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Dubai Film Festival 2013 ~ My Roundup
Can you believe—the Dubai International Film Festival is already ten years old!
After a week of attending films at the DIFF, I'm now reflecting on what I saw. With 174 films from around the world, all so diverse, it was hard to decide what to see. Here are the highlights of what I did see—my favorite Arab films from this year's Dubai Film Festival 2013:
I attended one gala screening this year and this was it: Rock the Casbah, a Moroccan-French film set in upper-class Tangiers, Morocco, a family saga with a touch of magical realism.
With lush scenery and talented actors, it was hard to resist this film set within a gorgeous Tangiers villa and garden. It tells the story of four generations coping with the death of their patriarch and the family secrets which follow. Dealing with this aftermath is a mother and her three very different adult daughters, all with challenges of their own. A story with a Kite Runner twist, this film addresses difficult themes such as adultery, suicide and incest.
This film by Leila Marrakchi features the talent of Omar Sharif (the patriarch), Palestinian Hiam Abbass (the matriarch), and Lebanese Nadine Labaki, as one of the sisters. Rock the Casbah won Special Mention at the DIFF, and I recommend it to anyone who likes sprawling family dramas.
I was looking forward to this film by Palestinian-American Cherien Dabis, the filmmaker who brought us Amreeka, one of my favorite Arab-American films ever.
Dabis' latest film May in Summer, which had its debut at the DIFF, is set in Amman, Jordan and tells the story of May who has returned to her hometown Amman for her wedding. A story of expat culture clash, May in Summer explores an expat's return to her conservative Jordanian home and to her Christian mother who disapproves of her daughter's choice to marry a Muslim man.
While this film did not move me in the way that Amreeka did, I still found much to enjoy—the dynamics between the three sisters, the American father, played by Bill Pullman who has a "foreign fetish" according to one of his daughters. I also enjoyed the many scenes of Amman neighborhoods. If you have any connection to Jordan, I recommend this film.
Meanwhile, two of Dabis' upcoming projects are set in the West Bank—a comedy and a drama. More films to watch for!
I had moderate expectations for Homeland (Né Quelque Part), an Algerian-French-Moroccan film set in Algeria. But this is often how it works at film festivals: my husband and I laughed from beginning to end in this light-hearted but insightful immigrant story.
Homeland tells the story of Farid, a young North African man who has lived in France his entire life. When his father falls ill and sends him to Algeria, it's his first time visiting his country of origin. With universal themes, Homeland is a film any immigrant or expat can relate to.
After the screening, film-maker Mohamed Hamidi and lead actor Tewfik Jallab answered questions and explained that it was their first feature film. When you take that into consideration, the film impresses me even more.
I saw four short films from Arab countries, all featuring children, and Wooden Hand (Peau de Colle) was my favorite.
Wooden Hand, a Tunisian-French film tells the story of five-year-old Amira who is humiliated by her strict and misguided Qur'an teacher. What follows is the story of a resourceful child who refuses to return to Qur'an class, and she makes this happen by gluing her hand to a chair.
What I loved most about this story is the visual aspect—the quietly beautiful but exasperated mother, the scenes at the mosque, and the mother's little red truck driving through the streets of Tunis.
My two children saw this film with me and we all enjoyed this story. If it ever comes your way, I recommend it.
Best Arab Feature Winners 2013 & 2012
Omar, set in Occupied Palestine, won top honors at DIFF this year, including Best Arab Feature, as well as Best Director for Hany Abu Assad, the director behind Paradise Now.
This Palestinian drama/thriller was filmed in Nablus and Nazareth. At the DIFF, it had a very limited showing, and I was unable to see it this time around, but it's now at the top of films-to-see list.
Omar was well-received at the Cannes Film Festival, and is Palestine's official submission for to the Oscars 2014 best foreign language category.
This film out of Saudi Arabia was featured in last year's Dubai Film Festival 2012 and won top honors, including Best Arab Feature film.
Wadjda is the story of a girl in Saudi Arabia who dreams of owning a bicycle like the boys in her neighborhood. This film by Saudi film-maker Haifaa Al Mansour illuminates the lives of girls and women in Saudi Arabia.
I'm including it here because I recently saw this film, and I recommend it. Not only did I enjoy it, but my husband and two kids did as well.
Looking Ahead to DIFF 2014
The Dubai Film Festival takes place in December each year. My advice is: Get your tickets early! I recommend buying tickets the day they go on sale. It's worth it every year to see these unique and often amazing films and also hear from the filmmakers and actors.
Question: What was your favorite film of the Dubai Film Festival?


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John Newton Cooper CBE (July 17, 1923 – December 24, 2000) was a co-founder, with his father Charles Cooper, of the Cooper Car Company. Born in Surbiton, Surrey, England, UK he became an auto racing legend with his rear-engined chassis design that would eventually change the face of the sport at its highest levels, from Formula One to the Indianapolis 500.
Charles Cooper ran a small garage in Surbiton that specialised in maintaining racing cars. His son John left school at age 15 to become an apprentice toolmaker and served in the Royal Air Force as an instrument maker in World War II. After the war, he and his father began building simple, inexpensive single-seat racers for privateers, often from surplus military hardware. The cars were extremely successful and quickly in high demand, and in 1948 they founded their own company to build more.
In stereotypical British fashion, Cooper always downplayed the story about how they decided to put the engine in the back of their racing cars, insisting it was a matter of convenience. The original design for the first rear-engined Cooper racing car was drawn up by Owen Maddock, a designer employed by Cooper Car Company.[1] Because the car was powered by a motorcycle engine, they put the engine in the back, driving a chain. "We certainly had no feeling that we were creating some scientific breakthrough!…We put the engine at the rear…because it was the practical thing to do," Cooper said.
Initially, John raced his own cars on a regular basis but as the company grew he found less time available to compete. He did, however, find time to set a number of records at Montlhéry at the end of 1953.
In the early 1950s, it seemed as if every aspiring young British racing driver began behind the wheel of a Cooper, and Cooper's Formula One cars were driven by the legendary drivers of the time — Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant, Bruce McLaren. In a nine-year period, the team took 16 Grand Prix wins, as Brabham and the team won back-to-back World Championships in 1959 and 1960.
While in Sebring, Florida for the 1959 United States Grand Prix, Cooper got to know American driver Rodger Ward, the reigning USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 Winner. After Ward had been astounded by the cornering ability of Cooper's little cars on the road course, he offered to arrange a test for them at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, saying, "You've got to try out your car around the Oval. Indy's waiting for you!" Cooper took one of his Formula One cars to the Speedway in the fall of 1960, as drivers, constructors and racing personalities gathered in "amused tolerance, mixed with obvious curiosity," according to Cooper. When Brabham, an Indy rookie, began his warmup laps, he was unaware of the requirement to gradually build up his speed on the track. He clocked his second lap at 144.8 miles per hour, fast enough for the third row on the previous race's grid! Ward was so enthused, Cooper had to agree to let him drive the car, too. From that point, the Indianapolis establishment realized the writing was on the wall and the days of their front-engined roadsters were numbered. Within a few years, John Cooper's revolution of open-wheeled racing was complete. (Cooper, pp. 84–88, 95–97)
Cooper's development of the British Motor Corporation Mini — the Mini Cooper — was adored by both rally racers and ordinary road drivers. Before John Cooper's death, the Cooper name was licensed to BMW for the higher performance versions of the cars, inspired by the original Mini, sold as the MINI. John, along with his son Mike Cooper, served in an advisory role to BMW and Rover's New MINI design team.
Cooper was the last surviving Formula One team principal from the formative years of the sport, and he often lamented later in life that the fun had long since gone out of racing. He helped establish Britain's domination of motorsport technology, which continues today, and he received the CBE (Commander of Order of the British Empire) for his services to British motorsport. He remained head of the West Sussex family garage business (which had outlets for Mini Cooper at East Preston and Honda at Ferring) until his death at age 77 in 2000.

subset: commoncrawl


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April 4, 2007
More Ways to Use Google Talk
Desktop applications
* Google Talk client - available only in Windows. Distinctive features: voice calls, voicemail, file transfers, Gmail notifications. You can also chat with people from other IM networks using Jabber transports.
* Jabber clients. Google Talk uses Jabber, so any Jabber client can be used to connect to Google's servers. Use this option if you have Linux, Mac or you want an all-in-one instant messenger that lets you talk to your friends from Yahoo Messenger, AIM etc. A nice all-in-one cross-platform instant messenger is Gaim.
Mobile applications
* MGTalk - third-party Java application that includes Gmail notifications.
* Talkonaut - another third-party Java application. Distinctive features: call your contacts (not free), easy way to add contacts from other IM networks.
* OctroTalk - Windows Mobile client for smartphones and Pocket PCs. It supports chatting and talking with other Google Talk users.
* Google Talk for BlackBerry. You can "add, delete and rename contacts, know when [your] friends are online and available, leave conversations and resume them later, copy conversation text into memory and even be notified when a message is being typed."
Web applications
* Google Talk is available in Gmail. This is particularly useful if you want to reply to a mail from someone who is online, but the email is not the most appropriate way (you need an immediate answer). Also Gmail is the place where you can search your chats (add label:chats in front of your query).
* Go to google.com/talk and click on "Launch Google Talk". A pop-up window will open and you'll be able to chat with your friends. Unlike the Gmail version, here you have tabs and a richer interface.
* Add a gadget to Google Personalized Homepage or to Netvibes. Use this option if you have your personalized homepage always open in the background.
* Add it to your browser's sidebar.
In Firefox, click on this link: Google Talk Sidebar to create a bookmark that opens in the sidebar. Now all you have to do is to click on the bookmark to load the gadget.
In Opera, create a new panel by clicking on this link: Google Talk Sidebar. To see the new panel, press F4 and select it from the list.
* There are also third-party sites like Meebo that let you chat with your friends from other IM networks as well.
32 comments:
Thanks for pointing us to the MGTalk and Talkonaut, I have to try it out.ReplyDelete
There is another new mobile client called Jagong.ReplyDelete
It supports jabber, så GTalk works just fine.
- AnonymousApril 4, 2007 at 7:04 AM
you might also want to check out MGTalk-http too. It is based on MGTalk but uses only HTTP (via Jabber HTTP-Binding) instead of plain sockets. This is useful if your mobile operator blocks non-HTTP traffic.ReplyDelete
I miss having gtalk for linux, not for "writing" to my buddies(for that I use gaim), but for using the VoIP, files transfer, and earing that wonder sound on the voice mail: "meeeeeeeee"ReplyDelete
yeah, but still no GROUP CHAT! What's up with that????ReplyDelete
Has anyone else experienced problems using the Google Talk in your browser sidebar hack? I can't open links sent to me by my friends if the text is included in my chat in the sidebar.ReplyDelete
As far as mobile GTalk clients, there's also one called Fring for Nokia phones. http://www.fring.com/ReplyDelete
I would suggest also checking out a relatively new Windows Mobile client called Octro (octro.com) Supports *ALL* of the major IM protocols (yep, all 5 of them) and even the GTalk features like file sharing and VOIP!ReplyDelete
That Firefox SideBar tip rocks hardcore!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 4, 2007 at 12:49 PM
An easier way to add a page to a sidebar in Opera or Firefox: add the rel attribute with value "sidebar", like this:ReplyDelete
a href=foo title=Foo rel=sidebar
.. and then people can just left-click the link.
Thank you, rijk. I edited the post and simplified the directions to add sidebars in Firefox and Opera.ReplyDelete
For Opera, you have to add rel="sidebar" and title="Title of the panel" to the a tag.
In Firefox, add this JS code to the onclick event:
window.sidebar.addPanel(title, url,"");
One can use Google Talk and Gmail as voicemail reminder. Add new "friend" with email address firstname.lastname@example.com to Google Talk. Use it every time when you want so send voicemail to yourself. I give you more details how to do it at http://mylifeinbeta.blogspot.com/2006/11/google-talk-gmail-free-voicemail.htmlReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 5, 2007 at 7:18 AM
you didn't mention JGmail, an addon of the (great, IMVHO) Miranda-IM messenger.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 15, 2007 at 11:39 PM
when people leave comment, they want to receive omething, I shoud then make my own learning ,ReplyDelete
but I rage
- AnonymousJuly 6, 2007 at 2:55 AM
How to send the google message (google talk) from the web page.ReplyDelete
Like in some web page we have link to username say XYZ (with gmail id as email@example.com).
On click of link how to send the google message.
Yes i mean from the browser ?
In Google Talk, you can't send a message to someone unless you are in his/her contact list. So you have to add that person to your contact list and wait until he/she accepts your invitation.ReplyDelete
Google Talk's gadget is not that clever to be used for chatting with the owner of a site, but there other gadgets that let you do that: MeeboMe, Zoho Chat, Plugoo, Gabbly, Geesee.
- AnonymousJuly 9, 2007 at 2:21 AM
"a href="http://edit.yahoo.com/config/send_webmesg?.target=YAHOO_ID&.src=pg" target="_blank">ReplyDelete
< img src="yahoo.gif" border="0" />
Can we have a similar link for
Google Talk
Yahoo is providing a good support for chat & messenger.
I tried to do search for similar link for MSN ,AIM and google talk , but haven't found very useful stuf.
Can some body please provide me the links for the same.
I use Chatopus on Treo 650 - it works well for my purposes. Unfortunately, it can't run in the background.ReplyDelete
guys, one more s/w using which u can mobile chat is reporo. Get it here. http://www.reporo.com/register.jsp..ReplyDelete
It supports gtalk, yahoo, msn & AOL.
Has a very neat interface , its free, tabbed chatting screen, java enabled so can work on most of the latest phones, Auto login etc..
What you want is called online presence. Yahoo and AOL provide a way to add a status icon to a site, while Microsoft and Google don't have an official way to do that. You could also try onlinestatus.org (which should work for AOL, Yahoo, MSN and Jabber, but I don't know if it works for Google Talk).
A new killer app is Raketu ! Multiformat instant messenger including Gtalk, Sms and email sending, Voip from computer or mobile phone, Voip rates without computer as Jajah but 3 times cheaper ! And, last but not least, no supernodes as with Skype.ReplyDelete
Not to mentioned It works from every where in the world including my tiny island La Réunion. Jajajh does not !
From now, on my computer, and on my HTC Tytn, the best place is for Raketu !
I do not know anyone who uses google talk so I really do not need it on my mobile.ReplyDelete
I use google talk to tell me what I have in gmail when I start my pc, thats about it.
The people I know only use aim, yahoo and msn.
- AnonymousApril 30, 2008 at 3:46 AM
We have just released a free GTalk/Jabber Windows Mobile client, as part of the Sqij 'applet' platform (along with existing applets like weather, travel, push email, stock ticker, etc.)ReplyDelete
All the goodness at: http://www.sqij.com
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Is there mo Google Talk Client with full source code which can be compiled for :ReplyDelete
-PocketPC 2003
-Windows Mobile 5
-Windows Mobile 6
Is there gtalk application for samsung corby tv (CDMA)f339 de12 handset ?ReplyDelete
please reply
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2010 at 9:22 PM
Palringo was the bestReplyDelete
I want open gtalk and gmail,vzo chatReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:26 AM
How do I use google talk to add a second number to my cell phone so my friend in prison can call me ? I opened a g mail account but cant figure out how to get it on my mobil phone.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 25, 2012 at 9:27 AM
how do I use g talk from my mobile phone to add a second number so my friend from prison can call me ?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 23, 2012 at 9:38 AM
hello please tell me how to install gtalk to nokia 6233 please i tried all can one 1 reply me pleaseReplyDelete
What's up can y'all tell me how I can setup a 1800 number that will ring my existing phone and it show up on my regular call logs.ReplyDelete


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EDGECAM Part Modeler
Rapid Modelling for Manufacturing
EDGECAM Part Modeler is a cost effective, 3D modeling tool specifically designed for quick and simple construction and/ or modification of solid models.
EDGECAM Part Modeler will import and manipulate files from most CAD systems, including :
Part Modeler comes complete with fully associative drafting capability. It's the perfect complement to EDGECAM Solid Machinist – providing advanced modelling tools to create parts or workholding systems such as chuck jaws or fixtures. The major features of a machine tool can also be modelled, for accurate cutting simulation and collision detection within EDGECAM.
With the ability to execute a series of logically grouped construction operations as a single keystroke, EDGECAM Part Modeler enables rules to be applied simultaneously across multiple parts of an assembly with automatic part-to-part compatibility. Full associativity is maintained across 2D and 3D drafting; isometric, plan and orthogonal views; standard and ordinate dimensioning; and geometric tolerancing.
Part Modeler's intuitive user interface can be quickly and easily tailored to individual requirements, with features such as dockable windows and customisable menus and toolbars ensuring a highly productive, smooth and seamless progression from design concept through to finished component model and detail drawing.
Tighter integration between engineering and manufacturing paves the way to increased productivity.


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Submitted by: Mito
Author: I don't know, maybe my grandma 🙂
Servings: 2
3 large potatoes
2 medium carrots
vegetable stock
My grandma used to cook this often.
Peel potatoes and carrots and cut into chunks. Put them in a pot and cover with vegetable stock (you can use instant if you like). Cook until carrots and potatoes are soft and mash them just enough so that it's still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Serve alone, with bread or fake meat loaf.


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1997 Diamond Back Venom BMX decal set
Replacement Diamond Back Venom decal set. If you are restoring an old 1997 Diamond Back Venom BMX, you may need to replace the decals stickers. This full decal set are reproductions based on the original decal design as close as possible.
Decal Colours:
Diamond Back Venom decal set includes: 2 x Diamondback Venom down tube decals, 2 x Diamondback Venom top tube decals, 2 x Diamondback Venom fork decals, 1 x Diamondback Venom seat tube decals, 1 x Diamondback Venom handlebar decal and 1 x Diamondback Venom seat post decal.
See also:
Diamond Back Designed in USA Decal
Decal stickers are digitally printed on clear weatherproof self adhesive vinyl. All colours are printed over white for maximum vibrancy. Decals are supplied cut out, ready to apply.
All decal sets are printed to order. Decals are printed in and ship from Australia. Please allow 10-15 working days for delivery within Australian and 15-28 working days for international delivery of your order. Registered post or tracking included within Australia on full decal sets.
Combined postage discounts apply. Calculated at checkout.
These decals are not original, they are high quality re-prints, from professional, graphic design vector drawings of original decals. please be aware there may be tiny differences to original decals.


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Take a peek at some of the gorgeous peg dolls entered here... www.smallacorns.co.nz/index.php/ps_alias/happeningnow- you can even vote for your favourite.
Anyway, it reminded me of a fairy peg doll tutorial I saw in the Christmas issue of Australian Womens Weekly last year. I decided to try it, not for the competition but just to give it a go really. I should have read all the instructions first though, then maybe I would have realised how much I had to do to make it!
Blanc Florist very kindly sent me a metre of it for free. My paper doilies were far too big so I should have read the 'you will need' instructions a bit more carefully too!
I do like her pink shoes
The finished product is very cute but I think I will try an easier peg doll next time!
And here is a pic of a gorgeous wee zip purse and some lovely flower button earrings I won in a giveaway over at Gnomeangel- I love the beautifully stitched bird- thanks again Angie!
To see what other people are up to today head over to Kirsty's here☞
Megan x
PS: There's an awesome giveaway over at Kelly's "Reclaiming Me" blog here...


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Temporary Grasslands of Singapore
This is a gallery dedicated to the temporary grasslands of Singapore. I call them temporary because these grasslands do not occur naturally but are man-made. In Singapore where land is scarce, reclaiming land from sea is a common practice. These reclaimed land sites are reclaimed and then left for a couple of years to stabilize and then prepared for development. Sites are found at areas such as Punggol, Changi (see gallery on Tanah Merah), Marina East and Simpang. The site such as Marina East are now being developed into a golf course. These sites show the resilience of nature as grass grows, marshes are formed and birdlife increases. To me, it also shows that with just a little help, we can actually do a lot to create beautiful nature places in Singapore.
View as slideshow Gear notes Guestbook Gallery map
46 photos found in the category 'Birds' . sorting: 'author's order/descending order'. This gallery has 46 photos in total. Gallery was launched 2005-12-27. Combined page views in this gallery is 1443394. Easy link to this gallery is http://www.naturestops.com/gallery/list.php?exhibition=30. Photo gallery code generated by Exhibit Engine 2.02. All rights reserved. All unauthorized usage forbidden.


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Rough Cut: A raw edit from the Ravens Super Bowl win over 49ers
"Rough Cut" is a loose edit from The Baltimore Sun's photographic coverage of the National Football League. Fanatic fans, marching bands, cheerleaders and lots of game action are just part of the spectacle that is the NFL. This week photojournalists Lloyd Fox, Kenneth K. Lam, and Gene Sweeney Jr. photographed the Baltimore Ravens as they win Super Bowl XLVII by defeating the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
ALSO SEE: Ray Lewis retrospective: 1996-2003


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Kreyol for Life | Unisex T-Shirt
Regular price $29.00
Unit price
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Kreyol for life unisex t-shirt
All of our t-shirts are custom made and 100% cotton unless specified.
Fit: Unisex. For a slimmer fit, we recommend women to order a size down as our tees run big (for example, Unisex XS is the equivalent to Men's XS and Women's S).
Sizing: XS to 2XL unless specified.
Shipping: Please allow up to 7 business days for your item to be processed and shipped.
Delivery & Return: Every t-shirt is made to order and cannot be exchanged or refunded


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30 Yellow wafer roses
This is a 30 pieces of yellow wafer roses.
Diameter : Aprox 3.5 cm
A great decoration for Cupcakes, muffins and cakes.
Please place any 6 items from any catergory into your basket the cost of the cheapest will be deducted from your basket.Please note
if returning an item purchased as part of one of our multi-buy offers, the value of the original discount will be offset against this return.


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With HTC's upcoming crop of Androids, you'll be able to separate people into two distinct groups: those who spring for the brainier, better-specced Desire, and those who get bowled over by the beautiful, yet lesser-specced Legend.
The Desire (or Nexus One) is the final word in the Androidsphere—it's a mark of someone who knows what they're doing, who wants to show people they NEED that extra computing power. If you compare it to the Legend, you could be justified in saying Legend-salivators are more shallow, ignoring the might of a Snapdragon processor in lieu of a unibody aluminum shell and slim build.
You'd be wrong, however.
I Mean, It Is Just a Sequel
The internal upgrades are minor, when you consider it next to the HTC Hero, but like the Empire Strikes Back, sometimes sequels are far better than the original. While we found the Hero "tragically flawed" in its slugginess, the Legend's slightly more powerful 600MHz processor behaved—well, like a legend. The 3.2-inch screen has the same amount of pixels as the Hero, but swaps the HVGA for a more superior AMOLED. The 5.0-megapixel camera is still the same quality, but has the much-welcomed addition of a flash. You get the picture—the Legend is building on the Hero's quality in incremental upgrades, but every change, however minor, radicalizes the experience of using the Legend.
It's running Android 2.1, which as any Hero owner knows should be released as an over-the-air update soon. One day. The jump from 1.6 to 2.1 is impressive—it's a lot faster, the multitouch is better, there's greater integration of social networking profiles with contacts, and HTML5 support, amongst other—admittedly small—changes.
Design Works
Plain and simple—the Legend is the most well-built phone I've ever had in my hand. You just know when you feel the weight of it, the cool curved exterior of the unibody aluminum shell, and touch the ultra-responsive touchscreen. It's that sensation when you first tenderly held the original iPhone, which has been long-missing in the market.
The bottom and top of the back is actually made from rubberized plastic though, so there are no issues with wireless signals—unlike the first generation of the iPhone. Removing part of the case reveals a very thin battery and a touch-sensitive catch which keeps the SIM and microSD cards encased. It's a small point, but it's also the most polished example of a phone's innards that I've ever seen.
Just like BlackBerry, HTC is migrating its trackballs to optical trackpads. This is a relief, but in actual fact I barely had to use the trackpad—only when having to make an edit when typing out messages or emails. The screen is just so responsive, with nary a wrongly-actioned command made, that you can imagine HTC forgoing the trackpad altogether at a later date.
Only eight buttons reside on the Legend's body. The on/off button up top, the two volume controls on the top left, and then on the lower face, home, menu, back and search. They all worked well, though the home, menu, back and search keys did feel a bit cheap in comparison to the high-end feeling of the rest of the handset.
Same Old Camera?
HTC's used the same 5.0-megapixel camera as we saw on the Hero, but the addition of a flash is a new and exciting step for them—strange as that sounds. As you can see from the two photos below, the flash is very strong—too strong, I'd say. However, the quality is decent in lowlight conditions—noisy for sure, but I've seen worse.
My friends in lowlight at a cinema before Alice In Wonderland 3D
In daytime I had a lot more luck. Testing it out on some cakes in my kitchen in the late afternoon sun retained the nice rays of sun across the cakes, with the yellow of the flowers showing up bright. But even at 5MP, the general image performance isn't enough to ditch your point and shoot just yet.
Testing indoors with daylight
More Sense Than HTC Sense
Most manufacturers are skinning Android with their own proprietary interfaces...MOTOBLUR, Mediascape, S-Class, they're ok, but I'd almost rather use Android in its natural flavor than have to put up with some of their issues.
There just ain't no Android phone like a HTC Sense Android phone. It's simply the best skin an Android could ask for, even without the minor improvements seen in the Legend. By far the pick of the bunch is the new "Leap" view—or "Helicopter view" as it was known in-house when designed. It works much like Mac OS X's Exposé function, bringing all seven homescreens up as thumbnails. The feature is very useful, particularly if you just can't remember which screen your mail, or the weather widget, is listed on. The pinch command takes some getting used to, but once you've got the gesture down-pat, it's a godsend.
Leap—or helicopter—view
But with ever feature that will be used often comes one with no point at all. FriendStream is a nice enough widget, which collates all your friends' updates from Twitter, Facebook and Flickr into one feed, but for anyone who's a purist and likes to see every form of update on each social networking site, it will be removed quickly from the homescreen. I preferred using HTC's own brilliant Twitter widget, Peep, for the full Twitter options, and the Facebook app to see every form of action. The Flickr integration is handy, being able to see when my contacts upload photos, but not necessary if you get email notifications already.
Plus, FriendStream just felt slow sometimes—in fact, on a very speedy phone, it felt incongruous in comparison to everything else, often updating with tweets quite a few minutes later than the Twitter widget did. It's not a big problem, but for someone who relies on Twitter heavily as a source of entertainment, it became a source of frustration.
Respectable Battery Life
The Legend ran 36 hours before it died on me. Not too bad, considering I had an hour-long call plus about five shorter ones, sent and received around 20 text messages, and spent almost a whole day browsing the web, checking Twitter, and showing it off to my friends. After the horror of seeing my G1's battery deplete in half a day when I first bought it, the Legend's 1300mAh battery ran to my satisfaction.
The Legend Is The Most Solid Android Phone I've Used
True, other phones may be better specced, but with that premium build it's like comparing a Sony Vaio (not a bad laptop, sure) to a MacBook. Sometimes there's just no contest. While the extra horsepower and added touches of the Nexus One and Desire are nice, I found the Legend more than satisfactory.
It wasn't sluggish, certainly didn't have bugs or issues like the G1 and Hero, and while it'll inevitably slow down and have you cursing the fact you didn't spring for something with a Snapdragon chip, I'm going to award it possibly the highest accolade a reviewer can gift a device: I'm going to upgrade to one.
It's not the best Android phone. That badge still belongs to the Nexus One, or possibly the Desire, when we review it. But it's one of the best all-rounders, when you consider the hardware—and the feeling you're left with once it leaves your hand. I feel bereft without it.
Superb hardware quality
HTC Sense is better than ever
Addition of camera flash
Super-fast and responsive
FriendStream could be faster
Camera flash isn't perfect
The HTC Legend hasn't been announced for the US market yet, with the European launch sometime this month.


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Engagements — May 23
John and Rhonda Crozier of Canyon, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter Kaysha Crozier to Luke Wells, son of Scott and April Wells of Canyon, Texas.
The couple is planning an Aug. 7 wedding at Ashmore Inn and Suites in Amarillo.
The bride-elect is a 2009 graduate of Canyon High School and is attending Amarillo College.
She is also the granddaughter of Delbert and Myrna Lingnau of Farwell and Johnny and Pat Crozier of Clovis.
The prospective groom is a 2008 graduate of Canyon High School and also is attending Amarillo College.


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The CIA Is Taking Over the Dirty Work in Fighting America's Wars
Obama has nominated a veteran – not a chickenhawk – to serve as Secretary of Defense. The Washington Post reports that Chuck Hagel:
… was deputy director of the Veterans Administration during the Reagan administration and later served as president of the United Service Organizations.
U.S. News and World Report notes:
The Vietnam War veteran and the recipient of the purple heart, Hagel would be the first enlisted soldier in the military to rise to the ranks of defense secretary.
Indeed, while all of the neocon warmongers are chickenhawks who dodged service to their country, many veterans and active-duty service men are opposed to the endless wars, which only weaken our national security and increase terrorism. See this, this, this, this, this, this and this.
No wonder Hagel is more moderate than those who want to start conflagrations all over the world.
U.S. News and World Report continues:
While Hagel is a Republican, his views on foreign policy alarm some of his GOP colleagues. During his time in the Senate, Hagel was verbose in his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he voted against sanctioning Iran on multiple occasions and has suggested Israel should negotiate with Hamas directly. Republicans and Democrats alike worry he's not a strong enough friend to Israel …
The Washington Post reports:
Last year, Hagel endorsed a report by the advocacy group Global Zero that called for an 80 percent reduction in the U.S. nuclear-weapons arsenal. Such a cut could save $100 billion over 10 years, the group estimated.
On the other hand, Obama's nominee for CIA director – John Brennan – endorsed torture, assassination of unidentified strangers without due process, and spying on all Americans. As Glenn Greenwald writes:
Brennan, as a Bush-era CIA official, had expressly endorsed Bush's programs of torture (other than waterboarding) and rendition and also was a vocal advocate of immunizing lawbreaking telecoms for their role in the illegal Bush NSA eavesdropping program.
Obama then appointed him as his top counter-terrorism adviser…. In that position, Brennan last year got caught outright lying when he claimed Obama's drone program caused no civilian deaths in Pakistan over the prior year. He also spouted complete though highly influential falsehoods to the world in the immediate aftermath of the Osama bin Laden killing, including claiming that bin Laden "engaged in a firefight" with Navy SEALS and had "used his wife as a human shield". Brennan has also been in chargeof many of Obama's most controversial and radical policies, including "signature strikes" in Yemen – targeting people without even knowing who they are – and generally seizing the power to determine who will be marked for execution without any due process, oversight or transparency.
What do these two nominations tell us?
That the Obama administration doesn't plan on fighting as many conventional wars with men in uniform – soldiers, sailors, pilots and marines – but does plan to crank up assassinations, drone strikes and other covert operations worldwide.
Washington's Blog, http://www.washingtonsblog.com/


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VIDEO: Oops, Or How A $1.5M Ferrari Ends Up In The Ocean
Today, the Canadian press picked up on a video that seems to have been making the rounds on car sites for a few days. Here's how the Toronto Sunintroduces it:
Zahir Rana wanted to give spectators at the Targa Newfoundland rally a show they'd never forget — he did just that after putting a $1.5 million Ferrari into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Calgary-based car connoisseur and owner of ZR Auto was manoeuvring a 2003 Ferrari Edo Enzo — one of only 400 ever made — around a corner last Thursday, halfway through the week-long rally in Marystown, N.L., and landed the 840-horsepower high-priced supercar in the drink.
The good news: No one was hurt. Here's the video:
"My first thoughts were 'oh my god'," Rana says on the video. "I mean, I love my car and to me it's the best thing ever. But then, as I realized, I thank God that I'm well and fine. And it's only a car. It's not a big deal."
As you might imagine, this sort of thing has happened before. Most notably it happened in Texas, when a man distracted by a low flying pelican drove his million-dollar Bugatti into a lake.
It's so common, we found a whole website dedicated to "wrecked exotics."
(H/T: Storyful)
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Luxury rentals in Jackson Hole
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Exploring Jackson Hole
While cowboys roam the land no longer, the bravado of the old West is still alive in Jackson Hole in the adrenaline junkies and nature lovers that visit Wyoming every year. Attracting winter sports fanatics from all over the world, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is amongst the best in North America, famous for its expert terrain. In warmer months, snow melts away to reveal exhilarating mountain bike trails, golf courses and natural playgrounds that the whole family will enjoy.
Experiencing a luxury rental in Jackson Hole
Our chalets in Jackson Hole Wyoming range from family sized slope-side lodges to large country homes with gorgeous mountain views. Whether you choose a rental close to resort amenities or one that is more secluded, you're sure to enjoy the area's picturesque charms. Fully-equipped gourmet kitchens and cozy living areas make these enchanting homes the perfect place to relax and enjoy a hot cocoa with your loved ones. After a day out on the slopes, you'll appreciate the rustic atmosphere and the chance to warm up in your steaming hot tub or in-villa sauna. Jackson Hole might be a prime alpine ski-destination, but you'll find a wide variety of activities to enjoy there. A snowmobiling adventure or dog-sled ride will send you zooming through a winter wonderland inhabited by bison, elk, and even wolves! For those who want to take a longer stroll through Jackson Hole's mountainous landscapes, snowshoeing is a fun experience that will reward you with unforgettable sights. Outdoor activities during the warmer months include mountain climbing in the Teton Mountains, white-water rafting on Snake River, and hiking in many parks and reserves. Looking for the perfect way to re-connect with nature? Book a Luxury Retreats Villa in Jackson Hole today!


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Vinnie Paul Talks Golden Gods + Grammy Museum
The Revolver Golden Gods Awards take place April 11 in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theater in conjunction with 'Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal,' which is a metal exhibit at the adjacent Grammy Museum. The display serves to educate visitors about the genre we all know and love by collecting various items relating to the metal acts. Hellyeah and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul chatted with Revolver TV about the upcoming metallic festivities, as well as Hellyeah's new album 'Band of Brothers,' due this June.
"The Golden Gods is good reason to get together and party," Paul said. "It's our version of what's been going on for years with the Grammys, stuff like that. It's about time we had it."
The skinsman is also stoked about the metal installation at the Grammy museum, saying, "There's a lot of history in that metal." He would know, since Pantera have been such a crucial part of the genre's proliferation. That's why he is donating some "beautiful Dimebag memorabilia" and "Pantera stuff," in honor of his brother, the late, great guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
Paul admitted that he is still looking to donate some items from the Rebel Meets Rebel project that he and Dime embarked upon with outlaw country musician David Allan Coe.
The drummer spoke about how 'Band of Brothers' marks a return to their metal roots, which is something he told Loudwire exclusively.
When the interviewer tells him he is the best-smelling man in metal, Paul likened his desire to be fresh and clean to a burger joint. "I've never been a fan of Waterburger," he said. "It's a hamburger place in Texas that just smells like onions. Sometimes people don't give a s—. I like to take a shower, put a little cologne on. When I'm done sweating, I'm done sweating."


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A freezer is a common household appliance that can assist one with a wide variety of household chores, usually centered around needing to have something frozen. It should not be confused with the refrigerator, an appliance of similar purpose that merely keeps items cool instead of cooler than cool.[1] Mixing up the two appliances can have dire consequences, such as a spoiled dinner or a lingering, pervasive stench of rotting flesh.[2]
The idea of freezing things has been around since the dawn of ice itself, but humans lacked a solid agency over the art of freezing for most of evolution's long prowl. One of the earliest ways that humans mastered the act was to practice the process on themselves. Thanks in part to a convenient mammoth shortage, freezing fever swept the globe around 98,000 BC; it was hard to go fifty miles without spotting a hapless Neanderthal perfectly preserved in a gigantic ice cube.
After the glacial recession, natural freezing became impossible for most peoples, though it remained common practice among tribes living at extreme latitudes. For example, Inuits of Alaska strategically froze themselves in the spring months to feed their relatives in the coming winter, while the Mapuche of Chile exposed their faces to sharp subzero winds to cure hereditary acne problems. Many millenia passed before such luxuries were available to those cursed to temperate climates; after several experiments with bags of hail and socks full of snow, inventor Ricardo Levinstein created the world's first functional domestic freezer, the box of ice.[3]
Thanks to the magic of science, the arduous task of travelling all the way to Finland to pick up more ice for the box was replaced by a self-cooling system of pulleys and levers in the late 19th century. By 1950, every domestic household had a proper refrigeration device for all their cooling and freezing needs. No longer did humankind need to rely on fickle seasons, Eskimo couriers, or Ang Lee to provide them with the daily dose of ice for all its freezing needs.
Types of freezers
Commercial: The Kind Next to Your Refrigerator
It is the reason why microwaves come with a "defrost" option. The kind of freezer that inspired Ziploc to produce a whole new line of slightly larger bags, the commercial freezer fits snugly into a domestic environment for all of one's domestic needs. Sure, it could be used for more fancy things, like defusing fireworks or being turned into a pressurized frost bomb for launch out of a catapult, but the common commercially-sold freezer is best used for things domestic, mundane, boring, and vanilla.[4] Standard freezers come in either white or off-white, though flamboyant souls could shell out an extra fifty for grey.
Warning! Danger! Will Robinson! Danger!
The freezer is not a refrigerator! Mixing up the two can lead to undesired effects, such as food poisoning, freezer burn,[5] broken light bulbs,[6] or refrigerator freeze.[7] How can you spot the difference, for the safety of future generations of Hide and Go Seek players? First step: crawl inside the nebulous appliance in question and shut the hatch. If you find yourself slowly asphyxiating alongside some expired cold cuts, you are probably in a fridge. If you happen to be slowly freezing alongside some poor fool's peas, then you've correctly spotted the freezer.[8]
Industrial: The Huge, Meaty Kind
Industrial strength freezers, known as a meat locker to those in the business, are the largest, most effective freezers outside of a science lab.[9] Not only can it be used to ununfreeze the most potent antifreeze, but these antiantifreezers are also the reasons most meat hook salesmen can feed their families.
Traditionally as large as a steamboat foyer with more hanging meat than a crucifixion festival, jumbo freezers can store upwards of sixty tons of animal carcasses without breaking a cold sweat.[10] One can possibly store something other than giant slabs of meat in a large freezer, but that would just be a waste of good hook space.
What about coats? Those go on hooks!
Yeah, but who would freeze a coat? Don't be daft.
Icebox: The Old-Timey, Usually Steam-Powered, Kind
As mentioned above, before there was the traditional freezer, there was the icebox. Though it has fallen out of vogue among the general public since the advent of electricity, it still remains a popular product among certain individuals, usually the same people who use the word "henceforth" and ride around on bicycles with giant front wheels.
But why does it put the "ice" in "nice?"
Iceboxes have one other significant reason for its continued existence: the approaching apocalypse. When most conventional freezers will peter out and die within minutes once the comet's shockwave knocks out all electricity, or the dinosaur-alien invaders siphon all our energy to power their deadly Jurassic Sparx-brand lasers,[11] the antique icebox sits pretty and resilient, fully functional in a broken world. Use it to store emergency rations, or scavenged pieces of your loved ones; more adventurous types can even use it to freeze themselves, in hopes of awaking in a brighter future. Yep, good luck with that, buddy.
Cooler: The Small Kind You Take to a Picnic
Owning an icebox may have been retro in 1954, but all but the most hardcore aficionados wouldn't be caught dead with one nowadays.[12] Luckily for the panicked icebox industry, Roosevelt C. Angstrom came to the rescue in 1951 by patenting the portable ice chest, better known as the cooler. Tool of picnickers and "casual" alcoholics around the globe, coolers are the cool way to keep things cool without losing your cool.[13]
But I want to fight crime! Can it be used to fight crime?
Depends on the size of the criminal. Sending someone "to the cooler" is usually just a figure of speech, but if Peter Dinklage were on the lam then a cooler and some mint jelly would definitely come in handy. Just don't forget to poke holes in the top.[14]
The Future of Freezers
Computers are getting smaller and egos are getting bigger, but not many scientists can predict the course freezers will take into the future. Engineers in Geneva are working on a new machine that effectively reverses the process of freezing, tentatively called the "microwaver," but little research is being done on advancing the state of freezers themselves. However, one thing is for certain: the universe as a whole inches closer each day towards transforming into the absolute freezer itself. Humanity can ignore the progression towards total frozenness by developing microwavers and starting fires, but the grand universal freezer will ultimately make fools of us all.
- ↑ Or "ice cold," as some would say.
- ↑ Depends what kind of meat you're freezing.
- ↑ Or "Ice box," as some would say.
- ↑ Like ice cream! Everyone loves ice cream!
- ↑ Which had, up until the invention of the freezer, simply been known as "burn."
- ↑ If you are freezing a light bulb.
- ↑ A markedly rarer, physics-defying occurrence.
- ↑ Step two is that your friend gets to call the coroner.
- ↑ Or the set of Breaking Bad.
- ↑ You'll have to hunt around for a locker that allows human.
- ↑ Or what-have-you.
- ↑ Odds are larger you'll catch someone dead in one.
- ↑ While you watch Fooly Cooly and Cool Runnings with some Coolies while listening to Coolio. Coolcoolcool.
- ↑ Don't want a repeat of 2008's Gerbil Incident.
See also
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Bio: Jail chaplain and gang pastor with Tierra Nueva in Skagit Valley, Washington;
Underground Coffee Project co-founder. Website: undergroundcoffeeproject.com
1. What delights you in your daily work? As a chaplain in a county jail, I get to meet and commune with some of the most interesting people in my community. When a few of them become my roommates, musical collaborators, groomsmen, business partners, or co-authors, it is pure delight.
I've found the greatest joy of the gospel to be what we at Tierra Nueva call "bridging divergent worlds": fly-fishing for salmon with young Chicano gang members. Doing theology in a jail with uncensored classmates already living a modern monastic life, well aware of their sin. Holding a collect call from prison on speakerphone above rows of organic kale, so the farmer can talk composting with a man in solitary confinement who is starting to design a gang recovery farm for when he's released next year. It's hearing from suburban church ladies, like my mother, that the letters read through our ministry from a gang leader in prison made them cry—then hearing that they now write each other directly!
2. What frustrations do you face? Banging on the doors of some churches and businesses and courtrooms that are used to the familiar way of doing things. It's also a frustrating process to let go of my incorrect assumption that men and women in those realms would be more reliable in their commitments than the folks we're working with in addiction recovery.


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NEW YORK – The profane and hysterical "The Book of Mormon" took home nine Tony Awards on Sunday including the prize for best musical, a considerable achievement for a pair of first-time Broadway playwrights known more for their raunchy cartoons featuring potty-mouthed kids.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the Emmy Award-winning "South Park," found a kindred soul in Robert Lopez, who co-wrote the Tony-winning "Avenue Q," and all three found themselves with plenty of awards when they collaborated to gently mock Mormons and send-up Broadway itself.
Collecting the best musical prize, a subdued Parker, who tied Josh Logan of "South Pacific" with four Tonys in one evening — said he'd be remiss if he didn't thank his late book co-writer — Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion.
"You did it, Joseph! You got the Tony!" Parker said looking skyward and holding up his award.
The show, which netted honors for best musical, best book, best direction of a musical, best score, best featured actress and four technical awards, came in with a leading 14 nominations and was the heavy favorite for the top musical prize.
"We know what the best musical is — it's like taking a hooker to dinner," comedian Chris Rock said before reading the nominees and announcing the winner.
"War Horse" — a World War I tale about horses told with puppets and actors — won five Tonys, including the best prize award. The revival of "The Normal Heart" and "Anything Goes" both won three each.
Mark Rylance won the best acting award for a play for his powerful role of Johnny "Rooster" Byron in Jez Butterworth's "Jerusalem." Just as he did three years ago when he won for "Boeing-Boeing," Rylance quoted a poem by Louis Jenkins, an obscure poet from Minnesota.
"Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot-making or driftwood lamps," he said to the bemused crowd. When asked later why he had recited the poem, he said, "I don't know. I was getting a little bored."
Norbert Leo Butz won for best actor in a musical. Butz, who plays a frumpy FBI agent hot on the heels of a con man in "Catch Me If You Can" took home his second Tony. His previous win was in 2005 for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."
Sutton Foster won for best actress in a musical and gave a tearful speech. "It doesn't feel like a job," she said of the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," which also won best musical revival and earned Kathleen Marshall an award for best choreography.
Frances McDormand was declared the best leading actress in a play for portraying a South Boston blue-collar woman who reconnects with a high school boyfriend in David Lindsay-Abaire play "Good People."
The best direction of a musical award went to Casey Nicholaw and Parker for "The Book of Mormon." Parker — as well as co-writers Stone and Lopez — later returned to the stage to accept the Tony for the best book of a musical.
The top directing prize for a play went to Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris for the weepy British import "War Horse." ''We quite like it when people cry," Morris cracked backstage.
Nikki M. James, who plays a potential love interest to the pair of missionaries who travel to Uganda in "The Book of Mormon," dedicated the award to her dad, who died while she was in high school, and to her nephew Ozzie, who was born with kidney problems.
The show is one of the hottest in town and James said even cast members are having trouble getting tickets for their friends and family. "It's amazing to know you're going to walk out there every night and know you're going to see a house full of people," she said.
Larry Kramer's "The Normal Heart" won the best revival prize and two actors from the AIDS drama — Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey — also won. Barkin, making her Broadway debut, was declared the best actress in a featured role in a play, while Hickey took home the male equivalent honor.
"It's the proudest moment of my career. Being involved in something this important is I think a once-in-a-career opportunity," said Barkin. Hickey warned his family in Texas that they'd better not be watching the Heat-Mavericks game instead of the Tonys.
Kramer's historic play about the beginning of an epidemic that has killed millions won the Tony 26 years after it was first mounted at the Public Theater. "Learn from it and carry on the fight," he said. "Our day will come."
John Larroquette, in his Broadway debut, won the award for best actor in a featured role in a musical for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He thanked his co-star Daniel Radcliffe, who was not nominated, saying that without the "Harry Potter" star he'd be "home, sitting in my underwear, watching this on television."
Away from the television cameras, "The Book of Mormon" won for orchestration, sound design, scenic design of a musical, score and book of a musical. "War Horse" won for best sound design of a play and best scenic design of a play, and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" got the costume award for flamboyant fantasies created by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner.
Host Neil Patrick Harris began the show at the Beacon Theatre with an exuberant, facetious song about how Broadway isn't just for gay people any more. The number featured a bevy of dancing nuns, sailors, flight attendants and Mormons: "Attention every breeder, you're invited to the theater!" He later mocked "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," sang with Hugh Jackson and rode one of the puppet horses of "War Horse."
The ceremony was rolling along fine until Brooke Shields had to be bleeped after forgetting the lyrics and flubbing an opening song with Harris. "I can do eight performances a week but I can't read a TelePrompTer," she joked.
This year's Tonys were on Manhattan's Upper West Side after the ceremony was forced to leave its longtime home at Radio City Music Hall because Cirque du Soleil moved in. Tony producers picked the 3,000-seat Beacon Theatre, which has only about half as many seats as Radio City.
AP Television Writer Frazier Moore and National Writer Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report.


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The '80s were the golden age of the action figure, but not all '80s toylines were gold. For every He-Man or Transformers, there are a dozen series that will never return — either because they've been forgotten, or they've been outclassed, or just because they sucked in the first place. Here are 15 toylines whose relaunch is forever aborted.
1) Barnyard Commandoes
The idea of animal warriors is a pretty solid one, as far as boys action figure lines go — it worked for TMNT, after all, as well as about a quarter of the Masters of the Universe toys — but surely someone at Playmates had some reservations about limiting a toyline to sheep and pigs. First of all, pigs and sheep are not high up on the list of animals kids find most fascinating. Second of all, if you're choosing barnyard animals, why limit it to sheep and pigs? Shockingly, kids had little desire to buy General Hamfat Lardo, Corporal Hy Onahog, or even the Pork-a-pult.
2) BlackStar
Despite containing space barbarians, demons and dragons, BlackStar was an obvious He-Man rip-off from day one, but whereas He-Man had a terrifying amount of creativity, Blackstar replaced all that with tiny, dwarf-like creatures called Throbbits, making the whole series about saving these little bastards. Even if someone wanted to bring BlackStar back, I doubt Mos Def's band Black Star, Blackstar Amps, or "Black Star" fragrance owner Avril Lavigne would be amused. And I sincerely doubt any parent nowadays would ever buy their child something called a "throbbit," at least not without getting put on a potential sex offender list.
3) Computer Warriors
Mattel's Computer Warriors sounds like an idea that was a bit ahead of its time — a crazy military computer accidentally creates four evil viruses with artificial intelligence, so it then makes four good AIs to track them down. And then the evil viruses learn how to pull a reverse Tron and come into the real world, and the good AIs follow suit, hoping to capture the bad guys on their CD-roms. Sounds like the perfect '90s toyline, right? Well, that was part of the problem —Computer Warriors was released in 1989, just before the PC revolution encompassed pretty much everybody. But the bigger problem is that the actual toys transformed into things you'd find on an office desk. Seriously. These Computer Warriors doubled as a clock, a pencil sharpener and even a small soccer trophy. Even kids of the '80s weren't so desperate that they needed to play with office supplies.
4) Convertors
People make fun of the GoBots for being Transformers rip-offs, but no one remembers the Convertors, who were GoBots without their winning personality. Hilariously, the Convertors were actually Bandai's attempt to cash in on Transformers, and Bandai had the Japanese connection to license a lot of the same toy molds as Hasbro did, meaning the Convertors included a lot of Transformers, just in different colors — as well as some other anime toys that nerds nowadays would kill for. I'm pretty sure Hasbro has these rights locked down now.
5) Eagle Force
Back in 1982, the Mego Corporation was still trying to recover from the legendarily horrible decision to pass on the Star Wars toy license. After making countless failed Star Wars rip-offs, they decided to tip-off Hasbro's G.I. Joe series with Eagle Force. The Eagle Force consisted of colorful and unique soldiers with goofy codenames who fought the evil R.I.O.T. — about the only difference they had from G.I. Joe is that they stood only 2 ¾-inches, a full inch shorter than their Hasbro counterparts. If anyone tried to bring these guys back, they'd be forced to call them Chocking Hazard: The Toy Series.
6) Food Fighters
Kids love anthropomorphized animals (minus farm animals) who fight each other, right? So why wouldn't they love anthropomorphized food? I don't know the answer to this, but there's clearly a reason, as Mattel's 1989 Food Fighter series — of living foodstuffs in military garb with assorted weapons — was spoiled on arrival. It probably didn't help that the toys were less action figures and more squeaky toys more suited for a dog's chew-toy, but whatever. Honestly, a sentient stack of pancakes wielding submachine guns probably deserved better.
7) Golden Girl and the Guardian of the Gemstones
One of the very few She-Ra rip-offs of the '80s, Golden Girl and the Guardian of the Gemstones is actually kind of awesome — arguably better than its source material. Unlike She-Ra and her pals, most of whom had nets and butterfly wings and pretty dresses, Golden Girls' girls all had shields and swords and were ready to kick some ass. While She-Ra dolls' accessories were dresses and horses, Golden Girl was rocking awesome chariots and a castle to fight in front of. Also, while She-Ra's foe Hordak was relegated to the Masters of the Universe toyline to keep girls' fragile minds from seeing toys that didn't have hair they could brush, GGatGotG had a whole group of equally armed evil warrioresses to battle. Frankly, Golden Girl needs a comeback ASAP, but I'm pretty sure the name "Golden Girl" would cause waaay too much confusion amongst parents (and potential disappointment).
8) The Infaceables
The Infaceables seemed pretty awesome when they were released in 1984, because each figure had a regular face that changed into a monstrous face through a cunning use of rubber and an internal vacuum created by extended the figure's torso. But I would love to see what would happen if you tried to give one of these guys to an 8-year-old nowadays. "What does it do? You pull it like this… and then the face changes? What else does it do? No, changing back does not count as a different feature. Look, where is my Nintendo DS?"
9) Manglor
There is one reason and one reason along that Manglor will never be remade, and that's because it was made out of bullshit. The whole draw of the toyline, according to its makers, was that kids could literally tear the Manglors apart, limb from limb, and then re-attach all the parts without problem. This was not true in any fashion. Ironically, if Manglors had actually been made out of bull feces they'd have been more likely to live up to their promise.
10) Moondreamers
Part of the My Little Pony cartoon n' toy empire from Hasbro, Moondreamers were small children with big heads and bigger hair — basically, imagine if Toddlers n' Tiaras had a doll line, and you have the Moondreamers. You'd think that this might actually be a pretty good idea to re-release, but there are three problems: The first is that the plot of Moondreamers is that Crystal Starr and her friends are giving magic crystals to sleeping kids so they can have good dreams, and fighting the evil Queen Scowlene, who wants to give kids nightmares — I can't imagine that a toyline about grown women whose sole occupation is breaking into the bedrooms of sleeping children would get very far nowadays. The second problem is that like most '80s girls toylines, all the characters have stripper names. But the real problem is this:
The Queen Scowlene doll is the most terrifying thing I have ever fucking seen. Talk about nightmares — I can't imagine any child sleeping ever again after they received this horror.
Image via Diary of a Dorkette.
11) Police Academy
It seems impossible now, but at some point the Police Academy movies — which started as a Meatballs-esque comedy-T&A vehicle for Steve Guttenerg — became such family-friendly entertainment that someone made a Police Academy cartoon, and then someone else made a Police Academy toyline based on that cartoon. This is madness. Despite the best efforts of master thespian Steve Guttenberg, the franchise is somehow forgotten (seriously, who the Scary Movie guys haven't rebooted it yet is beyond me) and the cartoon/toys even moreso. This is 100% okay with me.
12) Ring Raiders
Despite its hardcore military theme, the fact of the matter is that Ring Raiders were small jets that sat on rings that — gasp! — boys would wear! Given the small but vocal portion of the U.S. population nowadays that freaks the fuck out anytime a boy or girl wanders down the wrong toy aisle, I don't see any toy company asking for that particular brand of trouble by bringing Ring Raiders back.
13) Rock Lords
Here's how insane the Transformers craze got in the '80s: toy company executives — people who could presumably have conversations with people and both feed and dress themselves — decided to make figures that transformed into rocks. Rocks. Kids didn't play with rocks in the 1880s. And this wasn't one company, it was multiple companies! Mattel did it right and only added a few figures to its Masters of the Universe line, but Tonka went all in, and made a whole rock-based GoBots spin-off. It did slightly better than if Tonka had packaged and sold regular rocks, which is to say it sucked. And I imagine it would be even less popular today.
14) Sky Commanders
The sole gimmick of the Sky Commanders was they all had ziplines they could ride down. Unlike rocks, this was actually more than enough for a company to base a toyline on. You could send these figures plummeting off of a desk to the floor, from the top bunk to the bottom, or the upstairs to the bottom floor — kids could do this for hours, happily, and I'm speaking from personal experience. But I feel like zipline toys would lose a little bit of their luster when there's a PlayStation in the room.
15) Visionairies
"So… these toys have a sticker on them? It's one of those stickers that change depending on how you look at them, like you get out of those machines at the grocery store. Huh. That's it? Nothing else? They just look vaguely different from different angles? Jesus, those stupid face toys were cooler than this."


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See the full calendar of Mercury events - tournaments, shows, product demos. Add events to your personal calendar!
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MotorGuide trolling motors are not only reliable and dependable, they're powerful and efficient. Proof is found in the technology and innovation that first came in our variable-speed, pulse-modulation systems, and most recently in our powerful but super-efficient 36-volt power designs.


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Flowers and pumpkins are two of my favorite things and I love combining them for a fall or Thanksgiving table or seasonal centerpiece!
And I love joining my blogging friends for Floral Fridays! You'll find their links for beautiful floral inspiration at the bottom of this post.
Our common theme for this edition of Floral Friday was pumpkins!
I gathered some pumpkins, gourds, and mums for an easy harvest centerpiece for fall. This is a quick and easy centerpiece that you can pull together for a fall table with items from the grocery store, no flower arranging skills required!
You can use any kind of wooden box, basket or tray to build your centerpiece. I pulled out my rustic wood caddy, previously filled with spring-flowering bulbs to hop down the bunny trail.
I started with some kale from the produce department of the grocery store. Kale makes a great filler, providing texture to soften and tuck in around edges of your container and provide a base for your arrangement. Kale is hardy stuff and will last a several days without wilting and can be affordably replaced at 99 cents for a large bunch.
I placed jars filled with water and added some $3 mums from the grocery store, placing the jars in each corner of the caddy.
Fill in the center and edges with veggies, mini pumpkins and/or gourds and flowers from the grocery store. You can use squash, pomegranates, apples, pears, persimmons or whatever says "harvest" to you, along with the flowers of your choice to build your centerpiece.
Mums are affordable and long-lasting, providing a bang for the buck and can last up to two weeks if you change your vase water every other day. After your flowers are spent, you can easily replace them, extending the life of your centerpiece.
Harvest Pumpkin Wreath Plates were picked from the pumpkin patch at Williams-Sonoma, on sale with free shipping. . .
They're serving up fruit, flowers and gourds along the vibrant border, placed on tree slice chargers. A plaid throw provides a colorful foundation as tablecloth.
I used an easy short cut to create a blooming pumpkin that I've shared before, but it's worth repeating, as no is cutting required! Also since you don't cut your pumpkin, it will last throughout the fall season.
If you've ever tried to cut these little tiger-striped pumpkins for serving soup or for mini vases, you know how hazardous it can be to cut through the hard skin and flesh. Skipping this step saves time, prevents accidents, as well as extending the life of your pumpkin.
Here's the easy short cut: Add a piece of wet floral foam on top of your pumpkin, rather than it hollowing out to make a vase for your flowers. If your pumpkin has a short stem, use the stem to anchor the wet floral foam to hold it in place. If your pumpkin is stemless, use some waterproof floral tape to secure the foam to the pumpkin. You can see an example of the foam held in place with the floral tape, here. Wet foam and tape are available on the floral aisle at the craft store.
For the mini pumpkins, I used some foliage from the garden, Loropetalum with its purple tinted foliage and Kaleidoscope Abelia with blush pink-tinted tips. Mums add a some russet and burgundy colored blooms.
Once you're gathered all your foliage and floral material, these mini blooming pumpkins come together quickly. I start by adding the foliage first. It always takes more foliage than I think, so cut more than you think you might use.
I used one half of floral foam brick for four mini pumpkins and about 6 – 8 small blooms per pumpkin.
These mini blooming pumpkins make the perfect take-away party favor for your guests, friends or family members.
Harvest Pumpkin Table Details:
Harvest Pumpkin Plates / Williams-Somona, recently
Napkins / Pier 1, last year
Courtly Stripe Pumpkin Napkin Rings / MacKenzie-Childs, this summer
Tree Slice Chargers / Bed, Bath & Beyond, several years ago
Plaid throw / HomeGoods, several years ago
Flatware / Towle Seville
Amber Goblets / Mikasa French Countryside
Visit my talented blogging friends to see their floral inspiration this week:
Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Pam at Everyday Living
Shirley at Housepitality Designs


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by David Crane [email protected] Speaking of NDIA Small Arms Symposium 2007, DefenseReview also got to test-fire two of the latest "tactical plastic" (i.e. polymer) .45 ACP pistols, the Glock 21SF (G21SF) and the Smith & Wesson M&P45. Both weapons were very comfortable to handle and shoot, but we had some trouple hitting steel pepper poppers initially with the Glock 21 …Read More »
Tag Archives: glock 21sf .45
DefRev Quick Hits 3: More Tactical Technology from the Show
by David Crane david at defensereview.com All photos contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com and are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. They are not to be reprinted or disseminated in any fashion without the express written permission of DefenseReview.com. 1) FlashFog, courtesy of Arias Tech Ltd., is an anti-smash-and-grab / area-denial structural security system (a.k.a. building security system) …Read More »


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Story highlights
The demonstrations began Tuesday, when Abdul Quader Mollah was sentenced to life
He was found guilty of 5 of 6 charges, including crimes against humanity
He declared he is innocent and cursed the judges in court
Four people have died in related violence in the port city of Chittagong
Outraged by a court verdict they considered too lenient, thousands of people took to the streets across Bangladesh on Wednesday demanding the death penalty for an Islamic party leader convicted of war crimes carried out more than four decades ago.
"We've taken additional measures across the country to heighten security," State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Hoque told reporters.
From horror to hope: Boy's miracle recovery from brutal attack
The demonstrations began Tuesday, when an International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah, assistant secretary general for the Jamaat-e-Islami party, to life in prison.
The Jamaat-e-Islami party had called for a two-day general strike across Bangladesh beginning Tuesday, and demonstrators clashed with police and demanded that ruling party officials scrap the trial process.
The government on Tuesday evening called in paramilitary troopers to maintain law and order in Dhaka and elsewhere as deadly protests erupted after the verdict.
Jamaat-e-Islami protested the verdict as demonstrators – including some from ruling party alliances – took to the streets demanding the death penalty for Mollah.
Read more: General strike disrupts life in Bangladesh
"We've deployed troopers from the Border Guards of Bangladesh to maintain law and order," Hoque said.
Hundreds of Dhaka University students took to the streets in the capital's Shahbagh Square, where they were joined by other city residents in protests that began Tuesday.
Home Ministry officials said security forces were patrolling in Dhaka and other major cities, including in the large southeastern port city of Chittagong, where at least four people were killed Tuesday during clashes between police and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Police opened fire and shot tear-gas shells to disperse the protesters, who torched and otherwise damaged more than 100 vehicles in major cities.
Jamaat-e-Islami said its members would continue to protest; many of its leaders are behind bars facing charges of murder, arson, looting and rape stemming from the war of independence in 1971.
Read more: Clinton leaves drama in China for turmoil in Bangladesh
They said the war-crimes trials, which began after more than 40 years of independence, was done with "ill political motive."
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed no sign of backing down, saying the trials would be completed at any cost.
The government, which promised in its election pledges in 2008 to complete the war-crimes trials, set up the tribunals in 2010.
Amid tight security, a three-member panel of judges of the International Crimes Tribunal-2 delivered the judgment against Mollah in a crowded courtroom on Tuesday.
Mollah, 64, was found guilty of five of six charges, including murder.
They included crimes against humanity, tribunal Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan said.
After the verdict was read, Mollah stood from the chair on which he had been seated and cried, "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great!)
He declared he was innocent and began to curse the judges and the government.
He then pulled a copy of the Quran from his pocket and held it in front of him, saying that the judges would one day find themselves on trial in accordance with the holy book's law.
Lawmakers of the ruling party alliance criticized the verdict in parliament and asked the prosecution to appeal for the death penalty.
Mollah, who was the chief of the students' wing of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971, is the first Jamaat-e-Islami leader convicted in a war-crimes case by the tribunal.
On January 21, the same tribunal sentenced to death the first war crimes convict, Abul Kalam Azad, alias Bachchu Razakar.
Bangladesh had been the eastern portion of Pakistan until it gained independence in 1971 in a war that killed 3 million people.


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September 22, 2018
Mt. Seymour
https://www.mudrunguide.com/event/vancouver-canada-spartan-race-spartan-sprint-2018/ Mt. Seymour, 1700 Mt. Seymour Rd., North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Spartan Race firstname.lastname@example.com use-title true MM/DD/YYYY
Race Start Time:
8:30am - Elite Men
8:45am - Elite Women
9:00am - 9:15am - Age Group
9:30am - 11:45am - Open Morning
12:00pm - 1:00pm - Open Afternoon
12:00pm - Awards
1:00pm - Last Heat
Venue:Mt. Seymour
1700 Mt. Seymour Rd.
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - View Map
Distance & Course Length:
5-8 km
Organizer:Spartan Race
|Multi-distance Obstacle Race, Worldwide locations
|Yes. Jr. Spartan: ages 4-9, Varsity Spartan: ages 10-13
Become a member of the Spartan TRIFECTA Tribe by finishing one of each Spartan distance: Sprint, Super and Beast, in a calendar year (January 1 – December 31st), anywhere in the world.
|Varies by distance; Sprint features 10-12, Beast contains over 30.
|Varies by location depending on topography; the course will use any and all natural obstacles and elements to make a demanding and interesting course.
|Hardest Obstacle
|Spinners: A spinning, corkscrew "monkey bar" designed to really test upper body and grip strength. If you fail, 30 burpees are waiting for you.
|Failing or skipping any obstacle results in a penalty of 30 burpees.
|Wear athletic gear that will allow movement in any direction as you will be climbing over and scurrying under obstacles, lifting and pulling heavy objects and running trails, through water, mud, and jumping over fire. Gloves may help with some rope-based obstacles, well-fitting athletic shoes should help minimize blisters.
Click "About" above to hide this text again
1158 Past Events, 0 other upcoming races
Click here to read or add your own Vancouver Canada Spartan Race Spartan Sprint 2018 reviews
Use discount code MRG10 for 10% off your registration
Registration:Visit Event Website
This event has passed, registration is closed.
Who's Attending?
Cost & Pricing:
|Morning Cost
|Afternoon Cost
|Age Group Cost
|Elite Cost
|Tier 1 (First 100 Spots)
|Tier 2
|September 20th, 2018 (registration closes)
|Race Day Registration
ELITE WAVE: additional $20 - Our Elite wave will start at 8am, on both Saturday and Sunday. A portion of additional charge to enter the ELITE wave will be used to pay out our Cash Purse. Cash paid out to TOP 10 Finishers male and female, Saturday AND Sunday.
|Military and First responders receive a $30 discount during registration. **participants will be required to pass a validation procedure via our partners at GovX. Students receive a $10 discount during registration **participants will be required to show valid student identification at check-in or must pay the full day of race registration fee
|Registrations are final. No changing start waves. We do not issue refunds, regardless of circumstance, nor do we issue partial refunds. We also do not allow registrations to transfer from person to person. If you are injured and cannot race, you can volunteer at the race for a future race credit.
|Team Discounts are available
|NOTE: Discount Codes will not apply during Pre-Registration period.
What You Get / What's Included:
- Spartan Race Finishers medal
- Free race photos
- Spartan Race T-Shirt
Course Description:
The Reebok Spartan Sprint: This is our shortest distance. It is perfect for athletes of all levels; from Spartan first timers to seasoned racers. The 5-8km Sprint may be our shortest distance but it packs more than 20 Signature Spartan Obstacles. If you think you can't do it, you're wrong. Get to the starting line and show yourself what you are capable of.
Aid Stations:
We have medical staff at the race. Their headquarters will be easily marked with First Aid Banner and is near or in the festival area. There will be at least one aid station on course and there will also be water at the finish area. Carry extra hydration and fuel if you think you might need it.
Awards ceremony for the top finishers of the Spartan Race (varies by location, not always applicable)
Prize Money
Men and Women's Elite
1st place $500
2nd place $200
3rd place $100
Masters 40+ Men and Women's Elite
1st place $200
2nd place $150
3rd place $100
Awards only for those competitng in the Elite waves. Below are the different wave types:
Elite Wave - Competing to win prize money. Requires burpees on failure of obstacles
Age Group Wave - Follow same rules & standards as elite, but not eligible for prize money. For those who wish stricter rules that competitive, but don't want to compete in elite. Requires burpees on failure of obstacles. Age group winners will be award by region for competitive racers across regions.
Open Waves - For everyone. Everyone is welcome. Same exact obstacles, but no pressure to push your pace. Suggested burpees on obstacle failure, but not enforced or required.
Spartan Race prizes awarded to teams
Want a front row seat to all the Spartan action? Spectator tickets are available for $15 online or purchase them onsite on race day (please bring cash).
There will be no parking on-site for this event. A $10 shuttle service will be available for racers - pick-up location to be determined.
Spartan Junior Races - Spartan Race isn't just for adults. We offers two distances for the little Spartans in your life. Based on age, our Junior races have obstacles in them just like the grown up versions. Come watch your future Spartans run, jump, and play just like they're supposed to. Junior races starting at $20.
Try and leave as much stuff as you can at home or in your car— but for the stuff you can't leave behind, or that you don't want covered in mud and water, we will have a secure place to check in your gear. Check in is $5/bag – you will get a wrist band to wear that matches the band we put on your bag so make sure you keep that safe.
There's no dress code, per se, but you'll be running in mud and water, climbing hills and mountains, crawling under barbed wire and jumping fire. So choose wisely my friends.
Professional event day photos will be posted on the event page 5-7 days after the event, FREE OF CHARGE! You don't have to stay up all night checking the site for this – we'll email you when your photos are ready
Arrive an hour and a half before your start time. This gives you plenty of time to park, pick up your packet, drop your stuff at bag check, and get warmed up. Registration opens at 6:00am.
Strength comes in numbers – so does fun! Share the Spartan experience with friends, family colleagues or classmates and save on registration fees.
Team members are timed individually and are not required to cross the Finish Line together.
Create a team with your friends, family, colleagues or classmates and take Spartan FUN to the NEXT LEVEL!!
Online discounts available for teams of 4+ and 10+. Additional discounts available for teams of 25 or more.
Coupons / Discount Codes:
Please see our obstacle course race discount & promotion page for all the latest discounts, promos, promotions, discount codes, and coupon codes for Vancouver Canada Spartan Race Spartan Sprint 2018. There also may be one listed at the top of this page. See more Spartan Race discount codes & promo codes here


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Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz
Our editors will review what you've submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- Title / Office:
- foreign minister (1753-1792), Austria chancellor (1753-1792), Austria
- Role In:
- Seven Years' War
Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz, in full Wenzel Anton, Fürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg, (born February 2, 1711, Vienna, Austria—died June 27, 1794, Vienna), Austrian state chancellor during the eventful decades from the Seven Years' War (1756–63) to the beginning of the coalition wars against Revolutionary France (1792). Kaunitz was responsible for the foreign policy of the Habsburg monarchy, and he served as principal adviser on foreign affairs to the empress Maria Theresa and her successors.
Destined for the church, Kaunitz studied law instead. After a tour of Europe he entered the Austrian foreign service in 1740, advancing to minister to the Sardinian court in 1742. In Turin, Italy, he learned diplomacy from the unscrupulous king of Sardinia, Charles Emmanuel III. He rapidly became known to Empress Maria Theresa, who sent him to the Netherlands as chief minister to Charles of Lorraine and her sister Maria Anna. Kaunitz governed these northern provinces virtually unaided but nevertheless proved unable to defend them against France.
A lifelong enemy of Prussia, Kaunitz represented Austria at the Aachen (now in Germany) peace congress in 1748, where he began to formulate the policy that was to reverse Europe's traditional alliance system a few years later. He wished to break Austria's alliances with England and the United Provinces, which were friendly toward Prussia, and bring France and Russia into the Habsburg orbit, an ambition he failed to realize as ambassador to Paris (from 1750). In 1753, however, he was made head of the Austrian State Chancery, and his efforts were rewarded in 1756, when Austria and France signed the defensive treaty of Versailles. Russia acceded the next year. This reversal of alliances was his greatest diplomatic coup, resulting in the isolation of Prussia on the Continent. The allies proved unable to subdue Frederick the Great during the ensuing Seven Years' War, however, and Kaunitz finally negotiated the peace of Paris in 1763. In 1764 he was created Fürst (prince) von Kaunitz-Rietberg.
After the death of Maria Theresa's husband, the Holy Roman emperor Francis I, Kaunitz's influence increased. He participated in the first partition of Poland (1772) and worked toward a détente with Prussia. Nevertheless, Austria once again became involved in a war with that state over the Bavarian succession (1778–79). Having extended his influence to domestic affairs, he organized the state council to run the country (1760) and favoured reorganizing and centralizing the administration of many of the Habsburg domains.
Kaunitz's relations with Maria Theresa's co-regent and successor, her son Joseph, were much less cordial, and he often served as mediator between the empress and her more active and aggressive son. With the son's accession as Joseph II (1780), the foreign minister's powers were cut drastically, and the vain, eccentric Kaunitz was increasingly pushed into the background.
The French Revolution terminated the system of alliances for which Kaunitz had stood. The new emperor Leopold II drew closer to Prussia again (Reichenbach convention of 1790), and the aged minister resigned under the emperor Francis II on August 19, 1792.


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City Green Initiatives
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If you have any overall questions about the City's environmental and sustainability programs, or cannot find what you are looking for on this "Green El Cerrito" portal, contact the City's Recycling + Environmental Resource Center at email@example.com or 510-215-4350.
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Last year, following the release of The Jerusalem Post's first list of the world's 50 most influential Jews, I was inspired to create a list of my own -- not of Jews, but of non-Jews, specifically those that are having the most positive influence in shaping the Jewish future.
A year later, much has changed, new figures have emerged, others have faded and some have remained. But the importance of bringing attention to this group is constant. For this reason I have sought to make this a regular endeavor, as such I present the second-annual list.
Similar to the criteria used by other list makers, I chose my candidates from around the world and from all walks of life. The list includes, politicians, activists, business giants and more, all of whom have made a significant constructive impact on Israel and the Jewish world. Last year I only listed the top six, but wanted to make the list slightly more comprehensive, so it is now expanded to include the top 10.
Although by no means an exact science, my aim in this compilation, is to provide some insight into the playing field of this unique yet modest group. Additionally I aim to provide a glimpse at their often courageous, sometimes unacknowledged activities on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people.
10. Julie Burchill
Columnist and novelist
Currently a columnist for The Independent, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. The Jewish Chronicle described her in 2008 as "Israel's staunchest supporter in the UK media."
9. Jon Voight
Supporter of Jewish causes, most notably Chabad, Voight is also a prolific spokesman for Israel. A rarity in Hollywood circles, he has advocated for Jewish values, consistently reaching an often indifferent audience.
8. Patrick Debois
Founder, Yahad-In Unum
A Roman Catholic priest, Debois is head of the Commission for Relations with Judaism of the French Bishops' Conference and Consultant to the Vatican. He is the co-founder and president of Yahad-In Unum, an organization whose mission is to document the murder of the 1.5 million Jews of Ukraine, shot dead by the Nazis and buried throughout the country. This work is vital in ensuring that the memory of these victims will not fade with the death of the last witnesses.
7. John Hagee
Founder, Christians United for Israel
Hagee's Christians United for Israel continues to experience rapid growth, now boasting upwards of 600,000 members. The group makes significant contributions to Jewish causes, and has become a potent political force in support of Israel. Author of "Jerusalem Countdown" and "In Defense of Israel," the pastor from San Antonio has met with every Israeli prime minister since Menachem Begin and his ministries have given more than $8.5 million to bring Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel.
6. Warren Buffet
The famed investor has been a strong supporter of Israeli innovation, and has bought into it significantly. Last year, while visiting the country, he famously said that "Israel has shown that it has a disproportionate amount of brains and energy." Buffet's strong statement of confidence has gone a long way in encouraging significant foreign investment in the Jewish State.
5. Jose Maria Aznar
Former Prime Minister of Spain
In 2010, Aznar founded the Friends of Israel Initiative, with the stated goal to "counter the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders." Referring to the ill-fated takeover of the Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos, Aznar said in 2010 that the world must support Israel because "if it goes down, we all go down." His unique organization provides a strong voice of reason in circles where it might otherwise not be heard.
4. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
The largest customer of Israeli military equipment and Israel's second-largest economic partner, Indian ties with Israel are now stronger than ever and advanced negotiations for an extensive bilateral trade pact are well under way. Singh is largely responsible for cultivating and developing this crucial alliance that is vital to Israel's economic stability and continued growth.
3. John Boehner
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Among the many friends of the Jewish community in the U.S. Congress, Boehner's recent actions have made him stand out. Centrally involved in the recent invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, Boehner provided the platform for the Jewish narrative to be conveyed to a pivotal audience at an important time.
2. Rupert Murdoch
CEO of News Corporation
At an American Jewish Committee dinner honoring Murdoch he opened his acceptance speech by saying, "over the years, some of my wildest critics seem to have assumed I am Jewish. At the same time, some of my closest friends wish I were. So tonight, let me set the record straight: I live in New York. I have a wife who craves Chinese food. And people I trust tell me I practically invented the word chutzpah."
As CEO of News Corporation, Murdoch has continued to ensure that the outlets under his direction, including The London Times, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, are fair and honest in their coverage of matters relating to Jews and Israel.
1. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Recently winning a majority government for his conservative party, Harper has been a great friend to Canada's Jewish community as well as an outspoken supporter of Israeli positions in the international political arena, saying last year, "When Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand."
His recent blocking of a G8 resolution in support of President Obama's Middle East policy speech that would mention the call for a Palestinian State based on the 1967 lines, while not incorporating other elements of the speech, earns him the top spot this year.
The author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please visit Algemeiner.com for more information.


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As part of the re-awakening of the really very nice indeed Holloway Road chat house NAMBUCCA, DiS has agreed to loosely curate a night there on the odd Wednesday every month. Our first one this Wednesday, September 22nd, will see pre-release record playbacks from the likes of Le Tigre, Interpol (as if you all haven't downloaded it, you SCAMPS) and maybe even REM if they let us wangle it (love you, Warner Bros. press dept.). On top of that there will be some HOT visuals in the form of whatever crosses our minds (possibly something to do with John Cusack and a cow), and visuals and sounds combined to create a viewing of that there new Yeah Yeah Yeahs film.
Then, when we're bored of blowing your AV pants off, we'll have a hot new band on called Lux Luther, who contain former members of Ben & Jason (the Ben half). And Meanwhile Back In Communist Russia. Although we swear it's got nothing to do with post-folk or the New Ethereal Acoustic Movement. It should be really good. AND IT'S ALL FREE, WE TELLS YA!
To persuade you further, gaps in-between will be filled with DJs playing tunes so good that you will be inclined to nod your head at least, and we will be hammering the pints of Carling Extra Cold for £1.50. Which is good.
Things kick off around 6.30pm with new record playing, and the band will be on at 10pm-ish. Everything else comes inbetween.
Nabucca lives at 596 Holloway Road - Archway end of the end - and is big and wooden and spacious with lots of tables and boardgames. To see what else they're up to on a nightly basis check out this site here
The launch party is tonight as well, so we recommend you check that out as well. Banzai!


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Blog: Siding Installation, Metal Roofing, Shingle Roofing in Riverdale, Midland, & Bay City MI
Roof Checklist
A Roof Checklist to help you decide weather you need to hire a contractor.
A checkup on your roof system in the fall and spring will help diagnose potential problems early.
NRCA recommends you hire a professional roofing contractor to assist you with checking your roof. However, NRCA realizes many homeowners prefer to perform an initial inspection themselves. If you prefer to go that route, following are some important tips to get you started.
When cleaning your gutters or inspecting your roof system, remember important ladder safety tips:
- Make sure the ladder is on solid, level ground.
- Secure the ladder at the top to prevent it from slipping.
- Inspect the ladder, rungs and rails for damage.
- Extend the ladder at least 3 feet beyond the gutter, and angle it 1 foot back from the house for every 4 feet in eave height.
- Always use both hands when climbing the ladder.
Once on the ladder, you should look for:
- Shingles that are buckling, curling or blistering; this indicates the end of the shingles' life expectancy.
- Loose material or wear around chimneys, pipes and other penetrations.
- Excessive amounts of shingle granules in your gutters; granules give shingles added weight and protect them from ultraviolet rays.
Before you hire a roofing contractor, do your homework:
- Check for a contractor's permanent place of business, telephone number and tax identification number.
- Check references from prior customers.
- Ask for proof of insurance (liability and workers' compensation).
- Ask the contractor about material and workmanship warranties.
Use the following form to record your roof system's checkup each fall and spring.
|Your roof system's health
|Cleaned gutters
|Checked shingles
|Inspected around
chimneys and pipes
|Checked interior walls and ceilings for water damage
|Called a professional roofing contractor
If you ever need a contractor call us! Energy Plus Home Improvements Can take care of any problem!
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