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When considering the optimal number of founders for any new entrepreneurial adventure, the calculus extends well beyond simple formulas seemingly supported by observations of startup cohorts within specific industries. Famous technology twosomes that come to mind include David Packard and William Hewlett of Hewlett-Packard, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple, Paul Allen and Bill Gates of Microsoft, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google. In these examples, it is widely observed that these buddy teams complemented each other well in the early formative years of their companies.
In many instances, however, deciding on co-founders is steeped in practical circumstances without regard to fit, long-term aspirations and growth capacity – "John" was here in the beginning and agreed to help me start this company; ergo he is co-founder. In one of my own ill-fated experiences, it was a mercifully never-launched venture with what was to be nine co-founders, all selected for the simple reason that the dot-bomb we were attached to was preparing to implode; as many did during the first Internet bubble. We vowed we would start a version 2.0 of that company, wiser for the experience. Luckily, we were smart enough not to start it.
And yet other founders are forever destined to be without any cofounder/s for a host of reasons, such as being fundamentally incapable of power sharing or delegation, or having pathological personality disorders that insist no other human being is worthy of sharing in their entrepreneurial vision and acumen. These go-it-alone "self-made" men and women typically opt for a journey of greater hardship than necessary, but feel it is warranted in the long run for not having to share credit and treasure.
Whereas there is a growing body of research on the dynamics of founding companies (The Founder's Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman being a good one), for those who are open to having one or more individuals join them on an entrepreneurial expedition. I would offer the following advice.
I don't believe there is an optimal number of founders that applies universally. For those who don't like this answer and would at least prefer a range, say between two and five, my experience suggests that the optimal number of co-founders needed for starting and growing a healthy company is Pi; namely 3.141592653589...
And here is what I mean when I say the optimal number of founders for any company is Pi.
For most companies of commercial success and accomplishment, the number of founders will be determined by practical necessity. One or more individuals attempting to realize the vision of creating a new product or service will align along their relative contribution of actualizing that new product or service. In other words, who can do what, and together do we have a product – which by default becomes our company?
In these early formative moments, a diversity of skills is likely more valued than redundancy and niche specialty. For many would-be corporate titans, the notion is that specialized talent can be acquired later on an IF-and-WHEN-needed basis. Individuals who can see the bigger picture and can help make the minimally viable expression of that vision a reality are usually the driving force behind starting new things.
Keep in mind, however, that starting and growing new companies is a journey and not a single event. And like most living things, as companies grow, the dynamics of what is needed (from a talent perspective) will change over time. So it is that many companies will later make strategic hires of individuals who have specific talents that become increasingly necessary to differentiate the company. These hires can become absolutely critical to the company's continued viability and survival.
These individuals do not garner the co-founder title, but when the history of the company is written, they will be nearly, if not equally, as important as the founders to the ultimate success of the company. They do usually earn some equity position within the ownership structure, which is deserved, but those decoding the genome of a particular company often overlook these vital resources. Even though these team members have lesser standing, their presence was/is essential.
This is why, when answering the question of optimal number of founders, I include these anonymous soldiers in the numbers that follow the decimal point in Pi. After all, Pi, without the numbers that follow the decimal, is simply three. And unlike the song title that would suggest otherwise, three isn't always the magic number. For that matter, no number is.
Thom Ruhe


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You have no discounts. Click here to get some.
I wrote an article before preseason began regarding a successful approach I use in handicapping the opening week of football. Basically I write down every current NFL spread and total before the first preseason game kicks off. I then compare that number to the current line before the opening week games are played. If there is a spread move of 2 points or more I fade that move. The reason is simple, the public tends to overreact to what happens in the preseason. Games in which starters play limited minutes and each coach has different goals in the game. For example Atlanta plays to evaluate players, while new coaching staffs like Cleveland's play to win, in order to instill a winning attitude. By playing starters longer than their opponents the Browns were one team that took money based on preseason play.
Overall going against these line moves proved profitable again with an 8-3 73% mark. The key game in which the line moves ended up being correct came in the Arizona/St Louis contest in which the Rams moved from -6 to -3 1/2 with the total going from 40 to 43. St Louis won that game 27-24.
But other than that contest we saw many games in which the line moves were just wrong. New England from 7 to 10, Tampa Bay from 1 1/2 to 4, Cleveland from +1 1/2 to -2, Indianapolis from -7 to -11, Houston from -3 to -5 1/2. Some games involved quarterback changes, but once again their was an overreaction as Buffalo, the NY Jets and Oakland all had questionable starters at those positions to begin with.
The key point to remember here is that what you see in the preseason should be highly discounted. The intensity of a regular season game isn't there and every squad has different priorities. Keep that in mind next season when the Hall of Fame game comes around.
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Thanks Leonard for this Analysis!! Very informative, hopefully I can remember this next year!
Very interesting Bryan, thanks..
Great info Bryan. Thank You. Some how I need to store all of the information I get on this website from both the pro's and other members of the forums in a way that I can go back and make better bets. You learn so much on here but I find myself on the wrong side of a game only to remember a piece of information mentioned here only to have forgotten it.
Thanks Jason,
Maybe the powers that be can add a favorite button to each post that appears in a certain area of the site in which you personally have full access when clicked upon. I know I would like something like that because it's impossible to remember all the solid posts I read on this site.
Bry- Just email me if you are looking for a specific link to one of my posts and I can help you out. Also when will your Golden Nugget GOY tickets be posted?
Gave them to RJ 3 weeks ago. It's out of my hands now, but I've been posting the week to week bets here in the forum. 2-1 on the season with Iowa +4 this week.
Your share has been sent.

subset: commoncrawl


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" Garmin nüvi 215 - GPS receiver - hiking, automotive "
* Prices may differ from that shown
This was the first sat nav I have bought and used (I think its this model anyway). You can pick one up at around £100 or less and it comes with all the basic features you need and even has bluetooth connectively for you mobile phone!
Using this sat nav for the 8/9 months has been ok I would say. There are times that it will say its re calculating even though we followed the directions properly, common routes we use sometimes change although this could be the traffic avoidance system kicking in (how would I know?), Instructions are usually clear but for a first time user, some exits off a motorway are confusing when listening to the sat nav, only when you have made a mistake do you realise what it meant.
You can search for places near by such as restaurants, petrol stations etc which is really handy although I am unsure how up to date it is, or even how to update the system anyway. I wish you could see lanes on the motorways as this will help distinguish exits quicker, but for £100 you get what you pay for.
Its a small and as said, has a lot of functions for a budget sat nav, it has a fairly quick response time when navigating the menu and the built in bluetooth is a good feature for those of you who require it. It will connect to your phone automatically after initial set up every time you turn it on.
For £100 its a good budget sat nav, personally I think I should have spent a bit more for a Tom Tom but this will do the job and with google maps on my phone too, I shouldn't ever get lost!
We bought this GPS in the US for a road trip across California - we drove around Los Angeles and then up to San Francisco and back again using only this to guide us. In the UK, we rely on our in-car GPS, so this was our first experience with a portable Sat Nav. It was for the most part very reliable, but we did have a couple of problems with it. For one, we were unable to specify when we wanted to avoid certain roads - the weekend we drove to San Francisco, there were major works being done on the major bridge into the city, and that path was blocked off completely. We had to shut it off completely and drive for literally half an hour in the opposite direction before it started to offer us an alternative route. Secondly, having to specify 'S. Melrose' versus just 'Melrose' was quite irritating - it wasn't very smart, in that it could not logic out when you were talking about the same street (just a different side of it). Thirdly, and maybe most alarmingly, the directions were simply wrong - either the address had been programmed wrong to begin with, but we ended up driving around, completely lost, in a not entirely desirable area of L.A. as the Sat Nav refused to show us the true location of our hotel (about half an hour away, in reality). However, like I said, it was very reliable for the most part - but when it failed, it failed egregiously!
Simple, safe and affordable with Bluetooth hands-free phone calling and optional smart traffic avoidance, nüvi 215 is your personal travel assistant for life on the go. This simple, safety-minded regional navigator leads the way with turn-by-turn directions and a unique, advanced safety camera warning system to help you find the best route and stay safe on the road. Give the drive your full attention with hands-free phone calls through the integrated speaker and microphone. Packed with up to millions of points of interest (POIs) the 215 is compact, versatile and easy to use.


text: Be Silent–Jehee Sheen treads lightly for the fall/winter 2013 season. Looking to a somber combination of black and gray for the season's color palette, a meeting of eastern and western design motifs is amplified with a mixture of proportions. Easily interchangeable for the ideal collection of separates, tailored slim pieces, ranging from waistcoats and trousers cut above the ankle to jackets balance out the occasional wide-cut pant for an outing that may be silent but is highly effective.


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KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Rough Trade/RCA)
This London-based duo's debut album was a raw slice of bristling blues-punk – their second album is even rawer and more minimalist, combining dirty guitar stabs and a primitive drum machine with Florida-raised singer Alison Mosshart's heated vocals. Overall, the brutal, spartan sound is similar to PJ Harvey's last album Uh Huh Her, but No Wow packs a more powerful punch. 2/18/2005 - Don Yates
Other Kills album reviews:
Blood Pressures - 3/30/2011
Keep On Your Mean Side - 3/15/2003


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I Can Do It!Christine Bemko Kril - Kapok Press
This beginning method book is well-suited for very young children or slow learners at the piano. All the songs are well-known nursery rhymes and the notation consists of color-coded letter names, A through G. Beginners learn key names, Italian music terms, fingering, music basics, patterns in music and simple composition. Each song is only a few measures long, ensuring success. The spiral-bound Piano Book includes a keyboard chart and music CD of songs for singing and movement activities. The colorful water-color artwork is strikingly beautiful and descriptive of the nursery rhymes. The supplemental Duets book contains accompaniments to each song in the Piano Book. The Teacher's Guide includes lesson plans, parent sheets and coloring pages for the student and is designed for private lessons or for small groups of two to four children. The Explorer's Guide contains 20 homework lessons for the parent and child to do between lessons with the teacher. This method has been found to be especially effective with children who have trouble with more traditional methods.
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Multiword Expressions
From ACL Wiki
There is a growing awareness in the NLP community of the problems that Multiword Expressions (MWEs) pose and the need for their robust handling. MWEs include a large range of linguistic phenomena, such as phrasal verbs (e.g. "add up"), nominal compounds (e.g. "telephone box"), and institutionalized phrases (e.g. "salt and pepper"). These expressions, which can be syntactically and/or semantically idiosyncratic in nature, are used frequently in everyday language, usually to express precisely ideas and concepts that cannot be compressed into a single word.


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Spalding TF-VB3 Volleyball
Buy 24 or more for $35.30 each
Buy 72 or more for $34.35 each
- All printing will be done on the top middle panel of the volleyball
- Personalized volleyballs will ship in 3 weeks from the time the order is approved or started
- Add up to a 2-color team name or full color logo
- Printing size can be up to approximately 1.25" H x 2.5" W; however, the layout of your logo will determine exact size
- Tournament composite leather cover
- 2-Ply soft cloth lining for improved structural integrity and durability
- Floating butyl bladder holds air and provides resiliency
- V-Seam construction provides smooth playability and softer feel compared to traditional W-Seam
All Volleyball is proud to be the only retailer to offer personalization on the Spalding TF-VB5 and TF-VB3 volleyballs. Now you can add up to a 2-color team name or full color logo. Click the "Personalize This Item" to get started.
|Quantity Pricing
|Logo - Price includes unlimited colors and all set up charges
|Design services available call (888) 962-7077 10am - 4pm CST Mon-Fri, or email email@example.com
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This is a non-stocked item which means it's not physically stored at our St. Louis, MO facility.
Non-stocked items are stored at our manufacturer's facility and may be drop shipped.
Non-stocked items/orders can take up to 3-5 business days* before shipping.
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For more information please visit our Shipping page and Shipping Practices page.


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McLaughlin - Ulster capable of glory
Ulster head coach Brian McLaughlin insisted there is more to come from his side after they battled to a 22-19 victory over Edinburgh to reach the Heineken Cup final.
Ruan Pienaar kicked 17 points and pulled the strings expertly behind a dominant pack as Ulster booked a showdown with either Leinster or Clermont Auvergne at Twickenham on May 19.
"We are delighted to be where we are. It was exceptionally tough," said McLaughlin, who is leaving the role at the end of the season. "We are looking forward to getting to Twickenham and showing we can dog it out like we did today but also we are a very capable rugby side."
He added: "We were ruthless in the first half. We had one opportunity and got seven points from it.
"Ruan was outstanding. In the second half we got more possession, more territory and the opportunities came.
"The one thing that pleased me was the set scrum, it was outstanding. All credit to the forwards. They scrummaged exceptionally well.
"It was an outstanding effort when we had 14 guys on the pitch. We won that period 3-0. We looked as if we still had 15 on the pitch."
Despite being distinctly second best in the set-piece, Edinburgh did create chances but they could not apply the finishing touches.
"We are disappointed and a little bit frustrated," said boss Michael Bradley. "We had enough opportunities to build a bigger points total than we did.
"In the second half Ulster shut us down a little bit more. They stifled our ability to play attacking rugby. Ulster got the upper hand in the scrum but we had chances to win the game."


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Aviva Premiership
Croft: Injury put me in "dark places"
ESPN Staff
January 8, 2013
Tom Croft played 50 minutes in his comeback game against Worcester last week © PA Photos
Leicester and England flanker Tom Croft has admitted he had to negotiate some "dark place" on his nine-month recovery from a neck injury.
The 27-year-old made his comeback for Leicester in their 31-26 Aviva Premiership victory over Worcester on Friday after undergoing neck surgery last April.
It followed a protracted recovery period for the flanker, which saw him miss England's summer tour to South Africa as well as their autumn internationals against Fiji, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
"In all honesty, I have thought no further than Worcester," he told the Leicester Mercury. "It was just about getting through the game unscathed. I have been back and forth to dark places the last nine months, especially in the early months, and then coming back from recovery and thinking about playing.
"The last two-to-three months, I have just been thinking about this first game. Firstly, will I survive it? I've ticked that box - and, secondly, getting back to how I was playing before I got injured. So my thoughts haven't really gone further than that.
"It's a broken bone at the end of the day, and all you can do is as your told medically. You give it rest when it needs rest and, when you can start to build things up again, you can. I was hoping to be back November-December time, but scans showed otherwise.
"That was probably the most frustrating thing. The first sixth months you kind of accept, in terms of the severity of the injury, the last two months you are just saying 'am I ready, am I ready?' and you just keep getting pulled back.
"So it was nice to finally go over that threshold and play the game and come through."
Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill has already played down the prospect of Croft featuring for England in their Six Nations campaign, which starts on February 2. And the Tigers flanker is happy to adhere to his coach's plans for his comeback.
"It's down to Cockers in terms of selection," he said. "We have got two massive games coming up. It's up to the coaches where they think I'm at. I trust their judgement. Obviously, there is still room to improve fitness."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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Steve Icenhour President of Alexander Trucking Company located in Taylorsville NC talks about Alexander Trucking Company and describes their services. A general commodities freight company, Alexander Trucking delivers to the lower 48 states, and offers Refrigerated environments, vented vans, and a large local pickup area.
Alexander Trucking has been a family owned and operated business for over 40 years. Our customers are the backbone of our business and we strive to fulfill our promises to them with regards to their freight shipping needs.
Duration : 0:1:15


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" Pleasure Beach, Blackpool "
My friend and I took our kids aged 9 and 12 to Nickelodeon Land and the Pleasure Beach and we had a fantastic day....it kept us busy all day and we were thoroughly exhausted when we came out!!
Our favourite rides were the Nickelodeon Streak which is the old Roller Coaster for those who remember the original!! It was great..both kids loved it and it was not too scary for the 9 year old and suitably hedonistic for the 12 year old!! We also loved Avatar which is a ride that spins round and then runs up and down a track whilst spinning...you sit on the outside so it is not for the faint hearted!! Our kids loved it but I would not recommend that particular ride for under 9s
We paid with clubcard vouchers and it cost us about £8 of those each....it would have been nearly £100 for the 4 of us if we had paid cash which we felt was really expensive....if you don't have clubcard vouchers you can get a Blackpool pass which lets you in to about 10 attractions including this one for about £70 which I would strongly recommend.
The downside was that there were not enough grown up rides for our 2 in Nickelodeon Land so we were glad that our passes covered us for the Pleasure Beach too...between the two parks there was more than enough for all of us to do. The inevitable queues are always a nuisance and you can buy fast passes but I wouldn't bother...we only queued between 5 and 25 minutes for any ride. The food is quite overpriced too so if you can take your own then I would advise it or get a stamp and pop out for food along the Golden Mile
For the last few years I had been thinking about having a day out to Blackpool Pleasure Beach but due to the cost I never got round to it. As soon as I heard about the renovation and introduction of Nickelodeon Land I knew I just had to take my daughter so we planned a day with my brother and his girlfriend so we could really make the most of it.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is situated at the very south of Blackpool, just a little further down than the Sandcastle Water Park. You can even see the Big One (the large rollercoaster) from the motorway on the way into Blackpool at the opposite end to Blackpool Tower!
As we were planning the trip in advance I decided to use some of my Tesco Clubcard vouchers in exchange for a wristband is this worked out at £9.50 in vouchers for a £35 wristband. My brother purchased his wristbands online as this meant they were at a discounted price of ten pounds off and an offer that was on at the time meant they could buy two bands and get one free which meant my daughters wristband was free! As we had done the bookings online it meant we had to go into reception to collect the bands and this meant queuing for around ten minutes. When you enter the Pleasure Beach you now have to walk through quite a secure area and hand over your keys, phone and bags so they can be checked as you walk through a security gate which detects metal. This is just like airport security! Parking at the pleasure beach is extremely expensive so I parked on the Travelodge car park which is literally two minutes away and this cost £7.50 for the full days parking. There are other places you can park, there is parking all down the sea front but again this is more expensive than the Travelodge option but this does get full quite quickly due to the slightly cheaper price.
When we entered the Pleasure Beach we were a little confused as to where to go as it was many many years since we had been. Just inside the entrance there was a large area with water fountains in which the children (and adults if they so wish) can play. As it was such a hot day my brother decided he wanted a play in there so he and my daughter went in for a minute or so and ended up very wet! We had a walk around and then soon came across Nickelodeon Land and I was just amazed at the transformation from the old Beaver Creek area. You are just hit with bursts of colour and you immediately notice the large bright orange roller coaster standing out from the other rides. I have to say that I am not really a fan of Spongebob Squarepants but even I was surprised at how much I was drawn into it! We stood at the top of the slope for a few minutes just taking in all the rides and in the distance we could see Dora meeting and greeting the children.
The rides
There are twelve rides in Nickelodeon Land, and my daughter was just dying to get on each and every one of them. Even though the weather was very hot the Pleasure Beach was quiet due to the fact we had gone during term time and as my daughter was still in nursery at the time it didn't matter if she missed one session.
Diego's Rainforest Rescue was the first ride we went on as there was no queue at all. The ride is a ring of hot air balloons and you sit in the basket - there are four seats to each balloon. In the centre of the balloon you will see a rubber ring which you can turn to make the balloon spin around, much like the teacup rides at fairgrounds. This ride is great fun but I have to admit I came off it feeling quite sick from all the spinning my daughter did!
Next we went on to Fairy World Taxi Spin which my daughter decided she wanted to go on with my brother as she thought it was funny being called fairy and making my brother who is a 6ft 4" man (and really felt quite embarrassed going on that ride!) go on! Each carriage is a taxi cab and on the dashboard there is a button which controls the cab going up and down. From the top when you release the button you come down with a bit of a bump and a huge tummy tickle!!
The next ride we went on looked amazing and we all four went on - Spongebobs Splash Bash! This ride has jellyfish for carriages and as the ride begins you sink into water and are floating around in circles. Attached to the carriages are water guns which you have to manually turn a lever to make the gun spray. It is basically a huge water fight and everyone just sprays eachother and even at the sides of the ride there are water guns so people watching can spray also. It is safe to say we were absolutely drenched when we came off this ride but it was the most fun I think I have ever had at a theme park! We all came off in fits of laughter and couldn't wait to get on it again!
The Backyardigans Pirate Treasure is a pirate ship with a difference, the boat goes round like a roundabout but goes very very fast and there is no way my stomach could handle that but my daughter went on it alone and absolutely adored every second of it, even when it went backwards!
The Blue Flyer is a small roller coaster which is fab for younger children and there is a larger one called the Nickelodeon Streak but unfortunately my daughter was just a little too short to go on that one even though she was begging to.
Other rides include Avatar Airbender which is aimed at older children and adults, Rugrats Lost River which is basically a log flume, The Krusty Krab which is a smaller version of the Ice Blast ride (previously known as Playstation), Dora's World Voyage which is a very slow ride through different lands in a hot air balloon, Bikini Bus Tour which is a bus that goes round in circles and quite high so they can see the whole area and finally Wonder Pets Big Circus Bounce which is similar to the Fairy Cabs but unfortunately was closed when we were there.
Along with the rides there is a large hook a duck style game in the centre of the area where the prizes are all Spongebobs of different sizes. It is priced at £4 which does seem a little excessive but there is a prize every time and the children get two picks to add up the points to win a prize. There is a snack shack just next to the Splash Bash ride which sells snacks such as popcorn, candyfloss, hot dogs and such like. The gift shop is large and just packed with Spongebob and Dora The Explorer souvenirs.
If you wish to have a sit down meal there is a restaurant onsite called the Big Pizza Kitchen in which you have an all you can eat buffet. This is a really nice place to eat and the standard of pizza and salad is quite good, I would definitely eat there again. Next to the Big Pizza Kitchen there is a meet and greet area where the characters all come out one by one and there is the option for the children to have their photographs taken by the official photographer but also they allow you to take your own so you don't have to fork out extra money for their official pictures. Along with the meet and greet there is a show the characters put on which is great fun to watch and it was brilliant seeing my daughter dancing along to the music.
My overall opinion of Nickelodeon Land is an extremely positive one. I think it is a fantastic place for both children and adults alike and visually it is very pleasing with the bright colours. I have been twice during the summer holidays this year and on both occasions the queue time was very limited which is surprising as it is still relatively new and people were eager to make the most of the area. The longest queue we encountered was for the log flume but that is my daughters favourite ride so we had to queue up but even then it was for ten minutes at the most.
I loved seeing my daughter meeting the characters, when she met Diego he loved her bunches and held each one up for the photograph which was fab and now my daughter always says they are her Diego bunches when she has her hair up. I also like how at the end of the day the characters are stood at the exit so again there are photo opportunities. I was concerned about how my daughter would react with the characters initially as she was very scared last time we went to a theme park but as we are going to Disneyland next year I want her to feel comfortable meeting the large characters.
With the wristbands we had the option of using all of the rides which was great so we did go around the rest of the park and went on some of the other rides but we made sure we went back to Nickelodeon Land and had another go on the Splash Bash! By far the best ride in the Pleasure Beach in our opinion!
The one downside I have to Nickelodeon land (which does extend to the whole Pleasure Beach) is the system they have for going on the rides. At each gate when entering a ride there is a scanning system in which you have to flash the barcode on your wristband (by the end of the day we ended up feeling like we were on sale at Asda!!!) This was quite hard for my daughter to do by herself as the scanners are quite high and it was hard to twist her arm round correctly to scan the barcode. On some of the rides the staff were helpful but on others the staff were quite rude and impatient when she struggled and that was very unfair of them in my opinion!
All in all I think Nickelodeon Land is a fantastic day out and although the prices are quite expensive I do think it was worth it as we had a really good day.
Thank you for reading my review.
In the summer holidays my friend and I had decided to take our children to Blackpool Pleasure Beach but more specifically to Nickelodeon Land inside the Pleasure Beach which is aimed at children in particular.
The Pleasure Beach really is quite hard to miss if you are in Blackpool as it is situated on the main street of Blackpool and the large Big One ride is very prominent in the sky! The address though, for the purpose of this review is as follows:
525 Ocean Boulevard,
==Booking and Prices==
Given that it is quite expensive to go to the theme park my friend and I decided to use some tesco clubcard vouchers to purchase an adult wrist band each which cost £9.50 in vouchers but if you were to purchase them using cash they would have cost us £35.00 at the time that we went which is obviously peak time. We both purchased a child's wristband online which cost £20.00 each but this did allow us to go on other rides around the park as well as Nickelodeon Land.
What it is important to note is that prices are significantly reduced should you visit during term time so I would advise adults wishing to go along with children who aren't yet in school do this. You can also get a slightly cheaper price should you book online in advance which is what we did for our day out.
We arrived around 10.30am and the park opened at 10am. Times change obviously depending on the season and so it is worth checking out the website before you go. We parked on the car park next to the theme park and near to the Travelodge hotel and this cost us £7.50 for the day which isn't too bad really.
Despite arriving not long after the park opened there were quite long queues to get the wrist bands and even if you have booked online you do need to queue up to go and get your band put on. They do have plenty of staff working in the ticket office though and so we only waited for around five minutes. Staff put the wrist band on your arm for you and then you need to go through another gate and through some security measures which I can only liken to those in an airport as I had to hand my phone in and such like but I suppose in this day and age the checks really are necessary.
==Nickelodeon Land==
There is a short walk past some of the larger rides before you get to Nickelodeon Land. As I mentioned we did purchase wristbands which ensured we would be able to go on all of the rides in the park should we wish to but we couldn't really make the most of them because our children are seven and four respectively and weren't up for riding roller coasters for the most part! We did get to go on a few rides around the park but for the purpose of this review I intend to focus on Nickelodeon Land as this was where we spent the bulk of our time.
Nickelodeon Land isn't that old really. It was built in 2011 and replaced Beaver Creek which was the area I remember from visits to Blackpool Pleasure Beach as a child. As expected from such a new build the six acre area is brightly coloured and features rides which look modern and colourful. Even as an adult I appreciated the coolness of this area and my son in particular was really excited to see areas such as "The Krusty Krab" as he is a real spongebob squarepants fan. There are actually only twelve rides within Nickelodeon Land and I was surprised by this as it is a large area but there was actually plenty to keep us going despite the fact that a couple of rides seemed to be out of action due to high winds on the day we visited.
What I found really frustrating was the fact that to enter a ride you needed to scan the bar code on your wrist band and much like on the tesco self service check outs there always seemed to be issues! There were members of staff there to help out when required but given that the children were wanting to go on some rides on their own I did feel like the system was a little bit silly especially as there were staff there to man the rides and we had already gone through security measures as well.
Fairy world taxi spin was the first ride that we went on and despite the name it isn't really a girly ride and so my son was happy enough to get on it! You are sat in a taxi but there are buttons in each cab and so you are able to control if you go up in the air and when with that. My son thought it was hilarious as we bumped as he brought us back down from the sky and so this ride was a huge hit for him!
Diego's rainforest rescue was the next ride we went on and this was a hot air balloon style ride but each balloon had a handle in the middle much like on the tea cups ride which you could turn to make your balloon spin whilst in the air! My son thought this was great again but it made me feel quite sick and so I did have to limit the spinning on this one! The kids enjoyed being lifted in the bikini Bottom bus tour and as it was one they could go on on their own they felt quite grown up I think.
The blue flyer is a mini rollercoaster for the kids and I have to say I loved this one as much as my son and would have happily gone on it again! There isn't many big drops but it does tickle your tummy some what as it whizzes around and so it was a fun ride to go on. The larger Nickelodeon streak roller coaster was running but we didn't go on this one as my friend doesn't love roller coasters and I didn't want to take my son on it and leave her daughter sitting alone or vice versa.
The backyardigans pirate treasure was a little boat ride that my son and his friend went on alone but I have to say it whizzed round quite quickly! The kids loved it and felt grown up going on it on their own too. They also went on the Krusty Krab order up ride which is basically a ride which lifts them in the air then drops them quite suddenly. My friend and I were laughing so much watching them and wondering if they were terrified or that they loved it but they both came off and were asking to go on it again!
The ride which needs the most special mention is spongebob's splash bash. I have to say I was terrified about going on this ride because the concept is simply that your boat is lowered in to the water and you spin a handle which in turns works a water gun which you spray at the others boats and people watching from the side lines! My friend told me the last time she went on this she was soaked and given that I am a girly girl with my hair and make up nice I was worried I would look a drowned rat or be a target for people! Still I got on with it and got on the ride and can honestly say it was one of the funniest things I have ever been on! You literally do get very wet, even with your hood up but squirting unsuspecting people who on concentrating on getting other people wet is hilarious and we all thought this was the best ride of the day! There are drying booths for you to go in when you come out but we didn't bother and we did dry off naturally relatively quickly.
Rugrats lost river is the mini log flume for Nickelodeon land but we didn't end up going on this one as the last time I went to a theme park I got soaked on the log flume and the weather wasn't wonderful initially when we visited Blackpool so I decided to avoid this one especially as I was only just drying from the splash bash ride! Another ride we didn't go on was Dora's world voyage which my friend thought my son would be really bored by and the avatar airbender ride which was out of action on the day we visited.
The rides are obviously the main focus in Nickelodeon land and they are colourful, modern looking and seem well made. At no point did I feel unsafe and to be honest there are some rides in the main area of the pleasure beach that I wonder why they haven't fallen to pieces yet (Grand National I am looking at you!) Obviously around the area they do want to make extra money off us parents and so the children did have a go on a hook a duck game which cost four pounds for two go's and in the end my son ended up with a rubbish little cushion being thrown at him by the attendant which he could attach to his window and he was quite upset by this. In retrospect I do wish that I had just called in the Nickelodeon shop and given him a fiver to spend because at least then he would have had some choice over what he got.
There is a designated area where characters come out to meet and greet the children and you can have your photo taken with them. There is an official photographer taking photo's but we were allowed to take our own pictures too at this point. My friend was told not to take pictures later on in the main park with the beaver character as he was a "licensed product" which we thought was ridiculous given we had paid entry prices and all they wanted was for us to purchase their official photograph! My son had his picture taken with SpongeBob and Patrick from SpongeBob Squarepants and my friends daughter also had a picture with Diego. We didn't spot any other characters but they did seem to be coming out quite regularly and there wasn't a massive wait to have a picture with them when they did come out.
There is a place called Big Pizza Kitchen in Nickelodeon land where we decided to have our lunch and it was a buffet style pizza place and cost £7.95 for adults and £4.95 for children and then you had to purchase drinks on top. The food was okay but in retrospect we probably should have headed out of the park for some food and returned and it really did add to the cost of the day out and it wasn't wonderful. I don't want to talk too much about the food though as I plan to review the food place separately. The toilets are up by the Big Pizza Kitchen though as opposed to in there and we did find that there were plenty of toilets and that they were stocked with toilet roll, hand wash and dryers as well so we had no complaints with those.
I would certainly recommend a trip to Nickelodeon land with your children. I think the area is bright, modern and fun for all of the family and it is a great day out. I would recommend looking to tesco clubcard vouchers or visiting during term time or out of season if you can simply because it can prove to be expensive for all of the family to go but I do still very much recommend it as a day out. I would also say purchase the wristband which allows you to use the other rides in the park as it is only around an extra fiver and we were able to go on a good few rides in the main park too which the children enjoyed.
If you go to the pleasure beach with the knowledge that yes it is going to be expensive but it will also be a good day out then you won't be disappointed. It does frustrate me that bags are checked for food and drink and you are not allowed to take your own in because I feel the costs are already expensive enough to go in to the attraction but you can leave the park and get your hand stamped for a later return and just head to a chip shop or café nearby.
Thank you for reading my review!
We live in Blackpool and therefore have a vast array of activities (or temptations!) available on our doorstep.
The latest addition to these being Nickelodeon Land as Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
My 7 year old son had been nagging me to take him as soon as he heard that it had opened. Passing it on the way to school on a daily basis also didn't help!
Part way through the Summer Holidays I decided to give in - well partly.....I used my Tesco Club Card vouchers!
£11 of club card vouchers can be exchanged for 1 adult/child wrist band, valid for one day. The wrist band provides entry to all the rides at The Pleasure Beach as well as Nickelodeon Land.
For those actually paying for wrist bands, they cost £22 when bought online, it is one price for all regardless of age.
The price increases when bought at the gate on the day:
Adult £32
Junior £27
Senior £27
Wrist bands for Nickelodeon ONLY cost £18, online or at the gate.
For those not wishing to use the rides eg accompanying children, Pleasure Beach passes are available for £5 per person, allowing entry into the park and also the maze, Pleasure Beach Express (train ride) and a couple of children's shows.
If a pass is purchased and you decide that you then want to buy a wristband the £5 is deducted from the cost.
Children under the age of 2 years are provided with a free pass but once they can walk unaided and wish to use the rides they must have a wrist band or ride tickets - come on Pleasure Beach, have a heart!!! £18/£22 to go on a few baby rides when the rest of the family have purchased wrist bands at great cost, it's a bit mean!!
Likewise, if an adult wishes to accompany a child on the Nickelodeon rides they must also pay £18, the Pleasure Beach pass does not permit this. This can result in a very costly outing.
The Pleasure Beach opens it's doors at 10.00am, although the rides are not in operation until 10.30am, times are also staggered, so some open later. It closes at 8pm but check the website for confirmation prior to visiting.
I used to work at the Pleasure Beach and had not been back since it had changed to wrist bands and the fee entry system.
I assumed entry would be a speedy process as previously but unfortunately it wasn't!
We arrived at 10.45am. There were two large queues adjacent to the rear car park - there was no distinction in the queues. Those who had purchased online, buying on the day or exchanging vouchers - all queue together. A very poor system.
If you happen to go - use the left hand queue heading through the Globe Theatre, it looks much longer from the outside but it is far quicker.
It took us around half an hour to queue to get in. Compared to other theme parks their entry system is a bit of a joke.
Nickelodeon Land is situated at the far side of the park up the ramp next to the ice drome and down the other side.
Those who have visited the Pleasure Beach previously will recognise the new attraction as the old Beaver Creek - what was the children's park, housing rides such as The Magic Mountain, Lilttle Dipper etc.
This area has not increased in size and it must be noted that it forms only a small part of The Pleasure Beach.
If you have not visited before do not have any grand ideas on the scale of Alton Towers or even Gullivers World. There are probably only a few more rides for children in this area than there are on South or Central Pier.
Nickelodeon Land is made up of 12 rides, the odd gift shop and a couple of eateries.
There are at least three rides that remain from the old beaver creek - the log flume - now named The Rug Rats Lost River, the little dipper now known as The Blue Flyer and the roller coaster - re-named The Nickelodeon Streak (the old wooden frame has now been painted bright orange, whilst the carriages have had an orange make over!).
One of the better rides for young children - The Magic Mountain has gone and has been replaced by Dora's World Voyage. A very tame water ride. Floating along in a would be balloon sailing past various forms of plastic wildlife!
The problem with Nick Land is that it is not aimed at any one age range - if anything it is too broad. Height restrictions apply on the rides meaning that many children cannot ride without an adult.
Rides such as The Nick Streak are far too scary for younger children - even if they did break the height barrier. Many of the children on this ride had come over from The Pleasure Beach side and were I would say a minimum of 8/9 years old, quite a few were teenagers, not to mention lots of adults without children.
Like wise for the new Avatar Airbender. Similar in thrills I would say to a Pirate Ship but a bit sleeker and faster and also on rails (how simlilar?!). Too old for most children visiting.
There is of course the obligatory basic up and down ride, similar to the old style helicopters and planes but a more modern, bright pink and named The Fairy Taxi Spin - there was no way I was getting my son on that! I assume it would be the same for other boys.
By far the best ride in this area is Spongebob's Splash Bash. Children and adults alike were clamouring to get back on it after their first ride. It is a ride you walk on to. Once in the multi capacity boat, the floor drops and water rises outside.
The boats then spin quite slowly passing other boats (I think there are about three, each holding 6+ people).
It doesn't sound all that great until you take into account the guns!
Each person has a water gun which they operate by spinning a lever, pumping water out of the gun. The idea is to drench as many people as possible be they in other boats or innocent bystanders. The innocent bystanders do get a chance to wreak revenge as there are guns situated just outside the ride aimed at the boats.
Both my son and I thought this ride to be hilarious. We were completely wet through after the first time so went on twice more!
Because Nick Land is quite small it becomes extremely congested, particularly as many of the guests have a pram or two! We didn't queue that long for any ride - we averaged around 15 minutes per ride although The Nick Streak was by far the longest at around 35 minutes.
Each time you enter a ride you need to scan your wrist band at a turnstile. I think this slows down the process somewhat.
There certainly was not enough in Nick Land to keep my 7 year old amused. Had we purchased only the Nick Land wrist bands I would have felt cheated.
I recommend that if buying a wrist band for whatever age to spend the extra £4 per person (online price) and go for the full pleasure Beach/Nick Land combined wrist band.
There are still plenty of rides on the Pleasure Beach itself that younger children will enjoy such as Alice In Wonderland, The Flying Machines, The River Caves and The Gold Mine - this list is not comprehensive, I'm sure that I forgotten quite a few!
Food isn't cheap on The Pleasure Beach so I would advise taking drinks and snacks. If you plan to go on the water rides and not get wet some kind of waterproof wear is a must!
A handy tip - Nick Land does quieten down considerably after 5pm. We returned after going on the bigger rides on The Pleasure Beach and found we could walk on to any ride without queuing, it was then that we took advantage of the Spongebob wet rides.
Get there early, if you plan to go on all rides in both parks, you will not have time to do them all.
Pleasure Beach would be better to offer a discounted second day ticket so that full advantage of all rides can be taken. It would also ease the pressure when rushing from one ride to the next!
They do however offer cheaper early evening tickets. although it remains to be seen how much a person could do in such a short time.
In my day, the park would remain open until midnight - the wrist band system has removed any need for late night opening, unfortunately at the expense of the consumer - pay the same price for a limited service. It's always the way!
A fun but costly day out.
In the May half term holidays earlier this year I'd made a promise to my six-year-old daughter we would visit a theme park. Originally I had Alton Towers in mind, but living way up North it's a bit of a journey and a little much for just one day, as well as being put off by the idea of 5 hours coach time each way. Light Water Valley and Flamingoland were also options, but unfortunately coach trips didn't coincide with the rest of our plans that week and getting there by train would be difficult to say the least. Having visited Blackpool's Pleasure Beach a couple of years ago and finding it surprisingly good this seemed like the best option. It was only when I went to book online I discovered that there'd been a bit of a revamp and Nickelodeon Land had just opened to the public.
Anyone who's visited the Pleasure Beach will know the specific kids area towards the back of the park called Beaver Creek. On our previous visit my daughter had really enjoyed this area, despite the fact it looked quite tired and outdated. It's this area that has been cleared out to make way for the all-new, bright and colourful Nickelodeon Land, which opened its doors in April this year.
Buying tickets was a simple case of booking online and collecting wristbands at the collection point on the day. There is no extra charge for Nickelodeon Land if you buy a park pass, which gives you access to the entire Pleasure Beach and all it's rides. With a £5 discount if bought online as opposed to the gate, I paid £27 for my adult wristband and £22 for a child's, which is on the pricey side but comparable to other theme parks. However you can also buy wristbands for Nickelodeon land only for little people at £18 as long as they are with a full paying adult. To be honest this seems false economy, as there are other rides suitable for children in the rest of the park and it limits you to one area only. Non-riders can also buy a park pass for £5, which allows them entry to the park, the South Beach show and the Pleasure Beach Express. Packages are available for groups and families of four or more. Nickelodeon Land observes the same opening hours as the rest of the park, which on our visit was 11am until 6pm, although this varies during the season.
The Rides
Arriving at the park on the first warm sunny day we'd seen in a while I was surprised at how quiet it was. I was expecting it to be packed being the summer holidays but while busy, it wasn't over crowded and queues where no less than 10 minutes all day. As my daughter was excited about Nickelodeon Land, this is where we immediately headed and my first impressions were wow! The transformation here is amazing. Everything is so bright, clean and fresh looking. We got straight to work on the twelve rides, which include some brand new and some old favourites with a makeover.
First up we headed for the Blue Flyer. Once the zipper dipper, this old wooden roller coaster for little thrill seekers has been revamped with snazzy new carriages and striking blue track. This was one of my daughters most anticipated rides as she loved it previously and she wasn't disappointed. Next we headed to the all-new Diego's Rain Forest Adventure, a ride with hot air balloon carriages that go surprisingly high and riders can spin crazily or lazily view the whole park. Onto Fairly Odd Parent's Taxi Spin, a fun ride similar to helicopters that bounce up and down as they go around and one very small children will enjoy getting behind the wheel of. Other great rides for the very small include The Backyardigans Pirate Treasure, Wonder Pets Big Circus Bounce (both roundabout style rides with twists) and The Bikini Bottom Bus Tour ride.
Feeling a little brave my daughter decided to have a go at Krusty Crabs Order Up even though I decided on sitting this one out due to the small looking seats (and possible embarrassment at not fitting) This is a mini 'drop' ride formally The Fruit Shoot and was very popular with kids aged around my daughters age. Despite this the waiting time was minimal, 5 minutes each time and she ran on and off this several times while I rested my feet. Then it was off again to The Rugrats Lost River Ride, the rethemed water chute. Word of warning here- you will get soaked! This is a pretty tame ride, though will seem huge to young kids and lots of fun, however if it's not the warmest of days you may want to skip it. Luckily we dried quickly in the sun, but my daughter decided she didn't want to get wet again and passed up on one of the most popular rides in the park, Sponge Bob's Splash Back, a roundabout that allows you to squirt other riders with a water gun. I can't say I was disappointed.
The 'Show piece' ride of the park is Dora's World Voyage, a river track ride similar to Disney's Small World, with an equally catchy and annoying song. This ride is a slow voyage around different countries and scenes featuring favourite characters from Dora The Explorer. I'm a bit sad to say however this was the only real disappointment of the day, possibly down to my six-year olds disgust at being forced to go on such a childish ride. And in a way she's right, it lacked the ageless charm of Small World, however I can see pre schoolers finding it magical.
Nickelodeon Land doesn't just cater for the young though, with two white-knuckle rides for older children. The Avatar Airbender was an interesting disc spinning ride, and wholly unsuitable for someone my daughter's height and so was avoided. However one ride had my daughter fascinated all day. The Nickelodeon Streak, once known as Pleasure Beaches Roller Coaster. Compared to the mammoth modern coasters this wooden big dipper looks pretty tame, but for small children it's a big deal! She wanted to go on, and measuring her against the height chart she was just at the minimum height to ride, but kept deciding against it. That is right until the very last minute when we were just about to leave. This was the longest queue we stood in, around 15 minutes and the staff were very vigilant in checking heights of smaller children. I was secretly hoping she'd be turned away like others in the queue, as I was convinced she would hate it (and OK I was a little nervous too) but soon enough we found ourselves sat in the new, sleek carriages facing the first dip. And we both loved it! The Streak is an old favourite with a bright modern look and a fabulous first coaster for adventurous young ones.
Other Stuff and Facilities
Nickelodeon is fantastically themed throughout with all the favourite TV characters featuring on rides and attraction. As well, there's meet the character opportunities, where they come out to greet the children, dance a little and pose for photographs. This was very popular as you can imagine, and small children will be thrilled to meet Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob et al, although my daughter was less than impressed again * sigh *
As you may expect there's a Nickelodeon shop selling character merchandise, and yes...it's very expensive. I allowed my daughter to buy a small Sponge Bob soft toy at £7 and felt a little cheated. It's difficult to find any souvenir under £5. If you're hoping to avoid this it will be difficult as it's situated right in the middle of the park.
Toilets were plentiful, extremely clean and easily found. There are two places to eat in Nickelodeon Land, Big Pizza Kitchen (an all you can eat buffet restaurant) situated in the newly painted and themed Space Mountain, and a fast food stall selling hot dogs and chips. While we ate elsewhere in the park, I'm guessing our Hot Dog and chips were the same as on offer here. As far as fast food goes they're pretty good and the chips come in a little bucket with mini spade that can be used on the beach later. I paid £8 for two hotdogs, a bucket of chips and a large Pepsi, probably about what you can expect in these places. Unfortunately you're not able to bring food into the park, which seems a little mean, so you will need to factor in the cost of eating into your trip.
Both my daughter and I were very impressed with Nickelodeon Land! The extent of the refurbishment is huge; everything is bright, clean, modern and clean looking. There are plenty of rides for children of all ages and the theming is fabulous. The facilities are exceptional and the staff friendly and helpful, apart from one lady operating the Fairly Odd Parents ride who could have done with some customer service training. I was a little annoyed by her attitude as she tried to double up carriages and put us in the back of another families, which of course wasn't going to work as every child wants to drive their own carriage! Other than that, the service and attention to health and safety was impeccable.
While I can't imagine spending the whole day in Nickelodeon Land, combined with the rest of the park there is more than enough to allow you to spend the whole day here. I was surprised by the lack of crowds, but I expect that Blackpool Pleasure Beach is yet to disassociate itself with it's tackier past. Personally I think it's comparable now with the other big theme parks in the country. The introduction of the £5 park pass has completely eradicated drunken undesirables hanging around, the fortune tellers and kiss me quick hat stalls have been cleared away and it's now exceptionally clean and well maintained.
I really do recommend checking out Nickelodeon Land, especially for those with younger children and I think you'll find there's far more to entertain them than at other theme parks, who seem to go for big thrill rides and children are almost an after thought. Nickelodeon Land makes Pleasure Beach a great place for all the family, there really is something for everyone and I promise you will come away impressed and looking forward to returning.
More Information can be found at:


text: Sex and the City came to a close after six unforgettable seasons. We were taken on quite an emotional roller coaster in this final season. For Carrie, Berger was out, Big was calling again, and her new Lovah, Aleksandr Petrovsky was showering her with mature affection. Charlotte was living happily ever after with Harry, Miranda tied the knot, and how can we forget that Samantha was diagnosed with cancer and Smith was steadfastly by her side. Carrie's spontaneous move to Paris with Aleksandr was most shocking to me. Of course, picturesque Paris is every girl's dream, but Carrie was such a deep-rooted New Yorker. But in the end, Mr. Big, and NYC, called Carrie back home. Home sweet home, indeed! Check out my other Sex and the City style slideshows!


text:
I need some help from you math gurus out there. These sky scatter shader formulas were taken from a GDC conference and I'm not sure how to implement the math portion.
Namely the e^-(B.R+B.M)s.
B.R is Rayleigh scattering and B.M is Mie scattering.
I can compute B.R and B.M rather easily. They are a function of a constant and an angle. Essentially the constant changes as the angle changes as well as optical length and other factors.
Computing L(in) which is in-scattering, however, looks quite complex.
Computing F(ex) which is extinction also has the e raised to -(B.R+B.M)s. How do i represent this in code? Is it
Code:float value=exp(-(DoRayleigh())+(DoMie())*s);


text:
Keep in mind, Jazz are missing two key players.
Keep in mind, Jazz are missing two key players.
they need to let jonas go at kanter
Who else saw that exchange between Jonas and Kanter? I thought that was cute lol
All right. I'm adjusting to the Raps until Bargnani gets traded. Right now I'm not expecting the Raps to win ANY games, let alone making playoffs... I'm gonna be fine watching JV and Ross improving over the season. I'm done with them otherwise. Don't care about Casey, Colangelo, Bargnani, Calderon...
reminiscent of the denver loss, the night of Sam mitchell getting fired.
I think Smitch had it right from the beginning, he always held bargnani accountable.
The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!
Casey is coaching like he is scared to win. That has nothing to do with race. Our starters were dominating the game. When Casey subbed them off in the middle of a run the game was over. He played 10 players in the first quarter. That is atrocious. Most good teams go 8 deep at most. Statistically the first quarter is the most important indicator of whether a team will win (other than the 4th). We don't have enough good players to be going 10 deep every game. These are pros, let your hottest lineup play, and get out the way. Enough is enough. I'm done with watching this coach self-destruct.
And if our next head coach is black, white, middle eastern, south asian, aboriginal, hispanic, or any other race I could care less once he does his job properly and doesn't sabotage his players
Who can they offer OKC to get hei pick back?
theres the jazz killer..keliza
I wonder what Casey is going to say after this one
They had 8 players in double digit scoring...... ouch.
Whoever told you skies the limit is looking dumb because I'm 22 and i'm moonwalking on the sun.
We just took it hard where the sun doesn't shine
signed, sealed, delivered the season is offically a write off and this team is offically hands down, no questions asked, book it! the worst team in the league I have not seen a worst team yet.
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The Sopranos: Season Six - Part I Blu-ray
Several crises threaten Tony and his crew; for starters, rival boss Johnny Sack (Vince Curatola) is in prison, and the always-tense relations between the New Jersey and New York families are strained through the unpredictable behavior of Sack?s surrogates. Then there are the inevitable power struggles that ensue when certain family members are eliminated, by natural and other causes.
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- Format: Blu-ray
- Rating: Not Rated
- Number of Discs: 4
- Run Time: 720 Minutes
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
- Studio: HBO Home Video
- Blu-Ray Release Date: December 19, 2006
- Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Audio: ENGLISH: PCM 5.1 [CC]
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Stereo
- Genre: TV Series
- Color: Color
Four Audio Commentaries with Writer/Creator David Chase, Writers Terence Winter and Matthew Weiner, and Cast Members Edie Falco, Robert Iler, Michael Imperioli, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Tony Sirico
- Release Date: 2006
Availability: In Stock
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Tests threatening game, Lara warns
HE WAS one of Test cricket's greatest and most stylish accumulators, but Brian Lara believes it is the backwardness of the five-day game - and not the limited-overs formats - that is threatening the popularity of the sport.
The West Indian great believes the scheduling of Test series lacks relevance and too often panders to the interests of broadcasters.
He argues that the International Cricket Council must press forward with tentative plans for a World Test Championship, now earmarked for 2017 after previously being slated for 2013 but cancelled, with the one-day Champions Trophy to be held in England midway through next year instead.
''That mundane exercise of just Test series after Test series - I believe the time for that is gone,'' Lara said. ''Obviously the Ashes is something of great importance but I believe in a holistic look at Test cricket. I believe if the ICC comes up with something that creates a league I think the interest is going to come back.
''Some teams are playing more Test matches because of TV rights and money, and some teams don't want to play other teams. I believe there should be some equality in it, to bring some sort of sanity to the game. It's just meandering along. That could be the thing that is going to cause the game to lose its fans.''
Speaking at a charity Twenty20 event at the University of Wollongong, Lara, whose unbeaten 400 against England in Antigua in 2004 remains the highest individual score in Test history, said the proliferation of the shortest format was often wrongly accused of being the greatest danger to the traditional game.
''I believe at the time [Twenty20 was introduced] cricket was losing a bit of its interest,'' Lara said. ''What I like about it is the franchise side of it, the privatisation and of course wealthy people and companies coming forward buying teams in India and other parts of the world.
''It's a great game. I believe the spectators love it, which is important. I would have loved to have played in it.''
While others such as former West Indies captain Viv Richards have claimed Twenty20 cricket was slowly killing the Test game in the Caribbean, Lara says, on the contrary, it has reinvigorated the sport there. The West Indies are the reigning world Twenty20 champions.
''Watching five days of cricket for anyone was always a hard task,'' Lara said.
''People would come on the weekend, you wouldn't see anybody on a Monday or Thursday or Friday.
''But [with] Twenty20 the crowds have come back to the game and a different sort of spectator as well.
''You have to appreciate that as a cricketer and even as someone who enjoyed playing Test cricket. This new game has created a different sort of fan. It's here to stay and you have to accept it.''
Chris Barrett is a Sports Writer with The Sydney Morning Herald.
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[Web Link Woman killed by bus in Palo Alto is identified]
[Web Link Bus driver charged with vehicular manslaughter]
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, December 13, 2012, 9:37 AM
Original post made on Dec 13, 2012
Comments (21)
It's a shame that it has taken this long to dispose of this case. There was little public evidence of this incident's being more than a tragic accident. Tying up this lady's life for two years was unreasonable on the part of the SCC District Attorney's Office.
Why did the DA drop the charges? The driver clearly made a mistake that resulted in the death of an innocent woman. When officials keep letting off drivers who kill and injure people through negligence, what does it say about our society?
To me it's saying: cross the road at your own risk, be prepared to run if a driver doesn't yield your right of way, and if you're too old, too young or too disabled to get out of the way that's too bad. Ooops. Sorry.
Are these the kinds of cities and neighborhoods we want?
Tying up the lady's life for 2 years?????????? What about the loved ones of the victim, for pity's sake?
I hope the pathetic driver finds a new career.
Now, time to fix that lousy intersection.
This is a sad story all round. Obviously the victim's family have had their lives changed for ever, but so has the driver.
What it really says is that we should never cross the road without paying attention to what is going on. We should never expect a car or bus to stop for us so make sure that all traffic is stopped before crossing. It is better to be in the right and alive, than being in the right but dead.
> what does it say about our society?
It says that we are mature enough (as a society) to recognize that there are situations that occur in modern life where humans sometimes fail to "follow the rules", often causing damage to others at times—but not through any malice on the part of those making these mistakes. It means we understand the meaning of the word "accident".
The Palo Alto Police had little recourse other than to refer this matter to the District Attorney for resolution—since a person had been killed. But proving negligence to the point of "manslaughter" would have been very difficult—particularly since pedestrians have a responsibility to be aware of their surroundings, even though they may have the "right of way". The consequences of "walking blind" are very harsh, as possibly was the case in this situation.
By-and-large, bus drivers don't hit many pedestrians in Palo Alto. So, it would be difficult for the DA to point to a long history of irresponsible driving on the part of this driver, or bus drivers, in general (where pedestrian safety is concerned). This accident occurred because of the angle of the sun, the pedestrian being in the cross walk, and the driver's not being able to clearly see the complete area in front of her—but advancing the bus anyway. Three almost totally random events that intersected for a brief moment in time—resulting in the death of the pedestrian.
This death was not that of some drunk driver barreling into a crowd, it was the result of a momentary lapse of judgment—no more, no less.
Presumably the deceased's family has been compensated by the bus operator (meaning the taxpayers, and or the carrier's insurance company). This driver should also not be rehired—regardless of what her Union says, to the contrary. One fatal mistake should be the limit for bus drivers.
> What about the loved ones of the victim, for pity's sake?
Their lives have been tied up too. Unless you believe in an "eye for an eye"—and expected the DA to seek the death penalty for this bus driver, this case should have been more readily resolved as a tragic accident.
I am sure it was an accident, ie. that the driver did not see the women, but was she actively looking hard enough to me is the question? That is what a professional driver needs to do - because otherwise they are so absorbed in getting that bus moving fast to stay on schedule, or behaving automatically.
Surely not a criminal act, but not the act of a professional driver meticulously keeping track of where he/she is and what is happening around him/her. When you are a bus driver if you do not do your job people can be injured or die as a result.
I remember reading about this tragedy, and thinking, there is just no reason a bus driver should miss seeing a person around their bus. If there is then there is a workplace safety issue.
More important than punishment in my opinion, because the driver certainly did not seek to kill or hurt anyone, is figuring out what happened and doing whatever is necessary to change the bus, or train the drivers to make sure it never happens again.
I just think of me walking downtown, the last thing on my mind would be dying, and then getting hit, sucked under, and crushed by a bus.
I have a friend who has a relative who was killed in a bus accident in Boston. In the intersection many people die or are hurt there chronically. Just what is going on when these things happen? Buses ought to have black boxes with cameras on them that record what is going on around the bus and what is going on with the driver. Having a camera trained on them all day long would add to the conscientiousness of any driver - because anyone who runs over someone did something wrong - even if it was not criminal. Having a display in the bus might also allow drivers to see more what is happening around their buses.
Sadly it is to the everyone's detriment that the motivation for the bus driver is to just say as little as possible - in this case, she says she just did not see the pedestrian. It must be a nightmare, but why did not see the pedestrian ... the answer was not the pedestrian was hiding, it is probably that the driver was either too busy or distracted.
This is a good decision. The driver was clearly upset and it was an accident. She is already serving time (metaphorically) because it will affect her the rest of her life.
And yes, bikers and pedestrians have to watch out for themselves despite crosswalks and traffic signals. It doesn't matter if they had the right of way if they are injured or dead.
Yes, I actually do think every time I cross the street that I might get hit by a car, a bike or a bus unless I look properly beforehand - even in a crosswalk. There is even an expression "I might get hit by a bus tomorrow" meaning that we don't know how long we have to live on this Earth.
Please look before you cross any street, any time, any place - just in case.
Resident, I'm glad you look and think when you are crossing the street ... I think most of us learn that at around age 5 ... so what is the implication of your having to say that? Are you trying to say that the pedestrian here is somehow at fault?
As I understand California law it is up to the driver to avoid the pedestrian under all circumstances to the best of their ability. Presumably a professional driver is trained and has all the requisite faculties and resources to be able to do that under all cases. It appears something went wrong here.
I agree with Anon. Also there might be a hidden prejudice by the D.A. in favor of a bus driver (fellow public service employee) compared to a pedestrian. Birds of a feather.
This was a tragic accident. I feel for both the victim's family and the Bus driver. I had an incident while driving with my daughter, when I turned a corner and was blinded by the sun on my windshield. I immediately said to my daughter as I slowed down (there were cars right on my bumper)I'm blind here! She told me there was no one in the crosswalk. So I can understand how something tragic can happen in an instant, without "negligence" being a factor. Sad all the way around!
From what I have read in two ther publications, the poor driver had the sun in her eyes and was blinded by it. The judge took a ride in the same bus at the same time of morning in the same location at the same time of year, to re-enact the accident, and found he too was blinded by the sun. Also, the victim cut a corner from where she had parked her car and ran to the crosswalk, stepping into it without looking. Witnesses testified to it. The bus had an on-board camera at the time of the accident which backed all of this up.
It was terrible and tragic for everyone involved. The poor driver paled and nearly fainted when told she had hit someone. She was so heartsick she quit driving buses. She was neither negligent or remorseless. It was a case of accidental death, not intentional.
Yes, the poor husband and family have had a dreadfully tragic loss that cannot be replaced, but the poor driver has to live with herself and her remorse for the rest of her life. No one got off scot-free in this. The blame is on fate.
What should be done now is to find out if there is something that can be done to ease the glare of the mid-morning sun in the windshield of these buses and improve vision for the drivers faced with this. This was not the first time this had happened at that particular intersection, and it could so easily happen again.
My heart goes out to everyone involved in this.
Joe said:
> The Palo Alto Police had little recourse other than to refer this matter to the District Attorney for resolution—since a person had been killed. But proving negligence to the point of "manslaughter" would have been very difficult—particularly since pedestrians have a responsibility to be aware of their surroundings, even though they may have the "right of way". The consequences of "walking blind" are very harsh, as possibly was the case in this situation.
Joe ... you talk about "walking blind", well think about the absurdness of that. Actual blind people with seeing eye dogs and canes have to navigate this world, and they are always "walking blind". You seem to imply that there is a negligence on the part of pedestrians in this kind of thing, and I disagree or just this reason. Handicapped or older people are sometimes unable to be as aware of their
When someone, anyone, in any state, at any time, under any road or traffic conditions is walking across a public road it is the driver's responsibility to avoid hitting them - period.
Aside from pathological cases where someone might fall or jump out in front of a car a certified and experience trained professional driver should NEVER have a situation where they hit or run over someone. Even if it makes them late, or get a ticket, or stay in the intersection too long ... whatever.
It could almost be understandable if it had been a regular car or SUV driver, most people are not professional or even good drivers, but in downtown Palo Alto there needs to be a reason here for what and how this happened. I have a hard time seeing how this driver was at fault .... and it doesn't lessen my concern to think the driver might have been distracted.
The balance to this situation is - does it do any good or save the public from any harm to punish the driver? It is a complicated question that I don't know the answer to, I just bring it up for consideration.
The article said "Krishnan was nearly halfway across the crosswalk -- about 18 feet from the southeast curb" This isn't the case that she stepped into a roadway without looking. Quit blaming the victim. And more importantly, quit thinking that it couldn't happen to you some day you are crossing the street.
>> anyone who runs over someone did something wrong
I imagined substituting Caltrain driver for bus driver in these comments. Apples and oranges? Or are Caltrains being driven too fast for conditions? The consensus is to blame the design of the intersection, not either of the human parties.
Musical ... yes, the intersection is thought to have problems ... but it's not the only intersection of its kind, and there are not "accidents" there all the time. The bus driver presumably drove through there before, maybe often.
When an intersection is complicated of problematic to me, I slow down and make double sure I know what's going on.
I think it's clear that anyone that hits someone is missing something. It may not have been intentional but when someone is trained to drive a big vehicle they are doing something wrong if they are not super-careful 100% of the time.
Bus Drivers--Please USE a VISOR that stops GLARE yet you can see thru it!!!!!!
I'm sure that can be put into the buses.
It can make a difference.
Very sorry that the pedestrian is dead.
If we have bus drivers that say ... oh no, I'm blinded by the sun ... better just keep going ... we are going to have more pedestrians mowed down.
That is the wrong thing to do. If you have no or low visibility, slow down or stop until you can see - period - or go very very very slow.
I remember this accident. The driver of any large vehicle is unable to see most of what is directly and close to him/her. That is because of a physics problem not negligence. Even if a driver is 100% attentive these kinds of accidents do happen. All depend on the exact circumstances. In this case the DA concluded that this was a tragic accident.
Please teach your family to walk in front of a large vehicle waving an arm upwards so as to make sure they are seen even on a marked crosswalk on the pedestrian light on.
> That is because of a physics problem not negligence.
You'd have to prove that to me, I don't believe it, and even if you cannot see, you should not drive in the middle of a city street somewhere where you cannot see directly what is in front of you.
Anon wrote : the physics' problem you can reenact. Put an object that's smaller than the height of the hood of your car in front of the car very close to it. Then get in the car. You can't see the object.
The other physics problem is SUDDEN sun blindness. You are seeing fine but when you change direction SUDDENLY you are blinded by the sun and for a split second you can't see. How is this negligence?
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A tourist scoffed at paying a $4 fee to withdraw cash from the ATM of a local bank.
So she canceled the transaction and walked away, muttering that she could still get a drink with her Starbucks card.
Michael and Sharon Fryette from Hawaii paid a $3 ATM fee to get money to feed a meter and avoid having to pay a $9 parking ticket.
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Dan Katz, director of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, surmises that local banks charge higher fees because they know tourists are trapped.
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Passing higher fees onto noncustomers has an added benefit of keeping costs low for their own customers, Katz said.
Art Chase, president of Bank of the San Juans, does not think that its ATM fees are unreasonable, saying he once paid $5.50 to withdraw money from an ATM in New York.
There are many costs involved with owning and running an ATM, Chase said. For example, we purchased three new ATMs that are (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. That was a requirement. It cost us close to $100,000.
Mark Daigle, president of First National Bank of Durango, said local banks have to charge higher fees because they dont have the same economies of scale as a national bank or even a statewide bank like Bank of Colorado, which charges $3 per withdrawal, or Alpine Bank, which charges $3.50 per withdrawal.
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Because Durango is a small town, First National has to pay for higher costs such as regularly bringing in a maintenance service from Albuquerque, Daigle said.
The servicing cost does come into play, Daigle said. ATM fees become a target from a consumer standpoint. Yet, theyre expensive machines and they sit there with cash in them.
Because First National recognizes the hardships of college students, it recently decided to drop its ATM fee at Fort Lewis College to $2.50, Daigle said.
College students are operating on a tighter budget and may not have the alternative available, he said. Were trying to make it a little easier on them.
But all consumers can do things to avoid the ATM fee, Daigle said.
Certainly, we welcome anyone who wants to take advantage of the no cost, he said. All they have to do is bank with us.
Staff photographer Shaun Stanley contributed to this story.


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Perl 6 is Perl 5, but more so. I'm not talking about the internals. I'm not talking about the syntax. It's the feeling of the language that's important, and the feeling of the community. As long the languages understand each other and work to develop common ground, everything should be fine.
Perl 6 isn't a magic bullet, but what it is no more and no less another generation of Perl, community and all. Like the prod
Okay, let me reiterate this point, being a little less glib about the whole thing.
What makes Perl Perl? Wasn't that the origin
I'd ignore it if I was you.