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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No.: CA 07-0875 Division: 55 Patricia Ann Stratton and Daniel Kevin Stratton, Plaintiffs, And Estate of Blanche Falana, deceased; unknown heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, and trustees, of Blanche Falana, et al. Defendants. NOTICE OF ACTION TO: Lawrence Falana, Heir, Arthur Falana, Heir; Larry Falana, Heir; David Falana, Heir; Juanita Stratton, Heir; Robert Falana, Heir; If living, including any unknown spouse of said defendant(s), if remarried, and if deceased, the respective unknown heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, and trustees, and all other persons claiming by, through, under or against the named defendant(s); St. Johns County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida; whether dissolved or presently existing, together with any grantees, assignees, creditors, lienors, or trustees of said defendant(s) and all other persons claiming by, through, under, or against defendant(s); YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to quiet title on the following property in St. Johns County, Florida: In Folio Grant, bounded N. by Sweetzer, West by County Road, South and East by Black Sec. 44, Township 5, South Range 26 East Six Acres. Containing 6 Acres, more or less. Less and except those portions conveyed in Deed Book 250, Page 274, Deed Book 253, Page 141, Deed Book 236, Page 258 and Deed Book 261, Page 266, all of the Public Records of St. Johns County, Florida has been filed against you, and Marie Bentley, Heir; Maryann Kittrell, Heir; Annette Moody, Heir; Stella Turner, Heir; Harold Falana, Heir; John Falana, Heir; Freddie Falana, Heir; Ruth Stratton, Heir, and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Tod R. Smith, plaintiffs' attorney, whose address is 150 Warren Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32259 on or before February 18, 2008 and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on plaintiffs' attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise, a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. DATED on January 11, 2008. CHERYL STRICKLAND As Clerk of the Court By Linda G. Barton As Deputy Clerk L149-8 Jan. 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2008
Posted from 16-Jan-08 to 6-Feb-08
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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Housing more affordable
WOULD-BE home buyers should take heart from the latest survey showing a steady increase in housing affordability in all states.
The Housing Industry Association/Commonwealth Bank housing affordability index released on Tuesday, showed a rise of 5.3 per cent in the September quarter, for a reading of 65.8.
The index has been rising for seven consecutive quarters, and is up by 15 per cent compared with the same quarter last year.
Properties became more affordable in all regions, with Hobart the most affordable city, at 78.3, Adelaide at 71.1 and Brisbane 68.5.
Sydney was the least affordable, with an index of 54.2, followed by Melbourne at 63.6 and Perth at 64.1.
HIA chief economist Harley Dale said a number of conditions had boosted affordability in Australia, although there was still some reluctance for people to enter the housing market.
''Housing affordability has been improving on the back of steadily growing incomes, falling interest rates and easing dwelling prices,'' he said.
''At the same time, however, transaction volumes have remained historically low as economic uncertainty has weighed heavily on households' willingness to engage in the residential property market.
He said an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia in December could encourage buying.
The bank left rates on hold at 3.25 per cent at its November meeting, after cuts in May, June and October.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Yesterday, as expected, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever. Completely redesigned, the new iPhone features a 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip; and LTE and DC-HSDPA support. The iPhone 5 runs on the iOS 6 operating system which includes over 200 new features including the new Maps app, Facebook integration, Passbook organization, and more Siri features.
"iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we've ever created," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "We've packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it."
The iPhone 5 measures as the thinnest smartphone in the world with a 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S. The A6 chip allows for maximized performance and power efficiency to support the new features of the iPhone 5 while delivering better battery life. And twice the CPU and graphics performance means everything you do on the iPhone — from launching apps to loading web pages — is even faster.
The 8 megapixel iSight camera also got a redesign. It's now 25% smaller than the camera in the iPhone 4S. It also has a panorama feature that lets you capture up to 28 megapixels by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. Improved stabilization, face detection for up to 10 faces, and the ability to take still photos as you record are all new video features. A new FaceTime HD front facing camera makes FaceTime calls incredibly clear and can also be used for self portraits and recording 720p HD video. iPhone 5 also allows you to share photos with friends and family using iCloud's Shared Photo Streams.
Lastly, the iPhone 5 has a new Lightning connector that is smaller and more durable than the previous connector. The all-digital Lightning connector uses only the signals that each accessory requires, and it's reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories.
While these are all great features, I do wonder if the iPhone 5 offers that "wow" factor that will make consumers go out and grab the newer version. Retailing for $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the 64GB model, the iPhone 5 seems to lack that must-have feature. When the iPhone first launched, it was revolutionary, but now it all seems like smoke and mirrors.
It looks like we'll just have to wait and see. The iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21 with pre-orders beginning Friday, September 14. It can be purchased from the Apple Online Store, Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Meanwhile, the iPhone 4S will be available for just $99 while the iPhone 4 will be free with a two year contract with certain carriers.
Will you be getting an upgrade?


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now on appeal to full board, expected Wednesday By Mary Kincy Benefield Reporter
Restaurateur Jay Wellwood has had one setback in his mission to open a full-service seafood restuarant in Russellville, but he isn't giving up the fight.
After state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board Director Michael Langley denied Wellwood's application for a private club liquor license Oct. 17, Wellwood said he would appeal Langley's decision to the full board in hopes that they will grant the license he said he needs to offset food and other operational costs.
Wellwood hopes to build Mickie's Blue Fish and Grill on Aspen Lane in northern Russellville.
Whether the board will do so will be determined at 9:30 Wednesday morning during its November meeting, and local residents will also find out whether they will be feasting on shrimp and lobster, or nothing at all, on Aspen Lane come 2008.
Previously, Wellwood, who owns and operates Joey's Seafood Grill in Conway, indicated he will not construct the proposed 5,800-square-foot restaurant if he does not receive the license.
In the weeks since the Oct. 17 decision, and in the build-up to Wednesday's, both Wellwood and Pope County Sheriff Jay Winters, the most prominent opponent of private club liquor licensing in the area, spoke to The Courier about why they feel as they do about liquor licensing in Pope County, what action they've taken with regard to the issue in the past weeks and what they think about the other's position.
Winters, who previously said he will oppose any further private club liquor licensing in "dry" Pope County, said he is worried about the precedent in granting another private club license - in addition to the six that have previously been granted to other establishments - may set.
"My concern is that I think that legitimately the majority of the people are opposed to any more liquor permits, because without question if this is approved it will not be the last one," he said. "It will only be the beginning. It will set up I would guess a minimum of six more [private clubs] that I've heard want to come here."
"What I'm trying to avoid is a situation like Benton County where it's a dry county and they have somewhere in the vicinity of 100 liquor permits," Winters continued.
"One leads to two, and two leads to four, and all of a sudden the stores say 'Well, if the restaurants have it then why can't we have it?'" he added.
Although he opposes Wellwood's application for a liquor license, Winters said his opposition has nothing to do with a lack of desire to see a new eatery open its doors in the county.
"I am not opposed to his restaurant," Winters said. "I am opposed to his liquor permit. I'd be happy if he wanted to bring a dozen restaurants to Pope County, and the citizens that I have talked with are not opposed to his restaurant; they are only opposed to his liquor permit."
Wellwood, however, said he feels opposing the license and opposing the restaurant are tantamount to the same thing.
"We can't offer the quality of meals [we anticipate] and also be able to offer competitive wages without being able to offset those costs with the sale of these other items," Wellwood explained. "People are not willing to pay the higher prices necessary for us to be able to do those two [without the added revenue of alcohol sales]."
Winters countered by expressing discomfort with such a sentiment.
"I'm not downgrading anybody when I say this, but I'm trying to figure out what kind of picture we're sending," he said. "We're basically saying we can't function in this area without alcohol and I think that's a pretty poor standard for a good group of people to take that we're just going to fold up and blow away if we don't have alcohol in this area."
Wellwood, when asked about Winters' statement, said he felt as though it inaccurately represented the situation.
"This is a hospitality issue, and it's a business and economic issue," he said. "It's not that we're going to 'dry up and blow away,' it's that we want to thrive and conduct business and build a strong economic platform."
"Obviously, we are hopeful that the ABC will recognize that there is a public desire for another full-service dining environment," Wellwood continued. "At the same time, we're hopeful that the ABC will recognize that Russellville is in sore need of a place to conduct business. This location that we're going to be at is ideal to give business travelers, as well as our locals, a chance to enjoy a full-service restaurant without having to drive to another city, thereby keeping out tax dollars here and attracting business to our community."
Winters, who confirmed he contacted the ABC board following the October decision to request that Wellwood's appeal be postponed to the December meeting, also confirmed that he recently met with a group of people - about 15, he said - opposed to the permit to discuss "if anything could be done to stop this and any other permits."
Winters said the ABC informed him Wellwood would have to agree to the postponement, which Wellwood's attorney declined to do, saying they were happy with the November date.
"I would just question why is it that he felt the need to ask for a delay unless he intends to mount a large drive of opposition," Wellwood said about Winters' request.
"He spoke out in opposition [to the permit, via a letter he sent to the board] to begin with already," Wellwood continued. "Is that not sufficient, or is he planning on aiding and abetting other individuals in the county? And, if so, to what purpose?" Wellwood asked.
Winters has said on several occasions that he has and will continue to oppose private club licensing, and confirmed Friday that he will also oppose any private club license for John Q. Hammons' planned 60,000-square-foot convention center and hotel north of Interstate 40 on West Birch Street, might pursue.
Editor's note: Look for continuing coverage, including an update on the status of Wellwood's application, in Thursday's edition of The Courier.


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I fail
Before reading the article, I tried to think who the other US phone maker was that Apple had beat. I couldn't think of any. Motorola, eh? Had no idea they still made phones...
Apple has narrowed the gap between the iPhone and Research in Motion's BlackBerry, heating up the battle to be the world's second biggest seller of smartphones. According to market watcher Strategy Analytics, Apple accounted for 16.4 per cent of world smartphone shipments in Q1 2010 - just 3.3 percentage points behind RIM. …
Before reading the article, I tried to think who the other US phone maker was that Apple had beat. I couldn't think of any. Motorola, eh? Had no idea they still made phones...
Apple being new at the game - all its handsets will be new sales or replacing others iin the market.
But Blackberries probably have a corporate life of two years, so are these new sales or new sales and replacements?
How many of those "new handsets" are actually iPhone 2G owners swapping 'em for iPhone 3GSs? Most of the people who wanted an iPhone have one at this point, so most sales will be replacement phones. Which is ensured by Apple killing support on older versions of the handset.
RIM moved to Atlanta, GA.
The problem with these stats is that every Nokia Series 60 phone counts as a smartphone. The reality is that's very far from the case. Most S60 phones are just glorified feature phones, and do nothing more than a similarly price Samsung or LG.
Only a few N and E series phones from Nokia can truly be considered smartphones. I wonder what %age of sales these make up? How would RIM, Apple's and others' market share look then?
iPhones and Blackberries, sure. HTC and Palm, sure. But what Nokia phones qualify as smartphones for the purpose of making them the dominate industry player?
There are a lot of N and E series phones that would quallify as smartphones. And they're damn good as well!
The second part of your article comes from an idc report where the big news is actually that rim has moved into 4th place in the mobile phone market and yet the only things you mention about that was again about apple.
@Ken 7: curious what you definition of SmartPhone is.
I would actually go the other other way and say that Nokia's smart phone shipments are underestimated, since a lot of S40 devices are pretty feature-packed, and you can install apps on them as well.
A quick (rather unscientific) look at the Nokia line suggests the iPhone is sort-of equivalent to a mid-range Nokia S60.
Which s60 device do you not consider a smart phone? Can't think of a definition of SmartPhone that includes the iPhone but excludes any S60 device.


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japanese-style shrimp pilaf
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 301 kcal
- Total Time: 2 h 25 m
- Prep: 1 h 15 m
- Cook: 1 h 10 m
- Japanese: Ebi pirafu
- metric
- u.s.
- 430 g rice
- 340 g raw shrimps
- 120 g onion
- 60 g button mushrooms
- 600 ml chicken broth or soup stock
- 1/2 tablespoon sake or white wine
- 2 teaspoons salt
- a little pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried parsley (optional)
step 1:
Wash the rice. Drain the water and leave the rice in a strainer 1 hour to completely remove all the water. Chop the onion and slice the button mushrooms.
step 2:
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. Add the onion and mushrooms. Sear until the onion turns clear. Add the uncooked rice and sear until the rice turns clear. Remove from the heat.
step 3:
Add the seared mixture and chicken broth (or soup stock) to a rice cooker pan. Switch on the rice cooker.
step 4:
Hull, shell, tail and devein the shrimps. Wash them and dry with a paper towel.
step 5:
Heat the butter in the frying pan on a medium flame. Add the shrimps and sprinkle the salt and pepper on top, and pour in the sake (or white wine). Mix and sear until the shrimps are cooked. Remove from the heat.
step 6:
After the rice has finished cooking, add the seared shrimps and mix in the rice cooker.
Serve on individual plates. Sprinkle the rice with the parsley, if desired.
Pilaf originated in Turkey. This shrimp pilaf is very popular in Japan.
other rice & wheat flour recipes
Japanese foods recipes
Int'l. recipes with a Japanese twist


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I'm modifying the Line2p.js scritp since I would like to create a new tool able to create automatically a new block built with a closed polygon.
To create the block I need to know the entities which forming the closed polygon.
Is there a way to know the ids of these entities?
I see that the entity is created in the getOperation method, but I suppose that the id of the entity will be assigned after the RAddObjectOperation completion, since here the id is still -1
Code: Select all
Line2P.prototype.getOperation = function(preview) {
var line = new RLineEntity(
new RLineData(this.point1, this.point2)
return new RAddObjectOperation(line);


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Fastball command coming around for Anibal
By Adam Berry / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Aside from one fastball left over the middle of the plate, Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez was virtually flawless in Wednesday's 7-7 tie with the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Sanchez gave up three hits and struck out three batters over four innings, and the only notable blemish came on his second pitch of the third, which Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli deposited over the center-field fence.
Other than that, Sanchez said he felt good about his third start of the spring, and he was pleased with the way he commanded his fastball. Sanchez threw 43 of his 60 pitches for strikes on the day.
"Everything's working good, especially when I'm able to throw my fastball for a strike," Sanchez said. "My other pitches work good in the same delivery, and it helps me a lot."
"Pretty standard stuff. Good fastball, good offspeed, threw a lot of fastballs today just to work on it and make sure he's got good command of that," added Tigers catcher Alex Avila. "Pretty standard stuff from him. He's about as consistent, as far as stuff-wise, as it gets."
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus agreed that Sanchez's fastball had a little extra zip on it Wednesday, though he didn't ask to see how it registered on the radar gun. Sanchez said the key was his return to a comfortable delivery, something he worked on the past few days after feeling a little uncomfortable while allowing two runs on four hits in three innings against the Yankees on Friday.
"I don't know what I did the last time, but I did not feel good the next day," Sanchez said. "Today, I just worked to feel smooth and get my command again."
Marte released as Tigers make first spring cuts
LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers made their first round of Spring Training roster cuts Wednesday morning, sending out eight players and unconditionally releasing right-hander Luis Marte.
Marte hasn't pitched for the Tigers since 2012, when he posted a 2.82 ERA in 22 1/3 innings over 13 appearances. The 27-year-old righty pitched in three games for Triple-A Toledo last year before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. Marte was designated for assignment when the Tigers signed outfielder Rajai Davis this offseason.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said the decision to release Marte, rather than reassign him, was simply a product of the numbers game.
"He wasn't going to make the big league club, and it was a situation where there really wasn't a spot in Triple-A for him," Ausmus said. "You never want to tell someone that you're releasing them, but the truth is it's better now than later, [because] you have an opportunity to catch on with somebody else.
"He's a great kid, a classy kid. Worked hard. It just wasn't going to work here. Hopefully he can catch on in another organization."
Left-hander Casey Crosby and right-hander Melvin Mercedes were optioned to Triple-A Toledo, while right-hander Jose Valdez and catcher Ramon Cabrera were optioned to Double-A Erie. Right-hander Drew VerHagen, lefties Duane Below and Robbie Ray and catcher James McCann were reassigned to Detroit's Minor League camp.
Ausmus said he and pitching coach Jeff Jones were impressed by VerHagen's mound presence and ability, but the 23-year-old could use more experience. The same could be said for Ray, acquired in the deal that sent Doug Fister to Washington, but Ausmus added that the 22-year-old lefty also needs to refine his secondary offerings before he's Major League-ready.
"I was actually impressed with Robbie," Ausmus said. "He's one of the few guys who has -- we've talked about kind of a swing-and-miss fastball. It plays up a couple miles per hour on the radar gun. But I think it's important for him to not only go down and gain experience, but work on his secondary pitches -- specifically the breaking ball, and see if we can tighten that up. But I certainly liked how he pitched.
"He's definitely close. A lot of it's going to depend on the secondary pitches. If he commands his secondary pitches, he's going to be a Major League pitcher, because his fastball plays in the Major Leagues right now."
After their first wave of spring roster moves, the Tigers have 46 players remaining in Major League camp.
Iglesias progressing, but status still uncertain
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tigers manager Brad Ausmus acknowledged Wednesday morning that Jose Iglesias is "getting close" to the point where he might not be ready for Opening Day due to soreness in his shins.
Ausmus said the adjustment in Iglesias' orthotics has seemed to help the shortstop, who's dealing with a stress reaction that causes pain in the middle of his shin. Iglesias fielded grounders, took batting practice and jogged Tuesday, reporting back to Detroit's coaches that it was a good day.
Iglesias went through a similar workout Wednesday back at Tigertown. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said Iglesias could play in a game this weekend, but Ausmus wasn't quite so willing to set a firm date for his shortstop's return to the field.
"I guess he could be. It depends on how he feels," Ausmus said. "We're really waiting for this pain to subside enough so that he can get in the lineup."
Iglesias hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game in almost two weeks, and he's only logged four plate appearances this spring. Ausmus said he'd ideally like to see Iglesias get about 50 at-bats before the season begins. The Tigers could accelerate Iglesias' progress by playing him in Minor League games, where he could use the more flexible rules to bat leadoff in five straight innings, for example.
Ausmus noted that Iglesias' "low-maintenance approach" means he might not require as many preseason at-bats as some other players, but he still needs to get used to seeing pitches, recognizing breaking balls and so on.
"Four [at-bats] is definitely not enough," Ausmus said.
Iglesias will also need to get used to working with a new double-play partner, second baseman Ian Kinsler.
"The sooner Iglesias is able to play, the better it is not just for him, but the team in general. Part of that is he and Ian can work together, because that does take a little bit of time," Ausmus said. "I'm not saying it takes a season, but at this point I would think that they're going to be learning each other into the season, even if he started playing today.
Worth noting
• Ausmus said shortstop Eugenio Suarez has impressed the Tigers so far this spring. A career .277/.363/.404 hitter in the Minors, Suarez has gone 5-for-16 with a double and two RBIs in 10 Grapefruit League games.
"He's pretty young, but he carries himself pretty well defensively in the field. He doesn't look like he's rattled or intimidated by Major League camp or Major League hitters when he's playing defense," Ausmus said. "Obviously, a kid like that you want to get more at-bats and more innings, but he's played well. In that regard, he's opened some eyes in a situation where we don't know -- if Iglesias isn't back, we have to have some type of answer at shortstop."
• Infielder Hernan Perez has seen time at both second base and shortstop this spring, but he would be an obvious candidate to make the roster if Iglesias spends any time on the disabled list.
"From Day 1, I told him to make sure he was taking some ground balls at short," Ausmus said. "We weren't expecting anything, injury-wise, from Iglesias, but if something happened to him for an extended period of time, we'd need a shortstop. I think he could play either spot. He's got enough arm to play either spot."
• In discussing how much preparation Iglesias will need before he's ready for the regular season, a reporter asked Ausmus how many at-bats he felt he needed each spring during his playing career.
"I was never ready for the season," Ausmus said, laughing. "You could make the argument that in September I still wasn't ready."
• Third baseman Nick Castellanos went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 7-7 tie with the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field, bringing his Grapefruit League average to .400.
"He's been good. He's had good at-bats, as good as anyone in camp," Ausmus said. "And he looked solid at third today. There were a couple tough in-between hops that he played into bigger hops and made plays. Overall, he looked pretty good at third as well."
• Ausmus joked that he was "a little bit" jealous that Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged a play under the new instant replay rules Wednesday. Ausmus noted that the Yankees' replay was "very quick," but he didn't get a chance to use the new system himself.
"I'm not going to slow the game down for the sake of slowing the game down," Ausmus said. "There really wasn't an opportunity to use it."
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
The HDV format is indeed making HDTV more affordable. Now that Sony has thrown its hat into the ring with both consumer and prosumer entries and an HDV deck, we have new choices, such as shooting in 720p or 1080i. Sony's new offerings join HDV camcorders from JVC that have been around for almost two years. At NAB 2004, JVC also showed off an upcoming Pro HDV camcorder with a real, interchangeable lens and an HDV deck.
Many NLE companies have announced support for HDV, and others can edit HD with the help of third-party plug-ins. So you can shoot and edit HDV today.
If you're shooting a wedding, special event, or corporate function, HDV is an exciting proposition: true HD (ATSC broadcast spec) on a cheap MiniDV tape, at MiniDV data rates (less than 25Mbps). Some editing solutions blossom the data to higher data rates, but hard drives are massive, fast, and cheap. Dedicated video workstations can handle multiple, real-time streams of uncompressed SD with effects so a stream or two of HD will pose little challenge.
On the computer screen, HD footage looks phenomenal. I started shooting events with HD in 1993. On a 17" computer monitor (1280x1024) the difference is clear: just as DVDs make VHS look old and blurry, HDV makes DVDs look old and blurry. You have to see it to be believe it.
"HDTV screens" can be found in any consumer electronics store. But many displays that tout "HD" can't actually show all the H in HD. Basically, a projector or screen (of any type) that has sub-HD resolution actually downsamples the HD signal to the lower resolution of the screen (e.g., HDV's 1440x1080 to a screen's 800x600).
To get a display that can show true HD, find out the real, or "native," resolution of the screen. When judging the quality of HDV or deciding which HDV format (720p or 1080i) to use, be sure you're looking at a display that is showing you everything.
So you can shoot it, edit it, and see it. But how do you deliver it? This seems to be the bottleneck for today.
JVC is actually quite savvy. They were the first to introduce an HDV camcorder. However, this was well after they were already delivering consumer HDTV products— most notably their D-VHS decks. D-VHS decks are true HD. They record off-air HD signals when connected to a Digital TV tuner that is capable of controlling any external recorder (not all are). They demo'd this ability at NAB all the way back in 1998—nearly seven years ago.
Unlike a VHS deck, a D-VHS deck is just a dumb data storage device. The DTV tuner does the controlling. JVC's D-VHS decks record the ATSC HD video fed them. In 2003, Heuris introduced software to let us encode video into this data stream and use D-VHS for delivery. Because it's just a data storage device, the D-VHS deck will record any properly encoded stream of video. JVC also has HDV editing software that works with their D-VHS decks.
Having used the D-VHS system, I can attest to its fantastic look and sound. But it's still tape. After watching and authoring DVDs for some time now, I was immediately confounded by my inability to change chapters, go wherever I wanted instantly, or access a menu that showed me everything. So what are the other options?
There are some DVD players coming out now that claim they will play back Windows Media 9-encoded HD files. But these players have even more limited deployment than D-VHS, and there's no standard. So their capability and the quality of the playback is not guaranteed, and there is no DVD interface to turn on alternate audio, display chapter menus, etc. So it's not much better than tape.
What we need is a true HD DVD standard. But we will have to wait. There are two competing technical formats (aren't there always?): Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Each has its own advantages, and it will be the industry manufacturers who will choose a winner (unlike VHS vs. Beta).
Even with recent news about Blu-ray and HD-DVD, we do not have interface and architecture standards for the various disc formats. The DVD standard allows various companies to create authoring software or manufacture hardware to burn video onto a DVD and ensure broad playback compatibility. Without such a standard, we may have Blu-ray discs well before we have a program to author them.
For now, D-VHS remains the only standard format for delivering HDTV projects. The decks are relatively affordable, and playback quality and accessibility are guaranteed—but that doesn't guarantee that your users have or will obtain the equipment to play the tapes. If your needs are computer-based, WM9 offers HD delivery with a very low data rate. This means that it won't kill your network and that you can deliver it on existing CD and DVD media.
In terms of a widely installed, DVD-like, interactive HD delivery system, the solutions are on their way, but will not reach wide availability any time soon. Till then, you need to weigh your need for HD delivery against the convenience and control of existing SD delivery systems.


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The duo combined with seniors Rosie Silva and Jessica Weatherford to score in double figures as the Golden Suns held off a furious comeback by the University of Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms inside Steelman Fieldhouse on Thursday, 70-63.
ATU (9-5, 6-2 GAC) won just their second game away from home this season and handed UAM (2-11, 0-7) their 11th consecutive loss, although there were seven ties and a dozen lead changes.
"In conference play, every game is going to be tough, especially on the road," Golden Suns head coach Dave Wilbers said. "Everybody knows everybody, we watch a lot of tape, they know what we can do, we know what they can do. They (Cotton Blossoms) have some good players, just a little inexperience. But I'm proud of our team. We were able to be strong and get things done in a hostile environment."
After leading the game 38-32 at halftime, Arkansas-Monticello hit 5-of-9 of its first shots from the field to close the gap to a point, 44-43. A layup by Demetra Howlingwolf got the Cotton Blossoms within 47-45 with 12:49 to go in the second half, but that's as close as they would get until the game's final minute.
Poole hit a layup, Weatherford sank a free throw, and Spurgeon scored six straight to give Arkansas Tech a 53-47 lead and force a UAM timeout with 9:53 to go. Rosie Silva sank consecutive baskets for a 57-49 lead with eight minutes left.
The Golden Suns to distance themselves from UAM with a 9-2 scoring run that gave them a 68-55 lead with 3:37 showing. But the Cotton Blossoms answered with six straight points and a stifling full-court pressure defense that forced enough ATU turnovers to allow UAM to pull within 68-63 on Jordan Goforth's basket with 47 seconds on the clock. A pair of Silva free throws set the final score.
This one was the definition of back and forth in the first half. It wasn't until Katie Choate's 3-pointer with 12:52 remaining in the half that the Cotton Blossoms took the game's first substantial lead, and increased it to 25-18 on a 10-3 scoring run.
But the Golden Suns got back on track after a timeout with 8:28 left in the first half. Poole went nuts from that point, as she sparked ATU to outscore UAM 20-7 in the last eight-and-a-half minutes. Silva, Weatherford and Spurgeon contributed, but Poole netted 11 all by herself to give the Golden Suns a 38-32 halftime advantage.
Goforth, also a freshman, led everybody with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. The Cotton Blossoms shot 40 percent from the field (25-of-63), hit just 3-of-15 behind the 3-point line and 10-of-15 at the foul line.
The Golden Suns shot 25-of-55 (46 percent) from the field and 20-of-27 (74 percent) at the free-throw line. ATU outrebounded UAM 47-30, but had more turnovers (23-15).
Weatherford finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Poole netted 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Spurgeon netted 16 points, was 6-of-7 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Silva added 10 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds.
"The game got physical and tough, and that's their game," Wilbers said about Poole and Spurgeon. "When they get a little tougher and stronger, they'll be a forced to be reckoned with. Jasmine is getting in better shape every day. She's playing very well.
"Any win in the conference is good. When you come to Monticello, there's a lot of students, it's a tough place to play. Man, they have a good, active student body. This team is getting better before our eyes. When we play them again at our place (on Feb. 21), they will be improved."
The Golden Suns will host Southern Arkansas at 4 p.m. on Saturday inside Tucker Coliseum.


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UMass Dartmouth junior Christina Burke of Raynham remembers passing Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the halls at school from time to time.
She didn't know her fellow undergraduate well, but they would smile and wave. He seemed like a nice, normal, likeable kid, she said.
UMass Dartmouth junior Christina Burke of Raynham remembers passing Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the halls at school from time to time.
She didn't know her fellow undergraduate well, but they would smile and wave. He seemed like a nice, normal, likeable kid, she said.
She's still struggling to square that young man with the one who allegedly placed a bomb down next to little 8-year-old Martin Richard and walked away.
When police released photos of the Tsarnaev brothers, Dzhokhar and his older brother Tamerlan, three days after the bombings, Burke and her friends were watching a television news program in a dorm room. She could not believe her eyes.
"I felt the whole campus was covered with a blanket of awe and shock," said Burke, 20.
On Sunday, June 24, Burke ran the Raynham leg in the 54-mile UMass Dartmouth torch relay from Dartmouth to Boston to benefit the One Fund to assist victims of the bombings.
Burke's boyfriend, a fellow student, helped organize the torch relay. She believes they would have held the fundraiser even if Tsarnaev had not been a UMass Dartmouth student. But that gave the event an extra sense of urgency.
Their campus was touched by this terrible act and they wanted to reach out and do something positive, something that would make the world a better place.
"It made me feel better to do something rather than just sitting around thinking 'Yeah, that's sad'," Burke said.
In part, she ran in the relay as a vote of confidence in Boston, the city she loves.
When she looks at the Boston skyline, she sees her dad, a construction worker, who was on the Big Dig and helped build the Tobin Bridge. And her sister is a nurse at Brigham and Women's Hospital, another strong Boston tie.
On the day of the Marathon, Burke received a frantic call from her father, who was working on a construction project at Suffolk University and had been evacuated. She immediately thought of her sister, the kind of person who might be at the finish line cheering runners on. And Burke's best friend's mother and brother were running that day.
Thankfully, none of them was injured. It probably took no more than five minutes to reach all of them, but it felt like five years, Burke said.
"We think of Boston as this huge city, but it's not that big," she said.
On that day, in particular, it felt like the odds of knowing someone who was directly impacted were frighteningly low, Burke said.
Burke, a 2011 graduate of Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, is not a runner. As a kid, she played soccer, softball and basketball, but track was never her thing. So, the relay was a struggle.
But winning this race was not about being first. It was about reaching out and making the effort.
"Out of an awful situation, we've become stronger and more united," said Burke, an economics major working as a nanny over the summer.
Burke thinks Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be punished and held fully responsible for his actions, but she doesn't dismiss him as purely evil and that earlier version of himself as simply a lie. The truth seems more complex and baffling than that.
On the other hand, she does not approve of the controversial Rolling Stone cover out this month, featuring a photo of Tsarnaev, the famous "selfy" he took looking young, innocent and some say all too hip. Burke applauds the story itself, which tries to answer the question how this "popular, promising" student could turn into "a monster" — an important question she herself can't stop asking.
But she suspects the choice to place him on the cover was driven more by a desire to sell magazines than to be thought-provoking.
On Friday, she saw a copy on the shelves at Wal-Mart in Raynham.
"It made me uncomfortable to walk by the stand and see his face staring out like that," Burke said.


text:
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Banskia targeted months before collapse
BANKSIA Securities may have been trading insolvent for some time before the lender collapsed due to outdated and lazy valuations of its mortgage portfolio.
And it has emerged that the corporate regulator raised concerns about Banksia's position as early as May - five months before the board and trustees froze more than $660 million in assets and appointed receivers. While the non-bank lender was profitable in the past three years it had underestimated bad debts by about $34 million, was ''thinly capitalised'' and had ''significantly understated'' its impairments to regulators, according to an investigation by receivers McGrathNicol.
''From our analysis of [Banksia's] loan book … it is clear that the company is insolvent and may have been insolvent for some time prior to our appointment,'' noted a report to debenture holders released on Friday. Banksia's property valuations were based on property prices in 2008 and 2009 and were often based on council rates notices.
This caused irregular valuations and made Banksia underestimate potential defaults because property prices in regional areas have decreased significantly in the past four years. About 46 per cent of Banksia's money was loaned out for residential properties, which are normally low risk.
''[However], we note that many of these properties are development projects, vacant land, unimproved land (residential subdivisions) and are based in regional locations,'' the receivers found.
Both the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Banksia's trustees, The Trust Company, raised concerns about the lender's financial reports in May, according to McGrathNicol. On October 24, Banksia management revealed its own internal review found bad debts were likely to rise from an expected $6.45 million to $40 million - putting Banksia into the red. Receivers were appointed the next day.
Receivers have since found that $82 million worth of loans were already in default at this date and a further $146 million were overdue by between six and 90 days.
Debenture holders were paid 20¢ on Friday for every dollar they invested in Banksia and should get another 5¢ to 10¢ by June 2013. They have been told to expect a maximum of 65¢ in the dollar. McGrathNicol said it planned to sell the loan portfolio in early 2013 if the bids are better for debenture holders than waiting for the loans to be paid off naturally,
It has also emerged that Banksia invested $2.5 million in collateralised debt obligations issued by former Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers and a $400,000 stake in another regional lender Southern Finance Limited. Southern Finance and Banksia have the same trustees, who recently took court action to freeze Southern Finance's assets until it is sold to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.
Lucy Battersby has covered trends, technology and telecommunications since joining The Age in 2008.
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Basic Information
Name: Keotsu Akarusa
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Looks: Keotsu is a teenage of average build for a shinobi - he stands at 5'9" or 175 cm, and is of average weight. Keotsu has medium length, shaggy dark brown hair and sapphire colored eyes. He is usually seen in white-khaki colored pants, and wears a navy-black undershirt, which he wears a navy and white jacket over. He wears a pair of boots in place of the opened-toed sandels common to Shinobi, and he has a type of leather belt around his waist, for when he carries a weapon with him.
Personality: Keotsu is a quite usually a quiet, serious, and calm person. He is not one to anger easily, but like all people, he does have a threshold. His usually composed demeanor seems to lighten with the arrival of his friends, as he becomes more lively and smiles more often when in their company than when he's not.
Village Info.
Village of Birth: Land of Autumn
Village of Alliance: Joint Alliance
Rank//Chakra Info.
Ninja Rank: Sannin
Kenjutsu and Taijutsu Expertise: Keotsu has not yet mastered the Way of the Sword, but through his own practicing and training, along with training in various countries, he has become renowned as one of the best in the world, though he still has far to go. His physical training that he has undertaken to supplement his sword skills, and Keotsu, though not the fastest person in the world, can easily follow movements and react to them, like a Taijutsu Master.
Genjutsu Expertise: Keotsu took an extreme interest in Genjutsu, and thus studied their workings and effects on the body and psych. He can recognize most Genjutsu that do not require special conditions to use.
Handseal Speed: Keotsu is an oddity in that his chakra does not sway to any particular element. He has made up for this by having a knack for preforming handseals - he can preform twelve seals in the same span of time as it takes another Shinobi to do six. And as it has been shown possible to do handseals while holding an object (as Kakashi demonstrated with a scroll), Keotsu has perfected the art of making handseals while holding a sword, though it noticeably slows him down, slowing him down from his two-one handseal ratio to one-one.
Katon, Fuuton, Raiton, Doton, and Suiton.
Your ninjutsu:
Katon ~ Masted
Fuuton ~ Mastered
Raiton ~ Mastered
Doton ~ Mastered
Suiton ~ Mastered
Ninjutsu ~ Mastered
Jutsu list Taijutsu ~ Mastered
Genjutsu ~ Mastered
Keotsu's Custom Jutsu
Background Info.
History:Keotsu was born in the quiet and beautiful Land of Autumn to Tetsugi and Nyame Akarusa. A pleasant place in an everlasting Autumn, the Land of Autumn was well renounced for crafts that came out of it, and this family would be no different.
While also the leader of the Land's Shinobi forces, Tetsugi was also a glass blower, and made astonishing sculptures that were coveted by many, while Nyame was a scholar, and expert healer; both where talented musicians, a trait they would pass on to their son.
Keotsu, at the age of seven, was enrolled in the local Shinobi Academy alongside his best friends Rena and Diango. The three would spend all of their time together, until one fateful day during the year they would all graduate from the Shinboi Academy - at age 12. Diango and his family would be moving to the Land of Wind, far away from the Land of Autumn.
It would be a heartfelt day, as the three spent the remainder of the day doing what it is the friends enjoyed - ending the day with ice cream as they watched the sunset over the ocean in the distance.
The weeks following Diango's departure where quiet and gloomy - a rare storm had overtaken the land, drowning everything in it's bleak overcast. It would be a forerunner to tragedy.
But, despite the unknown tragedy that loomed over the horizon, life went on. Keotsu and Rena tackled various missions assigned to them - it is in this solemn time that Keotsu's illustrious career as swordsman would begin.
A simple mission - he, Rena, and their Sensei where to deliver a sculpture to the Land of Iron for an upcoming festival. They would be allowed to attend the festival, and would be expected home the week following it's end. Keotsu, while in the Land of Iron, took to watching an old man practice with his katana - the man took notice of Keotsu and asked the boy if he would like to join him in his practice. Keotsu quickly agreed, but was embarrassed by just how little he truly knew about Kenjutsu, but the man merely laughed, claiming that "Not even the gods are born with all the knowledge."
Over the three weeks that the festival spanned, Keotsu spent much of his time with the old man, who instructed Keotsu in the very basics of Kenjutsu. The man, whom Keotsu learned was an old commander, refused to teach Keotsu anything other than the basics, claiming that simply teaching Keotsu the basics would allow him to form his own fighting style, without being influenced by his teacher.
As their time in the Land of Iron drew to an end, the man presented Keotsu with is first katana - a simple piece, but a great one that Keotsu still uses to this day.
And so, the trio returned home, and for a time, life went on as usual, Keotsu and Rena proceeding with their Shinobi duty, and writing letters to keep in touch with their friend Diango.
Then the siege happened.
A man called the Guru attacked the Land of Autumn, burning the beautiful forests with black flames. Taking the form of a large black behemoth, he attacked the Land, after one thing - Keotsu.
The Land mobilized all of it's available Shinboi forces - Keotsu, though, was sent into hiding. Refusing to sit back as his home was destroyed, though, Keotsu went against orders, and joined the fray against the behemoth.
By the time he returned to the village from the safe-house he had been dispersed to, much of his home already lay in ruins - homes were destroyed, the forests where ablaze with malice - even the sky itself seemed stained red with blood.
The black beast was like a shadow against the sky, breathing pure malice from its maw, engulfing those who tried and failed to take down the beast.
Surveying the damage, Keotsu checked the wreckage for survivors, and found amongst it, Rena. Hoisting the unconscious girl onto his back, he continued traversing through his destroyed home.
As he neared the beast, an amount of fear welled up inside him - what was he thinking? He wasn't powerful, what could he do against something that was so easily knocking aside the veterans? But it was to late to turn back now - the beast had caught scent of Keotsu.
With a roar, the beast turned, and faced down Keotsu - he could smell the blood on it's breath, and he would never forget the fiery red eyes. But before the beast could enact it's plan, a large wall of earth formed in front of Keotsu, whom was being swept away from none other than his father.
Taking Keotsu to the waterfall at the edge of the land - a waterfall that connected the Land of Autumn to the rest of the world, Tetsugi cast a barrier jutsu around his son and Rena, and pushed the two off of the waterfall.
The last Keotsu saw of his father was his back, as he turned to face the behemoth.
Shaken and washed downstream, Keotsu awoke alone - he and Rena had separated in the current of the river. With nothing with him but his katana, Keotsu would be forced to fend for himself.
So, for the next two years, Keotsu wandered across the continent, taking whatever jobs he could get to survive, as well as strengthening himself through all kinds of training and fighting - he refused to be weak; next time his help was needed, he would be strong enough to lend people his aid.
Eventually, Keotsu's travels brought him to the Land of Water, which in itself would be a bitter-sweet experience. While there, Keotsu came across Rena, having been taken in by a family that was visiting the mainland, and then brought back home with them. After convincing Rena to come with him, Keotsu was unsure what to do - his whole purpose besides strengthening himself was to reunite with Rena. But, another familiar face would soon appear to him.
A week after reuniting with Rena, Keotsu was standing on a pier, waiting for the boat that would come the next day to return them to the main land - and in a burst of fire, a man appeared next to Keotsu - it was Diango, though he was not quite as happy as Keotsu would have guessed to see him.
Spewing words of how Keotsu was responsible for the death of his family, Diango attacked Keotsu, taunting Keotsu with how powerful he had become under no other than the Guru himself.
The two fought with all their might - Keotsu's katana clashed with Diango's halberd-like weapon, as jutsu flew from each, destroying the pier as the two clashed. It was evident by Diango's sudden change in tone that he had not expected Keotsu to become so powerful on his own - his bladework was top notch, even being able to fight with his left hand after a strike from Diango's halberd broke Keotsu's right arm.
The fighting only stopped when Rena and a group of shinobi came to investigate the commotion; Diango, seeing as he was now outmatched, disappeared in another burst of flames.
Keotsu now knew his new objective - he would stop the Guru; his father had failed to best the behemoth, and it still roamed. He would defeat the beast - a small amount of revenge motivated him, but more than that, he refused to let more lives be lost to the Guru than he had already taken.
And so Keotsu and Rena departed, their next destination Konohagakure, following Rena's advice that they may be able to find help in the largest of the Shinobi Nations.
They agreed to help Keotsu, whom out of respect worked for Konoha for a short-time. Through his own travels, Keotsu traveled across the continent with the Konoha shinobi, and gathered any intelligence he could find about the Guru - when he saw that he could only collect meager pieces of information, Keotsu was forced to do something he wanted no part of - he would have to return to the Land of Autumn.
Somberly, Keotsu said good-bye to Rena - in case, somehow, he came across the Guru, he did not want her there.
It was on this lone journey that Keotsu came to terms with just how much devastation the Guru caused that night - the land still bore scars, as the forests' floors where still covered in ash, as the trees themselves where only saplings, not yet grown, how even the mountains seemed as bone, covered in black ash, the remnants of the beautiful forests that once lined the land.
But to Keotsu's surprise, the town he grew up in was not empty, was not a pile of ash - the town had been rebuilt and, though much smaller, was as thriving as ever.
Familiar faces called out to him from windows, from within the streets, as the all ushered him to the town square. There, working on another house, as he turned to see his son, was Tetsugi.
Tetsugi told Keotsu the events of the night - how there were surprisingly few casualties due to the evacuations, how Keotsu's mother was indeed alive, how Rena's parents where still alive, and the tale of how Tetsugi managed to hold the Behemoth at bay.
With Keotsu gone, and several of the Shinobi scattered across the land, Tetsugi gave the order to use one of the most powerful techniques they had at their disposal. Forming a large star, a giant seal etched itself across the ground as the very rays of the sun seemed to condense themselves, causing a massive blast to come crashing down upon the behemoth, but leveling the town in the process- the beast withered into black flames, and they had thought the battle won.
But, with Keotsu's tale of Diango's actions, Tetsugi now knew that he was wrong. He agreed to help his son collect intelligence, and to gather any information they could. He asked, though, that Keotsu be on his own for just a while longer, to retrieve Rena and bring her home.
Keotsu obliges and returns home with Rena within the month - in this time, though, the same dark clouds have once again fallen over the Land of Autumn - Keotsu could tell that his time of trial was drawing near.
His father, recognizing the incoming tragedy, orders all non-military personnel out of the Land of Autumn and spent his time training his son, knowing that he would refuse to leave this time.
And when the beast finally came, they where ready.
A black silhouette darker than the surrounding shadows, the dragon-like beast came once again to the Land of Autumn - no black flames accompanied it this time, for it knew where it's prey was.
The assault began - the beast launched an orb of it's black flames towards the Shinobi, only to have it doused by a large wave of water - the shinobi ran, weapons held high, and launched their attack on whatever part of the massive behemoth they could reach. They soon found, though, that the beast's skin was stronger than steel.
The fighting raged on for hours - the beasts flames where doused as soon as they where conjured, and so it was forced to resort to physical attacks.
As the fighting wore on, the Land of Autumn's forces slowly dwindled, and Tetsugi once again gave the command to use their most powerful jutsu. With a blinding flash of light, it seemed that they had won - the beast was gone.
But it was not as it appeared, and all of the Land of Autumn's forces suddenly became frozen, as if their personal time had stopped, leaving only Keotsu and the Guru's human form, who raised from the center of collision, to finish their fight.
The Guru spoke of how Keotsu was a key that must either be captured or destroyed before conjuring a blade of black fire.
Keotsu, drawing his trusty katana, went on to fight the Guru. Keotsu could hold his own, but it was clear that the Guru was much more skilled than he was - he soon overpowered Keotsu. Swinging his black blade and unleashing a wave of fire that sent Keotsu sprawling, he aimed his blade at Keotsu's chest, about to end the fight by launching the blade at him, as he had tried to do previously in the fight.
As the blade launched from it's hilt, it struck flesh and bone, and pierced the heart. Tetsugi fell to the ground, the blade piercing his chest - he had intercepted the blade to save his son.
Keotsu, in a fit of blind rage, grabbed his father's katana from his body and charged at the Guru, using his two blades against the Guru's one, which replenished itself in a surge of black fire.
With two blades and a spirit full of rage, neglecting defense and taking any attempt he could to strike, Keotsu's offensive assault gave him the upper-hand. Any movement that Keotsu moved that exposed himself was accompanied by a fatal attack that the Guru was forced to block.
Their duel raged on, when Keotsu finally made the move he needed - feinting a cross slash, Keotsu dropped to his knees, swinging his blades around, catching the Guru across his knee.
Then, by using both blades, he slammed the Guru hard, causing him to lose his own blade.
The Guru made a remark - Keotsu, at the time, did not understand what he meant. Completing his objective and satisfying his thirst for vengeance, he plunged both blades through the Guru's heart.
The beast was slain.
For Keotsu, the next few days were all a blur - his mother returned to the Land of Autumn, where a funeral was held for Tetsugi. All the while, Keotsu was overwhelmed with both the emotional pain of losing his father as well as the strange lingering pain from his blows from the blade of black fire.
The next few weeks where spent in quiet mourning and reflection - without a father, his family was broken, without an objective, what was he to do?
So, Keotsu made a simple decision. He still needed to be stronger. He knew there were still people that need to be brought to justice. Diango still had to be found.
Telling his mother and Rena -who was staying behind to watch over the Land of Autumn- goodbye, Keotsu took up his sword and left, thinking that it was time for him to revisit his teacher.
Traveling to the Land of Iron, Keotsu trained alongside his own teacher, increasing his Kenjutsu skills even further - the Land of Iron considered him one of their finest at the end of his training, and gave him the title of "Honorary Samurai".
Along the way, in his search for Diango, Keotsu came across a man, who used an odd style in which he made use of hundreds of blades. Keotsu's personally forged sword, that he himself made while training in the Land of Iron, was so well suited to Keotsu that it allowed him to fight on par with the man. They battled for a full day before both finally collapsed from exhaustion.
He learned that the man's name was Mifune, and he was seeking refuge for both his charge and himself. Impressed with Keotsu, he asked if he could travel with the swordsman - Keotsu agreed, equally impressed, and thankful for the company. Mifune would come to eventually teach Keotsu his Infinite-One Sword Style.
Keotsu continued his travels with Mifune, until the two were forced to part ways for a short time. Following a lead he had gotten, Keotsu was going to examine a cave in the far North - Rena, who had long since reunited with Keotsu after the repairs to their hometown were finished, was going to accompany him.
With plans to meet in three weeks time in the Land of Iron, Keotsu bid Mifune farewell.
As they made their way through the forest - which in itself was a strange challenge, where the forest was a maze - Keotsu eventually found his way to the cave and discovered, not Diango, but a strange necklace on a pedestal.
The air was charged, and it was clear that the necklace was of importance, and held some kind of power - throwing caution to the wind, he grabbed the necklace and a blinding light engulfed him.
He awoke inside a tent alongside a man adorned in tarnished golden armor. Keotsu was to be tried as a spy, but the man had decided to come to Keotsu's aid, and due Keotsu's lack of knowledge as to where he actually was, it was decided that he should be allowed to live. Keotsu was thankful for the man's help - there where far to many for Keotsu to defeat with his blades, and, strangely, he could not use his chakra to activate his jutsu.
The man told Keotsu of how the land was engulfed in Darkness, and how powerful Demons reigned. He was part of a group of warriors that were on a crusade to destroy these demons.
Through much questioning of the man - for Keotsu feared that a group with similar powers to the Guru had emerged - Keotsu learned not where he had been sent...but when. Due to his knowledge, Keotsu learned that the necklace had sent Keotsu back to the fabled times of the Rikkudo Sennin, and without a way to return to his own time.
The man listened to Keotsu's cries of panic, and agreed that it was indeed strange and plausible, but that there was nothing he could do to help.
Keotsu was crushed - was he to be trapped far from his home time? A sense of hopelessness overcame Keotsu.
The man made a suggestion - obviously, Keotsu was sent into the past. Perhaps he was sent back to make sure history ran its course? Though questionable as to why it would choose him of all people, Keotsu agreed that it was a theory that would be more likely than others.
For three years, Keotsu lived with the man and his army, living along side them, training along side them, and fighting along side them, always hoping that someday he could return home.
Then it finally happened. One night at dinner, the man came up to the head of the table and announced that they had located one of the Greater Demons. There would be many casualties, but they were going to attack it the following day.
Much to Keotsu's surprised, somberness was not heavy in the air - in fact, there was much festivity. It was one of the best nights of the twenty-year-old Keotsu's life.
Adorned in gleaming silver armor, a trusty longsword, and reliable shield, Keotsu marched into battle alongside the people he had come to regard as a family. The large, wolf-like demon towered stories above them.
With a yell, the charge started. Archers let fly arrows that blinded the beasts - heavily armored units charged in, using large pikes to pin the monsters six large paws to the ground - with breath of lightning and fire, the ability to conjure metal spikes, and the ability to "phase" short distances, the beast was an incredible sight, but the army was well organized.
The heavy soldiers kept attacking the demon's feet, while archers pelted it with an endless barrage of arrows. Keotsu, the man, and his small battalion attacked wherever they could - striking a leg, cutting the beast's underbelly, or attacking the face when the beast fell.
Then the demon let out a brutish yell as a powerful wind originated from it's body, blowing all but the man backwards. Harnessing some strange energy, the man charged the beast and seemed to attack it's very soul - fang met flesh as the man's attack struck home - a blinding light...
And Keotsu found himself in the cave he found the necklace in. Rena was unconscious at his side, and Keotsu felt slightly smaller. Crawling over to a small cave, Keotsu found that he was, again, seventeen years old.
But the memory of all that had transpired was locked away for ever in his muscles, his mind ,and his heart. Taking the simple leather necklace with the gold and blue adornments, a necklace he now realized belonged to the man he fought alongside, he put it upon himself, as a personal testament that the events where real.
With an additional three years trials, Keotsu's skills are phenomenal, and he is widely regarded as an extremely talented swordsman.
Still searching for Diango, Keotsu travels with Mifune - his story continues to unfold before his very eyes.
Theme Song and Background Music:
Battle Theme
Main Theme
Won: -
Lost: -


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is currently sitting on a vast pile of cash -- an estimated $40B USD
-- equal to about one fifth of its market capitalization.
That's a rarity in the business world to say the least; in fact just
about no company in tech industry, other than perhaps
Microsoft has that much cash sitting around.In a
recent annual
meeting, Apple Chief Executive Officer Steven P. Jobs discussed
Apple's fiscal fatness and why he feels it's a good thing.
Sporting his traditional trademark blue jeans and black
mock turtleneck top ensemble, the Cupertino head man says that
Apple is unlikely to commit to dividends or stock buybacks that would
surely please the holders of Apple stock, which currently is trading at
over $200/share on an average daily volume of 25M shares traded
daily.Instead, the cash allows for big moves -- like the
iPad. He states, "We're a large enough business now,
that in order to really move the needle, we've got to be thinking
pretty bold, pretty large. And who knows what's around the next
corner. When we think about big, bold things, we know that
if we needed to acquire something, a piece of the puzzle, to make
something big and bold a reality, we could write a check for
it."Some might interpret his last sentence to refer to
acquisitions, but Jobs primarily is referring to internal
expenditures. Apple's current rosy financial situation came
thanks to enormous risky investments in super-products like the iPod
and iPhone that when they first debuted were unlike anything else
seen on the market.Apple also specializes in small
acquisitions, typically to gain experience in a field it's unfamiliar
with. Describes Broadpoint Amtech analyst Brian Marshall,
"Their historical use of cash has worked obviously very
well. Doing small deals, buying private companies with 100
to 150 engineers and integrating them with the Cupertino
establishment and then taking their technology and making it
pervasive throughout the organization."The outlook for
Apple is rather promising for the next year. The company looks
to grow and expand in the key Chinese market, opening 25 new stores
there next year. Some analysts also think that despite
some public
jokes and criticism about the company's new iPad tablet,
that the tablet-cum-e-book reader may sell between 2 million and 5
million units. Next month will give the first glimpse of the
public's interest when the Wi-Fi version of the iPad debuts.
Some may wait until April, when the 3G version lands.Despite
its tremendous cash pile and popular products, Apple does face some
key risks. Its soaring popularity and brand image have come at
the cost of increased scrutiny, and recent
quality issues have soured Apple's image for some.
Apple also faces difficulties with it's tradition of intense secrecy,
a tradition that reportedly leads it to maintain an army of secret
agents that spy on its workforce. The company's secretive
nature recently came under fire when a worker at one of Apple's
Chinese suppliers died
under suspicious circumstances after losing an iPhone
prototype; and a recent incident in which security guards at a parts
supplier beat
a foreign correspondent didn't help things much
either.Probably the biggest threat it faces, though, is
maintaining the momentum on its products. When the iPhone and
unibody MacBook Pro debuted they had hardware on par with their top
of the line competitors and they enjoyed sleeker packaging -- keys to
justifying the devices' price premium. Now several phones beat
the iPhone's hardware in various areas (and they have Flash,
something Apple
feels threatened by and refuses to support).
Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro's hardware, particularly its CPU and GPU
selection, is looking increasingly stale. That said, there will
probably be a MacBook refresh coming very soon and another iPhone
refresh this summer that will help remedy those shortcomings.


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The #19 car now carries a BEAUTIFUL CroftgateUSA logo placed directly behind both the side windows! ( see photos below)
CroftgateUSA had the utmost pleasure and excitement in meeting with the crews of the #19 and #14 Nationwide NASCAR TEAMS
CroftgateUSA cleaned the primary cars for Mike Bliss in the #19 and Eric Mcclure in the #14 ,leaving them looking NICE and feeling slick.
A very exciting day for Team CroftgateUSA and the Tri-Star motorsports team!


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What matters most is that students are left with a thirst for knowledge.
I am so honored to be selected as a Golden Apple teacher. As you can imagine, I've been thinking a lot about apples lately.
We are probably all aware that the apple represents knowledge. That's what makes it such a great symbol for educators. Yet, there is really more to the apple that applies to education.
My passion and background is in the subject of environmental geography, which is a field that looks at how plants and animals occupy the space of the earth. Now, if we look at the apple through this lens, some other really cool metaphors start to appear.
The old expression, "as American as apple pie," is sort of misleading. You see, the apple is not American at all, it is actually Asian; it's from the forests of Kazakhstan. Its popularity here started with the American frontiersman. They desired the juice of the apple — but they did not want that innocent sweet beverage that we serve to kids, they wanted hard cider.
There was one man in particular who was responsible for spreading apples across the American frontier, and that was John Chapman, or Johnny Appleseed. Yes, he was a real person and not just Disney's invention.
As educators, we are the Johnny Appleseeds of knowledge. Our purpose is to sow the seeds of knowledge across the frontier of learning. When we think back on our time in school we probably all have our "Johnny Appleseeds" that shaped and influenced who we are today as citizens and as educators. I know I do. My mother was a fifth-grade teacher. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was a child. I remember seeing gifts to her from students around the house, and these gifts often had personal messages attached to them. The words went far beyond your typical "from Sally, homeroom," but these kids took the time to personalize a real messages to my mother. I like to think that she had a lasting impact on them. And this is a lesson of teaching I have kept with me: Be a memorable teacher.
Another Johnny Appleseed in my life was a sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Gamble. She sponsored a 4-H club after school that was based on marine biology. One of the things the club did was take Saturday trips to the Florida State Marine Lab. It was a program called Saturday-by-the-Sea. They would take us out on boats, and we would collect research specimens. Our drift nets would bring up a wide variety of life. There were sea cucumbers, cowfish, pufferfish, all kinds of victims for our sixth-grade hands.
From that moment, I was hooked. My passion for nature has never diminished. This was another lesson I utilize as a teacher. Be hands on, and make lessons relevant. Experiences matter. My goal is to create Saturday-by-the-Sea experiences for all of my students.
These apple seeds of knowledge are the tenants of teaching I live by. From my mother, I learned to make an impression and to be an approachable teacher. I saw the results of this very early in my teaching career when one of my sixth-grade girls felt comfortable enough to discuss with me the recent death of her parent from cancer. Now, that's some heavy stuff for a rookie teacher to respond to. So, I went to my mentor. His words have always stayed with me: "Tim, she chose you." Experiences such as this are never burdens, they are opportunities for us learn and for us to teach.
The seeds of knowledge that we plant within the minds of our students are unpredictable as to what will actually take root and grow. In fact, not many people realize an interesting detail about the apple. The seed from an apple, when planted, does not guarantee an exact copy of that apple's genetic traits. The outcome of what grows is unpredictable, and this is a perfect metaphor for us Johnny Appleseeds. Our students may exhibit sweetness in their often thoughtful work. Or, maybe the result is some bitterness because we will not accept mediocrity. And yes (sigh), just like the original use of the apple by the frontiersman, the result may have us enjoying the occasional glass of hard cider at the end of a long week.
But in the end, what matters most is they are left with a thirst for knowledge.
Tim Jones teaches civics and ancient civilizations at Howard Middle School in Ocala.


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Meet New 'Game of Thrones' Cast Members and Watch a Blooper Reel
The world of Westeros is expanding.
At Comic-Con today, along with George R.R. Martin causing a mother of dragons-based stir, HBO announced a handful of new characters set to appear in the fantasy series' fifth season. Take a deep breath, because here they are.
Doran Martell, an "even-tempered" older brother to the late Prince Oberyn Martell, will be played by Alexander Siddig. His son, Trystane Martell, will be played by Toby Sebastian – who is in line to heir Dorne. "People all over the world dream of being a part of this," Sebastian said in a teaser video.


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Humvees are synonymous with transporting troops on the
ground during times of war. The ubiquitous workhorses are also pretty lacking
when it comes to protection from enemy fire and improvised explosive
devices (IEDs).
The U.S. Army in conjunction with AM General Corp. and TPI
Composites Inc. are looking to composite materials to give its soldiers a
better chance at surviving treacherous working conditions on Iraq.
Its latest test bed is a Humvee that features
a frame and body made of composite materials. Resin material is used to
bond together balsa wood, carbon reinforcements, fiberglass and foam. The use
of composite materials on the Humvee shaves 900 pounds off the usual 10,000 to
12,000 pound vehicle weight.
"We can put the strength where we need it," said
TPI Composites CEO Steven Lockard. "Every pound of weight we save, that
weight is being added back to the vehicle in armor and mine-blast
Additional armor could be placed under and around the cabin
area of the Humvee to protect the passengers, while the composites materials alone
could be used for the hood and fenders.
Predictably, the new composite-bodied Humvees are slightly
more expensive than their conventional counterparts and the Army still hasn't
made a firm commitment to purchasing the vehicles.
With that said, TPI Composites is fully prepared should the
Army give the company the green light. "We could ramp up pretty quickly to
most any volume that would be desired," said Lockard.


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CARSON, Calif. -- Gyasi Zardes entered the preseason as something of a forgotten man with the LA Galaxy's new additions grabbing the headlines, but the forward has staked his claim to start in Saturday's season opener against Real Salt Lake.
The second-year attacker has been revitalized this preseason as he has appeared to shake off the finishing woes that plagued him in his rookie season. Just where he ends up on the field still remains a question mark, however, as he has had some of his greatest success playing on the right side of midfield and up top.
However, ask one of his more accomplished teammates about where Zardes should play and the answer is a simple one.
"His best position [in midfield] whether it's on the left or the right hand side because he's quick and can beat people," said LA captain Robbie Keane who is quick to praise Zardes for his improved finishing this preseason. "It's all well and good to be doing it during the preseason, but it's about doing it when the real business starts."
When told of Keane's declaration, Zardes agrees, "I feel like I'm good in the midfield. I feel like I pose a threat and can get the ball to the forward's feet."
But at times, when Zardes pushes forward, it changes the Galaxy's formation as their 4-4-2 formation evolves into an apparent 4-3-3, something that the second-year attacker is keenly aware of.
"I'm always pushing into the attack," said Zardes of his positioning on the field. "I don't know what the coaches have in mind, but wherever they use me whether it's as a forward or in midfield, I'm going to try to be a threat."
Think Zardes will get the start out wide on Saturday? Think StefanIshizaki will start?
Share your thoughts below.


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A Culinary Trio of Connoisseurs + Vail's #1 Restaurant = A Wintery Delight
Follow your nose to culinary goodness! When it comes to discovering good food, your nose knows best. This winter, let your most prominent and discerning facial feature guide you to savor the wintery delights now available at Atwater on Gore Creek.
A Trinity of Culinary Ingenious
What's better than having one talented chef create a new menu? Having three talented chefs create a new menu! 'Tis the case at Atwater, which hosts the culinary talents of Executive Chef Todd Bemis, Chef de Cuisine Stephen Belie, and Sous Chef Jay Spickelmier all under one roof. This trio of culinary connoisseurs takes guests on an epicurean journey that always ends with smiles and a sigh of satisfaction.
Atwater is the Main Dish on TripAdvisor
While we believe that modesty is typically the best policy, we couldn't contain our excitement about being ranked Vail's #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor! From compliments about our menu selection and expanded craft beer offerings to praise for our service and atmosphere, we are grateful to the patrons that have made Atwater on Gore Creek their restaurant of choice in Vail. Stop by and experience it for yourself!
Toast the Holidays with Winter Edition Craft Beers
There is no better companion for good food than good brews. Known as the Vail Valley's Home of Craft Beer, Atwater is serving up a medley of exclusive holiday-inspired craft beers that will make each toast even merrier.
Unwrap the Gift of Dining with No Clean Up
Forgo the endless hours of preparing, cooking, and cleaning and let the team at Atwater shoulder the work while you enjoy a special Christmas or New Year's dining experience with family and friends. In our humble opinion, food always tastes better when someone else prepares it and cleans it up.
Happy Holidays from Atwater!


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Earthquake Demonstration
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Oct 3, 2005
This material was originally created for Starting Point:Introductory Geology
and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.
Dorothy Merritts and Robert Walter, Franklin and Marshall College
(firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com)
(email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com)
This demonstration uses an "earthquake machine" constructed from bricks, sand paper, and a winch, to simulate the buildup of elastic strain energy prior to a seismic event and the release of that energy during an earthquake. The apparatus can be placed on a table and a simple demonstration completed in 5 to 10 minutes, although longer, more complex demonstrations can be designed as well. Substantial reference materials with an animation, photographs, diagrams, and technical specifications are available at a USGS Earthquake Hazards website, based on an earthquake machine designed by Ross Stein and demonstrated at a USGS open house.
How to set up the demonstrationBuilding the actual earthquake machine can take from 2 to 5 hours, depending on availability of materials and basic construction skills. The apparatus consists of a wooden board 3-4 feet in length with a winch on one end. A pulley leads from the winch to the brick and is oriented so that the force acting on the brick has no vertical component. A strip of sandpaper down half of the length of the board increases friction. Earthquake Machine Diagram and Specs provides a list of materials and a diagram of the apparatus. Photo from USGS Earthquake Model.
How to do the demonstrationThe earthquake machine can be used in less than 5 minutes for a simple demonstration of how elastic energy is stored (as the winch is cranked) and then released in a sudden slip event. Cranking the winch slowly in silence is very effective, so students hear the grinding of brick upon sand paper as the slip event takes place. Alternatively, the machine can be used for a longer demonstration to illustrate the nature of recurrent slip and to explore alternative hypotheses of earthquake occurrence. Doing the demonstration in class outlines one way in which the demonstration can be used in class, along with tips for engaging students in the demonstration.
Ideas for discussing the earthquake demonstration in classMore ideas for class provides background material for topics of discussion related to the demonstration, including
- three hypotheses about earthquakes that can be tested, and
- background lecture material about the elastic rebound theory for the cause of earthquakes, and its relation to plate tectonics.
References and resources
- A U. S. Geological Survey website contains a complete description of how to build and use the earthquake machine.
- R. S. Stein, Parkfield's unfulfilled promise (News & Views), Nature, 419, pp. 257-258, September 19, 2002. A pdf for this article is available at the USGS website referred to above.
- The National Earthquake Information Center compiles and maintains an extensive, global seismic database on earthquake parameters and their effects.


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camcorder Archive
Convergence technology: the revolutionary technological development!
November 14, 2008
Convergence technology in lay mans' term is alliance of different technologies to form a common access point for all of them at one go. The merger is formed to improve efficiency of the product by sharing of resources. The world today is surrounded by media convergent's functioning at multiple level. The best example of convergent


text:
About the Book
Inez Urso is beginning to have her doubts. Her business associate Thomas Argeneau has some interesting traits, like an allergic reaction to the sun, excellent night vision, and not much of an appetite for food. And to top it all off, he just tried to bite her neck . . . but maybe that was a sign of passion. If so, she'd be happy to experience more, despite her determination not to mix business with pleasure.
Well, if not forever, at least two hundred years. Inez is the most beautiful woman he's seen in centuries. Those luscious lips, seductive curves, and her elegant neck . . . he just couldn't resist the temptation of one little bite. Now Thomas will do anything to convince her that only an immortal like him can satisfy her all night long . . .
Educator and Librarian Resources
Product Details
- Imprint: Avon
- On Sale: 01/29/2008
- Trimsize: 4.188 in (w) x 6.75 in (h) x 0.96 in (d)
- Pages: 384
- List Price: 7.99 USD
- BISAC1: FICTION / Romance / Paranormal / Vampires
- BISAC2: FICTION / Thrillers / Supernatural
- BISAC3: FICTION / Fantasy / Urban


text:
Name something better than Lowcountry weather
With warm weather arriving, it becomes a perfect setting for lunch outside or walks around Old Town Bluffton.
Since I arrived in late summer last year, I'm really enjoying the beauty of spring around the town. Today, I caught a glimpse of just how great the weather can be for residents in the Lowcountry.
The Old Town Merchants Society hosted the annual Green Garden Luncheon which brought out not only the reason the wear sunhats, but raised awareness of becoming more green-friendly.
To see more photos from the event, go to Spotted.


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While a handful of American League teams jockey for playoff berths, five men find themselves in the thick of a race for the AL home run title—but for only one of them would be it a historic achievement.
Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera on Monday night pulled ahead of Josh Hamilton in the home race, by hitting his 44th dinger of 2012. Cabrera also leads the American League with a .329 batting average, and 137 runs batted, putting himself in line to win all three categories for the first Triple Crown since 1967.
But for Cabrera to cement his place in history, he'll have to best not only Hamilton, but three other sluggers. What are his chances of making it? We asked John Avello, Executive Director of Race & Sports at Wynn Las Vegas to handicap the field ahead of Monday's action.
1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers, 44 HR, 7-to-5 Odds of Home Run Title: Hopes to become the first man to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967, who went 8-for-11 with 1 home run and 6 RBI over the last three games that year, as he secured the Crown, and his team locked up a World Series berth.
"I have Cabrera on top at 7-to-5. Cabrera is tied with Hamilton at 43 (home runs), he has three games at Kansas City, the Tigers can clinch (the AL Central) with a win, but it's possible that they might have to play a little bit longer, exert a little more energy to win (their division). The knock on Cabrera's last three games is that he hasn't hit a home run at Kansas City yet. With all that being said, if the Tigers don't win tonight, they're gonna have to continue to keep playing hard until they do."
2. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, 43 HR, 8-to-5 Odds of Home Run Title: Hamilton recently missed five games with ocular keratitis, a dryness of his eyes that he attributed to caffeine consumption. Standing in his way are the Oakland A's, the second-fewest in the league this season, while the Rangers try to lock up the top seed in the playoffs.
"Hamilton, he's always hurt. He's got three games at Oakland, the pitching's a little bit tougher at Oakland. He does hit a home run probably more frequently than anybody else, one every 12.5 at bats or so. Against Oakland he's hit three home runs this year, but the road's a little more difficult with the pitching, and Oakland's still gonna have to give all they have to make the wild card--it looks like they will, but still, there's no reason to lay down."
3. Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays, 42 HR, 4-to-1 Odds of Home Run Title: Has never hit more than 26 homers in a season, he's playing at home against the Twins, who've allowed more bombs than any team except Encarnacion's own Blue Jays. A strained muscle kept him out of Monday's line-up.
"The third choice is Encarnacion. He's only one behind, and the part that makes his odds a little less is he has three games at Minnesota, and we all know how the ball flies outta there, and he does hit a home run maybe one every 13 at-bats or so."
T4. Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox, 41 HR, 8-to-1 Odds of Home Run Title: Since 2004, only Albert Pujols has hit more home than the Big Donkey's 334. But Dunn's been cold of late, with only 3 HRs in his past 22 games dating back to Aug. 25.
"Although he's two back, he's got three games at Cleveland, he's got six home runs against Cleveland this year in 55 at bats. That's one every 9 at bats, where his average is one every 13. He's not gonna sit down, I see no reason not to go all-out, if the Tigers lose and the White Sox win, they'll still continue to play hard. Even if they don't, I don't know if he'll rest the last two games."
T4. Curtis Granderson, New York Yankee, 41 HR, 75-to1 Odds of Home Run Title: Once a five-tool player who did a little bit of everything, Granderson last year morphed into a one-dimensional masher, launching 41 homers, to finish second behind league-leader Jose Bautista.
"He's going against Boston. It's just a longshot for him to get there. In 54 at bats he's got five home runs against Boston—he's just too far back. I don't know if he's gonna get any rest, cuz the Yankees, it's gonna go right down to the final game for them."
Asked who he thinks will win the home run title, Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk came to the same conclusion as Avello, but his analysis was decidedly more succinct.
"I'm thinking Miggy, because he's gonna be facing the Royals... and they stink."


text:
Beyonce Heat Ultimate Elixir Perfume
By Beyonce for Women
Beyonce Heat Ultimate Elixir Perfume by Beyonce, This magical, long lasting fragrance was released in 2010 . The ultimate elixir is a more concentrated version of the original beyonce heat. Indulge yourself in its captivating aroma. Created with rich and exotic notes of amber, orchid, osmanthus, tonka bean, vanilla, and cedar wood, this perfume is bound to add heat in your life. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations. ... Read More
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Quick responsive service and good prices
J. Tillman (Los Alamos, CA)


text:
A La Nuit Perfume
By Serge Lutens for Women
A La Nuit Perfume by Serge Lutens, If you love feminine sexy ,sultry scents, this oriental floral fragrance is for you . Composed with three rare jasmine absolues, and blended with sweet accords of green branches, honey, clove, benzoin, and musk, it is a scent of ultimate seduction. For the night , is the french translation, and for romance... Is what we think. Plan your own midnight at the oasis, and he is yours. The scent cleopatra would wear to captivate caesar. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations. ... Read More
- U By Adolfo Dominguez
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- Ultrared
- Ultraviolet
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- Un Jardin Apres La Mousson
- Un Jardin En Mediterranee
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- Un Matin D'orage
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- Un Zest De Rose
- Unbelievable
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- Utopia Ii
1.69 oz Eau De Parfum Spray (Unisex)
Item #465426
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Quick responsive service and good prices
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
- Great smell (3)
Best Uses
- Evening (3)
- Fragrance Type:
- Floral (3)
Reviewed by 3 customers
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Doesn't Hold
Best Uses
- Evening Use
Comments about Serge Lutens A La Nuit Perfume:
The best jasmine single note perfume I've smelt - but you have to like jasmine! Think warm mediterrean /north African nights and you'll get the idea.
- Fragrance Type:
- Floral, Green Notes, Honey, Warm Spice, White Floral
- Great Smell
- Great Value
- Jasmine
- Long-Lasting
- Sensual
- Sexy
Best Uses
- Evening Use
- Special Occasions
Comments about A La Nuit By Serge Lutens:
This is a "pow" night blooming jasmine fragrance that softens down to a lovely floral, honey spicy scent that lasts. if you love jasmine like I do then this is for you. Just a beautiful night time fragrance.
- Fragrance Type:
- Clove Notes, Floral, Jasmine Floral, Oriental/Spicy
- Clean & Fresh
- Draws Compliments
- Great Smell
- Long-Lasting
- Not Overpowering
- Sensual
- Sexy
- Pricey / Poor Value
Best Uses
- Add To Other Fragrance
- Anytime
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Comments about Serge Lutens A La Nuit Perfume:
Lovers of a pure, just-bloomed Jasmine, this is the one you have been looking for! Men, so many fragrances for us guys are built around jasmine, and many, many other floral scents. This is highly concentrated, as it is an eau de parfum, just one step away from pure parfum, so go easy when applying. It is wonderful alone, but is an amazing pop of "Roar!" to just about any other fragrance you use, and I use it both ways, and it lasts a long time! Men have been so brainwashed into thinking florals are feminine, but very few men's fragrances are without florals of one or more, and we short-change ourselves thinking that way! Women LOVE to smell flowers, so what better way to attract them to you, right? Believe me, it works!
This is THE PERFECT JASMINE IN A BOTTLE, and is VERY ADDICTIVE, to both genders! Just wish it was a little easier on the wallet, but it's one splurge you won't regret, if you love jasmine!
- Fragrance Type:
- Floral