of the movie, but I also feel bad for Kristen. She's so young and has so much riding on her shoulders and I'm sure she did the best job she could. I think she takes her job very seriously. But to have the eyes of the world on you, ready to take a whack at you the instant you fall short of their very high expectaitons -- that's a lot for 19 year old to shoulder. Now I know she's making the big bucks, which probably helps soften the blow of those whacks, but still, it's got to be devastating when you do the best job you can to please the world and no matter what you do, it's not good enough. How do you think that would have felt for you at 19 years old? I don't think there's a better Bella than Kristen, anyway. Who would we have wanted as Bella besides Kristen? Anyone else would have fallen short of those high expectations too.ReplyDelete
I'm only 20 right now - honestly, she's been acting since she was a little kid, it's not like she's new to the business. And way younger actresses than her have had the lead roles in movies with a lot of pressure (Dakota Fanning has been in that position, and for movies with fans of the books adding pressure, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliff and Emma Watson were really young too and it was their first movie).
The thing that bothers me about it is that it's clearly not the best job she can do - I was honestly a fan of hers before Twilight, I have a whole bunch of her DVD's and she was pretty awesome in those (the reason I keep using The Messengers and Speak as examples are because they're two of my favourites of her movies).
Who would I have wanted as Bella? Plenty of other people could've pulled it off, my favourite being Emily Browning (who also played the lead role in the book-turned-movie A Series of Unfortunate Events. When she was 14/15)
It's not that I want to hate her acting, I liked the books (aside from BD), so I would love it if I could like the movie too but just the way she plays it... hell, it wouldn't even bother me if she played it different from the book as long as she did it convincingly, but the way she acts now, I feel nothing - when watching movies I'll usually empathize with characters or laugh with them or be mad for them... but I feel nothing while watching her act, and in New Moon, while reading the book I felt pain for Bella while I read it, the movie should have the same (or similar) effect but it doesn't because it wasn't believable.
when Bella says "YOU DON'T WANT ME" it broke my heart when i read the book...gave me goosebumps to hear it out loud in that clipReplyDelete
It really comes down to a fan is a fan. The movies will probably never be as good as the book (we all know that). A true fan will love the Twilight series no matter what is done. That's a true fan with anything. You should either love it or move on.ReplyDelete
It is definitely cut between her standing and then falling because there are obviously no tree logs around her. I think it was pretty well done :)ReplyDelete
@Twilee - actually, that tends to be the difference between a fan and one of the annoying fangirls... fangirls will love everything and anything as long as it's to do with Twilight, they wear rose tinted glasses that seem to prevent them from seeing anything at all wrong with any aspect of whatever they're fangirling. That is more obsession than being a fan and they're the ones that tend to give Twilight fans a bad name.ReplyDelete
With fans, they can like something but they don't have to think it's perfect or love every single thing just because it relates to it in some way. I am a fan of the first three books, but I'm well aware of all their flaws and I like them in spite of that because there is still something about them that makes me enjoy them - the same can't be applied to the movie and I just the books and the movies seperately (well, the first one at least, I reserve total judgement of the second until I've seen it). I adore the book Blood & Chocolate and the movie version even though they changed pretty much everything about the movie, they made the movie good in it's own right.
I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series (and no, I'm not comparing the two, I'm just using this as an example) and with the movies there are things I don't like but they still do for me what the first three Twilight books did - which is that they were enjoyable even with all of the flaws in them.
I'm not going to love everything Twilight related just because I liked the books, once again, that's not a fan, that's a fangirl.
A "true fan" as you put it, is not loving everything to do with a fandom - it's loving the parts you genuinely like, there can be aspects you hate and you don't have to think it's flawless, you can know there are imperfections but you love it anyway.
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
oooo its been taken off :( xxReplyDelete
I wasn't talking about you. Also, I agree with you for the most part. There are things in the movies I don't like either but still enjoy them. I'm not a crazy twilight "fan girl." I don't agree with them at all. It is very embarrassing how they act but most of them are young, it's expected. What I meant by "true fan" is supporting. They get a lot from all directions, so people who supposedly care, shouldn't join in. I've seen people come to this site and make a list of wrongs. For everyone who still enjoys it, the Twilight sites are for them. That's why I said, "either love it or move on." A lot of us get tired of having to read the negativity. I apologize if what I said upset you or if it came out the wrong way. I wasn't trying to be mean or upset anyone.
@Twilee - you didn't upset me, I just wanted to reply to what you said. O.oReplyDelete
To be honest, if people don't want to read negative comments then they don't have to, you just ignore those comments.
Saying people shouldn't be allowed to say their opinions on sites unless they're positive is very... well, look at the negative reaction the Twilight Lexicon got when they did that, censoring their readers (or maybe you didn't see the reaction, I've been going on the Twilight IMDb boards since Nov 07 and there was a big reaction to the Lexicon doing that).
Sites like the Lex are good if you only want positive opinions all the time.
Also, if people actually care then they'll care enough to want to see it done right, hence, if they screw something up, people will get annoyed. If they didn't care then it wouldn't really matter to them either way. *shrugs* :]
To those complaining that Bella doesn't search for Edward long enough before she hits the ground -ReplyDelete
I think they spliced this footage. Edward leaves Bella during the daytime, but if you look at Bella's surroundings just as she starts to fall to the ground, it's dark. I think they cut out all of the time that Bella runs through the forest looking for Edward in order to fit the clip into the time allowed at the festival. Maybe that will put some of your minds at ease...what we saw in this clip is NOT all there is to this scene. :)
Well said, lanna-lovely. Everything you've described about Kristen's portrayal of Bella is spot on. Stop the shrugging. When the lead character in a beloved story falls way short of how she is written, it is certainly a disapointment worth pointing out. I for one have taken a lot of flack for my opinions about Bella's acting. Fangirls. I like the way you explained that too. So true. Thank you!ReplyDelete
*Kristen's acting, not Bella's. heh..ReplyDelete


text:
Breaking news: Best thing ever, happens
We were planning on writing a rather sour feature today about the Brockley Cross master plan that never was. However, something else momentous has happened, which has blown that idea out of the water.
A deli is coming to Brockley. Very soon.
We're just trying to establish if we are allowed to confirm the details, but the plans have all been agreed and it will be in the perfect location.
More news to follow...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NCUA: Regs Support St. Helen's Community Plaintiff
NCUA General Counsel Mike McKenna said in a March 29 legal opinion he disagrees with the $161 million St. Helens Community FCU's claim that a federal lawsuit filed by a member should be dismissed because it is not within the jurisdiction of federal court.
The letter was submitted by plaintiff Steven Knebel to the court on April 1, along with his response to the St. Helen, Ore., credit union's motion to dismiss the case, which challenges the vote count taken during a special meeting in September in which members voted to not recall five directors.
Knebel was among a group of members who spearheaded a recall petition in June 2012 to remove the directors over the dismissal of former SHCFCU CEO Jeff Schwarz, and in opposition to a proposed merger with the $152 million Wauna FCU. The merger has since been scrapped.
In the letter, McKenna said state law should not play a role in determining governance issues when the Federal Credit Union Bylaws are clear and unambiguous. The NCUA incorporated the bylaws into its regulations in 2007, in part to clarify the regulator's authority to take action on bylaw violations.
McKenna also supported Knebel's primary complaint in the suit, that the 15,285-member credit union counted mailed ballots, a bylaw violation.
The NCUA attorney cited federal bylaws that state any director or committee member can be removed from office by majority vote of members present at a special meeting called for the purpose.
"The use of the phrase 'present at a special meeting' precludes the possibility of voting in absentia by mail to remove a director," McKenna wrote.
He went on to explain that the bylaws require members to hear the recalled volunteer's position on the matter before voting.
"If voting by mail were allowed in lieu of being present, members would be denied the opportunity to observe the director's demeanor, hear the director's defenses, and ask the director questions," McKenna wrote. "The give and take that is part of being present at a special meeting provides a director with more due process and better informs the membership."
SHCFCU spokesman Barbara Harris declined comment. Knebel could not be reached for comment Wednesday.


text:
THINK 13: New Mayor and Emerging Singer Woo the Crowd
CHICAGO – Two speakers from the worlds of politics and music inspired credit union executives attending CO-OP Financial Services THINK 2013 conference.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker outlined his career and described his upbringing as involved and surrounded, from a very early age, in a "conspiracy of love" that involved his parents, their friends and many others.
This conspiracy of love helped his father go to college even though he spent much of his life so poor he was effectively homeless, Booker recounted. It helped him launch his legal and political career with people who did not let the reality they were living limit the vision they held in their hearts and minds for what could.
"I wanted to be sure to talk to you because I knew you would understand that," Booker said. "You understand what it means to make change every day in small ways, little ways that mount up to build something extraordinary."
Credit unions as part of the conspiracy of love understand that they cannot give in to past failures or discouragement, Booker said, adding that credit unions can stand with their members and their communities by listening to them. Just as Booker gets messages on Twitter from Newark citizens who spot potholes and other problems, credit unions can listen to their members about their needs and issues.
Booker also acknowledged in the question and answer session that he will likely run for the U.S. Senate, but he refrained from formally announcing because, he explained, there is a protocol in New Jersey that considers it bad form to declare for an office when an election for another office is currently going on. New Jersey votes for governor this year.
Booker also said he and other students tried to start a credit union while he was in law school but never got it off the ground before he had to leave.
The next speaker was singer Daria Musk, who gave the meeting unmistakable proof that social media can become a powerful ally in making disruptive change.
Musk, an up and coming singer, owes her career in a large part to Google and social media.
Musk told attendees the story of how she came to be one of the first musicians to use Google's new Google Plus service to reach at first 10 and then hundreds and then thousands and millions of listeners and eventual fans around the world. It was a dream she said she had even before she had a clue that it could even be possible.
"For me, the music industry felt like a party that I was not only not invited to but which was held in fortress with the drawbridge drawn up and surrounded by man-eating alligators," she told the audience. "So I decided I had to crash the party and not only crash the party but leave the door swinging open behind me."
Musk proved to be a positive and disruptive influence for Google, which found itself moving forward with innovations to accommodate musicians and others who wanted to present things to wide audiences via Google Plus. The Internet giant also rolled out a app that let musicians use higher quality sound on the site.
"I didn't know I couldn't do what I did, so I just did it," Musk said, adding that credit unions should understand that authenticity is the new currency.
Musk performed three songs for the attendees as well.


text:
Scientists have some answers about the giant eyeball that washed up on a South Florida beach last week.
The huge, blue eyeball most likely belonged to a large swordfish, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission announced Monday.
"Experts on site and remotely have viewed and analyzed the eye, and based on its color, size and structure, along with the presence of bone around it, we believe the eye came from a swordfish," the Orlando Sentinel quoted Joan Herrera, curator of collections at the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, as saying. "Based on straight-line cuts visible around the eye, we believe it was removed by a fisherman and discarded."
A beachgoer found the eyeball while taking a stroll along Pompano Beach north of Fort Lauderdale.
The discovery -- and resulting photo -- went viral online and caused a buzz in the marine biology community, according to The Associated Press.
"Any time something weird and crazy washes up on the beach, it's definitely interesting," Heather Bracken-Grissom, an assistant marine science professor at Florida International University in Miami, told the AP.
Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
The Zumiez Couch Tour is a free festival event with pro skate demos, am skate competition, live music, DIY activities and prizing, touring 12 cities across the country every summer. The 12th year of the Zumiez Couch Tour will feature skateboarding demos from the Almost, DGK, Enjoi, Flip, Girl, Plan B, Real, Supra/KR3W, Toy Machine, Volcom, and Zero skate teams.
The tour will feature live performances by The Classic Crime, A Skylit Drive, The Cab, The Wonder Years, Set Your Goals, and We Came as Romans.
The Zumiez Couch Tour features 12 of the 19 stops in the Zumiez Best Foot Forward Am Contest Series presented by Bones Bearings. Winners from each contest receive an all expenses paid trip to the Zumiez Best Foot Forward Finals in Minneapolis, MN at the Mall of America. Zumiez will provide a continuation of the tour for the Top 3 finalists with an all expenses paid skate trip to Los Angeles, CA to film, skate at exclusive brand training facilities, and get a spot to compete in the Hometown Heroes Finals at Summer X Games 18.
The Zumiez Couch Tour also features prizing and interaction with Neff, Oakley, Skullcandy, and Transworld Skateboarding Magazine, plus free games, giveaways, music, photo booth and more!
More information at zumiezcouchtour.com


text:
Just after our last Sony battery recall
article went live a just a short while ago, another recall came through the
news wires. It looks as though Fujitsu is stepping up the plate and is recalling
287,000 Sony-manufactured batteries.
Fujitsu is still working on the details for the recall so
that customers are made aware of who to contact and where to send their
defective batteries to. BusinessWeek
Affected are 224,000
laptops sold overseas across 10 models, including the popular Lifebook series,
according to Fujitsu spokesman Masao Sakamoto. The remaining 63,000 were sold
across 17 models in Japan.
The "Total Recall" has now topped the 7.5 million
mark and will only grow after Sony launches its Global
Replacement Program. Sony estimates that its total cost for the recalls
will be between $170
to $254 million USD (not counting this latest recall from Fujitsu).


text:
Before the 1934 baseball season, St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher, Dizzy Dean, was asked how many games he and his brother, Paul "Daffy" Dean, would win that year. In response to the question, Dizzy said that he and his brother, who were considered the nucleus of the pitching team, would win 45 games that season for the Cardinals. Dizzy Dean was quoted as saying, "It ain't bragging if you can back it up." As it turned out, the Dean brothers won 49 games that year and led the Cardinals to a championship.
When it comes to RIA advertisements, advertising rules prohibit bragging. Every statement must be backed up with substantive evidence. A firm may not use glowing adjectives to describe itself unless there is hard evidence proving these descriptions are accurate and truthful. The marketing propaganda we see in general advertising is inappropriate for RIAs.
Just as investment advisors have different business models, they also have very different perspectives on advertising. Some RIAs view advertising as unnecessary, relying on word of mouth to build their client base, while other investment advisors spend a significant amount of time engaged in advertising and marketing. Almost all RIAs have websites, and some advertise on billboards and benches, all of which are subject to advertising regulations.
Noncompliant advertisements can lead to problems. Section 206 contains the anti-fraud provision of the statute, and ensures that RIAs' advertising and marketing practices are consistent with the fiduciary duty owed to clients and prospective clients. Section 206 enjoins an RIA from employing any device, scheme, or artifice, which defrauds any client or prospective client. An RIA may not engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business that operates fraudulently upon any client or prospective client.
As we have stressed on several occasions, violations of Section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act are viewed as the most serious transgressions committed by an RIA. Rule 206(4)-1 under the Act, as well as various no-action letters, show RIAs how to advertise honestly. State-registered investment advisors are usually bound by similar rules.
Rule 206(4)-1 Prohibitions
There are five prohibitions found in Rule 206(4)-1, and each is intended to stop false or misleading advertising and marketing practices.
- Rule 206(4)-1(a)(1) forbids the use of testimonials, whether express or implied. The SEC does not permit them, because testimonials imply that every client had a positive experience with the RIA. This prohibition often comes as a surprise to IARs who used to be registered representatives, because brokers are permitted to use testimonials subject to certain restrictions.
- Rule 206(4)-1(a)(2) restricts advertisements from referring to specific recommendations made by an RIA, which were or would have been profitable to any person. This does not stop an RIA from advertising or offering a list of all recommendations made during the immediately-preceding period of not less than one year. If the list is furnished separately, it must comply with very specific regulatory requirements.
- Rule 206(4)-1(a)(3) precludes references to a graph, chart, formula, or other device that can be used by itself to make investment decisions, unless the advertisement prominently discloses the limitations of this approach. For example, an RIA may not use an advertisement touting a market-timing formula without disclosing its limitations.
- Rule 206(4)-1(a)(4) prevents an RIA from using an advertisement offering a free report, analysis, or other service, unless it will, in fact, be furnished entirely free and without obligation.
- Rule 206(4)-1(a)(5) prohibits the use of an advertisement containing any untrue statement of a material fact or that is otherwise false or misleading.
Rule 206(4)-1(a)(5) is a catch-all provision that can be rather subjective. Whether an ad is misleading often depends upon the person reading it. Furthermore, an examiner's opinion, like a baseball umpire's, is usually the last word when evaluating whether an ad violates Rule 206(4)-1.
Determining whether an advertisement is false or misleading depends upon the facts and circumstances surrounding its use, including the:
- form and content of the ad;
- implications or inferences arising out of the ad's content; and
- sophistication of the prospective client.
Many state advertising regulations are modeled after Rule 206(4)-1 or have been incorporated by reference. The definition of an advertisement, however, may be slightly different.
Definition of Advertisement
Rule 206(4)-1(b) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 defines "advertisement" as any:
"notice, circular, letter or other written communication addressed to more than one person, or any notice or other announcement in any publication or by radio or television, which offers (1) any analysis, report, or publication concerning securities, or which is to be used in making any determination as to when to buy or sell any security, or which security to buy or sell, or (2) any graph, chart, formula, or other device to be used in making any determination as to when to buy or sell any security, or which security to buy or sell, or (3) any other investment advisory service with regard to securities."
In the context of the SEC rule, written communication to one person is not an advertisement. Generally, if the same or similar communication is directed toward more than one person, it is viewed as an advertisement. Some state rules define advertisements as communication to more than five persons or utilize a different threshold in their definition. Certain states require that all advertisements be submitted to securities regulators before being used. The SEC rule does not impose this requirement.
An SEC-registered investment advisory firm is not required to retain advertisements unless they are sent to ten or more individuals. Nevertheless, an RIA should create an advertising file including all advertisements, even those that were sent to just a handful of potential clients.
Performance Advertising
Securities regulators view performance advertising suspiciously. They recognize that prospective clients will often hire an RIA based on the firm's returns. Unfortunately, performance data advertised by RIAs is not always reliable.
Performance advertising does not always take the form of a chart or graph, and in fact, a statement referring to the RIA's track record might be construed as performance advertising. Similarly, stating that the firm beat the Dow or some other benchmark might be viewed as performance advertising.
Performance advertising should comply with guidance found in the Clover Capital no-action letter. Although no-action letters from the SEC do not have the force of law, they help explain the Commission's interpretation of rules and regulations. RIAs who adhere to advice in these no-action letters will be in a good position if challenged by examiners during an audit.
Clover Capital stands for the proposition that all performance results must be presented on a net-of-fees basis. Nothing stops an RIA from presenting results on a gross-of-fees and net-of-fees basis, as long as those returns are presented in equally prominent type. In other words, an RIA should not bury its net-of-fees results in a footnote or in some other obscure place.
Generally, reports to clients are not advertisements. Some advisors, however, show samples of these reports with names redacted to prospective clients, and at that point, the reports become advertisements. The advisor commonly chooses a report with the highest return as a sample, and the RIA is likely to be accused of cherry-picking a report showing the firm in the most favorable light.
A one-on-one presentation is technically not an advertisement. If that same presentation is used to court more than one client, however, it is likely to be viewed as an advertisement.
In distinguishing advertising from ordinary communications, it is helpful to look at a few examples. A letter or email to clients to allay their fears about the debt ceiling crisis, or the Standard and Poor's downgrade of United States debt, is likely to be an example of ordinary communication, not an advertisement. However, if an RIA's letter or email suggests that now is a good time to invest more money or offers additional advisory services, there is little doubt that it is an advertisement. Furthermore, if the communication encourages a client to tell his or her friends about the RIA, it is an advertisement.
Advertising Books and Records
Advertisements utilized by RIAs must be retained for five years. All versions of a firm's website must also be kept for five years, and RIAs must retain emails meeting the definition of advertisement in their advertising file. As we saw in Client Communication and Miscommunication, certain emails must be retained as part of an RIA's books and records obligation.
Books and records issues also arise when IARs use their smart phones to communicate with current and prospective clients. It is imperative that these communications are captured on the firm's server and retained in accordance with books and records requirements. As we will see in Use and Misuse of Social Media, RIAs using social media to market their services must archive and review those communications.
As noted above, performance advertising attracts regulatory scrutiny. Securities regulators look closely at how performance results are calculated. The Books and Records Rule requires RIAs to retain all accounts, books, internal working papers, and any other records or documents necessary in calculating the performance or rate of return of any or all managed accounts or securities recommended in any notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin or other communication that the firm circulates or distributes, directly or indirectly, to ten or more persons.
When advertising their services, investment advisors are usually marketing themselves. In many cases, the intent of their advertisements is to demonstrate the advisor has considerable investment and financial expertise. To achieve that goal, it is common for IARs to list their designations and educational credentials in advertisements. Designations and educational credentials show that IARs are dedicated to their profession, and are extremely useful for investors attempting to choose an advisory firm.
Although designations are indicative of an IAR's competence and professionalism, they can also be misleading to an unsophisticated investor. Securities regulators scrutinize these designations, especially if they might be misleading to a senior investor.
In Part 2B of Form ADV, IARs are permitted to list their designations. They are not required, however, to disclose them. If they do, IARs must provide sufficient information for clients to understand the nature of the designations. Part 2B requires that brochure supplements explain the qualifications required to earn and retain a designation. While some designations require mandatory completion of rigorous exams, as well as having worked in a particular field for several years, others can be obtained with little effort and payment of a fee. In some cases, financial professionals are using a self-conferred designation.
Many of these designation issues arise in the context of the so-called "free-lunch seminars" that securities regulators routinely scrutinize. Regulators are worried that senior citizens are being sold unsuitable investments at these seminars by individuals who purportedly have special qualifications to help older investors. A study conducted by FINRA found that roughly 25 percent of senior investors were told by financial professionals that they had received special training to give advice to seniors. These assertions influenced the investor's willingness to listen to the person's advice.
In a publication entitled "Senior" Specialists and Advisors: What You Should Know About Professional Designations, the SEC warns investors that some professional designations represent legitimate expertise, while others are a marketing tool. Some designations are a little bit of both. The SEC advised investors that:
"Some financial professionals use designations that imply that they are experts at helping seniors with financial issues. Many seniors, however, don't understand the sets of initials that may follow the names of these financial professionals or the meaning of the titles - such as "senior specialist" or "retirement advisor"—they use to market themselves.
The education, experience, and other requirements for receiving and maintaining a "senior" designation vary greatly. In some cases, a financial professional may need to study and pass several rigorous exams—after working in a designated field for several years—to receive a particular designation. In other cases, it may be relatively easy in terms of time and effort to receive a "senior" designation, even for an individual with no relevant experience."
The online version of this publication (www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/senior-profdes.htm) provides a link to FINRA's website. Investors can look up the meaning of a designation and what requirements must be satisfied to earn it. FINRA does not, however, approve or endorse any particular professional designation.
Compliance examiners worry most about senior designations and titles awarded for little or no effort. Nevertheless, IARs and registered representatives should be cautious in how they describe all of their credentials. An improperly-used designation may raise issues with securities regulators.
The Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, Bureau of Securities, has issued an interpretive opinion regarding the use of designations and certifications in advertising by IARs and agents of broker-dealers. Nebraska asserts that using a certification or designation on business cards, stationery, and in advertisements, creates the impression that the IAR or registered representative has special qualifications in a certain area of finance or financial planning. This state is especially concerned about designations and certifications, which incorrectly imply expertise in addressing the financial needs of senior citizens.
In accordance with Interpretive Opinion No. 26, IARs and registered reps may only use designations approved by the Commissioner. They risk fines or suspension for using unapproved designations. All certifications and designations that are acceptable for use in Nebraska at this time are listed in the opinion. The list is revised regularly and additional designations will be approved. The interpretive opinion and the list can be found at: http://www.ndbf.org/.
Similarly, a Massachusetts regulation forbids the use of a credential or professional designation indicating or implying that the agent of a broker-dealer is trained or certified to help senior investors, unless it has been accredited by an organization recognized by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The regulation defines "senior investor" as a person who is age 65 or older.
In October and November, 2008, Alabama and California joined a growing number of states adopting regulations based on NASAA's model rule relating to use of senior certifications and professional designations. Many other states have followed suit and adopted similar regulations to protect senior investors.
Other Compliance Issues Arising from Designations
It is not just designations targeted toward senior investors which cause problems for an RIA and IAR. While securities regulators have turned their attention in recent years to senior designations, examiners have always been on the lookout for questionable credentials. Examiners will scour a firm's marketing materials and website determining if references to credentials or designations are questionable.
Using the acronym, RIA, can cause trouble for an advisory firm. Placing RIA after an advisor's name insinuates that a designation was awarded. Similarly, it is inappropriate to utilize IAR in a manner that appears to be a designation. An RIA may not state or imply on its website that the firm is sponsored, approved, or recommended by the SEC or state regulators.
The issue of credentials and designations may arise in a different context. Suppose an IAR has graduated from law school but never passed the bar. An examiner may object to the IAR's use of the Juris Doctor (JD) designation after his or her name. An examiner may be concerned that clients will infer that the IAR is a licensed attorney in that particular jurisdiction and might be misled. There have also been questions raised about the use of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation by IARs. It may be misleading for IARs to use the CPA designation unless they have an active license, which requires them to take continuing education courses. An examiner may expect the advisory firm's marketing materials to reflect that the IAR's CPA license is inactive.
The Big Picture
Whether a letter or email is an advertisement or not, an RIA should be certain that it is not misleading in any way. Deciding whether an item is an advertisement or not is very important from a books and records perspective. Firms retain advertisements in a separate file than client communications. Most RIAs have a policy and procedure, requiring submission of an advertisement to the firm's CCO before it is utilized. This pre-approval is not usually required with routine client communications, although CCOs are required to supervise them.
Website content should also be approved before it is posted. Policies and procedures should require that website content be reviewed on an ongoing basis ensuring that statements have not become stale and misleading. For example, an RIA referring to its assets under management on the firm's website must keep those figures up to date. In addition, some advisory websites refer to IARs no longer with the firm or investment strategies no longer being utilized.
It is not just an issue of which designation is being used by an advisor. Regulators will look at the context in which the designation is used. Using a questionable designation at a "free lunch" seminar where high-commission products are sold exacerbates potential compliance problems. Regulators get a negative impression if the invitation and ads for a seminar contain too much hype, along with references to a misleading designation. Furthermore, when a questionable senior designation is used to influence the sale of an unsuitable product to an elderly investor, it might create a perfect storm for compliance problems.
A designation will be particularly offensive to a securities regulator if an IAR or registered representative embellishes the requirements for earning it. One firm referred to a certain senior designation as having a "rigorous" academic program to qualify. In fact, the academic requirements for obtaining the designation were far less than rigorous.
Designations, certifications, qualifications, and experience have always been, and will continue to be, extremely important in attracting clients to an advisory firm. IARs and registered reps should not hesitate to use those credentials when communicating with potential clients, as long as they represent meaningful achievement and are not misleading.
RIAs should also exercise caution when advertising third-party ratings and awards. It is imperative that they disclose the criteria on which the ratings and awards were based and must provide a number of other disclosures. A full examination of these issues can be found in my book, Growing within the Lines: The Investment Adviser's Advertising and Marketing Compliance Guide, which was also published by The National Underwriter Company/Summit Business Media.
At a seminar for RIAs in October 2011, a Pennsylvania compliance examiner said that he will sometimes look at RIA advertisements to determine which firms to examine. If an advertisement is misleading or promises too much, the RIA may become the subject of an examination. Therefore, the advertisement created to attract clients may also be attracting regulatory attention.
Social media used by RIAs and IARs is also likely to attract regulatory scrutiny. As RIAs build their brands on the Internet, it will be obvious to regulators if advisors are making inconsistent and potentially misleading statements.


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Pair of blockbusters may shape '13 division races
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
In late August, the Red Sox shipped a package highlighted by Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford to the Dodgers for five players. It was a Richter-scale move, with huge names and huge salaries moving three time zones west. It also only stood as the year's biggest trade for 11 weeks. In mid-November, the Marlins sent Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and more to the Blue Jays for a seven-player haul.
12/22: Giant impact from Scutaro
12/23: Strasburg shutdown: No regrets
12/24: Chipper a hit in final debut
12/25: Seven no-nos make MLB history
12/26:: Ibanez's heroics a Yanks key
12/27:: Four gone: History for Hamilton
12/28: Expanded playoffs great theater
12/29: Month of pitching magic for Mets
12/30: Title drives slugger Miggy
12/31: Sky's the limit for Trout, Harper
1/1: Underdog O's, A's took flight
1/2: Two blockbusters may shape '13
Two of the largest trades in memory went down within three months of each other, radically reshaping the faces of four franchises and at least two divisions. The Dodgers and Blue Jays announced themselves as teams to be taken very seriously. The Red Sox set the stage for a full-scale restocking. And the Marlins tore down a would-be contender with the stated intention of building another one down the road.
Twenty players changed teams in the two deals. A couple have already been dealt yet again. The "buying" teams, Los Angeles and Toronto, took on a total of more than $420 million in salary commitments over the coming years. Baseball hadn't seen anything like either deal in a very long time, never mind both in the same year.
And perhaps most intriguing, one helped set the table for the other. When the Red Sox restructured, moving three core stars in Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett westbound, it signaled a continuation of an American League East power shift. The Yankees have made it clear that they are attempting to get their payroll under control before the 2014 season. With a facelift on Yawkey Way, suddenly the Blue Jays' circumstances looked a lot different.
A franchise that has repeatedly built teams good enough to win in any other division, suddenly saw a chance to win in its own. The AL East is deeper than ever, but the Red Sox and Yankees seem less threatening than their recent renditions. The time was right for the Blue Jays to pounce, and they did.
Of course, Toronto didn't stop with the Miami trade. The Blue Jays have also added Melky Cabrera and R.A. Dickey this offseason, marking them as at least a co-favorite in the ever-competitive East.
"We're feeling good right now, there's no question about it," manager John Gibbons said at the Winter Meetings. "It was a big trade for us. ... They've really done a nice job of bringing in some players. I said earlier when I got hired, now it's a job that the manager and the coaching staff to pull it all together and get the most out of these guys. But it's a good position to be in."
Likewise, the Dodgers' bold move was very much a sign of things to come, rather than a one-and-only shot. After adding roughly $260 million in payroll obligations from the Red Sox, Los Angeles spent significant coin to bolster its starting rotation with Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
However, whereas the Blue Jays seem to be taking advantage of what could be a brief window, the Dodgers are clearly announcing the start of a new era in the National League West. What New York and Boston have been to the American League, Los Angeles seems intent to be in the Senior Circuit. Expectations are going to be extremely high at Chavez Ravine.
"It's tough to win," manager Don Mattingly said. "It's tough to win the whole thing. So a lot of things have to go your way. You're in a short series, five-game, seven-game series, things can change quickly. But it is the feeling that you get in New York. ... The payroll was huge. And it was like, if you didn't win it all, you had a bad year. That's kind of tough to live in. I don't think we can think like that. I think we have to think about just the grind of getting ready to play, the journey of every day, getting better, working hard, worrying about the process, not worrying about the final result."
Yet just as Toronto had to do, Los Angeles must first knock off the 800-pound gorilla in its division. That would be the rival Giants, winners of two of the past three World Series.
As for the sellers in the two big deals, their outlooks are awfully different in the short term. Boston has turned around and started working on building a contender for 2013. Numerous winter additions have made it clear that while the Sox will have a different look, they don't intend to use 2013 as any kind of rebuilding year.
The Marlins, however, clearly have their sights set farther down the road. They've made a couple of small additions, but the plan is, undoubtedly, to build for a later date, with a roster centered on an impressive core of young pitching. Their decision was jarring, to say the least, and it's easy to see why fans would find it distasteful. But purely from a baseball perspective, it's easy to see what the Miami front office liked about the players it acquired.
And that, in the end, is how these deals will be judged. Whatever the symbolism, whatever the seeming implications, four teams made two huge baseball trades.
If the Red Sox get back to the top in 2013, no one will miss Beckett or Gonzalez in Boston. If the Dodgers win their first title in 24 years, the dollars will be an afterthought at Dodger Stadium. And if the Blue Jays finish fourth yet again, GM Alex Anthopoulos will be no hero. If the Marlins are back in the playoffs in three years, GM Michael Hill will be one.
That, above anything else, is the fun of all of this. Now we get to watch it all play out.
Matthew Leach is a writer for MLB.com. Read his blog, Obviously, You're Not a Golfer and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewHLeach. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
"Tegra provides
the multimedia muscle in Zune HD," according to Michael
Rayfield, NVIDIA mobile business GM. "Users will love the
device's new design, amazing multimedia features and HD video out
capability. Zune HD is a must-have for anyone looking for the
best portable digital media player on the market."
NVIDIA Tegra has eight independent processors, including an HD video
processor, graphics processor, audio processor, and two ARM cores.
The hardware will help power video and audio for the device, which
has a 3.3-inch OLED color display and supports up to 33 hours of
music and 8.5 hours of video use.
It was widely believed the
Zune HD would be powered by NVIDIA hardware, but today marks the
first time NVIDIA or Microsoft publicly discussed the use of Tegra
The latest Zune will be available with the 16GB
version ($219.99) and 32 GB ($289.99), and is available in five
colors, though only two colors are available in the
Despite being compared continually to the popular
Apple iPod -- which controls the MP3 player market -- Microsoft
continues to state it is pleased with overall Zune sales.
we're happy with the number of devices we've sold, and as we've said
before, for Zune it's
about the longer-term strategy and the multi-year vision for this
business," a Microsoft official told CDFreaks last
month. "Increasingly, Zune's focus is on areas where it is
differentiating against the competition, such as the Zune Pass
subscription service, which gives users access to millions of songs
for the price of one CD a month and lets them keep 10 tracks a month
to add to their permanent collection."
Microsoft will likely
take a similar approach with the Zune HD, but the company understands
comparisons with the iPod Touch will continue.


text:
There is a saying that gets used often: "So this cannot happen again."
To my way of thinking, it is like a parent telling their son that they don't want him hitting his sister ever again. Well, we know how well that works. One of the points I tried to make in an accident investigation meeting was that given enough time, it would happen again unless steps were taken to inform people and to have an evaluation at specific periods of time.
How can I prove that? On a cold, clear night in the north Atlantic Ocean, the ocean liner Titanic hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking with it more than 1,100 people. There was a lot of new regulations that were put into place: enough lifeboats and vests for passengers and crew, better ship design, radio monitoring on 24-hour period, iceberg tracking.
This past year, an Italian cruise ship ran aground of the coast of Italy, 100 years after the Titanic. Because it did not sink but came to rest on the rocks below, more than 4,000 people escaped the ship, with a loss of life so far at only 30. This was a ship that had the most modern electronic equipment on board.
A better way to say it would be to say that the incident would be investigated and after some recommendations, implemented. The situation would be re-evaluated periodically. If possible after some evaluation, there may have to be some other fine-tuning done.
Right now, after the Sandy Hook incident, our government wants to reinvent the wheel. Why not review what we already have and fine-tune the areas of concern?
Dave Bensmiller


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text: You are browsing Zazzle UK's coffee mug section, in which you can find many styles, sizes and colours of mugs available for customisation or ready to buy as is. Most mug orders are made in 24 hours. Some of the more popular styles that Zazzle offers are the standard white coffee mug, the morphing mug, and the frosted glass mug. There is no minimum order size and most mugs can be customised with your pictures and text. To see some of the other products available on zazzle.co.uk, check out our main page.


text:
The man accused of setting the Roatcap fire near Dolores in October waived his right to a speedy trial on Friday morning in District Court.
Roger Stratton, 53, was originally scheduled to stand trial on June 3, but District Court Judge Todd Plewe rescheduled the date after the defense requested a motions hearing in about two months.
Amy Smith, Stratton's public defender, had filed a motion to continue the hearing where motions will be heard.
She said that when she filed the motion a lot of things were happening in the office which resulted in resources being dedicated to those instances.
Smith, speaking via telephone, added that the situation has improved before telling Plewe she would like to have 30 days to file the motion and two months for the hearing to be held.
Plewe scheduled a motions hearing for May 17 with all motions to be filed with the court 20 days prior to that date to be followed by a readiness trial on July 18.
The seven-day jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 19, which Plewe said he intends to keep.
Stratton is charged with fourth-degree arson, a felony, and two misdemeanors.
The Montezuma County Sheriff's Office said at a community meeting on Oct. 25 that the fire was not set intentionally, but was done carelessly and that put authorities and residents in danger.
The fire, which started near County Roads 29 and P, burned more than 400 acres and forced the evacuation of around 30 homes and the cost of the fire is between $200,000 and $250,000.


text:
I personally think that Ross will be a better player than DeMar, but ultimately this is Casey's decision.
I think it comes down to whether or not DeMar is a better listener than Ross. I don't think it will come down to skill level. If DeMar does what Casey wants him to do, and doesn't cry about it, then he's going to get the minutes. The starting job is his until his ego gets in the way, or until he goes down with an injury. That's my guess.


text:
Mindreading is something that we see often in movies and television programs. While magicians and psychics pretend to be able to read mind, the fact is that reading minds is impossible — right?
A group of scientists at the University of California in Berkeley led by Jack Gallant have developed a way to tell what someone is looking at using a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. The researchers accomplish this feat using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to model a volunteer's response to different types of pictures.
The two volunteers were shown various images by the researchers who cataloged their brain activity while the images were viewed. The scientists were then able to take the recorded results and identify with an impressive rate of accuracy what the volunteers were looking at when they were shown new images.
Nature reports that the volunteers were shown a series of 1750 images while their brains were monitored via fMRI scans. The researchers then showed the volunteers 120 new images they had not been shown before. Nature reports that the researchers were able to pick out which picture one of the volunteers viewed 92% of the time and with the second volunteer they were accurate 72% of the time. The researchers report on chance alone they would have chosen the right images only 0.8% of the time.
John-Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human and Cognitive Brain Sciences in Germany told Nature, "It's definitely a leap forward. Now you can use a more abstract way of decoding the images that people are seeing."
The researchers see future versions of this technology being used to diagnose and treat conditions like dementia by seeing how the brains activity changes over time or as the result of a new treatment or medication.
Gallant says that the next step for the technology is to be able to interpret what a person is seeing without having to select from a set of known images. Gallant told Nature, "That is in principle a much harder problem. You'd need a very good model of the brain, a better measure of brain activity than fMRI, and a better understanding of how the brain processes things like shapes and colors seen in complex everyday images. And we don't really have any of those three things at this time."


text:
"Imagine Senegalese vocalist Touré Kunda turning Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight' into African pop, or French rapper Yannick providing a pop-rap version of Frankie Valli's 'December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)'
. Spanish singer Albert Pla provides new Spanish lyrics for his flamenco-influenced spin on Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side,' and the Okinawan female vocal quartet Nenes offers new Japanese lyrics on Bob Marley's 'No Woman, No Cry.'
If you're going to embrace a well-known song that someone else has defined, it's best to try something differentand the artists do exactly that on this excellent compilation."All Music Guide


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Motor City Learning Lab - GED Classes
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Today: January 23, 2018
Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 4:00pm
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Bath time brings tears
Lauren Fisher, World Vision emergency communications officer, writes about meeting Ghaziyye and her twin girls, age 4, who are living as refugees in Lebanon.
What brought this mother to tears wasn't the violence or fear or having lost everything; it was that her girls were always dirty. Read how a simple provision from World Vision has wiped away those tears.
It wasn't the war, the lack of food, or even her new home — a tent of sheet plastic — that brought the tears. It was the thought of not being able to give her children a bath that made Ghaziyye turn away, quickly wiping her eyes, embarrassed.
"I used to bathe them twice every day," she said, gently running her hand over the ruffled and dirty hair of her twin girls, age 4. "Everything is different. Everything, everything."
It's hard to explain how drastic a change it is. You don't quite know where to start.
There we were, sitting on a dirty mattress on the floor, an old blanket the only thing between us and the muddy ground, plastic sheeting hanging overhead, huddled around a cell phone. On it were pictures of the children in fancy holiday dresses, their hair bright and shining. In the background was a living room most of us would recognize as looking like our own; their house was several stories with terraces. As we looked at a few more of the photos, one of the other women began to cry as well.
I felt like I should apologize for stepping into such an intensely personal moment — for being witness to them losing the simple dignity of being able to care for their children. Again Ghaziyye tried to smooth her children's hair and glanced down at their now torn and muddy clothes.
"They are so dirty, there is always sand in their hair," she said as she wrapped her arms around one of the twins and pressed a kiss to her cheek. There's love in every movement, every glance. It's the same look you see from mothers around the world as they look at their child — such intense love, pride, and fear all mixed into one.
For the past four months since fleeing Syria, Ghaziyye had been heating up water in small two-gallon containers, then spending hours carefully washing each of her eight children.
"Back and forth and back and forth," she told me, describing the frenzy of getting the water, heating it, pouring it out. It usually took her two to three trips per child, until this week.
This week she got a shower, installed by World Vision. It's not much — just a concrete floor with a drain and a faucet — but it means that she doesn't have to bathe her children on the muddy ground outside.
"Thanks to World Vision, we're able to shower properly. We now have hot and cold water," she said. "The situation is still miserable, but now it is better."
Walking outside of her tent, for a moment we both stood, watching her little girls play in a thin trough of dirty water. I wondered if she too is seeing a flicker of them like they were in Syria — in their dresses, playing in their green backyard for a bit before heading in for the night to their bath and their own soft beds.
Join us in caring for the children of Syria. Make a one-time donation to help World Vision provide emergency assistance for Syrian refugees. Your donation will help us provide basic hygiene kits and food vouchers for refugee families, as well as clean water and latrines for refugees like Ghaziyye and her girls.
Read a list of frequently asked questions regarding the Syrian refugee crisis and World Vision's response.


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of the most anticipated plug-in electric vehicles to be unveiled this
year is the Nissan Leaf and we are getting closer to the launch date
for the vehicle. Motor
Trend reports
that Leaf
production has started in Japan and the plant building the
EVs will be the model for future Leaf production facilities around
the world.The Leaf is being built in the Nissan Oppama
facility in Japan which has a production capacity of 50,000 units
right now. Presumably, that capacity can be increased in the future
if needed. Once the vehicle is in full swing and the demand
increases, Nissan will roll out similar assembly lines to plants in
Smyrna, Tennessee and the Sunderland plant in England.The
U.S. assembly line will have a production capacity of 150,000 units
per year at full tilt and the Sunderland plant will be good for
50,000 Leaf vehicles that will be used to meet demand in England and
Europe. Nissan will take lessons learned in the assembly process at
the Oppama facility and roll those tricks out to the other
manufacturing plants as needed."Oppama will serve as the
'Mother Plant' for the production of Nissan Leaf," said
Hidetoshi Imazu, Nissan's executive VP of manufacturing. "We
will use all of the know-how and learnings from Oppama to ensure the
highest quality at all sites that manufacture Nissan EVs."Nissan
revealed in March that the Leaf's price
will be $32,780 before the $7,500 federal tax rebate. Nissan
will also be offering a lease on the Leaf at $349 per month with the
rebate coming to Nissan rather than the buyer.
EV is good for 100 miles on a single charge and will have a top speed
of 87 mph. Nissan is also reportedly considering offering Leaf buyers
a rental
car for longer trips when needed.


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To ensure the perfect fit, follow the guidelines below to measure yourself.
Measure around the fullest part of your bust
This is the slimmest part of your natural waistline. Above the naval and below the ribcage
Top hip
Stand with your legs together and meassure around your top hip which should be aproximately 10cm below your natural wasteline
Low hip
Stand with your legs together and meassure around the fullest part of your hips at the top of your legs, be aproximately 23cm below your natural waistline
Inside leg
The measurement between the top of your leg (crotch) to the ankle


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Sudden cardiac arrest victims feel fine one minute, then the next minute they are dead. Can automated external defibrillators (AEDs), make it possible to change the outcome? These devices are effective, fairly simple to operate, and now readily available in many public places. The idea is to have them handy for members of the public to use right away on cardiac arrest victims.
Frequency of Sudden Heart Death
In the United States, sudden heart death is a growing issue that can affect anyone. Researchers blame the trend on an increasing incidence of inactivity, obesity, and other risk factors. Heart disease is a major cause of death in the United States today, with many of these deaths happening suddenly and unexpectedly from cardiac arrest.
How Rapid Defibrillation Helps
During cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping, and there is no effective heartbeat. The most common culprit is an irregular heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. The irregular rhythm causes the heart to fibrillate, or quiver uncontrollably, and renders the heart unable to pump blood around the body. This can lead to death in minutes.
An important factor in surviving cardiac arrest is early defibrillation. Automated external defibrillators have the potential to improve survival rates. They can be readily available outside of a medical setting and they are relatively easy to operate.
Who Should Use an AED?
Increasingly, nonmedical people are being trained to use defibrillators. The American Heart Association promotes the use of AEDs by all emergency personnel. Additional people who may benefit from AED training include family and friends of persons at high risk and even employees at worksites or public places where large numbers of people gather.
AEDs are usually put in areas where they will most likely be needed and where quick service by paramedics is not readily available. Common locations include airports, shopping malls, casinos, community centers, and sports or medical facilities. With more AEDs around, the key to safe and proper use is training. The American Heart Association and American Red Cross offer AED classes.
How the Devices Work
In addition to being effective, recent advances in technology have made today's AEDs far safer and simpler to use. The lightweight portable devices have self-adhesive electrode pads that usually show just where to stick them. Voice and text prompts guide the user through the few simple steps. The AED analyzes heart rhythm, automatically charges the machine when appropriate, and tells the user when to push the shock button. It then shocks the heart with a brief burst of electricity.
Legal Ramifications
Since AEDs are more available and much easier to use, concerns regarding inappropriate use by a nontrained lay person have significantly diminished. Many states have also passed legislation protecting laypersons from medical litigation when an AED has been used in good faith.
Home use
The majority of cardiac arrests occur at home. Patients with heart disease at risk for cardiac arrest are frequently treated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). Some patients, such as those who have contraindications to ICD implantation, may benefit from having an AED at home. Discuss this with your doctor.
CPR Is Still Important
For years, people have been encouraged to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Learning to use an AED takes that lifesaving effort one step further. The American Heart Association says the five links in the chain of cardiac arrest survival are:
- Recognizing cardiac arrest and calling for emergency medical services
- Early CPR
- Early defibrillation
- Early advanced medical care
- Post-cardiac arrest care
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 02/2017 -
- Update Date: 03/18/2013 -


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The old saying goes something like this: rumors stem from a kernel of the truth.
Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Mothman and the Loch Ness monster are well-known myths. But where did they originate? Where does the true story begin?
Joe Keleher doesnt find the rumor as interesting as he does the kernel. This author and Cortez resident, is interested in the why.
I believe that something happened (in these stories) whether it involved a particular creature or not, is not as intriguing to me as why this story incurred, Keleher says.
On Friday, Nov. 16, Keleher will be at the Cortez Cultural Center to present a workshop about his novel writing process. He will talk about his travels that led him to discover his recent work of fiction, Beul Nam Beinn, and share the importance of the writing journey and its transitions.
His newest book is a genre he deems, merworld fantasy. Its not historical fiction, and its not complete fantasy but it does contain both, and the focus is mermaids.
A well-known cryptid and character of Irish and Scottish legends, mermaids or merfolk, are a staple in Scottish ballads. In fact, some families of Hebrides and Orkney Islands on Scotlands west coast, can trace their lineage to unions between human and merfolk.
Strange as it may seem, there is always a school of thought that believe whole-heartedly in the existence of these myths, or truths.
A Scottish tradition
Keleher was introduced to one of the most popular stories of Scottish tradition, by a friend who is a cryptologist, someone who studies hidden or mythical creatures.
The story goes like this: Residents of the Scottish island of Benbecula, saw a mermaid playing in their coastal waters. Men tried to capture the sea creature but it resisted. Upon retreating, a young boy struck the creature with a rock, it cried out and swam away. Her body washed ashore a few days later and the people of Benbecula held a burial. The creature was said to have the torso of a woman and a lower half like a fish, but no bigger than a 4-year-old child.
I didnt believe the story as much as I was inspired by it, Keleher says.
He had helped the same friend research the legendary monster lizard, a large fan-collared lizard that stands on its hind legs, that resides in the Four Corners area. Naturally, he was intrigued to do the same with this tale.
I traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, and a few other places. I did research in their historical files and found nothing, he says. I also went to Benbecula, where the sighting occurred because I thought researching the people mentioned in the story would lead me to something, but again, I found nothing.
He did, however, find the traditional oration of the tale. The bed and breakfast he stayed at, was owned by a man whose family had been passing down this particular legend since it began in 1830. His mother recited the legend to him, his grandmother to her and so on.
But Keleher did not assume defeat. He simply thought up his own tale.
Beul Nam Beinn, is his fictional story of a young man who inherits Scottish land from his grandfather. Unbeknownst to him, he comes across a family secret locked away in a sea cave, buried in his great-great-great grandmothers journals. He encounters the myths and legends surrounding her journals only to happen upon his own self discovery. The book is romantic at moments but is more about the main characters epiphany.
This book is definitely for adults, Keleher says. I tried to write it for young adults but I threw that out and started over. It came together better that way.
Workshop for writers
The workshop at the cultural center is intended for writers, or anyone interested in writing, to approach the process with a greater and more in-depth outlook. Keleher feels that writing for todays society can be challenging. Holding the readers attention is sometimes a tough thing to accomplish.
This workshop is primarily meant for people to think about those ideas theyve had, and how they could turn them into stories, he said.
With a background in anthropology, Kelehers novels focus on the cultural aspect of geographical areas. Although not all of his fiction is filled with talk of legendary creatures, he does base much of his work on existing historical sites and then he fills those stories with his own historical characters.
He has five published books, two of which are online eBook purchases only.
A worldwide traveler Keleher has visited Poland, Scotland, Spain, Romania, France and other countries. His traveling has inspired a few of his novels such as, Grandpa and the Christmas Tree, Vlads Son and Dancing Stones: Cliff Huggins in the American Southwest, the first in a series.
Keleher was born in New York but has lived in Cortez for several years. He moved back to the East Coast for three years. He also lived and taught in Tanzania at the International School of Moshi-Arusha for seven months this year. Recently returning to claim Cortez as his home, Keleher works part-time for Kemper Elementary as an aide and hopes to continue his teaching in the area.
Visit with Keleher and learn about his journey while writing Beul Nam Beinn at the Cortez Cultural Center tomorrow evening from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information on Keleher and his novels check out his website at jwkeleher.com.


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For those that have been waiting for Microsoft's long-delayed Windows Vista operating system, pricing for the company's first consumer
OS release since Windows XP in 2001 has been leaked. Ed Bott's Microsoft Report initially discovered that
Microsoft's Canadian site had revealed pricing for the numerous Vista SKUs.
However, later in the day, US
pricing was found on Amazon's website.
For those looking to jump on the Vista bandwagon, here
are the prices listed (full/upgrade):
Even more interesting is that Amazon lists the shipping date
as January 30 2007. The corporate line has been that Microsoft is aiming for a
January retail launch for Vista. Bill Gates has even been quoted as saying that
there was an 80% chance
that Vista would ship in January. If this launch date provided by Amazon is
any indication, Microsoft looks to be sticking to its guns as far as the
January launch is concerned.
Vista means big business for Microsoft so it wants to make
sure that it gets the launch perfect. The company has announced that it is
investing a total of nearly $1 billion USD into
the launch of Windows and Office and the latest build, 5536, has been
well received by testers
and the press.


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All from ESPN
Impact Players Most Likely To Be Moved
(Ranked from most likely to least likely to be traded)
1. Josh Smith, F, Hawks
Smith has been on the trade block for several years, but the Hawks always pull back at the last second. Once again Smith is the talk of the NBA after he was thrown out of practice Tuesday and suspended for Wednesday's game against Brooklyn. His agent says Smith is frustrated, but hasn't demanded a trade.
The Hawks have been fielding calls, but have been reluctant to trade him because they believe Smith's presence in Atlanta could be a powerful lure for Dwight Howard this summer. But with Howard's situation up in the air, the time seems right for the Hawks and Smith to move on. Dallas, Houston, Boston, Milwaukee, Toronto and the Lakers are all potential suitors. The biggest question is: What is the price tag for a mercurial forward who is entering his prime and will be a free agent this summer?Team needs top end talent. If a know surly player like Lowry can buy in and even be seen fanning calderon after he dropped back to back 3's who to say Josh won't. There's the issue that he might bolt, and he probably will, but lets worry about that when it happens. The league is playing smaller and smaller, and he's the type of player that'd actually fit in really nicely, especially with Val.Toronto Raptors
Jose Calderon and Ed Davis to Atlanta; Smith to Toronto.
(View the deal in ESPN.com's Trade Machine.)
If the Raptors were willing to offer a package of Calderon (expiring) and Davis for Rudy Gay, as our Marc Stein reported last week, would they do the same for Smith? That would have to tempt the Hawks, who would get a young power forward coming into his own without affecting their cap situation much going forward. But Toronto would probably consider that too much to give up for a player who might bolt for a warmer locale.
I've long been in the "just say no to Josh" boat but facts are facts and the raps need a serious talent infusion. This is one of our best ways of doing so.
Worst case scenario he walks, which only leads to us having 13 mil to play with.


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Votes: 14192
Let's not shy away from the truth. The Indian male mindset is culturally conditioned to viewing women in a condescending way. Men have fixed notions about how women should conduct themselves in priv ate and public, how they should dress and how they should interact with members of the opposite sex. Fundamentally, they set unwritten rules for women and expect them to follow it. If they get sexually harassed, the first automatic response is to detect whether they violated any or many of the rules. It's a mindset not used to treating women as equal to men. Congress MP Abhijit Mukherjee's remark reflects that. The male mindset has to change if we want more respect for women in the society.
Read less
Read more
It is easy to extrapolate Abhijit Mukherjee's statement to Indian males at large but that is definitely not the case. The average Indian male may be confused, and even insecure, about the entry of I ndian women into every domain of the work force but doesn't share the same views as a social dinosaur like Mukherjee. Every man in India knows at least one woman in his life who has been the victim of some form of humiliation at the hands of male folk. Every average Indian male does fear for the security of a woman known to him when she has to do something as simple as travel at night, something he can do with impunity. Some like Mukherjee would prefer to go back to the traditional excuse of Western culture bashing to help secure women in the country. Unfortunately, Indian culture and customs as it stands has little to offer our women folk barring a modicum of security within the four walls of their home, that also only if they're lucky. The average Indian male has much to gain from supporting the current protests in Delhi and would prefer that movements like these are successful.
Read less
Read more


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Match Fixing: The ugly side of the beautiful game (Asia)
20 February 2013 - 21 February 2013 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Some 200 delegates from 43 countries met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the threats posed to football by match-fixing and ways to further improve its prevention and investigation. Among the delegates were officials from international organizations, including FIFPro, Sportaccord, national football associations, betting organizations and law enforcement.
The conference addressed current and anticipated future trends in match-fixing and irregular/illegal betting and the adverse influence of the Asian betting markets and organized crime on football. Identifying current good practice, ways of enhancing good governance and the importance of protecting players and initiatives in training, education, prevention and investigation were also key issues discussed.
[ Read more ]


text: AirAsia X gives away a plane! Sydney, 10 April 2012 Some airlines give away a few free seats, others a voucher here and there. But AirAsia X is boldly going where no airline has gone before and is giving away an entire plane, that's right - a 230-odd tonne, shiny red and white airbus. The World's Best Low Cost carrier is giving one lucky AirAsia Australia's Facebook fan and 302 of his or her Facebook friends* a free return flight to Kuala Lumpur travelling on board their very own AirAsia X Airbus A330-300 (which they get to experience only temporarily of course). The winner and their carefully chosen friends will get to experience AirAsia X award winning service on this specially reserved flight to the AirAsia X hub in Kuala Lumpur, its gateway to over 60 destinations in South East Asia including Phuket, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh and many more, where they'll live it up in Kuala Lumpur including three nights accommodation, before returning home on their private plane*. The competition, believed to be the world's first to be organised in an Airbus A330 aircraft, was launched today to celebrate AirAsia X's new daily Sydney-Kuala Lumpur service which began on April 2. Entry is via a specially designed 'Friendsy' app on AirAsia Australia's Facebook page, with the winner drawn on 12th June. The AirAsia Friendsy plane will depart November 2 from Sydney Airport to Kuala Lumpur and return to Sydney on November 5, 2012. "Why would we give away an Airbus A330? To show it's possible for everyone to fly and so that everyone can see why we're the World's Best Low-Cost Airline," AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said. "Our bold move is part of our social media promotion drive, offering our awesome guests a little X-citement, while testing our social media strength and influence. We believe that the idea would also lift our brand further in Australia and surrounding region." "Also none of our competitors would ever be this cool. Apart from our sense of fun and adventure, it's our category leading efficiency and service that makes it possible for us to offer this amazing trip of a lifetime." The Friendsy app features the Pick A Seat diagram from the AirAsia's website, which allows entrants to fill the plane's seats with their Facebook friends either manually or via an auto fill button. The AirAsia Friendsy app is now available at www.facebook.com/AirAsiaAustralia "Entrants will be faced with a number of thought-provoking decisions," Mr Osman-Rani said. "For example, what if you have more than 302 friends? And which 11 friends will you choose to join you in the Premium Flat Beds? "Our advice, it's time to think hard about who your real friends are!" concluded Azran. AirAsia X, the long haul, low fare affiliate of AirAsia, operates direct flights to Kuala Lumpur from Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Perth, as well as connecting 'Fly-Thru' flights to popular ASEAN countries. Currently, AirAsia has over 65,000 followers/fans at facebook.com/AirAsiaAustralia. The airline as a group has over 2.3 million facebook fans from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore. AirAsia was named the World's Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010 and 2011. * Conditions apply, log on to www.facebook/AirAsiaAustralia . Only open to Aust. residents 18 + who are able to take the prize on 2/11/12. Commences 10/4/12 and closes 11.59pm AEST 5/6/12. 1 entry permitted per entrant. Draw will take place at Ste 3, Erina Plaza, 210 Central Coast Hwy, Erina NSW 2250 at 12pm AEST 12/6/12. Winner published in The Australian 19/6/12. Prize also includes breakfast daily & is valued at up to AUD$268,615.00. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. The Promoter is AirAsia X Services Pty Ltd (ABN 79 141 326 463), of PO Box 497 Red Hill QLD 4059. Telephone 1300 760 330. NSW Permit No. LTPS/12/2559 VIC Permit No. 12/669 ACT Permit No. TP12/1126 SA Permit No. T12/538".


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"Crump successfully conveys the rich grainy texture of science and discovery, yet in an accessible way.... [This] is a serious and fully furnished history of science, from which anyone interested in the development of ideasor indeed, in history itselfwill greatly profit."Financial Times
"He provides lively summaries of the progress in different fields, and succeeds in breathing new life into familiar stories."Economist


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Lenovo ThinkPads are usually the choice of businesses when it comes to notebooks. In recent months, the company introduced smaller, ultra-portable laptops aimed at mobile warriors -- these models included the 13" ThinkPad X300 and the 12.1" ThinkPad X200; both are available with solid state drive (SSDs).
Lenovo is now expanding its ThinkPad lineup with a new mobile workstation model. The new ThinkPad W700 features a 17" WXGA screen (WUXGA optional) which is backed by either a 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 2700M or 1GB NVIDIA Quadro 3700M Open GL graphics processor. Outputting graphics to an external monitor is handled by a Dual Link DVI port, VGA port, or Display Port connector.
Lenovo's ThinkPad W700 will use Intel's latest and faster Penryn-based mobile processors and can be equipped with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. In addition, the system can be configured with up to 2GB of Intel Turbo Memory. Because of its large frame, the ThinkPad W700 can also accommodate up to two HDDs in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration.
The ThinkPad W700's large frame also allows it not only to feature the traditional Trackpoint + touchpad, but also an optional built-in WACOM tablet for the graphic artists out there. Other features include five USB ports, an ExpressCard slot, multi-card reader, optional Blu-ray/DVD burner, and an optional dock which adds eSATA ports and digital audio.
"Lenovo has engineered a new breed of mobile workstation with the ThinkPad W700," said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, Notebook Business Unit, Lenovo. "No other PC manufacturer has a mobile workstation that delivers the sheer power, performance and cutting-edge innovation that Lenovo has packed into the ThinkPad W700. The ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation flat out delivers the command performance our customers demand at the desk as well as in the field."
Lenovo's ThinkPad W700 starts at $2,978 (2.53GHz/2GB/160GB/DVD Burner/Quadro FX 2700/Vista Business) and is available online, although it won't ship for another two to three weeks.