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Department of Human Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (341) 3550 - 350
fax: +49 (0341) 3550 - 399
e-mail: streiber@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Human evolution during the Plio-Pleistocene of eastern Africa
Ongoing fieldwork in Kenya's Turkana Basin by the Koobi Fora Research Project, directed by Meave Leakey and Louise Leakey, has recovered important fossil remains of human ancestors and their relatives ('hominins'). An important part of my research focuses on the description and analysis of the skull remains among these fossils. This has resulted in the description of a new Pliocene hominin genus, Kenyanthropus platyops, based on the cranium KNM-WT 40000 from 3.5 million year old layers at Lomekwi on the west side of Lake Turkana (Leakey et al., 2001 and Spoor et al., 2010).
More recent fieldwork at Koobi Fora and Ileret (east of Lake Turkana, Kenya) has provided important new evidence documenting the radiation of early Homo in the period between 1.4 and 2.1 million years ago. Fossils discovered at Koobi Fora between 2007 and 2009, confirm that in addition to Homo erectus two further species of early Homo occurred (Leakey et al., 2012). These are most commonly known as Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis. Most prominent among the new finds are a remarkably complete lower jaw (KNM-ER 60000) and a face (KNM-ER 62000). Based on affinities with the well-known cranium KNM-ER 1470 these are attributed to Homo rudolfensis.
Earlier we had found fossil evidence that Homo habilis survived in eastern Africa until at least 1.4 million years ago (Spoor et al., 2007). Hence, this species and Homo erectus did not form a single evolutionary lineage, but lived side by side in eastern Africa for nearly half a million years. Moreover, the discovery of a particularly small calvaria of H. erectus (KNM-ER 42700) indicates that this taxon overlapped in size with H. habilis, and may have shown marked sexual dimorphism (Spoor et al., 2007).
Additional projects concern a detailed assessment of the Pliocene juvenile Australopithecus afarensis skeleton DIK-1-1 from Dikika, Ethiopia, in collaboration with Zeresenay Alemseged (California Academy of Sciences; Dikika Research Project), and the Pleistocene partial Homo cranium KNM-OG 45500 from Olorgesailie, Kenya, in collaboration with Rick Potts (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History).
Key publications
Leakey MG, Spoor F, Dean MC, Feibel CS, Antón SC, Kiarie C, & Leakey LN (2012) New fossils from Koobi Fora, northern Kenya, confirm taxonomic diversity in early Homo. Nature 488, 201-204.
Spoor F, Leakey MG, Leakey LN. (2010) Hominin diversity in the middle Pliocene of eastern Africa: the maxilla of KNM-WT 40000. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B 365, 3377-3388.
Spoor F, Leakey MG, Gathogo PN, Brown FH, Antón SC, McDougall I, Kiarie C, Manthi FK & Leakey LN (2007) Implications of new early Homo fossils from Ileret, east of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 448, 688-691.
Alemseged Z, Spoor F, Kimbel WH, Bobe R, Geraads D, Reed D & Wynn JG. (2006). A juvenile early hominin skeleton from Dikika, Ethiopia. Nature 443, 296-301.
Leakey MG, Spoor F, Brown FH, Gathogo PN, Kiarie C, Leakey LN & McDougall I (2001) New hominin genus from eastern Africa shows diverse middle Pliocene lineages. Nature 410, 433-440.
Spoor, F (1997) Basicranial architecture and relative brain size of Sts 5 (Australopithecus africanus) and other Plio-Pleistocene hominids. South Afr. J. Science 93: 182-187. [PDF]
NB: If you own, or are considering to buy a BoneClones "cast" of the Kenyanthropus cranium KNM-WT 40000, please read this: Spoor F, Leakey LN & Leakey MG (2002) Bone Clones "re-creation" of Kenyanthropus. Physical Anthropology 3: 2. [PDF]
Opinion pieces
The bony labyrinth and inner ear: comparative and functional morphology
The bony labyrinth inside the petrous temporal bone houses the organ of hearing in the cochlea and the organs perceiving movement and spatial orientation in the vestibule and semicircular canals (structures jointly known as the inner ear). The size and shape of the bony labyrinth often differs between species and even subspecies (Spoor and Zonneveld, 1998; Gunz et al., 2012), and can thus aid taxonomic identification of fossils. A good example is the possibility to distinguish between modern humans and Neanderthals, just on their bony labyrinths alone (Hublin et al., 1996; Spoor et al., 2003).
Human evolution
Species differences shown by the bony labyrinth are related to a number of factors. These include, among others, functional requirements of the sense organs of balance and hearing, and the spatial integration with the surrounding cranial base and brain. Because of its link with both brain morphology and body coordination (i.e. 'keeping balance') the bony labyrinth is of particular interest when studying human evolution; it provides information about the emergence of bipedal locomotion and about the process of brain expansion. Examining hominin fossils does indeed show that the bony labyrinth changes substantially in the course of human evolution, but the timing of the changes is not always as expected. For example, the semicircular canals, which sense head rotations, do not appear to change much when bipedal locomotion first emerged at least 4 million years ago. Instead, the main change is seen from about 2 million years ago, when our ancestors acquired a body plan and the types of gait broadly similar to modern humans (Spoor et al., 1994; Spoor, 2003).
Originally the bony labyrinth was studied using medical computed tomography (CT), which strongly restricted both the morphological details that could be observed and the accuracy of measurements that could be taken. Now high-resolution CT images are increasingly available and the bony labyrinth is studied in much more detail and with greatly improved methods in a joint effort with my colleagues Romain David, Philipp Gunz and Alex Stoessel. Among the new approaches are the use of 3D landmarks and geometric morphometrics to analyse size and shape differences (Gunz et al., 2012), and the application of sophisticated models of the semicircular canal system to assess how morphological differences relate to modified sensory function (see here).
Braga J, Thackeray JF, Dumoncel J, Descouens D, Bruxelles L, Loubes J-M, Kahn J-L, Stampanoni M, de Beer F, Spoor F. (2013) A new partial temporal bone of a juvenile hominin from the site of Kromdraai B (South Africa). J. Hum. Evol. 65, 447-456.
Gunz P, Ramsier M, Kuhrig M, Hublin JJ & Spoor F (2012) The mammalian bony labyrinth reconsidered, introducing a comprehensive geometric morphometric approach. J. Anatomy 220, 529-543.
Spoor F, Hublin JJ, Braun M & Zonneveld F (2003) The bony labyrinth of Neanderthals. J. Hum Evol. 44, 141-165.
Spoor F (2003) The semicircular canal system and locomotor behaviour, with special reference to hominin evolution. Cour. Forsch. Senckenberg. 243: 93-104 [PDF]
Spoor F & Zonneveld F (1998) Comparative review of the human bony labyrinth. Yrbk Phys. Anthrop. 41, 211-251.
Hublin J-J, Spoor F, Braun M, Zonneveld F & Condemi S. (1996) A late Neanderthal from Arcy-sur-Cure associated with Upper Palaeolithic artefacts. Nature 381, 224-226.
Spoor F, Wood B & Zonneveld F (1994) Implications of early hominid labyrinthine morphology for the evolution of human bipedal locomotion. Nature 369, 645-648.
Mammalian morphology & evolution
Past research systematically explored the relationship between the arc size of the semicircular canals and locomotor behaviour among primates and other groups of mammals. Empirically it was found that the semicircular canals are significantly larger in species that are agile and acrobatic than in those that are more cautious in their locomotion. A plausible factor underpinning this relationship appears to be that arc size is among the factors that affect the functional response characteristics of the canal system. This functional relationship was used to assess the locomotor behaviour of a wide range of fossil and subfossil primate taxa.
Ryan TM, Silcox MT, Walker A, Mao X, Begun DR, Benefit BR, Gingerich PD, Köhler M, Kordos L, McCrossin ML, Moyà-Solà S, Sanders WJ, Seiffert ER, Simons E, Zalmout IS, Spoor F. (2012) Evolution of locomotion in Anthropoidea: the semicircular canal evidence. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 279, 3467-3475
Silcox MT, Bloch JI, Boyer DM, Godinot M, Ryan TM, Spoor F & Walker A (2009). The semicircular canal system in early primates. J. Hum. Evol.56, 315-327.
Walker A, Ryan TM, Silcox MT, Simons E & Spoor F (2008) The semicircular canal system and locomotion: the case of extinct lemuroids and lorisoids. Evol. Anthrop. 17, 135-145.
Spoor, F., Garland, Th., Krovitz, G., Ryan, T.M., Silcox, M.T. and Walker, A. (2007) The Primate Semicircular Canal System and Locomotion. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 104, 10808-10812.
Additional work with Nathan Jeffery (University of Liverpool) studied the fetal development of the primate inner ear, as well as the structural relationship between the subarcuate fossa and the semicircular canals. The latter to assess if spatial constrains of the fossa and its brain contents (the petrosal lobule of the paraflocculus) are a factor influencing the arc size of the surrounding semicircular canals.
Jeffery N, Ryan TM & Spoor F. (2008) The primate subarcuate fossa and its relationship to the semicircular canals part II: adult interspecific variation. J. Hum. Evol. 55, 326-339.
Jeffery N, Spoor F. (2006) The primate subarcuate fossa and its relationship to the semicircular canals part I: prenatal growth. J. Hum. Evol. 51, 537-549.
Jeffery N, Spoor F. (2004) Prenatal growth and development of the modern human labyrinth. J. Anatomy. 204, 71-92.
Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are the order showing the most derived inner ear and bony labyrinth among mammals. Most strikingly, they have remarkably small semicircular canals, a phenomenon which appears related to the transition from a terrestrial to a marine environment. In collaboration with Hans Thewissen (North Eastern Ohio College of Medicine, USA) the evolutionary history of this dramatic change is investigated by examining Eocene archaeocete fossils.
Spoor F and Thewissen JGM (2008) Balance: Comparative and functional Anatomy in Aquatic Mammals. In: Sensory Evolution on the Threshold, Adaptations in Secondarily Aquatic Vertebrates (Thewissen JGM and Nummela S, eds), Chapter 16. University of California Press, Berkeley, 257-284.
Spoor F, Bajpai S, Hussain ST, Kumar K., Thewissen JGM (2002) Vestibular evidence for the evolution of aquatic behaviour in early cetaceans. Nature 417, 163-166.
Computed tomography & palaeontology
Ever since the discovery of x-rays, palaeontology has greatly benefited from radiography and computed tomography (CT) to visualize both internal and external aspects of fossils. Some research and reviews of the practical aspects of using CT to study fossils can be found here:
Spoor F, Jeffery N & Zonneveld F. (2000a) Using diagnostic radiology in human evolutionary studies. J. Anatomy 197, 61-76.
Spoor F, Jeffery N & Zonneveld F. (2000b) Imaging skeletal growth and evolution. In: Development, Growth and Evolution: implications for the study of the hominid skeleton. (O'Higgins P and Cohn M eds.). Academic Press, London, pp.123-161. [PDF]
Spoor CF, Zonneveld FW & Macho GA (1993) Linear Measurements of Cortical Bone and Dental Enamel by Computed Tomography: Applications and Problems. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 91, 469-484. [PDF]
Selected blasts from the past
Corbeddu Cave (Sardinia)
Between 1982 and 1990 I participated in the palaeontological excavations at Corbeddu Cave, Sardinia, under the direction of the late Paul Sondaar (Institute of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University). Prior to my PhD, and as a first venture into hominin palaeontology I described the human maxilla and temporal bone we had found in pre-Neolithic layers (~9000 yBP). These specimens, and other evidence, suggest that humans co-existed for substantial time with the endemic island fauna of Pleistocene Sardinia. Such co-existence, as opposed to near-instant eradication of endemic island species, is now a phenomenon of particular interest, following the discovery of hominin ("hobbit") remains as part of the Pleistocene fauna of the island Flores (Indonesia).
Spoor F (1999) The human fossils from Corbeddu Cave, Sardinia: a reappraisal. Deinsea 7, 297-302. [PDF]
Spoor CF and Sondaar PY (1986). Human fossils from the endemic island fauna of Sardinia. J. Human Evol. 15, 399-408.
Hyena locomotion and morphology
For part of my MSc Biology in the Netherlands I did some work on hyenas: skeletal proportions, gait analysis and muscle dissection of Hyaena hyaena and Crocuta crocuta. Following occasional requests for reprints the resulting articles are listed below, with links to PDFs.
Spoor CF and Badoux DM (1989). Descriptive and functional morphology of the locomotory apparatus of the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta Erxleben, 1777). Anat. Anz. 168, 261-266. [PDF]
Spoor CF and Badoux DM (1988). Descriptive and functional myology of the back and hindlimb of the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena L. 1758). Anat. Anz. 167, 313-321. [PDF]
Spoor CF and Badoux DM (1986). Descriptive and functional myology of the neck and forelimb of the striped hyena. Anat. Anz. 161: 375-387. [PDF]
Spoor CF and Belterman Th (1986). Locomotion in Hyaenidae. Contrib. to Zool. 56, 24-28. [PDF]
Spoor CF (1985): Body proportions in Hyaenidae. Anat. Anz. 160, 215-220. [PDF]
Myotragus balearicus
The other half of my MSc Biology concerned Myotragus balearicus, an endemic island bovid from the Pleistocene of the island of Mallorca. I analysed its body proportions and the functional morphology of its limb bones.
Spoor CF (1988) The limb bones of Myotragus balearicus Bate 1909. Proc. Kon. Ned. Ak. Wetensch. B91:295-309. [PDF]
Spoor CF (1988) The body proportions in Myotragus balearicus Bate 1909. Proc. Kon. Ned. Ak. Wetensch. B91:285-293. [PDF]


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- Birthplace
- Middlesbrough, UK
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Skills
- Illustration, Music Artwork Design, Screen-Printing, Character Design
SAVWO's work has intense and organic qualities that are underpinned with humour. Working from his screen-print studio in Manchester, he creates art that largely pays homage to his fascination with 50s horror comics and the movies of John Carpenter. Interested in what scares people, SAVWO (aka John Powell-Jones) is hugely prolific and oversees every stage of his art – from sketches and design to screen-printing and framing he does the lot.
Moon Duo
Wooden Shjips
Sex Hands
Champion Lover
Well Wisher
A Place Called Common
Print Odyssey
Triple Hop
You can buy prints by SAVWO via our online shop!

subset: commoncrawl


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Principal Investigator: President F. King Alexander
Subproject Principal Investigators:
- Prof. Thomas Alex Washington (Social Work)
- Prof. Jeff Wood (Psychology)
- Prof. Bita Ghafoori (Counseling Psychology)
The CSULB School of Social Work is honored to collaborate with CSULB President F. King Alexander; Dr. Kevin Malotte, Director, CSULB Center for Health Care Innovation; Dr. Dennis Fisher, Director, CSULB Center for Behavioral Research and Services; and Britt Rios-Ellis, co-Director, CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training, on a Research Infrastructure for Minority Institutions (RIMI) grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Center On Minority Health And Health Disparities. The purpose of the RIMI project is to develop a research infrastructure and conduct research to provide community and public health approaches to reducing health disparities. The project will have four "Cores": (1) Administrative and Capacity Building Core, (2) the Research Faculty Development Core (which includes the faculty subprojects), (3) the Academic Enrichment for Students Core, and (4) the Shared Resources Core.
Prof. Thomas Alex Washington, an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work, and faculty affiliate at the CSULB Center for Behavioral Research and Services, will serve as principal investigator for the Research Faculty Development Core subproject entitled, "Exploring an HIV Status Awareness Model for Black Men who have sex with men" (HSAM). The purpose of HSAM is to:


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How to Use
surrounding region.
1. Identify the Passaic River. Paterson is located at the Great Falls of the Passaic, where the river cuts through the edge of the Wachung Mountains and drops almost 80 feet. Why would this location have appealed to men looking for an industrial site at the end of the 18th century?
2. Note the distance between New York City and Paterson. New York was the center of the fashion industry, the port of entry for imported raw silk, the nation's leading capital market, and the embarkation point for thousands of immigrants. How do you think Paterson's proximity to New York affected its success as a silk manufacturing center?
* The map on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Map 1, but be aware that the file may take as much as 11 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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Valentines Day is on Friday this year, Monday is Presidents Day, so most of us actually have a three day weekend to really enjoy a getaway for Valentines. What a great time to do something really special with your Sweetheart and Little Rock is just the place to come! Many of the Great restaurants in town will be offering special menus and dinners just to make you look like a hero Or heroine. (Gals can do this also, Guys!). The Empress of Little Rock even has a gourmet romantic wine dinner for guests that evening! Don't forget to make reservations early because EVERYTHING will be booked early.
There will be some fun things going on in the area also: Wildwood Park for the Preforming Arts offers the "Lantern Festival", a uniquely magical evening designed to delight all. "Lanterns" celebrates the first full moon of the lunar year with a profusion of lantern light, gourmet treats, entertainment and warm beverages. Lighted walking paths and fire pits along the lake lead visitors into magical woodland vistas from different eras, cultures, and geographical locations from Venice to Germany to the Caribbean! Fabulous!!
Murray's Dinner Theatre also has a great new presentation,"Weekend Comedy", a fun romp for two couples who accidentally overbook the same cabin in the woods. The fun begins when two very different generations try to make the details work and "meet" in the middle! A great dinner goes with the fun, live, on stage performance.
How about a romantic the carriage ride in that full moonlight. Can't get much more romantic than that! Book right thru the Empress and as a guest, they'll pick you up right at the front door and provide a one hour tour in the moonlight. Snuggle up under our great fur throw and have some of our Brandied hot Cocoa! These are just some of the "romantic" things going in Little Rock. Enjoy your respite!!
Tags: Best Things to do on Valentines Day, lanterns festival, Murray's Dinner Theatre, romantic getaways in Little Rock, Romantic Valentine's Dinner, Valentines Day, Wildwood Center for Preforming Arts


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220.127.116.11 Cog VM
Prepare for building: Installing Cygwin
For the brave of heart, minimal instructions can be found in the Cog branch of the Squeak VM subversion tree:
As indicated, you will need a properly configured cygwin installation to build the Cog VM which includes subversion, make, and the appropriate gcc compiler.
As of this writing (June 2010), the Cog VM has been successfully built with Cygwin 1.7.5. The following steps will explain how to install and configure it to do so:
- Go to http://www.cygwin.com.
- Click on the installation icon you will find there that looks like this:
- You will be prompted to Save/Run Setup.exe. Do so. Click "Next" when you see the Setup dialog box:
- Choose to install from the internet, and click "Next":
- Choose your install directory, and click "Next":
- Select a download directory, and click "Next":
- Select a direct connection, and click "Next":
- Select a download site (I just chose the top one), and click "Next":
If this is the first time you have installed Cygwin, you will see the following message. Click "Ok":
- Now for the important part! We need to choose the proper packages to install in order to build Cog. Expand the "Devel" item in the list:
- Scroll down to the list until you find "gcc: C compiler upgrade helper." Click on "Skip" so it turns into the version number. Note that other dependent options will also be selected:
- Similarly, find "make: The GNU version of the 'make' utility" and click on "Skip":
- Finally, find "subversion: A version control system," and select it as well, then click "Next":
- Wait for the load to complete. Create a Desktop Icon and Start Menu Icon if you choose to do so:
Congratulations! You have successfully set up Cygwin. Now it is time to get the Cog source files...
Get Cog VM sources from the Subversion repository
As indicated in the HowToBuild file referenced above, you must use subversion to download the Cog source files. First, open up a bash command shell by finding your newly installed Cygwin program icon. You should see something like this:
The source folders that you need, and the commands to retrieve them, are also listed in HowToBuild:
svn co http://www.squeakvm.org/svn/squeak/branches/Cog/platforms
svn co http://www.squeakvm.org/svn/squeak/branches/Cog/src
svn co http://www.squeakvm.org/svn/squeak/branches/Cog/cygwinbuild
Enter each command in turn at the command prompt, press enter, and wait for the files to be retrieved:
Almost there! Now all we have to do is compile the sources using the gnu "make" utility we installed earlier...
Build it!
To build the VM "as is" with no additional modifications, enter the following commands at the bash command prompt:
cd cygwinbuild
like so:
Assuming the current source code is properly configured, a lot of activity should happen in the command prompt window, and the build will take a few minutes.
At the conclusion of the build, you should have the Cog VM binary in your build folder. But where is it? Assuming you kept the Cygwin install path in c:cygwin, leave the command prompt and navigate to your Cygwin home folder, which should be similar to:
And should look something like:
Note that "as is" the VM is called "Croquet.exe". Also note that this folder contains "SqueakFFIPrims.dll," which you will also need.
Preparing the image for first time use
To use this with a fresh pharo image, you will need to download the traditional VM, the image and sources, which you can find at
You will need the traditional VM to prepare the image for first time use in the Cog VM at the time of this writing.
For this example, I downloaded:
- PharoVM-Win32-4.0.2-bin.zip
- PharoV10.sources.zip
- Pharo-1.1-11400-rc2dev10.06.1.zip
Unzip them, and put them all in a single folder, like this:
Open up the image with Pharo.exe (you can drag the image file onto Pharo.exe). Open a workspace, execute the following code, then save and exit the image:
#(= bitAnd: bitOr: bitShift: bitXor: ~=) do:[:sel|
LargePositiveInteger removeSelector: sel.
Try it out!
Copy Croquet.exe and SqueakFFIPrims.dll into this folder, replacing the current SqueakFFIPrims.dll, like so:
Finally, open up the image you just saved with Croquet.exe (again, you can just drag the image onto Croquet.exe).
Congratulations! Hello Cog! Enjoy!


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(Editor's note: The following are comments delivered Aug. 19, 2013, by Clifford W. Taylor to the Michigan Judges Association.)
Thank you for allowing me to speak. My position is that The Michigan Judicial Selection Task Force Report and Recommendations regarding nominating commissions and creating open primaries for the Supreme Court, about which you have just heard from Justice Kelly and Judge Ryan, are poorly conceived and thought out and should be rejected.
By far the most highly publicized recommendation is to abandon the present election system for Michigan Supreme Court justices and in favor of open, nonpartisan, statewide primaries for the Supreme Court and to use their so-called merit selection system to fill vacancies that occur between elections. These two reforms would, first, replace the nomination by political party convention and, second, circumscribe appointment by the governor for vacancies occurring between elections to candidates forwarded to him by nominating commissions.
I will discuss the election concept in a moment but first let's look at the idea of merit selection of justices, or more accurately, commission selection. This isn't a new idea. It is used in about two dozen states. The process entails creating and appointing a commission filled with, the hope is, sound and well intentioned people who, without axes to grind, review the applicant credentials and ultimately select three or four nominees from whom the governor must chose. While the report is silent about what happens if the governor doesn't like any of the nominees, in Missouri the oldest and most vaunted of the nominating commission states, the choice then is made by the chair of the merit panel, the chief justice. An impasse process like this is needed of course because without one the governor can refuse to act until he gets his choice.
The report says these reforms are need to counter "a perception that raw political calculation, rather than the qualifications" form the basis for gubernatorial judicial appointments. The qualifications referenced concern academic excellence, practice reputation, community service and the like, which the Task Force describes as "paper qualifications." There would also be public hearings "on the applicant's merits."
So, paper qualifications are the answer we are told. That is how the short list of nominees will be selected. But will they? Looking at paper qualifications, I think, won't get the selectors anywhere because almost invariably all the applicants will have similar, good credentials. Bums, you see, just don't apply for these high level posts in state judiciaries. Further, even if diligent efforts are made to use just these merit criteria, it quickly becomes clear that it is reckless to say that because one applicant, many years ago, had a 3.5 GPA and another a 3.6 GPA in different law schools or that, later in life, one was a Boy Scout leader and the other a Food Bank volunteer, one is "merit qualified" and the other isn't (not to make things unduly complicated but how does one assign merit to choosing between a Right to Life applicant and a Planned Parenthood applicant or an active religious candidate and a non-believing candidate). In any case, even assuming none of these imponderable paper qualifications issues arise, commission members themselves, trying to do a good job, but having insufficient information to fairly distinguish between the applicants, can be expected to cast about — for other distinguishing characteristics beyond the barren, unhelpful statistics of a life in the law — for more attributes of the applicants. The "more" it seems — as found in Vanderbilt University Law Professor Brian Fitzpatrick's 2009 study of the Missouri and Tennessee merit selection systems in the Missouri Law Review (Volume 74, page 675) — will frequently be whether and where the applicant inclines on political and social issues. This may sound like a harsh indictment of these estimable commission members, but it is inescapable. Almost all the other things they could consider, say, race, religion or gender, to name a few, are all impermissible considerations on civil rights grounds.
What in practice can be expected is that the commission, having found no significant differences in credentials, will focus on where the applicant stands on controversial legal and social issues like tort reform, medical malpractice liability reform, sexual liberty, religious expression in the public square, pornography, and the one issue that has dominated judicial selection matters across the country since 1973, abortion, as well as many other similarly edgy, traditionally political issues that are increasingly coming before our courts for resolution.
The public won't know this of course and the commissioners themselves, proud of their work, are unlikely to acknowledge they strayed this far from merit, as the public understands merit. Even the governor, if he learns the commission has departed from merit considerations, is likely to let it pass because to criticize the commission could be politically damaging. Further, if he challenges the commission, the default selector, whoever that may be, gets to make the appointment propelling the governor to take the least undesirable nominee on the list.
As you can imagine, in operation, those on the commission will quickly come to understand this is really what they doing and how they are making their decisions even if it is not confined to merit criteria, as the commission charge directs. This will be even easier as they reassure themselves that, after all, the decision of who to nominate was made by really good people, people like them of course, and fine nominees were sent to the governor: that is applicants with the majority's preferred judicial outlook.
Reformers dismiss this concern, saying that this analysis is too cynical and anyway there really isn't a debate about judicial philosophy in this country. Rather, the real story is that judges are just doing their best deciding hard questions with tough facts and no appellate judges, except maybe the conservative ones, have an agenda.
But when we examine how commission selection has worked in states such as Missouri and Tennessee it is hard to deny that commissions have been doing politics not merit. Examining the workings on the commissions in those states Professor Fitzpatrick found that judges nominated by these so-called non-partisan commissions overwhelmingly leaned Democratic. His findings, summarized by The Wall Street Journal on April 18, 2009, stated that since 1995, 67 percent of Tennessee's appellate nominees voted more often voted in Democratic primaries, compared to 33 percent who voted more often in Republican primaries. In Missouri, "of the roughly half of the appellate nominees who made campaign contributions, some 88 percent donated to Democrats while only 12 percent donated to Republicans." By the way, Professor Fitzpatrick's findings are consistent with other such studies.
In 1969, Richard Watson and Ronald Downing studied the first 25 years of the Missouri commission selection system and published a report titled "The Politics of Bench and Bar: Judicial Selection under The Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan." Its conclusions also found politics, attorneys, when selecting the lawyer-members of the nominating commissions, favored lawyers who were protective of their own and their clients' broad socioeconomic interests and who it was anticipated would bring that perspective to selecting judicial nominees.
Now, I don't think it is a surprise that judicial selection by commission is driven by agendas, but it should not be confused with genuine merit selection as most people understand merit. Said more directly, the politics of self-interest or by political party identification was the constant in who got selected. Moreover, unlike the open practice of politics with other systems of selection, the commission system does its politics underground, escapes accountability to the people as elected selectors such as a governor cannot, and is subject to capture by factions in the state such as the plaintiff's trial lawyers, unions or even, although it has proven unlikely, business interests all while trumpeting phony claims of all we are doing is picking on merit.
Perhaps nothing more fully reinforces the truth of the Fitzpatrick Missouri data and the mess that these commissions become than to look at the 2007 controversy concerning replacement of retiring Justice Ronnie White of the Missouri Supreme Court. To those unacquainted with the real workings of the Missouri system, it surely appeared that the vacancy created an opportunity for Gov. Blunt — who incidentally campaigned on a pledge to curb a run-away judiciary — to appoint a conservative justice, committed to letting the political branches set the public policy in areas such as tort reform, workers compensation, environmental matters and the like. Yet, the commission's list gave him the opposite: three well-credentialed, business-as-usual, "there is no problem with the Supreme Court of Missouri" candidates. The commission was fully aware that if Blunt didn't appoint one of their three candidates, the panel's chair got to pick the justice. So, Gov. Blunt, the only person in the process who had any claim to having presented his ideas on who should serve as Justices to the people of Missouri; and, having secured a majority of their votes, was blocked in a transparently political move that ultimately compelled his selection of the least disagreeable candidate. When the cry went up that this was just politics masquerading as merit selection, the panelists denied it and scolded their critics by asserting that they were just, well, doing their best and picking on merit.
Perhaps they even believed it, and panelists in other commission selection jurisdictions, such as Tennessee and Florida, have said similar things when criticized. But, I believe, what any evaluator of any selection system has to come to grips with is the inescapable reality that there is a great divide in this country on how powerful judges should be in the making of public policy. How one comes down on whether the judiciary should be muscular in remolding statutes that seem poorly drawn or conceived or deferential to the legislature's product will color any decision on the selection of judges including those made by commissions.
It is this split that explains the titanic battles of the last 25 years played out in the U.S. Senate over the confirmation of federal judges, and the fractious state supreme court justice campaigns of recent years here and elsewhere. Clearly, these are not fights over credentials. They are fights over the direction of public policy and who will make it. We can take the fight out of one arena and put it in another, but it will still be the same fight. To claim to somehow convert this fundamental split over the proper judicial role in a representative democracy into a polite, almost scientific, inquiry as to whether the candidate got an A or B in Torts or volunteered enough at the United Way is an undertaking both foolish and deceptive.
I believe the sophisticated folks who argue for commission selection really know that merit is just an appealing ruse and commission selection gives them the best chance to get judges on the bench who share their political and policy views. If they don't, maybe this speech will help them.
Much effort has been expended by the Task Force to portray the notion of nominating commissions as an approach that is new and shiny and making converts. I believe this to be incorrect. It is rather an old idea that hasn't worked as advertised and is in full retreat. Kansas and Tennessee in the last year or so have abandoned their nominating commissions. In Arizona a ballot measure modified their nominating commissions to reduce the influence of the Bar. Moreover, in 2010, in Nevada, with Justice O'Connor's active involvement to assist in its passage, Question 1, to replace the state's elections system with nominating commissions, was overwhelmingly defeated. This is not an idea whose time has come; but an idea whose time has gone!
If it has worked poorly, why then is the movement for commissions materializing here, Ohio and Pennsylvania simultaneously? A study by attorney Colleen Pero for the American Justice Partnership, points to George Soros and the entities he has funded who in cook book fashion initiate the movement in various states by using carefully selected polling data, just as they have here, to create faux hysteria about the evils of electing judges. Then amidst the staged hand wringing they follow that up with the promotion of nominating commissions to rescue us from the very evil of which they have made us aware. That is what we are witnessing here just as they are in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Let's leave the nominating commissions for a moment as there are other reforms regarding judicial selection that should be discussed as well. To best understand these I will begin by discussing some aspects of the current system with which you are, as elected judges, familiar and build on that.
The only judges in Michigan who are always challenged for re-election are Justices of the Supreme Court. Every now and again, a trial judge involved in personal or professional scandal is challenged but rarely is a judge of the Court of Appeals. The point is, that absent something unusual happening, there is practically never an electoral challenge to judges on courts below the Supreme Court. Why is this? I think it is largely because of the ballot qualification requirement. As all of you know, to run for an open trial court or court of appeals seat, or to challenge an incumbent on those courts, requires collecting petition signatures of registered voters. The number required varies based on the population of the jurisdiction but in Wayne and Oakland the number is about 4,000 to 6,000 and it is a lot more than that for the Court of Appeals. It is really tough to get these signatures as you know because you have done it. I haven't, but I have helped people who ran years ago and know it is hard. Judge Tom Fitzgerald of the Court of Appeals once told me that the hardest part of his running was getting the signatures. I bet you don't disagree. The bottom line: of the more than 600 Michigan judges, most effectively have lifetime tenure and the petition signature requirement, along with the incumbent ballot designation, ensures that.
Now, the Task Force wants this system for Supreme Court elections. They want open, nonpartisan, statewide primaries with ballot access requiring 30,000 registered voter signatures. To be on the safe side, a candidate will have to submit about 40,000 to 50,000 signatures. This is a daunting project and no single candidate and spouse and extended family and friends could ever do it. (In fact, although the Task Force members seem unaware of this, this method of getting on the ballot is now available, but has never been utilized reflecting how really difficult it is. To put this in perspective, this is twice the number of signatures required for ballot access for governor or U.S. Senate candidates with statewide political organizations and million–dollar campaign war chests!)
This means that paid petition circulators will be needed. The going Michigan rate is between $3 and $10 per signature. Do the math. Just to get on the ballot will require an expenditure of between $150,000 and $500,000 and that is just the cost of the signatures, not the incidentals, which will push that figure far higher. And this is before a single brochure; poster or bumper strip is printed. Who can afford this? Only the wealthy or those aligned with expansive, highly-motivated organizations that can give in-kind assistance (talk about creating beholden candidates). Most likely though, this system, just as with your seats where ballot access is much easier, will mean there is no challenger-EVER!
Thus, if just these two recommendations came into effect the so-called merit selected justice, who you will recall probably got picked for reasons having little to do with relative merit, will serve for as long as he or she wants, without opposition.
Yes, as long as they want, because the age 70 limit for election or appointment, which is up for discussion in the second part of this program, may be destined for the trash heap as well, if the Task Force gets its way.
A final point needs to be made although perhaps it is obvious. If Michigan goes to nominating commissions, all the efforts — political or otherwise — now being expended to elect candidates to the Supreme Court, will be re-directed to capturing seats on the commission.
It is unclear who will triumph, but my bet would be on the plaintiff's trial bar, as they have demonstrated great success in virtually all the commission states of which I am aware, in controlling these commissions.
The system-altering revisions that I have discussed seem poorly considered to me and perhaps to you. How did this happen? First, I think the Task Force suffered from insufficient ideological and political diversity. There were no evident opponents of the predetermined "merit selection" proposal of the Task Force and none of the Task Force readings presented the "other view." Consistent with this approach, the report itself doesn't reflect the level of support for or dissent from the Task Force recommendations, something I have attempted to get from Justice Kelly and have yet to receive. The Task Force honorary chair, former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I believe would never have served if her signature issue — nominating commissions — had been in jeopardy. Making her chair is akin to making the president of the NRA the chair of a commission considering gun control. In both cases, absent assurances, unspoken to be sure, that the report will, so to speak, "turn out right" they just wouldn't serve. Given all this, I think the Task Force conclusions were pre-ordained. To both these points, you might find interesting the 2010 Wayne Law review article by Matthew Schneider found at Volume 56, page 609, that discusses the very partisan kick-off event of the Task Force and how it was clearly as to nominating commissions, at least, a locomotive coming down the tracks rather than an unbiased "look at methods of selection' as the final report of the Task Force asserts. Further the bona fides of the commission were compromised. The Task Force was just willed into being rather like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney deciding in one of their 1930s movies to 'let's have a show'. It seems no one else was buying that we had a crisis. No organ of government — not the governor, the Legislature and certainly not the Supreme Court — created or endorsed the Task Force. In addition, none of these government entities which, unlike Judge Ryan and Justice Kelly, can claim to have presented themselves to the people and gotten their authority to speak on issues of this sort, were allowed to appoint members, create an agenda or control or direct this Mickey and Judy created body in any way. This is deeply compromising as can be seen when one compares this with the only comparable body in the last several decades which was the Commission on the Courts in the 21st Century where there was buy in and participation by the elected branches in both defining the problem and selecting the panel members. This is no small thing and, come to think of it, may explain the lukewarm reaction the report has received.
So, let me conclude, this is a flawed product, with a strange, not to say odd, genesis that can't bear scrutiny and you shouldn't use your standing in your communities to advance it.
Clifford W. Taylor, former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, is chairman of the Board of Directors for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.


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Don't I already have 1 bet going with you?
How about we bet that this game has all of the multiplayer? Let's go for $20.
All of the original multiplayer? Or HD versions of each? Or an amalgamation of all the different multiplayers in one incoherent mess?
Gotta keep your bets straight, bro.


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Big thanks to both the NHL and NBA for providing zero entertainment today. I'd much rather flip between two Finals games on Sunday night then enjoy each one separately during the other 44 hours of the weekend when nothing happened.
I mean, what else is a sports fan supposed to do on a warm Saturday night in June? Leave the house? For what purpose, exactly? Voluntarily placing your body in front of exploding fireworks? Pass.
[Video via The 700 Level]
* * * * *
Enjoy the rest of your sweaty weekend, chumps. I'm going to say that ... Barry will be here tomorrow?


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Q: What are winter fish kills and how can I prevent them? – Alison in Illinois
Winter Fish Kills, They Don't Float With Us!
You've waited all Winter long for the ice to melt over your water garden so you can run your waterfalls and enjoy your finned friends. Instead, you find your fish floating at the ponds surface, victims of a winter fish kill. What is this phenomenon and how can you prevent it?
Make Some Holes
When a layer of ice forms over the surface of you water garden, it essentially eliminates any transfer of air to or from your pond's water. What this means to you is that, as debris decompose and your fish consume oxygen, byproducts are produced in the form of gasses that are toxic to your pond's inhabitants. These gases are trapped under the ice and cannot escape; fresh air from outside the pond cannot reach the water either and so begins the process of the winter fish kill. Keeping a hole in the ice will allow the bad air in the pond to be replenished with good air. Some pond guys and gals use pond De-Icers to maintain an open hole, but many more rely on their aeration systems to do the job.
Pass The Bubbly
We've discussed in our past blogs the many benefits of aeration in your water garden. It circulates the water in your pond, infusing it with oxygen which is beneficial to your bacteria and fish. The constant bubbling produced by an aeration system will also keep a hole open in your water garden in the winter months, ensuring the release of those harmful gasses.
Being Supercool is SO Uncool
You have all heard concerns expressed in our past blogs in regards to "supercooling". While this is a rare occurrence, there are a couple steps you can take to ensure you don't overdo your winter aeration. When the cold weather comes, move your aeration plates to a shallower part of your pond. This will maintain a warmer layer of water for your fish to retreat to if the water does get a little too chilly. Furthermore, if you have a multiple plate system, you can run your water garden on just one plate for the winter. This will ensure that you have an open hole in your ice and should provide sufficient air supply to your fish as they require less oxygen during these times of decreased activity.
POND TALK: What type of aeration do you use in your pond? How have your fish fared over the past winters?
Filed under: Aeration - WG, Deicer, Spring Start-Up, Water Gardens & Features | Tagged: Aeration, de-icers, fish kill, fish kills, supercooling |


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Approximately 160 acres of land in the southwest quadrant of the community has had various owners over the years. The land was initially acquired by the Utah Navajo Development Council. Ownership then migrated to the City and then slid to the San Juan Education Foundation. The city is considering resuming ownership and helping to restore the ruin with the help of the San Juan Heritage Foundation and USU.
The Westwater Ruin has fallen into disrepair but the city hopes that a restoration effort may be of great interest to residents and visitors alike. The area also includes a small natural bridge.
It is part of two 640- acre sections that run down Westwater Canyon from the Westwater community. Blanding Mayor Toni Turk said that the master plan is to "help prevent happening on the west side of the community what happened on the east side of the community as far as trails being closed." In recent years, the BLM closed trails and issued fines for trail building in Recapture Canyon east of the city.
Turk mentioned that the project may help USU develop an archaeological program in Blanding and would "benefit education, tourism, and improve the Blanding brand that has been desecrated by the Wasatch Front media and other media groups."
San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman signaled support for the project and added, "If several entities in San Juan County can work together, we can do a lot of good."
In other matters at the February 26 meeting, the city discussed a proposed addition to the Dry Wash dam. Adding 18 feet to the top of the dam would increase its capacity from 180 to 550 acre feet.
The San Juan Water Conservancy District proposes the project, but City Councilman Kelly Laws points out that the conservancy currently owns no water rights at the site.
"I feel that our contribution is the fact that 27 percent of the water right is owned by the City of Blanding." said Laws. "Our contribution is already in the development costs."
The Council approved a resolution for the city to refinance $1.6 million in natural gas revenue refunding bonds. At reduced interest rates, the city could save up to $50,000 over the life of the bonds.
Paul Macdonald discussed the Blanding Watershed Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan could help participating landowners clear their land of fire hazards, similar to the work being done on Forest Service land on US 191 between Monticello and Blanding. Macdonald explained that the program can move forward only with the cooperation of landowners.
The City Council is planning a field trip to the Dinosaur Museum. The museum is set to add a 3,000 square foot exhibit on "Feathered Dinosaurs" and "Dinosaurs in the Movies" with a scheduled opening on July 4. The exhibits have been traveling to museums around the country and will make their permanent home at the museum in Blanding. The museum seeks city assistance to develop and market the new exhibits.
Councilman Charlie Taylor led a discussion about Walter C Lyman Park. The park, which is north of the city near the Third Reservoir, will likely revert to a primitive picnic area. Taylor reports that the park requires significant maintenance by city crews and is still falling into a state of disrepair.
In department reports, natural gas use in January was 86 percent higher than expected, year-to-date precipitation is just 80 percent of normal, the police department is looking for a new officer, the fire department received a new fire truck, and the recreation department is busy with basketball and volleyball seasons.


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Anuga FoodTec
March 24 - 27, 2015
Location: Cologne, Germany
Venue: Koelnmesse
Booth number: Hall 05.1, stand B-040
Short description of event:
Anuga FoodTec is one the most important driving force of the international food and beverage industry, covering all aspects of food production: processing, packaging, safety, ingredients, services and solutions.
Short description of SKF's part of the event:
SKF will conduct inspiring discussions about the future of asset management and how to break through the current asset management practices in order to impact line performance and reach business goals. This will be the topic during the session at the Speakers´corner during Thursday at 10:30-11:00
Furthermore; SKF will feature practical solutions, latest technologies that can increase asset reliability, while improving food and operator safety. A special focus will be given to industry specific sealing solutions – presented by SKF Economos GmbH.


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I have lamp-server installed and am ready (and excited) to host a domain I purchased from bluehost on the server in my room. I have a few other things set up like openssh.
What information do I need to get from my domain registrar and what files do I need to change in apache2?


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|Transformers - with Optimus Prime Mask
Actors: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor
Director: Michael Bay
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
PG-13 2008 2hr 24min
Movie DVD
Larger Image
Movie Details
Similar Movies
Similarly Requested DVDs
Movie Reviews
Transformers does have more than meets the eye
A. Sandoc | San Pablo, California United States | 07/03/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Pretty much almost every male kid who grew up during the 80's were glued to their TV sets on weekday afternoons watching just one thing. They were watching one of the best cartoon shows on TV which also happened to be Hasbro Toys' most popular line of toys at that time. I am talking about Transformers. I know I was pretty much hooked on the show with its tale of good versus evil as the noble leader (who also happened to be a Mack truck) Optimus Prime led his Autobots against the evil robot that was Megatron and his Decepticons. It had lots of fighting, explosions and most of all, it had toys of every Transformer in the show for kids to re-enact such battles.
In 1986 the first Transformers movie (animated) came out and pretty much scarred every kid who was ever a fan of the show for life as their beloved characters actually died on-screen to make way for a new generation of Transformers. Let's just say that as much as I enjoyed the original movie I also hated it. It is now 2007 and Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and ILM have concocted a live-action version of Transformers. To say that this movie has erased some of the bad taste left by the first animated film is quite an understatement. What we have in this live-action Transformers is nothing less than pure robot-versus-robot carnage and mayhem done so well that it more than makes up for the weak story and the uneven performances from the cast.
The movie revolves around the search by both the Autobots and the Decepticons for the all-powerful AllSpark which would grant it's owner the power to rebuild the dying Cybertron (home world of the Transformers) or remake any planet into a new home. It's not too difficult to figure out what the Decepticons and their leader Megatron would do once they have it in their possession. As one of the Decepticons would have stencilled on its vehicle mode says: "To punish and enslave". The AllSpark is really just a MacGuffin which helps tie in the Transformers with the human aspect of the story and that's the time tested tale of a boy and his car. In this case, it's Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his newly acquired 1974 Camaro who also happens to be the Autobot Bumblebee unbeknownst to him.
The first third of the film is where this boy and his car theme gets the most laugh as Sam tries to use his new car to get the attention of one Mikaela (played by the ridiculously hot and appropriately named Megan Fox). The laughs come from Bumblebee playing just the right song over the radio to try and bring the two kids together. Usually Michael Bay's handle on comedy is a tad more cynical and ham-handed which tell me the first third of this film had Steven Spielberg's influence all over it. One could just substitute E.T. for Bumblebee and Elliott for Sam and it's not difficult to see.
This first third also solidifies Shia LaBeouf as the foundation which keeps the movie from just becoming one long robot-on-robot action scene. This kid has some major talent and charisma which shows from the moment he steps on to the screen right up to the final scene with the sun setting in the background. It's no wonder Spielberg chose him to be in the next Indiana Jones movie. LaBeouf actually makes Sam Witwicky more than the awkward, geeky teen geek and instead makes it believable that he has a weird, charming chance to land the hot Mikaela. It's LaBeouf's performance as Saw which pretty much saves the very uneven performance by the rest of the cast.
Even with LaBeouf's performance and the funny and cute boy meets car meets girl first reel, people really went to see this movie for one thing and one thing only and that's the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The humans are there to ground the story in a semblance of reality. But once the two sides begin to arrive and find their Earth forms the movie shifts into nitrous-injected overdrive and doesn't let up until the very end. People cheered wildly once Optimus Prime appears for the first time with the rest of his crew (Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet). The cheering went especially wild once optimus spoke for the first time and the original voice was heard (Peter Cullen did the voice for the original cartoon and was hired to do the same for the moive). That scene really brought myself and, most likely, every male in the audience of the same age back 20 years. The Decepticons make their entrance soon after with Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) being the final Transformer to hit the screen. The rest of the movie became one long action sequence after sequence with destruction being the norm.
This is where Michael Bay's hand truly shows as his handle on the sturm und drang he's well-known for matches well with the premise of giant alien robots fighting each other with no thought for collateral damage to populace and property. Unlike, his previous films he actually holds himself back from using his usual tricks of using low-angled slo-mo scenes too much and the ultra quick editing style which makes his movies sometimes difficult to keep up with. Again, it might be Spielberg's influence in addition to Bay actually growing as a filmmaker to thank for this. The action scenes wouldn't be as great as it was if it wasn't for the work of ILM and its team of computer animators. The Autobots and Decepticons look so real that they join Gollum and Davey Jones as fully-realized CGI-characters who blend into the scene as if they're made of real flesh and blood. In the case of the Transformers made of steel, oil and rubber. Their battles from the Hoover Dam all the way to the nearby Mission City didn't look artificial. There's a sense of weight and depth to the battle. It atually looked like the city with it's small humans was actually being ripped apart by these giant robots. Industrial, Light and Magic truly deserve every award they'll get come awards time. In the past it was said that a live-action Transformers would come off as cheesy and fake, but technology and the expert use of it by ILM's team of artisans has made it a reality.
Transformers really brings the word blockbuster and brings it like storm and thunder. There's no other way to say it than this was a movie which was a kickass rollercoaster ride with just enough human interaction to keep it from becoming cartoonish. It's not a perfect film as the weak script and uneven performances by most of the cast would show, but it's all balanced out by the work put in by Shia LaBeouf and the action scenes with the Transformers that this movie marks the highlight of the 2007 summer blockbuster season. Michael Bay has finally found the one film he looks to be tailor-made to do."
A blend of cringe inducing screenwriting, nostalgia and mind
J. C. Amos | Seattle | 07/04/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"For a nerd that used to drool over this show as a kid, this movie hooks you from the very beginning. From Optimus Prime's summary intro (with Peter Cullen still at the helm of our favorite alien semi) to the Decipticon attack on the military base, you have no doubts that this is Transformers. Shia LaBeouf makes his entrance and proves the perfect part for this movie. He's actually pretty funny and acts the part well. As far as the rest of the humans in this cast, not as much can be said.
After the awesome introduction, the first part of the movie deals mainly with Shia LaBeouf's Sam purchasing a Camaro that actually turns out to be the Autobot Bumblebee (in the cartoon, originally a VW Bug. I think the yellow VW Bug in the car lot next to Bumblebee was a homage.) Sam unknowingly uses his alien car to impress a girl. Of course she actually is impressed when they find out it's an alien. There are some pretty funny scenes in this part of the movie as well as some action scenes that are very well done.
Soon comes the arrival of the other Autobots and they reveal to Sam their true purpose, which is to locate the Allspark -a powerful device capable of transforming a planet- before the Decepticons get a hold of it. I thought at this point that the slow parts of the movie were over, but not quite. From here we go into a few too many scenes dealing with side characters, from video game playing computer experts to goofy secret agents whose quirks border slapstick comedy. Too many of these characters could be chalked up as comic relief, and most of what they attributed was not very funny. There was a slightly funny but overly long scene where Sam was trying to hide the autobots while he searched through his house for a relic they needed. And then arrived John Turtorro (playing the said goofy secret agent) whom I love, but who severely overstayed him welcome in this. Other performances, namely John Voight's, were just plain campy and the cookie cutter dialogue was cringe inducing at times.
Luckily, I forgot most of that by the time the movie got to its last act. Once the Decepticons arrive in force the movie is a non stop ride of action and jaw dropping effects. While someone who's not familiar with the characters and story might not care what the outcome is, I found myself with memories as a kid, watching the 1986 movie for the first time. I forgot about the humans and their ho-hum sotrylines as my favorite characters and toys from my childhood crashed and shot and ripped each other apart. I forgot that I was watching CG effects as the transformers look as real as the environment they're destroying. The action scenes are larger than life and I'm amazed at how well the battles of the cartoons translated onto big screen. The transformers themselves were all very well done, applying actual physics to their transformations and robot appearances. They look real and modern but don't lose the heart of what the fanboys loved about them from back in the day. And Hugo Weaving as Megatron was genius. I missed hearing the original Starcream, but the original voice actor died many years ago, and the two or three lines Starcream had in this sounded suitable.
Despite the great flaws in acting, dialogue and script, I left this movie with that rare itch to want to go straight back inside and watch it again. From the previews, it looked like the movie was going to take a realistic perspective and show the warring alien machines from a human point of view. But that's really not the case at all. In every other Michael Bay movie, the corny dialogue and overdramatic characters ruin an otherwise good premise. But Transformers is based on a cartoon, so why shouldn't the movie feel like one? Here it works. It's big, dumb nostalgic fun that the kid in me has been after for 20 years."
Better than expected
Nathaniel Clark | 12/08/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Maybe it's not the best movie as far as dialogue goes, but for being an action movie about robots from outer space, it's good. The transformations are good enough to not raise doubt about the mechanics of them (which is good for me as an aerospace engineer, because I tend to notice these things). This is the kind of movie that makes large HD televisions and high-quality sound systems worth having."
Beautifully Awful Film
TSabonis | Sioux City, IA, USA | 11/02/2009
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I understand who this film was created for. It was created for 14-22 year old men who like watching explosions, special effects, and hot women. On those three counts, this film was a rousing success. I, on the other-hand, enjoy outdated concepts like writing, dialogue, acting and a funny thing called "plot".
The movie is just so badly put together from a thinking mans point of view. Don't get me wrong, the film is a beautiful spectacle. The effects used to create the robots are astonishing. The way Bay refused to hide the effects in darkness was a bold move, and it worked. However, The Dark Knight proved that you can make a smart, thinking mans film, based on a concept generally aimed at children. And on top of all that plot, acting and dialogue, there were also massive special effects. Outside of the visuals, Transformers failed to be even an adequate film on nearly every level.
Here is the most maddening part of the film:
* The military has a cube that the decepticons want. The cube is in a heavily guarded military installation. What is the most logical thing to do with it? Why drive it into the middle of a populated city of course!
If you choose to watch this film, please do yourself a favor and watch it in BluRay with full digital surround sound, and shut off your brain. Just eat popcorn drink soda and "feel" the film for what it is. A vehicle for Michael Bay to show you all his neat toys.


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Six Ways Quantum Computers Could Change the World
Clip: Season 46 | 3m 50s
Quantum computers operate using the strange laws of quantum physics and could be used to solve complex problems traditional computers aren't able to tackle today.
Aired: 06/24/19
Buy Now:
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National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the NOVA Science Trust.


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Since our establishment in 1988, Corporate Interiors has consistently delivered Design Excellence for our clients by developing creative and cost-effective Interior Design Solutions for complex design issues for new and renovation projects.
Corporate Interiors has worked with Fortune 500 clients, the federal government and all branches of the military to provide Comprehensive Interior Design services across the continental United States, and the Middle East.
CI assures results through innovative and improved space utilization and cost-effective designs. We are dedicated to the creation of high performance workplaces that energize the staff and contribute to their organizational effectiveness.
Corporate Interiors (CI), a woman owned (EDWOSB) facilities planning and interior design firm specializes in fulfilling our client's corporate or government agency needs through a complete host of interior design and strategic planning services for successful interior design solutions.
Corporate Interiors was instrumental in transforming the outdated and under-utilized interior space at our corporate headquarters buildings to a professional, space efficient work environment. This design was also used to create documented corporate furniture and finish standards, negotiate substantial volume discounts and streamline the space planning process. Office productivity was maximized while minimizing capital spending.–Fortune 100 Corporate Facilities Manager
Please contact Corporate Interiors, Marietta, GA 30062 Phone: 770.650.2880


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Download>> Metro 2033: Wars v1.1.0 Apk | 170 MB | Resumable Links |
Requires :Android 4.1 and up |
Metro 2033: Wars
What's in this version :
- – Improved game balancing
- – Removed Reward Video (based on player feedback)
- – Fixed many bugs and crashes
- – Improved English text
Game Review:
Humanity is nearing extinction and radiation is making even the most basic surface dwelling, uninhabitable. New life forms have arisen that are far better adapted to this new dark, damp and alien-like world. Bands of survivors live on without ever knowing the warmth of sunlight, and whether or not they are the last ones left on Earth. The Moscow Metro is the reluctant home for this new humanity and one you protect at all costs.
Metro Stations have become city-states run by new and emerging Factions, uniting its members around ideas, religions, water, or simply the need to survive. Your daily existence centers around gathering resources necessary for survival, repelling attacks of mutants, exploring and conquering new metro stations and developing armed mercenary units when the need arises. To survive, you'll have to build necessary facilities at Stations, establish diplomatic relations with your neighbors and uphold the economy of your little underground state.
- Classic Turn-based, highly strategic battles, with a wide variety of tactics and special attacks
- Open World game play, with detailed, story-driven goals to guide you
- 189 metro stations that you can trade, battle or inhabit, if you wish
- 25 types of mercenaries with individual combat abilities to construct battle-ready Squads with
- 24 different Factions to either battle or establish diplomatic relations with
- 20 different building options to manage your resources and keep your clan alive
- Install Apk
- Copy 'com.tapstargames.metro2033' Folder to sdcard/Android/obb
- Launch the Game


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Social Services
View / download the Social Services Brochure. (PDF)
Services Provided to Eligible Residents
- Doctor Visits
- Limited Prescription Assistance
- Inpatient and Outpatient Services
- Emergency Rent Assistance
- Emergency Utilities Assistance
- Eligibilty Determination for:
- Solid Waste Tax Exemption
- Humanitarian Waiver
- Referrals to Other Community Agencies
Social Services staff remain up-to-date with services available within the community and will provide you with information and assist you in navigating through the available community resources. Social Services provides assistance to St. Johns County residents under the umbrella of the Health and Human Services Department. Clients must follow through with referrals to other agencies.
Coverage Guidelines
Program services are available for applicants without health insurance coverage. For those with inadequate coverage, the Social Services Department will not supplement or provide assistance for persons who have reached the maximum coverage of their insurance.
County Residency
Applicants for all types of service provided through St. Johns County must be physically residing in the County and provide verification of residency. Persons are considered County residents when they establish and maintain a living arrangement, outside of an institution, which they, or someone responsible for them, consider to be their home. The length of time a person physically resides in the County will not be a determining factor provided they don't maintain a residence in another County or State. Students who are away from home attending school will be considered residents of the County in which their parents live if they are claimed as dependents by their parents for Income Tax purposes.


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Posted on 23rd May 2014 by Media Relations
It's been a long time coming, but our Andean Condor chick has finally been given a name – Zuleta.No more will she need to be referred to as "she-that-is-yet-to-be-named", hurrah! People may have started searching for her Horcruxes.Suggested by Zaylee Sykes as part of our naming competition run on Taronga's social media, 'Zuleta' is a small community in Ecuador that has a breeding program for the Andean Condor. According to Zaylee there are only 50-60 Andean Condors remaining in Ecuador, and she believes choosing this name is a great way of recognising this effort, as well as highlighting international efforts.The Bird Show team definitely agrees with Zaylee's sentiments, and would like to thank you Zaylee for your considerate name choice, as well as all other supporters that suggested names on Facebook and Instagram.Zuleta is now spending more of her time out of the nest box with mum and dad, Connie and Bruce. Most of this time is spent exploring her home, or sunning herself as she spreads her already stunning wingspan.Andean Condor wingspans are one of the largest in the world, reaching a length of 3-metres tip-to-tip.Zuleta is part of an international breeding program, so she is unlikely to remain at Taronga Zoo, but we are excited about the time we do get to spend with her until she heads off to have her own chicks. Until then, she is still a brilliant ambassador for her species.- Bird Show keeper, Brendan Host


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The flame goes out to close this show
In which the bar was set real low,
With Zika and a toxic bay
That doubles as a vast bidet,
Recession pounding one and all,
A president against the wall,
Budget crises that go back years,
A crime wave mixed with terror fears.
So things were hardly in good shape,
But Rio makes a great escape.
Of course, the bay's still slop and swill,
But save one sailor, none took ill.
And what of Zika? Gone, a ghost.
These flies did not feed off the host.
Large blocs of tickets went unsold
And green pool water looked like mold.
Some venues sat in disrepair,
Stray bullets whizzed by here and there.
As these games dangled near the edge
Brazilians sambaed on the ledge.
It doesn't hurt to have Bolt fly
While Simone Biles goes bounding by
And Michael Phelps takes one last swim.
We sure won't see the likes of him.
Yes, much went right and much did not,
But Neymar made the winning shot.
And maybe that's all for the best
As Rio puts these games to rest.
It also can take heart this night:
Ryan Lochte's nowhere in sight.


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Ecclestone upset with witness on Wednesday
According to an observer reporting for the Austrian press agency APA, Bernie Ecclestone was "visibly upset" on Wednesday.
The F1 chief executive was back in court, listening to a witness as his corruption trial continued in Munich.
The witness had advised car manufacturers like Ferrari and Daimler at about the same time as Ecclestone paid Gerhard Gribkowsky the alleged $44 million bribe.
Ecclestone argues Gribkowsky was effectively extorting him, but the prosecutors say the 83-year-old was in a mood of desperately clinging to power.
Wednesday's witness did not seem to help the diminutive Briton's case.
The witness said key manufacturers involved in F1 were seriously threatening to split from the series and set up their own motor racing category.
Some, the witness testified, saw Ecclestone as a "key" to the success of a premier motor racing series, and had no intention of proceeding without him.
Others were apparently less bothered, or even happy with the thought of Ecclestone no longer being involved, which could have meant the freeing up of more commercial income.
According to APA, as the translator relayed the testimony to Ecclestone in English, the F1 supremo "shook his head several times, puffed out his cheeks and made notes".


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My Transformation
K. B.- Los Angeles, CA
After years of struggling with acne and pigmentation, Kristen was determined to find something that would erase the years of skin damage. She has tried various lotions and potions the market has to offer but none of them even came close to the results she got from the VI Peel.
"I was blown away when I saw my skin and couldn't believe the results. Colleagues of mine have been noticing and I've gotten so many compliments. I can't wait to get another peel!"


text: The courses in the list below are exempt from the higher tuition charge and may be repeated to comply with mandated professional development updating requirements to maintain professional licensure/certification. This list may be updated from time to time. It is the responsibility of students to be aware of which courses are on this list. If a course is not on this list, additional tuition will be charge on the third or subsequent attempt.


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I guess you Twilight fans have another movie to flip out about. Critics are saying that Beautiful Creatures is an appealing movie to folks who loved the Twilight series. Today's tutorial is going to be on "how to draw Lena Duchannes", step by step. She is one of the main characters from the romantic fantasy novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I guess the story takes place in South Carolina and it follows the life of Ethan Wate. Ethan has these consistent dreams of a girl that he never met before or even seen. All that changed when he starts school again for another year. A new student named Lena Duchannes. It isn't long before Lena starts having stories revolve around her. All sort of rumors are spread but the most popular is the one about her entire family being devil worshipers. The actress that plays Lena in the new film is Alice Englert. I think that this movie is going to be almost as big, or equal as the Twilight series. Drawing Lena is going to be fairly simple, so make sure you leave some feedback letting folks know if you have seen the movie, or plan on seeing it soon.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Alright, I admit that the first thing that caught my eye on this month's issue of Australian GQ was True Blood's Ryan Kwanten. But then I immediately turned to the unnamed woman's arm and her mix-and-match stack of bangles. I love the combination of white and gold metal, all accentuated with a bit of diamond bling. Plus, the different shapes and sizes give the stack a really fresh look that somehow feels at once vintage and contemporary.
If you go for a similar pileup, make sure you stay extra simple on the rest of your accessories. All you'll need is an understated pair of diamond studs to finish the ensemble. Check out our favorite bracelets to start your own collection:
JEWEL OF OCEAN 18K White Gold Diamond Bracelet
Handcrafted Sterling Silver & Gold 6.50 ctw Rose-Cut Diamond Hinged Bangle Bracelet
WEINGRILL Vintage 18K Yellow Gold Coral Diamond Bracelet
JEWEL OF OCEAN 18k Yellow Gold Diamond Tennis Bracelet


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Sports News of Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Source: --
It's the season to be merry and our Ghanaian sportsmen have not forgotten that at all. They took time to send the season's greetings to their many fans.
Black Stars captain and Al Ain striker, Asamoah Gyan, posted on social media site Twitter. He posted a simple one, "Wishing all my fans a Merry Christmas and happy new year."
Want-away Ghanaian international and AC Milan midfielder, Kevin-Prince Boateng, teamed up with his model girlfriend to send out a message. "Merry Xmas from @sattamelissa (Mellisa) and me to everybody!!!"
Samuel Inkoom, who plays in Ukraine with Dnipro, also remembered to wish the former captain Stephen 'Tornado' Appiah a happy birthday too. "Merry Christmas, everybody! And Happy Birthday my big friend Stephen Appiah!! Wish you all the best Captano!"
Now Ghana midfielder, Emmanuel Yaw Frimpong, was not left out. "Merry Christmas to all you beautiful people. One love. Merry #denchmas Everyone hope u all have a great day stay safe.?"
Even the boxers got social. Joseph 'King Kong' Agbeko posted: "Merry Christmas to you all. God bless you #Success."
Black Stars and Juventus midfield enforcer, Kwadwo Asamoah, also got in with the action, thank ing his fans too: "Buon Natale a tutti!! Merry Christmas to you all. Enjoy it and thanks for all your support #KASA"
Udinese midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu: "Merry Xmas and Buon Natale to you all. Have a great day and God bless you all #EAB"
Chievo's Isaac Cofie: "Merry Christmas to u all…augurii di buon natale a tutti quantiii:-)"
Parma starlet, David Appiah, who is still on a strict training regime at the club took time out to talk to fans. "Merry Christmas to everyone! Stay blessed!""
Samuel Afum, who plays for Smouha SC in the Egyptian league, also posted "Wishing u all a Merry Christmas & a happy prosperous New Year. May we all be seven times better off at this time next year !"
Gideon Baah, Asante Kotoko left back, also sent out a message: "Merry Xmas and a happy new year to all ma fans and well-wishers. Love y'all"
It's been a while since we heard from him but Quincy Owusu Abeyie has resurfaced in the season. "Merry Christmas Everyone!!"
Dnipro's Derek Boateng also posted: "Merry Christmas everyone! Every family! God Bless you!"
Reuben Ayarna, midfielder for GAIS in Sweden, also sent out a message but also took time to remember a loved one who passed. "Merry Xmas to you all from Accra to Boston all the way up here Gothenburg, peace be with you… :) RIP LG 21 :( "
David Addy, defender for Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães: "Merry Christmas wishes to you and your loved ones! May this Xmas season bring u delights in all possible forms. May u receive love in abundance and joy that lasts throughout this season."


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Other SKF rolling bearings
SKF produces many other bearings, most of which are intended for specific applications. These include precision bearings for machine tools and similar applications, see the catalogue "High-precision bearings", as well as individually tailored bearings. For example, the bearings for automotive applications are generally specific to a given car model and often include additional features thus reducing the number of individual components required for an application. Linear ball bearings also form part of the SKF range and are covered by separate printed catalogues and electronically under "Linear Motion".


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Search warrants detail investigators' attempts to prove Christopher Jordan Dorner was responsible for the killings of an Irvine couple.
Dorner, who died Tuesday at the end of a firefight with law enforcement in the Barton Flats area of the San Bernardino mountains, is also believed to have killed Riverside police officer Michael Crain and San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy Jeremiah MacKay.
According to a search warrant issued February 6 by Judge James Stotler in Orange County and executed Feb. 8, police were given the authority to search Dorner's La Palma residence, for evidence to connect him to the killings of Keith Lawrence and Monica Quan.
Among the property they listed to be seized were plans, maps, diaries and journals of plans to kill the couple, personal identifying information about the two victims, as well as other members of the Quan family. Police were also to seize any information about the Irvine residence and surrounding garages where Lawrence and Quan lived.
The police also were to seize handguns and and instruments connected to the crime, laptops and electronic storage devices and any files or documents within. Also to be seized were buccal swabs of DNA.
Police also interviewed Jason Young who managed a Nevada restaurant Dorner frequented. According to police, Young said he and Dorner struck up a friendship because of a shared interest in firearms.
Young told police Dorner had many high-powered rifles and tactical firearms accessories. The restaurant manager later e-mailed photos he had received from Dorner of firearms, weapon sights, silencers and high capacity magazines that Dorner said he intended to sell on line on the website www.backpage.com.
Police also requested a search warrant of the business for all accounts associated with Dorner.
Police also searched Facebook for all its information attributed to Dorner's personal account, including his profile page, friends list, groups and networks to which he was a member and communications between Facebook and anyone regarding the user or her account. Police also asked for an order barring Facebook from revealing the existence of the search warrant.


text: Fire and Earth Kitchen Flavors of Southeast Asia Cooking Class by Fire and Earth Kitchen Fire and Earth KitchenShoreline, WA Share this event: Registration Options There are no active dates for this event. Powered by Not Available Event Flavors of Southeast Asia Cooking Class by Fire and Earth Kitchen Please join us for our upcoming class, "Flavors of Southeast Asia" where we'll be using some key ingredients in Southeast Asian cooking such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh turmeric to create some very tasty meals. As always, 100% vegan, gluten and soy free. Come explore the simplicity of fresh spring rolls, the satisfaction of handmade dumplings, and the savoriness of homemade curry. As with all of our creations, these meals are easy to prepare and will use simple plant based ingredients which are beneficial to our health, and make tasty additions to our everyday meals. Come beat the winter blues right when we need it most in Seattle. No vacation to Thailand this year? Join us and you'll be surprised how close you can get.On the menu:*Fresh Spring Rolls with Spiced Peanut Sauce*Napa Cabbage and Mushroom Dumplings with Ginger Scallion Dipping Sauce*Creamy Beachfront Curry with Fragrant Jasmine Rice*Peanut Coconut Butter "Larabars"Fire and Earth Kitchen specializes in cooking classes which are 100% vegan, gluten-free, and open to everyone. We offer monthly group cooking classes in our fireside space, as well as private cooking classes in our space or yours. Our mission is to make plant-based and gluten-free cooking accessible to everyone. We do this by making sure every dish is simple to prepare, and by using nutritious, easy to find ingredients. All of our classes are demonstration based, which leaves you ample time to ask questions, sample food, and have a drink. We teach by the warmth of a fire, which provides both inspiration and a sense of comfort unique to our classes. We expertly lead you through the steps of preparing three to five dishes, often including a delicious dessert. Custom recipe cards, nutritional information, and tips and tricks for easy meal preparation are shared throughout the class. Our group classes are social and casual, and cultivate a sense of community hard to find elsewhere. Each group class has a minimum of 4 participants, and maximum of 8. Whether you are new to vegan or gluten-free cooking, have health concerns necessitating dietary changes, or are just looking for some great new plant centered meal ideas, these classes are great for everyone, and a lot of fun! Disclaimer: Classes are held in our intimate fireside space and while it is a test kitchen and classroom, it is also a home. Two sweet cats live here (though they will not be present during class), if you have allergies please take appropriate measures beforehand so you are completely comfortable for the duration, or contact us to schedule a class in your own home. LocationFire and Earth Kitchen (View) 15004 Linden Ave N. Shoreline, WA 98133 United States Categories Education > Classes Food Kid Friendly: Yes! Dog Friendly: No Non-Smoking: Yes! Wheelchair Accessible: No Contact Email:email@example.com Attendees Be the first to register for this event!


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100% Blackstone non-stick shoe & precision, electronic temperature control make this an excellent professional iron to use with heat set tissue when mending pages or consolidating brittle documents.The 21st Century Iron's built-in, solid state control system holds the heat within 3 degrees F (1.7 degrees C), iron adjust from 150 degrees F to 390 degrees F. Heats to temperature within 90 seconds. The iron's temperature dial is conveniently located on the cool handle. The fiber-reinforced plastic body & handle will not transmit heat, making the iron comfortable & safe to use. The unique rounded surface "shoe" glides gently along the tissue without gouging or scratching the underlying surface. A custom fitted shoe sock and a sturdy metal tabletop stand are included. Replacement shoes are available upon request.
Hollinger Metal Edge Inc
9401 Northeast Dr.
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Phone: 800-634-0491
Phone: 540-898-7300
Fax: 800-947-8814


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"Science is rarely ever this cool! 'Physicist Ingmar Riedel-Kruse and his team from Stanford University have done just that by creating versions of classic games that you can navigate by physically controlling living organisms. A game called PAC-mecium is Pacman with a twist: players use a console to change the polarity of an electrical field in a fluid chamber filled with paramecia, which makes the organisms move in different directions. A camera sends real-time images to a computer, where they are superimposed onto a game board (see video above). By looking at the screen, a player can guide the paramecia to eat virtual yeast cells and make them avoid Pacman-like fish. A microprocessor tracks the movement of the organisms to keep score.' Also available are versions of Pinball, Pong, and soccer." Play Pacman, Pinball, and Pong With a Paramecium
Play Pacman, Pinball, and Pong With a Paramecium.
Date: 16 January 2011 - 12:20am - 26 January 2011 - 12:21pm


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February 3, 2010: Epsilon Aurigae continues to progress through its first eclipse since 1982-84. Visual and photometric observation means place it at around magnitude 3.7-3.8. Totality was likely reached sometime in January, but it will take some time to analyze the data to establish a specific date. Totality is expected to last about 15 months, but the system is not expected to remain quiet during this time. Small amplitude modulations are being detected which are likely not associated with the eclipse itself. However, their exact source is still debated.
September 17, 2014: Dr. Robert Stencel (University of Denver Astronomy Program) has requested that AAVSO observers monitor epsilon Aurigae from now through the end of the observing season.
October 29, 2009
Author's note: This article was written prior to the start of the 2009-2011 eclipse. Epsilon Aurigae was the focus of the AAVSO's Citizen Sky project. Please visit the Citizen Sky web site and get updated and expanded information about this exciting event.