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Peter Leitch (Uptown)
Opening Night
Kevin Eubanks (GRP)
Peter Leitch (Uptown)
Opening Night
Kevin Eubanks (GRP)
Gerald Pansanel (Owl)
Three albums from young jazz guitarists, each of whom has something to say.
Peter Leitch, a Canadian who now lives in New York City, is the most conventional of the trio--a technically adept but rather sober post-bop player whose only flaw is an excessive fondness for his favorite licks.
Making up for that, though, are Leitch`s dense, angular tunes, his choice of two seldom-performed Thelonious Monk pieces (``Trinkle Tinkle`` and
``Played Twice``) and the fine band he has assembled (baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, pianist John Hicks, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Billy Hart). In fact, Adams is the star of the date, playing with an abandon that is quite startling, even by his own high standards.
Kevin Eubanks also leads a fine band (tenor saxophonist Branford Marsalis, flutist Kent Jordan, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassists David Eubanks and Buster Williams and drummer Marvin Smith), and his approach to his instrument is truly virtuosic. At times the guitar seems ready to leap out of Eubanks` hands, and his ideas often are as impressive as his fingerwork.
The title piece is a real killer--a whizbang line that finds Marsalis and the leader in top form, stoked by Smith`s elemental drive--but the rest of the album doesn`t quite reach that level. Still, there`s a lot of attractive music here, handsomely recorded and so slickly produced that one feels each track should last a few minutes longer.
Gerard Pansanel is French, and his band is European, too (alto saxophonist Doudou Gouirand, pianist Antonello Salis, bassist Michael Benita and drummer Aldo Romano). But even though the album displays some continental traits (the brief final track has a Parisian-boulevard flavor, with Salis switching to accordion), Pansanel`s chief models are Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman.
A rather lighthearted version of Coleman`s style crops up throughout--in the tunes, in the work of the fine bass-and-drum team and in Gouirand`s tone and phrasing--while the leader echoes Metheny`s ecstatic lyricism and his eel- like rhythmic flow.
But Pansanel finally emerges as his own man, perhaps because his playing has a genuine gaiety and freshness.


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On Christmas Day 25th Dec 2011, we set off to the Riverside point at Clarke Quay (1800s) to watch the paranoma view scenery that been changed after the trading business were ended since 1970s. There are lots of people around and full of tourists too.
History of Clarke Quary
Sir Raffles was landed in Clarke Quay on the 6th of February 1819. He is supposed to have landed where his statue is located today. In mid-1819, on his second trip to Singapore, Raffles reserved the north bank of the river for the government use and the site for warehouses and gowdowns.He realised on the next trip between 1820 and 1823 that it was not permitted to build anything there and he altered his original plan to the area of present-day Clarke Quay.
Raffles soon signed a territorial treaty with the local Malay leaders and established his trading entrepot. Within a few years, he laid out city plans and ordered land reclamation projects that created a series of five quays, and one of them was Clarke Quay.
Clarke Quay was landfilled, and auctioned off and developed by Europeans and Chinese Entrepreneurs.
Brick houses, godowns, and establishments, mostly built of brick and plaster, presented and eye-catching sight. Especially the crescent formed by the long range of gowdowns. The crescent was named Clarke Quay after Sir Andrew Clarke, governor of the Straits Settlement from 1873-1875. He was also well-known for signing the treaty of acquisition of Perak and Selangor states in Malaysia.
Singapore River was the heart of the town, and up to the 1840's all shipping took place at its mouth and along the crescent of Clarke Quay. Merchants had their offices and gowdowns either at Clarke or Boat Quay, or commercial square.
Before the Clarke Quay in 1819, it was once then a muddy mangrove. The scene was rather idyllic, covered with many different species of trees.
Human skulls of various rotting stages littered Clarke Quay's riverbank. It was said to be that the Bugis pirates found that the river was a convenient dumping ground for unwanted cargo and dead bodies.
Before 1819, Clarke Quay was the focal point of trading activities between the Orang Lauts and the Bugis pirates. The Riverside point now stands where Orang Lauts and sea nomads took refuge.
At the river mouth (now known as Clarke Quay), they were many pieces of stones carved. One of them was shaped like a garfish.The local sea gypsies believed that the garfish was a symbol of ghosts and they, which they thought had a significant value to their beliefs.
Clarke Quay Sunday Flea Mart which helds every Sunday, is a regular event which both locals and tourists can look forward to. The bustling flea mart adds colour and flavour to the ambience of the Clarke Quay Festival Village, where street activities and street life are abundant. Visitors can bargain their way through the 120 stalls selling a wide range of antiques, collectibles and handicrafts. There will also be a demonstration cum sale of clay, crystal and beaded jewellery, free ice cream and balloons for the first 500, in-line skating performances,$1 rickshaw rides, music, games, as well as buskers performances are held there.
There are Boat rides too.

subset: commoncrawl


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2008 Cadillac CTS.
The CTS continues to advance the design language for GM's premium brand into the 2008 model year. With smoothed edges and a sculpted hood, the new CTS gets a larger grille inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen concept from a few years ago. The 2008 CTS is two inches wider, which gives the new model a more planted look as well as making room for an all-wheel drive version. The interior has been completely redone with a new center stack, instrument panel and seats that incorporate a "thin seat" technology that provides more usable space. Additional use of LED for ambient lighting provides a dramatic effect.
The LaCrosse Super gets a unique waterfall-style grille, a new front fascia, larger exhaust tips, and unique interior trim accents and features.


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Thursday, July 27, 2017
Comment in reply to Peter Isackson
Comment in reply to Peter Isackson
1) Facebook post:
2) my previous comment:
3) Peter's previous comment:
This is a comment, Peter, that I tried to make in response to a comment of yours on a Facebook post. But it was too long for Facebook to handle. So I could not post it there.
In desperation, I am posting it below instead. I have not had time to properly edit it. Sorry.
Thanks for your considerate comment and explanation, Peter. As I have drawn this dialog out too long, perhaps, let me just focus mainly on our remnant differences of opinion.
A Personal Mental Model
I will describe here some features of my own mental model of the universe we inhabit. In this model, our universe has realms, including the physical and the mental. These realms are connected and may be one at a deeper level. But to us they appear to be different from each other.
I have abstracted somewhat here from my earlier simple, commonsense examples, which should hopefully have been understandable. I had given these examples in an earlier comment. For those who have not read that comment or Peter's response, following this might, in places, be a bit difficult.
Since what I describe is a personal mental model, it should be seen as such and no more. I personally believe this model, which is minimal and simplistic, has some good correspondence with reality, in whose existence I still believe, not have been dissuaded of it so far.
My belief is that the existence of this reality does not depend on our own existences, transient and local as these are.
I also had believed that this model, some of whose features I describe here, might not have differed significantly from what many others may also have constructed for themselves, consciously or not, to try to make sense of their own experiences. I may, however, have been quite wrong in this part of my belief!
Of course, I and others are surely influenced by our own instincts, cultures, inclinations and reasoning in the constructions of such models.
In any case, this model, like all models, should be subject to being amended and even being discarded when needed. The need for this would normally arise, most urgently, from some conflict between it and reality--for those who accept the existence of the latter.
I would dare to disagree with Wittgenstein regarding his assertion that two plus two is four only because we agree it is.
I do not know whom Wittgenstein meant by "we". I think that this "we" would have to include birds and many other animals that can count.
Of course they would not use the words we use in English or any other human language. But I would posit that number is a property of the universe that would still be there, if all living things capable of counting were to vanish.
I will not try to claim that this assertion is provable by any obvious means or try to prove it here.
The concept of number (as manifested in the perception of differences in number,) does not need verbalization until we go beyond the first few numbers that we can distinguish, among like objects, by the use of our sight, our touch or our other senses. And even then, the verbalization serves only as an aid.
Nor will I attempt to define or claim I can define what is meant by "like". I know that you and others could claim that this "like-ness" is again is a matter of perception and agreement. I could replace "like" by "identical", but again I will encounter the same difficulty.
Number is, in my opinion, an entity of the mental realm, which we apply in the physical realm. Of course the two realms are connected. I will not try to explain the connection or claim I understand that connection. I will say more about these two realms, that I mention here, later.
On Mathematics and Science
I believe scientists who have thought about it are acutely aware that they are proceeding based on certain assumptions. They may agree on the assumptions, or they may not. This is one of the things that liberates science, to a degree, from more doctrinaire fields. Of course, scientists, like all other living beings with minds, have their pet beliefs--including, in their case, about their subjects. So they quarrel about this with those with other beliefs. Yet, although one might give many counterexamples, this does not result in as much acrimony as in the humanities.
As for mathematicians--these usually restrict their criticisms to real or perceived faults in the logical or other means of proof of their conjectures and to the logical or other consistency of their constructions. So there is even less acrimony among them--at least about the things most scholars of the humanities, or even in the natural sciences--argue about.
I am aware of the critiques of what I have stated about the objectivity of scientists and am willing to grant the partial validity of some of the critiques, without ceding much in what I have stated here.
Now some may take this relative lack of dispute about basics among mathematicians and, to a lesser degree, among scientists, to be evidence of their lack of perception or awareness. Perhaps so, perhaps not.
You had said, at one point earlier,
"The pure truth, whether scientific, philosophical or theological, doesn't exist. It's filtered through human interaction, which can never be perfect."
I would put it differently. I will attempt to do this.
Let me leave aside mathematics, where I strongly believe we can make statements that are perhaps as true as we can ever hope about a statement. Let me also leave aside philosophy and theology, where I am not at all qualified to make any kind of statement regarding truth--and suspect that anything I say will be objected to.
Let me turn instead to the relative simplicity of the natural sciences. These sciences are focused on the physical realm. And now let me venture to make the considered statement that follows.
We can never be certain that we have perceived the truth, or reality, wholly or perfectly. All we can say is that we have created a mental model (or set of such models) that appears to correspond, in many ways, to physical reality. This remains, nonetheless, a mental model, however elegant and time-tested it may be.
So our conception of reality is a model we have constructed; it is not physical reality itself. We need to have the wisdom to always keep this in mind, and the humility to amend or discard this mental model when we find that it cannot describe reality.
Objective Reality
When I talked about objective reality, about which I gave several simple and concrete examples, I meant two things:
Firstly, we can have a substantial degree of agreement about this objective reality, because you and I can try to independently check a statement about it.
I have explained, with examples, that there are situations where we cannot check such a statement.
But if indeed we can check on that statement, but do not agree, it is most unlikely that we will hold that this shows that there is no objective reality. We would say that one of us has probably made a mistake, or that the statement was not precise enough for it to be checked.
So this is simply the kind of disagreement that might occur about an observation, including a measurement. It is not the kind of disagreement that occurs in human affairs, or, frequently, in the humanities, involving opinions or inclinations or world views,
I had also qualified my assertions by saying that we do have conceptual frameworks based on which we make observations and measurements. I concede that my assertion of the existence of an objective reality might be attacked based upon my concession.
So let me come then to the second point I wish to make about objective reality, and which I might perhaps not have made earlier. This is going to be an assertion, rather than a proof.
But let me first illustrate this second point with an example: if, by some catastrophe, you and I and all humans--and even all of life--were to vanish tomorrow from this Earth, I would assert that the sun and the planets and moons would continue to exist; they would continue with their motions and interactions; so would the remnant dispersed materials of our bodies.
The sun, the earth, the water and the air exist, independently of our agreement on its existence. This, I assert.
We may have our conceptions about this physical reality. But that, I (along with most scientists and most humans) believe is a cloth that covers and conforms to the reality underneath. If a magician were to whisk away the cloth, that reality would remain, even sans an audience.
And that is my second point. Put quite baldly and generally: objective reality does not need our agreement, or even existence, to be. It is.
Subjective Reality
Let me now come to subjective reality.
Firstly, let me clear up a misunderstanding for which I was probably at fault, as the words "objective" and "subjective" might be open to misinterpretation.
I did not mean to imply that subjective reality is any less real than objective reality. I only meant that it is a different kind of reality.
As I had explained with simple examples, only you have access to your subjective reality. I can only try, at best, to infer it from my observations of you and from what you tell me or others.
And vice versa: You cannot access my subjective reality.
Subjective reality is the reality of the mental realm. We exist in at least two realms, in my opinion: the physical and the mental. These are surely connected and may be one at a deeper level. But for most practical, commonsense purposes we can clearly differentiate between them.
The Mystery
This brings us to a well known mystery. Our sentience exists in the mental realm. And all our perceptions exist only in that realm, not in the physical one.
Indeed, you and I do not exist in the physical realm.
If I were able to search through every organ, tissue, cell, molecule or atom in your body, seeking for Peter, I would not be able to find him. No neuron knows of your existence. Nor is there a homunculus in your brain or solar plexus that is Peter in essence.
I mean by this, the one who knows he is Peter and answers to that name--and would know he is he, even if he forgot or was never given his name.
And it is exactly the same with me.
Does this mean that you, I, the cat and the cockroach are ethereal beings of this mental realm that I have asserted exists--but which can only be sensed as a subjective reality?
I do not think it is that simple. But it may be so, or even simpler. I really have no clue. None.
We are each, as perceived in the physical realm, a giant collection--a swarm--of a trillion cells, and each of these itself is a giant collection--again a swarm--of untold numbers of molecules and their atoms.
The giant swarm of molecules within each cell is gathered into structures and processes that are as complex as any one can find in our multi-cellular processes and structures--only more so.
As you know, there is probably not an an erg or a gram, or even a photon or an atom, within your physical body, that was there when you were born. So in this we are like clouds or storms that form and dissipate. We are complex processes or flows, rather than static objects. Of course, so also are the hills and the continents. Matter and energy flow through us as they do through clouds and storms and through ocean waves and currents. And there is no "us" in "us".
There is also no real physical separation between our bodies and the rest of the universe. There is no sharp demarcation in space. There is no real barrier. There is no surface where we start or end. The belief in our separateness is an illusion--not that much different from the illusion that is perceived as a cloud.
It is the same in time. We have no clear beginning or end in time.
So in all of this we are as waves in the ocean, as ripples on a pond.
Patterns persist in us, as they do more briefly in hurricanes or much more persistently in Jupiter's great red spot. The processes that we are made of involve not only the interactions of matter and energy, in space and time, but also the flow (although that may be wrong metaphor) of information.
Our atoms are talking to one another, as are all the parts of the universe, including the galaxies.
Our molecules are also stores of knowledge, as seen in our persistent DNA, passed down through the eons, written to and erased, split apart and combined, and found copied a trillion times over in our living bodies. And our molecules are also processors of knowledge, in constant communication with one another, just as much as they are bricks and machines,
And so also, at different levels of organization, are our cells, tissues and organs in constant communication with one another, using chemical and electro-chemical means.
So where, amidst all the vortices, and where, amidst all the chatter that extends from the atoms to the galaxies, is sentience? Is it that chatter itself? Whence arose this speech that pervades and permeates all? Whence came this myriad of speakers and listeners at every point in the infinity of space and the eternity of time? Can they be truly separate from one another--this endless, countless multitude--or are they one?
Or where, we may alternatively ask, are the elusive I, we, you, he, she, it, they of our human grammars? Should they be done away with? And who will do that doing away, pray? How could the who arise from the what and how could the one ebb back into the other?
The Quantum Realm
You may have noticed that I have stayed away from the mysteries of the quantum realm. I have done so for two reasons. Firstly, there is a tremendous amount of confusion about those mysteries, including among physicists themselves. Secondly, there is mystery enough, as I have described here, for us to wonder at and ponder, even in the realms we thought we understood.
2 comments:
Wonderful exposé. I should only mention, in order to clarify my own position, that it doesn't really deal with disagreements because on the major point -- the status of objective reality -- I totally agree. In no way is physical reality dependent on our perceiving, thinking, use of language or cultural construction.ReplyDelete
The difference in our model of truth/reality is elsewhere. To home in on it, the one point which you don't deal with -- where we might disagree -- is this: that as human beings we are prisoners of the limits of both our perception. The logic we use and share (I should say logics) are built within those limits. That includes mathematics, which I think is the point Wittgenstein was making. A bit like Edwin Abbott Abbott's famous 1884 novel, Flatland, describing a world and a society that only has two dimension and cannot even imagine a third dimension.
But the easiest illustration of this in terms of what we do know about objective physical reality is dark matter and dark energy. We know it's there, that it constitutes a majority of the matter and energy in the universe, but we have no idea what it is and more significantly what it "means" (does it even have a meaning?)! Some actually do say -- in guise of answering that question -- that it's what holds the universe together.
Those questions about meaning are what philosophers would call metaphysical questions (beyond physics but related to understanding physics). Metaphysics is, in Aristotle's terms, a fundamental part of philosophy and indeed the highest branch of philosophy, which also included logic and ethics. It can't be confused with physics because the nature of what it studies precludes physical experimentation and measurement.
Talking about measurement -- and you brought up this important point -- I've seen serious scientists mention percentages concerning the amount of dark matter & energy in the universe that vary as wildly as 68% to 95%! At least they all agree that we're behind the eight ball because it's a majority of our field of observation that we simply can't observe.
As for quantum mechanics, it's interesting to note that, while everyone seems to admit we can't do without it, there are two identifiably cultural movements: those who see quantum physics as an avenue into metaphysics and those who see it as equivalent to an unsolved mathematical theorem.
Peter, thanks, firstly, for reading through my very long comment and then commenting astutely on it. I have added a small introduction where I have written that what I describe here is a personal mental model and no more.ReplyDelete
Thanks again!


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Bites Tale : Still have alot of things to buy and pack! I think i'll be wearing my Reebok shoes (which is meant for aerobic) if i can't find the trekking shoes that fit me... i think it should be ok.. hope so.. if not, instead of walking .. i'll just do "roller-blading" in jungle.. muahahaha.. but then.. if i slipped, then all leeches will be crawling on my body... die (can't laugh anymore)!
Getting very busy getting ready for the trip... so many things to buy and prepare... at the meantime also busy with work..
So i'll be taking a break off from blogging now till i'm back.
See you in 2 weeks time!
In the meantime.. please pray for me and my "partners in crime"... (just a simple one)...
A safe journey from and back home! (That'll include all i guess...)
Till then, see ya!


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October is almost over--can you believe it?!
For Halloween this year, Baby L is going as the baby from her favorite author's book, Where Is Baby's Pumpkin?
The book:
The costume:
The pumpkin:
L. is participating in a family tradition of dressing as favorite characters, including the time I dressed as Harry Potter when I was teaching fifth grade, and when I dressed as Mrs. Wishy-Washy when I was teaching first grade, and the time I dressed in all orange, along with my whole fifth grade class so that we could all be the entire cast of Louis Sachar's Holes. There was one year when I dressed as the M, from MSV-- but that's another story (and only reading teachers will understand it!).
Are you dressing as a character from a book this Halloween? Post a comment and share your costume ideas!


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Community Meeting Wednesday
Please come to a Community Meeting about the upcoming Grand Jury.
When: THIS Wednesday, August 29, 7:00 pm
Where: Jack Pine Community Center, 2815 E. Lake St., Minneapolis
September 6 Grand Jury in Minneapolis
It has just been made public that two people have been ordered to appear (subpoenaed) before a MN Grand Jury on Sept 6. They are, Anthony Wong and Brandon Elder. (UPDATE: There is a 3rd subpoena, though the identity of the person has not yet been made public.) More info here. It appears that neither is cooperating. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of snitch Ian Wallace, who is known to be cooperating with federal authorities. Picture of the snitch is here.
Grand juries are the first step in sending down indictments- you are not allowed to have a lawyer present inside the room at a grand jury, and can be kept in jail for months at a time for refusing to testify.
If you know ANYONE who has been subpoenaed, or have heard anything about the situation, please share that information. There is nothing to be gained by keeping quiet, and a lot of people's safety, comfort and freedom are on the line.
If you are approached by authorities, know that you DO NOT have to say anything, and that there are people and lawyers ready to support you. Even the most seemingly-innocuous statements can have negative effects and answering questions only opens you up to further harassment.
We will be planning a support rally of some sort in regards to the grand jury, so please watch our website for new information. In the meantime, please contact us at fightthegreenscare (a) riseup.net with questions and information, and especially if you need legal support.
the Twin Cities Eco-Prisoner Support Committee


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I would like to hire a Web Developer
Budjetti £1500-3000 GBP
The business is a brand new start-up company and is looking for an experienced WordPress developer UK Based for upto 2-3 month. This project is to develop a bespoke WordPress plugin which is described in our Requirement Specification Document. You will further need to be firm in the WordPress Plugin MemberPress as well. To be able to be considered, we will ask you to sign a NDA first and we then send you our Requirement Specification.
To be considered, you will need to show which WordPress Plugins you have developed and if needed a reference who we can contact. Please PM us if interested.
Should you be considered you will have to sign our Deed of Assignment document.
Myönnetty käyttäjälle:
Consider this job done Relevant Skills and Experience Wordpress Proposed Milestones £2500 GBP - Initial milestone
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Update On Recent "Irritation"
Just a quick update: an email I received from Daniel Nettle. See post http://resolution52.com/irritated-by-this-little-tidbit for initial post.
Hi Brian
To my embarrassment I have no idea what I meant either. My excuse is that I am away from home and don't have access to my copy to check the context, but off the top of my head, who knows? Perhaps it was a pretentious way of emphasising that art creates a shared experience (between Stefan and us, the viewer). On the other hand, don't underestimate my ability to have just written it down wrong or something. However, in the event that I work out something deeper that I meant, I'll let you know.
Best wishes
It's cool that he took time out of his schedule to address my email, and even cooler that he gave a simple shrug and the "I have no idea either". But still keeping the option that there may be a deeper answer that without the context of the essay itself he has forgotten.


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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Online Q&A with BlogHer starts now
For the next two hours Lisa, Jory and I are standing by with the Contra Costa Times to answer your burning questinos about BlogHer.
You can join in the fun here.
You can join in the fun here.
Comments: Post a Comment
<< Home
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text:
|Hopefully we'll see some practices on Saturday
Because drivers never got on the track to practice, the field was set primarily by owner points.
That put Johnson and Carl Edwards on the front row for the race Sunday. Only 43 teams entered, so all 43 cars made the field for the Party in the Poconos 400.
Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick will round out the top five, with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Brad Keselowski starting sixth through 10th.
Read More Here.............Sporting News
Starting Lineup


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Vandoren V16 reeds are alto legend, Phil Woods reed of choice, the Vandoren V16 has a thicker tip and longer palette than traditional vandoren reeds which gives them a bright and powerful sound suitable for jazz, funk and all kinds of new music. Vandoren V16 reeds are consistant and blow easily straight out of the box.
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Surprising words coming from a professional guide, but not completely unexpected given Varazdin's status as one of the best-kept secrets in Croatia. Though travellers visiting Zagreb do occasionally take a day trip to the city of 40,000 (Varazdin is only 80km from the Croatian capital), for the most part, the city remains untouched by mass tourism.
|The Varazdin Castle
Which is surprising given what the city has to offer: quaint (and incredibly inexpensive) cafés, unique museums, a majestic medieval castle – and one of Europe's best collections of intact Baroque buildings.
Varazdin – known as "Little Vienna" among Croatians – owes its Baroque bonanza to its position as Croatia's capital from 1756 to 1776. Though its reign was short lived (a fire in 1776 destroyed much of the town and the capital was moved back to Zagreb) during those two decades, religious orders, noble families and wealthy tradesmen brought in some of the country's best architects and painters to construct mansions and palaces.Though I'm no architecture aficionado, wandering along the cobblestoned, pedestrian-only, historic town square (Trg Kralja Tomislava), it's impossible not to be charmed by the elegantly exuberant, pastel-coloured facades of the baroque buildings that line Varazdin's centre.
|A hilltop church in Varazdin
What also makes Varazdin attractive is the absence of tourism-inflated prices. Sitting at one of the cafés lining the streets flowing from the town square, I can admire the centuries-old churches, palaces, and residences while nibbling on klipici (a rather grand bun) and sipping on a local vintage for a fifth of what it would cost me in similarly architecturally endowed European cities.
Refreshed, I head to the Sermage Palace, which is home to the Gallery of Old and Modern Masters. The gallery features an impressive collection of Croatian, Dutch and Italian artists in a gorgeous Rococo mansion.
The museum that really captures my imagination is Varazdin's Insect Museum. Housed in a lovely Baroque palace, I doubt insects have ever been treated to such an august resting place. Originally established in 1959 with the donated collection of Franjo Koscec, a local high-school teacher and insect enthusiast, the collection has since grown to showcase more than 4,000 exhibits of some of not only Croatia's, but the planet's, most intriguing (and thankfully deceased) invertebrates. The butterfly collection is especially attractive, though the squeamish might want to give the display on insect bite scars a miss.
As my trip to Varazdin draws to an end, my only regret is not having visited the city during its Baroque festival. As an homage to its historic heritage, every year in late September to early October the city holds the internationally acclaimed Varazdin Baroque Evenings, during which soloists, orchestras and opera singers from around the world gather to fete Baroque music. Performances are held across the city as well as in castles and churches in neighbouring towns.
But I rather like being there without crowds of any kind and wander to take one last look at the star exhibit, the Stari Grad – "old town" – a medieval fortress built in the 14th century that presently houses a cultural collection of Varazdin artefacts dating from the Middle Ages.
Though more about defence than décor, the castle is nothing like the dark and grey constructs of its medieval contemporaries. Stari Grad, is much more whimsical; with its whitewashed exterior and numerous, rotund, red-capped towers it looks like something that fell from the clouds. And I know I am not alone in my admiration when I overhear the young child in front of me whisper to her parents: "This is what I want my castle to look like when I grow up."
Getting there
Croatian Air (0844 37 0310; croatiaairlines.com) flies to Zagreb from around £250 return; Lufthansa (0871 945 9747; lufthansa.com) flies via France or Germany for around £150 return. From Zagreb a bus to Varazdin takes 90 minutes and costs £12 return; the more scenic (but longer) journey by train costs £9 return. Alternatively hire a car.
Getting around
Varazdin is one of Croatia's most walkable cities, made even easier by the large car-free zone.
Where to stay
Hotel Turist £
Hotel Turist, a 10-minute walk from the city centre) is the largest and best of the town's three-star hotels (00385 42 395395; hotel-turist.hr; from £90).
Hotel Varazdin ££
Smaller and with fewer facilities, this three-star hotel offers stellar service, a central location and a good restaurant with delicious local specialities and wines (42 290720; hotelvarazdin.com; from £60).
Pansion Maltar £££
A friendly, family-run establishment with small but spotless rooms and tasty breakfasts. Close to the old town (42 311100; maltar.hr; from £50).
Where to eat
Zlatne Ruke £
Housed in the basement of the Chamber of Crafts and Trades (also called the Artisan's Centre), this atmospheric venue offers a range of Varazdin specialities, including goose liver, deer tartar, and minced boar. A meal with wine and dessert is about £25 (42 320650; zlatneruke.com).
Pansion-Restoran Garestin ££
This b & b, close to the city centre, also houses a great restaurant in a lovely trellised courtyard. Garestin features palate-pleasing, affordable food that highlights the region's gastronomic specialities. Excellent grilled meat and fish dishes. About £8 per person (42 214314; gastrocom-ugostiteljstvo.com).
Kolonada £££
Varazdin's version of fast food (with a much nicer atmosphere and sit-down service), Kolonada offers simple Croatian fare such as pancakes, fried cheese with sour cream, and njoki (a Croatian version of gnocchi). Open from 8am to 10pm. Meals from £2 (42 500606; restoran-kolonada.com).
The inside rack
The Varazdin cemetery (Varazdinsko groblje) has grounds containing more than 7,000 species of tree, geometrically-sculpted hedges and large walkways. One of the most beautiful final resting places in Eastern Europe.
Varazdinske Toplice, a small town 12km from Varazdin, is renowned for its hot springs. Try a thermal water treatment at the Hotel Minerva.
For 10 days in August, buskers, musicians, theatre performers and locals in Baroque costume flood the streets for the Spancirfest ("festival of good emotions").
What should I bring home?
Vineyards in the region (such as Vino Lovrec and Zlatne Gorice Restaurant and Winery) produce excellent white wines which can be bought in Varazdin.
The Krapina-Zagorje county (located between Zagreb and Varazdin) is renowned for its woodwork (listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco), especially its hand-carved wooden toys made from willow, lime, beech and maple wood and sold throughout Varazdin.
Another Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage item is the decorative gingerbread (licitar) cookie, specifically the heart-shaped biscuits for which Varazdin is famous.


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Federal judge orders turnover of warrantless surveillance memos
[JURIST] Judge Henry Kennedy of the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] on Friday ordered [order, PDF] the Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] to release legal memoranda relating to the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic surveillance program [JURIST news archive]. The issue came before the court in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and the National Security Archive [advocacy websites], which sought the release of the documents under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [text; DOJ materials] request. The DOJ had originally denied the request, arguing that the memoranda, authored by the White House Office of Legal Counsel [official website], were exempt from FOIA requests because they contained privileged information. Kennedy found that DOJ summaries of the information included in the memos were insufficient for him to determine whether they were exempt from disclosure:
Simply because the documents contain legal advice does not necessarily mean that the attorney-client privilege applies to the documents, however. In short, the declarations provided by DOJ are too vague to enable this court to determine whether the attorney-client privilege applies.
The court has no doubt that, to the extent DOJ became privy to classified information, there was an expectation that DOJ was to keep this information confidential. The attorney-client privilege is not necessarily the means for protecting this information. Without more information, the court cannot conclude that the attorney-client privilege applies.
Kennedy said that he would review the documents in private in order to determine whether their public release would violate the privilege or harm national security interests. The DOJ has not yet indicated whether it will comply with the order. AP has more. The New York Times has additional coverage.
In December 2007, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) [official backgrounder] denied [opinion, PDF; JURIST report] an ACLU motion [PDF text; JURIST report] asking the court to "disclose recent legal opinions discussing the scope of the government's authority to engage in secret wiretapping of Americans." The ACLU's request sought, among other things, a recently disclosed FISC decision [JURIST report] restricting the government's monitoring of e-mail and telephone conversations of suspected terrorists in foreign countries.


text: McCain Helped Donor Developer Win Contracts Decades-old friendship built on fundraising, land deal assistance By Jonas Oransky, Newser Staff Posted Apr 22, 2008 11:55 AM CDT 0 comments Comments Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) View 2 more images (Newser) – John McCain has repeatedly done favors a wealthy Arizona real estate developer who is a major donor, sponsoring legislation that swapped public land for his land and stepping in to speed a lucrative land deal with the Pentagon that netted him $20 million in a quick flip. The relationship with Donald Diamond could "pose a test" for Mac, the New York Times posits in an expose, since the candidate's reputation is staked on renouncing political favoritism. Known as Arizona's answer to "The Donald," Diamond doesn't think his friendship with the senator is untoward: "When you have a big, significant businessman like myself, why wouldn't you want to help move things along? What else would they do? They waste so much time with legislation." McCain's staff notes that the senator has rejected some requests from Diamond that he considered inappropriate, and says the others are things he would do "for any constituent." View 2 more images


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Image via Instagram/DanBilzerian
Being a guy is one of the best damn things in the history of mankind. Yep, I just declared that — in case you didn't already know. But it's uber important to have all the men's essentials in order to get the most out of life.
Since being a man is incredible, every single one of us should always be looking to get the most out of our lives as best we can, taking in experiences, people and other things to reach our full potential and wake up every morning with a big ol' smile on our faces.
Here at FHM, we're here to help you do that, which is why I'm listing 45 men's essentials that will make every man's life a little bit better... or, hell, a lot of bit!
45. Nintendo Game Boy
It might be hard to find these days, but getting yourself a Nintendo Game Boy to use in the bathroom while owning your throne will be the best decision you've ever made — even if it will lead you to sit around until your feet fall asleep... you've been warned.
44. A Good Pair Of Jeans
I know, jean shopping's one of the worst experiences ever, but, fear not, because once you get through the torture and find a good pair, you'll be forever grateful — and will probably wear them every single day without ever washing them.
43. Headphones
Music really is the ultimate savior, isn't it? Whether you're in a good mood, bad mood, or just need a little pick-me-up to help get through your afternoon, having some kick-ass headphones that can pump out the tunes you love will go a long way in leaving your happy.
42. A Friend Group
Sure, we all love our private time, but isn't life always better when you can get into trouble and share stories with like-minded people you love and trust? Of course it is, so stop being so bitter or isolated and get yourself some buddies to run a much with.
41. Tailored Sport Coat
Not too many people wear suits these days, so no need to go out and drop a bunch of cash on one just to have it gather dust in the closet. For that reason, do yourself a favor and just get a tailored sport coat, which will show-off your style when on a first date or asking your boss for the raise you really want.
40. Kegerator
I'm 33 years old and just bought myself a kegerator for my new apartment because, to be frank, it was absolutely necessary. If you think hosting people is great, but cleaning up half-drunk beer bottles and cans the next day sucks, a kegerator's the way to go. Trust me.
39. A Woman
Hey, I'm just going to be honest here: having a woman who's there to talk with through good and bad times, share hilarious and dumb moments with and, yeah, show you a few things about being sensitive is a good feeling. Plus, come on, who doesn't want a good lady to cozy up with every single night?
38. A Good Book
I'm not the same person I was five years ago as I am today, and, while most of that's because of life experiences, some of it can be attributed to reading a few books that helped me evolve as a man. Reading is like listening without the verbal communication, do it often.
37. Cast Iron Skillet
I don't give a damn if you don't know how to cook anything more than frozen pizza or struggle making an omelette, having a cast iron skillet in your household is essential, as it's one of the most versatile kitchen accessories out there. Literally, you can cook pretty much everything in one.
36. A Distinguished Scent
Sorry, fellas, it's time to ditch that cologne you've been wearing now since high school and/or college and step up your game with something a little bit more... you! No one wants to be just like everyone else, so go a little deeper in your fragrance research and find something unique to you.
35. A Good Chair
Go ahead and argue that a sofa is the key ingredient to a living room, I'm not buying it. A sofa is great for a bunch of people to sit on and share while hanging out, but a good leather chair that has the imprint of your butt and back in it means it's yours, so step back, people.
34. Sex Toys
We wrote an article not long ago about the essentials to male sex toys, so go ahead and read through that and see why adding a few to your bedroom experiences will make your life (and sex) so much better.
33. Winter Vest
The summer might just be wrapping up now, but, brace yourselves, because fall and winter are just around the corner. Rather than always wear some bulky jacket every time you step outside, go with a vest that's casual, comfortable and functional.
32. Sunglasses
We're not talking about those cheap-ass ones you got on the street from some Intern handing them out at a concert, man, but some solid options to help hide a hangover and some of the best wooden sunglasses to try out.
31. Gym Membership
I'm not saying you have to be a beast while pumping iron like Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is, but dropping cash on a gym membership's a good way to keep your ass in shape, while helping with your physical and mental health.
30. A Phone Case
There's no need to bedazzle this thing up or get one that's overly expensive, guys. A phone case is there to act as a precaution for those drunken nights out when you might possibly drop your phone. Anything more than having one for that reason is dumb.
29. A Heavy Flannel Shirt
Jackets are cool and all, but a heavy flannel that can be used as an alternative is even better. Think of it as a throw shirt, so to speak, used to go over a t-shirt during a sunny fall day or by wearing it solo and beneath a vest during winter months.
28. Condoms
We all love sex, as it's one of those men's essentials that helps us relieve stress and stay happy, but make sure you're being smart about it. Whether you're in a committed relationship and your partner doesn't pop a pill or you're single and sleeping around, condoms are important to stay healthy while getting down and dirty.
27. Lube
As we mentioned above, sex is great, but sex with lube is even greater. There are so many options out there that provide different things like warmth, scent, etc. Hell, they even make edible lubes for when you want to, you know...
26. A Go-To Cocktail
When sitting at a bar top, you should always have one signature cocktail that you can always fall back in when you don't like the menu options. Who needs some boujis drink with a name that no one can pronounce when a cold beer or Old Fashioned easily does the trick.
25. A Way Of Transportation
You don't need a car, per se, but, hell, you can't just rely on your feet to take you from place to place. Whether it be a bike, bus, train or regularly using a cab service, every guy should have a way of transportation.
24. Grooming Kit
Women everywhere have talked about how grooming is one of those men's essentials we often forget about. Don't be that guy who doesn't do it, though. Maintain your handsome self as best you can by cleaning up each and every day.
23. Confidence
Look, we all have good and bad days, where our hair looks bad, we feel a bit sluggish and we're a little down on ourselves. But want to know what women love more than a man who looks like Ryan Reynolds? A man who's confident — which we're happy to lend some advice on.
22. Ironing Board
You're not in college anymore, pal, so it's time to ditch the whole wrinkled look and start ironing your collared shirts. This literally takes about as much time as it does to drop a deuce, so get yourself an ironing board and actually use it!
21. Chinos
Even if you're more of a denim guy, you should still have at least two pairs of chinos in your dresser. Our suggestion would be a cream and then either a navy blue or forest green. They'll add a little versatility to your wardrobe outside of jeans.
20. Passion
You deserve to be happy, and part of being happy is caring enough about something or someone that you can't help but be passionate about it. Pouring your heart and soul into something like work or a relationship can be tough at times, but that passion is something that women love in a guy — and you should love within yourself.
19. Chap Stick
Want to know an instant turn-off? Dry, chapped, cracking lips. Guys, you should have chap stick in your pocket at all times, even during the winter months. Apply about five times throughout the day and keep those lips of yours moisturized. Trust us, women will appreciate it.
18. Pictures And Frames
We're not talking about some Michael Jordan-like poster that you got at the book fair, guys. Instead, we're referring to pictures in frames that either you bought or snapped yourself. Like, you know, actual art. It'll make your apartment much more mature and it allows you to put your individual touch on your domain.
17. Golf Clubs
Even if you play just once per year, you need to get some clubs. Look, between work outings, friends who want to play a quick nine after work or something else, golf is one of those sports that every guy needs to be able to do.
16. A Tool Kit
After moving into my new place not too long ago, I can't tell you how much of a men's essential a good tool kit is. Actually, I can: it's super important, so make sure you've got some trusty tools in order to either make or fix stuff on your own.
15. Face Moisturizer
You're probably like, "Dude, a face moisturizer? What the hell is that, I don't need one!" Trust me, you do. Get one with some SPF 20 or so in it to help protect that handsome face of yours from UV rays while also giving your face some much needed smoothness.
14. A Wine Opener
At some point in every man's life, he becomes more of a "wine guy" than a beer fella. For those moments when you're really just looking to unwind after a hard day of work and a tasty seasonal beer just won't do, it's kind of important to have a wine opener handy to sip a glass or two of vino.
13. Knowing How To Grille
It's not easy being a man on the grille, but, like everything, practice makes perfect. No matter what season it is, taking the tongs and cooking some chicken, burgers, pork or veggies, among other things, is a skill that every man should at least know how to do.
12. A Hobby
Don't be the boring guy on a first date who doesn't know how to answer one of the simplest questions out there, "What're your hobbies?" You don't need to be into building baby birdhouses or anything, but you do need a handful of things outside of work and watching Netflix that helps you interact with people and learning more about yourself.
11. Electric Razor
I mentioned the grooming kit earlier, but that's to be used on things like unwanted hairs or upkeep on facial hair. An electric razor should be used to touch up that gritty beard when you don't have time to shave it, or when you need to clean up the back of your neck in-between haircuts.
10. A Big Screen TV
Even if you don't watch much TV, it's important to have one that at least makes you look like a normal human being. Sure, we can stream things on our computer, tablets, phones and other places, but that's not really a great look when you're hosting people for the Super Bowl, is it?
9. A Go-To Bar Or Restaurant
I'm not saying that you've got to go all Cheers about it, but having a place where you know the bartender's name and vice versa is important. Not a big drinker? Choose a restaurant that you really enjoy going to and get to know the staff. Whether going there solo, with some friends/family or taking a first date there, it's a good back-up to have when all other options fail.
8. A Favorite Movie
Personally speaking, Good Will Hunting is one of those movies that I can watch pretty much every single day. Same goes for Rudy and any of the Ocean's 11 flicks. Having a favorite movie is just one of those men's essentials that we all need, but we don't really know why?
7. Candles
Believe it or not, but a good scented candle can make the difference in your apartment like you couldn't imagine. It doesn't need to be one of those lavender-like ones that your girlfriend keeps my her bedside, but it does need to have a masculine scent that people identify with you upon walking into your place.
6. A Football
Much like the aforementioned golf clubs, having a football live in the trunk of your car (or in the garage or closet) is an important asset. Your backyard football days are probably over, but tossing around the pigskin with some buddies is a good way to just hangout without being a complete degenerate.
5. A Camera (No, Not The One On Your Phone)
Everyone loves being an Insta-photographer, snapping something and then filtering the f-ck out of it before posting to social media. Sadly, the lost art of actual photography might be gone and left to professionals, but it doesn't have to be! Scoop yourself an SLR camera and take better pics that you can actually be proud of.
4. House Slippers Or Socks
I'm more of a house socks kind of guy, but, hey, slippers work just as well. This is one of those men's essentials you probably don't often think about, but are so clutch once you have them. Whether sitting around and keeping your feet warm or used to slip on while walking down to let someone into your building, these are important things to have.
3. A Favorite Pair Of Sneakers
It's OK to have a couple different pairs for different occasions, of course, but there should be one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The ones that are reliable for mostly any occasion, and that have a little character to them.
2. A Change Jar
Most people only use debit or credit cards these days, but, when you do decide to use cold hard cash, it's important to have somewhere accessible to toss the change into. Here's a pro tip: Get one that sits right next to the place you throw your keys and wallet into once you get home, that way it's all right there for you.
1. Proper Glasses
No one wants to drink wine from a coffee cup because you forgot to run the dishwasher last night. Likewise, no one should ever be handed a solo cup to pour their beer into — outside of a tailgate or frat party, obviously. There have been loads of awesome beer inventions over the years, but one of the simplest is a proper glass to drink said brew from.
More From FHM
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A Man's Guide To Properly Tapping A Keg (Because It's A VERY Important Life Skill)
Lead image via Instagram/DanBilzerian.


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Here's the exceedingly bland application that we've been working on for the past week or so. It performs some useful unit and base conversions for you. This exists a lot already, an awful lot. I can assure you we didn't so much as acknowledge the competitions existence until we were almost done. I'm pleased with the result. It was a vehicle for practicing and learning the Android Platform. This was the first time either of us had done a project in Java also. So lots of learning was going on here, I promise you.
Here are some screen shots of the application. Comment as you wish, I still don't think anyone is reading this stuff.
*We can't really use the name Convert It...apparently it already exists. Oh well, we have a little time to figure out a new name.
Convert It!:
Title Screen
List of converter types
The Actual Converter
Preferences Screen
Click on the links above, they're images,


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So my computer woes continue, but I'm not letting that stop me! To be honest, it's gonna take a day or two for me to process that I have to spend a month's rent on a new computer...in the meantime my fabulous friends have been super helpful letting me use their machines. Here's to buddies!
Speaking of which, my buddy Jamila, who has been pictured several times on the Fashion Bomb alerted me to a cool new site called DJpremium.com:
It's an online boutique that focuses on urban street fashion with a luxury chic twist. It's been around for only a year and carries brands such as Moschino Jeans, Donna and Uomo,
Jeans Paul Gaultier, Just Cavalli, Fornarina, Evisu, and CNC Costume National.
I took a look and found many 'Fashion Bomb' worthy outfits.
The following cute dresses caught my eye...
Top Row: Custo Barceloa Ellen Open Shoulder Doman Sleeve Top, $235; Miss Sixty Beval Dress, $179.
Bottom Row: Charlotte Ronson Tank Dress, $76; Lotta Stensson Printed Kimono Tunic Dress, $110.
As did these great fall essentials...
Top Row: Fornarina Moim Jacket, $260; Miss Sixty Dyana Boot, $315.
Bottom Row: Fornarina Beige Nico Boot, $260; Goldsign Orchid Wide Leg Pant, $149.
Top Row: Christian Audigier Overnight Bag, $640; Miss Sixty Spring Bow Sandal, $89.
Bottom Row: Bettye Muller Red & White Print Ballet Flat, $93; Diesel Grey Pinstripe Piper Hat, $25.
And bonus: they even have accessories, outerwear, and apparel for the men in your life...
Top Row: Custo Barcelona V-Rivet Nylon Ribbed Hoodie, $218; Creative Recreation Cesario Lo, $80.
Bottom Row: William Rast Billy Flare 5 Pocket Jean, $165; Diesel Downtown Gaucho Shirt, $70.
To be true, the site is wee bit expensive...so to defray costs, the nice people at DJpremium.com offered a discount code exclusively to my readers! Enter H4HRM for 15% off your purchase from now until next Wednesday. Also: free shipping!
Get your shop on...
PS Join The Fashion Bomb Group on Facebook.com!
PSS Still on deck: Style File and Mail Bombs. Stay tuned...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Cool Online Find: DJPremium.com
4 comments:
- The LuxNoir Crew said...
So glad you're back and hope your computer issues are solved soon. I seriously can't get through a workday without checking your page.
- Anonymous said...
Great finds! I love the copper Christian overnighter.
x. Lucy @ GlamChic Glam.com
- Anonymous said...
My favorite site for shopping is CouponAlbum..I found there many coupons and coupon codes on fashion accessories...
- Akosua said...
Great blog, do you happen to know where Brandy's 'Look of the week' dress is from?


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- 11th for Economics in the Complete University Guide 2018
- 18th for Economics in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018
- 72 per cent of research in Economics and Econometrics classified as world leading or internationally excellent
- Finance and Economics Experimental Laboratory at Exeter (FEELE) is one of only two such facilities in Europe
The academics in the Economics Department are a dynamic and highly research active group with a strong tradition of interaction and collaboration among the faculty. Our research covers a broad spectrum of themes including economic theory, experimental economics, public economics, macroeconomics and econometrics and has attracted funding from bodies such as the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT), the National Audit Office (NAO), and the Leverhulme Trust.
Your learning and teaching at the University will be state-of-the-art and you will benefit from exposure to the latest thinking. Our Masters students are valued highly by employers. Many of our graduates have gone on to work as professional economists in the public sector, for example: the UK's Government Economic Service, the Central Bank of Turkey, the Central Bank of South Korea and some investment banks. Others have progressed to PhD programmes, both in Exeter and elsewhere.
The subject areas of recent dissertations have included international taxation, economic growth, currency and banking crises, behavioural economics, behavioural finance, environmental economics and both theoretical and applied econometrics. Plus, our Economics programmes are recognised by the ESRC South West Doctoral Training Centre, a hub of world-class social sciences research which offers funding for EU students intending to progress to PhD level study.
Economics Research
With 72% of our Economics research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, we have been awarded research grants from funding bodies such as the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) and the Leverhulme Trust. Our world-leading academics are shaping future study by writing core texts, and holding editorial positions in leading international journals such as Fiscal Studies, Econometric Theory, Journal of Economic Psychology and the Journal of Public Economic Theory.
The Tax Administration Research Centre (TARC) was founded in January 2013 in partnership between the University of Exeter and the Institute for Fiscal Studies with the funding provided by the ESRC, HMRC, and HMT. The role of TARC is to investigate tax administration using a variety of different research methods (e.g. analysing data and conducting experiments) and purely theoretical work on tax compliance and auditing. TARC is multidisciplinary and it engages with tax administrations, the media, and researchers to disseminate this information throughout the policy and academic world. An important role of the Centre is to build capacity for future tax research by providing scholarships for PhD students. The three most recent recruits graduated from the MSc programme in Exeter.
I have enjoyed my time immensely at the Business School. I chose to come here initially owing to the University's growing reputation for excellence – both in teaching and in research – and also because the South West is such a wonderful part of the country to live in.
Shaun Grimshaw - MSc Economics
Study abroad and gain a second Masters qualification
The double degree option enables you to gain a second Masters qualification by studying for a year with one of our prestigious partner universities. Specific to MSc Economics, MSc Economics & Econometrics and MSc Financial Economics programmes is a Double Degree opportunity with Fudan University School of Economics. For more information on this and other postgraduate study abroad opportunities, visit the Business School's Study Abroad webpages.


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Lady Grange is a colourful cocktail bar which also sells "pub grub":
There is a large communal bench on the ground floor with stools, as well as tables. The walls are bedecked with an eclectic range of artworks:
Behind our table, there was a James Bond movie poster, fringed by champagne bottles on the shelf below:
There were eight attendees at our meeting - Dalya, our leader, and her sister in law, Laura, as a guest; Abi and her seven week old son Joe (not in the attendance count); Corrinne; Sue; our two new members, Lindsay and Marcus; and me.
Dalya had never made a chocolate mousse cake before, so she made this triple-decker beauty with a sponge cake base and dark and white chocolate mousse layers:
She made the elegant chocolate curls by drying melted chocolate over a rolling pin.
Sue made this wonderfully light gluten-free pomegranate syrup cake:
Corrinne made a grapefruit curd cake, with two layers of grapefruit flavoured sponge filled with marscapone and grapefruit curd, topped with more marscapone and crowned with grapefruit leaves:
I made a Honey Almond Fruit Cake with Cherry and Almond Flowers (some of which sadly sank into oblivion):
This delightful cake came from my new baking book, Bake It Great by Luis Troyano of Season 6 of the Great British Bakeoff. It was not at all heavy, was pleasantly sweet because of the honey and muscavado sugar on the batter, and was filled with luscious dried fruit (in my case, raisins, currants and apricots - I had no sultanas as stated by the recipe).
Abi made a chocolate mud cake filled with luscious caramel ganache:
Lindsay, one of our new members, made this impressive rainbow cake filled with lemon curd:
We accompanied our cake with a beverage of choice (in my case, Prosecco), and tried as much of each cake as we dared. As usual, the cakes were all delicious and a credit to our bakers.
And the finale - we took home leftovers of each cake:
It was another fun meeting of the Melbourne Cake Club. Next month's theme is Nuts.


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My good friend, Jessi, over at Novel Heartbeat runs this awesome feature as a way for her followers to get to know her better! Check out the list of upcoming topics here.
Today's topic is scents, so I'm going to give you my top three favourites, and my top three least favourites.
Top three least favourite scents:
- B.O. or just stinky people in general, with a particular note to couriers who smoke all day long in their cars and then come into the office to deliver parcels trailing their rank pack-a-day odour -- ugh.
- Indian curry. This goes hand-in-hand with foods that I don't like, and also a place once that I just couldn't consider renting because too much Indian food had been cooked within its walls!
- Cigarette smoke.
- Peppermint. I've also loved the scent of peppermint, from candy canes at Christmas to peppermint-scented candles year-round.
- Vanilla. I also burn vanilla candles since they make my house smell like I've been baking. All of the perfume that I've ever worn is vanilla-based, starting from when I was a teen and would buy vanilla essential oils from The Body Shop!
- Jean-Paul Gauthier's Homme. My hubby has quite a few colognes, and they all smell amazing, but this one is my all-time favourite.


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Speaker 33
Utterance: 170
Interview language: Italian
Location: San Leucio, Campania, Italy
Standard Romance language prompt: voglio mandarglielo
Standard Romance language prompt translation: I want to send it to him/her/them
Phonetic transcription: ʧu 'voʎʎu man'na/home/crlling/CRL/releases/20140917230212/public/sound_files/speaker33_170.wav /home/crlling/CRL/releases/20140917230212/public/sound_files/speaker33_170.wav
|Clitic position (single verb): proclisis
|Displaced stress: no
|Geminate consonant: yes
|Interrogative: no
|Negation: no
|Prepositional complementizer: no
|Pronoun 1 person: 3
|Pronoun 1 role: IO
|Pronoun 2 form: l
|Pronoun 2 gender: masculine
|Pronoun 2 number: singular
|Pronoun 2 person: 3
|Pronoun 2 role: DO
|Stress: final
|Unknown element: no
|Verb 1 auxiliary: no
|Verb 1 gerund: no
|Verb 1 imperative: no
|Verb 1 infinitive: no
|Verb 1 modal: yes
|Verb 1 number: singular
|Verb 1 participle: no
|Verb 1 person: 1
|Verb 1 tensed: yes
|Verb 2 auxiliary: no
|Verb 2 gerund: no
|Verb 2 infinitive: yes
|Verb 2 modal: no
|Verb 2 participle: no
CRL © 2018. Lori Repetti & Francisco Ordóñez. Stony Brook University, NY. All Rights Reserved


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After spending a month in Nice France and an other month coming back to Canada. I am ready to continue my work on the sequel of Number to Number Combat. So far I like to use the code name NtN as Number to Number. It is kind of lame name but well it is a code name. Since I have been back, I worked on a new article for a journal, it is half done. I find it really hard to focus on the work when you can go outside and play in the sun. Although, this new article is about my new approach to Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA), as discussed in the last post, my last approach did not work the way I was expecting in Number to Number Combat. So I have been thinking about a new cheap (as easy) way to approach the problem of DDA. I saw a lot of model that were really complicated to implement and design. I want something easy enough to be design on any kind of games.
So how can I achieved that? well I think I found a good approach, but I still have to work on the algorithms to control some variables. So I will introduce the model in a couple weeks.
Meanwhile, I was going to implement NtN using GameMaker, but I changed my mind recently. As a sequel I think I have to use Flash again, more for the game's result than for the platform. I am designing NtN based on the comment I got on Newgrounds for Number to Numer Combat. My DDA system is important for my research at the university, so I have to make sure the result of the sequel are from the same kind of player. So that is the first reason why I changed my development from game maker to as3.
Number to Number Combat was implemented using Flash and FlashDevelop, I really liked to worked with actionScript 3 but not really when it is embedded with Flash. The only strong side I can see working with flash and flashdevelop is when you are more an artist than a developer. It is really easy to modify your art and see the result in the game. But it is a pain in the a.. to program, because you always have to come back to flash for all the little thing existing in the game. For example, if I want to had a little text in the top corner to see the value of a certain variable. Well I have to go to flash add a little piece of text, put it dynamic, give it a variable name that I can program and link it to a class. That little class is actually an empty class, so at the end of your project you have a million of empty classes that you need in order to control your game. I did like that approach, so I decided to keep working with ac3 but I changed the platform a little bit, I am now using Flex, which is open source and free. So far, it is really good, it is code-oriented and easier to debug than using Flash.
So far I finished a little tutorial that is really good : Tutorial. It was really interesting and easy to follow, I really like that the guy is using advance programming structure to implement the game. By the end you have more than just a little program, you will have a structure that cool be used with any kind of games. So if you are looking to learn ac3, you should check it out.
Hopefully you all having a wonderful summer.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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1,800 foreign offenders have dodged UK deportation for over 5 yrs – Home Office
The former domain of British Prime Minister Theresa May – who served as home secretary and was known as an ardent advocate of a more stringent approach to the deportation of foreign offenders – shows an extremely poor record in implementing its own policy, Vaz argued.
"These are extraordinary figures. To have failed to deport nearly 1,800 people after five years shows that there is something seriously wrong with the system," he said, as quoted by The Telegraph. Vaz added that the system is inherently flawed and called on policymakers to "take urgent action to ensure that when sentences have been completed people are returned to their countries of origin immediately."
Vaz, who serves as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, pointed to the extreme ineffectiveness of the established procedure, stating that when foreign criminals "convicted of a criminal offence in this country have been allowed to stay for up to half-a-decade with apparently no prospect of removal," it "can't be right."
In total, 5,895 foreign nationals who have already served their prison sentences in the UK are still not being deported to their home countries. Among those, 344 people have been awaiting deportation between four and five years, while 574 criminals are still residing in the UK two to three years after being released. Another 843 convicts have been living in the country for one to two years after their release.
READ MORE: Brexit: UK could retain control of migration from EU for up to 7yrs while staying in single market
Theresa May, then still home secretary, hailed the country's deportation campaign a success back in June, stating that in 2015 the government managed to remove "a record number of foreign national offenders from this country, including a record number of EU criminals." However, the discouraging statistics indicate there are issues with the existing system.
Earlier, the prime minister acknowledged her ministry's failure to place all former prisoners due to be deported under state supervision, as only 493 out of 5,789 foreign criminals were tagged. She stressed, however, that the government would proceed with the deportation of all who are eligible.
"We do not give up trying to deport these individuals," May stated in a letter provided in response to Keith Vaz's inquiry last month.
Despite her claims, only 102 foreign criminals were deported between February 2015 and June 2016.
"Despite firm commitments to improve, and a massive ten-fold increase in resources, the system appears to be totally dysfunctional," Vaz said in response to the letter.
May has always been a strong supporter of more robust deportation guidelines against non-British nationals, saying that all foreign convicts should be automatically deported once they are released from jail.
However, she was forced to revise her tough stance after a ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in February, in a case which significantly diminished the Home Office's powers pertaining to deportations.
READ MORE:UK economy must suffer over 'mad' Brexit decision, insists EU divorce clause autho


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'Parent trigger' would let parents convert schools
"Indiana parents could soon have a direct say in turning public schools into charter schools. A measure being pushed in the Indiana House of Representatives would let them vote to turn public schools over to charter school operators."
This is monumentally moronic. I can't even begin to wrap my head around this insanity. If 51% of a school's parents are brainwashed into thinking that naming your school with the word, charter, is an improvement, it becomes a charter school. I haven't read much, but the research seems inconclusive to me. Besides, I would argue that a successful charter school has effective teachers. A successful public school has effective teachers. A successful clown school has effective teachers. Let's stop pretending that the type of school is the secret to success. Use research to train teachers in best practices, allow them the freedom to collaborate, and reward them for creative, effective lessons--when that happens, you'll see success... in public, private, and clown schools.
I'm convinced that someone is making trademark money every time the word, charter, is used.


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ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — Fears deepened Sunday about the fate of hostages reportedly being held by Islamic militants inside a besieged radical mosque in the heart of this capital.
Meanwhile, as Pakistani troops encircled the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, for a sixth day, the cleric in charge declared that he hoped the standoff, which has left at least two dozen people dead, would help trigger an Islamic revolution in Pakistan.
It was unclear how many people were inside the mosque complex, which contains two madrasas, or seminaries, one each for men and women, with an enrollment of about 5,000 students. About 1,200 people have surrendered to authorities, but the number of those leaving the mosque has slowed to a trickle.
Some students who emerged from the compound have said a hard-core group of about 50 militants is preventing hundreds of people, including women and children, from leaving.


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First off, let me just say that I will be very blunt in my opinion and assessments in this column. It concerns former heavyweight champ George Foreman and his career prior to taking the title from undefeated champ "Smokin" Joe Frazier. I've grown tired over the recent years of so many revising history to make themselves come off smarter than they really were. I have noticed this a lot lately when the fight has been discussed. I was around at the time of the title fight between Frazier and Foreman. Although I was only 13, I followed it better and more closely than anybody.
I love how so many now say they knew Foreman was going to demolish Frazier before their 1973 title fight? And there are quite a few of you. No Way! I lived through that period, and I'm telling you nobody thought Foreman had prayer-one versus Frazier, nobody. Like him or not, there was only one person who thought Foreman was going to beat Frazier, Howard Cosell. That's right, not one fighter, retired great fighter, boxing writer, or broadcaster thought Foreman was going to win other than Cosell. And it's documented on tape.
I have the ABC archives footage where Cosell is holding court with the boxing/sporting press and tells Barney Nagler of the daily Racing Forum that he thinks Foreman is gonna kill Frazier. Cosell goes on to tell Nagler that Frazier took a bad beating in the Ali fight and that he has basically retired mentally from fighting. Cosell went on to say Frazier's only interested in making lousy records and soaking up the stardom he's gained from defeating Muhammad Ali.
Other big time writers were at this gathering while Cosell took an informal poll among them, and some great former ex-champs as well. Guys like Dick Young, Dave Anderson, and Red Smith were all in agreement that Foreman is a sitting duck for Smokin Joe. Ex-greats like Dempsey, Tunney, Walcott, Graziano, and Pep are some of the ex-fighters who Cosell polls for a pick. Everyone of them agrees with the writers and all like Frazier in a big way. Back then retired champs used to go to and care about the big championship fights.
Look, I'm not putting Foreman down, I think he is an all-time top three or four heavyweight champ. However, going into his fight with Frazier, Foreman's record was viewed with the same disdain as the record of Shannon Briggs' was viewed while he was undefeated. Another words, he had many impressive knockouts, but who did he really knockout? Would anyone have picked Briggs to beat Tyson two fights removed from Michael Spinks. The answer is no and Hell no.
Tyson looked so-so after Spinks when he fought Bruno. Yet nobody would've taken Briggs to beat Tyson if he fought him after the Bruno fight, despite his size and knockout record. The same thing applies with Frazier and Foreman. Although Frazier looked so-so versus Daniels and Stander after he beat Ali. Nobody thought he would lose to a big wild swinging fighter like Foreman. After Frazier defeated Ali, some were hailing him as possibly the greatest heavyweight champ in history. Frazier's rep after the first Ali fight was every bit as hyped as Tyson's was after Spinks, if not more.
Just look at Foreman's record going into the Frazier fight. Who'd he fight that would even be mentioned in the same sentence with an undefeated Frazier? Not a single fighter. No way was there anybody who spoke out that thought Foreman would beat Frazier other than Cosell.
At the time it was thought that Frazier matched up better with big fighters. It was said he could get under their jab and work the head and body with his left-hook. Frazier is often accused of being slow. This was mainly because he was most often measured against his Nemesis, Ali. Compared to Ali, every bodies hands look slow. The fact of the matter was that Frazier had extremely fast hands, especially on the inside. Frazier didn't have a good conventional straight right hand. However, he had a dynamite right to the body.
Foreman was thought to be slow and ponderous heading into his title fight with Frazier. His punches were wide, he had no attack plan, and had questionable endurance. His chin was also a huge question mark at that time, and even his punch was questioned by some. Looking back now we know his chin is one of the great heavyweight beards in history. His pure strength and power are virtually unmatched in heavyweight history. All these things are now well documented, but they weren't heading into his first fight with Frazier.
In October of 1972, three months prior to fighting Frazier, Foreman stopped 3-14 Terry Sorrell in two rounds. It's a wonder that Foreman was only 3-1 underdog versus Frazier. Going back to the beginning of Foreman's career, there is nothing, including his Olympic Gold Medal to suggest he had anything for Frazier.
In August of 1969 Foreman fought tough Chuck Wepner in his fourth pro bout. Wepner at the time was 18-4-2, but was more known for being one of Joe Frazier's toughest sparring partners. Although Foreman should be commended for taking on a toughie like Wepner in only his fourth fight, there was nothing he showed that in a couple years he'd be ready for the reigning champ, Frazier.
Two fights after beating Wepner, Foreman stops journeyman 7-11-1 Cookie Wallace. After beating Wallace, he stops "Big" Vernon Clay in two rounds who is 8-3 at the time. In his next fight after Clay, he is taken the distance for the first time as a pro by 13-15 Roberto Davila. In his next 3 fights he stops Leo Peterson, Max Martinez, and Bob Hazelton who were a combined 12-16. Next he is taken the distance by 19-22 Levi Forte. Think anybody is yet whispering, "Frazier better beware of George Foreman?" Hell NO! It wasn't even an after thought!
After going the distance with Forte, Foreman stops 3-4 Gary Wiler, 10-14-3 Charlie Polite, and huge Jack O'Hallaran who is 18-5-2. After stopping these three trial horses, Foreman fights long time light heavyweight contender Gregorio Peralta 78-5-8. Peralta has just recently started to fight at heavyweight. Peralta takes Foreman the distance and loses a unanimous decision. Foreman won this fight on youth and sheer brute strength. The Foreman-Peralta fight was on the under card of the Frazier-Ellis championship fight. My father took me to this fight in February of 1970. The fights were at Madison Square Garden. I remember leaving after the Frazier-Ellis fight, nobody, but nobody was even considering that Foreman was ever going to be the one to take Frazier's title shortly down the road. In fact it was just the opposite. Most felt that Foreman would be nothing more than a heavy bag with eyes if ever matched with Frazier.
In Foreman's next five fights, he scores 5 KO's. The only name even worth mentioning of those five is George "Scrapiron" Johnson 14-15-4. Johnson is known for taking Frazier to a decision, and losing to Jerry Quarry. After scoring the fifth KO in his previous five fights, Foreman fights tough contender George Chuvalo 59-15-2. Chuvalo at this time is four years removed from losing a 15 round decision to former heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali, and three years removed from being stopped by current champ Joe Frazier. Going into the Foreman fight, Chuvalo has never been knocked off his feet. Something no fighter ever accomplished. Foreman goes onto stop Chuvalo in three rounds, one less than it took Frazier.
After beating Chuvalo, Foreman stops highly touted at the time Boone Kirkman 22-1 on the Frazier-Foster under card. Next, trial horses Mel Turnbow 8-10, and Stamford Harris 15-23-1 become Foreman knockout victims. After Harris, Foreman fights a rematch with Gregorio Peralta 83-6-8 and stops him this time in the 10th round in Oakland California. Again, there has not been one mention at this time that Foreman could possibly be the fighter to dethrone Frazier. Not in the paper, not in the Boxing publications, not by anybody?
After stopping Peralta in the rematch, Foreman wins nine in a row by stoppage. Among those victims are fighters who at best can be considered trial horses/journeymen. Fighters such as LeRoy Caldwell 11-8-1, Luis Pires 18-7-1, and Miguel Paez 42-16-13. In his next fight after Paez, and his last fight before challenging Frazier, Foreman destroys the infamous 3-14 Terry Sorrell in two rounds.
Of all the fighters and so called contenders that Foreman fought on the way up, only Chuvalo fought for the heavyweight title. And that was four years prior to him facing Foreman. As much as I love the finished version of George Foreman, the pre Frazier version of him really didn't beat any fighter of note other than Chuvalo. Foreman who held a gaudy 37-0 (34) record heading into the Frazier fight had a record comparable to the undefeated Shannon Briggs. No way anybody but Foreman, his handlers, and Cosell thought Foreman could win, let alone actually pull it off.
I know Frazier's manager and trainer Yank Durham had reservations about Joe facing George, but all managers worry about their fighters opponents. Durham basically thought it made more sense for Joe to face Ali again. Yank knew that Joe had a style match up over Ali, the money was four and a half times better, and even if Joe lost, it was doubtful that he would be stopped. He also figured a Frazier defeat by Ali would make them 1-1 versus each other, so he knew the third fight would always be there.
Remember, nobody knew better than Yank that Frazier hadn't really spent too much time in the gym after he beat Ali. Although Durham felt Foreman would be tough for Frazier, I know for a fact he never felt certain that Frazier wasn't going to come out on top. Foreman was thought by many to be made for Frazier, not the other way around. Now, there are plenty who say, Oh, I knew Frazier was all wrong for Foreman and that Foreman was going to take him apart. None of you were saying anything close to that on January 21 1973.
Heading into his bout with Joe Frazier, Foreman hadn't fought anybody close to an undefeated Frazier. There wasn't one opponent on Foreman's record to suggest he is Frazier's conquer, not one. Frazier was the solid favorite and deservedly so. The only thing that made Foreman seem formidable vs Frazier, other than his size, was him being an Olympic Champion with a lot of knockouts and maybe Frazier would look past him. Even at that, it was perceived that Frazier didn't have to be at his best to defeat Foreman.
The bottom line is that I don't believe any of the Monday morning quarterbacks who now claim that they knew back then that Foreman matched up favorably vs Frazier. It was still questioned at the time as to whether or not Foreman had the power to really hurt Frazier and keep him off. The only one who picked Foreman over Frazier publicly was Howard Cosell. And of course Foreman himself.
In fact Foreman said in an interview with Boxing Illustrated before he fought Frazier that he considered himself lucky to be the guy getting Frazier after the Ali fight. George stated that Frazier is not the same fighter who defeated Ali. He said Frazier is ready to be taken in his next fight. Bottom line is I don't believe those who say they knew Foreman was a lock to beat Frazier. I just don't believe you. If you said it, you said it to yourself. There was nothing on Foreman's record to even suggest he deserved being a 3-1 underdog. Only Cosell picked Foreman publicly. And of course Foreman. He said it in Boxing Illustrated, and he did it in Jamaica.
I'm sure all those who picked Foreman in 1973 to beat Frazier, are the same guys who just knew that Leonard was going to upset Hagler in 1987. You guys were a ghost in 1973, just like in 1987. I know some guys picked these upsets, but not nearly as many who now claim so. Oh, you must be the same guys along with Ron Borges who picked Holyfield to take Tyson apart before their first fight in 1996?
Writers Note
Just for the record, I picked Frazier to knock Foreman out in 1973. My feeling was that Frazier would be able to push Foreman back and work him over. I picked Leonard to decision Hagler when they fought in 1987. I felt Leonard's speed and chin would keep him on his feet through the 12th round. I felt Leonard was being overlooked. Leonard waited for the right time to challenge Hagler, after his tough fight with John "The Beast" Mugabi. I figured if Leonard was on his feet at the end, he'd get the decision. Lastly, I picked Holyfield to beat Tyson originally when they were slated to fight in November of 1991. However, when they fought in November 1996, I picked Tyson. So I was wrong on the actual fight. I always knew Holyfield at his best was better than the best Tyson. But, Holyfield looked awful in losing to Bowe in their third fight, and struggling with Czyz in his last fight. The only reason why Tyson agreed to fight Holyfield in 1996 was because he thought it was safe. We all did. Even though I have no doubt Holyfield was better than Tyson, I didn't think the 1996 version was. And neither did anyone else other than Borges?


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Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart Touched Down In New York Last Night!
Rob & Kristen (aka "Robsten") were spotted at JFK airport!
Looks like Rob Pattinson, 23, and Kristen Stewart, 19, arrived in New York just in time to miss the big blizzard — or did their arrival cause it to stop? Either way, the lovebirds were spotted landing at John F. Kennedy airport on Feb. 26 along with Rob's longtime friend, actor Tom Sturridge. And although nothing earth shattering occured during the trio's trip through the crowded airport, eyewitnesses did get to see one pretty adorable sight: Rob was carrying what looks like one of Kristen's bags for her! Apparently chivalry isn't dead (or is it, undead? …Get it? He plays a vampire.)
Both Rob and Kristen have pretty full plates during their time in New York. Among their many activities, Kristen will be stopping by Jay Leno's revamped Tonight Show on March 10, while Rob will be busy with the March 1 premiere of his new movie Remember Me. He'll be doing promotion for the movie March 1 on The Today Show and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and March 2 on The View and The Daily Show. (OK… you can go set your TiVos now!)


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I no longer give money to poor people or even to people who have been disaster-stricken. The last time I donated a buck help the unfortunate was after the Thailand tsunami. I regret that.
My attitude is somewhat subsidized. There are plenty of people who will give to the deserving unfortunate, so I don't need to pile on. But I now put the emphasis on the deserving–unfortunate is not alone enough to make me care.
Here's my latest act of charity: I didn't reduce my Netflix subscription plan. I'm on the 3-at-once plan. They solicited me to upgrade for $1.54 a month. When I went to look at the plans, I realized they were doing some funny math. Per disc or something. Thinking about it, we don't watch more than 1 disc a week. We have a disc that's been here for 6 weeks, and another we forgot to send back, and another we might watch tonight 8 days after we got it. I have a Blu-Ray player that does streaming, and there are 400 movies in my streaming queue. My DVR is 40% full still after we've watched all we could this weekend. As homo economicus, I should reduce down to 1 disc at a time and save $10 a month, not add another $10 a month (which is what the $1.54 would really turn out to be). And Neflix is a horrible popup ad offender.
But I didn't reduce my plan. Because I love Netflix. Their site rocks, their streaming rocks, they're swimming upstream against sharks, and not always doing the right thing, and I want to help them out some. There are plenty of other businesses where I make similar decisions. I buy software I don't really need just to say Nice job! I shop at local stores that have great service, just to do a little something to keep that from going extinct. I tip 50% at restaurants I love that are now empty, not because I think it will keep them in business, but just trying to encourage.
The other day, I gave my first guy with a cardboard sign at a freeway exit some money. He was selling single roses for $3 and I gave him $10.
Especially now, there are so many hard-working people getting screwed by the economy. Whether it's Netflix or a little restaurant that can't survive a 40% drop in business or a guy begging by the freeway who leads with providing value instead of playing the pathetic card…I love these guys.
To modify a phrase, the best way to help the poor is to help only those who are trying hard not to be one of them.
UPDATE 2016: That freeway guy is still selling roses at that exit, still leading with being destitute. I got taken.


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Think of "The Adventures of Tintin" as a song of innocence and experience, able to combine a sweet sense of childlike wonder and pureness of heart with the most worldly and sophisticated of modern technology. More than anything, it's just a whole lot of fun.
An old-fashioned epic tale of high seas hijinks and derring-do in distant lands, "Tintin" is presented in an up-to-the-minute combination of 3-D computer animation and performance-capture technology and overseen by two filmmakers, director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson, who've always kept their inner children close at hand.
The same can be said for Belgian comic artist Georges Remi, who in 1929 under the pen name Hergé created Tintin, the crime-fighting boy journalist with the upswept ginger hair. Accompanied by his intrepid dog Snowy, Tintin is unflappable and inventive in his unquenchable thirst for solving riddles and righting wrongs.
So much better known overseas that "Adventures" hit theaters in Bulgaria close to two months before its domestic opening, Tintin was the hero of 24 graphic novels that Hergé wrote over nearly 50 years, books that have so far sold 350 million copies in some 80 languages. "The Adventures of Tintin," written by the all-star team of Steven Moffat ("Doctor Who"), Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead") & Joe Cornish ("Attack the Block"), shrewdly combines plot elements from three Tintin books, with most of the material coming from "The Secret of the Unicorn."


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99% is ....... The Barnet Eye
Music, football, Dyslexia, Cancer and all things London Borough of Barnet
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Good to see Theresa May doing a Wenger!
Good to see that Theresa May is doing a Wenger. Bad tactics, rubbish team, awful results, but never mind, she got us into this mess, so who better to get us out of it! The only question I have is whether Stan Kronke is on the 1922 committee?
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A novel vending machine...Posted by JennyBee at 6/25/2008 09:02:00 am
Article sourced from this week's Contagious Newsletter.
Now this may sound like a slightly unlikely scenario, but just in case you ever find yourself with $20k in loose change burning a hole in your pocket, then we suggest you get yourself over to Shibuya Station in Tokyo, where Smart has set up a giant vehicle vending machine...
Ok, so this doesn't actually dispense cars, but it does pop-out small canisters containing brochures for the cars along with sheets of stickers showing the various colour options. Also, as we would expect for the highly connected Japanese market, the literature directs users to the Smart website, playsmart.jp, not via a written URL, but via a QR code, which when photographed with a mobile phone camera, links through to the digital portal.
Once on the website, visitors can then 'play smart' - an addictive application which allows you create your own smart car with a variety of funky paint jobs and graphics, before racing it around a series of 3D circuits. As you progress through the levels, your interactivity is rewarded with more customisable options for your car.
Once you are satisfied with your level of 'pimp', you can then submit your design along with a user name and in doing so, add your creation to the colourful swarm of Smart Cars on the home page. However (and this is where it gets really good), to finish things off, you can then print out a colour net of your vehicle, to construct a proper miniature 3D model!
Smart has clearly identified its audience with this delightful integrated assault on the Japanese market. The vending machine and use of QR codes pander nicely to the desire for instant gratification, whilst the online gaming function will no-doubt be welcomed with tech-savvy, Japanese arms. Round this off with an cute, low-fi way to turn your digital design into a real-world reward and we'd say it's a winner!
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