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Back in July my wife and our summer intern had the opportunity to attend a hands-on training Class with Jeff Wright from Blue Skies Cinema. The class was presented in suburban Chicago in conjunction with the Illinois Videographers Association (IVA). Jeff and his wife, Andee, present several intensive workshops each year at their Southern California studio (as well as some stunning nearby locations), and Jeff frequently goes on the road to offer training with local and regional associations as well. I went along to check it all out and document the effectiveness of the training for this article.
I went in with the idea of seeing how much my wife and our intern would improve after 2 days of intense hands-on training. My wife, Sherry, has been working with me since our second wedding shoot, but she has not ventured much into cinematic-type shooting. She has kept her shooting style stealth and based on content. I wanted to see if the class would help her improve her camera skills to get a few more cinematic "wow" shots, while at the same time improving her already polished content-driven shooting.
Our intern, Nicole Verwey, is in her senior year of college studying media production. As for her camera skills-well, let's just say the college has done a good job of teaching shot-framing and shooting full auto. She had been using the same camera in school that we use (Canon XH A1), but she didn't know how to use manual focus, shutters, or iris. Rack focus was not even in her vocabulary. As soon as she started working for us, I gave her a quick lesson in the manual controls of the camera.
How much impact did Jeff's workshop have? All I can say is, "Wow, big improvements." It was definitely a good investment for our company. Jeff's wealth of knowledge regarding camera functionality, manual controls, and making it all work for you is top-notch, and he has a real gift for teaching this stuff. The explanation of scene selections, how to shoot the scene, and how to put it all together was a big learning point for all involved. During the 2-day class, the 25 attendees learned to get wow shots with which they could build their own bridal spotlight videos. Most wedding videos are filled with content documenting the day, not cotinuous cinematic shots. But a few dramatic shots can take us from normal to amazing.
The IVA did an excellent job of hosting the workshop. A big part of Jeff's workshops is spent traveling to compelling locations and guiding class members through shooting actual footage on-site. The IVA pulled in some favors for the class and got an amazing country club setting, Bartlett Hills Country Club, for the classroom time. At the country club, we got to shoot a staged outdoor wedding; then, we moved inside for a mock reception, complete with decorations and a cake provided at no charge by local caterer Bistro59. The IVA members also got the Chicago-area Trolley Car & Bus Co. to provide a trolley for the second day to take us into downtown Chicago for some great on-site shooting locations.
Jeff has a very laid-back teaching style and is very hands-on. When a practice shoot was set up with a model bride, Jeff made the rounds to all the participants who wanted help. He watched what they were doing, helping them get shots they may have never captured before. His energetic teaching demeanor was so contagious, it would be pretty hard to come away from his class without being energized and excited to do it all on your own.
One point Jeff stressed was, "Content without artistry is better than artistry without content." Great point! How many times do we plan wow shots in an attempt to make an amazing video but miss those content-driven moments the customer really hired us for? Another point Jeff made was "Plan the story in your head and shoot accordingly." We all know a shoot doesn't always unfold like we plan, so the point of content being more important than artistry was made multiple times. You don't always get what you want, Jeff advised; just make sure to get the story.
Jeff also addressed the fads/trends in the industry, such as using the Canon 5D Mark II and shooting in 24p and 30p. He mentioned multiple situations in which new gear and trendy techniques may have their place, but he stressed that whatever works for you and your customers is what you should use. What matters, he said, is not the hottest gear or the latest fads, but what makes you money and makes your customer happy. I couldn't agree more.
Without giving away too much (because you really should attend a workshop yourself-the real benefit is the hands-on instruction, much more valuable than anything I could relay here), I'll let you in on one of Jeff's trade secrets: "MADE," a handy acronym he used for how to get great cinematic footage. MADE stands for the following: • Movement: Camera movement makes ordinary details stand out.• Angles: Get multiple angles of each setting so all your clips aren't close-ups or wide shots.• Distance: Shoot from different distances to give more of a feeling of the setting and location.• Effects: Use effects via in-camera techniques and your NLE to make your footage stand out.
The idea was to work those four concepts-or as many of them as you can-into each job to maximize your shooting effectiveness. Jeff also mentioned that sometimes a static shot of the day's details using a rack focus or just some grass in the foreground moving in the wind can make cinematic shots really pop. The key is not to overuse it. Have you ever seen a video where every shot was moving and flying? After a while it loses its impact.
All in all, the best way I can sum up the 2-day experience is with Jeff's own acronym:• Movement: We were constantly moving-shooting in new places, practicing what was taught.• Angles: Jeff gave many a new angle from which to approach our work.• Distance: No distance learning here. Jeff was right there with you, ready to help if needed.• Effects: The effect on the participants was that they came away with a good sense of how to create an improved product that can bring a higher profit.
I can already see the impact this workshop has had in my own studio. For starters, our intern Nicole now runs around getting creative shots when assisting us on our weddings. We've even used a few of them in our same-day edits, in places where we usually have my footage. Nicole had this to say about the training class:
Jeff Wright's workshop was one of the most educational and valuable experiences that I have had when it comes to shooting techniques and learning to use a video camera's manual settings. Jeff's workshop gave me a new level of confidence in myself to be able to find solid shots and to go after them without having to spend a lot of time thinking about it beforehand. His MADE principles really help me to keep everything that he taught us in mind when I am in the moment trying to get the shot.
Another attendee had this to say:
The seminar was a wonderful learning and networking experience. It was well-organized and provided lots of opportunities to shoot footage of a bride in many locations. Jeff Wright has an easy-to-follow style of teaching and offers great examples to illustrate the techniques being taught. He is a patient teacher who was working with participants of varying levels of experience. There was a very good balance between classroom discussion and hands-on experience. Jeff worked individually with each attendee, answered questions, and offered immediate assistance and feedback as we tried to employ the new techniques. As a new videographer who is still learning the basics of my camera, I walked away with many techniques to enable me to use my camera more professionally, much faster than if I was struggling on my own.
What about my wife, Sherry? Even before leaving Jeff's class, she commented that we needed to have a practice day, using our town as a backdrop. There's a young lady in our church who wants to be a model. She still had her high school prom dress, which looked just like a wedding dress, and she was game to help us out by modeling for us. A few weeks after we got back from the workshop, we took her around our little town in Southern Wisconsin; for 2 days, we practiced what we learned.
We went to a BMX track and shot bicyclists back-flipping over our model's head. Then, we headed to a lake for some shots at sunset, and we ended our tour at a pond, where we shot her jumping in the water. After reviewing much of Sherry's footage, I saw lots of great material that she wouldn't have captured previously; it will all be part of Frogman Productions' first bridal spotlight demo.
Philip Hinkle (philip at frogmanproductions.com) runs Frogman Productions, a Madison, WI-area studio specializing in cinematic wedding productions. A 2008 EventDV 25 honoree, Philip has won a WEVA CEA Gold in Social Event Production and served as a judge for the 2009 CEAs.


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Crankshaft "Mandatory Retirement" Disputed
A California man has filed a class action lawsuit in California against Lycoming over the engine maker's handling of potentially defective crankshafts in as many as 5,000 engines. In a claim filed this week Richard Bristow, a Mooney owner, says that Lycoming should issue a recall of the engines and bear all the costs of repair. Instead, the company issued Service Bulletins 569 and 569A, which require the crankshafts in the affected engines to be replaced at the next overhaul or the next time the crankcase is split, or no later than Feb. 21, 2009, whichever comes first. Those who comply with the bulletin within the time period specified will be supplied a parts kit containing the crankshaft and associated parts for $2,000 and labor costs will not be covered. Robert Mills, the San Rafael, Calif., attorney who filed the action, told AVweb in an exclusive interview that in previous cases involving crankshaft replacement, Lycoming has not only paid the full cost of removal, repair and replacement of the engine, it also covered a portion of the costs associated with the aircraft downtime, such as rentals and airline tickets. (A phone message left by AVweb for Lycoming's media spokeswoman Daria Fish was returned, Monday -- Lycoming is declining comment.) Mills told AVweb, "[In early cases] Lycoming really stepped up and behaved honorably." He added, "I was very disappointed by their response in this latest round." Mills owns a Piper Mirage whose engine was caught in one of the previous recalls and he said he was impressed by the company's attitude, adding that he received a check from Lycoming for aircraft rental costs he incurred while his airplane was laid up.
Savvy readers may note that late last month, AOPA confirmed with the FAA that -- for most aircraft flown in noncommercial operations -- airworthiness directives (ADs) are the only "mandatory" service bulletins around -- regardless of what a manufacturer deems "mandatory." But they noted that complying with an SB still might be a good idea and advise owners to check with their mechanics. SBs sometimes become mandatory ADs after they've gone through the rulemaking process. And, if your aircraft is used in commercial operations, you probably do have to comply with SBs. The FAA in May of 2006 announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that stated, "We determined that 23 failures of similar crankshafts in Lycoming 360 and 540 series reciprocating engines have occurred due to subsurface material flaws that progress to a fatigue failure." The FAA further states that "Lycoming MSB No. 569A, dated April 11, 2006, requires compliance at the next accessibility of the crankshaft, but no later than February 21, 2009." However, this proposed AD would require compliance at the next accessibility of the crankshaft, but no later than 12 years since new, or since the previous engine overhaul.

subset: commoncrawl


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DENVER – The Durango Herald won first place in the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters contest this weekend in Denver.
The paper also won the Editorial Sweepstakes award at the Colorado Press Association contest and placed a close second to Steamboat Today for CPA's General Excellence award, given to the newspaper with the most awards in news, advertising and circulation.
"A successful newspaper requires engaged readers and advertisers who believe in its strength. We thank everyone in our community who supports this effort," said Herald Publisher Richard Ballantine.
The Herald won most of the first place awards in CPA's website contest, but the online awards did not count toward scores for the General Excellence prize.
Managing Editor Don Lindley celebrated awards for work by the newsroom.
"Winning the Editorial Sweepstakes award in the CPA contest and the General Excellence award in CAPER is a tribute to a dedicated staff. The contests also pinpoint some things we need to keep working on," Lindley said.
Other Southwest Colorado newspapers also received top honors in their circulation classes.
The Herald's sister paper, the Cortez Journal, won the CPA General Excellence award for large nondaily papers, and the Pagosa Springs Sun won for medium-sized nondailies.
"I'm so proud of our staff for producing such quality work on such a consistent basis," said Journal Publisher Suzy Meyer.
Both contests covered the period from Sept. 1, 2010, to Aug. 31, 2011.
CAPER contest
The Herald's writing impressed the judge from Pennsylvania who handed out the General Excellence award.
"I visited Durango once, and the reporting in this paper makes me want to go back. A strong commitment to keeping its citizens informed is self-evident in this product," the judge wrote.
The awards are:
Editorial writing: Third place for Bill Roberts for a portfolio of editorials.
Environmental story: The Herald swept the category, with first and second place awards for Joe Hanel for stories about the defunct biodiesel plant in Dove Creek and an effort to count and track black bears. Melissa Castro Wyatt won third place for a story headlined "Let the mining begin?"
Feature photo: First place for Shaun Stanley, for a silhouette of a skateboarder. "Great composition that really caught my eye," the judge said.
Headline writing: First place for Katie Burford. "These headlines are all great because they work as headlines first, and the pun or wordplay is secondary," the judge wrote. Second place for Jeff Eisele.
Informational graphic:First place for German Rojas for a portfolio of graphics the judge called "technically well-executed."
Investigative reporting: First place for Hanel for a story reported from China about bicycle factories, which the judge called a "big story for a paper this size." Third place for Shane Benjamin for a story about substance abuse of bath salts. "The focus lead about a mother and her daughter personalize a story that parents need to know about," the judge wrote.
News column: Second place for Megan Graham. "This writer, who's clearly well-read, concentrated on taking on tough issues rather than easy, soft targets," the judge said.
Online breaking news: Second place for Herald staff.
Online general excellence: Third place for Herald staff.
Online special package: First place for Herald staff for a series on the Animas River. "This is a fascinating, media-rich package with long-term value to Web visitors well beyond the Herald's immediate market," the judge wrote.
Photo coverage of a continuing stories: First place for Shaun Stanley for the "Neighbors in Need" series about poverty in Durango. Second place for Herald staff for the Animas River series.
Photo illustrations: Second place for Josh Stephenson for a photo called "There's an app for that." Third place for Jerry McBride for an illustration for a story about the synthetic drug known as spice.
Picture story/photo essay: The Herald swept the category, with first and third place for McBride for "Trains back on track" and images from the fire in downtown Silverton. Steve Lewis took second place for a story about gliders.
Photo portfolios: Second place for McBride. Third place for Stanley.
Portrait/personality: First place for McBride for "Farewell, Renaissance Man."
Series: First place for Heather Scofield, Garrett Andrews and Emery Cowan for "Neighbors in Need: Poverty in Durango." "Though it is certainly a reality, it is not one often captured by other newspapers," the judge wrote.
Sports column: Second place for Dale Strode for a selection of columns.
Sports photo: First place for Sarah Friedman for a photo of the Durango Roller Girls.
Sports story: Third place for Ryan Owens for a feature on a college softball catcher.
Spot news photo: First place for Lewis for a photo of a fire in the Rafter J subdivision.
CPA contest
Official confirmation of the final placings was not available Saturday afternoon.
Public service: Shane Benjamin
Ad special section: Karla Sluis, Mitchell Carter
Ad special section: Karla Sluis
Advertising layout and design: Michelle Uhl
Automotive ad: Jennifer Dickens
Black-and-white ad: Jennifer Dickens
Black-and-white ad: Tracy Willbanks
Circulation promo: Tracy Willbanks
Editorial writing: Bill Roberts
Color ad: Brady Sutherlin
Classified page or section: Brady Sutherlin, Mitchell Carter, Janelle Farnam
Website advertising: Herald staff
Website content:Herald staff
Website design: Herald staff
Website interactivity:Herald staff
Website community: Herald staff
Website multimedia: Josh Stephenson
Headline writing: Amy Maestas
Informational graphic: German Rojas
Feature page design: German Rojas
Editorial cartoon: Judith Reynolds
Photo essay: Shaun Stanley
News photograph: Shaun Stanley (two awards)
Feature photograph: Sarah Friedman
Sports photograph: Jerry McBride (two awards)
Sports photograph: Sarah Friedman
Story-picture combo: Stephanie Cook, Jordyn Dahl, Jerry McBride
Agriculture story: Emery Cowan
Business story: Heather Scofield
Education story: Ann Butler
News story: Melissa Castro Wyatt
Sports event story: Dale Strode
Sports column: Dale Strode
Series: Shane Benjamin, Jan Nesset
Series: Heather Scofield, Garrett Andrews
Sustained coverage: Stephanie Cook, Lynda Edwards, Dale Rodebaugh
Deadline news: Shane Benjamin
Serious column: John Peel
Humorous column: Mike Smedley


text: Hi all: ok, what was wrong is that the MAC addresses did not truly get all set to the same value for the three branches in the bonded channel. A peculiarity of the Realtek driver I guess. however, there is a very cool program "rtl8139-diag" written by Donald Becker (available on his driver page) that allows for low-level access to the realtek eeprom; it seems that the program was all setup to change the HWADDR except that there was no implementation for doing the actual change (i.e., the option existed, the argument would get parsed, and then nothing would be done with it!) That was just a matter of adding a few lines of code, and it works flawlessly. fantastic! > the overhead for sharing an irq is just that some of the time, > the wrong instance of a driver will get called. it checks its > hardware, decides the irq is not for it, and returns. the code > overhead is trivial, but you could make the case for worrying > a little about the time overhead, since PCI transactions are > many, many CPU cycles. ie, O(1us). still, even with ~5K int/second, > that's not a major problem. yes, that's what I intuitively thought. But is there any way to instruct the bios to better distribute the hardware over the many free IRQs? I think that for CPI there is nothing we can do after the bios has done its job, right? right now in the dual-CPU console, I have 4 ether and an IDE RAID and it just pisses me off to see nothing on irqs 3,5,7 but 2*IDE+1*ether on 11! anybody has experience maybe with playing with the 4 PCI IRQ line settings in a bios? [[[machine gets sluggish when doing 3 simultaneous transfers]]] > you could trivially answer that question by looking at /proc/interrupts > (or even "vmstat 1"). I suspect the problem is actually memory, > that you need to extend the backlog queues, perhaps also configure > the kernel to keep more memory free. good point! now the machine is not sluggish anymore... maybe it was because I was using 2.4.0 before and now downgraded to 2.2.17 (2.4.0 was too unstable with my stripped RAID disk). I'll post a summary on our website once we are all done. So far this Beowulf looks fabulous! -- laurent _______________________________________________ Beowulf mailing list Beowulf at beowulf.org http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf


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It reminds me of the American embassy here in Ottawa. Not only it's protected by three levels of gate [homelinux.org] (and the usual truckload of armed guards), but it looks like a beached battleship [thecanadapage.org].
In fact, my personal theory is that it is a cunningly camouflaged battleship, ready to slip in the Ottawa river and wreak havoc as soon as the US declares war on Canada.


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Lee: Hike to explore October Mountain State Forest
Alec Gillman, park interpreter, will lead an exploration of the scenic, wooded Gorge Trail created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in October Mountain State Forest at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13.
The CCC, a New Deal program during the Great Depression, gave unemployed men a job and improved nation's parks and forests.
Hikers will look for forgotten rustic recreation features built almost 80 years ago and uncover other stories of life and industry along Schermerhorn Brook.
The moderate 1.5 mile hike with 600 foot elevation gain is about 2.5 hours in duration. The event will be held rain or shine.
Meet at the intersection of Woodland Road and Valley Street in Lee, a dirt pull-over area. A shuttle van will be available for transport to the trail head. Appropriate clothing and rugged footwear are recommended; bring water, snack and lunch.
Pre-registration is requested by calling (413) 499-4262.
The hike is offered as part of the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Walk series. Visit http://www.heritage-hikes.org/walks.html.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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I don't think it's necessary to have two point guards with contrasting styles, that's a myth. What we need is someone who can play a little bit, whether it's distributing or scoring.
CJ fuckin Watson. Nuff said or hell even Nate Robinson, he'd fit right in.
If its shoot first like Lucas yes there is a major problem, cause he has no restraint and has no idea how to run a drive and kick a pick and roll its awful. Nate and Lucas are completely different guards Nate scores but he's pretty underrated when it comes to running the offense.
i'd rather not go for a back up scoring PG. we have enough scorers on our lines. I think we just need a smart pass first PG who doesnt fuck up.
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Okay here goes..I just started my first class of C++ and my teacher is impossible to understand. I have had two years of VB and realize that VB and C++ are very different. I am an anxious learner but after my first class my teacher has given us some assignments and explained nothing. He has told us that our textbook won't do us much good so I am feeling at a loss. I don't want anyone to do my work for me, but I could really use some good instructional help to get me rolling. I'm sure I will be asking several questions in my first few weeks of class. Again I wouldn't expect anyone to do my work for me..just some help. So here is my first assigned problem.
1. Write an interative function power1 to compute xn for n>0.
This is the problem as it is listed in the book. Now I am not sure of how to solve it. I was given a formula to supposedly
use to reach my objective.
Formula: factorial(n)=n * (n-1) * (n-2) * ...*1 for any integer n>0
Could someone help shed some light on this for me. This newbie would be greatly appreciative. Thanks to all who do (Y)


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While DH (dear husband) and I are probably a couple of years away from buying a house (not sure where we want to lay down roots), I like to check in every now and again to see where interest rates and house prices are. We very nearly bought a house in 2011, but luckily a home inspection helped us dodge a bullet. But I digress.
Between the down payment and closing costs and all the other associated costs, how the heck do people buy homes these days? We have about 18000 that we could use towards buying a house, but that is literally ALL our savings. So not doing that. It seems like you either have to have 20% down, or pay through the roof for no- down-payment options.
So how did YOU buy your house? How old were you? How long did you have to save, or what programs did you use?
Thanks so much!


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Theories abound about what happened between Desiree Hartsock and her remaining trio of suitors during The Bachelorette finale, which is so dramatic that it had to be broken into two parts.
While she wouldn't even give us a hint about the tear-inducing twist when PEOPLE sat down with her exclusively at the Men Tell All taping, the L.A. resident and bridal stylist did dish on plenty of other topics.
How'd it feel to be reunited with many of the men you sent packing?
Because I've been on the other side and know how this day felt for me when I got to talk to Sean, I feel closure for them more than for me. Especially for Zak. When I sent him home, he wasn't ready for it, and he probably went home shocked and hurt. I knew that there would be more I'd need to address now that he's had a few months to think about it. I was glad I was able to and glad that he was able to express his feelings as well.
Speaking of Zak, he said you left him in a "very dark place" regarding love.
I didn't get to see any of the taping other than when I was out there so I don't know exactly what was said. But Zak being in a dark place is very hard to hear because that's never what I wanted for any of the guys. I didn't want to hurt them.
I was hoping they'd be able to see that there were other relationships that were progressing faster or that some people were overall a better fit for me. I was hoping that in watching the show air maybe they would learn more about why I made the decisions I did. I always tried to make the best decisions for me and to accomplish what I wanted out of the show because I was here looking for love.
He left the show in the same runner-up slot as you, so maybe he will get to be the new Bachelor. Would he make a good one?
The slot worked out for me. He'd be the best. He's fun. He's thoughtful and he's ready [to fall in love and get married], which is key.
And he's very willing to strip down.
There you go. We definitely need a Bachelor who is willing to get naked to find love!
Looking back, is there anything you wish you would have done differently or someone you wished you'd kept longer?
Not really, because from day one I was trying to take each moment and each day as they happened and I tried to step away from the fantasy of the show to figure out who I could see myself with after the show was over; who would fit best in the life I want. The only goal I had coming in was to make my own decisions and not get influenced by the fancy dates, other guys or even producers. And I am still confident in all the decisions I made.
PHOTOS: 1 Word, 25 Men:
The Bachelorette Sums Them Up
Did you meet that goal?
Yes. I don't feel like I ever let the guys lead my decisions. I listened to what they had to say and weighed their comments because I had been on the other side of that type of situation when Sean kept keeping Tierra and we all knew she was bad news. So I knew there was value in listening to what they had to say. But I made the final call. That's why I took the extra day to handle the James situation. I didn't want these emotional and competitive guys to affect my opinions.
It must be hard to know what their motivations are.
It's really hard to know what the guys really feel and what their motivations might be for saying and doing things. That's why you have to picture them in your life day-to-day and ask, "Okay, is this gonna work? Could we go to Costco together? Would I want to vacation with this person? Would they be a good dad and husband?"
And what is your Costco style?
When I shop, I'm fast and I know where I'm going. I am in and out. I don't stroll the aisles. I don't like to be in crowds, so I have a list and I stick to it and move on. Honestly, if anyone sees me in the grocery store I will probably have an ugly, mean look on my face.
PHOTOS: 25 Seasons of Bachelor & Bachelorette Contestants Behaving Badly
Why did Drew, Brooks and Chris make the finale three?
They are all great guys and they are all good-looking. So it was more a matter of finding the best guy to fit in my life. Drew is so kindhearted and I could see potential there but there were still some questions I needed to figure out like, "Could he ever be spontaneous and just let loose?" Because I want that in my life. Chris has all the qualities I was looking for and is strong and supportive. And Brooks has an amazing personality and sense of humor.
You shed lots of tears in the finale trailer. Did you regret the day you'd signed on?
I'm glad that I did it. Definitely. It's my life and I think it is raw emotion and real feelings. Everyone has to handle those in their life at some point. The feelings that happened on the show are real, at least they were for me. I am not that good of an actress.
I think every Bachelorette fan is running possible finale scenarios in their heads.
Everyone is speculating and it is fun to hear all the theories. I'm excited for everyone to see because it's life – my life – even though sometimes it doesn't feel like me. I feel so far removed from the journey now. Even though it has only been a few months, it feels like a year. It's going to be good. I don't want anyone to know the end. I hope it doesn't get spoiled.
Can you at least say if you are happy or if you found love?
I am content in my life. I feel good about where I'm at.
Part One of The Bachelorette finale airs Monday on ABC.
RELATED: 5 Reasons Juan Pablo Is the Best Bet for The Bachelor


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Charities criticise care reforms
Many older and disabled people will be shut out of vital services under the Government's plans for reform of the care system in England, charities have warned.
Care providers also claim the proposals risk pushing GP surgeries and Accident & Emergency departments to breaking point.
The Care Act, which passed into law last month, will be the most comprehensive overhaul of the system since 1948, providing the first-ever national eligibility threshold - a set of criteria determining when local authorities will have to provide people with support.
Reforms also include a personal cap on personal care costs of £72,000, excluding accommodation, and councils will have a new duty to provide preventative services.
Launching a consultation on the draft regulations and guidance for the first part of the Act, Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said putting people in control of their care and limiting the amount anyone may have to pay for the support they need would make the system fairer.
But the measures have been widely criticised by age and health charities as well as companies providing care services.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the new regulations were "not good enough", claiming people with dementia who need help to continue to live at home with dignity could be "screened out", as well as those who struggle with day-to-day tasks such as dressing, washing, going to the toilet or preparing food.
She praised the Government for standardising the system, but criticised the criteria as "far too restrictive".
"From now on the inability to do just one of these fundamental things will not be enough to qualify you for support and Age UK's concern is that without it, some older people's needs will escalate, undermining their capacity to continue to live at home," she said.
Mencap chief executive Jan Tregelles said the charity had long called for a national system of eligibility to "end the postcode lottery" dictating who can and cannot have access to social care, but insisted the Government had set the bar too high.
She added: "The Government shuts out thousands of people with a learning disability from getting the support they desperately need. Many people who need help with the day-to-day tasks like managing money, medication and being supported to be part of their community may no longer get it.
"We know the huge difference support can make to people's lives, and how devastating the consequences when they don't get it - needs can quickly escalate, pushing people and families to crisis point."
Home Group, one of the UK's largest providers of social care services, called for an "urgent amendment" to the rules to allow those with "moderate" as well as "substantial" needs to access support. Otherwise it warned the Government would be faced with a "care crisis" as people turned to A&Es for help.
RachaeI Byrne, its executive director of care and support, said: "Many people who have relied on care from their local council will find themselves squeezed out...t his will place an intolerable strain on an already overstretched NHS.
"The social care system is on its knees...The Government must be bold and go further than it plans."
Richard Hawkes, chairman of the Care and Support Alliance, a coalition of 75 organisations, accused the Government of "passing up" the chance to drive through a " genuinely preventative system".
He added: "It has instead hard wired the year-on-year rationing that's seen people squeezed out."
The consultation is open until August 15 and centres on the changes that will come into effect from April 2015.
A further consultation on the reforms that come into effect from April 2016 - which include the cap on care costs - will take place this autumn.
Simon Bottery, director of policy at the charity Independent Age, said while some aspects of the regulations were welcome, such as those protecting people against unfair top-ups, some aspects were "deeply troubling".
He called the requirement for older people to demonstrate that being unable to wash or dress themselves had an effect on their well-being "scarcely believable".
"The Department of Health has made a serious error here that will have to be addressed as part of the consultation," he added.
Richard Kramer, deputy chief executive at national deaf blind charity Sense, agreed the bar had been set "far too high" in terms of eligibility for social care.
He added: "It is also vital the Government releases enough funds for local authorities to provide the right level of support for what is currently a chronically underfunded system. Otherwise the Care Act will be built on sand."
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said taking away a "very low level of relatively inexpensive support " would risk people becoming very unwell.
"You risk people reaching crisis point where they feel suicidal or are harming themselves, at which point they will need much more intensive and expensive hospital or home-based health care," he continued.
"As our NHS mental health services strain at the seams and struggle to cope with the numbers of people in crisis, the Government would be well-advised to consider the long-term implications of denying thousands of people the basic support they need.
"A little initial investment in social care will not only save money in the long run - it will save lives."


text:
hi everyone,
this is my first post, i have just started c programing and having some difficulties. I hope someone can help me on this website.
i am programing in c++, to be specific.
i have to write a c program which calculates the area under a curve using the simson rule.
simpson rule : Yn+1=Yn-1+1/3[Xn+1+4Xn+Xn-1]
data points, sould be read from standard input using scanf(). when no more data is available from input then the area and some discription should be written to standard output using printf().
-a seperate function called simpson() must be written which calculates each new increment of area using three current data points
-every secon data point must be used as a centre for evaluating the area using three data points( the centre point is Xn)
-the main() only reads the input, accumalates the situation, keeps track of the cauurent values of x and y, and finally prints the results.
i kind of no whats going onm im goin to use a y variable , 3 x variables, a total variable and a null character to exit the while loop.(does this sound about right?)
im sorry for the long post just wanted to make sure i made sence, im getting some tutoring tomorow but i wanted some help on getting started first.
thanks very much.any help is appritiated.


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ORLANDO, Fla. - It was one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in 2011 and on average the most expensive, but there is a new way to look younger without going under the knife.
Pictures taken during her show horse competitions made Patti Murphy self-conscious.
"And I felt like my problem area was really just down here," said LazerLift patient, Patti-Murphy.
Tightening creams did not cut it, but she did not want to get cut.
"I don't want this tied behind my ears or anything," Murphy explained.
So she opted for this new procedure.
"We don't even put any stitches in at the end," said Orlando Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Roger Bassin.
It's called LazerLift. Bassin says the scalpel-free treatment gives patients, "a facelift result without actually having to do an actual cut and lift."
After a few tiny punctures, the laser melts fat between the skin and muscle and heats deep tissue in the skin.
"And thus, that gives you the new collagen and the tightening effect that we're looking for," Bassin explained.
It takes up to six months for the final result.
"And I could just slowly see week to week, I just felt it like smoothing out and getting tighter. It wasn't like instant," said LazerLift patient, Joy Celibrati.
Bassin says it is best for patients who need more than a little, but not a major lift.
"We gotta make sure the patients are the correct candidates for this," he said.
Celibrati's happy with her results.
"I feel more confident," she explained.
Murphy's hoping for the same.
Bassin says LazerLift can vary from $3,000 to $6,000. He tells his patients to expect the results to last at least five years. The procedure can be repeated if needed. Recovery time for LazerLift is three to four days, compared to a traditional facelift which can take weeks.
Additional Information:
BACKGROUND: In 2011, facelifts were the most popular cosmetic procedures and on average the most expensive. A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure to improve visible signs of aging in the face and neck. Many people who consider this procedure want to correct sagging in the middle of the face, loss of muscle tone in the lower face, deep creases below the lower eyelid, fat that has fallen, deep creases along the nose extending to the mouth, or loose skin under the chin and jaw. A facelift consultation will be conducted before the surgery can take place. Certain things have to be discussed for safety purposes; for instance, why they want the surgery, what medical conditions they have, what previous surgeries they have experienced, and what medications they are on. (Source: plasticsurgery.org)
RISK FACTORS: As with any procedure, facelifts come with a variety of risk factors. They include: bleeding, unfavorable scarring, infection, anesthesia risks, poor wound healing, correctable hair loss at the incision sight, facial asymmetry, skin loss, facial nerve injury, numbness or other changes in skin sensitivity, fluid accumulation, pain, skin discoloration and swelling, skin contour irregularities, deep vein thrombosis, and the possibility of revision surgery. After the procedure is done and the patient is released, they must watch out for shortness of breath, unusual heart beats, and chest pains. If one experiences any of these symptoms, then medical attention should be immediate. (Source: plasticsurgery.org)
TREATMENT: After surgery it is very important to follow all of the physician's instructions in order to achieve success. Professionals say that it is highly important for the surgical incisions to not be subjected to abrasion, motion during the time of healing, or excessive force. Patients are advised to not wear any clothing that will go over the head. Usually the doctor will give detailed instructions to the patient on how to care for oneself. (Source: plasticsurgery.org)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: An alternative to the expensive and invasive procedure would be LazerLift. It is a precise laser facelift technology that will reverse the signs of aging without scalpels, stitches, and scars while cutting down the risks, costs, and recovery time associated with a facelift. It works by safely heating and tightening the skin to stimulate the tissue coagulation and the formation of collagen. It can help attack the physical signs of aging without harming surrounding tissue. LazerLift uses ThermaGuide to provide the doctor with real-time temperature feedback during the procedure to avoid overheating the skin and deep tissue. LaxerLift also provides results several months following the procedure for a natural and long-lasting look. (Source: lazerlift.com)
Copyright 2013 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Pumpkin Patch, one of the most anxiously awaited events of the year, occurs Oct. 13. The sale, now in its 40th year, is one you don't want to miss.
It takes 12 months for a tireless group of volunteers at the Thrift Box — an upscale resale shop in San Jose — to prepare for the annual bash. All of the best donations received are reserved for this one-day extravaganza.
At the boutique, you'll find porcelains by makers such as Haviland and Lladro. Expect to see crystal produced by Waterford and Orrefors. Several pieces up for grabs are still in their original boxes, an asset that collectors like.
Expect a cache of vintage furs, linens, jewelry, purses, toys, dolls, silver (including a lovely silver-plated tea set valued at $1,200 but marked $375), books, as well as paintings and prints.
Besides the antiques and collectibles, you'll find tasty baked goods, homemade jellies and jams, and a variety of ingenious craft items. I always keep an eye out for Halloween party décor scattered about the tables.
The organizers of this shindig know it attracts lots of folks. That's why there will be a new layout allowing a smoother flow of people and easy access to the goodies.
I'll be around from 10 a.m. to noon to act as your personal shopper. Perhaps I can assist you in making a decision about which pieces of glass or china might be your best bets.
The festivities, which run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., are at the First Congregational Church, at Hamilton and Leigh avenues in San Jose. Admission is $3. For details, call 408-294-4490, or go to www.thriftbox.org. All proceeds aid the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
It's a small world
The 2012 Good Sam Showcase of Miniatures takes place Oct. 6-7. The show — the third-largest exhibit of its type in the United States — draws visitors from near and far.
At the show, you'll encounter more than 100 artisans selling an astonishing array of wee floral arrangements, dolls, dollhouses, holiday decorations, furniture and more.
There are scheduled workshops covering various topics, free classes and seminars for kids and adults, plus a spirited silent auction.
To participate, be at the Doubletree Hotel, 2050 Gateway Place, San Jose. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for children ages 5-12. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 6, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7. For details, call 408-257-9385, or go to www.goodsamshow.blogspot.com.
The show benefits the Plane Tree Health Library, a free consumer medical library in Los Gatos.
Stamp of approval
On Tuesday, the Sequoia Stamp Club of Redwood City will mark its 65th anniversary with a party. Everyone is invited to partake in the celebration.
This is a neat opportunity for stamp collectors to meet other hobbyists while enjoying cake, coffee and lemonade. While at the get-together, be certain to try your luck at winning one of 10 door prizes.
The festivities will begin at 7:15 p.m. at the Community Activities Building, 1400 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City. Admission is free, and so is the parking. For details, go to www.penpex.org.
Flying high
It's time for the 17th semiannual San Francisco Airline Memorabilia Show and Sale. The specialty expo lifts off Sept. 29.
These vendors carry such items as vintage airline posters, advertising, postcards, timetables, china and flatware, swizzle sticks and playing cards.
The fun occurs at the Best Western Grosvenor, 380 S. Airport Blvd., South San Francisco. Admission is $5 for adults, and children 12 and younger get in free. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 408-504-8345, or go to www.sfoairlineshow.com.
A huge yard sale
History San Jose will host "A Yard Sale in the Park" on Oct. 7. This is your chance to clean out the garage, attic or a storage locker to earn some extra cash. For those of us who enjoy hunting for bargains, this is a super chance to discover a treasure.
To get in on the action, call Juanita at 408-918-1045, or email her at firstname.lastname@example.com. Entrants, who must register by Sept. 30, need to provide their own tables, chairs, canopy, etc. Cost is $15 for nonmembers, free for History San Jose affiliates.
Admission to the yard sale is free; parking is $6.
History Park is located at 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more details, call 408-287-2290, or go to www.historysanjose.org.
Contact Steven Wayne Yvaska at email@example.com or 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190.


text: My guild cleared all of the 25-man raid content in Wrath within two weeks of the expansion's release. Naxxramas was easily the biggest non-surprise. Doing Naxx-25 in the company of people who know the place inside and out is a pretty straightforward and -- dare I say it -- easy process. This is even more true with players who learned the original Naxx at 70, with a much greater margin for error than they would have had at 60. Honestly? Most of the fights haven't changed to the point where you'd have to toss out your previous strategy and start all over again. A raid that saw Naxx at any point between 60 and 70 is effectively an old dog that doesn't have to learn a new trick.


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La Niña Provides Big Headache for CEOs
"Events, my dear boy, events," said British former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan when asked what represented the greatest challenge for a statesman. For many corporations today, it is "extreme weather events" which provide a headache for a CEO.
La Niña, Spanish for little girl, is a rather unthreatening name to describe a weather cycle which has wrought havoc since its emergence last summer. Its trail of destruction has been indiscriminate: floods in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, eastern Australia and South Africa have all been "consistent" with past La Niña phenomena.
Scientists suggest the recent Brazilian deluge and, perhaps more tenuously, the early cold winter in Europe, are similarly linked.
The burning question remains: how long will it continue?


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Hello all ,
I was doing a pet filter trying to see what I need to still find blues for and I noticed that the exclude duplicates does not appear to be working; or at least not working the way I would like it to.
Collected (Poor) Include
Collected (Common) Include
Pet Battle Include
Collected (Uncommon) Include
Collected (Duplicates) Exclude
Returns a finding that includes my green Alpine Foxling even though it is a duplicate for a blue.
If the exclude duplicate feature is not supposed to exclude lower quality duplicates could we get a filter that will?
Thank you so much,


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I don't know, there's something about this recent little flurry by Yorman that strikes me as maybe some kind of turnaround. Tonight, he's 2-3 with a HR. We'll see.
Dayton leads 4-3 after seven. Stalin Gerson's line as the starter: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. Michael Dennhardt has thrown two perfect innings of relief.
Ryan Wright is 2-2 with a HR.


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Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by LeadHead, Feb 27, 2013.
CRUSHER: Is it lonely for her?
DATA: She does not feel the emotion of loneliness, but she can observe how isolated she is from the others. She wishes to be more like them. I do not know how to help her. Lal is passing into sentience.
Crusher: When Wesley was growing up, he was an extraordinarily bright boy, but he had a hard time making friends. I think the other children were a little intimidated by him.
DATA: That is precisely what happened to Lal in school. How did you help him?
CRUSHER: Well, first I went back to my own childhood and remembered how painful it was for me. Because I remember a time when I wasn't very popular either. And when I told that to Wesley, it made him feel a little better. He knew I understood what he was going through.
DATA: I have not told Lal how difficult it was for me to assimilate. I did not wish it to discourage her. Perhaps this was an error of judgement.
CRUSHER: You didn't have any one experienced to help you through sentience. She at least has you. Just help her realize that she's not alone; be there to nurture her when she needs love and attention.
DATA: I can give her attention, Doctor. But I am incapable of giving her love.
(Data leaves)
CRUSHER: Now why do I find that so hard to believe?
[Picard's quarters]
Picard is in bed, resting.
WORF (over comm): Captain, incoming signal. Starfleet priority one. Admiral Haftel.
PICARD: On my monitor, Lieutenant. Admiral.
HAFTEL: Captain Picard, I hope I didn't disturb you.
PICARD: Not at all.
HAFTEL: I have discussed my concerns with Starfleet Command. You are to hold your position until I join you. Then I shall personally review the android's development.
PICARD: Understood.
HAFTEL: I should advise you, Captain, that if I'm not satisfied with what I see, I am empowered to take the android back with me. Haftel out.
(What? After the ruling handed down in "The Measure of a Man"?)
PICARD: Captain's log, supplemental. We are holding position pending the arrival of Admiral Haftel from Starfleet Research. Commander Data is completing his final neural transfers to the android he has named Lal which I have learned, in the language Hindi, means beloved.
Ten Forward.
GUINAN: Hello, Data.
Data: Guinan.
(He steers Lal away from the interesting people and onto a bar stool)
Guinan: Lal. How are you?
Separate names with a comma.


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Straily struggles while Buehrle shuts down A's
OAKLAND -- We've seen what the A's are capable of when their offense mirrors their pitching prowess on the same night.
The result is almost always a win. Oakland entered Tuesday night's 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays having collected at least 10 hits in three of their last four games and batting .284 with 28 runs. They won all four of those games.Full Game Coverage
OAKLAND -- We've seen what the A's are capable of when their offense mirrors their pitching prowess on the same night.
The result is almost always a win. Oakland entered Tuesday night's 5-0 loss to the Blue Jays having collected at least 10 hits in three of their last four games and batting .284 with 28 runs. They won all four of those games.Full Game Coverage
On Tuesday night, neither Oakland's offense nor its remarkably consistent pitching made an appearance. First things got bad, and then they got sloppy. Starter Dan Straily lasted just 4 2/3 innings, yielding five runs -- two earned -- off of six hits, two walks, two home runs and two errors from the defense behind him.
Toronto struck early with a home run in the first inning by Jose Bautista and added a second homer by Emilio Bonifacio to lead off the fifth. Later in the inning, Adam Rosales' misfire on a throw to second to ignite a potential double play led to the ball rolling into right field and Jose Reyes scoring from first.
"You saw some two-strike hits -- 0-2, 1-2 hits -- which means he probably wasn't as precise as he needs to be, especially when he's ahead," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "He got some balls in the middle of the plate, and that's a ballclub that scores some runs. They hit some homers, and you have to be on top of your game, and that just wasn't the case tonight."
The A's never recovered, mustering just five hits and no walks in seven innings off Blue Jays starter Mark Buehrle.
Oakland advanced past first base just twice all game, with Jed Lowrie doing so both times. He scooted to second from first base on a single by Josh Donaldson with two outs, but Nate Freiman grounded out to third base to end the inning. Lowrie then doubled to lead off the ninth inning and was followed by an infield single by Yoenis Cespedes, but then Donaldson hit into a double play and Freiman grounded out to end the game.
"The first three innings, there weren't too many quiet outs, they were putting the ball in play." Buehrle said. "I've said this before, but the whole luck thing, but if this was in our park or some other parks I might have been out of there in the third inning because there were some balls that probably would have been home runs in different areas."
Buehrle's outing extended his scoreless innings streak to 20, dating back to the fourth inning of a July 20 no-decision against the Rays.
"That's your definition of a professional pitcher out there," said Donaldson, who finished the night 1-for-4 with the single. "He's not going to overwhelm you as far as stuff is concerned, but what he's going to be able to do is change speeds and he's going to make quality pitches. As a hitter, you try to hit that pitch that he's going to make a mistake over the plate and hopefully make him pay for that, but we weren't really able to do that tonight."
Straily's loss was his third straight since he was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on July 20. He has a 5.06 ERA over that span.
"I had command," Straily said. Control was something the right-hander lacked in his last outing against the Angels. "I got ground balls when I needed to get ground balls and limited the damage in the fourth when they scored the second run and just threw too many pitches."
Right fielder Josh Reddick gave the A's a scare in the seventh when he narrowly escaped a very serious injury. Reddick and Lowrie, as well as Freiman, all chased a shallow fly ball off the bat of Edwin Encarnacion into right field. Reddick slid and missed in his attempt to catch the ball, and Lowrie clipped the side of his head with his knee on his way to fielding the ball.
Reddick lay on the ground for a few minutes while he was attended to by the A's trainer and Melvin, but he luckily stayed in the game.
"I didn't want to get up too fast and make it a little wobbly, so I stayed down and took my time getting out of there," Reddick said. "Fortunately, I didn't lose consciousness. It was just a really bad headache and some bruising in the back of the head, but I didn't get dizzy, so I got out of there a little lucky."
Reddick is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday afternoon.
The outfield was shifted in accordance with Encarnacion's tendencies as a pull hitter, so Reddick was stationed in closer to the center of the outfield than normal. He broke immediately on the ball and looked down about halfway down the line, hoping Lowrie would pull up and allow Reddick to make the play.
"That was the downfall -- none of us called the ball so none of us really gave up on the ball," Reddick said. "Running into each other happens, but if one of us calls off the ball, somebody gets off, and we just didn't do that. That's the only negative thing."
Jeff Kirshman is an associate reporter for MLB.com.


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County Fare: BSO cellist makes appearance at Hi-Rock
Fifteen-year-old Gabriel Rainey -- a serious classical cello student -- has been going to YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Mount Washington for the past five summers. Of course, the camp puts Gabriel in proximity to Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And it also puts Gabriel close to his cello teacher Mickey Katz, a cellist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Gabriel's love of classical music and with his growing concern over not enough younger audiences attending Tanglewood concerts inspired him to invite Katz to play for the campers recently.
Camp Hi-Rock director Jessica Speer-Holmes was thrilled with the concert, which took place in the chapel area of the camp, a mini-"Jacob's Pillow look-alike."
Katz told the campers about his life as a cellist with the Boston Symphony and performed solo Bach samples. Gabriel also joined Katz on cello for some duets. All in all, it was a highly educational and cultural afternoon at Camp Hi-Rock.
New Darrow director reconnects: Ingrid Gustavson is coming around full-circle.
Born in Holyoke, Darrow School's new director of studies received her master's degree in art history from Williams College in Williamstown, and her bachelor's in French and art history from Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine.
She is returning to the area to reconnect with her roots and be closer to family members who live in the region. She will live on campus with her husband and two young sons.
Arriving this summer from Orange County, Calif., Gustavson, will oversee Darrow's academic program and faculty, including curricular design; teacher hiring, supervision, and training; and academic problem-solving for students and teachers. She previously served as dean of faculty at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, Calif.
Another major attraction for Gustavson and her family was the natural splendor of the area, which will be ideal for her boys to explore, and will also support her favorite hobby, birding. "With moving in and starting a new position, I haven't had a lot of time to spend on it yet," she said, "but I've already identified 47 different species on campus. I can't wait to find more."
Taste the region: Chefs from seven Berkshire County restaurants will be heading this year's "Taste of Hudson Valley Bounty" dinner on Monday. The event takes place at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham, N.Y., where area chefs will be paired with expert farmers to showcase a wide range of food grown and prepared in the Hudson Valley.
Berkshire restaurants include Allium, The Meat Market, Route 7 Grill and H.R. Zeppelin Chocolates of Great Barrington, The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Nudel in Lenox, John Andrews Farmhouse Restaurant in South Egremont, and The Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough.
Last year, 30-plus chefs and farmers served more than 250 guests.
On average, Berkshire chefs are sourcing 50 percent of their ingredients from the Hudson Valley, according to a newsletter published by Mezze Restaurant Group. The newsletter said restaurants have been working on developing new ways to collaborate and create a larger foodshed and more experiences to cross the border into New York state.
To learn more about the event, visit hudsonvalleybounty.com or call (518) 432-5360.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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For the men on the field, it is #Push4Playoffs time. For us at Dynamo Charities, we are also working hard off the field. We still have several upcoming events where we need your help to make this our best year ever.
Our 2013 Ching's Champions were honored earlier this week with a 250 second shopping spree at Kroger's. This year's community heroes are David Murphy, Michael Miller, Angela Wrigglesworth, Kevin Kline and Elsy Espinoza-Sandoval. Congratulations from all of us at Dynamo Charities and thank you so very much for all you do for the Houston community. More information on the champions and the event here.
If we were allowed, we would nominate Brian Ching as a Champion. Brian announced his retirement from on the field activities, but he will still be working with us off the field and in the community. The team will honor him with a testimonial match on December 13. All proceeds from the match will benefit The House that Ching Built, a Habitat for Humanity project led by Brian. I bought my tickets (since my invitation to play must be in the mail still)—get yours and/or donate to the project at HoustonDynamo.com/ChingTestimonial.
We are rolling out a new event next Wednesday at the Sporting Kansas City game. We ask all attending fans to donate a new toy ($10 or under) to fill up Diesel's Toy Chest. Drop off boxes will be located at each entrance to the stadium as well as in Soccer Fest. The collected toys will be taken by B.I.G. Love to Houston hospitals where children can pick a toy out of the chest after their cancer treatment. More information and a special ticket package at Houstondynamo.com/charities/dieselstoychest.
On what we just know will be a lovely fall morning, we will hold the 2013 Go for Goal 5k and Diesel Fun Run. November 2 is the date of the short run around BBVA Compass Stadium. We expect to have lots of fun during and after the event, including Diesel's Kids Zone and a Dynamo Charities Garage Sale—details on that coming soon. To participate, register at Houstondynamo.com/charities/goforgoal.
We want to thank our Tour de Cure sponsors Halliburton, Novo Nordisk, K-Pop Restaurant and Camelot Realty Group, as well as our partner Bicycle World. The weatherman was against us, and the ride was cancelled for safety reasons. However, our awesome rider group was the top corporate fundraiser for the event, collecting over $60,000 in donations to American Diabetes Association. Well done!
Last, but not least, a very big, huge thank you to Halliburton for the donation from their 2013 Charity Golf Tournament. We promise to spend it wisely to continue our efforts to Build a Better Houston!


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I'll be throwing lefty for a few weeks. If I have any success, I'll probably continue to try it.
Sponsored Links
I've been throwing lefty after I messed up my right arm. I've actually been surprised at how well I've been doing. Distance is still short but accuracy is way better than I expected.
I thought I'd revive this thread, since a bout of tennis elbow has me now playing with my off hand (right) until my left elbow heals. I figure this shouldn't be too hard of a transition, since I'm naturally right-handed and the only thing I do lefty is throw a frisbee backhand.
My bag for this consists of two 173g Banger GTs, two 171 GL Fuses and one 168g Champ Leopard. I have two 168g Pro Leopards on the way to replace the one champ, plus I'll be adding a 168g Champ Teebird for headwinds, for a total of 7 discs. I don't think I could put together a better beginner bag, which is essentially what I am right now. My plan is, whenever practical and possible, I'll be making two throws per shot for more practice per round, thus why I'll carry doubles of everything aside from the Teebird.
I've played three rounds so far. I've done a lot better than I'd have thought. I'm not really keeping score for rounds, but I have been throwing par for about half of the holes played, even a few birdies for short ones. I haven't bothered to measure distance, but I would guess I'm throwing in the 150-180ft range with the Fuses.
I've been struck by a couple things so far. First, making pars is not hard. It's really not. I've been throwing pars on holes which I've traditionally struggled with and it has nothing to do with different lines offered from the right side. It's all about not trying to do too much. How many times have we all gotten ourselves in trouble with bogeys and worse when trying for that perfect shot to set up a birdie putt, when a safe play would net us an easy par? Sure, you want to practice that tough shot so you can reliably make it some day, but sometimes you just need to pay smart golf.
The other thing I've learned is that I think there's a lot I can gain from this to incorporate into my LHBH. I'm now sure that I overthrow plenty of shots from the left side. I've always stuck with the notion to throw the slowest disc to reach a given distance. I'm now learning that sometimes a powered down shot with a faster disc is a better option, particularly I wooded holes.
I'm not sure if I could be much happier with the results thus far. I'm going to do my best to just keep doing what I'm doing and not try to push it. The biggest trap most of us fall into when we start playing is to worry too much about distance. All I doing here, really, is finding a way to keep playing while my elbow heals...I'd have a hard time staying away from the game for months. Now, I think it's reasonable to expect to keep learning about the game plus, hopefully, have a whole new bag of tricks when I'm back to 100%.
I came to a realization yesterday the made me incredibly happy. My right arm is tasked with supplying fun. My left is NOT similarly impeded! I can do left pec drills for the rest of my life if I want to!
|Thread Tools


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Now available on the Internet Archive – this short history of the Hickory Grove Methodist Episcopal Church South. Founded in 1844 by the Reverend John Abernathy, it was one of few churches in the area.
If you are unable to view the e-book embedded in this blog post, you can access the book here.


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I'm hoping I can get some advice from some of you. As a newly returned motorcyclist (haven't owned a bike since '03), I'm slowly acquiring my riding gear. I say slowly, becasue currently it is still winter in western Colorado. I recently purchased the Icon Patrol jacket and I'm very happy with the fit, construction, materials, etc. However, I have not decided on which pants I should purchase....
Living in Colorado and planning on commuting 30 miles to and from work, I want pants that provide adequate ventilation, are warm when needed and waterproof. I'm looking at the Icon Patrol pants, and the Olympia X-Moto pants. I like both pants for different reasons. I like the Icon pants simply because of the fit and finish of the Icon jacket I now have. What I do not like about them, is the appearance of an overall lack of ventilation, and the lack of a removeable thermal liner. Conversely, I like the X-moto pants because of the versatility in ventilation options, and the removable thermal/waterproof liner.
I'd like to know the opinions of those who have either pants. Also, for anyone who rides in the Colorado- or even other mountainous regions; do you find you have a need for a non-removeable thermal liner? I could see very easily needing the thermal/waterproof liner in one pair of pants during the summer months during rain; yet I'm concerned about the lack of a removeable liner in the Icon pants. If there are other pant options I've not yet considered, please let me know.
Thanks for the help,
- Randy


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Firefighters had to rescue an 11-year-old boy after he got stuck on top of a a stone fountain in Shroggs Park this afternoon (Monday).
A crew from Illingworth used a ladder to rescue the boy from the structure in Wheatley Lane, Lee Mount, at 2.47pm.
The boy was uninjured.
It is believed he climbed the fountain as a dare.


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ByAmir Efrati
By Amir Efrati and Greg Bensinger
Google unveiled a new version of its Nexus 7 tablet Wednesday, boasting features like virtual surround sound and a faster processor, as it looks to boost Android's lead over Apple's iPad in terms of market share.
Google showed off the new device, designed in partnership with Asustek Computer, at an event in San Francisco. It is powered by an updated version of Android, which also is the No. 1 software for smartphones.
The Mountain View, Calif., company is working to fend off Apple, as well as Amazon.com Kindle Fire tablets. Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android and Chrome, said Android tablets now account for nearly half of all such tablet computers sold worldwide.
"By the end of 2013, consumers are going to buy more tablets each year than personal computers," said Pichai.
The new tablet, which goes on sale at Best Buy Wal-Mart and other retailers July 30, costs $229 with 16 gigabytes of storage and $269 for 32 gigabytes, according to Google and the Best Buy website. That compares to $329 for the 16-gigabyte iPad mini, an 8-inch tablet, and $429 for the 32-gigabyte version.
The device will soon be available in major markets in Europe and Asia, Google said.
The new Nexus device has parental controls so an owner can restrict the type of apps their children can access, as well as 3D graphics and video compression capabilities that would appeal to videogame app developers, said Android executive Hugo Barra, at the event.
Google also unveiled a device called Chromecast to help people connect their TVs to their mobile devices so that they can view Web content in their living rooms. The two-inch device, which looks like a thumb drive and is based on Google's other operating system, ChromeOS, plugs directly into a television to help "unify your experiences across all your screens," said Pichai.
The Chromecast device echoes similar technology from Apple called Airplay and from Microsoft called Smartglass.
Google's support for the Nexus tablet serves several purposes, including the need to compete with Amazon's $159 Kindle Fire tablet, a formidable threat to Google. Unlike the majority of Android devices, Amazon's tablet uses a separate version of Android that doesn't come with Google services pre-installed. (Android is a free, open-sourced software, so it is available to anyone.)
Google is currently at work on a major update of Android software that is expected to be unveiled sometime later this year. Nearly a billion Android devices have been activated since 2008, the company has said, allowing Google to ensure that its revenue-generating services such as Google Search have a guaranteed spot on people's mobile devices.
The Nexus 7 has a high-definition display that is more advanced than that of the iPad, but its 1.5GHz Qualcomm dragon S4 Pro quad-core processor is less advanced than some Android enthusiasts had expected.
The Nexus 7 became the most successful device in the history of the Nexus program—at one point selling at a rate of about one million devices per month—after being launched last year. Typically, Nexus devices cater to hardcore fans of Android and are designed to show hardware makers what they can do with the Android operating system, but aren't meant to be big sellers.
Still, Asus-made tablets were a distant No. 4 behind Apple, Samsung Electronics and Amazon in terms of shipments during the critical fourth quarter of last year, according to research firm IDC.
The Nexus 7 succeeded in part because it was the most advanced Android-powered tablet on the market at the time and thanks to its low $199 price tag and significant marketing push by Google, which some analysts believe subsidized the device so that it cost the same as Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet at the time.
Amazon has yet to release the next version of the Kindle Fire, which is expected to be available before the fourth-quarter shopping season.
Unlike Apple, which generates hefty profit from the sale of hardware, Google and Amazon play a different game. Google, which does get an undisclosed cut of Nexus 7 sales, simply wants as many Android-powered devices in the market because they are preloaded with revenue-generating services such as YouTube, Google Search and Google Maps. Amazon's bet is that customers will use its tablet to shop for products and digital media that is sold by Amazon.
For Google, increased sales of Android tablets can help its financial results in the short term, as prices for online ads viewed on tablets are higher than for ads viewed on smartphones and nearly in line with ads viewed on PCs. The rise of smartphones has weighed on Google's revenue growth in recent quarters.
Watch a video with WSJ's Amir Efrati discussing Google's new Nexus 7 tablet:


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March 21, 2010
Extended Eclipse Sneak Peek & New Moon Deleted Scenes...
Sorry if some of these are repeats - I actually didn't get to watch them when I posted earlier, and now they've been deleted - better safe than sorry ;)
- Lorabell
8 comments:
Eclipse is going to kick some serious ass. It looks like these people finally understand their characters. Pfach is even doing a Brittish accent. I already loved his portayal of Carlisle, this is just win on top of win.ReplyDelete
As for the production girl whose job seems to be to fill in for Kristen with the Taylor grape-throwing, I am so jealous of you right now! No fair!
Forgot to say, tall strapping (literally) threadmill Rob destroyed me a little bit. I am so used to hearing him talk about how unathletic he is that the sight of him jogging and looking hot while doing it was a nice and unexpected surprise.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 21, 2010 at 10:48 PM
THANK YOU for the repost.ReplyDelete
I apparently bought the only DVD that doesn't have any deleted scenes on it!!
Hello all - finally back in the states. thanks for the post. I like some of the deleted scenes and wish they had edited the final cut a little different, for those who are not obsessed with Twilight or have not read the books- some of these scenes makes it clearer.ReplyDelete
Loving the Eclipse shots. @ M I agree PFach with his accent is so much like the books character and I think it will be fabulous- here's to hoping it is.
(M) I totally agree...everyone seems to really be in full character finally, even though I think everyone did great in New Moon. This movie is going to be so hard core. and amazing, I'm sure.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 22, 2010 at 3:31 AM
Would someone please explain the dream sequence to me? What was on the computer screen, I could not read it. Is this sequence from the book?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 22, 2010 at 12:47 PM
those clips were sick!! I seriously cannot wait for Eclipse.ReplyDelete
and yeah, i am so happy that weird dream scene with the random wolf, creepy creepy bugs, and bella with edward's voice did not make it into New Moon. jeez.
also, for the Eclipse scene, did anyone notice when the camera pulled away from E and B on the bed how bella's pants/butt looked really weird, like what is in ur pants bella??
- AnonymousMarch 22, 2010 at 6:02 PM
RE: AnonymousReplyDelete
"also, for the Eclipse scene, did anyone notice when the camera pulled away from E and B on the bed how bella's pants/butt looked really weird, like what is in ur pants bella??"
Maybe she had her period...and was wearing a pad haha jk, I dont know. I noticed that too, whatever.
I also agree that those deleted scenes were awkward. I'm going to admit that Weitz had a strange vision and was not a very good director. That dream sequence made me go "THATS what Bella was dreaming about? I wouldnt have screamed that hard over that."
I thought she was supposed to be dreaming about Edward being vicious and scary.
Whatever. Im super stoked for David Slades Eclipse. I loved 30 Days of Night and have NO worries about Slade.


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Miley Cyrus dating some 20-year-old dude
Billy Ray Cyrus is surprisingly relaxed about 15-year-old Miley Cyrus dating 20-year-old Justin Gaston. Justin is a model and aspiring country singer who met Miley when he competed on Nashville Star. He accompanied the Cyrus family to church on Sunday (above), according to People:
A source close to Miley says, "They've been spending a lot of time together while he's in town."
The Pinesville, La., native has modeled for Kenneth Cole and Guess, and before he was eliminated in week three of Nashville Star he told PEOPLE of his music, "My style isn't like anyone else. If John Mayer was to meet Brad Paisley and they reproduced, that would be me."
If John Mayer and Brad Paisley reproduce? You mean when. Anyway, isn't it, I dunno, illegal, not to mention weird, for a guy who's almost 21 to be with a 15-year-old girl? But, oh, wait, they're going to church. My mistake, everyone, they'll be good. Back me up, Bristol Palin.


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For more information, visit www.coolshirt.com [1]


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Bautista eager to share All-Star recognition
By Evan Peaslee / MLB.com
TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion on Saturday was named to his first All-Star Game, and at least one teammate could not be happier.
"It's awesome," said Jose Bautista, who has long been a supporter of Encarnacion's. "Just the fact that he's being recognized finally and awarded the chance to play in the All-Star Game is huge."
Encarnacion's 23 home runs and 66 RBIs through Saturday led the Blue Jays this season, to go along with a .266 average and .351 OBP.
In fact, it was the Toronto slugger who did much of the heavy lifting last year when Bautista was out with a season-ending injury, finishing the year fourth in the Majors with 42 home runs.
"What he's done for this team in the last two years is unbelievable, and it's about time [he is recognized as an All-Star]," Bautista said.
The two are the bash brothers of Toronto, having led the team in home runs the last three seasons, including being the second-best duo in the league with 43 home runs combined in 2013. Entering Sunday, they trailed only the combined 48 of the Orioles' Chris Davis (33) and J.J. Hardy (15).
As a result, both Blue Jays are candidates for the Chevrolet Home Run Derby this season, sitting third and seventh in the American League in home runs.
The contest is no stranger to Bautista, now a four-time All-Star who has participated the last two seasons, but would be a first for Encarnacion. However, a recent injury may keep Encarnacion away from the Derby even if he is asked.
"Right now, with the problem I have in my hamstrings, I don't feel like [I could]," said Encarnacion, who missed three games last week with the same issue.
Bautista, on the other hand, would not mind attempting the Derby for a third time after last season's second-place finish to Prince Fielder.
"If I get that phone call, I'll definitely entertain that," Bautista said.
Either way, the Midsummer Classic is finally an accomplishment Encarnacion can check off the to-do list in his ninth professional season.
"At the beginning [of my career] I was always thinking about the All-Star Game, playing in the playoffs, playing in the World Series," Encarnacion said. "Now, here it is, my first All-Star Game, and the next goal is to make it to the playoffs."
Reyes aims to test ankle with extra-base hits
TORONTO -- For a man who says his timing at the plate is off, Jose Reyes has a funny way of showing it.
Entering Sunday, Reyes went 13-for-46 (.283) with two home runs, six RBIs, eight runs scored and a stolen base since his return from the disabled list 11 games ago. Included in that was a hitting streak that ended at eight games after Saturday's 6-0 loss to the Twins.
"It's coming together," Reyes said of his timing. "I feel much better. I know where I want to be, you know, but it's getting close.
"I got three hits [Friday], and then yesterday I went 0-for-4. So when you get three hits you want to come away with at least one hit the next day ... but I went 0-for-4. That's why I talk to you guys about consistency."
It is not just hits that the Blue Jays shortstop is after, but a specific type of hit. Reyes is chasing doubles and triples to the gaps, where he can show not only that his bat is back, but that his ankle is fully healed, too.
"When I hit triples and doubles, that's when I'm home," Reyes said. "A long line drive into the gap -- that's when I feel I'm ready. And it's coming.
"That's the comfort that I want, because I'm still a little bit scared when I run the bases."
However, when asked if the All-Star break would give him some much-needed rest for his healing ankle, he flatly denied it.
"I missed such a long time that I don't want to take any day off," Reyes said.
Evan Peaslee is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EvanPeaslee. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Consumer safety
European legislation ensures a consistent, high level of protection for the health and safety of consumers by means of strict common safety rules and standards for products and services circulating within the internal market.
Products placed on the market are subject to general safety requirements covered mainly by General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) 2001/95/EC. On the other hand, certain products whose composition, manufacture or use may pose a risk to consumers are subject to more specific provisions.
A market surveillance system and the Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) allow dangerous products to be quickly withdrawn from the market, preventing further risks to consumers.
The European Commission is actively cooperating with relevant partners and stakeholders, also on international level.


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American Chiropractic Association Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Insurers
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has filed a class-action lawsuit against American Specialty Health Inc. and American Specialty Health Networks Inc. (collectively, "ASHN"), and CIGNA Corporation and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (collectively, "CIGNA").The litigation alleges a litany of problems with the defendants, including arbitrary reductions of care, lack of communication to providers and patients resulting in coverage and payment errors, and interference with doctors' duty to exercise professional clinical judgment in managing patients' treatment plans.
Filed on Dec. 28, 2012, ACA's litigation, which is being handled by the law firm Pomerantz Grossman Hufford Dahlstrom & Gross LLP, represents a nationwide class of health care providers and subscribers who were subjected to ASHN and CIGNA's improper coverage and reimbursement practices.
Furthermore, CIGNA allegedly failed to comply with terms and conditions of its plan to afford its subscribers or their health care providers an opportunity to obtain a "full and fair review" of denied or reduced reimbursement, and to make appropriate and non-misleading disclosures to subscribers or their health care providers--an alleged violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the federal law governing private employee benefit plans.
Additionally, the litigation outlines various allegations, including:
"ACA was compelled to take this action against ASHN and CIGNA because their egregious practices are undermining patient care and doctor-patient relationships. DCs feel they have to choose between acting in the best interest of the patient, and adhering to the requirements imposed by ASHN and payers they work with," said ACA President Keith Overland, DC. "Since 2002 we have worked to try and improve these issues. It is now time for action and we will not rest until patients across the nation receive all the care they need and have paid for through their insurance premiums."
Providers who believe they and/or their patients have been affected by ASHN and/or CIGNA's improper practices can visit the Chiropractic Networks Action Center, where they will find instructions and forms that can be used to submit a complaint to ACA.
Source: American Chiropractic Association
To report inappropriate ads,


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I just received my new Aerostich Darien Light jacket and was thinking about buying their back pad for it. I was wondering how many people that wear Aerostich jackets and suits have purchased and use their back pads?
I just received my new Aerostich Darien Light jacket and was thinking about buying their back pad for it. I was wondering how many people that wear Aerostich jackets and suits have purchased and use their back pads?
'12 R1200RT - The Green Machine
'07 R1200RT - (sold)
Doug, I have the back pad in both my Roadcrafter one-piece suits (original for cool, Lite for warm weather). Never had to use them yet, but feeling and knowing that they are there is reassuring. They do add a little bulk, but the suit still wads up and fits in the RT saddle bag. I recommend it.
Ken E.
'09 RT, '93 K75, '69 R60US and others long gone....
Ditto Ken E's statements. Thought I must, unfortunately, mention that if you gain weight the back protector does make the jacket a bit snug.
Paul Mulhern
The biggest mistake people make... is thinking they have time.
I have the AeroStich pad in my Darien. The pad is unobtrusive and I believe it provides some additional protection.
After five years, I don't notice it. Once I put the jacket on with the pad not in place and the jacket felt unnaturally light and thin.
David Brick
Santa Cruz CA
I have one, you can have it. It is large. PM me and I will send it. I switched jackets and dont need it anymore.
Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russell
I sent you a couple of PM's but they aren't in my sent folder so not sure they went through. Please email me at email@example.com. Thanks.
'12 R1200RT - The Green Machine
'07 R1200RT - (sold)
I had a back protector in my Darian jacket since 2008. Works great. I have put it to use and it does work.
'09 BMW 1200 GSA, 2013 BMW 700GS, 2000 Goldwing SE, '09' V Star 950, '09 Honda Rebel,
'77 Honda 750A. Holding at six til I get new garage built - need more room for more bikes!
It is huge and limits my mobility significantly. The armor in my Darien is so gigantic and thick I have trouble turning my head to fully check my 6 before pulling into traffic. Much prefer the lighter armor in my Santiago. No, it doesn't protect as well, but pulling out in front of a car because you can't turn around and see it is far worse.
I've had the back protector in both of my Roadcrafter suits. I also have the hip protection pads. If they're going to offer additional protection, I'm going to take advantage of it and add it to my suit. I don't notice it when I'm wearing the suit, unless I'm leaning up against a wall. It's unobtrusive, doesn't make my suit any smaller, and offers additional peace of mind.
Seattle, WA
1992 K75S sold


text: 11.0: Jeff Gordon's average finish in 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway. Gordon won the inaugural event at the 1.5-mile intermediate track in 2001 and followed that with another victory in 2002, but he hasn't won there since then. Gordon has eight top-five finishes at Kansas and could use another on Sunday, after a broken hub spoiled a probable top-3 run at Texas.


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Utley, Rollins win Silver Slugger Awards
Honor given to top offensive producers at each position
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
"I'll be back," Utley said. "Don't worry, guys."
He wasn't kidding.
Utley returned to carry the Phillies down the stretch, teaming with Jimmy Rollins to form an offensive punch that overwhelmed the rest of the National League East. For the last month of the season, the Phillies could do no wrong, as they finally began to match the standard that Rollins and Utley had been setting all summer.
And now that the season's over, it's time for their due respect.
Both Rollins and Utley won Silver Slugger Awards on Friday, Rollins earning the first of his career and Utley snagging his second. The Silver Slugger is far from a silver medal for two players who desperately wanted to play deep into October. It represents offensive excellence at two positions traditionally known for defense, and serves as an affirmation that Rollins and Utley are indeed as good as it gets in the National League.
Utley finished the season with a .332 average, 22 homers and 103 RBIs -- remarkable, considering that his broken hand ultimately forced him to miss more than a month's worth of games. Rollins, meanwhile, played in all 162 games, finishing at .296 with 30 homers and 41 stolen bases. That made him one of just 32 players in Major League history to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 30 bases, and one of only three shortstops to accomplish the feat.
"It's nice to be recognized for my offensive prowess by the managers and coaches," said Rollins. "I take a lot of pride in hitting and I really am honored to receive this award."
Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award winners were determined by Major League Baseball coaches and managers, who vote for the players they felt were the best offensive producers at each position in both the American and National Leagues in 2007. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the coaches' and managers' general impressions of a player's overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team.
2007 Silver Slugger winners
|Jorge Posada, NYY
|Carlos Pena, TB
|Placido Polanco, DET
|Alex Rodriguez, NYY
|Derek Jeter, NYY
|Vladimir Guerrero, LAA
|Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
|Magglio Ordonez, DET
|David Ortiz, BOS
|Russell Martin, LAD
|Prince Fielder, MIL
|Chase Utley, PHI
|David Wright, NYM
|Jimmy Rollins, PHI
|Carlos Beltran, NYM
|Matt Holliday, COL
|Carlos Lee, HOU
|Micah Owings, ARI
The specially designed Silver Slugger Award will be presented to each player by a representative of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., makers of Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, in a ceremony early in the 2008 season. The trophy is three feet tall and bears the engraved name of the winner and his Silver Slugger teammates in his respective league.
The Silver Slugger Award was instituted by H&B in 1980 as a natural extension of the Silver Bat Award, which is, as its name indicates, a silver-plated bat presented by Louisville Slugger to the batting champions in the AL and NL. This year's Silver Bat Award winners are Colorado's Matt Holliday and Detroit's Magglio Ordonez. Holliday hit .340 to win the NL batting title. Ordonez led the Major Leagues in batting with a .363 average and claimed the AL honor. Both will receive their awards in on-field presentations early in the 2008 season.
Those two played outfield positions, which are notorious for their offensive expectations. Rollins and Utley didn't. And though the notion that good teams win through strength up the middle has been prevalent for years, even baseball's wisest forefathers couldn't have envisioned strength like this.
Consider that Utley never hit worse than .296 in any month, and that he hit .372 at Citizens Bank Park. And consider that his .332 overall mark was tops among all NL second basemen by a whopping 28 points. Then consider what he could have done if completely healthy.
"What do you want me to say about him?" Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said after Utley hit a game-winning homer against the Mets in June. "I can't say enough. When I start talking about Chase, you could probably come back this time next year and I could be talking. I think he's that good."
Scary good, considering that he might not even be the best hitter in his own infield. Rollins broke out to have his best season in 2007, setting career highs in every major offensive category -- and a slew of minor categories as well. He boasted before the season that his Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East, and then backed it up as convincingly as anyone could have expected. He already earned one accolade with a Gold Glove earlier this week, and he's now working his way down the list of precious metals.
"He's done everything you can ask," first baseman Ryan Howard said in September. "He's been the catalyst for our team. He's stepped up into the leadership role, made it known and is making things happen. Is he the MVP? I think so. While everything else has fallen apart this year, he's the guy who's made things happen."
And so the Silver Slugger may just be a stepping stone to even greater recognition this offseason. Rollins has established himself not just as an MVP candidate but as an MVP favorite, posting gaudy offensive numbers all summer at a premium defensive position.
"It's something I definitely set out to do this year," Rollins said in September. "This is the time in my career where athletes, baseball players, start to have their peak years. [You've] been around, you start to learn about yourself, about what the rest of the league is doing trying to stop you. Suddenly, you know how to take all this information and put it together in a consistent season. And then you start doing that year after year after year. Hopefully, this is the middle of that type of career for me."
And for the Phillies, perhaps the core of something even bigger.
Anthony DiComo is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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(Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
By Courtney E. Smith
For their 15th anniversary, Shady Records are giving the world a gift: their best music.
Today (Aug. 25) Eminem announced his new album Shady XV will be released in November 24. The double-album will include Eminem's new duet with Sia, "Guts Over Fear" and a collection of the label's greatest hits from 50 Cent, D-12, Obie Trice and, of course, label head Eminem.
Stans for Shady Records can rejoice: this is going to be a two-album collection. One for the greatest hits and one album of brand new material from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, D-12 and Yelawolf and special guest-artist collaborations that are yet to be announced.


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Do it! Now! Don't Wait Until Tomorrow to Watch Juice=Juice's MV for "Ashita yarou wa Bakayarou"! Watch video
Juice=Juice employ some tough love for procrastinators in the MV for "Ashita yarou wa Bakayarou" from their triple A-side single "Dream Road~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~/KEEP ON Joushou Shikou! ! /Ashita yarou wa Bakayarou" (release date: October 26)!


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Flemish government promises IMEC cash for 450-mm fab
1 Comment
LONDON The Flemish Minister of Innovation, Ingrid Lieten, has made a commitment to invest in the building of clean room facilities for 450-mm diameter wafer processing at the IMEC research institute's pilot wafer fab in Leuven, Belgium.
No specific amount of money from the Flemish government was disclosed but IMEC said the support of the Flemish government will enable the building of a 100 million euro (about $120 million) clean room infrastructure. IMEC said that in total it plans to spend 1 billion euro (about $1.2 billion) on the wafer fab over the next 5 years with a goal of opening the 450-mm clean room facilities in 2015.
IMEC is negotiating a support package with the European Commission and IMEC's industrial partners: the foundries, fabless and fablite companies, equipment and material suppliers.
IMEC wants to continue to play a leading role in the research of semiconductor processes and technologies and that will require a transition of its 300-mm clean room to 450-mm. Leading process technologies at 10-nm and below may never been manufactured on small diameter wafers.
However, IMEC is in competition with the formation of the Global 450 Consortium (G450C) at College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany, New York. This $4.8 billion collaboration, headquartered and housed at CNSE is supported by the state of New York and includes five chipmakers who have an interest in 450-mm diameter wafers; IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundries, Samsung and TSMC.
It is not yet clear that these companies will want to support 450-mm wafer engineering at two sites. If they do not this could have a damaging effect on the future of the semiconductor industry in Europe, which is relatively strong in semiconductor equipment and lithography technology.
"The continuous growth of IMEC into a high-tech knowledge pole has only been possible thanks to the support of the Flemish Government. We are therefore very thankful for the extra support of the Flemish Government for our 450-mm clean room initiative," said Luc Van den hove, CEO of IMEC, in a statement.
IMEC also announced that under a collaboration with KLA-Tencor, a Surfscan SP3 450 450-mm wafer capable wafer defect inspection system will be installed at IMEC.
Related links and articles:
EuroFab450 is an ambitious dream
IMEC looks at variability beyond 10 nanometer
IMEC offers 14-nm dev kit, test chip to follow 2H12